Marine Log - November 2008 - (Page 7)

Update The striking 127m trimaran Independence at christening ceremonies at Austal USA early last month INLAND • COASTAL OFFSHORE • DEEPSEA biz NOTES No IPO for K-Sea In the wake of the current financial crisis, the owners of K-Sea Transportation’s general partner have withdrawn plans for an initial public offering (IPO.) K-Sea president Timothy Casey said the proposed IPO of K-Sea GP Holdings LP “would have had no impact” on the company’s results of operations or financial condition.” One of the largest coastwise tank barge operators in the U.S., K-Sea has a fleet of 74 tank barges and 66 tugs. BIG IN ALUMINUM f you get to Mobile, Ala., in the next few months, you’ll have the opportunity to see the two largest aluminum ships built in the U.S. Of course, if all goes according to Austal USA’s plans, this could be a sneak preview of things to come. On a recent visit to the Mobile shipyard, MARINE LOG had the opportunity to tour Hawaii Superferry’s 113m high-speed vehicle passenger ferry, including the vessel’s cavernous vehicle deck, passenger I and public areas and one of its engine rooms. The second of two 866-passenger and 282-car ferries, the vessel will actually be about 6 meters longer than its sister, the Alakai, because it is being fitted with a 20 meter stern quarter, bi-fold ramp, for use in ports without shore-side loading facilities. The hydraulically operated aluminum ramp has a clear width of 4.5 meters and is designed for 42 metric ton trucks. The ramp could also prove useful for military use. Austal, as part of the General Dynamics team, has submitted a bid for the Phase II detail design and construction contract for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). The contract could result in the construction of 10 JHSV’s. Austal’s JHSV could very well look like a gray-hulled version of Hawaii Superferry’s second vessel. Meanwhile, docked a few Continued on p. 12 Corps contract for Conrad Conrad Industries, Morgan City, La., was awarded a $19,926,923 firmfixed-price contract last month by the U.S. Army Contract Corps of Engineers to build a 250 ft crane barge for the Montgomery Point Lock and Dam Project. The crane barge is expected to be delivered by May 31, 2010. $19.9m Speed reduction for ships STARTING IN EARLY December, a new rule will require ships along major U.S. East Coast shipping routes to slow to 10 knots or less in designated areas. The speed restrictions imposed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are aimed at protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales against potential ship strikes. The whales’ migratory route crosses major shipping lanes. The speed restrictions will extend out 20 nautical miles from major U.S. East Coast ports. The rule applies to all vessels www.marinelog.com of 65 ft or greater in length in designated areas on a seasonal basis. For example, mandatory speed restrictions will be in place in designated areas in the mid-Atlantic from Nov. 1 to Apr. 30. In the Southeastern U.S., speed restrictions will be imposed around Brunswick, Ga. to Port Canaveral, Fla., from Nov. 15 to Apr. 15. According to a NOAA spokesperson, the rule would be enforced by the NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard. “Right now, our enforcement division is working with the U.S. Coast Guard on developing a strate- gy,” said Connie Barclay. One of the technologies that will be utilized is a ship’s Automated Identification System (AIS). According to an economic impact study, says Barclay, the speed restrictions would add an average of 53 minutes to a ship’s voyage. “We know at least one or two right whales die every year as a result of ship strikes,” she said. “Along with fishing net entanglements, ship strikes are biggest threat to these whales.” Pirate pay for crews Under a deal struck last month in Singapore, ship crews will receive double their basic wage while their vessel is transiting a designated high-risk pirate zone in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was in response to concerns from the International Transport Works Federation (ITF) and covers ships operating under International Bargaining Forum agreements. NOVEMBER 2008 MARINE LOG 7 http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - November 2008

Marine Log - November 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Looking Back at 130 Years Generation NeXt What's Ahead? Media Kit 2009 Defying the Naysayers Rampant Piracy Takes Shipping Hostage The Last Chapter of the New Carissa International Workboat Show Preview Newsmakers Tech News Contracts Events Website Directory ML Buyer's Guide ML Marketplace Marine Salvage

Marine Log - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.