Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Superferry arrives in Norfolk as MARAD comments on commercial vs. miliary use
by Larry Geller
A story from pilotonline.com, Ferries from bankrupt Hawaii company land in Norfolk (7/22/2009) doesn’t add much new to the saga, except for the final portion that mentions that MARAD needs to deal with legal issues around its loan to Hawaii Superferry to operate the ferries commercially before MARAD could lease to the Navy:
Allison Stiller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ship programs, told Defense News in an interview published July 13 and posted on its Web site that the Navy is looking into the possibility of leasing the two ferries.
"Those ships would require some modifications if we were to lease them," she said. "They haven't been presented to the Navy as an opportunity."
Legal issues with the maritime administration related to its loan guarantees to build the ferries and operate them commercially would have to be resolved, Stiller said.
"If a transfer were to be made, those would be issues," [Susan Clark, a Maritime Administration spokeswoman] said in an interview Friday. "Our purpose is to support the merchant marine."
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