SIU members are sailing aboard the recently reflagged tanker Pohang Pioneer – an outright addition to the Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) fleet.
Built in 2018 by Dae Sun Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. in Korea, the shallow-draft vessel is 357 feet long, has a beam of 59 feet and can sail at around 18 knots. It previously sailed under the Panamanian flag before hoisting the Stars and Stripes this fall.
“The ship is in good condition,” said Bosun Ahmed Mohammed Ghaleb. “Our run is between Japan and Korea. The food is great and the crew is happy.”
Joining the bosun as some of the first crew members aboard the reflagged vessel (operated by U.S. Marine Management for MLL) were ABs Ahmed Kassem, Larry Rawlins and Hiten Shrimankar, QE2 Alex-Stephen Amarra, QE3 Jose Bonita, QE3 James Rodweller, Chief Steward Rudy Lopez and Chief Cook Steven Johnson.
“The union appreciates this opportunity for additional work and, as always, I’m totally confident that the membership will live up to their consistent level of top-notch performance and professionalism aboard the Pohang Pioneer,” said SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker. MLL was established in 1983 to support the conversion and operation of five maritime prepositioning ships on behalf of the United States Navy. Today, the company owns more than 20 U.S.-flag ships operating around the world to support the United States with military, government, and humanitarian missions.
MLL participates in both the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) and the related Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA).
###
Comments are closed.