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HMS Global Maritime completed the purchase of the steamboat American Queen. The riverboat is set to return to America?s heartland with voyages set to resume in the Spring of 2012. Built in 1995, the American Queen, at 419-ft. long, offers 222 staterooms and suites that accommo- date 436 guests who are attended to by a crew of 160. John Waggoner, President and CEO of HMS Global Maritime said, ?I am thrilled that this acquisition is finally complete. It has been a long, windy and challengingroad, but we finally made it to the end.? www.hmsgm.com Signal Contracted toBuild Second ATB Signal International announced the option to build the second articulated tug/barge (ATB) vessel has been exer- cised by Kirby Ocean Transport Company of Houston, Texas. Signal?s continuous flow manufacturing facil- ity in Orange, Texas now has a back- log of nearly $100m. Engineering, planning and material procurement for the first ATB is on schedule for manufacturing work to begin in the 4Q of this year. Simultaneously, fab- rication of the second unit is also slat-ed to get underway before year?s end. The ATB vessels are comprised of a 20,000 DWT ocean bulk barge with a 6,000 BHP ATB ocean tug. Each barge measures 480 x 90 x 36 ft. and will be outfitted with Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering?s Articouple con- nection. The 6,000 hp tugboat will be 125 x 42 x 22 ft. built and classedto ABS Maltese Cross, +A1 Ocean Towing Service standards. The ATB?s will transport dry-bulk commodities in United States coastwise trade. www.marinelink.com MN49HMS Global Maritime Completes Purchase of American Queen MN#9 (32-49):MN 2011 Layouts 9/6/2011 12:31 PM Page 49