tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17303755400786959562024-03-14T02:28:46.176-07:00Hawaii Superferry unofficial blogMauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.comBlogger650125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-59998600724149770852017-08-24T14:50:00.001-07:002017-08-24T14:52:35.323-07:00Forgot to post an update here where the HSF Alakai ended upSee: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmGGTwGfoPo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmGGTwGfoPo</a><br />
And: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llCTKGD-UZg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llCTKGD-UZg</a><br />
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<br />Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-40232920880154065072016-01-14T18:47:00.000-08:002016-01-14T18:50:33.185-08:00JHSV Hawaii Superferry Predecessor Design Falling Apart for the Navy/DOD<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/navy-s-fast-sealift-ships-can-t-stand-buffeting-from-high-seas">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/navy-s-fast-sealift-ships-can-t-stand-buffeting-from-high-seas</a><br />
<h1 class="lede-headline" itemprop="name headline" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: NHaasGroteskDSPro-75Bd, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 4rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="lede-headline__highlighted" style="-webkit-box-decoration-break: clone; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.625rem 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: large;">New Navy Ships Have Trouble Surviving the High Seas</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 0.875rem;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">by </span><a class="author-link" data-tracker-action="click" data-tracker-category="nav" data-tracker-label="author_link" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/authors/ABpy_ztRo4k/anthony-capaccio" itemprop="author" rel="author" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Anthony Capaccio</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: NHaasGroteskTXPro-55Rg, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">January 14, 2016</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: NHaasGroteskTXPro-55Rg, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.375;">- Austal's Expeditionary Fast Transport ships need bow repairs</span></b></div>
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<b>- U.S. Navy adopted a flawed design to save weight, report finds</b></div>
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The U.S. Navy is spending millions of dollars to repair new high-speed transport ships built by Austal Ltd. because their weak bows can’t stand buffeting from high seas, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester.</div>
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“The entire ship class requires reinforcing structure” to bridge the twin hulls of the all-aluminum catamarans because of a design change that the Navy adopted at Austal’s recommendation for the $2.1 billion fleet of Expeditionary Fast Transports, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation, said in a report to Congress.</div>
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<img alt="USNS Spearhead" data-attachment-key="249087002" src="http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iBrCElpIiA8w/v2/-1x-1.jpg" srcset="http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iBrCElpIiA8w/v2/488x-1.jpg 488w, http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iBrCElpIiA8w/v2/628x-1.jpg 628w, http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iBrCElpIiA8w/v2/-1x-1.jpg 648w" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 648px; position: relative; width: 280px; z-index: 1;" width="1247" /></div>
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USNS Spearhead</div>
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Source: Austal Ltd.</div>
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“The Navy accepted compromises in the bow structure, presumably to save weight, during the building of these ships,” Gilmore wrote lawmakers, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, in a September letter that wasn’t previously disclosed. “Multiple ships of the class have suffered damage to the bow structure.”</div>
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The speedy catamarans are designed to transport 600 short tons of military cargo and as many as 312 troops for 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. They’ve been deployed to Africa and the Middle East as well as to Singapore as part of the U.S.’s Pacific rebalance and are being considered by military officials for expanded use there by the Marines. The vessels fill a transport gap between larger, slower vessels and cargo aircraft.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Meets Criteria</span></h3>
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Michelle Bowden, a spokeswoman for Henderson, Australia-based Austal, deferred comment to the Navy. Captain Thurraya Kent, a Navy spokeswoman, said the service accepted Austal’s recommendation because the company’s analysis showed the lighter-weight bow met criteria of the American Bureau of Shipping and Pentagon requirements. She said in an e-mail that Gilmore’s report confirms that the vessel “meets and in certain area exceeds” key performance parameters.</div>
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The Navy bought 10 of the shallow-draft vessels, at about $217 million each. Five have been delivered and are in operation, while the other five are under construction at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama, shipyard. Senator Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama, is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which added $225 million for an 11th vessel to the fiscal 2016 defense spending bill last month.</div>
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So far, the Navy has spent almost $2.4 million strengthening the bow of the first four vessels delivered since late 2012.</div>
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Repair costs include $511,000 on the initial vessel, the USNS Spearhead, which was damaged during deployment by waves slamming into the superstructure, according to test data cited by Gilmore and the Military Sealift Command.</div>
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The second, third and fourth vessels cost as much as $1.2 million each to repair and a fifth vessel, the USNS Trenton, awaits its bow reinforcement during its next scheduled shipyard visit, Tom Van Leunen, a spokesman for the Military Sealift Command, which owns the vessels, said in an e-mail.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Added Weight</span></h3>
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The retrofits have added 1,736 pounds to the ship’s weight, displacing 250 gallons of fuel but having a minimal impact on the vessel’s range when fully loaded, Gilmore said. His concern about the vessel is likely to be highlighted in his annual report on weapons testing that’s scheduled to be released by Feb. 1.</div>
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“Since the repairs are still in progress, there has been no heavy weather testing yet to verify if the fixes are sufficient,” Marine Corps Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a spokesman for Gilmore, said in an e-mail.</div>
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Even with reinforced structures, the fast transport ships operate under sailing restrictions because “encountering a rogue wave” can “result in sea-slam events that causes structural damage to the bow structure,” Gilmore wrote. The operating restrictions include requiring vessels to wait out the highest seas or travel at speeds much lower than their maximum, according to Gilmore’s report.</div>
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Van Leunen, the Military Sealift Command spokesman, said that “the Navy routinely diverts ships during transits to avoid heavy weather” and this ship is no exception. Its primary missions will often be in coastal waters that offer “some protection from weather and sea state when compared to open ocean transits,” he said.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Generator Reliability</span></h3>
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The vessel’s latest sea tests also were marred by the poor reliability of generators made by Fincantieri SpA that supply electrical power, according to Gilmore. The generators failed “at a much greater rate than predicted.”</div>
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Required to operate 8,369 hours between major failures, the generators failed as soon as 208 hours at some points, improving to 1,563 hours in the most recent tests.</div>
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Fincantieri spokesman Antonio Autorino said in an e-mail that “the concerns described in the report have been resolved and this information was provided to the Navy, yet was not included in the report.”</div>
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<br />Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-37776284414383288802012-10-27T00:55:00.000-07:002012-10-27T01:27:45.141-07:00Superferry Recap 2012Mr. Axe does a good job explaining the Superferry venture and how John Lehman made use of it with Austal, Atlantic Marine, and BAE Systems in the years since the Superferry's failure. Lehman only ended up doing well with it because of his perseverance. If it had been just the Superferry, it would have been a miserable failure. In comments below, Mr. Lehman is too hard on the Hawaii Supreme Court, the problem was in the construction of Act. 2 by the Hawaii Legislature. Maybe he has some purpose in blaming the Court rather than a Legislature he might need to deal with again in the future. Agree with Mr. Axe's closing point that "campaign talk of a massive naval buildup may fade as budget realities set in." Lastly, it's a little off topic for the article, but Lehman's position on the 9/11 Commission was a noteworthy responsibility that went unfinished and determining details unattended to as with the Superferry's business plan...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/big-business-romneys-navy/all/">http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/big-business-romneys-navy/all/</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Romney’s Big Navy Guru Made Millions From Building Ships</span></b><br />
<b>By David Axe October 23, 2012</b><br />
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...one of Romney’s most important advisers on Navy issues, a man who oversaw a massive naval expansion for Pres. Ronald Reagan, there’s more at stake than U.S. national security. John Lehman, an investment banker and former secretary of the Navy, has strong and complex personal financial ties to the naval shipbuilding industry...<br />
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Lehman invested in a government-backed “Superferry” in Hawaii — a business that ultimately failed, but not before boosting the standing of Austal USA, an Alabama shipbuilder that constructed the ferry service’s ships. Austal USA’s rising fortunes in turn benefited international defense giant BAE Systems, which then bought up shipyards owned by Lehman in order to work more closely with Austal USA.<br />
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...But Ryan Sibley — an editor at the Washington, D.C.-based watchdog <i>Sunlight Foundation</i> who has closely tracked the former Navy Secretary’s investments — says that ”Lehman’s involvement with the Superferry shows that he is no stranger to using personal connections to influence costly decisions.”<br />
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...Lehman was the chairman of Hawaii Superferry, a transportation startup based in Honolulu that briefly provided passenger service between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Maui. It relied on a new type of fast catamaran ferry built by Austal USA, a shipbuilder in Alabama specializing in speedy aluminum vessels.<br />
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Founded in 2003, Hawaii Superferry secured a $136-million loan from the Maritime Administration, a federal agency that oversees sea transportation. Lehman’s own equity firm, the controlling private investor, put $85 million into company. Hawaii Superferry also benefited from $40 million in port enhancements paid for by the state of Hawaii.<br />
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The ferry company bought two ships from Austal USA, each more than 300 feet in length and capable of carrying hundreds of passengers plus their cars at speeds in excess of 30 knots. The vessels cost $105 million apiece.<br />
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The first ferry entered service in mid-2007. But with low ticket prices and soft demand, the service was a money-loser. The company was also mired in controversy over the environmental impact of its facilities. In 2009 Hawaii Superferry declared bankruptcy. Lehman reportedly lost his entire $85 million investment, and says his total losses were much, much greater than that.<br />
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<b>“The two Hawaii Superferrys that we built — on time, and on budget — were operated in commercial service, with no government customers,” Lehman tells <i>Danger Room</i>. “We were put out of service by the <i>chicanery</i> of the State Supreme Court and we lost over $300 million.”</b><br />
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But in another regard, the ferry was a smashing success. Austal USA, which builds aluminum warships for the Navy, was angling to build military versions of the Hawaii ferries to meet a new Pentagon requirement for fast transports called Joint High-Speed Vessels, or JHSVs. “Building the Superferry was very helpful in demonstrating that we can build these ships,” said Bill Pfister, Austal USA’s vice president for external affairs.<br />
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Out of direct public view, Superferry officials touted their ship’s military potential. Superferry’s pitch to the Hawaiian Public Utilities Commission included a slide claiming the ferry could haul the Stryker vehicles belonging to a Hawaii-based brigade. The company paid a lobbying firm $70,000 to try to convince the Navy to add the ferry to a program that assigns military transportation jobs to civilian vessels.<br />
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In late 2008, the Navy tapped Austal USA to build 10 military versions of the Hawaii ferry for $1.6 billion. Some critics have questioned whether Superferry was intended all along to serve as a proof-of-concept — admittedly, a money-losing one — for a much more valuable military program. “The fact that the Superferry was already in the water, proving its seaworthiness while the JHSV contract was being considered, suggests that it may have always been intended as a prototype or demo model for the larger deal,” Koohan Paik and Jerry Mander, who penned a book about the ferry controversy, wrote in <i>The Nation</i>.<br />
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Superferry president Thomas Fargo, also a J.F. Lehman & Co. board member, denied the claim. “We always get the question, ‘Was this designed as a military operation?’” he told <i>The New York Times</i>. “That’s absolutely not true.”<br />
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Regardless, the Hawaii ferries themselves did become military assets. In 2010 the Maritime Administration sued to take over the two ships in order to recoup some of its $150 million investment. The administration later sold both ferries to the U.S. Navy for a total of $70 million.<br />
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<b>At first glance it’s not clear how Lehman could have benefited from his money-losing investment in Hawaii Superferry. The answer lies in another of the former Navy secretary’s investments: the Atlantic Marine family of shipyards.</b> In 2006, Lehman purchased the shipyards in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Boston and Philadelphia for a reported $170 million. In 2009, the federal government awarded three of the yards $2.7 million in stimulus grants for improvements.<br />
