Working Conditions Aboard the Transshelf

The USS Fitzgerald, a guided-missile destroyer that suffered damage from a collision, has successfully departed Yokosuka, Japan, on December 9. This crucial voyage, intended for repairs and upgrades at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, was initially thwarted due to a flawed loading operation. The massive heavy lift vessel, Transshelf, carried the USS Fitzgerald, which had made a prior attempt to leave on November 23. Unfortunately, that effort was aborted when two new punctures were discovered in the ship’s hull, resulting from the Transshelf's steel support structure during the loading process. The Navy selected Huntington Ingalls Industries for this important repair project, citing their capability to restore the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the shortest timeframe possible. While specifics such as the project timeline, scope, and budget remain unfinalized, the complexity of the restoration demanded that only a specialized shipbuilder should undertake the work. For additional information, including multimedia content, please visit: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/12/09/fitzgerald-finally-departs-japan-repairs-mississippi.html

In a troubling development for the U.S. Navy, the USS Fitzgerald encountered additional damage on November 26, 2017, while being loaded onto the heavy-lift vessel, Transshelf, for its journey to Mississippi for critical repairs. The guided-missile destroyer was towed into deep waters on November 24, initiating the loading process, when two punctures were inflicted on the hull by the steel support structure of the Transshelf. Consequently, the Fitzgerald had to return to its home port in Yokosuka, Japan, to address these new issues. The ongoing repairs are expected to prolong the loading procedure by several days. Once the Fitzgerald is prepared, it will embark on a journey to Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where it will undergo extensive repairs and upgrades. Before this mishap, the USS Fitzgerald had already undergone several minor enhancements, including de-watering, de-fueling, and key structural repairs, with essential systems put in lay-up maintenance. For a detailed report complete with video coverage, please visit the links: http://www.newsweek.com/crippled-us-warship-more-damage-heads-repairs-722959 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AalbxJtlLBE.

On September 6, 2017, Boskalis Westminster announced its contract to facilitate the transportation of the USS Fitzgerald, a destroyer that sustained severe damage following a collision with the container vessel ACX Crystal in the Bay of Tokyo on June 17. The USS Fitzgerald is set to be transported back to the United States, specifically to Pascagoula, using the heavy transport vessel Transshelf, operated by Boskalis subsidiary Dockwise. This significant operation, which is estimated to cost $50 million, will see the warship loaded in Yokosuka before making its journey back home.