Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (April 2015)

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sized contract, providing packages of high-quality, proven components--within Jones Act boundaries for the United

States,” van Hogerwou explains, adding, “Large agreements can include building assistance, like blue- and white-collar- related training at Damen headquarters, yard consultancy, even yard building, along with advice about optimizing a yard’s strategy to reduce building time and costs.”

The Jones Act, or Merchant Marine Act of 1920, re- quires that vessels operating between U.S. ports be owned by American citizens, built in U.S. shipyards and oper- ated by U.S. mariners. The act prevents heavy reliance on foreign ships, and it supports domestic construction and repair industries and sees that U.S. vessels and their crews are ready to serve defense needs. As it turns out, many of the designs and stock hull forms produced by Damen