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In 2010 international defense giant BAE Systems, which handles ship repairs among other specialties, acquired the Florida, Mississippi and Alabama yards for $352 million — ringing up an estimated $180 million profit for Lehman that more than makes up for his “failed” investment in Hawaii Superferry. Lehman held onto the remaining two yards in Philadelphia and Boston. Recently both have received lucrative ship-repair contracts from the Navy. They could receive even more such contracts if the sailing branch were to grow at a faster pace, as Lehman intends.<br />
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Today the Alabama yard, which is adjacent to Austal USA’s own facilities, plays a critical role in military programs on which Austal USA and BAE Systems collaborate. “We launch both their JHSV and [Littoral Combat Ship] vessels with our dry docks; we also support Austal with warranty repairs, if requested,” BAE Systems spokesperson Stephanie Moncada tells <i>Danger Room</i>. Austal USA did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment on the company’s relationship with BAE.<br />
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In addition, Austal USA does work on aluminum structures as part of BAE Systems’ ship-repair contracts with the Navy. Being in such close proximity to each other makes BAE Systems and Austal USA’s collaboration possible, or at least more efficient.<br />
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Even before the acquisition of the Alabama yard, BAE Systems enjoyed close ties with Austal USA, namely in providing guns and radios for the Littoral Combat Ships Austal USA builds for the Navy. That made BAE Systems an obvious prospective buyer for Lehman’s yards — the Alabama one in particular.<br />
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But Lehman’s investments in the partially taxpayer-funded Hawaii Superferry reportedly helped Austal score the military transport deal, thus improving the business case for a closer partnership between Austal USA and BAE Systems. That partnership is being facilitated by BAE Systems’ Alabama shipyard, purchased at a 100-percent markup from Lehman.<br />
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To put it plainly, Lehman’s investment in the failed, government-backed Superferry boosted Austal USA, whose rising fortunes also benefited BAE Systems, which in turn bought up Lehman’s shipyards — improved by stimulus funds — in order to work more closely with Austal USA. That roundtrip deal helped earn Lehman’s firm a reported $180 million profit. In that sense, Lehman in fact more than doubled his $85 million investment in Hawaii Superferry, with a big assist from the taxpayers.<br />
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“While I don’t know how typical Lehman’s conduct is, his involvement with the Hawaii Superferry suggests his expertise lays in the strategic deployment of taxpayer resources for personal gain,” Sibley, the watchdog, tells <i>Danger Room</i>.<br />
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Lehman calls the allegation “kind of amusing. We have never owned a shipyard that builds Navy ships. We have owned four shipyards that repair, not build commercial ships and Navy ships. The Navy business made up about 15 to 20% of the repairs. We still own two of those four, having sold the other two to BAE.”<br />
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Ultimately BAE Systems, whose shipyard purchases added significantly to Lehman’s already substantial personal worth, stands to earn potentially tens if not hundreds of millions from the ships specified in Lehman’s naval buildup scheme. Each LCS costs around $500 million; the Navy plans to acquire at least 55 of the ships. As Romney’s naval adviser, Lehman specifically promised to continue the program, and mentioned possibly adding more combat gear to the vessels — gear that could be built by BAE Systems.<br />
<br />
...Perhaps none of this will have an influence on a Romney Pentagon. <b>Perhaps the campaign’s talk of a massive naval buildup will fade as budget realities set in.</b> But if a Romney administration does embark in such an enormous increase in military shipbuilding, it’s worth noting that one of the brains behind the expansion has profited rather handsomely by encouraging the Navy to build.Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-5712435739534883552012-05-14T16:16:00.003-07:002012-05-14T16:16:42.206-07:00Alakai and Huakai now the USNS Guam and USNS Puerto RicoIMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 08, 2012
Secretary of the Navy Names High Speed Ferries Guam and Puerto Rico
The Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today the names of the Navy’s recently acquired high speed ferries (HSFs); the USNS Guam and the USNS Puerto Rico.
The selection of the name Guam honors the long-standing historical and military relationship between Guam and the United States. This relationship began in 1898 when the United States acquired the island from Spain as a result of the “Treaty of Paris” that ended the Spanish-American War. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese captured Guam which they occupied until U.S. troops retook the island on July 21, 1944, a date commemorated every year as “Liberation Day”. Guam continues to host many of the United States’ critical military installations in the Pacific Ocean.
Selection of the name Puerto Rico honors the association of Puerto Rico and the United States that dates back to 1898 when Spain ceded control of the island in the Treaty of Paris. Although the initial intent was for the island to serve as a location for rest, coaling and repair stations for the Navy, Puerto Rico has formed a close relationship with the United States. Numerous Puerto Ricans have served proudly and the territory has been home to five Medal of Honor recipients -- Fernando L. Garcia, Carlos James Lozada, Euripides Rubio, Hector Santiago-Colon and Humbert Roque Versace.
“High speed ferries will be used for peacetime operations such as troop transport training, exercise missions and humanitarian and disaster relief,” stated secretary Mabus. “I am pleased that Guam and Puerto Rico will serve as namesakes for these important additions to the fleet, in honor of their strong military heritage and our many shared values.”
Prior to being acquired by the U.S. Navy, both HSFs assisted in humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti while operating under the names Alakai and Huakai. Guam and Puerto Rico are currently being modified to support military operations and to increase the platforms’ endurance by installing crew berthing, sewage treatment plants and water-making equipment.Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-51097031994185698392012-03-19T15:08:00.004-07:002012-03-19T15:14:21.111-07:00The Goal: LCS Update<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Source: <a href="http://www.coltoncompany.com/">http://www.coltoncompany.com/</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><table cellspacing="1" class="style30" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style=" padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><b><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><span class="style37" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;color:#000080;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 12px; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Four More LCSs Contracted</span></p></span><span style="font-size: small; font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:100%;color:#000080;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 12px; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-weight: 400; ">Bypassing the DoD's DefenseLink system, the Navy announced yesterday the exercise of options on its contracts with the two LCS contractors covering the next four ships, LCS 9 through 12. Read the announcement </span><a href="http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=65934"><span style="color:#0000FF;">here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400; ">. The table below shows the current status of the program. <i>March 17, 2012.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 12px; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-weight: 400; "><i><br /></i></span></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="506" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 383pt; "><colgroup><col width="49" style="width: 37pt; "><col width="35" style="width: 27pt; "><col width="121" style="width: 91pt; "><col width="115" style="width: 87pt; "><col width="42" style="width: 32pt; "><col width="73" style="width: 55pt; "><col width="71" style="width: 54pt; "></colgroup><tbody><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" width="49" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; width: 37pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-left-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Type</td><td width="35" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 27pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">#</td><td width="121" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 91pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Name</td><td width="115" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 87pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Builder</td><td width="42" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 32pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">$mm</td><td width="73" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 55pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Delivery</td><td width="71" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; width: 54pt; color: navy; font-style: italic; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 0.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Status</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">1</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Freedom</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; "> </td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">19-Sep-08</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Active</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">2</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Independence</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; "> </td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">18-Dec-09</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Active</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">3</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Fort Worth</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">471</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">12-Jun</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">4</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Coronado</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">434</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">13-Mar</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">5</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Milwaukee</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">437</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">14-Aug</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">6</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Jackson</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">432</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">14-Feb</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">7</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Detroit</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">377</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">15-Aug</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">8</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Montgomery</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">369</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">14-Oct</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">9</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Little Rock</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">357</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">16-Feb</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">10</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Gabrielle Giffords</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">346</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">15-Aug</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">11</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Sioux City</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Marinette Marine</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">357</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">16-Aug</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr><tr height="19" style="height: 14.5pt; "><td height="19" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; height: 14.5pt; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: 0.5pt; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">LCS</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">12</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Omaha</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Austal USA</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">346</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">16-Mar</td><td style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; color: navy; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-right-width: 0.5pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-bottom-width: 0.5pt; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; ">Building</td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></b></span></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-39477901924187602582012-03-19T14:57:00.003-07:002012-03-19T15:03:38.204-07:00Radioactive<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Source: <a href="http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/seaward-services-to-operate-hsvs-alakai-huakai-for-us-navy">http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/seaward-services-to-operate-hsvs-alakai-huakai-for-us-navy</a></span><div><br /></div><b>Seaward Services to Operate HSVs Alakai & Huakai for US Navy</b><br />Monday, March 19, 2012<br /><br />Seaward Services (SSI), a HMS Global Maritime (HMSGM) company based in New Albany, Indiana, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract through Military Sealift Command (MSC) to operate and convert the former Hawaii Superferry vessels HSV Alakai and Huakai for MSC...<br /><br />The contract is anticipated to extend to last for one year and will end with the delivery of the vessel to Naha, Okinawa, Japan, where it will provide services to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force...<div><br /></div><div>[Ed. Note - Report does not say where the Alakai and Huakai will be in the year before delivery to Okinawa...]<br /><br /></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-23658790156455242642011-09-19T11:50:00.000-07:002011-09-19T11:59:25.229-07:00What's up with the Ferries?<a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/us-weighs-four-bids-hawaiian-superferries">http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/us-weighs-four-bids-hawaiian-superferries</a><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; "><div class="submitted" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-left-style: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-top-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; "><div class="post" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; cursor: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; color: rgb(178, 34, 34); line-height: 13px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b><span class="postbullet" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 17px; ">■</span> 13 SEPTEMBER 2011 | 1:45 PM</b></div></div><h1 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 1.5em/normal Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "><a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/us-weighs-four-bids-hawaiian-superferries" class="active" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 114, 172); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">U.S. weighs four bids on Hawaiian superferries</a></h1><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Alakai and Huakai, two Hawaiian superferries docked at Lambert’s Point , may soon be changing hands.<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The U.S. Maritime Administration, which put the two vessels up for sale on an “as is, where is” basis in late June, has received four bids.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">They were due by 5 p.m. July 20.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The administration is “working expeditiously with bidders and other interested parties in evaluating its options, with a goal of maximizing the government’s return from these vessels,” according to a spokeswoman.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The June 20 sale notice in the Federal Register made it clear the ferries would not be given away.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The administration reserved “the right to reject any and all bids and to seek additional bids from the bidders and any other interested parties.”</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The plan was to sell the ferries together – they would be sold separately only if they could be sold at the same time, according to the notice.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">Also required: cash sale or owner-procured financing, plus a $500,000 non-refundable deposit for each ferry.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; ">The administration took possession of the ferries in July 2009 after a bankruptcy judge ruled that the owner – Hawaii Superferry Inc. – could abandon them to lenders, owed nearly $159 million. The administration, which guaranteed the loans, moved them to Norfolk. <em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">-- Robert McCabe</em></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 0.87em; line-height: 1.3em; "><i><br /></i></p></div></span></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-23356848120682593022011-08-11T21:00:00.000-07:002011-08-11T21:01:37.662-07:00Damn, just realized something...This "unofficial" blog outlasted the official entity...Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-66844044954930769172011-08-11T20:48:00.000-07:002011-08-11T20:58:25.666-07:004 Cheap Offers, No Deal, MARAD ain't Desperate<div><b>
