MV Transpacific (2006 - 2012), also known as Bonito (2002 - 2006), also known as Turcas II (2001 - 2002), also known as Nikolay Shalavin (2001)[1] is an oil tanker under long-term charter to the United States Military Sealift Command (MSC).[3] As part of MSC's Sealift Program, the Transpacific transports fuel for the U.S. Department of Defense.[3] Small and having shallow-draft, the Transpacific is known as a T-1 equivalent tanker, and moves petroleum products intra-theater in between Japan, Korea and The Marshall Islands.[3]
The Transpacific was chartered from November 19, 2006 to September 30, 2008 on a daily rate of $18,848 under contract number N00033-06-C-5409.[4]
From 2001 to 2002 the ship was known as MT Turcas II.[1] It was sold on March 15, 2002 to Swedish company Donsötank for $9.5 million.[8][9] Donsö Shipping KB owned the ship, then known as MT Bonito, until 2006.[1] In 2006, the ship was bought by the company Goldcup D 1862 AB.[1] TransAtlantic Lines LLC then bought it for $13,000,000.[10]
From 2001 to 2006, the ship was operated by the company Rederi AB Donsötank,[1]
and registered in Sweden.[1]
Sealift charter
On July 20, 2006, the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command announced the charter for the Transpacific.[11] The charter, which commenced October 1, 2006, is a one-year firm-fixed-price contract of $6,879,520 with additional reimbursables.[11] The contract includes three additional one-year option periods and one 11-month option period which can total $25,589,458 plus additional reimbursables.[11]
In each charter period, the government has the right to cancel after 60 days with 10 days notice.[11] After each initial 60-day period, the government can cancel the charter with 30 days notice.[11] The end of the base period of the charter is September 2007, and the charter will last until August 2011 if all options are exercised.[11] This contract was competitively procured with more than 85 proposals solicited and three offers received.[11]
The charter had previously been held by MV Montauk, operated by Sealift Incorporated.[12] Sealift Incorporated protested the charter award with the Government Accounting Office (GAO), claiming that TransAtlantic Lines understated its fuel-consumption costs.[13] The GAO denied this protest, as well as an additional technical complaint about what business entity actually employed crewmembers.[13]
Legal issues
On October 27, 2006 the District Court of Guam ordered TransAtlantic Lines to post a cash security of $310,000 to take possession of the vessel from Guam Industrial Services.[14][failed verification] TransAtlantic Lines posted the bond and took possession of the ship.[14]
Route and cargo
TransPacific works primarily in shallow-draft ports near Japan and Korea.
New York[1]
