BLUE CHIP CASINO
Jamestown Metal Marine to Construct Casino Vessel
Jamestown Metal Marine Sales, Inc. has been awarded a contract by Blue Chip Casino, LLC, a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming, to construct a new casino vessel at Blue Chip's Michigan City, Indiana facility. The new vessel, which will replace the present vessel, will be approximately 400 ft. in length with a beam of 200 feet and provide about 75,000 square feet of gaming area on a single deck. In addition to the gaming area there will be another 85,000 square feet of back of house and future gaming areas on other decks. Jamestown was selected by Blue Chip Casino for this high visibility project based on Jamestown's significant experience outfitting casino vessels and managing other turnkey marine construction projects. This will be Jamestown's 26th casino project. Jamestown, will manage the execution of the vessel's construction, including hull fabrication and erection, machinery and mechanical installation, electrical installation, interior finishes, and the gaming facilities. All work will be accomplished in a construction basin at the existing site where the present vessel was originally constructed. The first hull steel sections were laid down on October 11, 2004. When completed, the new casino vessel will meet the applicable requirements of the Gaming Commission of the State of Indiana, as well as the United States Coast Guard
SeaChange Completes $100m Private Placement for Expansion
SeaChange Maritime has completed a private placement of $100m, the proceeds of which will be used to invest in expanding its fleet of container ships. The company, which is registered in the Marshall Islands and operates from offices in Miami, Fla., was formed in 2006 by former Sammy Ofer group executives Samuel Norton and Yariv Zghoul to serve as a leading supplier of container vessels for charter to integrated liner operators
Major Bill Passed in Illinois
The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation eliminating the ban on riverboat gambling in Cook County, opening the way for a riverboat casino to be floated in a close-in suburb of Chicago, most likely Rosemont. Senate Bill (S.B.) 1017 also allows Illinois riverboat casino operators to operate permanently moored casinos. Under the bill, licensees may conduct gambling, whether on excursion cruises or on permanently moored platforms
Title Insurance did not Include Casino Vessel Being Built
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that title insurance written to cover a real estate project for a gaming development did not include a casino vessel that was under construction at a distant location. In the instant case, a financial institution loaned monies to a casino company to build a gaming development. The development was to include both a landside infrastructure and a casino vessel. The casino vessel was to be built at a remote location and towed to
PVA Elects 2013 President, Officers and Board
During the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2013, held February 16 - 19, in Jacksonville, FL, members of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) elected Carolyn Horgan, Blue & Gold Fleet, San Francisco, CA, as PVA President for 2013. Also elected to terms as PVA Officers for 2013 were: PVA Vice President: Terri Bernstein, BB Riverboats, Inc., Newport, KY PVA Secretary Treasurer: Dave Anderson, Fire Island Ferries, Inc
e-Navigation: Multi-GNSS Receiver Chips Coming
Furuno say new multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver chips "eRideOPUS 6" and "eRideOPUS 7" will be available from summer 2013. The new receiver chips are multi-GNSS compliant single-chip LSIs, capable of concurrently receiving signals from multiple satellites of GNSS systems, i.e., GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, etc., and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) as well as Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS).
Casino Ship Sold at Auction
According to a report in the Miami Herald: “The gaming ship once operated by St. Tropez Casino Cruises was sold in a courthouse auction Tuesday to a giant ship-management company for $3.8 million. Monaco-based V. Ships topped 11 other bidders to acquire the 30-year-old vessel, which has been anchored off Fort Lauderdale's shores since May when gaming operations were suspended for lack of money.”
Casino Gaming in Hawaii?
House Bill (H.B.) 1600, sponsored by Rep. Calvin Say (D), would allow casino gaming in Honolulu County if a majority of county voters approved. The measure would restrict shipboard gaming to three ships, and allow such gaming only until December 31, 2005. The bill carries no specific termination date for land-based gaming. The legislation would be repealed on December 31, 2005, unless voters approve casino gaming by that date.
Boomtown Barge Headed for Repairs
According to reports, Tugboats began towing Boomtown Casino's gambling barge to a dry dock in Pascagoula. The repairs at Signal International should take about three weeks, company officials said. Penn National Gaming, which owns Boomtown and Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, has committed to rebuild its Coast properties. Company executives are expected to release more information this week when they issue a quarterly earnings report and host a conference call.