<br /></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Best review of the news we have seen from Kyle at DMZ Hawai'i:</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Source: <a href="http://www.dmzhawaii.org/?p=9268">http://www.dmzhawaii.org/?p=9268</a></span><div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><h1 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 24px; font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Taxpayers Stuck With Unsold Ferries in Default</span></h1><div class="date" style="float: left; width: 590px; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">August 10, 2011 by <a href="http://www.dmzhawaii.org/?author=3" title="Posts by kyle" rel="author" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">kyle</a> </p></div><p style="font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">
<br /></p><p style="font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-08/taxpayers-stuck-with-unsold-ferries-in-loan-default.html" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Bloomberg</a> published an article about the wasteful Maritime Administration (MARAD) loan guarantee program, which became the reluctant owner of two high-speed ferry ships after the Hawaii Superferry went bankrupt in 2009:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 12px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 25px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Two passenger ferries sit at a dock in Norfolk, <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/virginia/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Virginia</a>, waiting for someone to take them off the government’s hands.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The U.S. Maritime Administration <a title="Open Web Site" href="http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/06/20/2011-15147/offer-for-public-sale-of-two-high-speed-vessels" rel="external" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">has taken bids</a> for them in an attempt to recover some of the $138 million in taxpayer money paid to cover defaults on loans it guaranteed for the owners, Hawaii Superferry Inc. The company sought <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/bankruptcy-protection/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">bankruptcy protection</a> and defaulted in 2009.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The unwanted ferries are reminders of the defaults and oversight problems reported as recently as December in the so- called Title XI program as vessel owners have won $798 million in new loan guarantees this year, the most since 2001. As it considers two applications for an additional $712 million in guarantees, the maritime agency is trying to recover what it can on $311 million paid out to cover six defaults since 2008.</p></blockquote><p style="font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">After protests and legal challenges disrupted Hawaii Superferry operations, the Hawai’i Supreme Court finally ruled that the special legislation retroactively exempting the Superferry from the state’s environmental review laws was illegal. However, it was the company’s arrogance and collusion with state officials to circumvent the environmental review process that doomed the venture from the start. As the article points out, even down to the rationale for the MARAD loan guarantee program, the Superferry project was driven by politics and special interests:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 12px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 25px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The program’s bipartisan supporters, such as former Senator Trent Lott, a <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/mississippi/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Mississippi</a>Republican, and Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, credit Title XI with creating jobs and supporting national defense and the U.S. commercial fleet. The U.S. fleet shrank from 17 percent of the world’s oceangoing merchant ships in 1960 to less than 1 percent in 2008, according to the <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/bureau-of-transportation-statistics/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Bureau of Transportation Statistics</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Five guarantees approved since President <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/barack-obama/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Barack Obama</a> took office in 2009 will create 8,000 jobs, maritime agency Administrator David Matsuda said in an e-mail.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The program has survived elimination attempts because supporters in Congress “logroll” to keep funding it, said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the<a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/cato-institute/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Cato Institute</a>. “Some of these ships are built in their districts, and they’ll fight to the death for it,” Edwards said in an interview. His Washington-based group advocates reducing government spending and lower taxes.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">[...]</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Politics drove decisions to give guarantees to some companies that eventually defaulted, Clayton Cook, the maritime agency’s general counsel from 1970 through 1973, said in an interview.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">He cited American Classic Voyages Co., chaired by billionaire real-estate investor <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/sam-zell/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Sam Zell</a>, which received a $1.1 billion guarantee for two <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/cruise-ships/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">cruise ships</a> under the banner of Project America. Five subsidiaries of the company accounted for $330 million of the $490 million that defaults cost the government from 1993 through 2002.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Inouye sponsored a provision in a defense bill called the U.S. Flag Cruise Ship Pilot Project, he said at a hearing in 1999. The project gave American Classic Voyages exclusive rights to operate cruise ships in <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/hawaii/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Hawaii</a>, the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in 2000. The ships were to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Lott’s hometown. Lott declined to be interviewed.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">American Classic Voyages filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2001. The default cost taxpayers $187 million, according to the maritime agency.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; "><strong>Hawaii Connections</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">“The project, while proceeding with considerable difficulty, including delays and increased costs in construction, ultimately became a victim, like many other industries, of the September 11 attack on our nation,” Inouye said in a floor speech in 2003.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Inouye didn’t respond to a question about the default, saying in an e-mail that “loan-guarantee programs are one of the many ways that government can partner with the private sector to create jobs and expand the economy.”</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">Hawaii Superferry, chaired by former Navy Secretary John Lehman, spent up to $20,000 a year lobbying Congress, the maritime agency, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies on Title XI and “vessel financing issues” between 2004 and 2006, according to federal lobbying disclosures. The loan guarantees helped the firm finance the ferry purchases from shipbuilder Austal USA, based in Mobile, <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/alabama/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Alabama</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Superferry’s default occurred because a Hawaii court ruled the state shouldn’t have let the company skip an environmental impact study, said William Schubert, maritime administrator from December 2001 to February 2005. “The people of Hawaii wanted the service, and when it went to the state <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/supreme-court/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Supreme Court</a> it pretty much put an end to the program,” Schubert said in a phone interview.</p></blockquote><p style="font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; ">The quote from Schubert is incorrect on a few ponts. Activists figured out early on that the Superferry business model was unprofitable. As Austal USA, the shipbuilder, pointed out to the Hawaii Superferry executives in the beginning, the ships on order were too large for the Hawai’i market. But they did meet military specifications, which in the end, paid off for Austal, who leveraged the Hawaii Superferry as a proof of concept to win a contract to supply Joint High Speed Vessels to the military. Some people from some islands may have wanted the Superferry. But many strongly opposed the project as another threat to the environment and sustainability. And Hawaii taxpayers were left holding the bag for $40 million in state harbor improvements that were never recovered from the company.</p><div style="font-size: 12px; clear: both; "></div><div class="postmeta" style="width: 590px; font-size: 12px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top-width: initial; ">
<br /></div></span></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-62089393971931263162011-06-20T21:32:00.001-07:002011-06-20T23:29:16.649-07:00"As is, Where is" Two Fast Ferries for Sale, Cheap?<b><div><b><br /></b></div>Hot damn, when it rains it pours.</b><div><br /></div><div>This is where we find out who benefits from them. Whoever hopes to buy them at pennies on the dollar benefits from all the other losses:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Source: <a href="http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=N2BQil%2F0%2F1%2F0&WAISaction=retrieve">http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=N2BQil%2F0%2F1%2F0&WAISaction=retrieve</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>[Federal Register: June 20, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 118)]<div>[Notices][Page 35941-35943]</div><div>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access </div><div>[DOCID:fr20jn11-127]<br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION<br /><br />Maritime Administration<br /><br />Offer for Public Sale of Two High Speed Vessels<br /><br />AGENCY: Maritime Administration (MARAD), </div><div>Department of Transportation.<br /><br />ACTION: Notice.</div><div><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />SUMMARY: MARAD is offering for public sale, on an ``as is, where is''<br />basis, two fast ferry vessels, ALAKAI, Official Number 1182234, and </div><div>HUAKAI, Official Number 1215902.<br /><br />DATES: Bids may be submitted on or before 5 p.m. July 20, 2011.<br /><br />FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Heller, Office </div><div>of Shipyards and Marine Engineering, Maritime Administration, </div><div>1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: </div><div>(202) 366-1850; or e-mail David.Heller@dot.gov. Copies of this notice </div><div>may also be obtained from that office. An electronic copy of this </div><div>document may be downloaded from the Federal Register's home </div><div>page at: http://www.archives.gov and the Government Printing </div><div>Office's database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.<br /><br />SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maritime Administration </div><div>(``MARAD''), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation, </div><div>is offering for public sale, on an ``as is, where is'' basis, two fast ferry </div><div>vessels, ALAKAI, Official Number 1182234, and HUAKAI, Official </div><div>Number 1215902 (each a ``Vessel'' and collectively, the ``Vessels''). </div><div>MARAD will warrant title to the Vessels and convey title free and </div><div>clear of all liens. The Vessels were previously owned by Hawaii </div><div>Superferry LLC and MARAD has obtained title through foreclosure. </div><div>The Vessels were built in Mobile, AL by Austal USA and are currently </div><div>berthed at Lambert's Point Dock, Norfolk, VA. Specifications for the </div><div>Vessels are set forth at the end of this notice (no guarantee or warranty</div><div>as to specifications is made by MARAD).</div><div><br /> All bids must contain specific information on the offer price, details of </div><div>any financing for the purchase of the Vessels, timing of the closing of </div><div>the proposed transaction, affidavit stating that the bidder is not </div><div>affiliated with the former owner, Hawaii Superferry LLC, or any of its </div><div>officers, directors or significant equity owners, and any contigencies </div><div>that could affect the closing of the transaction. Bidders may be either </div><div>U.S. citizens or foreign citizens. However, because the Vessels are U.S. </div><div>flagged, any bidder who is a foreign citizen must be prepared to comply </div><div>promptly with the provisions of 46 U.S.C. 56101 and MARAD's </div><div>implementing regulations. Responsive and successful bids should </div><div>include the following components: (1) Purchase of both Vessels </div><div>(MARAD only will consider an offer for sale of a single Vessel if </div><div>concurrent sale of both Vessels to separate buyers can be arranged), </div><div>(2) monthly reimbursement of any lay-up costs for the Vessels between </div><div>the execution of a sale contract and closing of the sale, (3) purchase of </div><div>the Vessels on an ``as is, where is'' basis with MARAD only required to </div><div>warrant title to the Vessels and that they are free and clear of liens, and </div><div>(4) cash sale or owner-procured financing (proposals with MARAD </div><div>financing of the Vessels will not be considered).</div><div><br /> The successful bidder will be required to submit a $500,000 deposit </div><div>for each Vessel. Deposits must be made by wire transfer or in the form </div><div>of a certified check, drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to MARAD, </div><div>within five business days of the bidder being advised that its bid is<br />approved by the Maritime Administrator. The successful bid will be </div><div>considered non-responsive if the bid deposit is not received in the </div><div>required five business day time frame. The deposit is nonrefundable. </div><div>No interest will be paid on the deposit. The successful bidder's deposit </div><div>will be credited toward the bid offer. The successful bidder may not </div><div>assign its right to the Vessel without consent of MARAD.