(01:52 p.m.) Tendrá un impacto inicial de $500 millones en la economía local.

SAN JUAN — El director ejecutivo de la Autoridad de los Puertos, Fernando J. Bonilla, anunció hoy que esta semana saldrá la requisición de propuestas para diseñar y operar la marina de megayates de lo que se conocerá como San Juan Waterfront en la Bahía de San Juan.

Según Bonilla, en su fase de construcción, la marina tendrá un impacto positivo inicial de $500 millones en la economía puertorriqueña.

"Este tipo de marina generará desarrollo económico porque hay que proveer una serie de servicios como combustible, limpieza de las embarcaciones, mantenimiento y mecánica, abastecimiento de alimentos y agua, y todo eso lo proveerán compañías y negocios de aquí, lo que redunda en empleos e ingresos a nuestra economía", sostuvo en un comunicado.

Explicó que la adjudicación de la propuesta deberá ocurrir durante el primer semestre del 2007 y la construcción en el 2008. Se espera que la marina esté lista en el 2009.

"Esta marina sustituirá el actual muelle seis y abarcará los muelles ocho al 10, con capacidad para acomodar embarcaciones de sobre 100 pies de eslora. Dependiendo del tamaño de la embarcación se podrán acomodar entre 50 y 100 megayates en esta marina", aseguró.

El plan para el desarrollo del San Juan Waterfront, que forma parte del plan integrado de desarrollo de Ciudad Mayor, debe transformar el área de Puerta de Tierra, desde el muelle seis hasta el Club Náutico, en una extensión de aproximadamente 87 cuerdas que conectará con el nuevo Distrito Internacional de Convenciones, explicó.

La Autoridad de los Puertos es la entidad responsable de viabilizar el proyecto de transformación de los muelles del área, de un uso industrial a uno orientado hacia el turismo.

"San Juan Waterfront incluirá un desarrollo con fondos privados de toda esa franja que proveerá espacios residenciales, comerciales y hoteleros. Estamos hablando de un Waterfront como el de las mejores ciudades del mundo, el de una Ciudad Mayor", destacó Bonilla.

WAO, TRAIGANNOS UNOS RENDERS SI HAY PLEASE, ME INMAGINO QUE ES ALGO IMPRESIONNANTE, HACE COMO UN A~O VI UN VIDEO DE CIUDAD MAYOR Y ME QUEDE IMPRESIONADO, ES AL MEJOR PROYECTO QUE HE VISTO EN PUERTO RICO, FELICIDADES BORICUAS POR TODOS ESTOS FAVORABLES CAMBIOS QUE ESTA SUFRIENDO SU METROPOLIS. GRACIAS POR LA NOTA WALLY

Pues lo unico que he visto del San Juan waterfront es en el video de ciudad mayor.

Creo que es lo unico admirable que ha hecho Anibal en lo que lleva de gobernador.

Ahora, lo del Acuario, es una sanganeria ... va a embrollar al pais para hacer algo que no corre prisa, aunque si es beneficioso para el turismo.

Espero ver mas del waterfront pronto. Es de los mejores proyectos de ciudad mayor.

No he visto ningun renders del proyecto..solo el video de ciudad mayor....

Tremendo proyecto... San Juan se esta poniendo como la Hong Kong del Caribe. :)

LA ciudad mayor con lo que vi del video es un proyecto inpresionante, y el proyecto de los megayates en San Juan va hacer algo impresionante, solo espero qe no haya ningun problema durante la construcción.

Cool, lo mejor que puede tener una ciudad costera son marinas con yates y en esta ocacion megayates es lo mejor...!
pero sera ubicado en San Juan o en otra parte?

Bueno no te puedo contestar eso especificamente, ya que en lo que es marina de San Juan es como una unión de costas de tres municipios San Juan, Cataño, y creo que Guaynabo; corrijanme si estoy equibocado.

Cool, lo mejor que puede tener una ciudad costera son marinas con yates y en esta ocacion megayates es lo mejor...!
pero sera ubicado en San Juan o en otra parte?

Este se ubica en San Juan...empezando desde el muelle numero 6 hasta la entrada de la isleta del viejo San Juan.....como 2 a 3 kilometro...

Fiesta en Ponce por la visita de un crucero
Por Sandra Caquías Cruz / end.scaquias@elnuevodia.com
Vea la fotogalería (http://www.endi.com/XStatic/endi/template/fotogaleria.aspx?sf=141739)
* La Ciudad Señorial esperaba un beneficio económico de $200,000


PONCE - El crucero Westerndam arribó ayer al Puerto de Ponce con 1,848 pasajeros y 800 tripulantes abordo, y se esperaba que la visita tuviera un impacto económico de $200,000 en las once horas que el barco estaría en esta ciudad.

Uno de los mayores atractivos para la visita es que el crucero está exento de pagar tanto por atracar, como por el arancel individual de cada uno de sus pasajeros, explicó Jorge Hernández Lázaro, director del Puerto de Ponce.

“Si esta fuera la segunda visita del barco, se le cobrarían $7,000”, indicó.

El barco llegó procedente de la cercana isla virgen británica Tortola. Los primeros pasajeros tocaron tierra cerca de las 11 a.m. y en las instalaciones portuarias eran recibidos con música de bomba y plena y degustación de bebidas.

También habría artesanos hasta que el barco zarpara rumbo a Fort Lauderdale, Florida. El retorno estaba programado para alrededor de las 10:00 p.m..

“El impacto (económico) lo vamos a sentir en la ciudad”, dijo Hernández Lázaro, quien destacó que se trata del barco más grande que ha llegado al Puerto de Ponce en los pasados años.

La nave mide 945 pies de largo y pesa 81,000 toneladas. “Es como 300 pies más grande que el barco de carga que ha venido en los últimos años”, dijo.

Marizaida Morales González, directora de la Oficina de Turismo en Ponce, estimó que cada pasajero haría un gasto promedio de $100, por lo que el impacto económico sería de alrededor de $200,000. Destacó la importancia del arribo de esta embarcación porque en el 2006 no llegaron cruceros a Ponce.

Tampoco tienen programada la llegada futura de otro crucero.

Unos que también recibieron con regocijo este crucero fueron los taxistas. En las afueras del Puerto de Ponce, medio centenar de taxistas esperaban entrar a recoger turistas.

Ramón E. Cruz, taxista de Ponce Taxi, se mostró optimista con la visita. “Siempre es bueno”, comentó.

Los taxistas tenía una tarifa fija que estableció la Comisión de Servicio Público y la Compañía de Turismo para trasportar pasajeros a las diversas atracciones turísticas que tiene la ciudad.

Especificaron que llevar cuatro personas hasta el casco urbano de Ponce tenía un costo de $10 y hasta el Parque Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes la tarifa era de $20 por cada viaje.

“Esto es bueno para Ponce”, dijo el taxista Jorge Ruiz, quien llegó con una treintena de taxis de la Cooperativa de Taxis. “Todos comemos”, comentó sobre la distribución de los pasajeros.

Por su parte, el director del Puerto de Ponce dijo que continúan los planes de rehabilitar el muelle que se conoce como Caribe Tuna, localizado al frente del Club Náutico y que se destinará para cruceros. Aunque en un principio esperaban extender el dragado de la bahía a este muelle, eso no ocurrió.

Los planes de desarrollar ese muelle, de 320 pies, están distantes. “(Primero) pensamos hacer una serie de estudios de qué conllevaría rehabilitar el muelle”, dijo. Esa rehabilitación incluirá un paseo que permita que los turistas caminen hasta el Tablado La Guancha.

“La idea es separar la operación de carga y turismo”, indicó Hernández Lázaro.

Hace tiempo que estoy planeando un viaje en crucero.
Bonitas imágenes, Dreamerguy!

Excelente Dreamerguy..!

que bueno, ponce es hermoso solo he ido dos veces y una vez estaba de noche pero me parecio un lugar hermoso.

Q bueno para ponce.

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http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/2346/buquesja0.jpg

Negocios / 50

Martes 20 de Febrero de 2007 / El Nuevo Día

Once navíos en tres días
Más de 33,000 pasajeros llegaron en estos días al puerto de San Juan



POR YARITZA SANTIAGO CARABALLO

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e n d .ysa n t i ago 1 @ e l n u evo d i a .co m





EL PUERTO DE SAN JUAN SERÁ uno de los destinos más visitados por los barcos cruceros en el Caribe durante este año, anticipó Fernando Bonilla, director ejecutivo de la Autoridad de los Puertos.

Para este año fiscal se proyecta un alza de 7.4% en la llegada de pasajeros de cruceros, lo que equivale a aproximadamente 95,000 pasajeros adicionales comparado con el año anterior, que también fue exitoso.

Bonilla indicó que el lunes pasado el puerto recibió cinco barcos cruceros, y días antes seis cruceros visitaron el puerto, aumentando a 11 la visita de cruceros en tres días. Esas visitas trajeron a sobre 33,000 pasajeros a San Juan.

Los próximos meses también serán activos, según Bonilla, y entre los nuevos barcos que arribarán a la Isla figuran el Carniva l Miralle, que llegará a San Juan el 28 de abril, y el Summit de Celebrity Cruises, el 16 de ese mes.

También llegarán dos navíos de Royal Caribbean, que comparten el título de ser los cruceros más grandes del mundo: el Freedom of the Seas, que vendrá en tránsito a la Isla a partir del 8 de mayo, y el Liberty of the Seas, a partir del 14 de ese m e s.

Ambas embarcaciones tienen un tonelaje de 160,000 libras y capacidad para casi 3,634 pasajeros, superando al crucero Queen Mary 2, que hasta el 2005 fue el crucero más grande del mundo.

Bonilla atribuyó el alza que ha experimentado la industria de cruceros en la Isla al éxito de los incentivos ascendentes a $10.3 millones otorgados por el gobernador Aníbal Acevedo Vilá a las líneas de cruceros.

Por su parte, la directora ejecutiva de la Compañía de Turismo, Terestella González, dijo que su agencia continúa realizando esfuerzos para aumentar el acceso marítimo.

Entre éstos figura una reciente reunión que tuvo con miembros de la Florida Caribbean Cruise Association para llevar a cabo negociaciones y promover el Plan de Incentivos a Barcos Cruceros.

"Gracias a estos incentivos, la Florida Caribbean Cruise Association ha proyectado un incremento de hasta 1.7 millones en la cantidad de visitantes de crucero y un impacto económico de $300 millones a $500 millones en la industria de cruceros para el año 2011", afirmó González Denton.


GASTAN MÁS LOS T U R I STAS
La funcionaria destacó que el gasto de todos los visitantes que llegan a la Isla también continúa en crecimiento, pues datos de la Junta de Planificación revelaron que el pasado año fiscal 2005-06 cerró con un total de $3,465 millones en gastos de visitantes, representando un aumento de 7% cuando se compara con el año fiscal anterior.

El paquete de incentivos otorgados a las líneas de cruceros incluyen el incentivos por volumen de pasajeros, amplía los beneficios por la compra de productos locales y añade incentivos por frecuencia de visitas y por el tiempo que los barcos en tránsito permanecen en la Isla.

Bonilla destacó que la Autoridad de los Puertos continúa su agresivo plan de mejoras de los muelles, así como el dragado de mantenimiento de los muelles 3 y 4, permitiendo que el Puerto de San Juan cuente con cuatro muelles con capacidad de atraque para megacruceros.

El próximo proyecto que, según los funcionarios, ayudará a fortalecer la industria, será la revitalización de la zona portuaria de Puerta de Tierra mediante el proyecto de San Juan Waterfront, que combinará parques, viviendas, comercios, áreas de recreación, hotel y marina de yates.

Este desarrollo, que tiene un costo aproximado de $1,500 millones, se extenderá por la ribera norte del canal San Antonio y la avenida Fernández Juncos, hasta el Muelle Seis de San Juan. Cubre una extensión aproximada de 87 cuerdas, las cuales son utilizadas al presente en su mayoría para actividades portuarias. Cuando se complete en un término de diez años, creará 19,500 empleos.

Pregunta......Alguien sabe si ya comenzaron la construcción de la marina??

En el área donde va a ser la Marina he visto recientemente que está cercada por una verja, con promoción de San Juan Waterfront, pero no he visto en sí movimiento de que la estén desarrollando.

Aqui pueden poner todo lo relacionado con puertos, barcos, lanchas etc.

