Popular television series gets down and dirty with Alabama shipbuilders

Published 6:03 am Thursday, January 27, 2022

In a recent episode of Discovery Channel’s wildly popular series “Dirty Jobs,” show host Mike Rowe traveled to Alabama to try his hand as a shipbuilder.

Traveling to Coden Alabama, Rowe met with the master craftsmen and shipbuilders of Master Boat Builders to show viewers the ins-and-outs of building work boats.

More specifically, Rowe will highlighted the importance of the tugboat showing just how important they are to ensuring container ships can unload their cargo.

Master Boat Builders started  in 1979 by father-son duo James and Michael Rice following the destruction of their seafood shop caused by Hurricane Frederic.

Master Boat Builders quickly went from a small business venture into an internationally recognized work boat business.

Over the past 30 years, Master Boat Builders has built and delivered approximately 430 vessels to customers all over the world, including tugboats, offshore supply vessels, fishing vessels, and dive support vessels.

“What an incredible opportunity it is to have Mike Rowe and the Dirty Jobs team right here in our community to showcase to America the essential work performed by our shipyard workers both in our area and across the nation,” Garrett Rice, President of Master Boat Builders, said. “The shipbuilding industry plays a vital role in the Gulf Coast’s economy. Right now, in our shipyard alone, we have dozens of opportunities open from ship-fitters to project engineers and many exciting opportunities in between, and our industry is ready to hire the next generation of the shipbuilding workforce.”

The new episode is streaming on Discovery Plus.