NASSCO Celebrates Keel Laying

Richard Griffith, VP, Operations of Totem Ocean Trail Express, Inc. (TOTE), and Jim Scott, VP, marketing and business affairs, of National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, pose at the keel-laying ceremony for the North Star, the second of two ORCA-class RoRo trailerships being built for TOTE’s Tacoma-to-Anchorage service. Griffith drove in a wedge that signified the fit-up of the ship’s first keel blocks and then welded his initials onto a steel plate that will become a permanent part of the ship. The new ships will be 839 ft. long, have a beam of 118 ft., and carry 600 cargo trailers and 200 autos. The ships are designed for the rigors of Alaskan service and feature the latest in environmental protection technology. The first ship, the Midnight Sun, is scheduled to be delivered in fall 2002 and the North Star in spring 2003.