Here you can post everything related to ports, ships, ferries etc.

Naval Maritime Transport Ship: USS Ponce!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4174089557_f505cdd32f_z.jpg
Sailors man the rails aboard USS Ponce as the ship pulls into Naval Station Norfolk.

NORFOLK (Dec. 8, 2009) Sailors man the rails as the amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15) arrives at Naval Station Norfolk. Ponce, deployed as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, participated in maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by

Yup, named after Ponce, Puerto Rico!

http://www.ponce.navy.mil/default.aspx

Habia tambien el USS Mayaguez, pero ese fue hundido en batalla o algo asi.

airforce-magazine.com (http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Pages/default.aspx) > Magazine Archive (http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/default.aspx) > The Mayaguez Rescue


Vol. 92, No. 7
July 2009

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The Mayaguez Rescue

By George M. Watson, Jr.


On Cambodia’s Koh Tang in 1975, US forces fought the last battle of the Southeast Asia War.

On May 12, 1975, a Cambodian gunboat carrying communist Khmer Rouge soldiers boarded and seized Mayaguez, a US container ship sailing from Hong Kong to Thailand and passing along the coast of Cambodia. Coming less than two weeks after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, Washington had no choice but to respond, and it did. The answer was a rescue mission. The effort, afflicted by rushed planning and poor intelligence, was chaotic. The US didn’t know where the communists were holding the Mayaguez crew. Airmen and marines sent into battle found an enemy force much larger than anticipated. They faced withering fire from an entrenched enemy. Moreover, the Air Force helicopter crews were compelled to carry out a mission for which they had no formal training.
The ship and its crew were recovered, but the cost—in lost service lives and damaged equipment—was high.

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Two Khmer Rouge gunboats are seen during seizure of the US container ship Mayaguez. (USAF photo)
A Mayday distress signal from the Mayaguez radio operator guided a Navy P-3 patrol aircraft to the vessel the morning after it was seized. The ship was riding at anchor about 34 miles from the Cambodian harbor town of Kompong Som, near a spit of land called Tang Island—Koh Tang, in Khmer.
While the US kept up its airborne watch on the ship, President Gerald Ford and his advisors decided to mount a swift rescue operation. The goal was to keep the ship’s 39 crewmen from being transferred to the mainland. They were haunted by North Korea’s 1968 seizure of USS Pueblo and its Navy crew members, who were held for 11 months.
The US had no formal relations with the new communist dictatorship in Phnom Penh, but it retained formidable military forces in Thailand and the Philippines. For one thing, the Air Force still had numerous fighters and attack aircraft based in Thailand. This included 24 A-7Ds, 17 AC-130 gunships, and 40 OV-10 forward air control aircraft.
Air Force Lt. Gen. John J. Burns, commander of US Support Activities Group/7th Air Force, had operational control over Air Force units and some oversight of naval forces and marines.
The carrier USS Coral Sea and her escorts were ordered to the scene. The escorts, the destroyers USS Harold E. Holt and USS Henry B. Wilson, were ready for action. The naval ships had no refuelable helicopters, so the brunt of the rescue operation and of landing assault troops would fall on two Air Force helicopter units. The 21st Special Operations Squadron (SOS), with 10 CH-53Cs, and the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (ARRS), with nine HH-53Cs, were called into action.
Neither of these Air Force squadrons was trained to land combat troops under fire, but they possessed useful attributes. The 21st SOS, call sign Knife, relied on stealth in its rescue operations. Its CH-53s carried two side-firing multibarrel guns. The helicopters were able to withstand considerable enemy fire, a fact that would soon prove extremely valuable.
The air refuelable HH-53 “Jolly Greens” of the 40th ARRS could fly long missions, could overcome strong defenses with the help of escort fighters, and had better communications equipment than the CH-53s. The HH-53s also featured explosion-retardant foam in their 450-gallon external auxiliary fuel tanks, and carried a third multibarrel gun that fired rearward over the open loading ramp.
Rescue Preparations
Because prior agreements prevented stationing ground troops in Thailand, the troops designated to retake Mayaguez and rescue the crew were Marine Corps units based in Okinawa and the Philippines. These troops would eventually report to Col. John M. Johnson Jr., the ground forces commander at U Tapao RTAB, Thailand.
Also available were 75 volunteers from the Air Force 656th Security Police Squadron, who were designated to retake the ship if the marines were delayed. The Air Force security police rescue effort was abruptly aborted when one of the Knife helicopters carrying them to U Tapao crashed, killing 18 airmen and the crew of five.
Beginning on May 13, US forces made a concerted effort to prevent Mayaguez from getting under way until a rescue contingent would move into position. An A-7 fighter attacked a Khmer Rouge patrol boat. Shortly thereafter, another boat with onboard passengers (identified by the pilot as possibly Caucasian) was spotted leaving the island and making its way toward Cambodia.

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Marines scramble from a USAF CH-53 helicopter during the Mayaguez mission. (USAF photo)
Several attempts to turn back the boat, including the use of riot-control agents and shots fired across its bow, failed to stop the vessel. US forces did not attack the boat because of the concern that it held the Mayaguez crew, and the boat safely entered Kompong Som harbor.
On the morning of May 14, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent orders to US Pacific Command (Adm. Noel A. M. Gayler, commander) and USAF’s 7th Air Force. They were instructed to prepare to seize Mayaguez, occupy Koh Tang, conduct B-52 strikes against the port of Kompong Som and Ream Airfield, and sink all Cambodian small craft in the target areas. Eventually, A-7s from Coral Sea were used instead of the big B-52s.
The planners were handicapped because they did not know whether the Khmer Rouge had moved the prisoners to the mainland or left some or all of them on Koh Tang. The rescuers believed that seizing the island would demonstrate American resolve and result in the release of the crew. Some intelligence specialists believed only a few heavy machine guns protected the island, but the Defense Intelligence Agency and PACOM’s intelligence section warned that US forces would encounter up to 200 soldiers armed with “recoilless rifles, mortars, and machine guns.”
This information failed to reach the marines, who went into battle believing the Koh Tang garrison was defended by roughly 25 irregulars.
Ideally, the island would have been bombed prior to the planned assault, but planners ruled out an air strike for fear of hitting the Mayaguez crew. Instead of dispatching C-130 transports to drop 15,000-pound bombs to carve out landing zones, the planners proposed that helicopters touch down on an open beach to deliver the marines.

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The shattered hulks of two helicopters shot down in the rescue mission litter the east beach of Koh Tang. (USAF photo)
The first helicopter took off from U Tapao in Thailand on the morning of May 15. Johnson ordered one marine detachment to board and seize Mayaguez and another battalion to attack Koh Tang. An airborne battlefield command and control center coordinated the aerial activity through a fighter pilot serving as the on-scene commander. The 432nd and the 347th Fighter Wings, Korat RTAB, Thailand, were to provide air support. Forward air controllers would direct the strikes.
Combat operations commenced on the morning of May 15. Three USAF HH-53s brought the attack force to the destroyer Holt, which sailed toward Mayaguez. Next, after a flight of A-7s dropped tear gas on Mayaguez, Holt pulled alongside to release the Marine Corps boarding party, which found no sign of life on the ship. Holt then towed Mayaguezout to sea.
Into the Fire
Meanwhile, at about 6:00 a.m., two Air Force helicopters—Knife 21 and Knife 22—approached Koh Tang’s western beach and two others—Knife 23 and Knife 31—positioned themselves to land marines on the eastern side of the island. The defenses were heavier than anticipated, and the approaching helicopters were met with heavy gunfire.
Knife 21, piloted by Lt. Col. John H. Denham, dropped off its marines and was then hit by enemy fire that caused extensive damage, including loss of its engines. After dropping its external tanks and additional fuel, Knife 21 ditched about 300 yards out to sea. Eventually, another CH-53 arrived and plucked Denham and his copilot from the water.

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AC-130 gunships like this one provided fire power from above for the embattled marines stranded on Koh Tang.
Knife 22 met a similar barrage, which punctured its fuel tanks. Knife 22 followed Denham’s Knife 21 seaward and eventually made a forced landing on the coast of Thailand, never having inserted its marines.
The same sort of ground fire enveloped Knife 23 as it came over the eastern beach of Koh Tang. Heavy fire knocked out an engine and shattered its tail pylon. All 20 marines aboard made it to the island’s tree line, however, as did the three-man helicopter crew. From there, the copilot used his emergency radio to call in air support.
Knife 31, flown by Maj. Howard A. Corson, similarly ran into furious gunfire. This killed his copilot and forced him to ditch the helicopter in about four feet of water. SSgt. Jon D. Harston helped some of the marines trapped inside to get outside, and then helped several wounded marines stay afloat. Not everyone made it, though. Ten marines, two sailors, and one airman died in the wreckage.
The destroyer Wilson, steaming toward Koh Tang, spotted the airmen and marines from Knife 31 in the water off the eastern beach of the island and moved to pick them up.
The ferocious enemy fire against the first four helicopters prompted the second part of the first wave to hold off. Word from the marines on shore was that they had carved out a small beachhead. The marines soon encountered enemy opposition from defensive positions in log and earthen bunkers and fighting holes. Each fortification was manned by two to four men.
Jolly Green 41 made several unsuccessful attempts to land and finally—on its fourth try—delivered 22 marines. This HH-53 then came down short of U Tapao.
Jolly Green 43 was able to off-load 29 marines who advanced inland to set up a perimeter. Knife 32 was the only one of three helicopters to reach the marine position on the first try. It succeeded in dropping 13 marines, but the damage the CH-53 sustained kept it out of further action after it limped back to U Tapao.
Primary Mission Complete
Of the 180 troops who were to have been off-loaded in the first wave of the assault on Koh Tang, only 131 actually made it to the proper spot. They were placed at three locations, over a three-hour span.
At 9:30 a.m., the pilot of a P-3 patrol aircraft advised Wilson’s captain that a fishing boat was approaching his warship. Wilson held its fire, suspecting that the boat might contain the crew of Mayaguez. It was indeed the Mayaguez crew, which was promptly identified and set free. Both primary missions of recovering Mayaguez and its crew were now complete, but the bulk of the attack force, already heavily engaged on Koh Tang, had no idea that this was the case.
Air support began to improve when an AC-130 special operations forces gunship, Spectre 61, arrived overhead, identified itself to the embedded marines, and fired several spotting rounds—one of which hit an enemy bunker.

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USS Holt (l) takes control of Mayaguez. After ascertaining that Mayaguez was deserted, the US destroyer towed the container vessel out to sea. (USAF photo)
“How was that?” an AC-130 crewman asked, according to the recorded conversation.
“Right on, but it didn’t do much,” the marine replied.
Then the Spectre fired a 105 mm round, which demolished the bunker.
“Jesus Christ,” the marine exclaimed. “What was that? Have I got targets for you!”
The firepower from Spectre 61 and other aircraft enabled two groups of marines to join forces and helped them to survive.
There soon arrived a White House message ordering US forces to “cease all offensive operations” against the Cambodians. That wasn’t in the cards, though. After hearing from his helicopter pilots and others that marines were in place and didn’t control a single landing zone, Burns opted to continue in with the reinforcements.
At about noon, a pair of Jolly Greens successfully delivered 53 marines and picked up some wounded on the western beach. Knife 51 and Jolly Green 43 diverted to the western beach, and they too were able to land their reinforcing marines, increasing the US force to about 200. Knife 51 evacuated five of the wounded.
By now, Coral Sea was within 70 miles of Koh Tang and used its fighters to strike targets near Kompong Som on the Cambodian mainland, thereby preventing enemy reinforcement of the island.
The Last Batch at Last
Supporting fire from the air and sea began to pick up quickly now. The destroyer Wilson began firing on the island. Air Force OV-10 Broncos reached Koh Tang, where they helped to mark targets and aided in the extraction of the Marine Corps force from the eastern beach. A C-130 dropped a 15,000-pound BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter” south of the western perimeter. The bombing probably demoralized the enemy and disrupted a Cambodian attempt to move reinforcements northward to attack the marines.
With the marine contingent now seemingly in a more secure position, the extraction effort commenced at dusk. Two Jolly Greens and one CH-53 were tasked as the initial responders.
Knife 51 was the first to hit the western beach about 20 minutes after sunset. It was able to carry 41 marines out to Coral Sea, which was now just 10 miles away.
The crew of Jolly Green 43 landed the craft seven minutes after Knife 51, and carried out some 54 marines.
Amid an exchange of hand grenades, Jolly Green 44’s landing was delayed because it couldn’t see either the other HH-53 or the beach. After several harrowing passes, it was able to land and extract its marines.
The remaining marines were now protected by fire support from Wilson, an AC-130, OV-10s, and the evacuation helicopters with their multibarrel weapons. Jolly Green 44 returned to the island, where SSgt. Bobby Bounds was able to guide the disoriented pilot and copilot to a safe landing. The helicopter departed with some 30 marines.
Knife 51 was to recover the last batch of marines. It took off from Coral Seabut had to abort two landing attempts because of pilot vertigo. The pilot then turned on his lights, which caused an eruption of enemy fire. The muzzle flashes were spotted by the AC-130 and helicopters crews—Knife 51 was then able to land and, within 10 minutes, evacuated the last marines. They returned to Coral Sea.

