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needed. This compares with a $200 billion new ship construction pro- gram that some experts calculate is necessary to replace the aging world fleet. Of this, tanker replacement is put at some $70 billion. VLCCs (very-large crude carri- ers) of over 200,000 dwt account for almost half of the seaborne oil trans- port capacity, and oil shippers have little choice but to rely on them over the next five years at least. A Clarkson team studied the world VLCC fleet, documenting the history of each vessel and undertak- ing a technical survey of 118 ships. Clarkson concluded that any deci- sion by policymakers to set an age limit on ships could condemn very good vessels to the breakers' yard. The managing director of Clarkson Research, Martin Stopford, said older ships should be repaired, not scrapped. He dis- agrees with some shipping experts who are calling for subsidies to en- courage countries such as China to expand ship demolition facilities. The Clarkson study said older ships are technically out of date only in terms of fuel consumption and segregated ballast tank arrange- ments. The welded steel construc- tion offers great potential for con- tinued maintenance, and Clarkson could find no good reason why most ships built in the 1970s should not continue to trade provided they are properly maintained. As a result of its study, Clarkson argues that there is no reason why older supertankers should not pro- vide safe and adequate service. The quality of the VLCCs sur- veyed was very diverse, Clarkson said, with about a third of the fleet consisting of relatively low-grade vessels. Mr. Stopford said the problem for the regulators and the industry is how to distinguish between good and bad ships when drawing up new ship safety laws. Boats & Barges La Santa Maria is classed by Det norske Veritas, and is licensed to carry 300 passengers on a partially protected waters route. Her mission is to provide ferry service between the cruise ship and shore at remote island harbors where adequate docking facilities for the big cruise ships are not available. Palatka Delivers GM-Powered, Dejong & Lebet-Designed Tender To Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) has taken delivery of the 87- foot cruise ship tender La Santa Maria. The two-deck vessel was designed by naval architects Dejong & Lebet, Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., and was built by Palatka Shipbuilding Inc. of Palatka, Fla. She is the fifth tender for RCCL designed by DeJong & Lebet, Inc., and the fourth one built by Palatka Shipbuilding Inc. Al- though DeJong & Lebet is widely known for designing large dinner cruise and river gaming vessels, La Santa Maria is the sixth small ves- sel designed during the past 12 months. The tender is powered by a pair of General Motors 12V-71N diesels coupled to Twin Disc MG-514 gears, developing 340 hp at 1,800 engine rpm. Electrical power is provided by twin 15-kw John Deere generators. The tender features a large potable water transfer pump and large po- table water storage tanks for trans- ferring fresh water to the remote islands she services. La Santa Maria has several spe- cial features designed by Dejong & Lebet to improve seakeeping when Repair Favored Over Scrapping In New Supertanker Study According to a quality survey car- ried out by Clarkson Research Stud- ies Ltd., one of the top U.K. shipbroking and research firms, su- pertanker designs of the 1970s are not technically obsolete and a well- maintained vessel built 20 years ago 34 tendering cruise ships anchored out- side protected harbors. These in- clude bilge keels, a fo'c'sle deck, and draft and beam considerations. The La Santa Maria will begin tendering operations in St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. For free literature detailing the facilities and services of Palatka Shipbuilding, Circle 15 on Reader Service Card LA SANTA MARIA List of Suppliers Main engines General Motors Generators John Deere Gears Twin Disc Propellers Bird-Johnson Steering Tenfjord Switchboard Industrial Power Systems Fenders Morse Rubber Water pumps Peabody - Barnes Bilge/Fire Pumps MP - Flomax Level gages Metri-Tape Mufflers Cowl Windows Wynne Enterprises Shafting Western Branch/Aquamet could continue to trade safely at least until the end of the century. Owners of the lower-grade ves- sels, however, will have to spend more than $10 million at the third and fourth special surveys, or in- spections, in order to bring their ships up to acceptable standards, the study pointed out. To maintain or upgrade the exist- ing fleet of very-large crude carriers and combined carriers in service, a total of $1 billion or more may be Hovermarine Secures Major Technology Transfer Deal With Textron Marine Hovermarine International Lim- ited (HIL), the Southampton-based company that specializes in the de- sign and manufacture of surface ef- fect ships, has secured a major tech- nology transfer deal with Textron Marine Systems Inc. of New Or- leans, La. The contract enables Textron Inc., a $7.5 billion turnover group which includes shipbuilding, to market the HM221 SES fireboats throughout the USA. HIL produced their first highly automated 69-foot-long craft to meet the needs of the city of Tacoma. Two craft were purchased and they quickly proved themselves in action. An engine room fire on the 50,000- ton Oakland Maersk was quickly contained through the rapid re- sponse of the U.K.-built hovercraft. This effectively confined the loss to 7 percent of the value of the $90 million ship. Success from nine years of opera- tions in Tacoma led the New York City Fire Department to specify two HM221s for their needs. The $6.5 million package brought HIL and Textron into collaboration, the Southampton company providing all the technical data, the completed hulls and the parts which are cur- rently being fitted out by Textron Inc. These vessels will enter service in 1992. As a result of the introduction of the HM221 SES fireboats, the in- surance rates of waterside proper- ties in Tacoma were substantially reduced—by 8 percent. Textron Inc. is planning a major sales drive targeted at the fire de- partments of many U.S. cities and they are confident that this will bring more sales. Hovermarine is pursu- ing similar opportunities in other parts of the world.Hovermarine In- ternational Limited is a market leader in the design and manufac- ture of surface effect ships, having delivered over 100 vessels world- wide. For further details, Circle 20 on Reader Service Card U.S. Trade Commission To Examine Impact Of Yard Subsidy Bill At the request of the House Ways and Means Committee, the U.S. In- ternational Trade Commission has begun an investigation into the likely economic effects of the enactment of the Shipbuilding Trade Reform Act of 1991 (HR 2056). The report will be watched closely by Congress as it considers trade legislation and any final agreement reached in the OECD trade talks. The report will seek to provide an overview of: (1) OECD shipbuilding negotiations; (2) Conditions in the U.S. shipbuilding and repair indus- try; (3) Conditions in the U.S. car- rier industry; and (4) Likely eco- nomic effects of the act as compared to the likely effects of an interna- tional agreement to end shipyard subsidies. A public hearing relating to this investigation will be held by the ITC on January 24, 1992. The submis- sion of written statements must be made by no later than February 4. The ITC will issue its report no later than April 27,1992. For more infor- mation, contact Bob O'Neill of the American Waterways Shipyard Con- ference (AWSC) at (703) 841-9300. Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
