The "as built" EDWIN F. HOLMES, one of eight identical bulk carriers. Photo by Louis Pesha from the William S. Carmen collection courtesy of Paul C. LaMarre III.

The Great Lakes Steamship Society was founded in 2010 with the key goal of preserving the J.B. FORD, originally the 1904-vintage iron ore bulk carrier E.F. HOLMES commissioned for the Commonwealth Shipping Company. She was built by American Shipbuilding Company in Lorain, Ohio, measured 440 by 50 feet and was powered by Scotch boiler-fired triple expansion steam engines that produced 1,500 shaft horsepower.

The E.C. COLLINS, ex HOLMES. Tom Manse and Paul C. Lamarre Jr. collection.

In 1916, the HOLMES was sold to the Pittsburgh Steamship Company and after some minor structural modifications, renamed E. C. COLLINS. In 1944, she was traded to Kinsman for service as a grain carrier, lasting until 1956, when she was sold to the Huron Cement Company.

J.B FORD. Photo and copyright Roger LeLievre.

After a two year layup, the ship was converted into a self-unloading cement carrier.  Renamed J.B. FORD in 1959, she commenced her new service, lasting until 1985. She was subsequently used as a storage ship, first at South Chicago and then from 2001 at Superior, Wisconsin. In 2008, the J.B. FORD became redundant and faces the likely prospect of being sold for demolition.

The ship is a rare remnant of a once vast fleet of turn-of-the-twentieth-century lakers.  Her vintage hull and many of her structural elements, woodwork and steam machinery remain the same.  The FORD also, quite remarkably, survived both the 1905 “Mataafa Storm” and the 1913 “White Hurricane” which devastated the region and claimed many lives.

The Great Lakes Steamship Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consisting of Great Lakes shipping industry professionals and maritime historians.  They are actively seeking donations and volunteers in their efforts to preserve this important ship as a floating museum in the Great Lakes area.

For more information on the Great Lakes Steamship Society and a detailed history of the J.B. FORD, please click here.

With special thanks:  Steven Haverty

KALAKALA in lay up on Hylebos Waterway, Tacoma, Washington, August 12, 2005 Photo © Shawn J. Dake

Steve Rodrigues and a band of loyal volunteers are keeping KALAKALA afloat, but the Coast Guard wants him to move her, concerned that the rusting former ferry could sink in the Hylebos Waterway, Tacoma.

Rodrigues bought KALAKALA in 2003 when she was berthed on Seattle’s Lake Union. After complaints that she was an eyesore, he moved her to Neah Bay, Again she was asked to leave.   KALAKALA found a safe mooring in Tacoma but the ferry began sinking. Rodrigues rescued her again got her on an even keel, but now has lost his lease.

The Coast Guard has also demanded the move concerned that she could go down in the Hylebos Waterway and disrupt commerce.  A deadline has been set, January 1st, after that a daily fine maybe imposed of $32,000 per day.

Ever hopeful, Steve Rodrigues is looking for investors, failing that the ship could be sold for as little as one dollar, but with the condition to restore the KALAKALA and not sell her on for scrap.

More on Rodrigues’s proposals to save the KALAKALA at http://www.kalakala.org/

For a detailed history of the KALAKALA please see Steven J. Pickens website at http://www.evergreenfleet.com/kalakalasplashpage.html

SS KEEWATIN. © Peter Knego

The SS KEEWATIN, the last Edwardian liner, has been a tourist attraction for the last 44-years at Douglas, Michigan on the east shore of the Kalamazoo River, a few miles from Lake Michigan.  Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland in 1907 KEEWATIN ran continuously for almost 60 seasons with her sister SS ASSINIBOIA between Port Arthur / Fort William and Port McNicoll in Ontario, Canada, until retired in 1966.

R.J.  Peterson and his wife, a local marina-owning couple in Douglas, took out a personal loan to buy the vessel, saving her from scrap and restored KEEWATIN’s interiors, opening to the public for paid tours in 1967.

Last week, Skyline International Development Co. signed papers to acquire and move the 350-foot SS KEEWATIN from Peterson’s Tower Marina some 550 miles to Port McNicoll, Ontario, its original home port from 1907 to 1965. The City of Port McNicoll plans to renovate the 104-year-old steamship and feature her as part of a waterfront park.

“The Keewatin is a treasure that needs to be preserved,” said Peterson, (who will turn 85 this year), “If I was younger, I wouldn’t be selling it.” “Here, it’s just a local attraction I brought to town. In Ontario, it’s a Canadian steamship with national historic connections,” said Peterson, noting the ship during the first half of the 20th century was part of the Canadian Pacific Railway rail to water transportation system of deluxe travel.

The move will require dredging the lake around the hull that is now surrounded by silt, this, and the tow is estimated to cost USD $1 million. The ships’ drafts is 16 to 18 feet, but removal of lifeboats (which has already been done) and other items such as furniture, could lessen the draft to 12 feet. The move is expected to take place in 2012, followed by a period of restoration at the Canadian port.

From above the saucer: MV DISCOVERY SUN outbound from Fort Lauderdale. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2008.

In the aftermath of SOLAS 2010, classic passenger ships have gone from endangered to practically extinct. Alang is still claiming what it can of the few that remain, including what is the probably the most important surviving ocean liner in the world (aside from the preserved QUEEN MARY in Long Beach and ROTTERDAM in Rotterdam).