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A rear door gunner mans his post as an Air Force helicopter leaves the Koh Tang area after the mission. (USAF photo)
The Mayaguezencounter was technically a success, as it safely recovered the American container ship and its crew, but it came at a terrible cost. Forty-one US military personnel died in the operation—including three marines who never made it off the island after the battle at Koh Tang and were listed as missing in action.
On the insertion, most of the helicopters that had taken fire managed to stay airborne long enough to avoid a series of airborne disasters. Later, the marines hung on to their tenuous positions on the island long enough for the Air Force rescue teams to recover and pull them out. A mission that nearly ended in complete disaster was bailed out by the responsiveness, readiness, skill, and bravery of US military units.


The Heroes of Mayaguez
For their heroism during the Mayaguez operation, Air Force helicopter crewmen and forward air controllers were awarded 92 medals. This included four of the just 10 Air Force Crosses that have been earned since Vietnam.
Air Force Cross recipients were:


First Lt. Donald R. Backlund, the pilot of Jolly Green 11. Backlund’s rescue helicopter pulled out the contingent of marines that had been trapped all day on the east beach after the helicopters that delivered them had been shot up.
First Lt. Richard C. Brims, the pilot of the CH-53 Knife 51. Brims and his crew extracted 70 marines from Koh Tang, including the last group, which was rescued after dark and under tremendous enemy fire.
SSgt. Jon D. Harston, a flight mechanic aboard Knife 31, which was shot down into the water. Harston, shot in the leg, was in about four feet of water when he returned for his M16 and helped several marines through the flames to safety. He pulled two injured marines to deeper water where the survivors were rescued by USS Wilson.
Capt. Roland W. Purser, pilot of the rescue helicopter Jolly Green 43. Purser made repeated runs to the heavily defended island over the course of 16 consecutive hours, and during one sortie brought out 54 marines.

Naval Maritime Transport Ship: USS Ponce!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4174089557_f505cdd32f_z.jpg
Sailors man the rails aboard USS Ponce as the ship pulls into Naval Station Norfolk.

NORFOLK (Dec. 8, 2009) Sailors man the rails as the amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15) arrives at Naval Station Norfolk. Ponce, deployed as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, participated in maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by

Yup, named after Ponce, Puerto Rico!

http://www.ponce.navy.mil/default.aspx

WiKi page about the USS Ponce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ponce_%28LPD-15%29

Cuando retiren ese barco lo deberían mover al puerto de Ponce como museo.

Buena idea luisr!!

Como dicen, hubo un USS Mayagüez (yo vi la campana de éste en el Museo Presidencial Gerald Ford en Michigan), USS Culebra, USS San Juan, etc.

U.S.S. San Juan SSN-751, Los Angeles Class, Commissioned 1988:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NlUO1Naivls/SXr5zP1DcwI/AAAAAAAAG2A/-0xCgAqdilg/s720/070522-N-0780F-002.jpg


U.S.S. San Juan CL-54, Atlanta Class, Commissioned 1942:

http://www.ravellfineart.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/CopyofUSSSanJuanCruiserWWIIPaintScheme.jpg

Gracias Ultramatic por la info!

De nada Jaykar. Y este fue el primero:

U.S.S. San Juan SP-1352. Shore Patrol. Launched 1904, Commisioned, 1918:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/1217135201.jpg




U.S.S. Culebra Island ARG-7 Commissioned 1943:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/29/09290701.jpg

Refrigerado y con GPS


Por Servicios combinados Domingo 15 de Agosto de 2010 12:00



http://www.vocero.com/images/stories/negocios/ajsea.jpgSea Star ha formado una alianza estratégica con Mark-It Services para equipar los vagones refrigerados (Reefers) con Sistema de Posicionamiento Global (GPS, por sus siglas en inglés) y de Identificación por Radio Frecuencia. Esta alianza ha creado “Guardian Service”, que permite monitorear toda la carga refrigerada, con información no sólo sobre el lugar donde se encuentra, sino también la temperatura y otras condiciones a bordo de las barcazas. La compañía de carga marítima es la única en Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico que ofrece este servicio. Sea Star, con sede en Jacksonville, Fl, ofrece servicios de carga entre Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico y otras islas del Caribe.

Y en el mañana...:)

U.S.S. San Juan, NCC-1648, Constitution/Yorktown Class, Commissioned 2291:

http://www.starfleet-pr.com/web_images/uss_san_juan_over_pr-17.jpg

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The Port of the Americas Authority is actively developing the Port of the Americas Project in the existing facilities of the Port of Ponce. The project is divided in four phases.

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The Central government of Puerto Rico, through the Port of the Americas Authority, is heavily investing on an alternative Port to unsaturate the already congested Port of San Juan and become a new socioeconomic center.
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Copyright 2010. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Port of the Americas Authority.

Puerto de San Juan:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/San_Juan_Port_cargo_ships.Jpg/800px-San_Juan_Port_cargo_ships.Jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/San_Juan_Port_docks.Jpg/800px-San_Juan_Port_docks.Jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/San_Juan_Port_with_Cargo.Jpg/800px-San_Juan_Port_with_Cargo.Jpg

El puerto de San Juan usa las llamadas gruas RTG (rubber tire gantry) para acumular contenedores uno sobre otro? Da la impresión que solo tienen un nivel de contenedores montados en chassis en vez de usar el metodo mucho más eficiente (que en Ponce ya tienen el equipo) de usar estas RTG y acumular contenedores en varios niveles.

Cruise Ships docked at San Juan:

http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/TRB2864.jpg

http://www.eastpuertoricodiving.com/wp-content/gallery/san-juan-puerto-rico/San-Juan-Cruise-Ships.jpg

http://0.tqn.com/d/cruises/1/0/S/U/4/Eurodam_San_Juan_1.JPG

Wao!!!! me encanta el USS san juan no savia de su existencia, El puerto de san juan es una maravilla:)

Propuesta para terminal de cruceros en San Juan....I guess dado a que solo dice Puerto Rico, aunque pudiera ser Roosevelt Roads.

http://www.winco.nl/index2.htm


http://a.imageshack.us/img824/2081/prpic1big.jpg (http://img824.imageshack.us/i/prpic1big.jpg/)

OMG!:eek2:

AHH!!! That is amazing!!! Espero que pase...

Cuantos barcos caben ahi? Da la impresión que el lado paralelo a la calle solo puede acomodar un megecrucero y los lados.... hum... un lado se ve muy estrecho y el otro luce muy corto.

Wow Jaykar tremendo esa terminal! pero lo mas seguro es como tu dices, ya que se supone que ceiba lo van a convertir en un centro turistico, riviera caribe.

13 Octubre 2010
7:55 p.m.

Buscan reanudar el ferry entre Puerto Rico y la República Dominicana (http://www.elnuevodia.com/buscanreanudarelferryentrepuertoricoylarepublicadominicana-797971.html)
El gobernador Luis Fortuño y el presidente Leonel Fernández se comprometieron a intervenir

Por Agencia EFE

Santo Domingo- El presidente de la República Dominicana, Leonel Fernández y el gobernador de Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, se comprometieron hoy a intervenir a favor de la reanudación de las operaciones del ferry que une a la isla con el país caribeño.

Los dos gobernantes acordaron crear una comisión para resolver el contencioso entre empresas privadas que mantiene suspendido desde abril pasado el ferry que cubre la ruta Mayagüez-Santo Domingo.

Fortuño, quien se encuentra de visita en la República Dominicana, destacó en declaraciones desde la sede de la Presidencia local la importancia que supone para Puerto Rico y el país caribeño este transporte de personas y mercancías.

La compañía Ferries del Caribe anunció el abril pasado que interrumpía indefinidamente su servicio de transporte de pasajeros entre Puerto Rico y la República Dominicana, medida que no afecta al flujo de carga que mantiene a través de su subsidiaria Marine Express.

La decisión fue adoptada, según el presidente de Ferries del Caribe, Néstor González, por las elevadas tarifas que impone el operador del Puerto de Mayagüez -desde el que parten los barcos de la compañía en Puerto Rico-, Holland Group Port Investment, que según aseguró superan las establecidas por el regulador.

Ferries del Caribe ha enlazado las dos islas caribeñas durante los pasados 12 años principalmente a través del Puerto de Mayagüez en Puerto Rico.

wooo bring the ferry back!

En mi opinion debieron colocarla en otro lugar, ya fuera en un parque como arte urbano... no se sabe cual sera el paradero? or sera totalmente demolida? reciclar es siempre bueno!

El costo de relocalizarlo hubiese sido prohibitivo, especialmente tomando en consideración que no se puede encontrar ni sitio ni chavos para la monumental estatua de Colón.

Y el problema no era que el crucero no cabía; es que no había margen de error para los “tugs” ni para maniobrar.

Otro puerto para Ponce (http://www.elnuevodia.com/otropuertoparaponce-869940.html)
Complementaría el Puerto de las Américas

Por Yaritza Santiago / ysantiago1@elnuevodia.com

Con miras a fortalecer el turismo en el área sur de la Isla, el Senado estudia la viabilidad de proponer el desarrollo de un muelle y terminal turístico en el Puerto de Ponce que sea complementario e integral al Puerto de las Américas, Rafael Cordero Santiago.

Este cuerpo legislativo ya recibió el informe final de la Comisión senatorial de Urbanismo e Infraestructura avalando el desarrollo. No obstante, recomienda primero realizar un estudio de viabilidad sobre cuál sería la mejor localidad para construir la estructura.

El informe final es producto de la Resolución del Senado 548 radicada por el senador presidente de la Comisión de Urbanismo, Larry Seilhamer, quien ordenó a su comisión realizar una investigación y evaluación para determinar la mejor ubicación para el desarrollo de un terminal y muelle turístico en el puerto ponceño.

En su exposición de motivos, el senador sostiene que el desarrollo del Puerto de las Américas tendrá un impacto positivo e inmediato en la economía de Ponce, toda el área sur de Puerto Rico, así como en el resto de la Isla.

Sin embargo, “este impacto económico está en estos momentos destinado al área comercial. El impacto económico del Puerto de las Américas podría ser aún mayor si se le añade un muelle o terminal de turismo. Este muelle turístico crearía cientos de empleos directos e indirectos y resultaría en un aumento de visitantes, turistas y puertorriqueños deseosos de conocer los atractivos turísticos que nuestra bella isla puede ofrecer”, sostuvo en la medida.

El desarrollo del proyecto tuvo el aval de varias entidades públicas y privadas. La Autoridad del Puerto de las Amércias, fue una. En su ponencia, su directora ejecutiva, Rhonda Castillo, dijo que el proyecto podrá maximizar el desarrollo de la zona sur.

No obstante, destacó la necesidad de integrar a todas las partes que podrían ser impactadas por este desarrollo para no afectar las operaciones del megapuerto.

Señaló, además, que aunque actualmente el Puerto de Ponce cuenta con facilidades para recibir barcos cruceros, el uso de esos muelles para fines turísticos debe ser temporero pues al comenzar el Puerto de las Américas todas sus operaciones no se podrán recibir los megahoteles flotantes en el área.

La Compañía de Turismo fue otra que avaló el desarrollo turístico y recomendó que se consulte a la Autoridad de los Puertos sobre la necesidad de añadir infraestructura o instalaciones para así convertir al Puerto de Las Américas en un centro regional o internacional para barcos cruceros.

