Kochi, February 28, 2006 (The Hindu)

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) launched a bulk carrier for the Clipper Group of Bahamas, a tug for Jeddah Port Authority, Saudi Arabia and a platform supply vessel for Sea Tanker Management Group, Norway, on Tuesday.

The Clipper group vessel was named Clipper Target by its Godmother Bernadette Christie, wife of the Prime Minister of Bahamas. She welcomed the vessel as the newest entry in Bahamian registry and said that she was delighted to be in `God's Own Country.'

The new ship was an added link between the peoples of India and the Bahamas, she said.

Ms. Christie told the gathering at the function that marked the launches that she looked forward to experiencing "a little Venice in India."

Vice-Admiral S. C. S. Bangara, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, was the chief guest at the launch of the vessels. Chairman and Managing Director of the CSL M. Jitendran and senior officials of the yard were present at the function.

Clipper Target is a 30,000-DWT bulk carrier and is part of an order for six vessels placed by the Bahamas group. The platform supply vessel launched on Tuesday was part of an order for eight such vessels and the fire-fighting tug was part of an order for nine vessels.

Comde. Jitendran said that the delivery of the vessels once again underscored the coming of age of the CSL that was now capable of delivering quality vessels on time. He said that it was enterprise and diehard spirit of the workers that had achieved this.

The Shipyard plans to set up ancillary units to augment shipbuilding and improve the rate of production. Expression of interest had been invited for block building.

It has already commenced work on the aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy, the first one to be built indigenously.