Keep up to date with MaritimeMatters’ Peter Knego on Twitter by clicking here

Sources in Manila and India confirm that the 1952-built MS PHILIPPINES (ex AUGUSTUS) has left under tow for Alang. The ship was reportedly stripped of fittings and furnishings prior to departing her Manila moorings and is in an undisclosed location awaiting the arrival of a second tug for the 4,000 nautical mile journey to the breaker’s beach. The former AUGUSTUS, which was sold to her last owners in 1975, was berthed at the Manila Hotel and used as an occasional venue for weddings and parties between 1999 and 2011 but the venture was not a success and the historic ship was finally sold for scrapping earlier this year.

Discovery Cruise Line’s DISCOVERY SUN (ex FREEPORT, FREEPORT I, CARIBE, SVEA STAR, CARIBE BREMEN, SCANDINAVIAN SUN, BALANGA QUEEN) was one of Miami’s pioneering “modern” cruise ships when she entered service as Bahama Cruise Line’s FREEPORT in 1968. Her futuristic, saucer-topped funnel was a trademark of designer Knud Hansen and used on a series of cruise ships and ferries that followed, including the 1974-built ODESSA (ex COPENHAGEN — scrapped at Alang in 2006/7). The ship wrapped up her final Ft. Lauderdale to Freeport day cruise on September 6 and has since sailed off to Freeport before embarking upon what will be a very long, eastbound journey. The mechanically-troubled, worn vessel’s next reported destination is Recife, which indicates she will be going via the Cape. She’s been sold to Dubai-based buyers but her ultimate destination is most likely the beach of Alang.

The recently-sold, still very rakish Canadian ferries JOSEPH AND CLARA SMALLWOOD (1989) and CARIBOU (1987) are also reportedly en route to Alang, having already transited Suez. Both ships are due at Bombay on October 5 (unless they stop at Alang first).

October 19, 2011 Update: Ferries SMALLWOOD (ex JOSEPH AND CLARA SMALLWOOD) and CARIBO (CARIBOU) were beached, one at a time, side by side, on October 17 and October 19. Both vessels are far out on the embankment and will need to be dragged ashore before stripping and demolition can proceed.

TELEMARK (ex PRIDE OF TELEMARK, etc.) and MS PHILIPPINES (ex AUGUSTUS) are at the Alang anchorage and will be beached within the next couple of days.

Ben Lyons submitted his highly illustrated article from a weekend as volunteer crew aboard WWII Liberty ship SS JOHN W. BROWN sailing from Baltimore to the Colonnas shipyard in Norfolk over the weekend of August 6 & 7, 2011 – Martin Cox

SS JOHN W. BROWN by volunteer crew member Ben Lyons

It may have been passenger ships that first started my fascination with ships when I was five years old, but it was a cargo ship that convinced me to go to sea for a living. Hearing there was an opportunity to volunteer as part of the crew on the WWII Liberty Ship John W. Brown, I began volunteering when I was only 13. While I was one of very few young crew members amongst the mostly veteran aged crew, I relished the chance to work on a ship and go behind doors marked “Crew Only.” Almost 20 years later, I still return to the Brown as often as I can.

The John W. Brown at her normal berth—Pier 1 Clinton St, Baltimore.

This past weekend provided a welcome opportunity to sail the ship not only without passengers but also on an overnight passage. Originally scheduled for her five yearly drydocking in October, Colonnas shipyard in Norfolk, VA contacted the ship only a few weeks ago to ask if it was possible for us to change our schedule and be in the yard in August. A quick email was sent out to the regular crew members, and seeing that I had the weekend free, I jumped at the chance to sail the ship from her home in Baltimore down the Chesapeake Bay.

The Brown’s crew is still largely made up of veteran aged volunteers. Those in their 60s are looked on as the ‘young ones’

I left my home in New York City on Friday afternoon, leaving me plenty of time to board the ship Saturday morning. The planned journey was relatively short- we would sail at noon on Saturday and arrive Sunday morning around 8am. The crew would disembark and return to Baltimore via bus that day.

By the time I arrived Saturday morning, preparations for sailing were already well underway. The boilers had been lit off at midnight, and as I walked up the gangway, the shore connection for potable water was being removed.

Project Liberty Ship Chairman Mike Schneider (US Merchant Merchant Marine Academy graduate , deck officer, and career Naval Officer volunteers his non administrative time in the engine room as a Fireman Watertender. Here, he lights off the boiler.) Soon, we’d shift over to ship’s power and only the mooring lines would tie the Brown to the pier.

The potable water connection from the pier is disconnected as the Brown makes preparations for getting underway.

Up on deck, the old-fashioned yard and stay rig was in use. Hundreds of life jackets (many of which originally belonged to the SS United States) had been stored on deck in anticipation of the upcoming September cruise.

Lifejackets on the after part of the ship are landed on the pier before being lifted back onto the ship forward of the superstructure.

Now, they had to be loaded into the tween deck cargo hold before sailing, a process that involved several more steps than merely operating a hydraulic hatch as found on today’s ships. Battens and strongbacks were removed, three layers of canvas pulled back, numerous hatchboards removed by hand and a large steel beam removed with the cargo gear.

A cargo hatch is opened the old fashioned way.

The author, in the green t-shirt- helps with lifting the hatch boards, most commonly used today as coffee tables!

One of the hatch beams is gingerly lifted with the ship’s cargo gear as the Chief Mate directs the winches.

Working with the booms has always been one of my favorite activities on the Brown; these labor intensive activities are common to the crew, but hardly ever seen in modern shipping.

