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News y | y-y TTl I IT ID Mf) ' A * CI* XT/^T planned second ship. Approximately Northrop (arumman Unloads Hair-built 1 roiect America ohip to JNLL 350 ship systems employees are cur- The saga of the now-defunct American Classic Voyages' U.S. Lines has seem- ingly come to a close with Northrop Grumman Corporation reaching an agreement on August 19 to sell all struc- tures and material associated with the cruise vessel program at the company's Ship Systems sector to Norwegian Cruise Line. Under the agreement, Norwegian Cruise Line will take possession by Sept. 30, 2002 of the nearly half-com- plete first ship and all associated equip- ment and materials, as well as material acquired by Northrop Grumman for a YOU'VE KNOWN US FOR QUALITY RIGGING PRODUCTS SINCE 1890 Now more than ever, Skookum signifies value in today's cost- conscious world. Our comprehensive block, fairlead, sheave and alloy forging lines have met the challenges of the most demanding applications around' the world. And in the process, we've proudly taken part in the shaping of American history; from salvage operations at Pearl Harbor and construction of the Grand Coulee Dam to San Francisco's BART and the space shuttle. SK66KOM Whatever your applications, we're committed to serving you with the finest in standard and custom engineered products. For further information contact your nearest dealer or call us direct: Skookum PO Box 280. Hubbard. Oregon 97032 Telephone 503/651-3175 1 -800/547-8211 FAX 503/651 -3409 4 Blocks & Rigging AN ULVEN COMPANY Circle 292 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com UJqnn High Performance Wiper Systems Straight line window wipers Pantograph window wipers Pendulum window wipers Clear view screens :iated control systems Circle 314 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com Tension Load Indicating Links and Shackles sales and rental Cabled and wireless systems 0-300 TONS CAPACITY custom specials to 5000 tons ft UUater UUoights Inc for further details call: USA toll free: 1-888-998-3787 tel: 1-909-626-8316 fax: 1-909-626-8326 www. waterweig hts .com an ,mes group company www unes group.com Circle 311 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com 10 Circle 230 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com rently preparing the cruise ship for launching and towing. These ships were to have been known as the first cruise ships to be constructed in the U.S. in more than 30 years. The company does not expect the sale to impact previously announced finan- cial guidance. In May, the U.S. Mar- itime Administration (MarAd) conduct- ed an auction for the cruise ship and associated materials, at which time MarAd subsequently directed Northrop Grumman Ship Systems to proceed uni- laterally with the disposition of the ves- sel. Malaysian-based Star Cruises Group, which is the parent company of NCL, said that that the vessel will be operated as part of the Norwegian fleet as a 2,000-guest purpose-built ship for Freestyle Cruising. The yet-to-be- named ship will be delivered in spring of 2004 in time for the summer season. NCL has contracted with Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS) to buy all of the materials and equipment and the work performed to date on the two Project America vessels under construc- tion at Northrop's Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi, that were to have been part of the now-defunct United States Lines fleet. The substantially completed hull of the first vessel, plus all of the associ- ated equipment and materials, will be transported to Europe, where work will be completed ina yet to be determined shipyard. "The acquisition of the 'Project Amer- ica' assets was prompted by the success of Freestyle Cruising, the tremendous reception we have had to Norwegian Sun and Star, and the need to add ships as soon as possible after the delivery of Norwegian Dawn, our last scheduled new build, in December 2002," said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. The original design of the "Project America" ship has been modified and will sail under the NCL brand as the lat- est addition to the company's revolu- tionary Freestyle Cruising fleet, which allows passengers to enjoy the benefits of no fixed meal times and no assigned seating in a relaxed atmosphere. Eighty percent of the staterooms will have an ocean view, with 85 percent of those including private balconies — a total of five decks with private bal- conies. Once the completion of the first vessel is under way, NCL will explore the fea- sibility of completing the second vessel based on the work in progress and mate- rials that have been purchased as part of the deal with NGSS. Circle 71 on Reader Service Card www.maritimereporterinfo.com Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