El Municipio de Ponce solicitó ser el promotor principal del proyecto, según el informe, y recomendó que la mejor ubicación para el futuro desarrollo del terminal y el muelle turístico sea en el muelle conocido como Caribe Tuna y el área aledaña.

Este muelle ubica al noroeste del paseo tablado La Guancha y al norte del Club Náutivo de ese municipio. El muelle cuenta con 350 pies de largo y 29 pies de profundidad en su frente.

Por su parte, la Cámara de Comercio del Sur apoyó también el desarrollo del puerto turístico por entender necesario acoplar la región sur a la oferta turística de la Isla y así generar empleos, fortaleciendo así la economía de toda la región sureña.

BAAAAAJJJJJ >( Otro proyecto más que van a desarrollar igualito que el PLA.

pero demonios no han terminad los tramites de uno y ya quieren otro...terminen el PLA pónganlo a funcionar y después bregan con el otro muelle...pero no desvistan a un santo para vestir otro

Competiran con los puertos del viejo san juan? TAN TAN TAN! Ponce vs San Juan :P

Crowley launching new roll-on/roll-off service between PR, DR and St. Thomas

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

Crowley Maritime Corp. is launching a new roll-on/roll-off weekly shipping service that will serve the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. The Jacksonville-based transportation company, which will start the service March 17, touted the benefits for customers in the islands and those shipping cargo to the Caribbean through its terminals in Jacksonville and New Jersey.
“This innovative service provides full connectivity between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as well as a wide variety of locations up the U.S. East Coast and into the rest of the Caribbean,” said Matt Jackson, Crowley’s vice president of Caribbean services.
“Additionally, as a [roll-on/roll-off] service, we will be able to handle project cargo, including heavy and oversized shipments, in addition to our standard and refrigerated container shipments,” he said in a statement.
Jackson said the leg from Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and St. Thomas is particularly important.
“Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean will benefit greatly from the commodities produced by the Dominican Republic – products like pharmaceuticals, steel and rebar, beverages and produce. There are real opportunities for the new service because of the need in these areas,” he said.
The first sailing with the Crowley Shipper departs San Juan on Thursday, March 17, for arrival in St. Thomas Friday morning. The ship will depart later that day and arrive back in San Juan on Saturday. From there, the vessel leaves Saturday for Santo Domingo, arriving on Sunday. The ship then returns to San Juan arriving on Monday. The rotation begins again on Thursday.
Cargoes in the Northeast departing from Crowley’s Pennsauken, N.J., terminal are scheduled to connect with the new Ro/Ro service on Thursdays, and cargoes in the South Atlantic, departing from Crowley’s Jacksonville terminal, are scheduled to connect with the new service in San Juan on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Crowley provides supply chain services, trucking and freight forwarding and shipping service from the U.S. to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba.
“We are excited about the opportunity to expand our liner capabilities to better serve our customers,” said Crowley’s Tony Otero, vice president for Dominican Republic/Haiti and Cuba liner services. “Crowley has been serving these markets for many years and is committed to continually providing the best solutions for the region’s transportation needs. The Caribbean market continues to be an integral part of growing our company.”
http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=55004&ct_id=1

PR-DR passenger ferry launch on hold
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com


America Cruise Ferries has throttled down on plans to launch passenger service between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Passenger service had been scheduled to start April 11. However, the service has been delayed indefinitely pending certification from federal authorities to carry passengers, according to Marine Express, agents for America Cruise Ferries.

America Cruise Ferries launched cargo service last month with cargo bound from the ports of San Juan and Mayagüez crossing the Mona Passage to Santo Domingo in three round trips weekly.

Marine Express officials were aiming for a reshuffled May start date for passenger service as work continues to land regulatory approval and on upgrades to the 650-foot “Caribbean Fantasy.”

America Cruise Ferries, which is incorporated in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the U.S., is a joint venture among French, Mexican and Puerto Rican investors. Its aim was to fill the void left by the idling of Ferries del Caribe last year amid a legal dispute over fees at the Port of Mayagüez.

Ferries del Caribe’s “Caribbean Express” carried about 170,000 passengers, 19,000 passenger vehicles and 11,000 trucks annually. The service was plagued by disagreements between Ferries del Caribe, the private operator of the Port of Mayagüez and the quasi-public Ports Commission.

The Caribbean Fantasy has a casino, nightclub, piano bar, jewelry and duty-free shops, a beauty salon and a swimming pool. The vessel has seven levels, three of which will be open to passengers, with 140 cabins and 450 seats. It will also be able to carry a combination of 160 cargo containers and 90 vehicles during a given crossing.

America Cruise Ferries partner Daniel Berrebi said earlier this year that the company has sunk $65 million into the venture. Plans call for the service to be extended to other Caribbean islands, including Cuba, in the future.

The new service was expected to sustain some 100 direct jobs and 300 indirect jobs in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and has been lauded by Puerto Rico Tourism Co. and other government officials as a boon for tourism and business opportunities on the island.

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=56104&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

Interesting that they want to expand to other islands. I've always imagined some sort of ferry network throughout the Caribbean connecting Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba. From the outter fringes they could have cruise ferries connecting to Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, and the US.

El problema son las distancias envueltas. El Caribe es bastante grande. Se toma más de un día cruzar desde Venezuela a Puerto Rico a menos que sea un ferry que viaje a alta velocidad.

Por eso yo dije cruise ferry para esos tramos tan largas

ATM: Vieques gas pinch not our fault

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

Maritime Transport Authority (ATM by its Spanish initials) Executive Director Carlos Daniel Pérez said Thursday his agency is not to blame for a gasoline shortage on Vieques. Pérez said gasoline wholesaler Total and service station owner Aluma should have stocked up on gasoline for Holy Week, when thousands of tourists descend on Vieques.
The official said that when Total bought Esso’s business in Puerto Rico, the France-based company reached an accord to have the MTA ferry 80,000 gallons per week to Vieques — 40,000 gallons on Tuesdays and 40,000 gallons on Saturdays.
Prior to that, Aluma, which owns both gas stations on Vieques, brought gasoline in on its own barges.
Pérez said Total’s twice-weekly loads have never reached 40,000 each as stipulated in the deal with the ATM.
http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=56550&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

Alguien cree que debería haber una terminal de lanchas en Isla Grande, para servir el Distrito de Convenciones? Por si aca, sé que esto pudiera restarle espacio a los muelles de Isla Grande, así que no sería tan fácil encontrar un hueco pa' una terminal así.

Yes, especially if Bayside ever gets built

Ports hails inspection pilot success; sees complete rollout by September

By : JOHN MARINO
marino@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/fotos/krooly.jpg

The container-inspection pilot program at Crowley reached 100 percent of incoming containers this week, and government officials said the rollout of the X-ray system will continue on schedule until it is fully operational by mid-September. Ports Authority Executive Director Alberto Escudero said that under the pilot project, which began April 4 at the Crowley facility in San Juan, officials have been able to steadily increase the number of containers inspected without affecting the flow of commerce. In all, some 2,500 containers were inspected last month, more than the 1,500 containers inspected all last year.
“We are extremely pleased with the results. This pilot project proved that we can fully inspect containers without affecting the flow of commerce,” Escudero said.
The Ports chief hailed the teamwork among Ports Authority, Treasury and Police department officials and said that federal officials would also be shortly involved in the initiative.
While the program was initiated to try to crack down on the shipment into the island of illegal weapons and drugs, Deputy Treasury Secretary José Arroyo said the 100 percent inspection plan is also “an excellent mechanism to prevent tax evasion and correct discrepancies in documentation that shippers submit to the government.”
Escudero said that no illegal weapons or drugs were found, but officials were not expecting to find any since it was announced that the new inspection system would be in operation at the Crowley facility, while the other four ports of entry were still under the old system of limited inspections.
Escudero said that inspections did turn up instances of containers carrying merchandise different that what was marked on shipping documents. In one case, a container that was supposedly carrying groceries was actually carrying tires. In another case, a container that was supposed to be carrying general merchandise was actually carrying a car.
Escudero said that such “discrepancies” between the actual merchandise and its shipping papers can be simple errors or attempts to avoid taxes or shipping charges. If such errors are found to be cases of fraud, companies can face fines of up $20,000. In these two cases, authorities have only adjusted shipping costs and taxes without imposing fines.
The government contracted private firm, Rapiscan Systems, to undertake the inspections using high-tech, X-ray equipment. Critics have blasted the contract’s terms and said the costs of the scanning would drive up the price of everything shipped into Puerto Rico.
While Ports was considering a $60 per container charge, it has since decided to charge a fee of $4 per short ton on all cargo entering the Port of San Juan, whether it is inspected or not.
Shipping industry executives are also worried that the inspections will slow down interstate commerce and are therefore considering a court fight against the plan.
Escudero, however, said the pilot project showed the plan will be a success.
“I believe this system will serve as a model for the United States,” he said.

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57046&ct_id=1

Pierluisi calls for US study of Jones Act

By : KEVIN MEAD
kevin@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/fotos/jonesy.jpg

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi is urging the federal government to study the impact of the Jones Act shipping laws on the economy of Puerto Rico and the broader U.S. economy. “The costs and benefits of the Jones Act — specifically, its implications for the national economy, national defense, and domestic shipbuilding industry — have been the subject of vigorous debate over the years,” Pierluisi wrote in a letter to Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the U.S.
The resident commissioner’s letter requests that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepare a report on the impact of the Jones Act’s application to Puerto Rico.
Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, generally requires that all maritime transport of cargo and passengers between ports in the U.S. be carried by vessels built in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens (at least 75%), and operated by U.S. citizen crews.
Since its enactment, the Jones Act has applied to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, although a 1984 federal law authorized the transportation of passengers between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports on foreign-flag vessels when Jones Act-qualified service is not available.
Puerto Rico’s neighboring territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands, is exempt from the Jones Act, as are the U.S. territories of American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.
“The economic impact of the Jones Act has been the source of particular concern in Puerto Rico and other non-contiguous jurisdictions, which rely heavily on maritime shipping to conduct commerce with the U.S. mainland,” Pierluisi wrote.
“Many of my constituents, including a broad array of economists, have expressed the view that Puerto Rico families and companies are hurt — and that the island’s economic growth and competitiveness are hindered — by higher shipping costs potentially associated with the Jones Act,” he wrote.
The resident commissioner cited Puerto Rico’s heavy reliance on imports from the U.S. mainland, the bulk of which is brought in by ship.
On the export side, the products that Puerto Rico generates for sale outside the island are primarily destined for the U.S. market and most are moved by ship.
“Accordingly, if the Jones Act does lead to higher shipping costs, the law might have a disproportionate adverse impact on Puerto Rico,” Pierluisi said.
The resident commissioner acknowledged a multi-volume “Economic Study of Puerto Rico” prepared for the White House in 1979 by an interagency task force chaired by the U.S. Commerce Department secretary. That study found that “exemption from cabotage laws — sometimes pointed to as an answer to the problem — would not provide a lasting remedy” in the form of lower shipping rates.
“Whether the task force properly analyzed the issue — and, if so, whether its conclusion is still valid over 30 years later — are open questions,” Pierluisi said.
The resident commissioner said his proposed GAO study should adhere to its general practice and consult with stakeholders, including representatives in Puerto Rico from the manufacturing, agriculture and charter vessel sectors.
He also urged the GAO to meet with representatives from the Port Authority of the Americas in Ponce, “who are keenly interested in this issue.”
He also said the GAO should consult with individuals who are involved in, or otherwise knowledgeable about, maritime trade between Puerto Rico and the U.S. and who oppose repeal or relaxation of the Jones Act.
“I believe that the perennial debate in Congress — and in Puerto Rico — over the Jones Act would benefit from an objective and fact-based report analyzing the economic implications of the act’s application in Puerto Rico,” Pierluisi said.
http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57411&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

Coast Guard gets new chief in PR, USVI

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Sector San Juan has a new commander for operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Capt. Drew W. Pearson, who previously served as chief of the Seventh Coast Guard District’s incident management branch in Miami, assumed command responsibilities for Sector San Juan from Capt. Eduardo Pino last week.
“I feel honored for the opportunity to lead the men and women of Sector San Juan in one of the Coast Guard’s most challenging areas of responsibility,” Pearson said.
Pino, Sector San Juan’s commander since July 2008, is headed to Miami as the new Seventh Coast Guard District’s chief of response operations.
Sector San Juan, headquartered in La Puntilla, Old San Juan, is a 1.3 million-square-mile area of responsibility that encompasses the eastern Caribbean. The sector comprises six shore units including Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, one of three major air stations in the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, and two of the busiest ports in the nation, with more than three million visitors per year.



http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57654&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

Ceiba: $160K Los Machos pier upgrade (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57924&ct_id=1)
By : AURA N. ALFARO
aura@caribbeanbusinesspr.com


Ceiba, Puerto Rico’s easternmost municipality, will invest $160,000 to renovate the town’s Los Machos Beach fishing pier in time for summertime tourists.
Currently, a 340-foot long by 13-foot wide gray stretch of concrete, the pier will be covered over with tiles, side lighting and a 20-foot long gazebo at its end, Ceiba Mayor Pedro Colón Osorio said in an interview with CARIBBEAN BUSINESS.

