Ship Works

MSC Celebrates 50 Years of Service

"MSC has been conspicuous because its people and ships generally have been where the action has been." Rear Adm. Bruce Keener III, USN Commander, Military Sealift Command, 1979-1981 Rear Adm. Keener made this observation on the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command's 30th anniversary in October 1979. His words still hold true 20 years later as MSC, the ocean transportation specialists for the Department of Defense, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Today, MSC operates about 120 ships worldwide with 100 more ships in reserve status. What sets MSC ships apart from other Navy ships is all MSC ships are crewed by civil service or contract merchant mariners instead of active duty Navy people. Using civilian crews frees active duty Navy personnel for more traditional war-fighting assignments. MSC ships wear many hats for DOD. MSC Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF) ships support the U.S. Navy fleet around the world, providing everything from fuel to food to ammunition and towing services. NFAF ships keep the Navy's combatant ships at sea, on station and combat ready. MSC Special Mission ships provide many specialized services for the Navy and the federal government including surveying the world's oceans and performing counter-drug operations. MSC Special Mission ships work with scientific and military commands to expand our knowledge of the world's oceans, combat drug smuggling, monitor international compliance with strategic arms treaties and lay submarine cable.

Camacho Returns to His Roots

December 7, 1941, "A day that will live in infamy," is undoubtedly a defining moment in U.S. history. The day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor is again in the public eye with the recent release of Touchstone Pictures' epic Pearl Harbor this past Memorial Day weekend. While the movie provides an interpreted portrayal of those events, no rendition could possibly compare it to a first-hand account. Having lived through the attack as an eight-year-old boy, Retired Admiral Dick Camacho

Donjon Continues Work in Gibraltar

Donjon Marine continues work on a contract awarded on March 24, 2009 for the wreck removal and disposal of the remnants of the M/V Fedra, which grounded and partially sank during a storm in October. On May 25, 2009, Donjon commenced site operations and with support from local subcontractors, performed vessel remediation as well as pre-cutting portions of the remaining deck house, stack and decking in preparation of the arrival of Donjon’s main wreck removal flotilla and salvage crew

General Dynamics Submarine Support Work

The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat $61.8m to extend two existing contracts for submarine modernization and maintenance and reactor-plant planning yard work. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). Under a $43.7m modification, Electric Boat will continue to perform non-nuclear submarine modernization and repair services at the Naval Submarine Support Facility in Groton in support of submarines

Offshore Drill Ships Start Work off Vietnam

Northern Offshore, Ltd. semi-submersibles Energy Driller and drillship Energy Searcher have commenced operations off Vietnam coast. The Energy Searcher went on dayrate under the contract with the Joint Operating Company Vietgazprom, a joint venture between Petrovietnam and Gazprom, ("VGP") for their drilling program offshore Vietnam on April 6, 2012.  The duration is for a four-well program expected to last approximately 100 days per well

Offshore Work Maintenance Ship Sold, Chartered Back by Otto Marine

Singapore-based Otto Marine sells Work Maintenance Vessel 'Oranda 1' for US$38.0-million, simultaneously bareboat-chartered back for GofM work. The sales transaction sets to improve the Group’s cash flow and balance sheet. Oranda 1, of LOA 75 m  is an ABS-classed 4,200bhp Work Maintenance Vessel that has completed 4 projects in South East Asia since May 2010. Contemporaneous with the sales transaction, the Group’s subsidiary, Karp Marine Limited

Streamlined System Sought to Put Vessels to Work on Spill Clean-Up

The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) has proposed to BP and the U.S. Coast Guard that they create a smooth, efficient system to be sure vessel owners know what marine assets are needed to combat the Gulf oil spill, and to share with the Incident Command what vessels are available. OMSA, which represents the U.S. flag vessels that work in the offshore energy sector, has a number of member vessels that are currently involved in the cleanup effort, including skimming activities

$52m for Maintenance Work on USS New Mexico

General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded a $51.8 million contract modification by the U.S. Navy to plan and perform the post-shakedown availability (PSA) on the nuclear submarine USS New Mexico (SSN-779). Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.  The PSA, which will comprise maintenance, repairs, alterations and testing, will be performed in and is expected to begin this month. Up to 450 employees will be engaged in the work

Underwater Salvage Work on 'Rena' Starts Soon

A specialist team of divers from the United States, plus the RMG 280 crane barge due to arrive shortly, reports the wreck salvors. Latest reports from the site follow: Salvage (Resolve Salvage & Fire)     •    The total combined weight of steel removed is now approximately 430 tonnes, which is more than 20 per cent of the total weight to be removed.     •    The RMG 280 crane barge is expected to arrive in port

OceanWorks USN Authorized for DSS SOC Work

OceanWorks International again receives authorization from U.S. Navy to perform Deep Submergence Systems Scope of Certification (DSS SOC) work. OceanWorks International has again been authorized by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Note 5000 to perform DSS SOC work in support of designated submarine rescue and intervention systems. The authorization is a renewal of the existing Note 5000 authorization which has been held by OceanWorks International since