Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (January 2, 2010)

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Chesapeake Shipbuilding has been in Salisbury, Md. for more than 30 years. With over 2,000 ft of deepwater bulk- head, three launch ways and two large outfitting basins,

Chesapeake builds workboats, passenger vessels and ferries between 90 and 300 ft. Recently the yard has hired new personnel and made a number of upgrades including new fabrication facilities and equipment. Two new hull fabri- cation buildings have been erected next to the original trade shops, so that tugs can be built in a controlled indoor environment. On the other side of the shops, a 7,000 sq ft building is now complete and includes mod- ern equipment and overhead cranes. The new building replaces an older building which was on the same foot- print. Currently there are five vessels in different stages of completion around the yard. Each of the two new hull fabrication buildings houses a tug. The main engines were recently mounted in one of these tugs and the frames are being erected on the other. A third tug is nearing comple- tion and will be delivered the end of January. Additionally, much of the steel for another tug has recently been deliv- ered. Each of these tugs will be 94 ft with 3,000 hp. They will be fitted with two Caterpillar 3512’s powering 6:1 reverse reduction gears to conventional shafts. Each will also have a single drum hydraulic winch from JonRie of

N.J. The new 230-ft cruise ship, the Independence, went on its first underway trial in the beginning of December and will be delivered to American Cruise Lines in June 2010. It will carry 104 passengers, will be equipped with

Caterpillar C-32’s and will have Rolls Royce active wing stabilizers. Construction on a second cruise ship has also begun and is in the preliminary fabrication stages. The yard has contracts that can take it into 2012, but it still has the ability to take on new work. Chesapeake

Shipbuilding gets a high rate of repeat business. Eleven of the contracts that Chesapeake has gotten in the last few years have been for just two different buyers.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. 34 MN January 2010 people & company news • builder profiles

New Cruise Ship Ahead of Schedule

The brand new American Cruise Lines ship

Independence, being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding, was taken on its first underway trials on Dec. 14, three months ahead of schedule. Maneuvering and equipment tests were performed successfully while the ship was underway in the Wicomico River. American Cruise Lines will run the Independence on night cruises beginning on

June 12, 2009 with 102 passengers on the East Coast. The ship has a number of important differences from other ships that Chesapeake has built for American Cruise

Lines, including a wider beam and active wing stabilizers.

The wider beam will allow for larger staterooms, public spaces and private balconies. The Independence is equipped with twin Caterpillar C-32 main engines putting out nearly 1,500 hp each, and bow and stern thrusters from Thrustmaster of Texas. The ship also has three 250 kW Caterpillar C-9 generators, a 100 kW Cummins gener- ator and Rolls Royce Aquarius 50 active wing stabilizers.

Photo courtesy Chesapeake Shipbuilding

Photo courtesy Chesapeake Shipbuilding

Charles Burton Launch.