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for a 230-ft. (70.1-m) mini cruise boat reminiscent of a Mississippi River sternwheeler with a working mechanical drive paddle. The ship will carry 154 passengers on over- night cruises along the Columbia River. Five years ago Nichols Bros, added a yard in Portland, Oregon. That yard is currently building a 54- car ferry and split-hull hopper dredge. Facility expansion is a priority. Matt Nichols, company president, expects the Washington yard to double in size in the next five years. Future plans include the design and marketing of a high-speed cargo ship utilizing a wave-piercing hull to produce a projected 40-knot speed cargo ship. NASSCO, San Diego, Calif.: The largest shipyard on the U.S. West Coast, NASSCO is a full-service fa- cility capable of handling vessels up to 1,000 ft. (304.8 m) long. NASSCO is currently handling three mul- tiple-vessel Navy contracts: four 950- ft. (289.5-m) AOEs — one delivered, three in progress; three cargo vessel conversions to RoRo for Navy Sealift; and its latest contract, the construc- tion of six, NASSCO-designed Navy Sealift vessels — one firm, five op- tions. According NASSCO Vice Presi- dent Fred Hallett, the lack of fu- ture military contracts means they will be competing for more commer- cial business than ever before. The wish-list of prospective projects in- cludes hospital ships, ocean-going cruise ships, car carriers, and an increasing share of the double-hull tanker construction business. Although primarily a repair and conversion yard, Todd is currently preparing a construction bid for the Jumbo Mark II ferries, a proposed $210-million, three-vessel project for the Washington State Ferry System Westport Shipyards, Westport, Wash.: This small yard owned by brothers Randy and Rick Rust is located on Washington's Pacific Coast in Grays Harbor. Originally catering to the commercial fishing and chartering industry, it now spe- cializes in construction of fiberglass passenger vessels and pleasure yachts. Westport claims to have built more large (80 ft. [24.4 m] to 128 ft. [39 m]) fiberglass hulls than any other shipyard in the U.S. 25 knot winds, 8 foot swells and small craft advisories for coastal waters. ^ Just another day in for ihe Safe Boat ise The Safe Boat is not an inflatable. It features a patented solid foam flotation collar secured to a rugged aluminum hull with full height gunwales. ( r-jt ryiA SAP® Boat w ir J Division of American Eagle Mfg. 780 E. Pearle Jensen Way • P.O. Box 597 LaConner, IMA 98257 • (206) 466-5925 Dealer inquiries invited. U. S. Patent No. 5-282-436 Circle 318 on Reader Service Card rar ram