The project is scheduled to be completed and ready for the July 4th celebrations.

“The idea is to make Los Machos Beach a more attractive tourism spot, especially in the evenings, and draw in more customers to the fresh fish market and food and beverage businesses in the area,” Colón explained.

Ceiba implemented a public order code on April 21 regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages. The businesses are required to close at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

The town also has its own 28-agent municipal police force.

PR-DR passenger ferry set for launch (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57954&ct_id=1)
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com


America Cruise Ferries is set to launch its first passenger trip between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night.
The inaugural passenger crossing of the Caribbean Fantasy ferry is scheduled to leave the Port of Mayagüez at 8 p.m. and dock in Santo Domingo at 1 a.m. Thursday. It will return to Mayagüez by 8 a.m. Friday.

“In terms of shuttling cargo, automobiles and passengers between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, nobody does it better,” said Marine Express President Néstor González.

America Cruise Ferries throttled up its plans to launch passenger service between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic after securing certification from federal authorities to carry passengers, according to Marine Express, agents for America Cruise Ferries.

Passenger service had originally been scheduled to start April 11, but was pushed back to June 1 pending the certification.

The Caribbean Fantasy is scheduled to sail from the Panamericano terminal near the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan every Monday at 7 p.m. Sailings from Mayagüez are scheduled for every Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m. Return trips from Santo Domingo dock at 8 a.m.

Introductory prices, including port fees, start at $169 per person round-trip from Mayagüez and $189 per person round-trip from San Juan. Cabins are available starting at $48 and passengers can bring three pieces of luggage at no charge.

The Caribbean Fantasy boasts two restaurants, a buffet, casino, nightclub, piano bar, duty-free shop, beauty salon and swimming pool.

The 650-foot ferry includes seven decks, three of which are open to passengers. There are 140 passenger cabins and 450 plush seats.

The Caribbean Fantasy has a capacity for 1,100 passengers, 165 cargo containers and 70 cars and trucks on each crossing.

America Cruise Ferries launched cargo service in March with cargo bound from the ports of San Juan and Mayagüez crossing the Mona Passage to Santo Domingo in three round trips weekly.

America Cruise Ferries, which is incorporated in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the U.S., is a joint venture among French, Mexican and Puerto Rican investors. Its aim was to fill the void left by the idling of Ferries del Caribe last year amid a legal dispute over fees at the Port of Mayagüez.

Ferries del Caribe’s “Caribbean Express” carried about 170,000 passengers, 19,000 passenger vehicles and 11,000 trucks annually. The service was plagued by disagreements between Ferries del Caribe, the private operator of the Port of Mayagüez and the quasi-public Ports Commission.

America Cruise Ferries partner Daniel Berrebi said earlier this year that the company has sunk $65 million into the venture. Plans call for the service to be extended to other Caribbean islands, including Cuba, in the future.

The new service was expected to sustain some 100 direct jobs and 300 indirect jobs in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and has been lauded by Puerto Rico Tourism Co. and other government officials as a boon for tourism and business opportunities on the island.

Woo hoo! Next chance I get to take some serious time off, I'm taking this ferry to the DR. And I always thought it was a 12 hour ride, not just 5 hours. That's awesome!

Issued : Wednesday, September 28, 2011 12:00 AM
‘El ferry’ expands already dominant market share (http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/news02.php?nw_id=6027)
By : JAIME SANTIAGO
jaimes@caribbeanbusinesspr.com
Edition: September 29, 2011 | Volume: 39 | No: 38

America Cruise Ferries moves 75% of cargo between D.R. & P.R.; adds 2nd San Juan port call; passenger volume at 100,000 in 1st year

Recession-driven cost cutting by companies and passengers, as well as new government promotion, has led more Dominican-bound cargo and tourists to choose "el ferry," increasing American Cruise Ferries' already dominant market share in the busy route.

Just a few months after resuming operations, the company controls 75% of the cargo volume between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. As a result, the maritime company is adding a second port call to San Juan to handle the increased cargo and passenger volume.

The company controls the freight market between P.R. and D.R., moving more than 350 40-foot-equivalent containers a week. In addition, during the past three months, the ferry has moved about 20,000 passengers, which it projects will grow to 100,000 by the end of its first year of operation.

"This second sailing is market-driven," said Alberto Escudero, P.R. Ports Authority director, at a press conference. "It shows the commercial initiatives [P.R.] Gov. Luis Fortuño and [D.R.] President Leonel Fernández began earlier this year during a commercial mission to the D.R. are having positive effects. Passengers and cargo have been on the rise, and there is a need for this second sailing."

With three sailings a week, it is now even more difficult for rivals to compete in the market.

"The ferry has controlled cargo volumes in this trade lane for many years," said Sea Star Line Vice President Eduardo Pagán. "Its executives know the customer base very well, and the only two competitors it has are fairly new to the market. One of them started in March, and the other sails out of Puerto Plata, in the northern part of D.R. Most cargo that comes to P.R. from the neighboring D.R. originates in the south."

After a 10% drop because of a weak economy in P.R., cargo volume between both regions have remained steady over the past two years. This trend is expected to increase in 2012 because D.R. has new start-up operations that will begin shipping additional volume to P.R.

The recession has also led retailers and manufacturing operations in P.R. to move from more-expensive air transport to the ferry. The service has also benefited from the government's increased tourism promotion.

"America Cruise Ferries has been very positive for P.R.'s tourism industry," said Mario González Lafuente, director of the local Tourism Co. "It was customers of the ferry who asked for this second weekly sailing to San Juan. Many take the opportunity to do their shopping while visiting the island, which is very positive for our local commerce."

It is estimated ferry passengers' average daily expenditure is $350 to $380.

Ese tráfico de pasajeros del ferry se contará en las estadísticas de cruceros de PR? Alguien sabe?

No creo. Un ferry no es lo mismo que un crucero. Seguramente habrán otras estadísticas de pasajeros de ferries como los de Vieques, Culebra y AquaExpreso, pero no las he visto.

En el Mediterráneo existe un tráfico BIEN fuerte de ferries entre los distintos países que lo rodean. Uno puede tomar un ferry en Barcelona y llegar a Livorno, Palermo, Palma de Mayorca y muchos otros sitios. Lo mismo en los otro puertos en esa zona. No entiendo por qué en el Caribe no ocurre lo mismo entre las islas que están más cercanas entre ellas que los puertos en el Mediterráneo. Aquí debería ser posible llegar, por ejemplo a Jamaica o a Venezuela o Colombia o Florida en ferry y no depender exclusivamente de aviones.

Así que el Caribe como un todo parece que es más insularista (en el sentido del aislamiento respecto a los vecinos) de lo que debería ser.

Empresa privada asume mantenimiento de lanchas de ATM (http://www.telemundopr.com/noticia-empresaprivadaasumemantenimientodelanchasdeatm-135081.html)

05 Noviembre 2011 10:14 a.m.
El funcionario aseguró que esta adjudicación generará economías administrativas

Fuente: CyberNews
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CyberNews) - El administrador de la Administración de Servicios Generales (ASG), Carlos Vázquez-Pesquera, informó ayer que se firmaron los contratos de servicios con las compañías TSG Consultant Inc y Masterlink Corporation Inc., escogidas mediante una subasta abierta de selección múltiple para brindar apoyo adicional al personal operacional de la Autoridad de Transporte Marítimo (ATM).

“TSG Consultant Inc y Masterlink Corporation Inc estarán brindando servicios de manera simultánea para así asegurar el funcionamiento constante del sistema completo de lanchas”, explicó el titular de la ASG en un comunicado.

El funcionario aseguró que esta adjudicación generará economías administrativas ya que facilitará el proceso de adquisición de servicios de reparación y se podrán adquirir piezas a través de órdenes de compra directas sin tener que realizar subastas para cada artículo.

Los servicios que se le estarán ofreciendo a la ATM se dividen en tres categorías, servicio de reacondicionamiento de las 10 embarcaciones que tiene el sistema, servicio de mantenimiento preventivo y reparaciones mayores de embarcaciones y servicio de apoyo de logística a la administración.

De otra parte, según el funcionario, además de estas gestiones, se informaron los detalles de la adjudicación de la subasta abierta de selección múltiple, que será un apoyo adicional al personal de operacional de la ATM. Para este proceso la FTA (Fedral Transportation Administration), solicito a la ASG la realización de un RFP, donde participaron tres compañías, una quedo descalificada al entregar la documentación de subasta luego de que la misma había sido cerrada.

En este proceso competitivo, la ASG evaluó las capacidades de los proponentes para reparar lanchas, proveerles mantenimiento preventivo y apoyo operacional, según lo provee la Ley.

El gobierno debe salirse por completo de ese negocio. Debería haber varias compañías privadas ofreciendo el servicio. Y debería haber ferries por todos lados... entre Vieques, Culebra, St. Thomas, St.Croix, St. Maarten, San Juan, Ponce, Mayagüez, Punta Cana, La Romana, Santo Domingo... y por ahí sigan.

Horizon Lines invierte en sus instalaciones (http://www.elnuevodia.com/horizonlinesinvierteensusinstalaciones-1207316.html)
La empresa busca bajar el tiempo por transacción


Horizon emplea unas 184 personas en Puerto Rico.
Por Andrea Martínez / amartinez@elnuevodia.com

La empresa de transporte marítimo Horizon Lines anunció ayer el nombramiento de un nuevo vicepresidente y gerente general de Puerto Rico, quien a su vez informó sobre una inversión de $19 millones en la Isla.

Con la inversión de $19 millones Horizon Lines convirtió su terminal de carga marítima en el primero en la Isla en ser completamente automatizado. Ahora las 1,100 transacciones diarias promedio que se dan en la instalación se culminan en unos 22 minutos, aseguró la empresa.

El nuevo vicepresidente, Richard Rodríguez, indicó que esta inversión es separada de la inversión de $30 millones que hizo la empresa para modernizar sus barcos.

El ejecutivo informó que a fines de este mes de marzo se inauguran las instalaciones de la Autoridad de Puertos para la inspección de furgones de Horizon. Aclaró que esa inspección será en un predio adjunto a sus facilidades pero que ubica fuera de la instalación de Horizon. Mencionó que a través de Horizon entran a la Isla unos 1,400 vagones semanales, los que serían objeto de inspección.

Rodríguez añadió que no anticipa problemas mayores de ataponamiento durante la inspección de vagones, aunque sostuvo que las autoridades gubernamentales le han asegurado que en caso de formarse filas se establecerá un sistema que agilizaría la inspección.

Ventas y exportaciones

Karen Richards, gerente general de Ventas de Horizon en Puerto Rico, dijo que si bien las ventas han estado flojas en los pasado meses, en el último cuarto del 2011 se vio una mejoría que esperan se mantenga durante el presente periodo.

Al ser preguntados Richards y Rodríguez sobre si los incentivos de exportación del gobierno se han reflejado en un alza en el volumen de las ventas, contestaron en la negativa.

“No se ha visto una tendencia de aumento en las exportaciones”, aseguró Richards. Agregó que la proporción que prevalece es que por cada cuatro barcos que llegan llenos de mercancía solo uno sale de la Isla cargado.

“Esa es una de las razones por las que Puerto Rico no le es atractivo a los carriers internacionales”, manifestó Rodríguez.

Horizon cuenta con una plantilla de 184 empleados, que puede aumentar a 264 en momentos de mayor volumen de carga. Además del promedio de 1,400 furgones semanales de carga doméstica, procesan unos 400 vagones de procedencia internacional.

