Allied Recycling wins contracts to clean up 3 mothballed ships at its dry dock in Vallejo:

Vallejo's Allied Defense Recycling has won three federal ship hull-scrubbing contracts, with a combined worth of nearly $1.5 million.

In documents recently posted online by the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Point Defiance, Sperry and Thomaston will come to Mare Island in succession for paint and marine growth removal between July 26 and Sept. 19.

Typically, hull cleaning of retired ships in the Suisun Bay Reserve "mothball" Fleet occurs prior to the ships being sent through the Panama Canal to Texas for scrapping at ship recyclers. It is unclear who might have won contracts to dismantle these vessels, as those documents have not yet been posted. However, if Allied Defense Recycling had secured the competitive dismantling bids, the ships would not require cleaning, due to the short tow from the fleet off Benicia's shores.

Until now, past vessels set for dismantling at Texas sites have been cleaned and prepared for sea tow by BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair.

The new contracts come as Allied Defense Recycling is set to complete its first ship dismantling, of the Solon Turman.

If Allied Defense Recycling has not obtained ship dismantling contracts for this new batch of ships, this will be the second round of bidding that has bypassed the new company. The last round of Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet bids to dismantle four ships, announced in April, was lost by a mere $12,000, however, Allied's managing director Jay Anast said at the time.

Anast did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.

Source: Times Herald Online. By Jessica A. York. 13 July 2011

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_18467519