USS Essex Collides with Replenishment Vessel
The amphibious assault ship Essex collided with the oiler Yukon during an underway replenishment operation in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California, 3rd Fleet said in a statement. The collision happened about 120 miles out at sea as Essex approached the Yukon for a scheduled underway replenishment, Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a fleet spokesman, said. “Both ships reported some damage,” Brown said. The damage “is still being assessed” but no injuries were reported. The collision appeared “due to an apparent steerage malfunction” aboard Essex, 3rd Fleet said. No fuel was spilled, “and the ships’ fuel tanks and systems were not compromised.
Repair Market Gains Muscle
Shipyards around the world are facing increasingly stringent environmental rules and regulations, adding additional expense to a business sector with an already reputed thin bottom line. Nonetheless, to stay in business shipyards must continuously enhance their capabilities and compliance, in order to successfully woo and complete lucrative jobs. U.S. shipyards have aggressively been augmenting traditional repair expertise with the tools and systems needed to prosper in 2000 and far beyond. The ensuing editorial updates significant activities and enhancements at U.S. ship repair yards. Detyens Shipyards based in North Charleston, S.C., is continuing its upbeat course of developing trusted relationships with customers along the U.S. East Coast — specifically with Hvide Marine, Inc.
