Posted on October 5, 2022
The National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) construction program continues to roll right along. On September 24, the first of the five state maritime academy training ships being built under the program, the Empire State, was floated out of Philly Shipyard’s building dock and moved to the outfitting dry dock. After completion, it is scheduled for delivery to SUNY Maritime College in 2023.
On September 29, the first grand block of the second vessel in the series was loaded into the building dock during a traditional keel laying ceremony. This second NSMV, the Patriot State is scheduled to be delivered to Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2024.
“We are proud to host Massachusetts Maritime Academy for the Patriot State’s keel laying ceremony, which continues a long-standing shipbuilding tradition where the first prefabricated block – known as the keel – is lowered into the building dock and coins are placed as a gesture of good luck in the construction and life of a ship,” said Steinar Nerbovik, president and CEO of Philly Shipyard. “This milestone event gives us the chance to reflect on the continued success of the NSMV program as well as the future of maritime education in Buzzards Bay.”
“TOTE Services is proud to join leaders of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and its cadets to celebrate this incredible milestone that is the keel laying of NSMV-II,” said Jeff Dixon, president of TOTE Services President. “Once delivered, this vessel will provide a best-in-class platform to ensure our nation’s future maritime officers get the instructional training they need to continue leading our nation’s merchant marine, keep cargoes moving, and support our national security by crewing military sealift vessels.”
MARAD selected TOTE Services to be the vessel construction manager (VCM) for the NSMV program in May 2019 to ensure the utilization of best practices in commercial ship construction. In April 2020, TOTE Services awarded Philly Shipyard a contract to construct up to five NSMVs. Theships will be owned and operated by MARAD.