Horizon Lines, que anteriormente era Sea Land, ha estado en Puerto Rico desde 1958. La firma provee viajes diarios desde San Juan a Jacksonville, Florida; y a Elizabeth, New Jersey, así como un servicio una vez cada dos semanas desde Houston, Texas, el cual incluye una parada en el puerto de Tampa, Florida.

P.R. shipbuilding facility could become a reality (http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/news02.php?nw_id=6868)
By : JAIME SANTIAGO
jaimes@caribbeanbusinesspr.com
Edition: April 5, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 13

Damen Shipyards Group targets island for venture
Representatives of Damen Shipyards Group, one of the world's largest shipbuilding companies, visited Puerto Rico to explore the possibility of establishing a shipbuilding facility on the island.

"When we first looked for possible opportunities in Puerto Rico, we were surprised that an island with such a strong economy and important strategic location didn't have a local shipbuilding industry," Jan van Hogerwou, Americas sales manager for Damen, told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS in an exclusive interview.

"Puerto Rico is centrally located and in the middle of the Caribbean, an important shipping area. We have approximately 35 company-owned shipbuilding facilities around the world and we also conduct joint ventures with other companies; we are interested in doing business locally with either business model," he explained.

Industry observers see this as a great opportunity for the local maritime transportation industry and the economy.

"A shipyard would be a great addition to Puerto Rico's economy," said Hernán Ayala, president of the Puerto Rico Shippers Association. "It would be a brand new industry for the island that would create hundreds of well-paid, direct and indirect jobs through direct employees, suppliers, contractors and others. It would also help the local maritime industry that now must complete vessel maintenance at ports in other countries."

Damen and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (Ports) are already in conversations.

"We met with Damen's representatives when they visited the island and discussed possible local opportunities for the company," said Miguel A. Díaz, maritime management director at Ports. "At present, we are in conversations with another company to refurbish the San Juan dry-docking facilities; there could be a possibility of both companies partnering in that venture."

"We are very flexible in our business approach," van Hogerwou said. "We build vessels for defense departments of countries all over the world. On various occasions, we have been asked to build the ships in our customer's country and we also have built a shipyard at the same time…. Once we are finished, we leave the shipyard to be used by that country, and locals have gained shipbuilding expertise. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved in the transaction."

Founded in 1927, Damen Shipyard Group is a multinational shipbuilding company with more than 6,000 employees worldwide and a presence in more than 35 countries.

The company has acquired a leading position in shipbuilding based on its unique standardized design concept, a modular construction approach that provides the company cost-saving efficiencies and the ability to build cost-effective, reliable ships.

Realmente es patético que Puerto Rico no haya tenido industria de astilleros desde la época de las canoas de Borikén (ca. 500 años atrás)--por lo menos esto nos pondría al día con nuestra condición de isla. Sobre la ubicación de los astilleros deberían ser en la otora base naval Roosevelt Roads--una amplia bahía bien protegida en un área económicamente rezagada (salvo por el turismo de Fajardo, Luquillo y El Yunque).

El área de las petroquímicas en Guayanilla y Peñuelas también es buen sitio para un astillero a gran escala. Con tanto barco que transita nuestras aguas diariamente tan solo la oportunidad de no solo construir barcos sino darles servicio de "drydock" para mantenimiento rutinario o reparaciones es un mercado que no estamos aprovechando. Actualmente en nuestra zona el único sitio donde existe facilidades de drydock suficientemente grandes para acomodar los megacruceros y los grandes barcos de carga está en Freeport en las Bahamas.

Tan reciente como la semana pasada tuvimos el Caribbean Princess "estoquiao" en San Juan por casi tres semanas debido a problemas mecánicos que afortunadamente los pudieron resolver en San Juan. Si el barco hubiera necesitado drydock para las reparaciones lo hubieran tenido que mover a Freeport ya que no hay facilidades en PR.

Espero yo que el sitio que se acabe de elegir para los muelles secos sea fuera del área metropolitana de San Juan--por lo menos en el área de la Bahía de San Juan no hay espacio apropiado que sea compatible con los planes de renovación urbana de San Juan y Guaynabo ni que sea ecológicamente frágil; pero más importante aún es lo de garantizar que Puerto Rico tenga desarrollo equilibrado en vez de tener una ciudad primada y to' lo demás c@g@'0.

^^ en todo el caribe esa industria no ha querido zarpar, por ejemplo en RD ha sido todo un desastre levantar esa industria actualmente existen dos astilleros. uno privado-militar que dan mantenimiento a los guarda costas e incluso construyen yates de lujos estilo cruceros, el otro construyen y reparan pesqueros.

ojala se expanda esta industria en el caribe.

Y el Puerto las Americas?? Bien gracias.......

Two firms interested in Vieques service (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/news02.php?nw_id=7508&ct_id=4)
Edition: September 6, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 35

At least two companies are interested in starting up ferry service along the short route between the former Navy base in Ceiba and Vieques, CARIBBEAN BUSINESS sources said. The government is identifying funds for a needed investment of no more than $600,000 for minor improvements at existing docks and to open up ticket offices. At first, there will be no exclusivity granted on the route, meaning both firms could operate separate routes, and the first ferry could set sail in less than six months.

Rehabilitarán el varadero en Fajardo (http://www.primerahora.com/rehabilitaranelvaraderoenfajardo-700009.html)
En la zona se creará una rampa para los botes. (jose.madera@gfrmedia.com )
lunes, 17 de septiembre de 2012
Agustín Criollo Oquero / agustin.criollo@gfrmedia.com

El alcalde de Fajardo, Aníbal Meléndez, aseguró que eliminará por completo y “en tiempo récord” el problema que experimentan los comerciantes de la zona, donde se crea un “caos” cuando dejan en el lugar todos los equipos que se utilizan para las actividades recreativas en la zona.


Si usted es de los que a menudo visitan Las Croabas, ha experimentado la gran dificultad que existe para la movilización del tráfico asociado a los eventos comerciales y recreativas que allí operan.

Además de los restaurantes que ubican en el lugar, allí también operan nueve compañías de alquiler de kayaks y dos de botes que ofrecen sus servicios desde el litoral de la villa fajardeña –colindante con la entrada a la laguna bioluminiscente–; esta actividad unida a la gran cantidad de visitantes que llegan al lugar convierten la carretera que circunda el parque público de Las Croabas en un verdadero desorden de tráfico que apenas permite el paso.

“El problema es que con nosotros conflige el turismo que va a las islas. A nosotros realmente nos conviene estar separados por la naturaleza de nuestros servicios, que son más dedicados al ecoturismo”, explicó el capitán Charlie Robles, propietario de Bio Island, compañía de giras en botes eléctricos.


Si nosotros “salimos del varadero, que está al lado de la entrada a la laguna, es mucho mejor y más seguro”, indicó Robles, quien lleva cuatro años operando desde la zona.

Precisamente, esta es una de las alternativas que proponen los comerciantes, usar el varadero que tiene una entrada y un muelle independiente.

El alcalde Meléndez, quien recientemente realizó la ceremonia de colocación de la primera piedra del proyecto de rehabilitación del varadero de Las Croabas, mencionó que “los terrenos se transfirieron del Departamento de Agricultura al Municipio en enero pasado...”.

El alcalde subrayó la importancia de este proyecto para mejorar la reputación de Fajardo como destino turístico en Puerto Rico.

Por su parte, el secretario del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA), Daniel Galán Kercadó, dijo que la idea del proyecto “ es proveerles a los kayakeros un lugar desde donde puedan realizar una operación ordenada sin afectar a los residentes y a los turistas”.

Mientras, el ingeniero Roberto Alsina, diseñador del proyecto, aseguró que se ha tomado en cuenta la importancia del manglar y que están en acuerdo con los dueños de los negocios de kayaks y botes.

“La idea era integrar el diseño a lo que es el manglar, utilizando el mismo entorno de la laguna... (para que) cuando el turista llegue, entienda la importancia de la arquitectura como parte del ecosistema”, explicó Alsina.

PR-DR ferry back in service after fixes (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/pr-dr-ferry-back-in-service-after-fixes-76818.html)
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com


America Cruise Ferries is relaunching ferry service between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic after completing upgrades on its M/V Caribbean Fantasy.
Service had been temporarily suspended when the 650-foot ferry was docked for repairs earlier this month.

The Caribbean Fantasy sails from San Juan to Santo Domingo on Mondays and Fridays. It sails from Mayagüez to the Dominican capital on Wednesdays. It is the only passenger ferry plying the route.

American Cruise Ferries said the repairs and maintenance work was aimed at insuring the ship is in optimal shape for the busy holiday season. The company said it may add sailings then.

The Caribbean Fantasy includes seven decks, three of which are open to passengers. There are 140 passenger cabins and 450 plush seats. The ferry has a capacity for 1,100 passengers, 165 cargo containers and 70 cars and trucks on each crossing.

Foreign-flagged vessels serving P.R. outpace domestic 4 to 1
By : JAIME SANTIAGO
jaimes@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com
Edition: October 18, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 41

Statistics dispel another Jones Act myth; U.S.-flagged ships generate high-paying local jobs.

Opponents of the Jones Act—the federal statute that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports—contend the act's provisions force Puerto Rico to use only U.S.-flagged vessels to transport most goods to and from the island, and the bulk of ships calling the island's ports are U.S. merchant-marine vessels.

Statistics suggest otherwise.

Information obtained by CARIBBEAN BUSINESS shows the ratio of foreign-flagged vs. domestic- flagged vessels, which are regulated by the Jones Act and calling on Puerto Rico's ports, is almost 4 to 1.

Statistics from the San Juan Bay Pilots Association (SJBPA), which groups pilots who steer vessels once they enter San Juan Bay, indicate that 5,632 vessel calls were made to the port of San Juan in 2011.

Although that number is no surprise— because it is widely known the port ranks among the busiest in the U.S.—an eye-opening statistic is the fact that 4,392, or about 78%, of the total vessel calls that year were made by foreign-flagged ships hauling cargo to and from Puerto Rico and foreign ports.

Another important fact—besides the local economic activity that may be generated from the cargo on these foreign vessels—is that they don't contribute anything else to the island's economy.

"International-flagged shipping companies don't have any investments in Puerto Rico. They use local shipping agencies for their sales and to load and unload their ships," Eduardo Iglesias, Puerto Rico representative of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots union (MM&P), told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS. "Foreign-flagged vessels call on our local ports, load and unload cargo, and sail away without generating any local economic activity; they pay taxes and generate jobs elsewhere."

Foreign-flagged vessels are subject to the laws of the nation in which they are registered. As a result, they aren't subject to federal and local regulations; they don't pay local taxes, local employee salaries or benefits, or any other fee that applies to companies doing business locally. Their vessels, with crews from foreign nationalities, and administrative offices in other countries don't create jobs for U.S. citizens.

By contrast, U.S.-flagged vessels operating on the island have corporate offices in Puerto Rico, abide by all federal and local laws and regulations, including taxes, employee benefits and Occupational Safety & Health Administration requirements and, most importantly, create thousands of very well-paid local jobs.

Along with the hundreds of high-paying administrative and operational positions, the four U.S.- flagged carriers serving the island generate about 2,500 additional jobs for seaborne personnel. These employees are affiliated with four different labor unions and earn salaries ranging from $40,000 to $240,000 a year. The unions are the American Maritime Officers, Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, Seafarers International Union (SIU) and MM&P.

"These are the kinds of jobs Puerto Rico needs, and they need to be protected," said Capt. Roberto Candelario, a consultant for the SJBPA. "Without the Jones Act, these jobs would be in jeopardy."

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/foreign-flagged-vessels-serving-p.r.-outpace-domestic-4-to-1-7701.html

Estrenan villa pesquera en Cibuco (http://www.elnuevodia.com/estrenanvillapesqueraencibuco-1367276.html)
Los pescadores podrán vender su producto allí y hacer crecer su matrícula

20 de octubre de 2012 / Negocios / El Nuevo Día
Por Andrea Martínez / amartinez@elnuevodia.com

http://recend.apextech.netdna-cdn.com/images/2012/10/19/20121005_negociosnegocios_3481379.jpg
Las nuevas instalaciones de la villa pesquera fueron inauguradas ayer. (GFR MEDIA / OMAR MERCED)

Tras una larga espera, los pescadores de Vega Baja contarán con una nueva villa pesquera, desde donde, además de vender su producto, esperan poder atraer más socios a la Asociación de Pescadores El Cibuco.

