NOLA District Christens New Survey Vessel

The New Orleans Engineer District held a christening ceremony March 7 for a new survey vessel from Silver Ships Inc. of Theodore, Ala. The near-26-foot by 9.5-foot vessel with an enclosed house and twin 250 hp. Mercury SeaPro outboards is the mv. Ducarpe, named after the late Michael “Mike” Phillip Ducarpe, a longtime employee of the district. The christening was held at Seabrook Harbor & Marine, located on the north end of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in New Orleans.

Ducarpe started with the New Orleans District in August 1999 as a civil engineer technician for the district’s Channel Survey Function. Eventually, he was promoted to supervisor for that section. Ducarpe was husband to Kim and father to quadruplets Michael, Kassidy, Dylan and Kadi. He died August 20, 2023, at the age of 64, following a battle with cancer.

At the christening ceremony for his namesake vessel, Ducarpe was praised for his charisma that helped him build strong relationships both within the Corps and with industry and led to high morale and productive years for the Channel Survey Function.

“Mike had an uncanny ability to schedule surveys using the seven vessels assigned to him by balancing dredging support needs with employee needs, as well as vessel repairs and calibrations,” stated a biography of Ducarpe shared at the christening. “Mike willingly mentored and trained many young engineers, sharing his vast knowledge of our surveying mission and his enthusiasm for his work that was contagious and inspired many.”

Ducarpe was continuing a family legacy at the New Orleans District. His late father, Maurice, known as “Duke,” and his brother Maurice Jr. both retired from the New Orleans District’s Construction Division.

“I’ve worked with Mike since 2001 and always admired the enthusiasm he showed toward his job and how he stayed positive about all aspects of life,” said Richard Entwisle, supervisory civil engineer for the New Orleans District. “In addition to the inspiration he was to many coworkers at the Corps, he also became friends with most of them and was a motivating factor in keeping morale high within the section. He was a great teammate, and having the opportunity to work with him for so many years was a blessing to those who had that pleasure.”

Entwisle called naming a survey vessel after Ducarpe “an obvious choice.”

“Having a boat in his name to continue the great work he performed during his career is a well-deserved honor and a tribute to him and his entire family,” he said.

Silver Ships specializes in aluminum boats for a variety of applications, and the Ducarpe is no exception. The Ducarpe displaces just over 13,000 pounds and has space for a crew of two to four. Top speed is rated at 37 knots. Sonar equipment on board includes a Teledyne Marine Echotrac E20 echosounder, a Humminbird Solix Side-Scan system by Johnson Outdoors, Teledyne Reson T50-P Hi-Res Multibeam echosounder and Velodyne VLP16 LiDAR sensor.

As part of the New Orleans District’s fleet of survey vessels, the Ducarpe, a Catamaran Class vessel, will support the district’s navigation mission on the Mississippi River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and other waterways within the district’s area of responsibility.

The New Orleans District has a total of 10 vessels in its hydrographic survey fleet, six larger vessels and four trailered boats. The Ducarpe, while not part of a series, is the third vessel the district has bought from Silver Ships.

The mv. Ducarpe sets sail after a christening ceremony held at the Seabrook Harbor & Marine March 7 in New Orleans, La. This hydrographic survey boat is the newest among the fleet of vessels that sails the waters of South Louisiana for the New Orleans Engineer District. (U.S. Army photo by Sye Ellis)