One of the two operators working the winches to lower some of the lifejackets into the hold

The lifejackets stowed below, the work begins to close up the hatch again and secure the cargo gear for sea.

The Chief Mate helps tie off the preventer now that the boom is in a stowed position for sea.

Inbetween assisting with the lifejackets, I went up to the bridge to see the ship’s 80+year old 2^nd Mate Frank Schmidt. Frank and I went through the steps to start up the Sperry Mark XIV  gyrocompass, allowing it plenty of time to warm up and ‘hunt’ for the true course before sailing.

2nd Mate Frank Schmidt prepares to light off the Brown’s Gyro compass.

Advanced for its time, this gyro is positively enormous compared to the modern fiber-optic gyros being built today. In order to start it, Frank and I consulted his textbook from when he was at the Merchant Marine Academy in the 1940s, just to be sure we remembered the steps correctly.

The inner workings of a Mark XIV Gyrocompass- a sight rarely seen at sea today.

By noon, the ship was ready to sail and the all volunteer crew brought the lines in.

Line handling is still very much a manual process on the Brown.

More line handling.

Backing out was tight—sharing the pier was the ready reserve ship ss Wright, and we maneuvered quite close while exiting the berth.

A tight squeeze, as the Brown backs out of Pier 1 close to the Ready Reserve ship SS WRIGHT. Once clear, the tug was let go and we were pointed down the bay.

Southbound!

While the afternoon was relatively hot, we were fortunate in that it was also relatively windy. Without air conditioning, the interiors can get very warm very quickly on a summer’s day. While some of the deck crew not standing a watch helped out clearing out a section of #5 hold in anticipation of work to be carried out in drydock, most everyone else did their best to escape the heat. Many simply stood at the rail, watching the Bay go by.

The delights of sitting on bits and watching the sea go by.

Old and New. Crew members checking their email on deck.

Some took to relaxing in the Crew Mess, although the small fans did little to cool the heat.

Twin spans, twin vents and twin booms- the Brown passes under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

I was assigned as the officer on the 4×8 watch. Navigating from the flying bridge, unprotected from the elements, meant that I felt the full force of the strong Force 6 winds right on our nose for the four hours. The wind slowed the ship down, causing us to average only 7.5 to 8 knots. The QUEEN MARY 2 it was not.

A room without a view! The Bridge affords limited viewing, with only 3 small windows, so most navigating is done from the Flying Bridge.

An empty room. The Bridge on the Brown.

A face only a ship historian could love? Looking from #3 hold aft onto the Brown’s superstructure. The three bridge windows are clearly visible.

In terms of experience, the BROWN must easily be one of the most qualified ships at sea. The 3^rd Officer and myself both had Unlimited Master’s licenses (and the 3^rd Officer had sailed as Captain on US flagged ships for many years.) The two ABs on the 12×4 watch were both licensed deck officers, and an AB on the 8×12 watch was a retired docking master and pilot! The Chief Mate had retired at the age of 70 as a Delaware Bay pilot, and still held his pilotage for the Chesapeake Bay, and we had yet another retired pilot in the deck gang.

Even steering is done the old fashioned away.

The Brown is an equal opportunity employeer. Here, one of the electricians asks for a turn steering, while the AB guides him from behind.

No uniforms here! When underway without passengers, the crew dresses casually. That is the Captain in the center of the picture.

Possibly wishing for either the ship’s 20+ knot speed, or the air conditioning, (or even the carpeting and food), several crew look on longingly as the Enchantment of the Seas overtakes the Brown.

Following watch, I enjoyed what has become a part of my seagoing ritual whenever possible—a quiet walk around deck around sunset. I’ve always found this to be the most peaceful time onboard, as some crew start making their way to bed, while others are clustered on deck, quietly talking while watching the sea go by.

Post watch socializing.

A view forward through a porthole.

The chartroom as evening falls.

Oftentimes, there is at least one person sitting in the crew mess, indulging in another dessert before bed. The interior lights give the wood paneling a warm glow, and the rhythmic thumping of the ship’s engine is felt throughout the house.

The warm wooden interiors on the Brown.

Evening falls on the Brown.

With the sun fully set, I went below for a quick visit to the engine room. Another John Brown ritual I have is to make sure I visit the engine room at least once when I’m on the ship underway. The sight of the triple expansion engine operating is simply mesmerizing, as the whir of crankshafts and connecting rods and pistons mixes with the smell of hot oil. Oiler Carlos Ramon was deftly sampling the oil by sticking his hands into the spinning crankshaft, perfectly timing his motions with the 65 RPMs of the engine.

Oiler Carlos lubricates the main engine, his hands perfectly in synch with the speed of the engine.

Oiler Carlos lubricates the main engine, his hands perfectly in synch with the speed of the engine.

The fireman watertender watches the steam pressure, temperature and water level inbetween the two boilers.

The fireman watertender watches the steam pressure, temperature and water level inbetween the two boilers.

The engine room.

Soon, it was past 930pm, however, and it was time for bed. My 4am watch would come awfully early, I knew, and with high hopes that my cabin had cooled off just a little bit in the evening, I went to bed.

As wonderful as cruising on the John Brown is, there is one definite disadvantage in being underway on the ship in the summer: no air-conditioning. Despite the strong breeze that blew on the Bay that night, very little made it into the house. A small electric fan in the cabin managed to hit only the lower half of my body, and the air inside was muggy and uncomfortable. The steel soaked up the heat and refused to let it go but somehow, I managed to get to sleep around 1130pm. Suffice to say, the shower I took when I woke up at 330am was a welcome one indeed and may have been the highlight of my day.

