Henry native Romero gets $6 million boat named after him

Story written by Vana Plaisance

HOUMA, La. -- Enterprise Marine Services (EMS), a division of Enterprise Products, honored Captain Delfred “Fred” Joseph Romero of Henry, on Saturday, by dedicating and christening one of their three new $6 million boats as the M/V Delfred Romero.
Also honored were Jeris Authement of Chauvin and Nolan Rhodes of Morgan City, both retired captains.
“We would not be here today without the contribution of these three men,” said Jerry Cardillo, EMS President, during the dedication ceremony.
As Cardillo explained, “These men make their living on the water.” Cardillo said that EMS has 6,933 employees, with more than 1,200 of those employees in Louisiana.
For 54 years, Captain Delfred Romero, age 72, has worked in the boat industry. Now, he is deeply honored to have a boat christened with his name. “I never thought this would happen,” he said.
Romero also gave some insight into his work ethic, saying, “I always tried to perform my job, not like I’m working, but like I’m performing for the Lord.”
Romero and his wife, Lorraine (a retired nurse), have four children: Reid Romero, Alachia Kim Desormeaux, Delfred Chad Romero, and Sean Romero; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Although Romero retired in 2012, EMS rehired him in 2014. Cardillo praised Romero, saying, “Captain Fred has always been an excellent captain,” and he noted that several other members of the Romero clan are also employed by EMS.
Romero’s youngest son, Sean, works on the EMS tugboat, Endurance; their son-in-law, Mike Desormeaux, works on the EMS tugboat Patriot; their grandson, Delfred “Lil’ Chad” Romero, works at the gas plant in Erath for Enterprise; their grandson, Trevor Georgia, works on the EMS tugboat, Richard; and their nephew, Larry Bouget, is a “floating” captain for EMS.
Also, the Romeros’ oldest son, Reid Romero, works for Canal Barges as a riverboat captain on the Mary Lucy Lane.
Chaplain Michael C. Nation, Seamen’s Church Institute, conducted the christening ceremony. He gave thanks for the maritime industry and noted that “Families face long periods of separation, loneliness, and anxiety.”
Ninety percent of U.S. Merchant Marines are tow boaters. “These men make sacrifices” the Chaplain added, “to keep us in the lifestyle we enjoy.”
The captain of the new M/V Delfred Romero is Alvin Robichaux. The shipbuilder was Sneed Shipbuilding. Dimensions are 87 feet by 34 feet by 11.5 feet. The main engines are QSK 38 M1 Teir III. Propulsion is ZF 5111 WM Azimuth Thruster. The line of sight is 34 feet 10 inches at 8 feet 9 inches operational draft. The air draft is 48 feet. Year built: 2015.