Fleet Site News

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. "Matsuda, who previously worked as the primary transportation counsel to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, was responsible for overseeing more than $1 billion in federal assistance to modernize over 100 of America's small shipyards, upgrade 25 U.S. ports, and build new vessels in the U.S.

With the departure of the Sperry, the 26th obsolete vessel removed from Suisun Bay, the U.S. Maritime Administration has surpassed by six ships the number of obsolete vessels it agreed in 2009 to remove, Maritime Administrator David Matsuda announced today. The disposal schedule called for 20 ships to be permanently removed from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet and a total of 25 ships to be cleaned in dry dock by September 30, 2011. “Two years ago we promised to get rid of the obsolete ships that posed a threat to the surrounding environment,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The departures mark the 22nd and 23rd ships to leave the National Defense Reserve Fleet since October 2009, when the Obama Administration announced its commitment to clean up the site and improve the surrounding environment. As a result, the U.S. Maritime Administration is more than four months ahead of schedule in removing obsolete U.S. ships from the Reserve Fleet. The disposal schedule calls for 20 ships to be removed from SBRF by September 30, 2011. The Bolster, formerly the USS Bolster (ARS-38)…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced that it has awarded two contracts for a total of $3.1m to Allied Defense Recycling of Petaluma, Calif., to clean and recycle two Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet ships, the SS Solon Turman and the SS President. The two ships are scheduled to be towed from Suisun Bay to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard facility in for recycling in December. “The Obama Administration is running full-speed ahead in its commitment to cleaning up the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. In October 2009, the Obama Administration called for expedited cleanup of the fleet site and improved protection of the unique marine environment and surrounding bayside communities…

The federal government announced that it would remove the remaining 52 ships that are currently moored in the Suisun Bay as part of an agreement with environmental groups that was filed in federal court in Sacramento, Calif., the Department of Justice and Department of Transportation announced March 31. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has already begun removing obsolete ships from Suisun Bay for recycling, including four ships that have been removed since November 2009 and a fifth that was removed March 31. The agreement outlines MARAD’s commitment to remove 20 of the ships that are in the poorest condition prior to Sept. 30, 2012.

Acting Maritime Administrator David Matsuda announced that the Monongahela, one of the government-owned obsolete ships stored at the James River Fleet, was successfully refloated this morning after being aground since Nov. 13. The ship was refloated during high tide at 11:00 a.m. this morning. The Monongahela ran aground after a three day storm with hurricane force winds caused the vessel to break free of its mooring and drift into shallow water. “The Maritime Administration took extraordinary and careful measures to free this ship,” said Administrator Matsuda. The Maritime Administration contracted with Titan Salvage to get the ship free.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has sold two ships for recycling to Esco Ltd. of Brownsville, Texas for a total of $171,452. Resolute, a partial container/breakbulk ship built in 1980, brought a purchase price of $90,726. Resolute is currently moored at the James River Reserve Fleet site in Newport News, Va. Gulf Farmer, a breakbulk cargo ship built in 1964, brought a purchase price of $80,726. Gulf Farmer is at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet site in Texas. Both ships, which are to leave their respective fleet sites within 30 days, are to be recycled, which is the most common method of ship disposal used by the Maritime Administration. When a ship is recycled the recycler often salvages and sells metal and other materials.

The U. S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has signed fee-for-service contracts to recycle three more of its obsolete ships. Two ships, the Hattiesburg Victory and the Pioneer Contractor, are from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas, and one, the oiler Savannah, is from the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia. The Maritime Administration has moved 118 ships out of its National Defense Reserve Fleet sites since 2001. With the contracts announced today, there are only 24 ships left in the James River waiting to be disposed of and without disposal contracts, and 10 such ships in the Beaumont site. The Hattiesburg Victory is one of the few remaining Victory ships built during World War II to carry cargo needed by U.S. forces all over the world.

Flying the Greek flag, the Hellas Liberty, formerly known as the Arthur M. Huddell, has safely reached the port of Piraeus in Greece after leaving Norfolk, Virginia, on December 6, 2008. Until July 2008, the World War II-era Huddell was the last Liberty ship in the Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet., and was moored in the James River Reserve Fleet site at Fort Eustis. The ship was cleaned at a Norfolk shipyard before being towed to Greece. American shipyards built 2,751 Liberty ships during World War II, in the largest shipbuilding effort in history. Liberty ships crewed by merchant mariners carried troops and military cargo all over the world. The building and sailing of the Liberty ships, and their successors, the Victory ships, were overseen by the U.S.