Walking up to the bridge in darkness, I saw that we were on schedule and about two hours away from picking up the Virginia Pilot. We were making over 8 knots, even with reducing the speed of the engine, and the wind had died considerably. A few passing clouds brought drizzles but no prolonged rain.

Shortly after 6am, we picked up our pilot and proceeded inbound, the light just starting to appear in the sky.

The Brown’s Captain, Rick Bauman, confers with the Norfolk Pilot. The Brown’s veteran crew (and several retired pilots) had years of experience (and matching stories) in these waters, causing the Captain to say to the pilot, “I bet this is the only time you get a ship where the crew tries to give you local knowledge!”

The Brown is already a ship full of early risers, in part due to the lack of air-conditioning, the general noise of others moving about shared cabins and the average age of the crew. This morning, however, everyone was given a 6am wake up call when the Chief Mate made a shipwide broadcast that breakfast had been moved ahead and was now being served!

Approaching Norfolk Naval Base.

By 7am we were approaching the naval base, with two aircraft carriers in port amidst many other gray hulled vessels. An hour later, we were off the city center and picking up two McCallister tugs who helped guide us through a narrow drawbridge.

The AB steering into Norfolk.

Passing through the drawbridge, with the shipyard in sight.

One of the two McCallister tugs and the yard tug that helped the Brown into the berth at the shipyard.

Shorty thereafter, we turned towards Colonnas shipyard and slipped into a lay berth. It was another tight squeeze- the tug barely fit between us and the adjacent pier.

The tug barely fit between the adjacent berth and the Brown.

By 930am, the Brown was all fast and preparations were underway for putting the ship back onto shore power.

With their work complete, the crew headed for the showers and began packing up in anticipation of an air conditioned bus ride back to Baltimore.

Freshly showered, the crew start piling off the Brown to head to the bus.

A few crew members will rotate through the ship in the yard for the next two to two and a half weeks, helping to oversee yard work and be present for inspections. Happily, there is little that needs to be done other than surveys and inspections, although some steel work will be done on one of the tank tops towards the stern. As with all operations on the Brown, the entire cost of the drydock will be paid for with private donations.

The Brown at the Colonnas shipyard.

In two and a half weeks, the Brown’s crew will be summoned, once again, to bring their old ship back to Baltimore. Her steaming season is not over, however, with another Living History cruise in September and an annual Veteran’s Day trip in November. While I won’t be able to work my schedule around the return trip from the shipyard, I’ll most certainly be onboard in September and November, doing my part, along with the rest of the Brown’s exceptional and dedicated crew, to keep this gallant old ship steaming.

Author Ben Lyons on watch

About the author: Ben Lyons has a lifelong fascination with ships and has sailed as chief officer on both the QUEEN MARY 2 and the polar expedition ship NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER. He is currently taking a short break from the sea to attend Columbia Business School in New York City.

www.liberty-ship.com

PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND PRESIDENT TYLER

AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES TWINS TRADE PLACES

By

Shawn J. Dake

A funny thing happened on the way to the scrap yard. A pair of identical twins switched places, then met for a final time before parting to fulfill the others destiny. The ships were the only two Sea Racer class vessels, both completed for American President Lines in 1961. The LINCOLN, formerly the PRESIDENT LINCOLN, and the PRESIDENT, previously the PRESIDENT TYLER had spent the last 32 years languishing at anchor in Row J of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet until being removed in 2011. The PRESIDENT was the first to go, making the short tow to Mare Island at Vallejo, California on March 8^th. Plans called for the LINCOLN to be scrapped at All Star Metals in Brownsville, Texas.

The LINCOLN in the BAE-Systems Dry Dock at San Francisco on April 5, 2011. Photo by Dave Rauenbuehler, daver6@sbcglobal.net http://www.flickr.com/photos/daver6/

In preparation for the 5,000 mile tow the ship was taken on April 4^th to the BAE-Systems Shipyard at San Francisco, very near to where it was originally built. During the dry dock period, the hull was cleaned of toxins, primarily PCBs, found in the badly chipping paint. During this process, holes were discovered and patched, but the LINCOLN was rendered unfit for a long ocean tow. Back in the water on April 11^th the hull continued to leak. Since scrapping of the PRESIDENT at Allied Defense Recycling had not yet begun, the Maritime Administration negotiated a deal to swap the identical sisters.

The PRESIDENT LINCOLN and PRESIDENT TYLER were prominently featured in American President Lines cargo-liner publicity material. Brochure from the collection of Shawn J. Dake.

The story of the PRESIDENT TYLER was presented in these pages under the title “End Of The PRESIDENT” posted March 25^th.  The PRESIDENT LINCOLN shares a similar story to its sister, with the two ships remaining together until the very end. PRESIDENT LINCOLN was built by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipyard at San Francisco. It was the first of the class dubbed C4-S-1Q, very similar to the C-4 Mariners, but popularly known as “Sea Racers” for their fast 20.5 knot speed. Launched on February 28, 1960, the 13,265 gross ton cargo-liner was ready to enter service on May 23, 1961. The ship was designed by naval architect George G. Sharp who had worked on numerous other marine-related projects including the design of the three passenger-cargo liners intended for American President Lines in the early 1950’s and their PRESIDENT HOOVER originally built in 1939 as the PANAMA, which joined the company in 1957. The PRESIDENT LINCOLN did in fact carry passengers in addition to its primary function as a freighter.

