Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1997)

DDG 71, named USS Ross, was built by Ingalls and recently commissioned for the U.S. Navy.

U.S. Maritime Review

Block Island was recently delivered by Eastern

Shipbuilding.

Diamond Offshore Drilling's Ocean Clipper recently underwent a major deepwater upgrade at Atlantic Marine.

Artist's drawing of the seismic research catama- ran designed by Elliott Bay Design Group for

Northern Geophysical. 28 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News tankers for Arco. As further proof of the yard's growing commercial presence, it delivered its third double- hulled tanker conversion to

AHL Shipping. New River for AHL is a double hull ves- sel designed to conform with

OPA 90 and Jones Act regu- lations. Each ship sports a new 510-ft. (155.4-m) long, double-hulled forebody con- structed by Avondale. The new forebodies were joined to the renovated and modi- fied existing stern sections.

North Florida Shipyard has added a panel line to its

Commodores Point steel fab- ricating facility, adding to its newbuilding and conversion capability. The yard recently converted a bulker to a cable storage vessel, and added a midbody section to the LPG tanker Atlantic Breeze.

Eastern Shipbuilding

Group of Panama City,

Fla., recently completed a passenger/vehicle ferry for Block Island, R.I., named after the island, effectively marking the yard's return to the new- build market. Block

Island, a 208-ft. (63.4-m) vessel, is operating on runs between its home island and Pt. Judith, R.I.

It can carry approximate- ly 45 vehicles and 1,000 passengers. The vessel is the first new ship for

DESIGNS ON THE FUTURE: The U.S. Navy's Arsenal Ship Project is the next major procurement focus for U.S. yards. Above is the design from the team consisting of Northrop Grumman, NASS-

CO, Vitro, Solipsys, Band Lavis & Associates and J.J. McMullen Associates. The design below is the entrant from the team consisting of Lockheed Martin, Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls

Shipbuilding. leading to reclassification as a

U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter-L supply boat. "We have completed numerous conversions of this size and scale on offshore supply and multi- purpose vessels," said Ronnie

Chiasson, SMI's vice president and Repair Division manager. "In fact, steel and aluminum vessel conversions have become an SMI specialty." As the new vessel will be used as an offshore supply vessel, SMI will modify existing ballast tanks to carry liquid mud, and will outfit the new midbody to transport bulk mud. The vessel is scheduled for completion in October.

Avondale Industries of New

Orleans recently won a $332 million contract to build two

Interstate Navigation since 1984. Block Island performed well during sea trials, according to the owner, and during emer- gency crash stop tests the vessel went from 18.2 knots to a dead stop in 45 seconds.

Block Island is powered by twin 2,000-hp EMD model 8-710 diesel engines driving Bird

Johnson propellers through

Reintjes marine gears. Engine

Systems Inc. provided the engines, and Karl Senner fur- nished the gearboxes. The ves- sel is also outfitted with flap- type rudders from Willi Becker

GmbH, a Schottel bowthruster driven by a Detroit Diesel engine, Jastram controls and a

McElroy capstan. John W.

Gilbert Associates provided engineering and design work for the $7.5 million vessel.

Halter Marine Group has adjusted from its split from

Trinity, as its reputation contin- ues to extend around the globe.

The company continues to be expansion-minded, and recently announced plans to acquire

Bludworth Bond Shipyard, which owns and operates ship- yards in Houston and Texas

City, Texas. The two shipyards will be the eighteenth and nine- teenth yards of the Halter

Marine Group stable.

The New Orleans-based com- pany builds just about anything, and it has enjoyed great success with orders for its anchor han-