<br /><br /></div><div> The successful bidder will be required to sign the MARAD form vessel </div><div>sale contract that, among other provisions, incorporates all of the </div><div>requirements set forth in this notice.<br /><br /></div><div> MARAD reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to seek </div><div>additional bids from the bidders and any other interested parties. </div><div>Arrangements to inspect the Vessel must be made through MARAD. </div><div>All inspections will be at the bidder's own risk and expense. For </div><div>additional information or to arrange an inspection, please contact </div><div>Mr. David Heller at (202) 366-1850 or david.heller@dot.gov. Bids </div><div>and affidavits must be submitted by overnight courier to the Maritime </div><div>Administration, Office of Marine Financing, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., </div><div>Room W23-432, Washington, DC 20590, Attention: Mr. Daniel Ladd, </div><div>by 5 p.m. 30 days from date of publication of this notice.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /> By Order of the Maritime Administrator.<br /><br /> Dated: June 14, 2011.<br /><br />Murray Bloom,<br />Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration.<br />[FR Doc. 2011-15147 Filed 6-17-11; 8:45 am]<br />BILLING CODE 4910-81-P</div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-63556386075664940762011-06-20T18:15:00.000-07:002011-06-20T18:27:20.662-07:00Aggressive Corrosion in Austal's Pride and Joy<div><br /></div>Was thinking about getting rid of this page just last week. <div><br /></div><div><b>But wait!, the story never seems to die:</b><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Source: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-17/navy-finds-aggressive-corrosion-on-austal-s-combat-ship-1-.html">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-17/navy-finds-aggressive-corrosion-on-austal-s-combat-ship-1-.html</a></span></div><div><br /></div>"Navy Finds ‘Aggressive’ Corrosion on New Ship"<br />By David Lerman and Tony Capaccio - Jun 17, 2011<br /><br />The U.S. Navy has discovered “aggressive” corrosion in Austal Ltd. (ASB)’s first new combat ship designed for operating close to shore.<br /><br /></div><div>The corrosion is in the propulsion areas of the USS Independence, the Littoral Combat Ship built by the Mobile, Alabama-based subsidiary of Australia’s Austal and General Dynamics Corp. (GD)<br /><br /></div><div>“This could be a very serious setback,” said Norman Polmar, an independent naval analyst and author in Alexandria, Virginia. “If the ship develops a serious flaw, you’re not going to continue producing them.”<br /><br /></div><div>Permanent repair will require drydocking the ship and removing its “water jets,” a key component of the propulsion system, the Navy said in a written statement to congressional appropriations committees provided to Bloomberg News.<br /><br /></div><div>Aluminum-hulled ships such as Austal’s tend to rust faster than steel-hulled ships, Polmar said. “But I’m surprised it happened so early,” he said. “This ship is brand new.”<br /><br /></div><div>The corrosion discovery in a ship that was commissioned in January 2010 marks another blow to the Littoral Combat Ship program, planned to ultimately consist of 55 ships. In February, the Navy discovered another ship in the series, from another construction team, had a crack through the hull.<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Close to Shore</b><br /><br /></div><div>The Littoral Combat ships are designed to operate closer to shore than the rest of the Navy's surface fleet. They would make up about 17 percent of the Navy’s planned 313-ship fleet. Missions include clearing mines, hunting submarines and providing humanitarian relief.<br /><br /></div><div>The Navy in December awarded contracts for as many as 10 Littoral Combat ships to each of two teams of builders, led by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and Austal.<br /><br /></div><div>Austal won a $465 million contract that could reach as much as $3.78 billion if all options are exercised, the Navy announcement said. Building all 55 ships will cost the Navy at least $37.4 billion, according to a Pentagon report released in April.<br /><br /></div><div>Officials were concerned about the potential for corrosion during construction of the ship because of “dissimilar metals,” particularly near the steel propulsion shafts, the Navy memo said.<br /><br /></div><div>Temporary repairs will allow the ship to operate safely in the interim, the Navy said. The Littoral Combat Ships are designed to last about 25 years. Each ship is expected to cost about $36.6 million a year to operate and support.<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Two Versions</b><br /><br /></div><div>The Navy is buying two versions from two teams of builders. The other team consists of Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed and Marinette Marine Corp. of Marinette, Wisconsin.<br /><br /></div><div>The first Lockheed ship developed a crack as long as six inches through its hull during sea trials in February, prompting a Navy investigation of the design.<br /><br /></div><div>Calls to Austal and calls and e-mails to General Dynamics weren’t immediately returned.<br /><br /></div><div>The Austal ship is now in Mayport, Florida, undergoing additional testing, the Navy said in its statement. A permanent repair of the existing corrosion damage would be conducted next year, the Navy said.<br /><br /></div><div>The Navy statement did not provide an estimate of the cost of the repair work.</div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-75911519729022246712011-01-21T19:45:00.000-08:002011-01-21T19:48:20.200-08:00Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="ecxsearchtitle" style="line-height: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/Bills/HB191_.HTM" target="_blank" style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: inherit; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(27, 97, 127); cursor: pointer; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">HB191.DOC</a></span></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=191" target="_blank" style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: inherit; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(27, 97, 127); cursor: pointer; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">HB191 Status</a></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><br /></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="ecxsearchcontext" style="line-height: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; ">Context:</span></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> The purpose of this measure is to establish the Hawaii state</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><b style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">ferry </b></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; ">system ...a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "CHAPTER HAWAII STATE </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><b style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">FERRY</b></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; ">SYSTEM Definitions. As used ...in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise: "Authority" means the Hawaii state</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><b style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">ferry</b></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; ">system authority. "Department" means the department of transportation. ...Director" means the director of transportation. "</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><b style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Ferry</b></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; ">system" means the Hawaii state</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><b style="line-height: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">ferry</b></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; ">system. "Vessel" ...</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><br /></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="ecxsearchfileinfo" style="line-height: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; ">Filesize:</span></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> 26476</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><br /></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="ecxsearchfileinfo" style="line-height: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; ">Electronic File Date:</span></span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; "> 1/20/2011 8:26:20 PM</span></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-17708203314862031722010-11-04T01:16:00.000-07:002010-11-04T12:23:08.692-07:00Problems with the New Littoral Combat Ship Dual Contracts Plan<span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/defense-navy-picks-both-lcs-designs-110310/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/defense-navy-picks-both-lcs-designs-110310</a>/</span></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Navy asks Congress to buy both LCS designs</b><br />By Christopher P. Cavas - Staff writer Nov 3, 2010<br /><br />Rival teams from Lockheed Martin and Austal USA have been waiting all year to see which of their designs would be chosen for the Navy’s littoral combat ship competition. Now, <span class="Apple-style-span">if the Navy gets permission from the lame-duck Congress, </span>the winner could be both...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/11/inside-look-at-new-littoral-combat-ship.html">http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/11/inside-look-at-new-littoral-combat-ship.html</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><h2 class="date-header" style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; position: static; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-size: 14px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; ">Thursday, November 4, 2010</h2><div class="post uncustomized-post-template" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><a name="4906931173635705572"></a></span></span><h3 class="post-title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; position: static; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; "><a href="http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/11/inside-look-at-new-littoral-combat-ship.html" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Inside Look at the New Littoral Combat Ship Plan</span></a></h3><div class="post-header-line-1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; "></div><div class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; "><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; "><span class="post-author">Posted by Galrahn </span></span></p><p>...The new plan to build 10 of each hull type is said to come as an opportunity. Apparently the competition has produced favorable contract prices from both contractors, and as such it is either cost neutral, or potentially cost saving, to buy 20 ships under these two contracts over the entire Five-Year plan instead of 19 under the old plan.</p><div align="center" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; "><table border="1"><tbody><tr><th align="center">Dual Award</th><th align="center">FY2010</th><th align="center">FY2011</th><th align="center">FY2012</th><th align="center">FY2013</th><th align="center">FY2014</th><th align="center">FY2015</th><th align="center">Total</th></tr><tr><th align="center">Marinette</th><th align="center">1</th><th align="center">1</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th rowspan="3" align="center">20</th></tr><tr><th align="center">Austal</th><th align="center">1</th><th align="center">1</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th></tr><tr><th align="center">Total</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">2</th><th align="center">4</th><th align="center">4</th><th align="center">4</th><th align="center">4</th></tr></tbody></table></div><br />There are a few hurdles to the new plan though.<br /><br />In order to go with the new plan, the Navy needs Senate and Congressional approval to change the acquisition strategy. There are already statements up on both Alabama Senator websites, <a href="http://shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=b1303822-98d5-4a64-95a6-473a111e61ce&ContentType_id=ae7a6475-a01f-4da5-aa94-0a98973de620&Group_id=876a24c9-639d-499e-8f4d-ad2b6c7cf218" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Senator Shelby</a> and <a href="http://sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressShop.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=13a972e0-b339-f15e-af0f-296084ef6686" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Senator Sessions</a>. As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Sessions appears to have spoken to Ray Mabus about this plan on Wednesday morning and filled in on the details, because the statement implies he has thrown his full support into the plan. Senator Shelby has yet to learn the details, and finishes his statement by having concerns he hopes to work out with the Navy as he learns more details. Neither Senator Kohl nor Senator-elect Johnson has posted a statement on this news.<br /><br />Both shipyards would have to agree to the new plan, and it appears pretty obvious both would do it happily. On just the details as reported in the press, <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/austal-shares-jump-20-on-us-navy-talks-20101104-17els.html" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Austal shares soared up 20%</a> and trading had to be halted. Fox11 in Wisconsin quoted Richard McCreary, the President and CEO of Marinette Marine, the deal "<a href="http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/breaking_news/navy-wants-to-build-lcs-in-marinette" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">would be a very positive event</a>." I also thought is was noteworthy that Tim Colton, a highly respected shipbuilding consultant well known for his very clever commentary on Navy shipbuilding responded tonight by saying "<a href="http://www.coltoncompany.com/" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Amazing, and somewhat hard to believe!</a>"<br /><br />I agree with Tim Colton that this is very hard to believe, particularly when I started looking at the details of the plan. This plan clearly comes from somewhere, and I believe it comes from way up the civilian chain of command - and by that I mean it almost certainly comes directly from the White House. There is way too much industrial and political consideration in this acquisition strategy for it not to be politically driven, which suggests to me this approach represents the Obama administrations shipbuilding jobs program. Only by accepting it as an Obama administration jobs program can you explain the enormous and obvious flaw in the plan.<span style="font-weight: bold; "><br /><br />The Big Flaw</span><br /><br />My primary problem with the new acquisition strategy is how the plan to build both ships does not address the problem of each ship class having a unique combat system. Prior to the Milestone B review, the Navy told <a href="http://defensenewsstand.com/index.php?option=com_ppv&view=article&id=1820629" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Inside the Navy</a> (subscription only):<br /><blockquote style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 20px; ">The Navy will draw up total life-cycle cost estimates for both the Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics versions of the Littoral Combat Ship before the program goes before the Defense Acquisition Board this year for its Milestone B. review.<br /><br />The service included the announcement in a response to a Government Accountability Office report that criticized LCS life-cycle estimates.</blockquote>In the <a href="http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12984" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">September 16, 2009 statement that announced the downselect acquisition strategy</a>, the Navy stated the plan "reduces program ownership costs, and meets the spirit and intent of the Weapons System Acquisition Reform Act of 2009." With each class having unique combat systems, this statement is no longer accurate. By building both designs but not choosing a single combat system, the Littoral Combat Ship program builds a dozen orphan ships rather than just two for some future CNO, SECDEF, etc... to retire, sell, or sink early as a cost savings measure.