Deck Plans of the Sea Racer class PRESIDENT LINCOLN and PRESIDENT TYLER, compared to the similar Master Mariner class ships. Brochure from the collection of Shawn J. Dake.

There were a total of eight cabins accommodating a maximum of 12 passengers. The accommodations were of a very high standard and included two lounges, the dining room and a card room. In addition 60 crew members made their home on board.

An extremely rare photograph of the passenger stairway on the LINCOLN which connected the two decks of staterooms and lounges. Photo by Jonathan Haeber www.terrastories.com/bearings

Even after years of neglect the artwork and furnishings remained intact. This image is most likely a corner niche on the forward, portside of the dining room. Photo by Jonathan Haeber www.terrastories.com/bearings

Still looking fit to greet passengers, one of the staterooms configured as a sitting area with convertible sofa bed. Photo by Jonathan Haeber www.terrastories.com/bearings

Perhaps these ships will remain best known for being among the first to be specially designed to carry containers, although the company hedged their bets by giving over only Hold No. 4 for that purpose, located just forward of the superstructure. There was a single gantry crane with a retractable boom, mounted on rails to work the containers. The remainder of the ship had hatch openings for traditional break-bulk cargo handling. The design of the multi-legged masts supported 24 cargo booms with 10 ton capacity along with one additional 30-ton capacity boom. Ultimately, the two methods of cargo handling worked at cross-purposes with each other, and while container capacity onboard was eventually increased, the pair of ships never quite lived up to their owner’s expectations. They were sleek, beautiful and flawed. Full containerships became the industry standard in a relatively short period of time.

The LINCOLN, ex. PRESIDENT LINCOLN at Suisun Bay, California. Photo courtesy of MARAD.

The PRESIDENT LINCOLN remained in service for 18 years. On April 30, 1979, the ship was traded to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and renamed LINCOLN. It was placed in the Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay designated as inactive status. The ship would remain there in mothballs for the next 32 years. The National Register Eligibility Assessment prepared by MARAD, dated April 15, 2009 determined the fate of the LINCOLN with two words “Not Eligible.” The portion of the vessel’s assessment titled “Historical Integrity” sums up the reasons for the decision to scrap the LINCOLN. “The vessel was originally constructed in 1961 and was modified in 1968 to increase its container capacity. The modifications increased the amount of cellular hold space and extended the trackage for the gantries. The vessel was further modified in 1971, which increased its capacity to 410 TEU. All (or most) salient design features of structure, machinery and equipment are substantially intact. The vessel’s physical integrity is very degraded, and the ship’s overall condition is poor. Lincoln represents an obsolete type which has little utility in modern shipping markets.”

LINCOLN entering the Allied Defense Recycling Dry Dock on May 6, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c.2011.

The swap of the LINCOLN and the PRESIDENT between scrap yards was an unprecedented event. In a written statement Maritime Administrator David Matsuda praised both of the ship dismantling companies, saying “The Maritime Administration thanks the recycling companies and all parties involved for their flexibility and willingness to assist in meeting federal goals for an effective, environmentally responsible ship recycling program.” The LINCOLN is the 19^th ship to leave the Reserve Fleet with 38 more remaining to be disposed of under the sweeping plans of the Obama Administration to rid the Bay of obsolete vessels. The fact that the PRESIDENT was still intact at Mare Island was because Allied Defense Recycling, also known as California Dry Dock Solutions, was still busy dispatching the remains of the former Lykes Lines freighter SOLON TURMAN, the first ship to be scrapped in California in many years. The PRESIDENT vacated Dry Dock 2 and was replaced by the LINCOLN, and for a brief time in early May, the ships remained side by side one last time.

The American President Lines sisters, LINCOLN and PRESIDENT meet for the last time on May 6, 2011 at Mare Island, Ca. In the foreground are all that remains of the Lykes Line freighter SOLON TURMAN. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c.2011.

It may seem like an easy and natural solution to switch the identical twins from yard to yard, but in fact there were logistics to be worked out. In the “Contract Modification” dated May 2, 2011 between the United States Of America and All Star Metals, LLC., the Government made some substantial financial concessions. The Brownsville scrappers had paid $675,276.00 when they won the bid for the LINCOLN on March 16, 2011. While it was agreed that “both vessels are sister ships of the same design class” and “shall be substituted on an equal basis” there were exceptions negotiated in the contact. The largest credit of $134,000.00 was for the disposal of 2,574 light tons of oily water. An additional 258 light tons of oil was credited at $34,000.00.

The overhead gantry crane is clearly shown in this view of the LINCOLN taken on July 5, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr., c.2011.

A similar view of the PRESIDENT with missing gantry but masts still intact, photographed on March 11, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c.2011.

Adjustment for the large overhead crane, which was aboard the LINCOLN but missing from the PRESIDENT was valued at $23,000.00 but interestingly enough, the extra 20 tons of anchors aboard the PRESIDENT was considered an even “exchange for any missing ferrous metals except the overhead crane.” Along with funds for “Unforeseen Contingencies” the total adjusted value to All Star Metals came to $227,720.00. The Buyer was also allowed to claim numerous costs due to the delayed delivery of a ship. For all parties involved it appeared to be a equitable solution. The U.S. Government was able to dispose of the LINCOLN, in a less than seaworthy condition, Allied Defense Recycling obtained an equivalent ship with a bit of extra metal aboard, and All Star Metals received a substantial refund from their initial investment, and the PRESIDENT.

The LINCOLN at Mare Island on May 6, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c.2011.