Possible Support for Riverboat Gaming
Illinois Gov. George Ryan signaled he may be willing to support the transfer of a dormant riverboat gaming license to Cook County, despite campaigning against the idea last year. While not explicitly endorsing a specific casino site, he acknowledged without the crucial support of legislators who want riverboat gaming in the county, no gambling package could move forward in the Illinois General Assembly. Cook County is the only Illinois county prohibited by law from having a riverboat casino
Blue North Order 'Green' Alaska Commercial Fishing Boat
Blue North has contracted Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Washington, to build an eco-friendly, technologically advanced fishing vessel. The innovative “green” boat – which will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014 – was specifically developed for the Alaska
Ulstein Delivers Fourth PSV in PX121 Series
Ulstein Verft delivered Blue Thunder, the fourth of six medium-sized platform supply vessels of the PX121 design from Ulsteinto Blue Ship Invest, on Monday, May 13, 2013. Owned by Blue Ship Invest, a wholly-owned company in Ulstein Group, the platform supply vessel (PSV) is commercially and
MARAD Deputy Matsuda Resigns
David Matsuda, the U.S. Maritime Administrator, announced that he is stepping down. In a statement released by Marad spokesperson Kim Strong, Matsuda's career highlights and accomplishments were also listed. The statement reads as follows:
Coast Guard World War Memorial Restored and Rededicated
The Coast Guard World War Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery was dedicated May 23, 1928, as a tribute to the Coast Guardsmen who lost their lives in World War I. During the past year, the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Chief Petty Officer Association led a collaborative effort of 37
Diesel Engine Injection Specialists in J/V
Switzerland's Hoerbiger technology group & Germany's L’ Orange GmbH establish a new company, D'Blue, to serve the Asian market. Hoerbiger and L’Orange GmbH, Stuttgart, a subsidiary of the Tognum Group, are working together to enhance their product portfolio for the equipping of
Venice 'Blue Flag' Accord Signed
Cruise ships agree to adopt the strictest measures to reduce air pollution when entering Italy's Venice Lagoon. The agreement, known as “Venice Blue Flag II,” commits cruise lines to operate the main and auxiliary engines of their ships with marine fuel with sulphur content of no
Seawater Battery Key to Renewable Energy Storage
A battery that solves the load-leveling problem of renewable energy AND generates value-added by-products? Too good to be true? It appears that Dr. Schubert, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Director of the Richard S
Titanic Replica Tycoon Hosts New York Dinner
Australian businessman and owner of Blue Star Cruise Line, Professor Clive Palmer, hosted the black-tie event aboard the retired 'USS Intrepid'. The organizers say that the event was attended by a who’s who of world leaders, senior diplomats and major political figures
Virgin Atlantic Challenger ll Readies for UK Return
Plymouth boatyard looks to refit Richard Branson's iconic 'Virgin Atlantic Challenger II' after the boat's 20-year absence from UK shores. Dan Stevens, a merchant navy master who also runs the Mount Batten ferry and harbour cruise vessels in Plymouth
Moose Boats Deliver LAPD Police Boat
San Francisco Bay area-based Moose Boats recently delivered a new M1-46 Catamaran Dive Boat to Los Angeles Police Department. At 46 feet in length, the M1-46 is the largest vessel of the Moose Boats fleet to date. The M1-46 all aluminum catamaran, with a maximum speed of 38 knots
Deltamarin Contracted for 'Titanic ll' Project Development
A full scale version of the original ship, is being designed by the Finland-based Deltamarin & will be built in China for Blue Star Line. Blue Star Line has undertaken the task of building Titanic II, a replica of the original RMS Titanic
Braemar Opens Crude and Products Ship Broking Operation
Braemar Seascope said it is strengthening its ship broking activities by opening a new division within the group’s Houston offices focusing on the large crude and products tanker trades. The new operation will launch following the employment of four tanker brokers: Nelson Hebert
Belize Court Stymies Offshore Drilling Plans
Belize's Supreme Court declared offshore drilling contracts issued by the Government of Belize (in 2004 and 2007) null and void. The ruling, handed down by Justice Oswell Legall , was in response to a case brought by Oceana, COLA, and the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage
New Orleans Intermodal TIGER Site Visited
The U.S. Department of Transportations (DOT) Deputy Maritime Administrator Paul Chip Jaenichen visited the Port of New Orleans to tour the site. The site of planned infrastructure improvements was made possible through a US$16.7 million DOT TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Titanic ll Project Appoints Ship Managers
Blue Star Line Chairman, Professor Clive Palmer, appoints V.Ships Leisure as ship management services partner for his Titanic II project. According to the Blue Star Line's press release, V.Ships Leisure is the world’s largest supplier of management and outsourcing services to the maritime