Gene Taylor loses reelection bid

After 11 terms in the House, Rep. Gene Taylor has lost his bid to be re-elected to the Mississippi District 4 seat. His was one of a number of defeats that will reshape the membership of key Committees.

Republican Steven Palazzo defeated Taylor, a conservative Democrat, by 52 percent to 47 percent in unofficial results Tuesday night, the Sun Herald reported this morning.

Taylor lost his seat as part of a national trend that saw Democrats lose control of the House. His eleven terms brought with a seniority that placed him well to defend shipbuilding interests as Chairman of the key Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. He is also Co-Chairman of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus.

Taylor is also a member of the Transportation and Infrastucture — another important panel that will look a lot different in the new Congress.

Not only will it be controlled by Republicans, but a lot of familiar Democratic faces will be missing – most noticeably Chairman James Oberstar (Minn.) who lost his re-election bid. Other Democrats on the committee who fell to Republican challengers include, besides Gene Taylor,Michael A. Arcuri (N.Y.), John A. Boccieri (Ohio), Christopher P. Carney (Pa.), John J. Hall (N.Y.), Phil Hare (Ill.), Steve Kagen (Wisc.), Betsy Markey (Colo.), Michael E. McMahon (N.Y.), Harry E. Mitchell (Ariz.), Solomon P. Ortiz (Texas), Thomas S.P. Perriello (Va.), Mark H. Schauer (Mich.), Harry Teague (N.M.) and Dina Titus (Nev.). Democrat Brian Baird of Washington did not run. His House seat was won by Republican Jaime Herrera.

The key Transportation subcommittee of interest to MarineLog readers is the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee. Rep. Oberstar was a member of the panel by virtue of his chairmanship of the parent committee. Other panel members who lost their reelection fight were its Vice Chairman, Michael McMahon and Gene Taylor and Steve Kagen,

Transportation Committee rank member John Mica (Fla.) won reelection as did Coast Guard subcommittee ranking member Frank LoBiondo (N.J.). While Rep. Mica is widely tipped to take over the Chairmanship of the Committee, Rep. LoBiondo will have enough seniority in the next Congress that he may well set his sights higher than the Coast Guard panel.

Elijah E. Cummings, Md, will presumably now move from the Chair of the Coast Guard panel to the ranking member slot. He leaves a legacy of giving the Coast Guard rather more oversight than some predessors did. It will be interesting to see if this “tough love” approach continues.

Nov. 5, 2010

Alcoa Defense awarded JHSV subcontract

“We are excited to be working with Austal on this groundbreaking fleet,” said David Dobson, president, Alcoa Defense. “Through our design and engineering expertise, we are helping to expedite the manufacturing process for the fleet while simultaneously making aluminum shipbuilding more affordable.”

Designed to secure cargo, equipment and vehicles in the JHSV’s mission bay, the all-aluminum tie downs are 50 percent lighter than conventional steel tie downs. The tie downs will be manufactured from high-strength aluminum by Alcoa’s facility in Auburn, Ind.

Collaboratively developed by Alcoa and Austal USA, the all-aluminum tie downs were designed to replace traditional steel tie downs, which require a more expensive, complex, labor-intensive process for joining and installation. The aluminum tie downs offer the same structural strength and performance as steel at a fraction of the weight and installed cost. Additionally, the aluminum tie downs enhance the long-term durability and structural integrity of the JHSV because, unlike steel, they will not produce galvanic corrosion when attached to the JHSV’s aluminum deck.

“We are now applying decades of experience in creating subassemblies for a variety of industries to build innovative, high-quality marine structures,” said Scott R. Kerns, vice president and general manager, Alcoa Transportation Products. “Alcoa makes it easier and more affordable for shipyards to integrate aluminum structures in their vessels.”

The announcement of the tie down subcontract follows Alcoa being awarded the subcontract for sheet and plate for the JHSV.

Alcoa Defense awarded JHSV subcontract

“We are excited to be working with Austal on this groundbreaking fleet,” said David Dobson, president, Alcoa Defense. “Through our design and engineering expertise, we are helping to expedite the manufacturing process for the fleet while simultaneously making aluminum shipbuilding more affordable.”

Designed to secure cargo, equipment and vehicles in the JHSV’s mission bay, the all-aluminum tie downs are 50 percent lighter than conventional steel tie downs. The tie downs will be manufactured from high-strength aluminum by Alcoa’s facility in Auburn, Ind.

Collaboratively developed by Alcoa and Austal USA, the all-aluminum tie downs were designed to replace traditional steel tie downs, which require a more expensive, complex, labor-intensive process for joining and installation. The aluminum tie downs offer the same structural strength and performance as steel at a fraction of the weight and installed cost. Additionally, the aluminum tie downs enhance the long-term durability and structural integrity of the JHSV because, unlike steel, they will not produce galvanic corrosion when attached to the JHSV’s aluminum deck.

“We are now applying decades of experience in creating subassemblies for a variety of industries to build innovative, high-quality marine structures,” said Scott R. Kerns, vice president and general manager, Alcoa Transportation Products. “Alcoa makes it easier and more affordable for shipyards to integrate aluminum structures in their vessels.”

The announcement of the tie down subcontract follows Alcoa being awarded the subcontract for sheet and plate for the JHSV.

Damen Vinashin Shipyard starts construction

Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung, Vice Operations Director of Song Cam Shipyard signed, together with Mr. Erik van der Noordaa, Chief Operations Officer of the Damen Shipyards Group in The Netherlands.

Song Cam Shipyard has been allocated by Vinashin to act as the local partner in the construction and operation of the new shipyard which is a joint venture between Vinashin and Damen.

Completion of the first phase of the project is planned for February 2012. In the first phase the shipyard will concentrate on the outfitting, under cover, of hulls built by Song Cam Shipyard. Capacity is approximately twelve vessels per year, all current orders are for export.

Facilities in the first phase include a 2500 ton capacity Syncrolift, an 80 m x 40 m outfitting hall and workshops and offices.

In the second phase of the five year plan, capacity will be increased to a maximum 30 tugs, workboats and high speed craft per year with a dedicated 160 m x 150 m outfitting . Sufficient room is available on the 42 hectare site for the construction of hulls as well as for sub-contractors and suppliers in the final phase of the five year plan.