Cruise ship
repair work will
boost isle economy

It is the first time a civilian vessel
has used Pearl Harbor for
regular maintenance

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

The 1,021-passenger cruise ship SS Independence will enter the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard tomorrow for about two weeks of repairs estimated at nearly $5 million -- adding a boost to the island's ailing ship repair industry.

It will be the first time a civilian vessel will be dry docked at Pearl Harbor for a regularly scheduled maintenance visit, although there have been several emergency dockings in the past, said John Ball, president of the 34-member Ship Repair Association of Hawaii.

The work will be performed by Honolulu Shipyard, creating 700 jobs and involving 26 local businesses, said Ball, who also is chief operating officer for Honolulu Shipyard.

Ball said he was "very elated" over the recent turn of events because the local ship repair industry hit a low point after Navy jobs began to dry up.

In the past, Navy work amounted to 60 to 70 percent of the business of the island's two largest private yards -- Honolulu Shipyard and Marisco Ltd. Budget cuts in recent years meant Navy contracts went from $37 million in 1995 to $13 million last year.

Tom Carman, executive vice president of American Hawaii Cruises, described the work to be done at Pearl Harbor as routine maintenance work involving, among other things, hull cleaning and painting.

"No major renovations are planned," he said.

Carman said he expects the cruise ship to be back in operation by Jan. 22.

Ball said because Honolulu doesn't have a private dry dock large enough to accommodate cruise ships like the Independence, routine maintenance had to be done on the mainland. Two years ago, local shipyard executives started talks with Navy officials to determine if Pearl Harbor could be used for private work.