NAVr S NEWEST: The amphibious assault support ship USS Portland sails from
Quincy for the Boston Naval Shipyard where she was turned over to the Navy.
Ten Operators Submit Building Plans To MarAd
ON THE COVER Ten United States ship operators have informed the Maritime Ad-ministration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, that they intend to
build 64-72 new ships, Maritime
Administrator A.E. Gibson an-
nounced.
These ships are in addition to
60 new ships to be built by the
presently subsidized operators
through the mid-1970s to meet
their ship rep'acement obligations.
Submitted in answer to a MarAd
request for data on which to base
its shipbuilding program for the
next few years, the responses were
described by Mr. Gibson as "very
heartening, considering that many
operators cannot firm up their
plans until the President's new
maritime program is enacted into
law."
Legislation embodying the pro-
gram is now awaiting Senate ac-
tion, having been passed by the
House last May.
"Once the final bill is signed by
the President, I believe that more
operators will respond to our re-
quest," Mr. Gibson added.
Companies replying prior to the
August 31 deadline were: Marine
Carriers Corp.; Cargo Brokerage
Corp.; Anchor Shipping Corp.;
Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.; Sea-
train Lines, Inc.; Sun Oil Co.;
Keystone Shipping Co.; Waterman
Steamship Corp.; Columbia Steam-
ship Co.; and Central Gulf Steam-
ship Corp.
Among the ships included in
their building plans were: three
Bath Iron Works-designed 71,500-
dwt ore/bulk/oil carriers; 18
LASH or combination LASH/
containerships; six MarAd-design-
ed twin-screw containerships; 10
Newport News Shipbuilding and
Dry Dock Co.-designed 69,500-dwt
ore/bulk/oil carriers; and five
Newport News-designed 120,000-
dwt tankers.
A detailed listing of the re-
spondents and their submissions
follows.
Respondents
Marine Carriers Corp.
Cargo Brokerage Corp.
Anchor Shipping Corp.
Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.
Seatrain Lines, Inc.
Sun Oil Co.
Keystone Shipping Co.
Waterman Steamship Corp.
Columbia Steamship Co.
Central Gulf Steamship Corp.
Number of Ships Type
1 Bath SACO—class 71,500-dwt OBO
1 Bath MACHIAS—class 75,500-dwt tanker
2 Bath SACO—class 71,500-dwt OEO
2 Multi-purpose bulk carriers
3 LASH/Container
6 MarAd twin-screw 22,940-dwt containerships
6 Newport News CRESCENT—class 69,520-dwt OBO
7 Seatrain 230,000-dwt tankers
1 80,000-dwt AMERICA SUN—class tanker
5 Newport News VOYAGER—class 1 20,000-dwt
tankers
12 LASH vessels
5 Newport News VANGUARD—class 1 6,000-dwt
containerships
4 Newport News CRESCENT—class 69,520-dwt OBO
4-10 General purpose vessels
2-4 OB
3 LASH
The amphibious assault support
ship USS Portland (LSD-37). de-
scribed by the Navy as "an excel-
lent ship in all respects," recently
sai ed from the General Dynamics
shipyard in Quincy, Mass., for the
Boston Naval Shipyard to be de-
livered to the Navy ahead of con-
tract schedule.
The 562-foot-long ship, which
will displace 13,700 tons fully
loaded, left the Quincy Shipbuild-
ing Division for the last time at
9:00 a.m. on August 28, and ar-
rived before noon at the Boston
Naval Shipyard where she is ex-
pected to be commissioned this
month.
The Portland, first of four ships
in the Navy's landing dock ship
class to be built at Quincy, earned
from the Navy Board of Inspec-
tion and Survey's Summation of
Israeli Shipowners
Plan To Double Fleet
Tourism as their country's chief
earner of foreign exchange is being
challenged by Israeli shipowners.
In 1969, shipping was in second
place with slightly over $60 million,
compared with $95 million for the
tourist business. But by 1975 the na-
tion's shipping lines plan to add 2.5
million tons of new vessels. The pres-
ent merchant marine is composed of
109 ships totaling slightly under 2
million tons.
