Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,294
|
Post by Neil on Jul 24, 2024 17:31:26 GMT -8
Can one of our Alaska correspondents weigh in on why the August AMHS schedule shows five departures from Bellingham, but not one arrival. I mean... and I don't want to get too existential here... but it seems to me that to leave from somewhere, you have to have gotten there first...
|
|
|
|
Post by SS San Mateo on Sept 20, 2024 10:18:06 GMT -8
Alaska DOT&PF Receives $177.4 Million FTA Grant to Modernize Ferry Servicesdot.alaska.gov/comm/pressbox/arch2024/PR24-0023.shtmlThe grants include: $106.4 million to construct the new Tustumena Replacement Vessel (now fully funded with the grant) $5 million to implement system-wide wireless connectivity between ports $66 million to perform system-wide operational improvements
|
|
|
|
Post by Kahloke on Sept 20, 2024 20:03:32 GMT -8
Alaska DOT&PF Receives $177.4 Million FTA Grant to Modernize Ferry Servicesdot.alaska.gov/comm/pressbox/arch2024/PR24-0023.shtmlThe grants include: $106.4 million to construct the new Tustumena Replacement Vessel (now fully funded with the grant) $5 million to implement system-wide wireless connectivity between ports $66 million to perform system-wide operational improvements Finally some good news for AMHS |
|
Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,294
|
Post by Neil on Sept 20, 2024 21:35:40 GMT -8
Alaska DOT&PF Receives $177.4 Million FTA Grant to Modernize Ferry Servicesdot.alaska.gov/comm/pressbox/arch2024/PR24-0023.shtmlThe grants include: $106.4 million to construct the new Tustumena Replacement Vessel (now fully funded with the grant) $5 million to implement system-wide wireless connectivity between ports $66 million to perform system-wide operational improvements Finally some good news for AMHS But... $319 million... real American dollars to replace the Tustumena? How can that be? |
|
|
|
Post by Name Omitted on Oct 14, 2024 21:52:55 GMT -8
Finally some good news for AMHS But... $319 million... real American dollars to replace the Tustumena? How can that be? There are a couple of issues: First and foremost, the Jones Act. It's been a failure at protecting our maritime industry and has essentially given our shipyards no incentive to efficiency. We've a handful of yards that could build this ship and they are used to either USN contracts, or ferry systems that can get DOT grants. Seriously, according to the Department of Transportation, there are 93 private Jones Act ships over 1,000 gross tons, with a mean age of 15 years old. That's it. For a two-ocean country with 333 million people. We have a handful of shipyards left, and a majority of their contracts are government (USN, USCG, or state ferries). The ones that remain don't need to be innovative or efficient. Indeed, there's not enough work for them to pay for improvements to efficacy. So, while BC Ferries can bid to Greece for their ferries, or even buy on the used world market, we can do neither. Second, this is a very specialized ship. There is one like her in the Jones Act fleet, and that's the one she's replacing. Not only does she need a unique vehicle elevator, but she has to be built strong enough to withstand the North Pacific while her entire aft end above the car-deck is a separate structure from the rest of the vessel. Even bid on the world market, that would be expensive. Third, she is being funded through somewhat arcane government funding. Biden's infrastructure bill was one of the biggest environmental spending bills in the nation's history, which means that there is funding for battery-hybrid engines. It became easier to justify a more expensive drive system, and we've been waiting for this ship for awhile. Looking at the replacement vessel thread on this board, it started in 2013. So, we put room for batteries in, and move on. She also moved from shaft and rudder to azipods to be able to have redundancy. Another expense. She's an expensive vessel being procured in the most expensive way imaginable. It's kind of what we do. |
|
