Page 27: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 15, 1983)

Jack Schmidt Joins

Thunderbolt Marine

As General Manager

Jack Schmidt

Jack Schmidt has recently joined Thunderbolt Marine, Inc. as general manager and will be re- sponsible for overall yard opera- tions. Mr. Schmidt comes to TMI from Tracor Marine, Inc., Port Ev- erglades, Fla., where he was em- ployed as production manager. He began his career as an apprentice at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard,

Brementon, Wash., and brings 20 years' experience to TMI in both repairs and construction.

Thunderbolt Marine, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Latex

Construction Company, is located near Savannah, Ga. on the Inter- coastal Waterway. The company is capable of both aluminum and steel construction. TMI has a 1,250- ton syncrolift, a barge launching facility using steel rollers and a tilting cradle, with construction already started on a side launch ways; a rail transfer system that allows 20 vessels to be drydocked simultaneously and four wet berths of 467, 307, 368, and 240 feet.

U.S. And Canadian Companies

Licensed To Build Vickdock

U.S. and Canadian companies have been licensed to manufacture a range of floating drydocks that operate on the submarine princi- ple of using compressed air to blow water from their ballast tanks.

Ammac Welding and Machine

Works of Wilmington, Calif., has acquired license rights to build the

Australian-design Vickdock, the largest version of which handles vessels of up to 300 tons. Mantle

Industries of Delta, British Co- lumbia, Canada, has acquired the rights for both the manufacturing and marketing of the docks, which can raise a 30-ton vessel in 15 minutes and a 100-ton vessel in 35 minutes.

Vickers Cockatoo Dockyard, a member of the British Vickers group of companies and located in

Sydney, Australia, has appointed

Giannotti & Associates of Houston as manufacturer's agent in the

United States and Canada for the

Vickdocks. All sales inquiries and administration of orders will be handled by the Giannotti firm.

The docks, which operate faster than conventional drydocks that use pumps to empty their ballast tanks, are operated by one man. A docked vessel is supported by stressed beams and girders at- tached to the ballast tanks, giving an unobstructed working space without cradle arms and supports blocking the dock floor.

The Vickdock, which does not require supporting shore-based equipment and can be moved read- ily from mooring to mooring, is aimed particularly at operators of workboats and fishing vessels, and at owners of pleasure craft mari- nas. Versions are used by similar vessels in Australia and Southeast

Asia, including workboats servic- ing offshore oil rigs. "A 39-foot yacht can be lifted, cleaned and re-landed within 90 minutes using the Vickdock, so it should be well possible to handle five or six vessels in a day," said

Graham Cole, a Vickers spokesman.

For additional information on the Vickdock,

Write 11 on Reader Service Card $22.2-Million Navy Contract

Awarded To Raytheon

Raytheon Company, Ports- mouth, R.I., has been awarded a $22,200,000 firm-fixed-price con- tract for six AN/SOS-56 sonars and related engineering services. The

Naval Sea Systems Command,

Washington, D.C., is the contract- ing activity.

Victor Atkins Retires

As Lips Propellers CEO

A spokesman for Lips Propellers (formerly Doran Company and Lips

Doran) reported recently that Vic- tor K. Atkins, the firm's chief ex- ecutive officer, has retired. His po- sition has been filled by Robert F.

Kress, formerly president of Lips

Propellers.

In 1942, Mr. Atkins graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. degree. After serving as a submarine officer during World

War II, be attended the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology and received an M.S. degree in 1947.

From 1947 to 1950 he worked as a manufacturing and engineering executive at Paccar, Inc., Seattle.

In 1951 he purchased the Oak- land, Calif, operations of the Doran company.

In 1962, Mr. Atkins formed a partnership with Lips BV, a Neth- erlands-based organization spe- cializing in the manufacture and repair of large propellers and other propulsion equipment. In 1970 Lips acquired the remainder of the company. Mr. Atkins continued to be president and chief executive officer until his retirement.

General Ship Awarded

Navy Overhaul Contract

General Ship Corporation, East

Boston, Mass., is being awarded a $706,978 firm-fixed-price contract with an $8,085,369 option for the regular overhaul of USS Jesse L.

Brown (FF-1089). The Naval Sea

Systems Command, Washington,

D.C., is the contracting activity (N62665-81-C-0001).

RUGGED

CONTROL VALVES with

ACTUATOR . . .for maximum operating control in shipboard applications

Foster Type CV Control Valves and ; integral Isoforce actuator were de- veloped for the U.S. Navy to be in full accordance with MIL-V-18030D (Ships).

The control valve offers high capacity and rangeability. . .while the actuator pro- vides the unique advantage of developing force output rapidly and with exceptional accuracy. Also, the "Isoforce" actuator combines the power of a piston with the smooth movement of a diaphragm for more efficient control. Available in sizes from Vi" through 12"— steel, stainless steel and bronze with actuator sizes up to 120 sq. in. Write for additional information.

Union PDmijQCEGgcB^ rucoi Division of THE UNION CORPORATION | • /

Unique floating drydock that uses compressed air to blow water from its ballast tanks will be built by companies in the U.S. and Canada.

FOSTER VALVE CROUP

P.O. BOX 459, CLINTON, PA 15026 • TELEPHONE: 412/899-2291 • TELEX: 86-6308

November 15, 1983 Write 1001 on Reader Service Card 27