Page 68: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1986)

WORLD SHIPBUILDING (continued) slavia has just announced a fleet modernization program that would add 158 new and second-hand ships to the country's merchant marine.

Of the 80 new buildings included in the plan, 57 would be ordered from domestic yards, with the contracts

Government aid is also helping

Italian shipyards in their quest for work, as it is in the Federal Republic of Germany, where yards have been successful in obtaining a number of high-value orders for passenger ships, ferries, and liquefied gas car- riers for both domestic and export markets. Negotiations for an $864- million order for three frigates for the Portuguese Navy have been un- der way in Hamburg, with plans calling for two to be built at the

HDW yard in Kiel and one at the

Blohm & Voss in Hamburg.

Almost all the tonnage ordered from Eastern Block countries (more than nine percent of the world total) was for home ownership. It included several large tankers in Romania and the usual assortment of tonnage for the USSR. Among the unusual orders that Russia placed in West- ern shipyards were those for eight cargo liners at Malta Drydocks, and four 4,800-cubic-meter refrigerated cargo vessels at Hellenic Shipyards in Greece.

Brazilian shipyards, which in re- cent years have proven formidable competitors for European tonnage, encountered financial difficulties that hampered efforts in the export market. The only significant ton- nage ordered there was for large bulk carriers for domestic account.

In the United States, the ongoing

U.S. Navy construction and mod- ernization program calls for the ex- penditure of $ billions annually in private U.S. yards. In addition, con- versions, repair work and an in- creasing demand for smaller vessels at U.S. shipyards such as fishing boats, dinner/cruise/excursion craft, and offshore supply vessels ac- counted for additional work.

The small-vessel sector of ship- building internationally was quite successful, with orders almost everywhere. (continued) for the other 23 going to overseas shipbuilders.

French shipyards have achieved a measure of success, mostly with help of government assistance.

Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Na- zaire won a number of orders, in- cluding a cruise ship of about 70,000 grt for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line of Miami, scheduled for delivery in

December 1987. To be named Sov- ereign of the Seas, she will be the largest passenger vessel ever built in terms of tonnage and capacity, with accommodations for 2,276 passen- gers.

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