Page 11: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 1996)

Maritime Administration News

In its approval, MarAd noted that Farrell needed a vessel to maintain operating schedule in- tegrity in its services while the

Export Freedom undergoes re- quired drydocking, thereby contin- uing to meet the needs of Farrell's shipping customers. In addition,

MarAd found and determined that no suitable U.S.-flag vessel is available on any practical basis for the period coinciding with the required drydocking schedule of the Export Freedom.

Cenac granted approval to sell barges

Cenac Towing Co., Inc., Houma,

La., has received approval from

MarAd to sell the barges CTCO 3024 and CTCO 3025 to Compania

Argentina Depetroleo S.A., an Ar- gentinean corporation. The barges will be transferred to Argentinean registry. The 1,713-gt barges were built in Houma, La.

Updated U.S. Merchant

Marine Data Sheet available

MarAd has updated its quarterly report, U.S. Merchant Marine

Data Sheet, as of October 1, 1995.

Limited copies are available from

MarAd's Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, 400, 7th St.,

SW, Washington, D.C. 20590, tel: (202) 366-5807.

MarAd enters agreements to enhance U.S. shipyard competitiveness

MarAd has entered into several cooperative agreements to enhance the competitiveness of American shipyards. An agency of the U.S.

Department of Transportation,

MarAd is acting as an agent for the

Department of Defense's Advanced

Research Projects Agency (ARPA).

Cooperative agreements under

ARPA's Maritech program are awarded on a competitive basis.

Participation in the industry-initi- ated Maritech program is one ele- ment of the President's plan to strengthen America's shipbuilding industry. One goal is to retain the critical shipyard journeyman skills necessary to build future naval combatants and to help preserve a shipbuilding mobilization base in the U.S.

MarAd has entered into a cooper- ative agreement with Halter Mar- ine, Inc., Gulfport, Miss., to devel- op a high-technology, high-capaci- ty, environmentally-friendly pas- senger/vehicle ferry. The ferry will be designed to be built using alu- minum construction with gas tur- bine engines. It would carry 2,000 people and 450 vehicles at a com- petitively high speed. The total value of the 30-month agreement is $5,041,414. The government will fund half the cost, with Halter

Marine, Inc. providing the remain- der in cash and in-kind services.

The agency has entered into a cooperative agreement with the

Smartbridge Consortium located in Syracuse, N.Y. The technology involved is a total bridge and ship integration system. The system would accommodate a combination of upgraded and new sensors (ra- dar-infrared, electro-optical) and a navigational display which could evolve into a fully compliant elec- tronic chart display. It also would include an information system (ECDIS), an integrated sensor dis- play and an automated advis- ory/decision aid for piloting and (Continued on page 54)

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January, 1996 13