Department of Justice and Chouest yard reach settlement

The agreement resolves a complaint filed with the Justice Department’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), claiming that the company retaliated against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination with OSC.

Based on its investigation, the department determined that North American Shipbuilding retaliated against an employee for filing a charge with OSC by, among other things, barring him from the company’s business facilities. The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from intimidating, threatening, coercing or retaliating against workers who file a charge under the law.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the company has agreed, among other things, to pay a civil penalty and to offer $15,000 in back pay to the injured party. The company also has agreed to train its employees on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and to review and revise its employment policies.

“Retaliation against employees for contacting government agencies entrusted to investigate possible violations of the law will not be tolerated,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “Employees should not be afraid to speak up about their treatment in the workplace.”

Read the settlement agreement HERE

Vigor wins $11.79 million MSC hospital ship contract

The overhaul will address numerous steel repairs; flight deck resurfacing; fuel oil, feed, and potable water tank repairs; sewage piping modifications; fire main piping replacements; annual crane inspections; and underwater hull preservation to support in the ship’s daily operations.

The contract includes six optional work items which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $12,670,810.
Work will be performed in Vigor’s, Portland, OR, shipyard, and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2016.

Fiscal 2016 maintenance and repair funding in the amount of $11,797,840 are being obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The contract was competitively procured with two offers.

The Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, VA, is the contracting activity (N32205-16-C-4400).

Davie set to start box ship to fleet oiler conversion

The project will see Davie convert MV Asterix, a 183 m containership acquired from Greece’s Capital Ship Management for a reported Canadian $20 million, into a stop gap fleet oiler for the Royal Canadian Navy. Some of the work will be done by the Aecon Group, whose Pictou, Nova Scotia, facility specializes in pipe fabrication. At one time it was thought that the Asterix would go first to Aecon’s Pictou shipyard, but its arrival at Davie indicates that Aecon will work on the ship there.

The interim fleet oiler is needed because of the earlier than anticipated retirement of Canada’s Protecteur-class ships.

In March last year, Davie and its partners, Aecon, naval architect firm NavTech and V.Ships, set out to find an interim solution that would provide a fast-track, affordable, compliant and fully managed service.

After over one year of design, engineering and planning, after a lengthy consultation with industry, an agreement was reached in August 2015 with the Government of Canada to provide at-sea support services to the Royal Canadian Navy.That agreement is a letter of intent that, according to the Government, provided the two companies “with the ability to start limited activities to advance the schedule. It will also provide some financial protection to the shipyard for these expenses, should a contract not be awarded. Any proposed costs would be pre-approved by the government, which will require Davie to provide a rationale in every instance.”

What the status of an actual contract is remains unclear. But the Asterix is already at the shipyard with Davie saying that the “acquisition from its former owners is now complete.”

The cost of the conversion has been reported as Canadian $250-300 million.

Once converted, the ship will be chartered to the Canadian Government by Project Resolve, Inc. which, like Davie, is a subsidiary of privately held, Monaco headquartered Inocea Group.

Reportedly, the Canadian Government will pay Canadian $75 million a year to charter the vessel. The ship will be crewed with Canadian merchant mariners.

Yesterday, the ship provided the back drop for the introduction of the CEO of Project Resolve Inc., Spencer Fraser, to the Lévis-Bellechasse candidates. He likely showed them some of the pictures you see here.

Resolve SM2

project resolve finished product

Resolve exploded

Gladding-Hearn delivers new generation pilot launch

The 28 knot vessel is the association’s second Chesapeake Class launch and the first in a new generation of the popular, mid-size pilot boats.

The Somerset, MA, shipyard introduced the Chesapeake Class pilot boat in 2003.Since then, 15 have been delivered to pilot associations throughout the U.S.

The latest improvements incorporate the performance benefits of Volvo Penta’s IPS2 inboard propulsion system.

“The IPS2 system was created to improve the performance and the arrangement of planning hulls like our pilot boats,” said Peter Duclos, the shipyard’s president. “This new generation of Chesapeake launches, named Chesapeake Class MKII, is equipped with the IPS2 pods, which provide what pilots have been asking for: higher speeds, lower fuel consumption, and more comfort.”