La edificación se logró con una asignación del Departamento de Agricultura (DA) de unos $350,000.

El presidente de la Asociación, Miguel Medina Barreto, explicó que cuentan con 27 socios, de los que 17 son pescadores activos.

Medina dijo que la matrícula había bajado ya que no tenían instalaciones, pues las anteriores se deterioraron por el salitre al punto que se les derrumbó parte del techo. “Estamos en proceso de atraer pescadores jóvenes”, dijo Medina, para luego agregar que tienen socios de todas las edades.

Las instalaciones incluyen pescadería, baños, oficina, cafetería, terraza y la pavimentación del acceso. Además de vender el pescado fresco, indicó Medina, usarán la instalación para vender comestibles como frituras.

“Esto ha sido un logro para nosotros. Al fin se hace justicia con la clase pesquera de Vega Baja. Vamos a continuar luchando por mantener esta casa, donde podemos dejar un pescado fresco que los consumidores pueden obtener a un precio justo”, dijo Medina.

“Los 27 pescadores que componemos esta villa continuaremos con la visión y objetivo de seguir creciendo como pescadores”, indicó el presidente de la Villa Pesquera de Cibuco.

Agregó que, como no tenían un lugar para vender los pescados, muchos pescadores vendían su producto a la villa pesquera de Cataño.

Entre los retos que encara este grupo de pescadores figura el fuerte oleaje en las costas de Vega Baja, que en muchas ocasiones los obliga a desplazarse hasta Mayagüez, Vieques y Culebra para pescar, explicó Medina, quien mencionó que entre los pescados que consiguen en su región figuran el chillo y dorado.

Ayer vi el titular que el capitán del barco que se usó en Pirates of the Caribbean está desaparecido pero no me había dado cuenta que se trataba del velero HMS Bounty. Este barco viene regularmente a San Juan por temporadas y ayer se hundió frente a las costas de Carolina del Norte por causa del huracán Sandy.

Continúa desaparecido capitán del velero usado en Pirates of the Caribbean (http://www.elnuevodia.com/continuadesaparecidocapitandelvelerousadoenpiratesofthecaribbean-1373920.html)

Guardia Costera rescata a un tripulante perdido y continúa la búsqueda
Por The Associated Press

PORTSMOUTH, Virginia — La Guardia Costera rescató a una persona que era parte de la tripulación del velero HMS Bounty quienes se vieron obligados a abandonar el navío tras ser sorprendido por el huracán Sandy frente a la costa de Carolina del Norte.

La Guardia Costanera Claudene Christian, de 42 años fue transportada a un hospital para recibir atención médica.

A esta hora, las autoridades continúan la búsqueda de el capitán del barco HMS Bounty. El teniente de la Guardia Costanera, Mike Patterson explicó que la búsqueda continuará hasta que las condiciones del tiempo lo permitan.

El velero, que ha aparecido en películas como “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” zarpó de Connecticut la semana pasada rumbo a St. Petersburg, en Florida, informó la directora de la Organización HMS Bounty, Tracie Simonin. Agregó que la tripulación se mantuvo constantemente en contacto con el Centro Nacional de Huracanes e intentó esquivar la tormenta.

El suboficial de la Guardia Costera Brandyn Hill dijo que 14 personas fueron rescatadas por dos helicópteros antes del amanecer del lunes.

Los sobrevivientes fueron llevados a la Estación Aérea de Elizabeth City, en la costa de Carolina del Norte.

El barco, que ha sido visitado por muchos en Puerto Rico cuando ha estado en San Juan, fue utilizado originalmente para la película “Mutiny on Bounty” (1962), con Marlon Brando.

Crew member rescued after abandoning ship dies (http://t.news.msn.com/us/crew-member-rescued-after-abandoning-ship-dies)

http://col.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/28/BEA973EC7BBD06CFFAC6F66B7EF8F_h366_w650_m6_lfalse.jpg
The HMS Bounty, a 180-foot sailboat, is seen submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy on Monday.
AP 7 hr ago

A woman rescued in the Atlantic from a tall ship caught in Hurricane Sandy has died, the Coast Guard reports.

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The Coast Guard says a woman who was rescued in the Atlantic after abandoning ship in rough weather churned up by Hurricane Sandy has died.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert says 42-year-old Claudene Christian was unresponsive when she was pulled from the water Monday evening and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Fourteen other crew members were rescued from the HMS Bounty, a replica 18th-century sailing vessel that was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" and was featured in several other films over the years.

The Coast Guard is still searching for the ship's captain.

The final hours of the HMS Bounty were as dramatic as the Hollywood adventure films she starred in, with the crew abandoning ship in life rafts as their stately craft slowly went down in the immense waves churned up by Hurricane Sandy off the North Carolina coast.

By the time the first rescue helicopter arrived, all that was visible of the replica 18th-century sailing vessel was a strobe light atop the mighty ship's submerged masts. The roiling Atlantic Ocean had claimed the rest.

The ship was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando, and it was featured in several other films over the years, including one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

The vessel left Connecticut on Thursday with a crew of 11 men and five women, ranging in age from 20 to 66. Everyone aboard knew the journey could be treacherous.

"This will be a tough voyage for Bounty," read a posting on the ship's Facebook page that showed a map of its coordinates and satellite images of the storm.

The Bounty's Facebook page reads like a ship's log of her activities, with many photos of the majestic vessel plying deep blue waters and the crew working in the rigging or keeping watch on the wood-planked deck.

As Sandy's massive size became more apparent, a post on Saturday tried to soothe any worried supporters: "Rest assured that the Bounty is safe and in very capable hands. Bounty's current voyage is a calculated decision ... NOT AT ALL ... irresponsible or with a lack of foresight as some have suggested. The fact of the matter is ... A SHIP IS SAFER AT SEA THAN IN PORT!"

But as the storm gathered strength, the Facebook posts grew grimmer. By mid-morning Monday, the last update was short and ominous: "Please bear with us ... There are so many conflicting stories going on now. We are waiting for some confirmation."

Tracie Simonin, director of the HMS Bounty Organization, said the ship tried to stay clear of Sandy's power.

"It was something that we and the captain of the ship were aware of," Simonin said.

Coast Guard video of the rescue showed crew members being loaded one by one into a basket before the basket was hoisted into the helicopter.

When they returned to the mainland, some were wrapped in blankets, still wearing the blazing red survival suits they put on to stay warm in the chilly waters.

"It's one of the biggest seas I've ever been in. It was huge out there," said Coast Guard rescue swimmer Randy Haba, who helped pluck four crew members off one of the canopied life rafts and a fifth who was bobbing alone in the waves.

A helicopter pilot said the waves appeared to be 30 feet high during the rescue. The Coast Guard said in a news release that waves in many places topped out around 18 feet.

The survivors received medical attention and were to be interviewed for a Coast Guard investigation. The Coast Guard did not make them available to reporters.

The crew member who was found unresponsive, 42-year-old Claudene Christian, was taken to a hospital in Elizabeth City, where she was listed in critical condition Monday evening.

The mother of another crew member, 20-year-old Anna Sprague, said her daughter had been aboard the HMS Bounty since May.

Mary Ellen Sprague, of Savannah, Ga., said she had spoken with her daughter twice but didn't know many details because her daughter, normally talkative and outgoing, was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"She's very upset," Sprague said by telephone.

Sprague said her daughter told her the ship's diesel engines failed, and then it started taking on water.

The crew was eager to return to St. Petersburg — and to calmer waters.

"I know they were very much looking forward to being here," said Carol Everson, general manager of the pier where the vessel docks. "They were very excited about coming down."

The Bounty's captain, Robin Walbridge, was from St. Petersburg, she said.

Wallbridge learned to sail at age 10, according to his biography on the Bounty's website. Prior to the Bounty, he served as first mate on the H.M.S. Rose — the Bounty's sister ship.

A man who answered the door at a home listed as being owned by the captain and his wife said: "Not a good time," and closed the door.

Foster said the city on Florida's Gulf Coast always considered itself the ship's home.

"We're feeling a real sense of loss as a community," he said. "We grew up with the Bounty."

Foster, who was raised in St. Petersburg, remembered the ship as a family tourist attraction along the waterfront in the 1960s and 1970s. He recalled replicas of caves, a history display and pirate-themed exhibits near the Bounty. As a teenager, he attended dances on the ship.

About 10 years ago, the ship underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration.

The ship generally travels in the spring and summer. In August, large crowds greeted it when sailing into St. Augustine, Fla., Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C.

Associated Press writers Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C.; Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Greg Schreier in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Esta foto la tomé en San Juan el 26 de diciembre pasado cuando hubo 6 cruceros a la vez y se ve parte del HMS Bounty.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k30/luisrp/SkycraperCity/IMG_3795Custom.jpg

:(

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7155695470_9fb827d46f_b.jpg
Maria Teresa Velez (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariateresa2012/7155695470/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

RIP USS Bounty...

Yo entre al HMS Bounty 1 vez y lo vi varias veces cuando vino a Puerto Rico y esta noticia me da mucha tristeza. RIP HMS Bounty, RIP Claudene Christian.

:(

2 new $350M containerships slated for PR (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/2-new-$350m-containerships-slated-for-pr-79146.html)
By CB Online Staff and wire services
cb.pr@gmail.com


A New Jersey-based shipping company says it will finance the $350 million construction of two containerships for Puerto Rico trade that will help the environment.
TOTE Inc. said Tuesday the ships will operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG), generate 71 percent less carbon dioxide than other ships and nearly eliminate particulate matter and sulfur oxides.

The company says the 764-foot-long ships will sail between Jacksonville and San Juan with one beginning in 2015 and the other in 2016.

They will be built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego and be able to accommodate five times the amount of 53-foot containers that current ships carry in Puerto Rico. TOTE, the parent of Sea Star Line, says the ships will be able to carry large amounts of refrigerated cargo, including pharmaceuticals and produce.

When completed the 764-foot-long containerships are expected to be the largest ships of any type in the world primarily powered by LNG. The contract between NASSCO and TOTE Shipholdings Inc., a subsidiary of TOTE, includes options for three additional ships.

The vessels will operate on either fuel oil or gas derived from LNG, which will significantly decrease emissions while increasing fuel efficiency as compared to conventionally-powered ships.

The LNG-powered containerships will also include a ballast water treatment system, making them the greenest ships of their size in the world.

“This investment demonstrates our commitment to the people of Puerto Rico and our environment,” Anthony Chiarello, president and CEO of TOTE said, “These vessels mark a new age of shipping using the best technology in the world.”

Construction of the first containership is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2014, with delivery to occur by the fourth quarter of 2015; the second ship will be delivered in the first quarter of 2016.

The ships will be designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), located in Busan, South Korea. The design will be based on proven containership-design standards and will include DSME's patented LNG fuel-gas system and a MAN ME-GI dual fuel slow speed engine.

NASSCO has successfully partnered with DSEC previously for the design and construction of five State-class product tankers which currently operate in the U.S. Jones Act market. All of the containerships will be constructed at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

TOTE’s maritime subsidiaries include TOTE Shipholdings, Inc., Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Sea Star Line, which provide regular marine transportation for general cargo between the continental United States and Alaska and Puerto Rico. TOTE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources, Inc., a family owned, Seattle-based holding company of freight transportation and petroleum distribution companies.

Millonaria inversión de Sea Star Line (http://www.elnuevodia.com/millonariainversiondeseastarline-1401103.html)
Su matriz invertirá $350 millones en nuevas naves


Estos barcos contenedores serán los más ecoamigables del mundo y emiten 71% menos dióxido de carbono que las naves utilizadas actualmente en la Isla.
Por Negocios / El Nuevo Día

TOTE, Inc., empresa matriz de la naviera Sea Star Line, reveló ayer que invertirá $350 millones en la construcción de dos nuevos barcos de carga para el mercado de Puerto Rico, con la posibilidad de tres naves adicionales para servicio entre Estados Unidos y la Isla.

Este acuerdo con General Dynamics Nassco –que construirá las naves– representa un importante hito tecnológico en la transportación marítima internacional, según Anthony Chiarello, presidente de TOTE Inc.

