Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (August 2011)

www.marinelink.com MN35Harvey Gulf Orders Construction Boat Harvey Gulf International Marine recently launched the first in a series of three Green 300 ft offshore support ves- sels at Eastern Shipbuilding. Panama City, Fla. It took the launch ceremony as the occasion to announce it has reached agreement with Eastern to build a 310 ft multi- purpose light construction vessel. And it said it plans to build two dual fuel platform supply vessels. The just-launched vessel, the HARVEY SUPPORTER, scheduled for delivery this November, will be the first OSV in the U.S. to be constructed to the demanding stan- dards required for "ENVIRO+, Green Passport (GP)" cer- tification by ABS. This, says Harvey, makes her the most environmental friendly OSV in Gulf of Mexico. Among other enhancements, the Green 300 ft vessels will be exclusively constructed with certified environmen- tally friendly materials that can either be completely recy- cled or broken down without harm to the environment, high-tech alarms for fuel tanks and containment systems,and will be continuously manned with a certified Environmental Officer. The just-ordered 310 ft light construction vessel, scheduled for delivery in April 2013, will also be ENVIRO+, Green Passport (GP) certified. Harvey Gulf also announced that its next phase of Green construction will include 2 dual fuel 300' PSV's that will be powered by LNG, or diesel. Harvey Gulf will meet with the U.S. Coast Guard concerning the regulations for this new class of vessel and plans to begin construction as soon as the regulations are released, which is anticipated early this summer. Kvichak Delivers Seattle-built Boats forU.S. Armys TACOM Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, WA, recently delivered three Bridge Erection Boat (BEB) prototypes to the United States Army, Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM). Kvichak along with two other companies were chosen to construct prototype boats. Each boat is currently undergoing extensive testing and evaluations at the Army Test Center in Aberdeen, MD. The testing process will last for up to 270 days. TACOM intends to award a contract for a fleet of approximately 440 BEB crafts to replace its existing fleet. The contract is expected to be awarded in 2012. Kvichak Marine has offered a technologically advanced boat meet- ing TACOMs objectives for evaluation and testing which we feel offers the best value solution.? said Tim Kolb of Kvichak. Once evaluations and testing are completed, Kvichak looks forward to competing for the final produc- tion contract.? American Cruise Lines (www.americancruiselines.com) announced in July that the construction of its brand new 150 passenger sternwheeler, Queen of the Mississippi, currently being built in Salisbury, Maryland, is nine weeks ahead of schedule for its summer 2012 inaugural season.Weighing at approximately 500 tons apiece, both halves of the hull have been moved from the fabrication buildings to the launchway where they were joined last week, mak- ing way for the next important steps in the construction including the completion of sections of the fourth and fifth decks. The first riverboat built for the Mississippi River in nearly 20 years will also boast oversized state- rooms larger than those of any former Mississippi river- boats, with private balconies and all of the amenities todays travelers expect, while maintaining the traditional style and feel of the Victorian riverboats of the past. We have magnificent plans for this ship. From the inside out, Queen of the Mississippi will exemplify the highest level of quality,? said Timothy Beebe, Vice President, American Cruise Lines. Building a riverboat of this class is no easy task, but we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of experts who know how to build with meticulous attention to detail.?ACLs Queen of the Mississippi Construction Nine Weeks Ahead of Schedule Photo courtesy Moose Boats