WATERMAN STEAMSHIP INTRODUCES VESSELS FOR MSP OPERATIONS

WATERMAN STEAMSHIP INTRODUCES VESSELS FOR MSP OPERATIONS    Waterman Steamship Corp. has replaced two vessels in the U.S. government’s Maritime Security Program and plans to add another later this year.
   Earlier this year, the ocean carrier, a subsidiary of New Orleans-based International Shipholding Corp., scrapped three aged LASH (lighter aboard ship) vessels: “Green Island,” “Robert E. Lee,” and “Stonewall Jackson.”
   Waterman Steamship bareboat chartered two containerships from Lykes Lines: the “Lykes Motivator” and “Lykes Explorer.” The Maritime Administration, which manages MSP, said the vessels were acceptable replacements because they are “relatively new, efficient and militarily useful.”
   For the third vessel replacement, Waterman Steamship will shift its foreign-flag LASH vessel “Atlantic Forest” from International Shipholding Corp.’s Forest Lines transatlantic service and bring it under U.S. flag.
   Niels W. Johnsen, chairman of International Shipholding Corp., said the U.S.-flagging process for the “Atlantic Forest” should be completed by early November for the MSP program. The company will bring on line its foreign-flag LASH ship “Hickory” to maintain Forest Lines’ two-vessel service.
   Waterman Steamship also operates a newer roll-on/roll-off vessel, “Green Dale,” under MSP.
   MSP was created by the 1996 Maritime Security Act to provide the Defense Department with immediate access to 47 commercial U.S.-flag ships in times of war and national emergency. The $2.1 million payment per ship annually helps the U.S.-flag vessel operators to offset their operations costs.