Avondale, Louisiana -- T-AO 204, the 15th in a seriesof 16 fleet replenishment oilers Avondale is building for the U.S. Navy, was christenedthe RAPPAHANNOCK in ceremonies in Avondale's Main Yard on Saturday, January 14, 1995, at10 a.m. The launching and christening ceremony marked another milestone in the Navy'scontinuing efforts to protect the environment, as RAPPAHANNOCK is the second Navy shipdesigned and constructed to satisfy the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 1990). As a resultof a contract modification executed with Avondale, the final three ships in the Avondaleseries -- T-AO 201, T-AO 204, and T-AO 203 -- are being built to a double-hullconfiguration. The first double-hull, T-AO 201, was christened PATUXENT at Avondale in1994. The Sponsor of RAPPAHANNOCK was Mrs. Victoria Reggie Kennedy, a native of Louisiana,and the wife of United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who served asthe Principal Speaker at the christening. Remarks were delivered by the Honorable John H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy; RearAdmiral John H. McKinley, Jr., United States Naval Reserve, Commander, Military SealiftCommand, Europe (Mobilization); and Rear Admiral Edward S. McGinley, II, United StatesNavy, Vice Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. RAPPAHANNOCK, like her sister ships in the T-AO Class, is 677.5 feet long, has a beamof 97.5 feet, and a maximum draft of 36 feet. The new ship takes its name from a riverthat originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia, is joined by its maintributary, the Rapidan River, near Fredricksburg and then flows southeast 212 miles intothe Chesapeake Bay. The Rappahannock River region is significant in the early history of our nation, richin Colonial heritage and full of legend and lore. Early settlers initially clashed withIndians in the area, but later developed a flourishing merchant trade with the tribes suchas the Powhatans and Manahoac. The RAPPAHANNOCK is in fact an Indian name meaning"ebb and flow stream," or tidal river. The river was a focal point for early settlers and explorers who pushed westward acrossthe Blue Ridge Mountains and into Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. During the Civil War, theRappahannock River was a strategic factor during maneuvers of the Union and Confederatearmies. T-AO 204 will join the fleet with a name that is indelibly inscribed in ourAmerican history and bring strength and substance to glorious Navy traditions. Mr. Albert L. Bossier, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Avondale Industries, Inc.,welcomed all distinguished guests to the christening ceremony. Commander James L. Jenkins,United States Navy, Resident Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Avondale, Louisiana, introducedthe speakers. The Maid of Honor was Miss Caroline Raclin, daughter of the Sponsor, Mrs. Kennedy. TheMatron of Honor was Mrs. Kennedy's sister, Alecia Reggie Freysinger, who resides in NewOrleans. Captain Roger W. Pace, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy, delivered theInvocation. The Flower Girl for the ceremony was Miss Diana June Livaudais, daughter of Mr. RobertLivaudais, who works in Avondale's Electrical Engineering Department. Traditionally, theFlower Girls at Avondale christenings are the daughters of Avondale employees.Presentation of Colors was performed by representatives of the Naval Support Activity ofNew Orleans, and the Sideboys were provided by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversionand Repair, New Orleans. Music was performed by the Navy Band New Orleans. The mission of RAPPAHANNOCK and the other fleet oilers of the class is to transportbulk products from shore depots to combatants and support forces underway. The ships alsocarry limited fleet freight, cargo, water, mail, and personnel. Several of Avondale's T-AOships have played integral roles in most of our country's major military operationsworldwide over the past several years. The new ship has a cargo capacity of 159,000 barrels of oil and is capable ofsimultaneously receiving, storing and discharging two separate grades of cargo fuel. Allcargo pump and valve operations, and the ship's segregated ballast system, are manipulatedfrom the Cargo Control Center, located in the aft superstructure. The Control Center hasan overview of the entire underway-replenishment deck. Cargo-underway-replenishment isaccomplished using transfer rigs with transfer hoses suspended in a constant tensionrange. The T-AO vessels are also capable of refueling helicopters from a verticalreplenishment facility aft of the accommodation house. Powered by twin 10-cylinder, medium-speed diesel engines, RAPPAHANNOCK is capable ofservice speeds of 20 knots. The twin-screw propeller design provides the vessels withimproved directional stability, ease of control, and mission reliability under combatconditions. Smiplistically stated, the double-hull configuration consists essentially of inner andouter concentric hulls. All cargo fuel tanks and all ship's fuel tanks located in thecargo block are separated from the shell by the double, or inner, hull. The separationbetween the outer and inner hulls is no less than 1.83 meters (6.01 feet) on the sides and1.98 meters (6.5 feet) on the bottom. Externally, the double-hull T-AO appears identicalto the earlier versions of the ships. Installation of the double hull, however, resulted in a loss of cargo capacity ofapproximately 29,600 barrels, or 15.7 percent. In a case of national emergency, the lostcargo oil capacity can be restored by use of certain ballast tanks which have been fittedwith the requisite piping and valving. The OPA-90 requirements were precipitated primarily by the EXXON VALDEZ incident andsubsequent oil spills which highlighted the need for redesign of ships transportingpetroleum products. Further, it has been mandated that all tankers entering U.S. water beequipped with double hulls by the year 2015. Because the T-AO series of ships is expectedto exceed 30 years, it was decided that they should be constructed to satisfy the OPA-90requirements. It should be noted that the U.S. Government was not required to meet thedouble-hull standard but has done so. In summary, RAPPAHANNOCK (T-AO 204) represents the latest in approved double-hulldesign engineered to provide the maximum environmental safety during her operational life.The new ship is scheduled for delivery to the Navy later this year. One previous Navy ship (1917-1924) has borne the name RAPPAHANNOCK. The ship served inthe Naval Overseas Transportation Service during World War I, and later operated as astoreship (AF-6) during the early 1920s. The ship was decommissioned in 1924 and her namestruck from the Navy list in 1933. Avondale Industries, Inc., headquartered in New Orleans, is one of the leading marinefabricators in the nation, active in the construction, repair, and conversion ofoceangoing vessels. In addition, the parent company manufactures boats and builds a widerange of non-marine and industrial facilities and components for land-based plants.