With a deep-V hull designed by C. Raymond Hunt & Associates, the all-aluminum pilot boat measures 52.7 ft overall, with a 16.8-ft beam and a 4.5-ft draft.

It is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11, six cylinder, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines, each producing 503 bhp at 2,250 rpm. Each engine is connected to a Volvo Penta IPS propulsion pod, which is fitted with dual forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers and integrated exhaust system, and Volvo Penta’s integrated EPS electronic steering and control system.

The EPS control system and three-axis joystick increases the boat’s overall maneuverability alongside a ship and when docking, says Mr. Duclos.

The financial incentive for the Tampa Bay pilots to optimize fuel economy, vessel handling and comfort led the shipyard to install a Humphree Interceptor automatic trim- optimization system.

“The combination of the Volvo Penta IPS system and the Humphree interceptors gives the pilots higher speeds and improved comfort, while burning 25 percent less fuel than similar Chesapeake Class launches,” says Mr. Duclos.

Electrical requirements are met by a 9 kW Northern Lights generator.

Key design changes to the Chesapeake Class MKII include positioning the wheelhouse aft of amidships to improve comfort and provide for a larger foredeck.

With the pods close-coupled to the engines, the engine room is located well aft of the wheelhouse with easy access to machinery through a deck hatch.

This new generation of pilot boats is also designed to accept a gyro-stabilization system, designed to reduce vessel roll.

The wheelhouse, with forward-leaning windows, is outfitted with five Stidd seats and a settee and cooled by two 16,000 Btu air-conditioning units.

The forecastle, with a 12,000 Btu AC unit, has one berth and an enclosed head.Outside of the wheelhouse are wide side-decks and boarding platforms, port and starboard, on the foredeck.

At the transom is a winch-operated, rotating davit over a recessed platform for pilot rescues operations.

Aker Philly cuts steel for two more Kinder Morgan tankers

Construction on the two Jones Act vessels officially began in the shipyard’s fabrication shop when guest of honor Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack pushed the button on the shipyard’s plasma cutting machine. The first steel plates that were cut will later become part of the engine room.

At the ceremony, the shipbuilder’s President and CEOI, Steinar Nerbovik, said: “With construction underway on these two product tankers, we celebrate the capstone of an exciting eight tanker series that is part of Philadelphia’s contribution to the energy landscape of this country. The 1,100 men and women working at the shipyard will be busy for years to come completing these tankers and the other vessels we have under contract.”

“We are very pleased to be working with the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard on the construction of four, LNG-conversion-ready tankers, and the start of construction of these two vessels marks a milestone for our expanding fleet,” said Robert Kurz, Vice President of Kinder Morgan Terminals and President of APT. “There continues to be a strong demand for domestic marine transportation of petroleum products and crude oil, and these tankers will provide Kinder Morgan with additional new tonnage to better service our customers.”
The next generation 50,000 dwt product tanker is based on a proven Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) design that incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability, and the latest regulatory requirements. When completed, each of the 600-foot tankers will have a carrying capacity of 14.5 million gallons to transport crude oil or refined products.

Also under construction at the shipyard are three 50,000 dwt product tankers for Crowley with planned deliveries through 2016, the first two 50,000 dwt tankers for APT with planned deliveries in 2016 and 2017, and two containerships for Matson Navigation Company, Inc. with planned deliveries in 2018.

NNS switches its steam plant from HFO to gas

 The plant generates low-pressure steam to heat many of the shipyard’s facilities, to provide process heat and to support hotel services—including hot water, food preparation and galley services—to the ships undergoing construction and overhaul.

“We started researching and evaluating alternative options about four years ago with the goal of implementation by 2016,” said Bill Cash-Robertson, a Newport News Shipbuilding environmental engineer. “Not only does the conversion to natural gas make good business sense, it’s more efficient, it’s cleaner, and it’s safer to operate.”

The old system, which included three 70-year-old boilers, burned about 6 million gallons of heavy fuel oil last year, costing the shipyard about $15 million.

Plant Engineering Supervisor Ken Allmon, a member of the shipyard’s energy management team, said the new system will reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent and save the shipyard several million dollars per year in lower utility costs.”The team is proud of our work to overcome technical challenges and implement a solution that is a win for everybody,” he said.

