No one really wants to "save" the Merchant Marine

Interesting concept spork.

I was on a Semi-Sub like that. Step off the helicopter and you are met by a lovely Norwegian builders plaque. But head down the pipe tunnel in the bottom of the port pontoon and you’ll find the real hull builders plaque from a yard in Dubai.

It’s happened before, but not likely as viable now. Transocean’s Enterprise class had hulls built in Astano, Spain and the entire drilling package and derrick were installed in the US at yards in TX and MS.

The problem with this nowadays is that modern cheap shipbuilding is cheap partly due to efficiency. The mega-blocks are already outfitted with all piping and machinery before they are even assembled in the dry dock. By the time the hull is welded together and ready to float the fitting out is mostly complete. I watched the superstructures of the Maersk Triple E’s show up fully complete on barges and just get craned into place in one go. Weld it down, put bolts and gaskets in the pipe flanges, done.

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Four “bare deck” semi-subs were built at Dalian, China for Bjarne Skeie.
Two of the hulls were transported to the US and outfitted there.
They became the “Leiv Eirkson” and “Eirk Raude” for Ocean Rigs.

Two hulls were sold to Noble Drilling, towed to Singapore and outfitted at Sembcorps’s Jurong Shipyard. They became the Noble Jim Day and Noble Danny Adkins.

None are under US flag, but they are examples of US yards and US companies using this method to build rigs.

Mentioned here many times before.

Agreed then and agree now Bug.

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You talking about old, rusty ships reminds me (yes, this is a sea story!) Of my grandfather’s letters addressing American States Lines rotten wooden superstructures and disappearing main deck attach points. There were other gripes since he was Chief Engineer but it points out that things have not changed that much or so it seems.

Seems like most management cadres are disconnected from what they are managing. Meaning MBA’s are notorius for ruining businesses because what they learned in undergrad and post grad classes were taught by people who never were successful in an actual business. There was a huge technical gap in the Naval officer corps as well and a general misconception of non-commissioned officer (NCO) capabilities and a complete lack of leadership understanding.

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Bottom line is the money. If it benefited anyone with enough pull to make a serious change to save the USMM, it would happen. Unfortunately the way things currently are is the best way for companies to make money, for lobbyist to make money, for the Mariners to make as much money as they can, and for elected officials to be able to collect from lobbyists on both sides of the debate. The unions pay one senator to support the USMM, some foreign interest pays another one to oppose it.

Keep the memes coming tho

So beer dude , you don’t think your union has your best interests in mind? Why are you there?

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Listen here old timer, you gotta start using your reading comprehension skills. I know you didn’t go to an academy, but you at least graduated high school right? When did I say that? I said the unions pay for lobbying that promotes their interests, and someone else pays a different lobbyist to lobby against said interests.

It’s an intriguing thought I say. And good discourse on the thread.

The Jones act is 100 years old now and from a totally different era. Senator Jones had a good reason for sponsoring such legislation to support his
Local region’s shipyards - he was also a staunch supporter or prohibition. Probably no relation, but, we have 10 states now that have legalized marijuana, so, perhaps a different political environment now…

Anyway, I agree the act is past it’s time. Build requirements are backwards - allow ships to be built anywhere else. It actually may inspire American yards to get more efficient and figure out how to be better. When the act was passed, it protected growing industry, 100 years later, it stifles an already stagnant one.

Labor wise, I would have to say maybe it could go both ways. On one hand, protecting domestic jobs is precisely what any reasonable person should expect of a “good” law. (Unless you’re totally on the side of free trade/open borders, which, is great but, only really exists in utopian fantasy) … However, opening up labor to any nationality on coastwise ships would encourage further efficiencies in the industry. … all that being said, I think the latter option is silly unless reciprocal agreements are in place to prevent total abuse of it. (Like, Canada allows US Mariners, and vice versa)

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Old timer is a mostly respected term, I would ask you how many picket lines you walked to benefit your union which you criticize but benefit from? What have you done to help your union? You have the tiny balls to say “Listen to me”? Perhaps you got a trophy for all your minor accomplishments, us “Old timers” didn’t. We made a path for others, whether they appreciate it or not. Most do, I don’t find you in that category.

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Honestly man, what are you talking about? Please reread my post and tell me where I criticized my union.

It’s fine for you to criticize me for something I didn’t even say, but I throw something back at you and now I’m the one that’s got tiny balls? My union is great, I do what i can to support them. No sure what getting trophies has to do with anything. Not sure what your post has to do with anything either. Again, point out where I trashed my union.

He did mention Brownsville, and I assume that me meant AMFELS. They are currently completing two ships there for Pasha. Of course they are foreign owned.

I think there is as another thread on the new wind vessel they’re building too.

400 million for a ship with 4 legs. It’s not even supposed to be DP3?!

That’s crazy money that high tier drill ships were getting built for, and they had DP3 and drilling systems, subsea system, 4 cranes, etc… and along the US comes and says, YES WE WANT WIND POWER - NO, WE CANT DO IT CHEAP.

well, ok, we didn’t really say that, but, yeah… build requirements -#protectionismtowhatend

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I don’t know how many ships they build but VT Halter in Pascagoula, MS built Crowley’s new ConRo ships.

This meme thread is pathetic. Terrible effort, meme.lord. Do better.

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I’m not sure why you would call this a pathetic effort. Other than a few bumps and debatable statements, it’s way better than short news articles that get pulled off subject into the mud.

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Guy came in with some flamin hot taeks and told us his generation is all about some :fire: memes but came up short…way short

Mediocre

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Trains and trucks can never compete with the volume of ship/boat traffic. They are neccessary to unload the product from the ships, good for them.

You’re right in every respect. The solution to Matson and Crowley’s excessive investment in US build is to extend immediate, accelerated appreciation to their existing fleet. That would be worth millions and enable them to buy new ships on the global market at a competitive rate – and zero out the excess cost of the ships built in the US.