Page 29: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2001)

Ship Repair & Conversion (Continued, from page 25)

The ability to get ships fixed quickly and correctly is particularly important to the cruise industry because of it tight itinerary schedule — extra time at the drydock results in lost revenue and pas- senger capacity. According to Stewart, the work on Millennium shaved off con- siderable amounts of time as a result of

NNS' ability to lie out all the materials needed on the dock prior to the ship's arrival. Materials were produced on-site via the yard's computer aided design and manufacturing system and its massive 300,000 sq. ft. machine shop. "We can muster the resources to do anything."

Stewart said. "We sometimes sub-con- tract work, such as painting and blasting, but the majority of the work is done in- house."

On the Forefront

When MR/EN visited NNS in mid-

October, it was not perceptible that the

U.S. was in the midst of an economic downturn. The yard was abuzz with activity — both on the repair and new construction sides. On the repair front, two vessels — the 821 x 105.5 ft. (250 x 32.1 m) Carnival Victory and 893 x 116 ft. (272.1 x 35.3 m) SS PFC Eugene A.

Obregon - were in the yard for regulato- ry, as well as cosmetic work. Sitting in

Dry Dock No. 12 for a 10-day availabil- ity was Victory, which was undergoing underwater hull blasting and painting, replacement of shaft seals, propeller and rudder inspections, open and inspection of sea valves and renewal of transitional frames in way of port and starboard sta- bilizers.

Situated in the yard's floating Dry

Dock No. 1 was MSC prepositioning ship Obregon, which carries ammuni- tion, supplies and military vehicles. The vessel, which is being chartered through

Waterman Supply, has a 23-day avail- ability at the yard for hull and deck preservation; ballast and cargo preserva- tion; stern ramp preservation and over- haul; crane overhaul; boiler re-tubing; main and emergency generator mainte- nance; cargo crane and ramp testing; and regulatory body inspections via its clas- sification society, ABS. The vessel will return to Jacksonville, Fla. upon its departure from NNS.

The ship, which is the second of a three-part repair contract granted to NNS by Waterman Supply, followed SS SGT

Matej Kocak, which visited the yard in

August. The final vessel of the series, SS

Major Stephen W. Pless is expected to visit NNS sometime during December.

According to shipyard superintendent,

Joe Adams, the rotor on the vessel's steam turbines will be replaced, as well as underwater hull and freeboard repainting. The vessel's helo and bridge

November, 2001 decks will also be repainted. Adams added that since the vessel is more than 20 years old, regulatory work needs to be performed every two-to-three years — such as the cleaning and mucking out of its 12 ballast tanks, and blasting and painting of anchor chains.

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