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GOING INTERNATIONAL IN PHILLY  Matson Navigation’s second boxship “continues to prove the concept and premise that founded this yard. International shipbuilding methods can be successfully implemented in the U.S. with an American workforce,” said John Graykowski, senior vice president and general counsel, Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (KPSI).With 40 of its 42 grand blocks dock mounted so far, the 217 meter x 32.2 meter containership should be christened and delivered by late spring, according to KPSI, Philadelphia. This is particularly noteworthy since the keel for the M.V. Maunawili was laid on April 7, 2003. The grand block pictured on the March cover holds the ship's bow thruster. This block, weighing 300 tonnes, was placed in the dock the week of February 16th. Right now, the future of the third containership, now under construction at the yard, is less certain. Its keel will be laid shortly in the Building Dock, but a buyer for the third ship has not yet been secured. KPSI is holding meetings with potential customers for this ship as well as future projects. Meantime, the yard's parent Aker Kvaerner group looks set for yet another reorganization. It will be split into three groups. Where will the Philadelphia yard fit in? It appears that it will not be a part of the ownership structure of the planned Aker Yards entity , but will come under the umbrella of a new corporate entity that will assume the original Kvaerner name. The Philadelphia yard will, however, remain plugged into the new shipbuilding entity via a management contract. SENESCO MARINE MAKES A SPLASH “We’re very pleased to be working with Senesco Marine on the construction of our new barge,” said Chris Reinauer, manager of new construction for Reinauer Transportation. “The company’s on time delivery process was a major factor in our decision to go with Senesco Marine.” Privately held Reinauer Transportation, with operations based in Staten Island, N.Y. and East Boston, Mass., operates its tugs and barges along the East Coast and employs over 500 people. The Reinauer vessel will be the largest tank barge built to date by Senesco. The new Reinauer barge is a Guarino & Cox design that will be 403 ft 3 in long and 74 ft wide with side depths of 26 ft 6 in. It is being built as part of Reinauer’s continuing double-hulled building program to comply with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Over the past year, Senesco Marine has delivered two 80,000-bbl double-hulled barges and is currently working on two more for delivery this year. Both 80,000-barrel barges currently under construction are well ahead of schedule, something Senesco Marine CEO Gary Schuler attributes to the company’s new on time design, build and delivery process. Schuler is predicting that the new 100,000-bbl barge will also be completed ahead of the scheduled January 2005 delivery date. Right now, Gladding-Hearn is riding a wave of pilot boat orders. The latest orders are for new pilot boats for the Portland, Maine and Delaware pilots. The shipyard’s new “Chesapeake” class of pilot boats has also been built for the Virginia, Maryland, and Tampa Bay pilots. The Portland pilots will take delivery of their new launch in September, while the Delaware pilot boat is scheduled for delivery in November. With recent deliveries to SeaStreak America of a 400-passenger fast ferry and a 60-foot research vessel to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Gladding-Hearn’s current backlog includes a 149-passenger ferry for Mystic Ferry Leasing LLC, two 52-foot pilot boats for New Orleans, one 52-foot pilot boat for Portland, one 52-foot pilot boat for Delaware and one 70-foot pilot boat for Galveston, Texas.
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