Los nuevos buques de TOTE, Inc. prometen ser los más eficientes en el mercado. El nuevo diseño acomodará cinco veces más contenedores de 53 pies que los actuales barcos en Puerto Rico y permitirá el transporte de todo tipo de productos, desde carros hasta sirope de maíz.

Los buques incluyen un volumen más grande para albergar el equipo de refrigeración, el cual es sumamente importante para asegurar que fármacos, alimentos y otros productos imprescindibles para los residentes de Puerto Rico sean entregados en la mejor condición posible.

Esto, según un comunicado emitido por la naviera, es vital para la Isla, considerando que el mercado de transporte marítimo en Puerto Rico es un componente esencial para su desarrollo económico.

Además, las naves serán los buques contenedores más ecoamigables del mundo y emiten 71% menos dióxido de carbono que las naves utilizadas actualmente en el mercado de Puerto Rico.

“Esta inversión demuestra nuestro compromiso con los ciudadanos de Puerto Rico y con el ambiente. Estas naves marcan una nueva era en la trasportación marítima, usando la mejor tecnología del mundo”, expresó Chiarello, presidente y primer oficial ejecutivo de TOTE, Inc.

La contaminación de partículas finas, será reducida en un 99%, el óxido de azufre se reducirá en un 98% y el óxido de nitrógeno en un 91%.

Se espera que estos buques, con capacidad de 3100 TEU, sean las naves más grandes en el mundo impulsadas primordialmente por gas natural líquido (LNG, por sus siglas en inglés). Ambas naves tendrán motores de dos combustibles de gas natural líquido, que sobrepasan las regulaciones actuales para aire limpio de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos.

El proceso de ensamblaje estará a cargo de General Dynamics Nassco, con sede en San Diego, y se espera que genere unos 600 empleos en astilleros de barcos en el sur de California.

Las primeras dos naves serán entregadas y entrarán en servicio para su ruta entre Jacksonville (Florida) y San Juan para el año 2015-2016.

Pregunta. De qué tamaño son los barcos *DE CARGA* más grandes que vienen a San Juan?

New shipping company to join roster, filling Gulf Coast void (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/new-shipping-company-to-join-roster-filling-gulf-coast-void-8017.html)
By : JAIME SANTIAGO
jaimes@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cb.pr@gmail.com
Edition: January 17, 2013 | Volume: 41 | No: 1

National Shipping Agencies will sail to and from Houston every other week
Puerto Rico will once again have weekly maritime cargo service from the Gulf of Mexico.

Filling the void recently left by Horizon Lines Inc., when it changed its Houston weekly service to bimonthly, National Shipping of America Inc. (NSA) will offer fortnightly service featuring fixed day of the week arrivals and departures at Houston and San Juan. Transit time will be five days between the ports.

"High service reliability will be the key differentiator," said Bill Lauderdale, one of the principals of the new venture. "Deploying the MV National Glory, a 570 TEU [20-foot equivalent container units] fully cellular 'coastwise endorsed' container ship, NSA is introducing the newest tonnage to the trade. She is powered by a slow-speed diesel main engine. The vessel has 96 refrigerated plugs and can accommodate 20', 40', and 45' ISO containers. Out of gauge and project cargo is well within the capability of the National Glory."

Founded by Dr. C.C. Chen in 2005, NSA was formed with the intention of developing domestic ocean transportation routes for the U.S. A pioneer in short sea shipping and founder of Wan Hai Lines in 1962, Dr. Chen assembled a seasoned team of maritime executives with a rich history of experience from leading container operators such as APL and Crowley.

NSA's new service will operate between Houston and San Juan. It will utilize a private Houston terminal to provide a flexible range of service options, including transloading between domestic trailers and rail cars to NSA containers. The terminal offers on-dock rail and large covered warehouses to transfer bulk cargoes, both dry and liquid.

...

America Cruise Ferries viajará a San Juan en Semana Santa y verano (http://www.vocero.com/america-cruise-ferries-viajara-a-san-juan-en-semana-santa-y-verano/)
21 de enero de 2013 - Negocios, Puerto Rico - Redacción, EL VOCERO
Marine Express informó que durante la temporada de Semana Santa y para la temporada de verano, realizará sus tres viajes semanales a San Juan en vez de Mayagüez.
EL VOCERO


Néstor González, Chief Operating Officer de Marine Express, Inc., compañía que agencia y promueve a America Cruise Ferries, informó que el ferry tendrá un ajuste temporero en su itinerario para las temporadas de Semana Santa y para la temporada de verano 2013. “El servicio continuará con sus tres viajes semanales como hasta ahora. Sin embargo, el viaje que se realiza los miércoles a Mayagüez, se realizará a San Juan durante la temporada de Semana Santa los días 27 de marzo y 3 de abril. Para la temporada de verano 2013, los viajes de miércoles que se realizarán por la ruta de San Juan y no de Mayagüez serán los días 5, 12, 19 y 26 de junio; 3, 10, 17, 24 y 31 de julio y el 7 de agosto. Posterior a dichas temporadas continuaremos con nuestro viaje de miércoles a Mayagüez”, indicó González García.

Este cambio se debe al volumen de pasajeros que inician sus viajes de pasajeros desde el Puerto de San Juan, durante la temporada vacacional. “El público ha demostrado un alto interés en originar sus viajes a República Dominicana desde San Juan, en las épocas de vacaciones, en respuesta a esta solicitud hemos realizado este cambio de puerto de atraque en las fechas mencionadas solamente”, indico Eric González, vicepresidente de la compañía.

...

Cambios para el ‘ferry’ (http://www.elnuevodia.com/cambiosparaelferry-1431626.html)
La embarcación realizará varias salidas desde San Juan hacia Santo Domingo


El ajuste responde al volumen de turistas que viaja a Dominicana desde San Juan.
Por Negocios / El Nuevo Día

Néstor González, principal oficial de operaciones de Marine Express, Inc., compañía que agencia a America Cruise Ferries, Inc., informó que el ferry de Puerto Rico a República Dominicana tendrá un ajuste temporero en su itinerario para las temporadas de Semana Santa y verano 2013.

“El servicio continuará con sus tres viajes semanales como hasta ahora. Sin embargo, el viaje que se realiza los miércoles a Mayagüez se realizará a San Juan durante la temporada de Semana Santa los días 27 de marzo y 3 de abril. Para la temporada de verano 2013, los viajes de miércoles que se realizarán por la ruta de San Juan, y no de Mayagüez, serán los días 5, 12, 19 y 26 de junio; 3, 10, 17, 24 y 31 de julio y el 7 de agosto. Posterior a dichas temporadas, continuaremos con nuestro viaje de miércoles a Mayagüez”, indicó González.

...

Op-Ed: Jones Act shackles Puerto Rico (http://newsismybusiness.com/op-ed-jones-act-shackles-puerto-rico/)

Written by Contributor // February 14, 2013 // Biz Views

The government of Jamaica announced Tuesday that the World Bank has agreed to provide technical assistance in respect of preparing a master plan to create a Caribbean logistics hub in anticipation of completion of the Panama Canal Expansion Project in 2015.

This plan would build upon current trends whereby maritime traffic is shifting from Puerto Rico to its main competitor Jamaica and takes advantage of the Jones Act restrictions on Puerto Rico.

The proposed Jamaica logistics hub would act as a transshipment point for the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts akin to the other major maritime transportation centers elsewhere in the world, notably, Rotterdam, Singapore and Dubai.

“It costs an estimated $3,063 to ship a twenty-foot container of household and commercial goods from the East Coast of the United States to Puerto Rico; the same shipment costs $1,504 to nearby Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and $1,687 to Kingston (Jamaica) — destinations that are not subject to Jones Act restrictions,” explained the New York Fed.

...

Se acabó de morir el PLA.

Y el puerto de Ponce? Bien gracias. El último clavo del ataud.

Quién no vino esto venir millas atrás? No digo que específicamente en Jamaica, pero esto es globalización chicos. Que viva el ELA!

Recuerden que el mantiene esta atadura colonial es Washington, si a Washington le da la gana mañana mismo quita la ley jones.


El problema aqui es que PR no ha formado un frente comun de todos los sectores del pais para ir a Washington y exigir que se acaben las leyes de cabotaje.


Mas aun PR debe introducir una demanda a nivel federal por Discriminacion de Mercado contra el Gobierno de Estados Unidos.


La discriminacion de mercado se adjutica cuando un ciudadano americano de alguna jurisdiccion estadounidense no recibe el mismo trato que por derecho de ciudadania merece, en aspectos de indole mercantil.

Con ese argumento se pide la estadidad de una vez :lol:

Old San Juan cruise ship harbor to get $7M dredge (http://newsismybusiness.com/old-san-juan-cruise-ship-harbor-to-get-7m-dredge/)

Written by Michelle Kantrow (http://newsismybusiness.com/author/mkantrow/) // February 25, 2013 //

http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/muelle-31-300x173.jpg (http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/muelle-31.jpg)
Plans specifically call for preparing the entrance into Pier 3 to accommodate cruise ships carrying 5,000 or more passengers. (Credit: © Mauricio Pascual)

Old San Juan’s cruise ship harbor is up for a significant dredge and upgrade this summer, when the Puerto Rico Ports Authority plans to invest some $7 million to get the area ready for bigger vessels, Executive Director Víctor Suárez said during a recent interview.
Plans specifically call for preparing the entrance into Pier 3 to accommodate cruise ships carrying 5,000 or more passengers, he said.
“We’re expecting important announcements from several cruise lines this summer, for journeys in 2014,” he said, noting new activity would be in addition to Disney Cruise Line’s announcement earlier this month.
On Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 4 and 11, 2014, the impressive Disney Magic — one of four comprising the Disney Cruise Line fleet — will sail out of the San Juan homeport, marking what could be the beginning of a longer-term relationship with Puerto Rico.
...

Aquí está la razón específica para ese dragado. Sin eso Royal Caribbean no trae sus barcos Allure y Oasis of the Seas y por otro lado eso depende de que se logre la APP del aeropuerto que a la hora que publico esto no se ha anunciado oficialmente pero todo luce como que ya es una realidad.

Oasis-class up in the air
Edition: February 21, 2013 | Volume: 41 | No: 6

Despite previous reports citing former Puerto Rico Tourism Co. Executive Director Luis Rivera Marín saying the arrival of Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships was a "done deal," there may be a bit of a snafu. It turns out that, according to reports, Royal Caribbean is demanding an investment from the Ports Authority to the tune of $7 million before it brings its plus-sized cruiseships to the island.

Resto de la noticia (http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/oasis-class-up-in-the-air-8147.html)

Este dragado es primordial. Ojala y el Gobierno le de prioridad. El impacto economico que traerian estos nuevos cruceros es enorme y sobrepasa la inversion.

Bueno ya la noticia salio de que si haran el dragado.

CROWLEY TO INVEST $400 MILLION (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/ports-authority-to-invest-$110-million-in-regional-airports-8487.html)

Another area Ports is working on is optimizing cargo transport. The agency is in late negotiations with shipping carrier Crowley Maritime Corp., which plans to invest about $400 million in the Puerto Rico market, Suárez revealed. Out of the total investment, $75 million will be allocated toward improvements to infrastructure, while the rest is slated for new cargo ships, all with the intention of cutting overall transit time by half. About 150 direct jobs are expected to be created along the way.

"[Crowley's] aim is to turn Puerto Rico into an exports hub for the Caribbean region," Suárez said, adding that other shipping companies are also currently in negotiations with Ports, but they are too early to announce yet. Numbers released by the agency in April showed a 26% increase in cargo traffic in the San Juan harbor during late 2012 and early 2013.

Work on the Pier 16 dry dock is also a pressing matter for Ports, which is currently in negotiations with an unnamed company to develop the site as a ship repair facility under a public-private partnership (P3) model. The company will make inspections on the site May 15, Suárez said, after which it is expected to make a proposal with an investment expected in the $10 million range. The project is also slated to create about 100 jobs. When pressed, he only said it was a U.S. company with subsidiaries in Puerto Rico. The removal of debris at Pier 16, unused since 2002, has already begun, the Ports director added.

...

La noticia de Caribbean Business tiene un error para variar. Quantum of the Seas no es Oasis Class. Ese barco va a ser más pequeño que Oasis/Allure y similar a Freedom class. Es una clase nueva llamada (DUH!) Quantum class.