Page 84: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1993)

MSC Seeks Military Rates

Filed In FMC's ATFI

Citing a need to enforce competi- tion in defense-related shipping con- tracts, the Navy's Military Sealift

Command (MSC) has asked the Fed- eral Maritime Commission (FMC) to require shipping lines to file mili- tary freight rates with its automated tariff filing and information system (ATFI).

In January, the FMC decided that as long as a hard copy of the military rate was filed with the commission, military rates would be exempt from the ATFI.

Carriers are opposed to the MSC's request on the grounds that special freight requirements imposed by the

Department of Defense (DOD) set military rates apart from commer- cial rates, making them difficult to translate into the electronic format required by the FMC.

MSC believes that integrating militaiy rates into the ATFI system is required by tariff-filing provisions in U.S. shipping laws and would assist the DOD in enforcing cargo preference laws. The command also feels that it can ensure competition by being able to use computers to quickly compare commercial and military rates. MSC stated in its comments to the FMC, that "The implementation of the ATFI system presents MSC with new opportuni- ties to ensure that rates for the trans-r—|

SCHOTTEL portation of military cargo fully con ply with the law, are fair and rej sonable and fully comparable to con mercial shipping rates."

New Rigid-Hull Aluminum

Inflatable From Almar

Almar's RAIV

Aluminum Marine Construction

Inc., (Almar) of Tacoma, Wash., has extended its line of aluminum pa trol and workboats to include rigic inflatables.

With this new line, titled th( "R. A.I. V. (rigid aluminum inflatable vessel)," the company intends to of- fer the inflatable boat market the same expertise and efficiency thai has delivered over 4,000 Almar built craft, up to 32 feet long, in the last IS years. "Unlike competing fiberglass

RIBs, Almar's RAIV can be easily equipped to fulfill a wide variety of roles, from SCUBA support to oil boom deployment," says vice presi- dent Mike Sandeman.

The RAIVs hull is readily adapt- able to carry up to 300-hp outboard or inboard gas or diesel engines and inboard or outboard jetdrives. A fully instrumented console will be standard, with the option to add anything from radar to police si- rens. In the larger models the con- sole may be fully enclosed for crew comfort.

The prototype has already under- gone preliminary testing by Coast

Guard personnel and has report- edly been enthusiastically received.

It features a 24 degree vee hull, which gives an exceptionally soft, dry ride with high speed potential in rough water. During development the prototype was successfully run at 50 mph without its tube assem- bly, to test the boats ultimate safety.

The RAIVs safety is further en- hanced by its inflatable collar which is divided into five, independent com- partments and constructed from 33 ounce polyurethane, ballistic cloth to provide extreme resistance to abrasion, puncture and ultra violet light.

The welded 1/4-inch aluminum, fully-sealed hull contains foam flo- tation for absolute unsinkability and is self-bailing. A large fuel tank beneath the floor is standard. Almar is offering the RATV in sizes from 18 to 35 feet. The builders foresee many commercial uses, including rescue, military, ecotourism and police work.

To receive additional information about Almar's RATV,

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