# Rotting ships and aging tankers **URL:** \ **Category:** Maritime News\ **Created:** [March 8, 2019, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851 "2019-03-08T12:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DeckApe](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/deckape/32/1271_2.png) [@DeckApe](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/DeckApe)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/1 "2019-03-08T12:42:45Z")
> **[‘Rotting’ ships and aging tankers could compromise the military’s ability to get...](https://www.stripes.com/news/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers-could-compromise-the-military-s-ability-to-get-to-the-fight-lawmakers-warn-1.571831)** > > The Pentagon emphasizes the need to boost the combat readiness and modernize weaponry in an era of “great power competition.” But with planes and ships that would be called upon in a crisis in disrepair, it’s not clear the military could get... ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/2 "2019-03-08T21:07:55Z")
Ready Reserve Force Vessel Cape Ray. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/2X/4/4630eb3e9c1a9be2a606757bac82d1f459afa5c0.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/2X/f/ffff0c274c7130fb3afed354dd341ddfd62e6413.jpeg) > The steel is rotting,” retired Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, administrator of the Marine Administration, testified during the hearing. ---
**Author:** ![DamnYankee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/damnyankee/32/514_2.png) [@DamnYankee](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/DamnYankee)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/3 "2019-03-08T22:37:44Z")
I would think the “not mission capable” means the ship is currently in a shipyard. “Lost certificate of inspection” is quite a different problem. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/4 "2019-03-08T23:33:13Z")
With a fleet of 61, of which 10% are out of class and certification and 21% are inoperable for whatever reason, it is good that they are not commercial and required to make a profit. Well come to think of it, that is what it has been like for the Offshore Marine and Drilling Contractors for several years now. (Some with 50-60% of the fleet inactive) ---
**Author:** ![Pilot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@Pilot](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Pilot)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/5 "2019-03-09T00:23:47Z")
When Marad tried to sortie the RRF in Norfolk for Hurricanes Micheal it was a disaster, a few could not get underway, one had engine room fire, two returned as they could not get the speed up to run from the hurricane. One supposedly didn’t get underway because the could not get food to leave. Marad and their contractors/ operators have let these ships rot by the poor or lack of proper maintenance. ---
**Author:** ![whizbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c5a1d2/32.png) [@whizbang](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/whizbang)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/6 "2019-03-09T00:28:09Z")
I wonder what it costs to keep one of these propping up a pier vs funding an MSP slot ---
**Author:** ![DeckApe](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/deckape/32/1271_2.png) [@DeckApe](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/DeckApe)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/7 "2019-03-09T12:59:55Z")
The scuttlebutt is they are considering transferring some of those RRF ships from union/private contractor manned to MSC manned. (I wonder where they hope to get more officers and crew from?) The real problem is many of those ships just sit at reduced manning while tied to a pier. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/8 "2019-03-09T13:08:54Z")
The MSP slots have to be filled with ships that are both militarily useful and commercially viable (with a subsidy). The reserve fleet need only be militarily useful. It’s less expensive to keep ships that are not commercially viable tied up. ---
**Author:** ![Louisd75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Louisd75](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Louisd75)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/10 "2019-03-09T16:09:21Z")
> [@ombugge](#): > > With a fleet of 61, of which 10% are out of class and certification and 21% are inoperable for whatever reason, it is good that they are not commercial and required to make a profit How is that different than any other government’s military? ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/11 "2019-03-09T16:16:58Z")
> [@Louisd75](#): > > How is that different than any other government’s military? Did I say it was different?? I can’t think of any military force that is expected to make a profit. I did compare the mothball fleet’s situation favourably to that of the civilian Offshore Marine and Drilling fleet worldwide, which has seen worse number of inactive ships for several years now. ---
**Author:** ![dry\_fly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dry_fly/32/6570_2.png) [@dry\_fly](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dry_fly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 11:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/rotting-ships-and-aging-tankers/50851/12 "2019-03-11T11:50:15Z")
I had to dig a bit on the _Shughart_ as I didn’t realize she was in operation for almost 15yrs before MSC acquired her from the commercial side and had her modified. The “lost COI” didn’t seem right for, what I thought was, a fairly new ship. Additionally, most of the steamers are surely running on borrowed time as the pool of qualified steam engineers dwindles.