<br /><br />The qualification standard for a "hybrid sailor" is higher on the Littoral Combat Ship than on other vessels in the Navy, and the qualifications necessary for one combat system has nothing in common with the other combat system - meaning if the Navy buys both - "hybrid sailors" are not interchangeable among the two classes of Littoral Combat Ship without undertaking a new set of extensive (and expensive) qualifications. Building both hulls with different combat systems will cost the Navy a lot more in the long run than choosing a single combat system in a competition, and spending a little bit of money up front to standardize the combat system on both ships.<br /><br />The Navy can afford to do this, because there is a dirty secret here that must be addressed anyway. You know that <a href="http://wn.com/mk_46_30mm_gun_test_fire_as_part_of_surface_warfare_mission" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">30mm gun</a> for the surface warfare mission module? Word in the CIC is that it does not work for either combat system right now on either ship, in fact it may not work well with the combat system on the LPDs either, <a href="http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/10/leadership-culture-that-selectively.html" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">as we discussed the other day</a>. In order to integrate new weapon systems into the Littoral Combat Ship, for each new system extensive work will be required to insure the new system works with <span style="font-style: italic; ">both</span> of the combat systems. It will not take long before the Navy spends more money maintaining and integrating new technologies into both combat systems among 2 fleets of 12 ships than it would cost if the Navy just bit the bullet now and selected a single combat system for both ships.<br /><br />Selecting a single combat system would still allow the Navy to proceed under the plan to build 10 copies of both versions of the ship, although the Navy would probably be forced to get out bids for a new contract to one of the shipbuilders. If the Navy was to select, for example, the AIS combat system from General Dynamics for both hulls, the Navy could then proceed by building the 2 ships in FY2010 and 2 ships in FY2011 as Austal versions while the combat system on the Lockheed Martin version of the ship was converted to the AIS system. With an Austal build rate of 2/2/2/2/1/1 over the next 5 years, the Navy would begin funding the Lockheed Martin version of the ship with Marinette in FY 2012 under a 2/2/3/3 acquisition plan. Such a plan would allow the Navy to build at the same rate 2/2/4/4/4/4 between FY10 - FY15 as under the new plan, but would standardize the combat system.<br /><br />Failure to standardize the combat system will result in early retirements of one class of Littoral Combat Ships, because it will cost too much before the end of one of the ships hull life to maintain both classes, and some future DoD/Navy leader absolutely will retire ships early to save costs - that's a fact. How do we know? Because the expense of maintaining unique, uncommon systems on ships is the same criteria ADM Roughead and other Navy leaders have used to retire ships over the last decade!...</div><div class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><a href="http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2010/11/lcs-choice-1-or-2-navy-answers-yes.html">http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2010/11/lcs-choice-1-or-2-navy-answers-yes.html</a></span></span></span></div><div class="post-body" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; "><h2 class="date-header" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-align: left; text-transform: none; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wednesday, November 03, 2010</span></span></span></h2><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a name="2760353974989021100"></a></span></span><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2010/11/lcs-choice-1-or-2-navy-answers-yes.html" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">LCS choice 1 or 2? Navy answers, "Yes!"</a></span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Posted by CDR Salamander</span></span></h3><div><br /></div><div class="post-header" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; "><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">From the same Generation of leadership that gave us "Every Child Gets a Trophy" and turned the Navy Achievement Medal into an addendum to PCS orders - via NavyTimes,</span><blockquote style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 14px; ">The long-awaited decision on which competitor will win the Navy’s littoral combat ship competition is expected to be revealed Wednesday afternoon, and the answer will surprise most people.<br /><br />The winner? Both teams.<br /><br />Sources said the Navy, rather than selecting one team to build 10 ships, will instead award construction contracts to both Lockheed Martin and Austal USA to build 10 of their ships, for a total of 20 new LCS hulls.<br /><br />One source said the ships will continue to be built with separate combat systems, rather than go through a time-consuming effort to install a common system on all the ships.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">Really? Really?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">I don't want to hear any more from these people about configuration control, systems commonality or gains from economies of scale. I don't want to hear them tell one more Commanding Officer that he needs to make hard choices.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">LCS - a dog's breakfast of intellectual fail from CONOPS through production. Almost as bad as <a href="http://www.neptunuslex.com/2010/11/03/court-martial/" style="color: rgb(180, 68, 92); ">sending an XO to Court Martial</a> for failing to implement something that doesn't exist.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">If this pans out - it is only one thing; full-spectrum systemic fail.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new'; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); "><br /></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i>Would someone make a d@mn decision. The right one would be to kill the entire program before it does more damage to our long-term Operational and Tactical capabilities ... but no ... punt the decision to others to deal with...</i></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-57300917636401226742010-10-17T02:24:00.000-07:002010-10-17T02:29:03.346-07:00Hawaii Superferry’s Bankruptcy = US Navy Opportunity<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A good wrap-up article:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Source: <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Hawaiian-SuperFerry-Files-for-Bankruptcy-05472/">http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Hawaiian-SuperFerry-Files-for-Bankruptcy-05472</a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-size: 12px; "><div class="breadcrumb" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.4em; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); ">"Hawaii Superferry’s Bankruptcy = US Navy Opportunity" <br /><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "></span></div><div class="post" id="post-5472" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding-top: 1em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: right; "></div><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.35em; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1; "></h1><p class="byline" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); ">14-Oct-2010 14:04 EDT</p><p class="post_cats" style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; ">Related Stories: <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/geographical-focus/americas-usa/" title="View all posts in Americas - USA" rel="category tag" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Americas - USA</a>, <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/industry/corporate-financials/" title="View all posts in Corporate Financials" rel="category tag" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Corporate Financials</a>, <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/news/events/" title="View all posts in Events" rel="category tag" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Events</a>, <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/corporation/other-corporation/" title="View all posts in Other Corporation" rel="category tag" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Other Corporation</a>, <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/naval-equipment/surface-ships-other/" title="View all posts in Surface Ships - Other" rel="category tag" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Surface Ships - Other</a></p><div class="entry" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><div class="imageleft" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 6px; padding-right: 9px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: left; "><a href="http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SHIP_HSF_Alakai_Sea_Trials_lg.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; "><img alt="Hawaii Superferry" border="0" src="http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SHIP_HSF_Alakai_Sea_Trials.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; " /></a><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: xx-small; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; line-height: 1.1em; ">Hawaii Superferry<br />(click to view full)</div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; ">In <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Gates-Lays-Out-Key-FY-2010-Budget-Recommendations-05367/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">his April 6/09 discussion of the FY 2010 budget</a>, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said that the US military wanted to charter another 2 “JHSV-like” fast catamaran ships from 2009-2011, until<a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/jhsv-fast-catamaran-transport-program-moves-forward-updated-01535/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">the JHSV ships</a> begin arriving. That meant JHSV-winner Austal would find its products competing once more with Incat, which has had 4 of its wave-piercing catamarans chartered by various American services. Their Swift wave-piercing catamaran is currently <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/USA-Charters-HSV-Swift-for-1-5-Years-04875/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">chartered by the Navy</a> as HSV-2, just as the Austal-built <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/us-msc-charters-westpac-express-catamaran-for-15-more-years-02269/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Westpac Express is chartered</a> by US Military Sealift Command for the Marines.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; ">One obvious option was the Hawaiian Superferry catamarans, a larger pair of Austal-built ships that resemble the Westpac Express….</p><a name="more-5472" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; "></a><div class="imageleft" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 6px; padding-right: 9px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: left; "><a href="http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SHIP_HSF_Alakai_Arrival_lg.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; "><img alt="Hawaii Superferry" border="0" src="http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SHIP_HSF_Alakai_Arrival.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; " /></a><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: xx-small; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; line-height: 1.1em; ">Alakai arrives<br />(click to view full)</div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Oct 10/10:</strong> The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) buys the 2 ferries for $25 million each at a US District Court auction in Norfolk, VA. MARAD was able to use its owed debts to cover the bid cost, and will now look to sell the ferries. The US Navy has expressed interest in buying them. <a href="http://maritimematters.com/2010/10/austal-ferries-auctioned/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Maritime Matters</a> | <a href="http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2010/10/austal-built_superferries_sold.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Alabama Press-Register</a> | <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/104741939.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Honolulu Star-Advertiser</a> | <a href="http://www.kitv.com/news/25373746/detail.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">KITV Honolulu</a> | <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/hawaiian-superferries-sell-25-million-each" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Virginia Pilot</a> | <a href="http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/10/defense-navy-purchases-ferrier-101310/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Gannett’s Navy Times</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">May 2010:</strong> The federal government sues to get title to the 2 vessels, in order to recoup its $150 million loan guarantees. The suit leads to the October 2010 auction.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Feb 11/10:</strong> The former Hawaii superferries Huakai and Alakai are pressed into service by the USA’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), in the wake of the disaster in Haiti. The ships are managed by Hornblower Marine Services (HMS), and the deployment is seen as an earl concept test of the similar JHSV design’s operations. Haiti’s lack of port infrastructure has not, to date, been a major problem for these ships. <a href="http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/former-superferry-delivers-haiti/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Maritime Executive magazine</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">March 30/09:</strong> Hawaii Superferry files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as it reportedly has just $1 million in cash, and is facing a $2.9 million principal and interest payment on one of the ferry construction loans. MarineLog’s “<a href="http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIX/2009may00310.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Hawaii Superferry files for Chapter 11</a>” explains the situation, and details the firm’s various creditors.</p><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) is owed more than $135.7 million because of 2 loan guarantees under the Title XI program</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Shipbuilder Austal USA is owed $22.9 million, as a 2nd mortgage, on construction fees</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The state of Hawaii, which provided $40 million in harbor improvements, held the 3rd mortgage.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Superferry is also in default to Guggenheim Funding LLC for $51.7 million, related to a secured note in August 2007.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">J.F. Lehman & Co., the controlling private investor in the project, put up $85.2 million of the $92.9 million issued in preferred stock. The firm was founded by former Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman, and seems set to lose its entire investment.</li></ul><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; ">Unsecured creditors listed in the bankruptcy petition are headed by:</p><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The Harbors Division of State of Hawaii: disputed claim for $731,080</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">MTU: $544,653 for engine maintenance related services</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Hornblower Marine Services: $113,685 for management fees and services</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Austal USA: $78,198 for travel and labor for professional services</li></ul><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; ">See also: <a href="http://www.joc.com/maritime/marad-faces-136-million-loss-ferries" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">Journal of Commerce</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">March 16/09:</strong> The Hawaiian Superferry service is shut down, after a Hawaiian Supreme court court decision strikes down a 2007 law that allowed them to operate. The ruling effectively mandates even more environmental reviews for the service, and forces the ferries to stop operating in the mean time. Alakai had been operating between Oahu and Maui. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/28/ap6225760.