On a related note, why the heck can not the US compete in shipbuilding?? I understand the labor cost savings in Asia, but even the high cost Europeans are building ships! Here almost none aside from military, oil field boats, tugs, recreational.
How did this happen?
You say none aside from and then list quite a few. There's a lot of ship and boat building in the US so I'm not sure in what area you're saying we can't compete.
Now there is one area we do have a significant difference and that is in capitalizing and financing a business. We do not have individuals or companies willing to invest in boat or ship building. The Chouest family is a big example of what we need more of. They have many shipbuilding yards and then own ACY and Westport as well. When Edson wanted to see Westport, he was lucky to find a person who could afford it without incurring debt and could afford to keep building it. By comparison, other sales have been to venture capitalists and largely financed through debt.
Much of the money for such endeavors is in China. When huge yacht builders in Europe have been sold, it has been to Chinese industrialists. Note, not venture capitalists, not investment companies. Industrialists for whom it was just another business and didn't stretch them at all. We don't have that type industrialist in the US and we haven't encouraged Chinese investment.
What type ships specifically are you speaking of?
Agree. The article sounds like an appeal to emotion and patriotism (for money).What a financial disaster refurbishing that old ship would be! All of its interior was long ago stripped.
Specifically, large merchant vessels and cruise ships. Merchant vessels seem to be all Asian, with smaller ones European. I think all the recent large cruise ships have been European (???). Whether the funding for European shipyards comes from Asian investors or not, does not seem to be a big deal to me. It is still an expensive place to do such building, yet they somehow make it work. I'm surprised the cruise ship building business has not gone to Asia (yet???).
I have not done my homework prior to commenting, just going off gut feel. Don't know of such scale (commercial) shipbuilding going on stateside. Certainly capable yards building large military ships, but that seems about it.
Please do not misunderstand me and be sure there is nothing pretentious in my comment.Specifically, large merchant vessels and cruise ships. Merchant vessels seem to be all Asian, with smaller ones European. I think all the recent large cruise ships have been European (???). Whether the funding for European shipyards comes from Asian investors or not, does not seem to be a big deal to me. It is still an expensive place to do such building, yet they somehow make it work. I'm surprised the cruise ship building business has not gone to Asia (yet???).
I have not done my homework prior to commenting, just going off gut feel. Don't know of such scale (commercial) shipbuilding going on stateside. Certainly capable yards building large military ships, but that seems about it.
Please do not misunderstand me and be sure there is nothing pretentious in my comment.
Maybe the reason why cruise ships are built in europe is craftsmanship.
As an example French are known for their luxury products and their competencies in luxury cruise ship. I guess it is very different to build a container ship and a cruise ship.
L
Well to illustrate what I was trying to say I will use cars as an example.Come on!!! We build the worlds BEST AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND WE CANNOT BUILD THE WORLDS BEST CRUISE SHIPS???? REALLY???
Please do not misunderstand me and be sure there is nothing pretentious in my comment.
Maybe the reason why cruise ships are built in europe is craftsmanship.
As an example French are known for their luxury products and their competencies in luxury cruise ship. I guess it is very different to build a container ship and a cruise ship.
L
The US Navy cost overruns are breathtaking.
This is not a great way to construct anything that requires profitability.
So yeah, being that the only cruise ship built in my lifetime in the US, Pride of America, was subsidized by the government, and still had to be towed to and finished in Germany, pretty much proves that the US cannot build cruise ships.
I'm ex US Navy. Submarines. I'm not being judgemental, I'm just stating truths.
The problem isn't in design or engineering, it's in contract execution and project management.