Page 69: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1993)

USCG Awards $22 Million Contract To

Marinette Marine For Construction Of

New Coastal Buoy Tender

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $22 million contract to

Marinette Marine Corp. of

Marinette, Wis. to construct a new 175-foot coastal buoy tender that will be used to enhance the Coast

Guard's aide to navigation program as well as search and rescue opera- tions and marine environmental protection missions. If all options are exercised, the total value of the contract will be between $179.4 mil- lion and $219 million.

The 175-foot coastal buoy tender will have a 36-foot beam and dis- place 916 long tons. The crane pro- vides a 10-ton capacity main hoist, 3.75-ton capacity secondary or whip hoist and 42-foot long boom.

Propulsion includes two main die- sel engines, 855 bhp per unit, driv- ing two propellers through right angle, azimuthing propulsion thrusters (Z-drives). Other propul- sion equipment includes: two fixed pitch propellers, 5.5' diameter each; two right angle, azimuthing drives; and a 400-hp, fixed pitch propeller tunnel-type, electrically-powered bow thruster. Steering is provided by an electro-hydraulic system that powers hydraulic drive motors on the Z-drives. The cutter will incor- porate an integrated bridge and uti- lize a dynamic positioning system.

The propulsion control system will also be automated. "The new coastal buoy tenders will modernize the fleet by replac- ing the current tenders that are be- tween 28- and 50-years-old," Secre- tary of Transportation Federico

Pena said. "The new tenders will reduce operating costs and provide a safer and more efficient working environment."

The contract provides the Coast

Guard with the lead ship, options for up to 13 additional cutters, spare parts, training and a technical data package for support and possible future construction.

The Coast Guard said the cutters will be used to place, maintain and repair more than 50,000 buoys, day markers and lights. These aids are essential to the safety and welfare of maritime vessels and recreation boats that use U.S. waters daily.

The new Keeper Class Coastal buoy tender will be the first of an expected 14 cutters and will be named "Ida Lewis." The 14 Ida

Lewis class cutters will be named for famous lighthouse keepers and will replace the 11 aging 133- and 157-foot cutters and supplement the replacement fleet of Juniper Class seagoing buoy tenders.

The Ida Lewis will hold a crew of 18 and the vessels will be designed to provide berthing for both male and female personnel. The Ida Lewis will be capable of maintaining a speed of 12 knots at full load. The cutter will have a range of no less than 2,000 nautical miles at a speed of 10 knots in the full load condition.

The 133-foot cutters have been in

Coast Guard service since 1947.

Prior to that, they had been used by the U.S. Army since 1942. The 157- foot cutters have been in service since 1964.

In addition to having design, equipment and technical upgrades that make the vessel more suited for conducting aids to navigation and search and rescue missions, the

Keeper Class tenders will be specifi- cally designed to deploy an oil skim- ming system which will be positioned near the vessel's home port. This will enhance the vessel's ability to carry out its marine environmental protection mission. The cutter will also have an integrated electronic bridge and ship positioning system and automated propulsion controls.

Ida Lewis will be capable of operat- ing in ice or breaking ice.

For more information,

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Caribbean Countries

Consider Regulating And

Taxing Cruise Industry

Twelve Caribbean countries are considering forming a regional agency to regulate and tax the cruise industry, which is being viewed re- cently by island governments as a richly endowed business sapping island services.

P.J. Patterson, prime minister of Jamaica, said, "As we have rules governing our air space, so must there be rules governing the use of our sea space." Mr. Patterson went on to say, "Let us together all insist that cruise shipping make its appro- priate contribution for the benefit of the people of our region." The Car- ibbean Hotel Association, which in- stigated the campaign to regulate and tax the industry, claims the cruise business has been growing at the expense of land-based tourism and doesn't pay its fair share for the island visits. The idea received a positive reception at the annual meeting of the Caribbean Commu- nity, where the heads of 12 English- speaking countries and the British colony of Montserrat met.

The campaign comes on the heels of a decision by Miami-based Royal

Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to drop St.

Lucia as a port of call after it raised its head tax on cruise passengers from $2.50 to $10.00 last October.

According to John LaCapra, head of the Florida-Caribbean

Cruise Association, governments of the Caribbean countries are preoc- cupied with tax income but ignore cruise passenger spending ashore and their return visits as hotel guests. The Caribbean Community is also considering adopting a uni- form port user fee covering berthing, waste disposal and terminal con- struction costs; adopting a uniform licensing fees that could be offset by buying supplies in the Caribbean instead of out of Miami; and adopt- ing a law imposing fines for illegal ocean dumping.

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August, 1993

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