A Mississippi shipyard has resumed construction of a specialized freighter designed to haul cars and other vehicles from the West Coast to Hawaii. Building resumes on ship
Star-Bulletin staff
The 579-foot Jean Ann, being built at the VT Halter Marine (VTHM) shipyard in Pascagoula at a cost of close to $70 million, is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2004.
Construction started in 2000 but was halted in April 2001 because of the bankruptcy of the shipyard's owner. The shipyard was subsequently acquired by VTHM and a new agreement was negotiated to complete the first ship and build a second one, for delivery in 2005.
The Jean Ann will be operated by Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, a joint venture of The Pasha Group, based in Corte Madera, Calif., and Van Ommeren Shipping (USA) LLC, headquartered in Connecticut.
The Jean Ann will compete with Matson Navigation Co. and Horizon Lines, two long-time haulers of cars and other freight between the mainland and Hawaii.
Pasha (pronounced "pay-sha" from the name of the family that founded it) claims 55 years of experience in handling automobiles.
The Jean Ann will be a RoRo ship, the industry term for "roll-on, roll-off," with a stern ramp capable of handling up to 100 tons as vehicles are driven on and off the ship.
Construction financing is guaranteed by the U.S. Maritime Administration under the Title XI program that encourages the building of ships in American shipyards.