Israel's Ministry of Transport has
just estimated that by 1975, the an-
nual freight volume will be 10.6 mil-
lion tons compared with 6.8 million
last year.
The high cost of construction is a
limiting factor, but the shipping in-
dustry, which has already abandoned
the unprofitable passenger business,
is going ahead with plans for new
types of ships geared to commercial
requirements.
their evaluation, high praise during
preliminary acceptance trials held
off the coast of Massachusetts.
Named after cities in Maine and
Oregon, the Portland was chris-
tened December 20, 1969 by Mrs.
Emily Chapman, wife of General
Leonard F. Chapman Jr., Com-
mandant of the Marine Corps.
When in full operation, the Port-
land will carry a crew of 425, and
wil1 transport more than 300 com-
bat troops and their vehicles as
well as preloaded, heavy landing
craft to assault areas. The troops
and equipment will be discharged
rapidly without the ship having to
go onto the beachhead herself.
The Portland will undergo final
outfitting in Boston and is expect-
ed to join the At antic Fleet Am-
phibious Force under the command
of Capt. Martin "M" Zenni.
Israel's biggest line, Zim Naviga-
tion Company, is adapting to the con-
tainer age. For the time being it will
continue to carry containers in con-
ventional freighters. But in 1973 it
hopes to get the first eight of the 33
new vessels in which it plans to in-
vest $300 million.
Four will be multinurpose freight-
ers that can handle 450 of the 20-foot
containers. Four will he roll-on/roll-
off vessels accommodating 90 truck-
trailers or 360 containers.
The other two major shipping lines
are Cargo Ships El-Yam, which
specializes in liquid and dry hulk
transport, and Maritime Fruit Car-
riers, Ltd. which operates refriger-
ated ships in the international trade.
Israel's Ports Authority is plan-
ning facilities for containerships and
roll-on/roll-off vessels as well as other
improvements at the country's three
main ports—Haifa and Ashdod on
the Mediterranean and Elath on the
Gulf of Aqaba, which leads into the
Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
64-72
Annual Convention Of
AAPA To Be Held
In Houston Oct. 18-22
The American Association of
Port Authorities, Washington,
D.C., will roll out the royal carpet
for hundreds of port and transpor-
tation executives from all parts of
the world when they convene at
the 59th Annual Convention at the
Shamrock Hilton in Houston, Tex-
as. October 18-22, 1970.
The objectives and purposes of
AAPA are to exchange technical
information relative to port con-
struction, maintenance, operation,
administration, and management;
and to promote city, state and na-
tional policy of all port affairs. Its
studies and findings radiate into
every aspect of world trade.
According to Paul A. Amundsen,
executive director of AAPA, this
convention will be the first op-
portunity in 15 years to meet in
the dynamic city of Houston. The
Association is headed by Rae F.
Watts.
AAPA's meeting is expected to
generate unprecedented attention,
Mr. Amundsen said. There is tre-
mendous interest in the latest
aspects of water resources pro-
grams, channel capabilities, data
processing, containerization, port
financing, environmental affairs, in-
termodal transportation, public re-
lations, labor-management rela-
tions, educational requirements,
port management and ship opera-
tions, and the Association has ar-
ranged for exceptionally qualified
panels of experts to make this con-
ference informative and stimu'at-
ing.
Mr. Amundsen pointed out that
the business sessions will be bal-
anced by special luncheons, each
featuring an authorative and inter-
esting speaker; and by visits and
excursions in the Houston area.
Among the latter is a welcoming
reception at the Shamrock Hilton,
hosted by the Port of Houston, and
a special dinner at the River Oaks
Country Club. On Wednesday,
there will be a luncheon in the
Astrodome followed by a tour of
the NASA manned Space Center,
with a reception and entertainment
at the Petro'eum Club. Also fea-
tured will be a special treat for the
delegates and their families, a
Texas barbeque and old-fashioned
rodeo, hosted by the Journal of
Commerce, with all the fun and
flavor conducive to an unusual eve-
ning in the wide open spaces.
6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
Digital Wave Publishing