Daily News ? Week of May 19-25, 2005
"Daily News" can be read at http://www.maritime-executive.com
Week of May 19-25, 2005
May 19, 2005
Queen Mary 2 Walkway Accident Investigation Continues
On 'Visitors' Day' at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on November 15, 2003, just five weeks before the QM2's maiden voyage, a walkway collapsed and 15 people plunged to their deaths.
Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a division of Alstom Marine, built the QM2, and Endel built the walkway that allowed visitors to walk from the dock onto the vessel. Both companies are being investigated for manslaughter?one step short of being charged. Investigators say that Endel first delivered the wrong size walkway, but replaced it quickly.
May 23, 2005
BP's Double-Hull Tankers Developed Cracks
Alaska Tanker Company's "Alaskan Frontier" and "Alaskan Explorer" have developed cracks on their rudders. The new double-hull ships were recently delivered by National Steel and Shipbuilding of San Diego. The sister tankers are 941-feet and transport 1.3 million barrels of North Slope crude. Each cost approximately $250 million. The shipyard is currently building the last two "Alaska class" tankers, which will be put into service by next year.
The "Alaskan Frontier" was the first ship delivered and has transported 25 loads of crude out of Port Valdez. Each ship's steel rudders are 30 feet high and 18 feet wide. Divers discovered several cracks on the rudders of the "Alaskan Frontier," the largest measuring 9-feet. The ship will go to a shipyard in British Columbia, and is expected to be out of service until July.
A subsequent inspection of the "Alaskan Explorer" discovered 3 cracks on its rudders, the largest being 15 inches. This tanker has made only one Alaskan run, and is expected to be out of service for at least a week for repairs.
The company has assembled a team of shipbuilders, engineers, and inspectors to determine what has caused the cracks in these ships rudders.
May 24, 2005
MARAD Honors Four Companies for their Support of U.S. Merchant Marine
The Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) honored four American companies for their support of the U.S. maritime industry. The four are Carrier Corporation of Farmington, CT, Lowe's Companies of Mooresville, NC, Perini Corporation of Framingham, MA, and Yowell International of Melbourne, FL.
All four companies received MARAD's Shipper's Award for voluntarily transporting significant portions of their international cargo on U.S.-flag vessels. The awards were presented as part of the National Maritime Day observance. National Maritime Day was set aside by Congress in 1933 to honor the maritime industry and is observed officially on May 22.
In presenting the awards, Acting Maritime Administrator John Jamian said, "We know it takes an extra degree of planning for busy companies to ship their goods on U.S.-flag vessels. But, we need the support of our American companies if the U.S. Merchant Marine is to continue to prosper."
The ceremony was hosted by the Propeller Club of the United States in Washington, DC, a non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement and well-being of all interests of the maritime community.
May 25, 2005
2004 U.S. Coast Guard Report on OPA-90
The USCG has just released its 2004 Report on the Oil Pollution Act of 1990
U.S. Coast Guard details impact of changing single-hull phase-out date:
The Coast Guard has determined that changing the single-hull phase-out date for tank vessels from 2015 to 2010 would have the greatest impact on U.S. tank barges, causing 38 percent of total tank barge fleet to lose five years of service life.
Overall, approximately 1,700 U.S. and 70 foreign single-hull tank vessels would be affected and lose some service life in U.S. waters.
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires the phase-out of all single hull tank vessels less than 5,000 gross tons by January 1, 2015. After a recent oil spill on the Delaware River involving a single-hulled vessel, Congress asked the Coast Guard for information on the impact of changing the final phase-out date to January 1, 2010.
In addition to the 1648 single-hulled tank barges, 14 U.S. tank vessels and 72 foreign-flagged tank vessels with double bottoms or double sides would loose from one to five years of service life.
This information was provided in a report to Congress on May 12 on the implementation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
The full report can be viewed at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/npfc.