The PRESIDENT LINCOLN was built with an overall length of 563.75 feet with a 76 foot beam and a 32.5 foot draft. The main engines were Bethlehem Steel steam turbines, rated at 17,500 shaft horsepower driving a single screw. Steam was provided by Babcock & Wilcox boilers. Times change and the era of the Sea Racers and their fleet mates has long passed. Ships are no longer built on the San Francisco Bay. American President Lines is still around but is not owned by Americans. Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) is the parent company of the Singapore-based corporation, which has relocated the U.S. headquarters of the company from Oakland, California to Phoenix, Arizona; not known to be a big seafaring city. Under their management American President Lines remains as the fifth-largest container shipping line in the world.

A parting shot of the former PRESIDENT LINCOLN as the scrapping process begins, taken on July 5, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c.2011.

As of July, work had just begun on cutting up the LINCOLN. The masts and cargo booms have been removed, but otherwise the structure of the ship is still intact. After a 45-day tow, that was not without problems, the PRESIDENT reached its final destination in Texas where work will soon begin on her demolition. In a short time, these ships will be little more than memories for their crew and passengers, and those who follow ships and the sea. Remembrances of an era 50 years in the past when times were changing, but ships were still designed to be beautiful as well as functional.

My thanks to Frank Cleope, Jr.,  Martin Cox,  Jonathan Haeber (www.terrastories.com/bearings), and Dave Rauenbuehler for their fantastic work and photographs.

See Related stories by Shawn J. Dake

End Of The PRESIDENT

Vintage Ship To Be Scrapped In California

SS SHIELDHALL (last steam-powered cargo vessel in Europe and part of the National Historic Steamship collection) returned about 6AM berth 29 in Southampton after a 22 hour voyage from her scheduled dry-docking in Falmouth, Cornwall.  The required dry-docking, which followed a fundraising drive, was needed for reissuing her passenger carrying permit.

SS SHIELDHALL in the Eastern Docks, Southampton, photo © MaritimeMatters May 25, 2011

Captain Gareth Peaston brought SHIELDHALL round the coast with an all volunteer crew.  What had been expected to be a joyful return was dampened by the news that further work would be needed before her license would be granted.

While in drydock, she had her hull painted and propellers polished but the discovery of corrosion on some aft frames meant that her compliance could not be granted at this time and passenger-carrying voyages have to be postponed for now.

The captain remained upbeat, reporting that the marine surveyor was impressed with her overall condition — with only a very specific fix needed for clearance.

SS SHIELDHALL was laid down in October 1954 and launched on July 7, 1955 in Scotland, entering service in October of that year. Built by Lobnitz & Co., of Renfrew, on the Clyde.

She was built on older, classic lines with a traditional wheelhouse, riveted and welded construction, a vertical stem and a cruiser stern.  SHIELDHALL was operated by Glasgow Corporation to transport treated sewage sludge down the River Clyde to be dumped at sea. She continued a tradition dating back to the First World War, that Glasgow’s sludge vessels carried organised parties of passengers when operating during the summer months. Thus, SHIELDHALL was built with accommodation for 80 passengers.

In 1976, after 21 years of faithful service on the Clyde, SHIELDHALL was laid up, then purchased by the Southern Water Authority in 1977 and after minor modifications, carried sludge from Marchwood, Millbrook and Woolston in Southampton to an area south of the Isle of Wight for five years from 1980. When, due to rising fuel prices, she was suddenly withdrawn from service in July 1985, active preservation began. As a result of an initiative by the Southampton City’s Museum Services, a preservation society was formed and SHIELDHALL was purchased from Southern Water in 1988 for £20,000. The Society is registered as an Industrial and Provident Society as The Solent Steam Packet Limited and operates as a charity.

All work associated with the society and SHIELDHALL is carried out by unpaid volunteers.

The ADMIRAL when newly reconstructed in 1940.

An Art Deco masterpiece that created decades of memories and became a landmark on the St. Louis waterfront is about to be scrapped.  Depending on water conditions in the Mississippi River, the ADMIRAL riverboat may depart any day now for her final voyage, a 10 hour tow to the Azcon Corporation scrap yard in Alton, Illinois.  The ADMIRAL was once the largest passenger vessel on the inland waterways of the United States.  It is a tricky process to move a boat of this size when the water level in the river is too high, and water at the destination too low.  In early March, work began on cutting off the pilothouse and top deck structure to enable it to pass under bridges, notably the Merchants Bridge.  The boat will require 53 feet of vertical clearance which should be sufficient depending at what stage the river is.  The secondary problem is having enough water in the Alton Pool where the dismantling will take place.  At that point, the level is down five feet  due to the Army Corps of Engineers releasing water in anticipation of spring flooding from the nearby Melvin Price Locks and Dam.  If the window of opportunity presents itself, the ADMIRAL could leave at any time, or if conditions turn unfavorable it could remain in St. Louis until September.

The ADMIRAL made her maiden excursion from St. Louis in June, 1940.  While nearly all other Mississippi River boats before and since have stuck with the traditional expectations of decorative “gingerbread” flourishes and “highfalutin” tall stacks or flutes, this stainless steel mass of five rounded decks disguised even her giant sidewheels.  It could not have looked more different, the silver and glass superstructure being relieved only by the  name in giant red letters reading ADMIRAL.  Riverboats have frequently been rebuilt on the hulls of older vessels and this one was no exception.  In 1907, the ALBATROSS was built as a large, 308 foot long, railroad transfer ferry with a steel hull, four boilers and a sidewheel.  In 1937, Streckfus Steamers bought the boat as a replacement for their aging but magnificent excursion steamer J S DELUXE.

