MV Jean Anne underway

MV Jean Anne underway

New jobs for AMO members as car carrier begins Jones Act service to Hawaiian Islands

      The new car carrier MV Jean Anne entered service in the Jones Act trades between California and the Hawaiian islands after being christened March 21.
     Interocean Ugland Management operates the Jean Anne for Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, a joint venture between the Pasha Group and Strong Vessel Operators, and American Maritime Officers represents all licensed officers working aboard the ship.
     Built to meet the needs of the automotive manufacturing, rental car, privately-owned vehicle, over-sized and rolling stock markets, the Jean Anne is the first pure car and truck carrier to be built in the U.S. and the first such vessel to serve this particular trade, according to the Pasha Group.
     "We recognized when we started this project of building the first U.S.-built roll-on/roll-off carrier for the Jones Act trades that we were embarking on a long and challenging journey," said George Pasha IV, president of Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, during the christening at the Port of San Diego.
     "We've started the beginning of a new chapter--the long and successful operating life of the motor vessel Jean Anne and for all hands that will ably serve alongside her," Pasha said.
     Nickel van Reesema, president of Strong Vessel Operators and chief operating officer for Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, cited the role of American maritime laws in bringing this project to fruition.
     He credited the Jones Act--the U.S. cabotage law requiring that all waterborne cargo transported directly between points in the U.S. be shipped aboard vessels built in the U.S., crewed by American citizens, and owned and operated by American companies--for supporting the trade in which the Jean Anne operates.
     "I don't feel the Jones Act is a subsidy scheme," van Reesema said. "If you have a factory in Detroit and you make cars you have U.S. citizens working there. This is the same.
     "Another law that we have, another program, is the Title XI program," he said. "That allows people to arrange financing. We've made use of that and I'm very grateful to the Maritime Administration for supporting us."
     He also cited the significance of the officers and crew in the vessel's successful operation.
     "This crew has been on an older ship that we own, the Strong Virginian," van Reesema said. "We ran that ship for 10 years with this crew that's onboard the Jean Anne and in those 10 years we had 1 1-2 day unscheduled off-hire. That's thanks to this crew of this ship."
     Now named the Virginian, the heavylift vessel referred to by van Reesema is operated by Sealift Inc. and manned in all licensed positions by AMO.
     The 580-foot Jean Anne has a carrying capacity of 3,000 vehicles with 387,000 square feet of deck space. The ship is providing regular service between her homeport in National City, Calif. and ports on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu.

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