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(49, 75, 88); text-decoration: none; ">AP</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.7em; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Additional Readings</strong></p><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Maritime Professional (August 2010) – <a href="http://www.maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/The-Final-Word-with-Joseph-Keefe/August-2010/Waiting-for-that-Ship-to-Come-In.aspx" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting for that Ship to Come In</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span> Joseph Keefe takes a sharp look at the Hawaii Superferry saga. [Ed. note - This is a funny, if not accurate read.]</li></ul></div></div></span></div></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-85541500160950852322010-10-05T02:17:00.000-07:002010-10-05T02:20:21.325-07:00Well, we're almost done here...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', lucida, tahoma, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 18px; "><div id="tweet-id-200" class="twtr-tweet" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; zoom: 1; "><div class="twtr-tweet-wrap" style="padding-top: 6px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 8px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; zoom: 1; "><div class="twtr-tweet-text" style="margin-left: 0px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; line-height: 1.2 !important; width: auto !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; line-height: 1.2 !important; width: auto !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">We're told MARAD had the winning bids of $25 million on each of the 2 Hawaii Superferries over and above what was already owed to MARAD.</span></p></div></div></div><div id="tweet-id-199" class="twtr-tweet" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; zoom: 1; "><div class="twtr-tweet-wrap" style="padding-top: 6px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 8px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; zoom: 1; "><div class="twtr-tweet-text" style="margin-left: 0px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; line-height: 1.2 !important; width: auto !important; color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Now, what does MARAD do with those 2 vessels?</span></p></div></div></div></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-80078871811106130622010-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:002010-10-01T16:55:08.539-07:00Ferries went to Auction Yesterday?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="http://maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/The-Final-Word-with-Joseph-Keefe/September-2010/Shopping-at-DOT--What%E2%80%99s-in-Your-Wallet-.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/The-Final-Word-with-Joseph-Keefe/September-2010/Shopping-at-DOT--What%E2%80%99s-in-Your-Wallet-.aspx</span></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe > September 2010<br />"Shopping at DOT: What’s in Your Wallet?"<br /><br /></span><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">...</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Real End of Title XI</span></span></span></i></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A</span></i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> regular reader of this column sent me the </span></i><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DOT </span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION</span></span></i></b><span style="line-height: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> links </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">for the sale of the vessels </span></i><a href="http://img.marinelink.com/pdf/21740095.pdf" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); "><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ALAKAI</span></b></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></i><a href="http://img.marinelink.com/pdf/21766214.pdf" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); "><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">HUAKAI</span></b></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and then added simply via E-mail, “</span></i></span><i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You can get them for a penny above what is owed.</span></span></i><i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">”</span></span></i><span style="line-height: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Before you start rifling through the sofa cushions for spare change, just know that Marad’s David Matsuda is on record as pledging to protect the government’s interests in the matter by matching any bid that does not equal the full amount owed. A Marad PAO confirmed that metric on Monday...</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Click on the two vessel names above. They go to the classifieds placed a little more than a week ago for the auction of each of the vessels. Notice they were being auctioned separately... Waiting to hear who bought 'em and at what prices, <b>no doubt</b> different prices.</span></span></span></p></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-59180632924222685832010-09-01T17:35:00.000-07:002010-09-01T17:55:32.935-07:00Dicus: Superferry - The "Non-issue" of Campaign, etc.<span style="font-size:85%;">Source: <a href="http://blogs.hawaiinewsnow.com/howard/2010/08/two-non-issues-of-the-gubernatorial-campaign.html">http://blogs.hawaiinewsnow.com/howard/2010/08/two-non-issues-of-the-gubernatorial-campaign.html</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>08/31/2010<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>"Two non-issues of the gubernatorial campaign"<br />by Howard Dicus (Superferry supporter) </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span> <p style="font-style: italic;">It was a little weird to hear two perfectly intelligent men of substantial achievements who care deeply about Hawaii arguing over <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">two complete <span style="font-weight: bold;">non-issues</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>in the debate Monday night.</p><p style="font-style: italic;">Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and former Rep. Neil Abercrombie, in this and other debates, have discussed <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Hawaii Superferry</span> and timeshare tourism. They might as well leave these topics on the table. I almost hate to bring this up because I enjoy amiable relations with both guys. And I hear their aides, spokeshumans and other impediments are increasingly temperamental as the campaign wears on. But I'm going to proceed anyhow. Vote against them if they can't take a joke.</p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hawaii Superferry went broke,</span> not merely because of the court challenges against it, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">because its basic economic model was flawed. It would have required way more usage by the average resident than it could ever have reasonably counted on.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I speak as a Superferry supporter who felt much of the opposition to it was invalid. I rode it once and really enjoyed it. I said at the time that the criticisms of it were more properly directed to other boats in the water that the same people have simply allowed to sail and proliferate. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Yet it needed more revenue than it was ever going to get.</span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The ships are gone, sold off, and the company has died. </span>Not only that, but both Hawaiian Airlines passenger service and Aloha Air Cargo service between the islands have improved a lot since Superferry</span> "sank the island," as they said in the Master & Commander novels. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Superferry's not coming back,</span> so talking about it is kind of a waste of time at this point...</p>There you have it. But, we imagine there are some out there who still don't get it.<br /><br />Also received the following comment today:<br /><dl class="avatar-comment-indent" id="comments-block"><dt class="comment-author " id="c4519587055097019152"> <a name="c4519587055097019152"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/11250964218105821633" rel="nofollow">Doctor on a bike</a> said... </dt><dd class="comment-body pid-1069992675" id="Blog1_cmt-4519587055097019152"> <p> My office looks right out on the Hawaii Superferries in Norfolk. They've been moved this morning (Sept. 1) and look to be ready to go somewhere. <span class="interaction-iframe-guide"></span> </p> </dd><dt class="comment-author " id="c1786255168650513864">To which we said... </dt><dd class="comment-body pid-709959596" id="Blog1_cmt-1786255168650513864"> <p> BTW, if you go to here: <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/">http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/</a><br />Set it to "Satellite," zoom in, and you can look down on the Alakai and Huakai and see they have been moved to a pier right next to the one they have been at. <span class="interaction-iframe-guide"></span> </p> </dd></dl>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-58702030262486898382010-08-26T21:36:00.000-07:002010-08-26T21:48:02.464-07:00Interesting story on 41M Austal vessels in Trinidad & Tobago<span style="font-size:85%;">Source: <a href="http://news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20100826164909100">http://news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20100826164909100</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>"Trinidad and Tobago's new water taxis..." <br />Thursday, August 26 2010 <br />Contributed by: <a href="http://news.bn.gs/users.php?mode=profile&uid=625" class="storybyline">ibalgobin</a><br /><br /> <div class="story-body"> <img style="width: 679px; height: 515px;" src="http://news.bn.gs/images/articles/20100826164909100_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />Water-Taxis “Paria Bullet” & “Trini Flash” undergoing sea-trials in Australia.The new Minister of Works and Transport, the Honourable Jack Austin Warner in his recently<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> stated position has announced that he is seriously giving thought to <span style="font-weight: bold;">divesting at least two (2) of our brand new Austal designed and built forty-one metre (41M) water-taxis</span></span> already named “PARIA BULLET”, “TRINI FLASH”, “CALYPSO SPRINTER” and “CARNIVAL RUNNER”.<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> This desire to want to<span style="font-weight: bold;"> sell-off “surplus” state assets that are “unable to pay for themselves” </span>may be considered good thinking on his part.</span><br /><br />The People’s Partnership Government inherited the previous administration’s business model of acquiring foreign used and/or new vessels with “built-in” maintenance contracts, some for as long as five (5) years, with foreign-based marine service providers, as is the case with the six (6) Trinidad and Tobago Offshore Patrol Craft (OPC). According to what has been previously stated by the Honourable Minister of Works and Transport and mentioned in the media, the maintenance cost alone for these four new water-taxis amount to some sixty-nine million dollars (TT$69 million), per year. Normally, as is the case with new automotive vehicles, very little maintenance is required within the first few years of operation, with the exception of routine air/oil filter changes, engine and hydraulic oil changes, lubrication of bearings, usually undertaken after a fixed scheduled number of running hours. As a matter of information, the sale of new marine vessels, normally carry a standard one (1) year shipyard manufacturer’s warranty, which would normally cover both major and minor components, ranging from engine propulsion units to navigational equipment.<br /><br />In the last three (3) years, the previous administration had outsourced the purchase, maintenance and operational aspects of all of our passenger vessels to foreign entities. Examples of these contracts can be seen with the maintenance and operation of the three (3) used Hydrocruisers (existing water-taxis fleet) which is presently undertaken by Hornblower Global Maritime, Inc. (USA), the used twin INCAT inter-island fast ferries to Bay Ferries Management Limited (CANADA) and <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> the most recent contract for the new water-taxis given to Austal Limited (AUSTRALIA). </span>This foreign outsourcing model will invariably lead to an enormous imbalance between local revenues earned and expenditures paid-out in valuable foreign exchange, related to the operational and maintenance costs of our local passenger fleet.<br /><br />As a developing country with a new administration intent on diversifying our economy from the energy sector, we all have to start to think even more creatively and look at new opportunities, as they arise.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">So, from a purely economic standpoint, the new Minister cannot be faulted for wanting to divest <span style="font-weight: bold;">these unproductive assets.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>However, there may be viable alternatives. For example, these new “surplus” water-taxis can be used to transport tourist from visiting cruise liners that dock at the port of Port of Spain and from those staying at the newly built waterfront Hyatt Regency Trinidad and the nearby Crowne Plaza hotel to Maracas Bay. Local residents will also appreciate driving to our capital cities of Port of Spain, San Fernando and soon-to-be Chaguanas, on weekends and public holidays enjoying the scenic water-taxi ride along the north coast of Trinidad, to and from our beautiful bathing beaches.<br /><br />With the government owned water-taxi car parking facility available nearby, this can easily provide a convenient meeting point for our population, who will prefer to park their vehicles in a safe and secure facility, rather than to drive for several hours in slow moving traffic to and from the main beaches with their families, as is very common during national holidays. Likewise, the new water-taxis with their two levels of aircraft type seating accommodation can be utilized to offer a similar air-conditioned “tourist-like” experience to our world famous Caroni Swamp, via the Gulf of Paria sea route. The use of these environmentally friendly water-taxis with their large panoramic tinted windows and silent Kamewa waterjets should go well with environmentalists and the visiting scarlet ibis, including the aquatic wildlife.<br /><br />The People’s Partnership manifesto promises not only to diversify our economy, but to also develop the maritime industry, which should include the development of our local vessel repair and maintenance capabilities. Therefore with a little creativity and thought, we can possibly do both with the newest additions to our maritime fleet.<br /><br /><img style="width: 678px; height: 524px;" src="http://news.bn.gs/images/articles/20100826164909100_2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />Interior View of T&T Water-Taxis showing aircraft style seating accommodation.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />CREDITS:<br /><br />- Photos courtesy and article written by Wilfred de Gannes, T&T Shipbuilding and Repair. </div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-58286300307484009202010-08-22T22:34:00.000-07:002010-08-23T20:23:10.785-07:00What are the Hawaii Superferries Worth?There is a new KITV report on a MARAD official's statements yesterday in Honolulu on the expected auction of the two Hawaii Superferries <a href="http://www.kitv.com/news/24717129/detail.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38804489">here</a>. In those reports the MARAD official is quoted as saying the lien that MARAD has on the vessels is a total of $150 million. The report further quotes,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"'I can tell you we already <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">have a</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">$150 million lien on both ships</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. So, you can of course, provide a cash bid higher than that amount and take ownership of both the Alakai and the Huakai,' said Matsuda. Matsuda was in Honolulu Friday for the groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of the Pier 29 container yard at Honolulu Harbor. The project is funded with federal stimulus money. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Matsuda said Maritime Administration <span style="font-weight: bold;">wants the Superferry vessels for military</span> and humanitarian projects."