The predecessor to the ADMIRAL, the more traditional J S DELUXE. Postcard from the collection of Shawn J. Dake.

Original appearance of the boat as the ALBATROSS.

Completely transformed in 1940 to the ADMIRAL

It took two years between 1938 and 1940 to complete the transformation.  Captain Joseph Streckfus floated the concept of building a new boat of radical design, following the introduction of his previous large excursion, all-steel, vessel the PRESIDENT (ex CINCINATTI) in 1934.  Highly unusual in marine architecture at the time, both boats were designed by a female, Miss Maizie Krebs.  To quote from a company magazine, “Riding the river daily on excursions from St. Louis is a new giant, the $1,000,000 S.S. Admiral, the largest inland steamer ever built in America, as modern as a streamlined airplane and as modernistic as a cocktail lounge.  The massive boat, longer than an average city block, was planned from bow to stern, inside and out, by dainty Maizie Krebs.  It was a man’s job for a girl.”  The designer no doubt received inspiration from Washington State where the KALAKALA had debuted as the first streamlined ferry in 1935.

The ADMIRAL at St. Louis against the Gateway Arch.

The ADMIRAL was an amazing vessel.  Five decks sat atop her lengthened 374 foot long by 92 foot wide hull.  Up to 4,400 passengers could be carried on excursions up and down the Mississippi.  Without a doubt, part of her popular appeal was found in the two air conditioned decks which were a real treat during hot Missouri summers.  The Blue Salon, done in art deco style supported by huge columns with pink and blue lighting accents was billed as the world’s largest floating ballroom.  On the top deck umbrellas, wooden deck chairs and patio-style furniture made for a pleasant place to watch the passing scene.  An arcade filled with diversions for  the kids could be found on the Main Deck.  An advertisement by the company titled “Flashes from the Flagship S.S. Admiral” summed up these amenities with a flourish.  “Dancing and romancing in the Blue Salon.  Cocktails in the swank Club Admiral.  Cool as Maytime in the mountains… Gay ‘brellera’ on the Lido Deck… Ahoy?  You’re in for a circus on the Main Deck.”  And so it was, over the course of nearly four decades, in times when entertainment was much simpler.  By the 1960′s, teen dance cruises had become a staple on weekend nights in addition to the adult only midnight cruises that were popular.  During a major refit in 1973-1974 the old steam engines and paddlewheels gave way to new diesel propulsion and propeller drive.  But the crowds were dwindling and in 1979 the once popular cruises were a thing of the past.  The ADMIRAL’s engines were removed and from then on the old boat would serve in a stationary role.  Much of the splendid art deco fittings were stripped.  For several years the huge vessel wandered around without power or direction, being sold several times.  Finally in 1994, with gambling freshly legalized, she reopened as a casino, most recently under the name “President Casino on the Admiral.”  The final owners, Pinnacle Entertainment took over the vessel in 2006.

The ADMIRAL as seen at St. Louis in October, 2005. Photograph by Larry Hosken.

The casino operation lasted until June, 2010.   Revenues had fallen by two-thirds and plans were made to close the casino.  The mighty Mississippi River hastened the end by a week as it rose four feet above flood stage, inundating the entrance area.  There would be no grand finale for the ADMIRAL.   The state stripped the gambling license while workers removed the slot machines and furnishings.  In November, the boat was offered on eBay, with a “buy it now” price of $1.5 million.  With no qualified buyers and no hope for the future without major refurbishment to the hull, the impressive riverboat was consigned to scrap.  As the last chapter of this story progresses, updates and photographs would be most welcome.  Another unique element of history and Americana will soon be only memories.

Thanks to Larry Hoskens, Martin Cox

See also: Streamlined art deco ferry KALAKALA listing in Tacoma

In the ongoing efforts to rid Suisun Bay in Northern California of the remaining inactive ships of the Ready Reserve Fleet, the second vessel in a month has left to be scrapped. The PRESIDENT was towed away from the raft of ships at the end of Row J, on March 8, 2011, the few miles to her final resting place at Allied Defense Recycling, a.k.a. California Dry Dock Solutions, on Mare Island where she will be dismantled.

PRESIDENT in Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, courtesy MARAD.

The PRESIDENT is the former American President Lines (APL) PRESIDENT TYLER, built in 1961 as the third ship of that name. The vessel was laid down as hull #5489 at the Bethlehem Steel Company in San Francisco and launched on December 20, 1960 by Mrs. Maryon Davies Lewis. On August 3, 1961, the ship was delivered to her owners as the second and final vessel in the Sea Racer class, type C4-S1-1Qb. A sister, the PRESIDENT LINCOLN had been delivered earlier. These ships are particularly notable as they represent APL’s first attempt to build breakbulk cargo ships, also specifically designed to carry containers. The containerized cargo was carried in hold #4 just forward of the superstructure. Ironically, despite two rebuilding efforts that eventually brought their container capacity up to 410 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) these early attempts at containerization were never completely converted to full container ships like the rest of the fleet.

From the collection of Shawn J. Dake.

The PRESIDENT TYLER was 563.75 feet long with a beam of 76 feet. The 13,223 gross ton cargo-liner was designed by famed naval architect George Sharp. Summer displacement tonnage was 22,630 and cargo capacity was 721,656 cubic feet. In addition to cargo, the ship carried 12 passengers in 8 staterooms including a spacious suite. Public rooms were placed in an aft-facing location over two decks and included an observation lounge, a second lounge one deck higher with an adjacent card room and dining room. Outdoor deck space was provided on both levels. The ship’s complement included 60 crew members.