Will Koeck, the project’s construction engineer, said one challenge was to safely remove and install large boilers in a plant that had to continue operating during the conversion. “We met the challenge with careful coordination and planning, and we had the first new boiler in place making steam in December 2014,” he said.

Aker Philadelphia cuts steel for Matson 3,600 TEU box ships

In 2013, Matson subsidiary Matson Navigation Company, Inc. signed a contract with Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. (APSI) to build the two new ships for a price of $418 million for the pair (see earlier story). Since signing the contracts, engineering, planning and procurement work have been underway.

The shipbuilder is expected to deliver the ships in the third and fourth quarters of 2018.

The 850-foot long, 3,600 TEU vessels will be Matson’s largest ships and the largest Jones Act containerships ever constructed. Despite their size, they are designed to accommodate future needs by being able to navigate safely into some of Hawaii’s smaller ports.

They will also be faster, designed to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots, helping ensure timely delivery of goods in Hawaii.

The new vessels will incorporate a number of “green ship technology” features including a more fuel efficient hull design, dual fuel engines that can be adapted to use liquefied natural gas (LNG), environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks and fresh water ballast systems.

“These new ships are the future for Hawaii shipping and will bring a new level of efficiency and effectiveness to our service,” said Matt Cox, president and CEO, Matson. “The substantial investment in new technology underscores Matson’s long-term commitment to Hawaii and our desire to serve the islands in the best, most environmentally friendly way into the future.”

The first ships to be delivered by Aker Philadelphia were four Jones Act containerships for Matson delivered between 2003 and 2006.

“We are excited to partner with Matson again and return to our construction roots building containerships,” said Aker Philadelphia President and CEO Steinar Nerbovik. “It’s an exciting time to be a shipbuilder as we embark on simultaneously building containerships and product tankers, fulfilling our commitments to customers and shareholders.”

BAE San Diego books Navy awards worth $104.25 million

The awards are for work on the USS Milius (DDG 69) and USS Cape St. George (CG 71).

The Milius award is a $53,633,494 modification to previously awarded, cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00024-11-C-4408) for the ship’s fiscal 2015 extended selected restricted availability.

An extended selected restricted availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, modernizations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities.

Work will be performed in San Diego, and is expected to be completed by December 2016.

Fiscal 2015 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $33,527,206; and fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $20,106,288 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $20,106,288 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The shipyard’s award for the Cape St. George is a $50,625,133 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee, incentive-fee contract (N00024-11-C-4400) for the ship’s fiscal 2015 extended drydocking selected restricted availability.

An extended drydocking selected restricted availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities.

This modification includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $51,016,432.

Work will be performed in San Diego, and is expected to be completed by September 2016.

Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $48,059,799; working capital funding in the amount of $2,392,527; and fiscal 2015 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $172,807 will be obligated at time of award.

Contract funds in the amount of $48,059,799 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, is the contracting activity for both awards.

Austal gets $13.9 million to prep LCS 6 for shock trials

They will be the first littoral combat ships to undergo these trials, though DOT&E had tried hard to impose them on earlier ships in the two series. The trials are not quite a deliberate attempt to blow up a ship, but they come pretty close to it.

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced Independence class shipbuilder Austal USA, Mobile, AL, was awarded a $13,398,209 cost-plus-award-fee order to provide all supplies, services, labor and material in support of what it calls the  pre-shock trials emergent availability for PCU Jackson (LCS 6).  

The order is for execution of LCS 6’s emergent availability to be conducted prior to full ship shock trials.
Efforts under the work will include program management, test plan and integrated master schedule development, and work package execution and testing.  The work will be performed in Mayport, FL, and is expected to be completed by June 2016.  

Fiscal Year 2015 Shipbuilding and Conversion Navy (SCN) funding in the amount of $9,131,542; and Fiscal Year 2010 SCN funding in the amount of $1,611,449, will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  

The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity.

Indiana shipyard faces $119,700 in OSHA penalties

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 — Corn Island Shipyard Inc., Grandview, IN, faces proposed penalties of $119,700 after a March 2015 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection. The inspection was a follow-up to

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