NASSCO Christens LNG-ready Tanker Constitution
On Saturday, August 27, shipbuilders at General Dynamics NASSCO celebrated the christening and launch of the Constitution, the sixth ship in a series of eight eco-friendly tankers constructed or under construction at the company’s San Diego-based shipyard.
The ship, the Constitution, is a 610-foot, 50,000 deadweight-ton, and LNG-conversion-ready ECO Class product tanker with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.
As part of the ceremony, the ship’s sponsor, Cristin Thorogood – wife of Dan Thorogood, SEACOR Ocean Transport president – christened the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. Sandi Dunkel, a NASSCO employee for nearly 25 years, pulled the trigger to release the ship into San Diego Bay.
“The construction of a ship represents an entire community of highly-trained and highly-skilled individuals working together – from design conception to delivery – toward a common purpose: to revolutionize the future of American shipping with the construction of innovative, cost-saving, and environmentally-sound vessels,” said Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager for General Dynamics NASSCO. “The christening and launch of a ship represents the hard-earned efforts of this community. It’s the first time a ship enters the water – and it’s another milestone toward the delivery of a quality product that will service our nation’s maritime needs for decades to come.”
The Constitution was built for SEA-Vista, a partnership between SEACOR Holdings Inc. and Avista Capital Partners, and will be operated by Seabulk Tankers, Inc.