Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (April 2022)

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Feature

Ship Repair & Conversion

Sandy Hook Pilots Association

Spill Response Corporation (MSRC)— a good ? t for pilots operating in and around the busiest port on the U.S.

East Coast, Burns said condition was a key consideration, and that the boat had been very well cared for. “The vessel was referred to as a pier queen. It had barely been used—just 9,800 total hours— at the time we bought it,” Burns said. “The interior, the tanks, everything was essentially brand new. We did a pre-pur- chase survey, and everything checked out; the boat was in great shape. And when we inspected all the internals in dry dock—pulled the shaft, the rudders, everything—all was in fantastic shape.”

In addition, many of the vessel’s characteristics were just right. At 204 de? ning the scope of modi? cations.” feet, the Maine Responder was in the And while the Maine Responder desired size range, and it had the correct was in excellent shape, changing any engines: the same 3512 CATs that are vessel’s mission presents technical, op- in the old New York. “We’re not towing erational and regulatory implications with this vessel and we’re not pushing that can be dif? cult to balance, Pow- with it; it’s not a tugboat, it doesn’t re- ell said, adding that the integration quire a whole lot of horsepower,” Burns of new systems with original ones is said “It’s a more fuel ef? cient than, say, always a design challenge.

if we had gotten a 200-foot supply ves- “The major conversion involved sel out of the Gulf of Mexico.” removing the oil recovery equipment,

With the right vessel in hand, next modifying tankage and adding a large began the process to convert it. Mystic, deck house for the pilot accommo-

Conn.-based by JMS Naval Architects, dations,” Powell said. “Fortunately, which surveyed and helped evaluate there was very good documentation the vessel prior to purchase, was tapped for a 28-year-old vessel, but our naval to develop the conversion concept de- architects still spent lots of time crawl- sign and provide engineering support ing every inch of it.” to the shipyard as well as owner’s rep- Burns said that the Sandy Hook resentative services during the project. Pilots, as a New York business, saw it

JMS’ president, Blake Powell, said, as a priority to keep as much of the “Our initial goal was to assess how well work as possible within the state. “We a purpose-built OSRV could meet the started the process at Caddell Drydock mission requirements unique to a pilot and Ship Repair in Staten Island, and station vessel. JMS assisted with this did a lot of the removals of the oil spill feasibility phase by conducting a sur- equipment that was installed on the vey, providing a seakeeping analysis and vessel. Then we moved up to Feeney www.marinelink.com MN 35|

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