Page 78: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1993)

Harrah's Northern Star was recently delivered by Service Marine. lry style paddlewheel riverboat heduled to start at the end of rgosy Gaming Company of n, 111. recently began operations new riverboat gaming casino to ace the existing Alton Belle Ca- he new three-level cruise liner, ' called Alton Belle, accommo- js 1,200 passengers compared he 490 on the current Belle, "he vessel measures 220 feet by *eet and features an interior de- i similar to a Las Vegas casino.

Anally, the Joliet-based Empress ino riverboat divulged plans to >and its current facility via a $40 lion project with includes the [uisition of a second vessel. The ond boat, the Empress II, is a 3-foot vessel expected to be com- ;ted this fall.

This expansion news is on the els of figures which indicate Illi- is' earnings on riverboat casinos sxpected to be $ 116 million higher an expected, with much of the rnings coming from the Joliet Em- ess, which at press time was mak- g more than four times the amount iticipated. jnko Orders Bulk •rriers From Nomura

Sanko Steamship, Japan, has aced an order with Namura Ship- lilding for 10 handymax bulk car- ers in a deal reportedly worth ap- roximately $250 million. Namura i to deliver the series in the second alf of 1994 and early 1995.

The new tonnage will enable anko to replace handysize tonnage hat figured in its near-ruinous in- estment program of the early 1980s, t will also allow the firm to aug-

Spreading The Wealth

While owner/operators and vessel builders are more often than not the names splashed across the headlines and immediately associated with the multi-million dollar contracts, ser- vice and product suppliers to the gaming vessel market have been grabbing their fair share of business and attention as well.

If expansion is a signal of success, both Universal Distributing and

Bally Gaming have given the bur- geoning gaming vessel market a ment handysize capacity depleted through sales and return of char- tered and leased vessels. "Juan J. Sister" Delivered

From Kvaerner Masa-Yards

The Ro/Ro-passenger ferry Juan

J. Sister was delivered from

Kvaerner Masa-Yards' Turku New

Shipyard to the Spanish govern- ment-owned Compania Transmedi- terranea S.A. The vessel is the first

Spanish ship built in Finland. The "thumbs up" with recent openings.

In mid-February, Universal opened its sales and service office in St.

Louis, and Bally opened a Biloxi,

Miss, service office February 1.

Directions In Design, Inc. (DID), a St. Louis interior design firm spe- cializing in marine hospitality and founded in 1975, has several cur- rent projects which involve substan- tial square footage devoted to gam- ing. The firm recently completed work on Players Riverboat Casino.

DID's staff of 32 includes design professionals and support staff to

Juan J. Sister Ro/Ro-passenger ferry. 22.4-gt Juan J. Sister is specifically designed for traffic between the

Canary Islands and the mainland of

Spain. The vessel can carry a total of 150 cars and 92 trailers. There is accomodation for 400 passengers in 139 cabins. The vessel has four cargo decks, twin stern ramps and one bow ramp. The vessel is pow- produce any size project in a timely, cost-effective manner. Currently the firm is working on 12 marine projects which are in various stages of de- sign.

The Bud Jones Company is a full- service casino supply company, which has been family-owned and operated since 1965. Based in Las

Vegas, the company occupies a large modern building which houses manufacturing, warehousing and administrative offices.

The Bud Jones Company features an in-house graphic arts department which enables quick approval of top designs, and the company is licensed to service casinos in Nevada, New

Jersey, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi,

Connecticut and Washington State, with applications currently being processed for other gaming jurisdic- tions.

In 1973 the company introduced to the casino market a new concept in casino chips to satisfy a demand for a chip more counterfeit resistant than other conventional chips. In addition to being a major producer of dice and chips, the Bud Jones Co. is also a leader in customized casino tables and related accessories. ered by four Wartsila Vasa 32 diesel engines. Juan J. Sister is 495 feet long, with a breadth of 85 feet and a draught of 19 feet. It's top speed is 18 knots. The vessel complies with the latest SOLAS safety standards with double hull in required areas.

Excellent maneuverability is achieved with two flap rudders and two bow thrusters. In addition, the vessel is equipped with fin stabiliz- ers for passenger and cargo comfort in rough sea conditions.

MTU Australia Opens Plant

Extension

Opening ceremony for MTU Australia's plant extension: Minister for Industry, Senator John

Button (3rd from right) and Hans J. Walloschek, president of MTU Australia (right)

In 1992, MTU Australia received orders for a total of 20 Series 396 engines from western Australia's leading shipyards. MTU Australia is a subsidiary of MTU

Friedrichshafen. Two 131-foot cata- marans are currently under con- struction at Austal Ships. They are to carry 368 passengers each in the

Hong Kong region. Together with these two new buildings, Austal has manufactured 11 boats with MTU propulsion for the Yuet Hing ferry company, which operates a fleet of ferries in China and Hong Kong.

The, Gulf Coast's best bet for ship repair is now even better.

For more than 70 years, Bender has been the leading ship repair facility on the central Gulf of Mexico. Now, we're even better.

Along our 7,000 feet of deep water frontage, we've built new yards and wet docks, improved equipment, and added dry docks to raise lifting capacities to 20,000 tons. These modern Panamax facilities and an around-the-clock workforce put muscle behind our promise of fast, reliable ship repair. Now, more than ever, Bender is your best bet for ship repair on the Gulf of Mexico.

BENDER

SHIPBUILDING & REPAIR CO., INC. 265 South Water Street • Mobile, Alabama 36603 USA • P.O. Box 42 • Mobile, Alabama 36601 USA • (205) 431-8000 • FAX (205) 432-2260 • Telex 505457

June, 1993 Circle 188 on Reader Service Card 143