</span><br /><br />Hold that thought.<br /><br />You can look a number of places to try to find what the two Superferries actually cost to build including all the nice extras in the interiors and things added later like the Whale detection systems to the Alakai and the ramp, wastewater treatment, and desalination plants added to the Huakai. A simple place to look is Wikipedia which says each vessel's total costs were $88 million each, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alakai">here</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huakai">here</a>. Of course that's just Wikipedia and the Huakai's costs were at least $5 million more than the Alakai. But a quick thumbnail estimate is that <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">the combined cost for the two was at least $181 million new before depreciation.</span> Hold that thought.<br /><br />Now, it took a little bit of hunting but we went back and looked at some of the early Bankruptcy Court filings, and it looks like<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> the outstanding senior lien that MARAD has on the two vessels is actually closer to $140 million, not $150 million. </span> Additionally <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guggenheim Corporate Funding, LLC</span> has a lesser priority outstanding lien of about $48 million</span> and Austal had an even lower priority lien of about $22 million. The State of Hawaii was junior to them. Austal wrote off their loan as a loss. Guggenheim's lien was "secured" in equity. It is understood that all equity holders would lose their money on this. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">So the key takeaway on the liens is that MARAD's is $140 million, not $150 million and that Guggenheim also has a lien and would be out $48 million.</span> </span> The total of those two adds up to $188 million, only slightly more than what the two vessels originally cost to build. Hold that thought.<br /><br />Now, let's got back to that MARAD official's quote about $150 million. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">First of all, does MARAD determine and run the auction? <span style="font-weight: bold;">NO, they do NOT. </span> It is the Bankruptcy Court that does that. </span>The MARAD official's comment, "So, you can of course, provide a cash bid higher than that amount ('$150 million') and take ownership of both the Alakai and the Huakai,' said Matsuda," is not something that MARAD will determine and is misleading. First of all, MARAD's outstanding lien is $140 million, and NOT $150 million and more importantly because these ships are possibly worth closer to $180 million than $150 million, but also because it is not for MARAD to say what exact dollar figure will be enough to take ownership of the two vessels, that's the purvue of the Bankruptcy Court.<br /><br />So, what are these ships worth? Well, it's somewhere between $150 and $180. They have a tax depreciable life of at least 20 years, even though the Huakai is almost like brand new and should not be depreciated as much as the Alakai. The Alakai, if you will remember, had significant damage to the rudder, was run aground going into drydock, and fell off it's blocks in drydock. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">But, if they were both actually being used continuously over the past 2 to 3 years, then the total depreciation on $180 million would be about $4.5 million for the Huakai and about $13.5 million for the Alakai for a total of about $18 million off of $180 million <span style="font-weight: bold;">equaling about $162 million, which is about what these two vessels are really worth,</span> leaving $140 million for MARAD, not $150 million, and the other $22 million for Guggenheim, recovering almost half of their potential loss. </span> Keep in mind, to build these brand new for commercial use would be at least $90 million each and also <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">the builder Austal is being paid about <span style="font-weight: bold;">$180 million to build just one of these </span>very similar ships for the U.S. military <span style="font-weight: bold;">as JHSV's.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Our conclusion is then that these two vessels together are worth no less than $160 million total. </span>Their actual worth is probably a little more than that. We would expect Guggenheim to be a bidder on this in addition to MARAD. We believe MARAD will actually be satisfied to recover their $140 million, but we also believe MARAD when they say the, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"Maritime Administration <span style="font-weight: bold;">wants the Superferry vessels for military</span> and humanitarian projects."</span><br /><br />Now, let's see if somebody gets 'em for less than that?<br /><br />By the way, Mufi, your cheap friends aren't in the running.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-18475401410243072222010-08-18T16:55:00.000-07:002010-08-18T21:46:23.245-07:00More Misplaced Comments from Mufi Hannemann on the Superferry<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/534506.html?nav=10">http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/534506.html?nav=10</a></span><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Our responses in red.</span> Excerpted from...</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);font-size:85%;" ><b>Hannemann talks about action plan<br /></b></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:85%;" >Economy, education, environment are key<br />By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer<br /><i>POSTED: August 18, 2010</i></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:100%;">...<span style="font-style: italic;">Hannemann was unapologetic, saying his ads have facts meant to educate the public about the great disparity in the candidates' qualifications. He laughed off a section of the flier that listed "Won First Place, Lahaina Whaling Days Beard Contest" under Abercrombie's "Recognition."</span></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The two men do have some similarities, though, in their campaigns. For instance, both veteran lawmakers said they'd put education first and start with placing the Department of Education superintendent in their cabinets (Hannemann would make the University of Hawaii president a cabinet member, too.); and both support bringing back the Hawaii Superferry.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Three Maui-based environmental groups successfully sued to kill off the Superferry after Gov. Linda Lingle's administration bypassed the environmental impact statement process.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >[</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""><span style="">The lawsuit wasn't what killed the Superferry, it was their own financial losses even when they were operating. HSF was never actually compelled to cease operations nor leave the state.]</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hannemann said he'd start the process from scratch to resolve Lingle's "mistakes" by hosting public meetings on the Superferry plan across the state, and he'd start a new environmental impact statement to make sure the slate is clean.</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >[</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""><span style="">DOT has been planning to reuse the information from the Act 2 EIS and add some to that. Hannemann doesn't say whether he would rescope it. </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""><span style="">The existing vessels are logistically inappropriate for the route requirements.</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">]</span><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"If we're going to do this again, we have to do it right," Hannemann said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">He said he'd favor a public-private partnership that likely involves using the currently bankrupt company's two giant high-speed catamarans to transport military personnel on leave between islands.</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" > [</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="">HSF was already transporting military personnel on leave, and it wasn't making a difference with their bottom line. What Hannemann could more transparently say is "transport military personnel and their equipment on assignment between islands for training purposes."]</span></span><b><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"><br /></span></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"It would free up a lot of lines at the airport," he said.</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >[</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Not really, it never did. HSF did a small fraction of the business that the airlines did.]</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">But Superferry's true benefit was economic. Before service ceased about two years ago, a lot of Maui farmers, fishermen, contractors and other small-business owners used the ferry to get their goods to the lucrative Oahu markets</span>... </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >[</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Some Maui farmers were using it, and they are now using Aloha Air Cargo with no problem. The fishermen, contractors and small-business who were using it were mostly from </span><u style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Oahu</u><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">. No surprise that the </span></span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"><u style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Oahu</u></span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> Development Board, </span><u style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Enterprise Honolulu</u><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">, lobbied so hard for HSF and was putting out narrow and what turned out to be inaccurate economic forecasts on it as far back as 2003.]</span></span></span></span></p><p>An additional response from another commentor:<br /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">Economic? Really? Bleeding $40-$50 million out of the state’s budget for infrastructure, now to be paid off by other harbor users (though both the Alakai and floating barge are gone). Where is the economic cost/benefit study to show that a subsidized interisland ferry will help enough small businesses ship interisland to make it worth the costs, including the increasing price of fuel for the gas-guzzling fast ferry? State to pay for public meetings and preparing a new EIS?</span><br /></p><span style="font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" >With his above statements Mufi Hannemann reveals insight into his thought processes. The same processes he would use to try to solve any other problems. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j9MRe6MDZ_TpSDiVILTuLbRnmNgQD9HLL1IG0">Such as with this one</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">.</span> It should be clear to all that regardless of his formal education, Mufi Hannemann is not the sharpest tool in the shed.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-69326374176697297352010-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:43:05.837-07:00Superferry's Boondoggle Business Plan<span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ffeeaac0-993a-11df-a4d1-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story">http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ffeeaac0-993a-11df-a4d1-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story</a></span><br /><p><strong>Superferry’s boondoggle business plan</strong></p> <p>The July 24 letter writer Cayetano Gerardo must have missed the recent AP news item in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Garden Island</span>, “The Hawaii Superferry was sailing under a facade of success ... shortchanging the state on its monthly fees. The company’s inability to pay fully [as early as] July 2008 indicates it was in troubled waters nine months before [voluntarily ceasing operations]...”</p> <p>Indeed, let’s remember and support the elected officials who took a stand against a boondoggle business plan that was destined to fail in the free market.</p> <p>Furthermore, the voters/consumers of Hawai‘i can thank the blind political supporters of the Superferry for 18 more years of higher prices to cover the more than $40 million that the state lost on the Superferry and which other harbor users now have to cover and pass on to the consumers of Hawai‘i.</p> <p>Indeed, come election day let’s remember the politicians who did not speak up and those who supported a Superferry business plan that was destined to fail under top-heavy operating expenses and ultimately cost the taxpayers and consumers more money for nothing. Vote ‘em out.</p>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-54109141370221742772010-07-27T13:39:00.000-07:002010-07-27T14:11:51.944-07:00Goofy Hannemann's Super Fairy Dreamin'Larry Geller called this spot on before and after Hannemann's press conference yesterday:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, July 25, 2010</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"<a href="http://www.disappearednews.com/2010/07/will-mufi-turn-to-desperate-measures.html">Will Mufi 'turn to desperate measures, like, say, reviving Hawaii’s Superferry' if he becomes governor?</a>"</span><br /><br />by Larry Geller<br /><br />Internet find: <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Will Birmingham-area</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">politicians turn to desperate measures like, say, Hawaii's Superferry</span> to solve the Grants Mill Road bridge problem? Never say never. [The Birmingham News, <em><a href="http://blog.al.com/drivers-side/2010/07/chat_live_with_driving_miss_cr_9.html" target="_blank">Chat live with Driving Miss Crazy on Monday at 1</a></em>, 7/25/2010]</p></blockquote> <p>Before they do anything that desperate, I hope they check Google. They’ll learn of the <a href="http://www.disappearednews.com/2010/07/add-in-350000-here-218000-there-and.html" target="_blank">extensive subsidies Hawaii bestowed upon the ferry business</a>, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">that it was losing money, and that the state knew about it months before</span> the ultimate bankruptcy filing.</p> <p>Of course, as a government-owned operation, it would be reasonable for Birmingham to decide to invest in a ferry as a public service, just as government runs transportation systems anywhere. New York City provides the Staten Island Ferry for free, as an example of a subsidized ferry service.</p> <p>It was interesting, though, just to see “Hawaii Superferry” and “desperate measures” in the same sentence. There really isn’t much in it.</p> <p>This next, however, is much more serious. It’s a snip from an interview with gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann, in which he seems unaware that Hawaii Superferry was not a viable business from day one:</p> <blockquote> <p>My next question is one of my favorites because every politician loves the idea. So Mufi is elected and on the first day of session the legislative leadership says he can give them one bill and they will immediately pass it - what is the bill. </p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mufi thought about this for a good 20 seconds. And then he said funding to restart the super-ferry and do the EIS. </span>Mufi went into great detail about the great benefit that people in the state had when it was running. [David Thielen (Huffington Post), <em><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-thielen/mufi-hannemann-interview_b_642462.html" target="_blank">Mufi Hanneman Interview</a></em>, 7/12/2010] [The PUC CPCN needs to be redone too.]