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Maersk Nebraska [ex-Chesapeake Bay, ex Tillie Lykes]

First American Bulk Corporation owns the former Tillie and Tyson Lykes vessels that are deployed on the US-north Europe service. These vessels are US-flagged and part of the Maritime Security Fleet. M/V Chesapeake Bay [ex Tillie Lykes] is one of the large container ships initially owned by Lykes Lines.

On July 10, 2000 Acting Maritime Administrator John E. Graykowski consented to the merger of Farrell Lines Inc. and P & O Nedlloyd Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of P & O Nedlloyd Limited (PONL). Two MSP vessels, CHESAPEAKE BAY and DELAWARE BAY, owned by First American Bulk Carriers Corp. will continue to operate under existing time charters with Farrell.

Spurred into business by their physician father, Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes, the seven brothers embodied the entrepreneurial fervor that swept the post-Civil War South. Tillie Lykes was the only sister of the seven Lykes brothers. The roots of Lykes Bros. Inc., began in the late 1800s when Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes gave up his medical practice to raise cattle and citrus at the family homestead in rural Hernando county. Family patriarch Howell Tyson Lykes built his fortune at the turn of the century ferrying cattle from Tampa to Cuba after the Spanish- American War. Lykes' hierarchy adheres to a simple slogan -- words first uttered by Dr. Lykes to his sons: "Stick together whatever you do, and take care of your sister." Since Joseph Lykes, the last of the siblings, died in 1967 at age 79, the Tampa-based company has jettisoned its shipping business.

An earlier vessel, the "S.S. Tillie Lykes", was torpedoed off the Yucatan Peninsula in 1942. The C2 types were designed by the United States Maritime Commission in 1937-38 They were all-purpose cargo ships. The National Eagle (I) laid down as, completed as Tyson Lykes, C2-S-AJ1. A later namesake, the "S.S. Tyson Lykes" was initially named the SS Main [keel laid July 1,1974, launched May 24,1975, delivered April 27, 1976]. This was the largest ship built in Maine to date. The lead ship of Class, it reached 25 knots on trials. After serveing in the Far East, in 1979 the ship was sold to Lykes Lines and renamed TYSON LYKES. Continued service in the Far East. Returned to the United States and assigned to reserve in 1986. Later transferred to the American President Line and renamed CAPE INSCRIPTION, TAKR 5076.

As of late 1995 the Tyson Lykes [ex Delaware Bay] and the Tillie Lykes, were owned by First American Bulk Carrier Corp. First American chartered the ships to Topgallant. Topgallant declared bankruptcy in December 1989. The ships were arrested in Germany to satisfy creditors of Topgallant. When the ships, renamed and rechartered, returned to Charleston in 1990, the Charleston Ports Authority asserted its liens against them, and First American offered a letter of undertaking in October 1990 to avoid the arrest of the ships in Charleston. The court held that dockage, wharfage and harbor master fees constituted enforceable maritime liens, but that the container-related charges did not. The Fourth Circuit held that a maritime lien did not arise in favor of the lessee because the containers were furnished to the vessels' charterer rather than to the vessels themselves.

On 30 July 1997, Canadian Pacific Ltd. completed its U.S.$34 million purchase of Lykes Bros. Steamship Co.'s brand name, organization, containers, contracts, routes and financial responsibility. Canadian Pacific will operate it as Lykes Lines Ltd., and will charter six containerships and two other vessels. The containerships are U.S.-registry and are owned and operated by with U.S. citizens. They include four of Lykes' former Pacific-class ships of 2,800 TEU capacity, owned and operated by Sea Crews II. The two Oceanus-class, of 2,500-TEU capacity, are included as well. All sail between Northern Europe and the United States. Also on charter, from First American Bulk Carrier Corp., are the Tillie Lykes and the Tyson Lykes, sailing berween southern Africa and the United States. Lykes Lines will charter ships for service between the Mediterranean and the United States as well.