The Department of Transportation announced that the last of ’s famous ships, the Arthur M. Huddell, will be towed from the James River Reserve Fleet site at , , to , on July 28, to prepare the World War II-era vessel for a cross-Atlantic tow to its new homeport in . Greek officials say the ship will become a merchant marine museum of that nation’s shipping industry. While in , the Huddell will be berthed at the W3 Marine facility while the cross-Atlantic tow-prep is performed by a local Hampton Roads marine services company.

Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton signed a Memorandum of Understanding with representatives of the Government of Greece to pursue an agreement to transfer the ship Arthur M. Huddell to the Greek government for use as a museum. The World War II-era Huddell is the last ship in the Maritime Administration’s fleet. It is currently moored in the James River Reserve Fleet site at . "It is great to be able to save a bit of history from both our nations," said Connaughton. American shipyards built 2,751 ships during World War II, in the largest shipbuilding effort in history. ships crewed by merchant mariners carried troops and military cargo all over the world. The building and sailing of the ships, and their successors, the Victory Ships, were overseen by the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has sold a ship from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet for more than $1million, the first time under the current program that a ship has brought such a price. International Shipbreaking, Ltd., in , , will pay $1,151,727 for the ship Adonis, now moored at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet site in . Three other government-owned, obsolete ships are also being sold to the company for an additional $173,297: the , the and the Buyer. These sales stand in contrast to most ship disposal contracts in recent years, which have involved the federal government paying to have its obsolete ships recycled.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has signed contracts totaling $1,136,106 for the recycling of three obsolete ships from its reserve fleets. All three ships will be recycled at the Esco Marine facility in Brownsville, Texas. Two of the ships, Cape Catoche and Cape Carthage, are in the James River Reserve Fleet site at Fort Eustis in Virginia. When they depart the James River site for recycling, they will be the 68th and 69th ships to do so since January of 2001. The third ship, Del Viento, is in the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas. The Maritime Administration keeps ships in three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites to support Armed Forces movements and to respond to national emergencies.

The Maritime Administration's Captain William G. Schubert announced disposal contracts for three more ships in the James River Reserve Fleet. With the announcement, 37 ship disposal contracts have been awarded since the beginning of 2001, and 24 ships have left the James River Reserve Fleet. "Today marks another day of real progress as we work to address the inherited challenges of the James River Reserve fleet," said Captain William Schubert. The three ships, the Santa Isabel, the Mormacwave, and the American Ranger, are all designated "high priority" for disposal by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). Esco Marine, of Brownsville, TX, was awarded the contract to dismantle all three ships. Joining Captain Schubert for the announcement, which was made at the fleet site at Ft.

It has been a troop carrier, a missile-tracking ship, and a starred in a Hollywood movie. Now the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg will become an artificial reef off Key West, Fla. Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton approved the transfer of the Vandenberg to the state of Florida, which plans to turn the 63-year old vessel into an artificial reef later this year. “Reefing is an excellent way to dispose of our obsolete ships,” said Connaughton. "It is good for the economy, good for the environment, and a great deal for U.S. The approval clears the way for the ship to be cleaned and sunk for a reef. The Vandenberg will join other ships of the Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet being used in the Maritime Administration's Artificial Reefing Program: the Texas Clipper I…

Two more ships are leaving the James River, headed for disposal facilities in Virginia and Maryland, in what has become a regular occurrence since the Bush Administration took over management of the nation’s ship disposal program five years ago, the U.S. Maritime Administration announced. The Howard W. Gilmore is scheduled to leave the James River Reserve Fleet at Fort Eustis on Thursday, making it the 50th ship to leave the river since January 1, 2001. It is one of the last World War II-vintage ships still at the fleet, which is good news for the ship disposal program, according to John Jamian, MARAD’s Acting Administrator. In a news conference at the fleet site today, Jamian said, “Our disposal efforts can keep moving to newer ships, which bring better prices in the scrap steel market.

The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) has sold two obsolete vessels in its Beaumont Reserve Fleet for recycling. Southern Scrap Material Company, LLC (SSMC), of New Orleans, La., has purchased two vessels, Allison Lykes and Mallory Lykes, both located in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX, for $50,000 apiece. Both vessels are cargo ships built in the mid-1960s. The two ships are scheduled to leave the fleet site for New Orleans the last week of June. “MarAd is taking advantage of the high global prices for recycled steel to get the best bargain for the American taxpayer,” said Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, noting that, in the recent past, MARAD has often had to pay to have the ships recycled.