NOAA ends VT Halter contract

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - NOAA terminated its latest contract with VT Halter Marine for a 110-foot ocean and coastal mapping vessel, the SWATH Ferdinand R. Hassler. The vessel is 98 percent complete and has undergone sea trials in the Gulf. But a dispute with NOAA over how much weight the vessel could carry has led to an impasse and NOAA executed an option to terminate the contract. Halter CEO Bill Skinner said they are still trying to work through the issue, but there's a possibility someone else will finish the job. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/13/10)