Cal Maritime Names Golden Bear's First Female Captain
California State University Maritime Academy appointed Samaro Bannister-Schneider as interim captain of Training Ship Golden Bear (TSGB). Captain Bannister will serve as Cal Maritime’s first female TSGB captain. She is a 2000 graduate of Cal Maritime’s Marine Transportation (MT) program, and began her career on a fleet of Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) research vessels conducting survey operations. Soon after, she moved up to a larger fleet of vessels, the Watson Class LMSR RO-RO’s where she found her home.
Ocean Ships, APT, Awarded DoD Contract Modifications
1. Ocean Ships, Inc., Houston, Texas, is being awarded a $10,461,769 modification for the previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-13-C-3333) to exercise the second option period of this contract for the operation and maintenance of two Mobile Landing Platform ships, USNS Montford Point and USNS John Glenn. These ships support the Military Sealift Command’s prepositioning fleet by transferring rolling stock and other cargos in-stream with other ships via ramp connections, as well as landing and deploying air-cushion non-displacement craft by means of inclined decks. Work will be performed worldwide, and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015.
Navy Issues RoRo Operation & Shipyard Repair Contracts
Among the latest Department of Defense, Navy, contracts, Ocean Ships Inc. of Houston is awarded a contract modification for operation & maintenance of 8 RoRo ships, and Colonna's Shipyard for drydocking and major refit of 'USS Shamal' (PC13). Ocean Ships, Inc., Houston, Texas, is being awarded a $32,383,461 modification under a previously awarded contract (N00033-09-C-3200) for the operation and maintenance of eight Watson-class large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships. This modification extends the contract for a period not to exceed six months, in accordance with FAR 52.217-8.
Ocean Ships Inc. Wins Navy MLP Operating Contract
Seafarers International Union (SIU) affiliated Ocean Ships to operate 3 new mobile landing platform vessels (MLP) for US Navy. The vessels are being built at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego; they are the USNS Montford Point, USNS John Glenn, and USNS Lewis B. Puller. Including options, the Ocean Ships contract is for five years. According to the U.S. Military Sealift Command, the new ships “will be the centerpiece of the Navy’s ‘Sea Base’ concept, and will serve as a transfer point for Marine Corps amphibious landing forces between large ships and small landing craft.
