Xenos Marine, a Matt Fish and Teichman Group affiliated company, christened its newly acquired TX-10,000 a one of a kind, heavy-lift engineering marvel after a mandatory five-year drydock maintenance on March 23 at Gulf Copper Shipyard.
Xenos Principals Kevin Teichman and Matt Fish welcomed invited guests followed by a blessing from Father Clint Ressler of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church of Texas City.
The vessel, TX-10,000, originally built by Versabar and later sold to TCM, a Teichman Group affiliate, in 2020, was acquired by Xenos Marine in December 2024. Xenos Marine, a joint venture between Matt Fish and the Teichman Family, renamed the vessel to reflect its new ownership.
“The TX-10,000 is a true engineering marvel that performs ultra-heavy lifts safely and efficiently. After completing over 250 offshore platform installations and decommissioning projects, some of extraordinary note, it is known as one of the greatest heavy-lift vessels of all time,” said Kevin Teichman, CEO of the Teichman Group.
The TX-10,000 is the largest heavy-lift vessel ever built in the United States. It is U.S.-flagged and Jones Act-compliant, enabling unrestricted operations in U.S. waters. Built in 2010, the vessel measures 297 feet long, 310 feet wide, and 250 feet tall, with a 166-foot-wide span between its pontoons.
The vessel’s gantry system is rated for a 10,000-ton lifting capacity, though offshore operations are limited to 7,500 tons due to pontoon restrictions. Its propulsion system includes eight 1,000-horsepower thrusters—four per barge—with backup systems that provide a DP3 rating, allowing the vessel to maintain position within three feet in unlimited water depths. Additionally, the TX-10,000 features an eight-point anchoring system for shallow-water operations, two helidecks, and a control house situated on the port pontoon for unobstructed views of operations.
With 44 diesel engines ensuring complete redundancy, the TX-10,000 is a highly reliable asset for complex operations. It can also be equipped with two massive lifting claws: a single claw can lift 3,000 tons or two claws combined for 4,000 tons. These claws, the largest in the world, are capable of grabbing structures in depths up to 350 feet. Each claw measures 130 feet tall, opens to 180 feet wide, and weighs 1,000 tons each.
Its most notable achievement was its role in the largest wreck removal in U.S. history: T&T Salvage’s dismantling of the M/V GOLDEN RAY, a 660-foot car carrier that capsized off St. Simons, Georgia, in 2019 with 4,300 vehicles onboard. Its role in the GOLDEN RAY operation cemented its place in history as one of the greatest heavy-lift vessels of all time.
(Photo from Xenos Marine)