Comment on the Maritime News
October-December 2004
LPD 17 LEAVING AVONDALE.
Just in case you didn't believe me, here is a picture of LPD 17 passing the New
Orleans Central Business District as she is towed from Avondale to Ingalls for
completion. Is this it for Avondale? Will they ever again build a
complete ship? Tim Colton,
December 3, 2004.
NATIONAL DEFENSE TANKER PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS.
Final proposals were submitted to MARAD
today for the National Defense tanker program. Highly unofficial information from
several sources indicates some interesting shifts in the line-up.
Operators Maritrans and Northern appear to have dropped out, but I will now
probably hear from them to the contrary. Shipbuilders Alabama, AMFELS and
Bender also appear to have dropped out, but, likewise, I wouldn't be
surprised to hear from them to the contrary. It's not clear whether
NASSCO's still in or not but it doesn't matter much, because they can't win.
Industry favorite OSG (because of the size of their CCF, I suppose) is
apparently now teamed with Kvaerner instead of Alabama: I'm one of their
stockholders but they didn't ask my advice on this, silly people. All the
other operators - American Heavy Lift, Marine Transport Corporation (Crowley),
Ocean Ships, and Seabulk International are all apparently proposing to build the
ships at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, who will subcontract some of the work
to Alabama Shipyard.
MARAD has said it will complete the evaluation within 75 days, which would give them until January 19. Somebody has to make sure that the funds are appropriated, too. Stay tuned. Tim Colton, November 5, 2004.
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