In August 1997 the US Maritime Administration ruled that the First American Bulk Carrier Corp could keep chartering ships to the new owners of former US line Lykes, Canadian Pacific-owned Sea Crews II. The arrangement between the labor-owned corporation and the liner operator had been in question because MarAd had rejected Lykes request to transfer operating subsidies. MarAd said FABC can charter two US-flagged vessels, the Tyson Lykes and the Tillie Lykes, to Canadian Pacific.

Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater affirmed MarAd's 20 June 1997 decision denying Lykes Bros.'s petition to transfer its Operating Differential Subsidy and Maritime Security Program (MSP) payments to Canadian Pacific Ltd. (CP). Sea Crews II, as Lykes would be known under Chapter 11 reorganization, and the National Maritime Union petitioned the Secretary's review. "The principal issue in this decision was real control and independence from foreign influence. Ships benefiting from the Maritime Security Program must be controlled by United States citizens. These ships, without question, must be available in time of national emergency or war," said Secretary Slater. MarAd then released a decision saying that the transfer of modified time charters of First American Bulk Carrier Corp.-owned ships Tillie Lykes and Tyson Lykes to Lykes Lines Ltd. would be allowed after Lykes Bros. Steamship's reorganization plan under Chapter 11. MarAd said the transfer of the modified time charters would not convey excessive control of the shipowner to non-citizens since these charters differ significantly from the charters originally proposed. The vessels can be chartered through 1998, with the following conditions: the time charterer cannot force the sale of the vessels or effectively control labor agreement negotiations; the shipowner retains OPA 90 liability; the charter hire is a set amount, subject to adjustment which does not constitute a pass-through of owner's cost; and the shipowner is an existing company, actively managing the vessels, and not precluded from taking on additional unrelated business.

On November 2, 1998 the Maritime Administration approved Chrysler Corporation's request to restructure two subsidiaries' beneficial ownership rights in several vessels. Chrysler had requested the approvals as a result of its business combination with Daimler-Benz, A.G. The subsidiaries are Chrylser Capital Corp. and Chrysler Financial Corp. and its successor, Chrysler Financial Company, L.L.C. The action affects six vessels, each of which is documented in the name of a banking institution owner trustee. The ships are the SEA-LAND FREEDOM, SEA-LAND EXPRESS, SEA-LAND PACIFIC, SEA-LAND ENTERPRISE, SEA-LAND ENDURANCE and TILLIE LYKES.

In August 2000, the Delaware Bay, owned by First American Bulk Corporation (FABC) and on charter to Farrell Lines, was carrying USAID food aid cargo bound for Bar, Montenegro, as well as military cargo destined for Israel and Egypt. According to accounts, approximately seven armed Yugoslav soldiers boarded the vessel. The armed Yugoslav military personnel who boarded the Delaware Bay believed the vessel had offloaded ammunition and arms in Albania. They demanded the ship be diverted to a Yugoslavian military port, but the Master refused, citing the falseness of the accusations. The agent for Farrell Lines in Genoa was contacted, and paid out to the Yugoslavian Army-Navy Headquarters 6,800 Deutsch marks (approximately $3,200). Shortly after the payment was received, the Delaware Bay was released. The Chesapeake Bay, a sister ship to the Delaware Bay, was scheduled to arrive in the Adriatic Sea on September 15 and took special precautions to ensure that its name and U.S. registry are visible.

A.P. Møller-Maersk announced in early 2006 that it had changed the names of the P&O Nedlloyd (PONL) and Farrell Lines vessels it acquired as part of the summer 2005 takeover of its former competitor. In a statement, Maersk said the new Maersk Line network would be fully implemented by June 2006. In the meantime, the company announced the following vessel name changes:

• Endeavor to Maersk Vermont
• Endurance to Maersk Maryland
• Enterprise to Maersk Maine
• Delaware Bay to Maersk Nevada
• Chesapeake Bay to Maersk Nebraska
• PONL Buenos Aires to Maersk Texas effective 23 May 2006
• PONL Vera Cruz to Maersk Louisiana with an effective date to be announced.