From the collection of Shawn J. Dake.

The Sea Racers were very similar to the earlier Mariner Class cargo ships which made up the majority of the APL fleet at the time. With a service speed of 20.5 knots they were billed as “the fastest freighters afloat, rivaling the finest passenger liners not only in speed, but in the luxury and comfort of their passenger accommodations.” All staterooms had picture windows, wall to wall carpeting, private bathrooms and were fully air-conditioned. By contemporary freighter standards, they were very nice, to say the least. As with the Mariner Class, the ship was powered by a single-screw geared steam turbine producing 19,250 HP.

PRESIDENT March 11, 2011, photo © Frank Cleope Jr.

PRESIDENT showing passenger areas, photo © Frank Cleope, Jr. March 11, 2011

In the short span of just over a decade the PRESIDENT TYLER went from being a state-of-the-art freighter to a somewhat obsolete example of an earlier transitional era in cargo shipping. By the early 1970’s she was relegated to month-long voyages in Southwest Asia, sailing from Singapore as far west as Bombay, India and back via Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia. By 1976 the itinerary had been switched to two-week voyages from Hong Kong to Singapore and Jakarta, marketed to passengers under the hipper title of “Singapore Swing” cruises. By this time, her days as an American President Lines vessel were numbered. On August 30, 1979 they traded her to the Maritime Administration, with the name abbreviated to simply PRESIDENT and registered in Washington, D.C.  The 18 year old ship was placed in the Ready Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay where she quietly spent the next 31 years rising and falling with the tides. Near the opposite end of the raft of 12 unwanted freighters tied side-by-side was her sister PRESIDENT LINCOLN, now renamed LINCOLN. Undoubtedly, that ship will soon follow her sister to the same inevitable fate. Both ships had their designation within the mothball fleet changed to “Inactive Status” in 2001. In July of 2009, the PRESIDENT was stripped of all useable materials. In December, 2010 MARAD announced the ship would be scrapped at California Dry Dock Solutions along with the former Lykes Lines freighter SOLON TURMAN. They would be the first two ships scrapped locally in California, in a deal worth $3.1 million. Both are now being dismantled near each other at Mare Island, the PRESIDENT in Dry Dock 2, the SOLON TURMAN in Dry Dock 3. The latter ship already has her masts cut down and some portions of the stern cutaway as of March 25^th.

PRESIDENT at Mare Island, March 11, 2011, photo © Frank Cleope Jr.

The PRESIDENT is the 18^th ship to leave the reserve fleet since October 22, 2009 when the purge of old ships began. With her departure there are still 39 ships listed under “Non-Retention Status” awaiting their turn at the breakers. Just like the PRESIDENT, each one has a story to tell.

The stern of the SS SOLON TURMAN is visible, third from the left, next to another cargo ship, the DAWN in this raft of ships awaiting their fates in Suisuin Bay, California. Photo by Shawn J. Dake c. 2009 (taken October 25, 2009)

The SOLON TURMAN under tow on it's last voyage to Mare Island on February 3, 2011. Photo by Frank Cleope, Jr. c. 2011.

The steam-powered freighter SOLON TURMAN was towed from the California’s Suisuin Bay mothball fleet today to be cleansed and dismantled, but unlike previous ships that have gone to the scrapyards this one will not be making the long final voyage to Brownsville, Texas.  Instead, the ship will travel about six miles to Mare Island, California as part of a new program designed to eliminate vessels from the Reserve Fleet in a more efficient manner.  At it’s peak, the program should create over 100 jobs locally in the Vallejo area with most of the workers being rehired from the shuttered Mare Island Shipyard.  Government estimates put the cost of towing a ship to Brownsville at $1.5 million while the same move locally should cost about $50,000.  MARAD’s schedule calls for pulling a total of 20 ships from the Reserve Fleet by September 30, 2011, and having 57 vessels gone by the deadline of September 30, 2017.  Several vessels including all of the “Victory” ships and the last two P2 troop transports, have already left California and been scrapped at Brownsville.  This will be the first vessel to be broken up locally, followed next month by the SS PRESIDENT (ex PRESIDENT TYLER), a C4-S-1QB breakbulk cargo ship built for American President Lines in 1960.  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “These contracts will help the local economy while advancing our mission of maintaining the fleet in a safe and environmentally sound manner.”

The former Lykes Line steamship SOLON TURMAN, built in 1961, has the distinction of being the first ship in decades to be scrapped in California under a new plan to recycle the ships at Mare Island rather than Brownsville, Texas.

The SS SOLON TURMAN was built in 1961 at the built at Bethlehem’s Sparrows point yard, Maryland for the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company of New Orleans, Louisiana.  She served under their flag for 27 years before being traded to MARAD for a new vessel in 1988.  The ship was maintained in ready reserve status until 2003 when it was downgraded to inactive reserve status.  Once moved to non-retention status the vessels are doomed to scrap.  The SOLON TURMAN has been idle in a raft of 12 ships nestled between the USNS H.H. HESS (T-AGS-38) (ex CANADIAN MAIL) and the Farrell Lines freighter SS DAWN (ex  AFRICAN DAWN).  Early today it was towed from Suisun Bay to Allied Defense Recycling.  The company also goes by the name California Dry Dock Solutions.  Under this new program, all work of cleaning, preparation and dismantling will be done in a single dry dock location.