<br /></p></blockquote> <p>In the audio record of the interview, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mufi says “I saw enough of it that I knew it was going to be successful”</span> (around 29:35 in the interview). Unfortunately, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">this is contrary to the facts as revealed by the </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100721_Superferry_was_in_trouble_early_in_its_run.html" target="_blank">Associated Press story</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> of 7/21/2010</span> (after the interview date). </p><p>Again, a decision by government to create a Hawaii inter-island ferry service and pay the cost could be a rational decision (if they can also figure out how to do it without causing extensive seasickness). The Hawaii Superferry, however, was to be a private, profitable business, not a municipal- or state- run ferry. The taxpayer was subsidizing the potential profit of Hawaii Superferry’s owners. </p><p>But look,<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> Mufi has a rather poor record at implementing water transportation so far, and a tolerance for high losses:</span> </p><blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">TheBoat,</span> Honolulu's commuter ferry from Kalaeloa to Aloha Tower, gives West O'ahu residents an oceangoing alternative to increasingly clogged highways, for no more than $4 per round-trip ticket. </p><p>What makes the service so cheap is that <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Honolulu taxpayers pay an additional $120 per roundtrip rider to cover the actual costs of operating TheBoat, according to a city study. </span></p><p>The cost of carrying each passenger on TheBoat is about 62 times more than the cost of an average trip on TheBus. It is also significantly more expensive than comparable Mainland ferry services. [Honolulu Advertiser, <em><a href="http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2009/Feb/15/ln/hawaii902150395.html" target="_blank">High subsidies may scuttle Hawaii's ferry</a></em>, 2/15/2009]</p></blockquote> <p>It was ok with <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mayor Mufi to charge taxpayers $120 for each roundtrip rider on his boat service before it was finally terminated. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hawaii Superferry certainly had an EIS problem, but even without that,</span> the business appears to have been dead in the water from day one.</span> The Superferry fiasco wasn’t Mufi’s responsibility, but his lack of understanding of what ultimately sank the business combined with <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">willingness to tolerate losses incurred by TheBoat should be a concern, given the need to control costs for a possible rail transit system planned for Honolulu. </span><br /></p><p>(Thanks to Kevin for pointer to the interview story) </p><p><br /></p><a name="1792834289724481238"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, July 26, 2010</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"<a href="http://www.disappearednews.com/2010/07/mufi-fiscally-irresponsible-to-ignore.html">Mufi fiscally irresponsible to ignore Superferry losses</a>"</span><br /><br />by Larry Geller<br /><br />Again, the news tells us that <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mufi Hannemann</span> is serious about trying to revive the Hawaii Superferry, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">with the same ships that couldn’t be economically successful the first time around.</span> <p>Maybe, like Sarah Palin or George Bush, he just doesn’t read the newspapers. The <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100721_Superferry_was_in_trouble_early_in_its_run.html">Associated Press</a> revealed on 7/21/2010 that the Superferry was unable to pay its fees to the State fully nine months before it ultimately went bankrupt. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Analyst Brad Parsons had estimated the costs of running such a large, fuel-hungry ship much earlier</span> and published the information on his popular blog.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Our press seems unwilling to ask the hardball questions. Won’t a reporter please confront him on this one day soon?</p> <p>Perhaps hizzoner knows the economic facts but is <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">playing to the Oahu voter’s dreams of the Superferry’s return, and their belief that it was viable business killed by a bunch of Kauai tree huggers and Maui whale worshippers.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">All the more reason for some reporter to call him on it and set the record straight.</p> <p>See also:</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.kitv.com/politics/24403213/detail.html" target="_blank">Hannemann Wants To Revive Hawaii Superferry: Opponent Abercrombie Called That A Fantasy</a></em> (KITV, 7/26/2010)</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.newstimes.com/default/article/Candidates-for-governor-pitch-economic-plans-591728.php" target="_blank">Candidates for governor pitch economic plans</a></em> (AP, 7/26/2010)</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.disappearednews.com/2010/07/will-mufi-turn-to-desperate-measures.html" target="_blank">Will Mufi “turn to desperate measures, like, say, reviving Hawaii’s Superferry” if he becomes governor?</a></em> (7/25/2010)</p><p>[Editor's note - We believe the only reason that Goofy Hannemann raises this issue now is because he believes it is a way to energize the Oahu vote, regardless of whether it is realistic or not. By raising the Super Fairy Dream, Hannemann shows what kind of a baseless Governor he would be.]<br /></p>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-41527577574943544112010-07-26T21:46:00.000-07:002010-07-26T23:05:06.597-07:00Goofy Hannemann's Plan for Recovery: Roads, Rail & da Superferry!Oh, man, this is a frickin' joke. Superferry should be a total non-issue. They don't even have a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity anymore, not to mention the EIS that the state hasn't even begun. The Superferry is so insignificant considering the problems the state has to deal with, esp. considering that the Superferry's own business plan wasn't working, it's a farce that a Gubernatorial candidate would so desperately grasp at straws to even mention it:<br /><br />"Candidates for governor pitch economic plans"<br />MARK NIESSE, Associated Press Writer<br />Monday, July 26, 2010, 10:09 p.m. <div id="text-pages"><div style="display: block;" class="page"> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's Democratic candidates for governor proposed competing economic plans Monday, with <a href="http://www.newstimes.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Mufi+Hannemann%22">Mufi Hannemann</a>'s ideas focused on construction and <a href="http://www.newstimes.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Neil+Abercrombie%22">Neil Abercrombie</a>'s pitch centered on energy and agricultural sustainability.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hannemann wants roads upgraded, Honolulu's rail project built and the Hawaii Superferry revived. </span>He also would seek an audit of state spending and a commitment for the NFL's Pro Bowl to be hosted in the islands...</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">Abercrombie countered that the former Honolulu mayor's ideas emphasize projects instead of long-term policies to improve the business climate.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">The former congressman is aiming for the state to use more renewable energy, produce more of its own food and remove governmental red tape.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">"I propose that we save the state of Hawaii and immediately invest in our survival by having a long-term plan," said Abercrombie. "What we need to have is not just projects ... What we need to have is economic plans."</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">Hannemann's 10-point economic plan first calls for an audit of state government to help eliminate waste.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">Abercrombie responded that a study of the government would delay needed changes.</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">Hannemann said an interisland ferry could be successful if it were tried again and followed environmental guidelines this time. He hopes to partner with a private company to bring back the same ferries previously operated by the bankrupt Hawaii Superferry.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">"If it had been done properly, we wouldn't have experience the kind of difficulties that it had," Hannemann said. "It's just too good of an idea to let it go by the wayside."</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">But Abercrombie said a new ferry system would need to be more financially sound than the Superferry was.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">"The only way the Superferry is going to be able to come back, except in a fantasy, is if there is a partnership with the United States military," he said. Abercrombie said he would seek a public-private partnership for a ferry system.</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">The Associated Press reported last week that the Hawaii Superferry had fallen short on its required payments to the state nine months before the Hawaii Supreme Court decision widely blamed for the ferry's closure came in March 2009.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm">The leading Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. <a href="http://www.newstimes.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22James+%22Duke%22+Aiona%22">James "Duke" Aiona</a>, has an economic platform based on easing government barriers to business and encouraging technology development... >>><a href="http://www.newstimes.com/default/article/Candidates-for-governor-pitch-economic-plans-591728.php">Full Article</a>>>></p></div></div>Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-76268859348335225612010-07-24T03:22:00.000-07:002010-07-24T03:31:23.146-07:00Superferry Politics: The Devil is in the Details, Mr. SchatzCandidate for Lt. Governor Brian Schatz comments on the Superferry shortly before and after the unconstitutional Act 2 was passed by the Legislature, followed by a clip on the latest news about the unsustainable business plan that the Superferry always was:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://honoluluweekly.com/diary/2007/09/lessons-from-the-superferry/">http://honoluluweekly.com/diary/2007/09/lessons-from-the-superferry/</a></span><br /><br />"Lessons from the Superferry"<br />How do we move forward?<br />by Brian Schatz Sep 19, 2007<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">OK, we’ve heard the arguments. Depending on your perspective, either the Superferry is an example of how unfriendly Hawai’i is toward business, or it’s a cautionary tale for those who skirt environmental regulations. Both sides of this cultural and environmental divide are outraged. But where do we go from here? What are the lessons from this ongoing fiasco?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For Government:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes should mean yes, no should mean no.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Superferry was told by one part of the government (the Transportation Department) that an Environmental Assessment wasn’t required, and then another part of the government (The Supreme Court) told them to do it. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">The Superferry folks are right in saying that this situation is ridiculous and that it shows how complicated and difficult Hawai’i’s process is.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">[?] <span style="font-style: italic;"> I’ve heard smart legal arguments on both sides,</span> [?]</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">but the way to prevent a mess like this in the future is to </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">have the Legislature clarify who has the final authority to decide issues like this.</span> [?]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For Developers:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do the Environmental Assessment if you have any doubt at all.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There are several reasons to just go ahead and do an Environmental Assessment for a major project. First, it’s the right thing to do, because it’s often the only opportunity for the public’s voice to be heard about important projects. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Second, the law usually requires it.</span> [?]</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> And even if you can construct a legal case in which it isn’t required, you are going to end up fighting in court, which will make people angry and delay the project anyway. Finally, the </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Environmental Assessment process is not an approval thing–it’s a disclosure thing, which means that when the environmental disclosure is complete, the project goes forward...</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">[???]</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://honoluluweekly.com/diary/2007/11/the-next-legislative-session/">http://honoluluweekly.com/diary/2007/11/the-next-legislative-session/</a></span><br /><br />"The next legislative session"<br />Stay away from old issues and spend a little time on things that matter, like sustainability<br />by Brian Schatz Nov 14, 2007<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Superferry Session is pau...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Avoid superobsession</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Superferry war isn’t over until a series of court rulings are made, but for legislative purposes, it’s done, and the vote wasn’t close. As the battle rages on elsewhere, it shouldn’t occupy the energy of the Legislature. This will take discipline because both sides are still fighting mad. But it’s no longer in the Legislature’s hands. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">One more caution on this issue: The majority of the general public wanted the Superferry, and they were willing to carve an exemption in our environmental laws to let it happen.</span> [?] </span><span style="font-style: italic;">But they do not want this to become a habit, and they do not want weaker laws.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Get focused on supersustainability not the Superferry...</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9H3E6P80.htm">http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9H3E6P80.htm</a></span><br /><br />"Hawaii Superferry shorted state"<br />By MARK NIESSE The Associated Press July 21, 2010<br /><br />HONOLULU--The Hawaii Superferry was <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">sailing under a facade of success</span> in the summer of 2008 -- boasting of record ridership -- but it had already begun to shortchange the state on its monthly fees, according to an Associated Press review of Department of Transportation records.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The company's inability to pay fully in July indicates it was<span style="font-weight: bold;"> in troubled waters nine months before</span> the Hawaii Supreme Court decision widely blamed for the ferry's closure</span> came in March, 2009. The court overturned a state law that allowed the Superferry to operate while an environmental impact statement was being conducted...<br /><br />[Editor's note - The Devil is in the Details. Good policy is not always merely a matter of political compromise. Wisdom and experience would know that.]Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730375540078695956.post-69620867641345298632010-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:002010-07-20T21:55:22.092-07:00Surprise, Surprise, Superferry "shorted state" even in it's best month<span style="font-size:78%;">From: <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/98869884.html">http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/98869884.html</a></span><br /><br />"Hawaii Superferry shorted state"<br />By Mark Niesse <span class="postCredit"><span style="font-style: italic;">Associated Press</span> July 20, 2010 </span><p> </p><span class="brown"> </span><p> </p><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The Hawaii Superferry was sailing under <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">facade of success in the summer of 2008</span> -- </span>boasting of record ridership -- but it had already begun to shortchange the state on its monthly fees, according to an Associated Press review of Department of Transportation records. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The company's inability to pay fully in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> July indicates it was in troubled waters nine months before </span>the Hawaii Supreme Court decision</span> widely blamed for the ferry's closure came in March, 2009</span>...<br /><br />>>><a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/98869884.html">Read rest of article</a>>>><br /><br />All you had to do was count cars and you could see this comin' many months in advance...Mauibradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759237357642699345noreply@blogger.com0