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Oceangoing Barge Transports Grain In Deck-Mounted Silos The PAC tug Sioux pushed the huge barge 388 miles from Central Ferry, Wash., to Astoria, Ore. and then switched to hawser towing for the trip southward in the Pacific. Some trips will also be made to Hawaii under the charter. One-barge one-tug grain shipments from the Upper Columbia and Snake Rivers directly to southern California recently became a reality. The grain 'barge PAC 312-1, pushed by the PAC tug Sioux, left Western Farmers' eleva- tor in Central Ferry, Wash., carrying the equivalent of 130 railroad box cars of barley stored in five huge deck-mounted grain tanks. It was pushed to Astoria, 388 miles and seven dams away, by the Sioux, which then switched to hawser towing at sea for the trip to Long Beach, Calif. The highly specialized PAC tug and barge team is under charter to Western Farmers As- sociation, according to Dick Carlen, manager of PAC's river division. Seventeen-day round- trip service between Central Ferry and south- ern California ports is contemplated. Some trips will also be made to Hawaii under the charter. By 1976, after completion of Lower Granite Dam, the big barge will be able to move from the Pacific up the Columbia and Snake Rivers as far east as Lewiston, 57 miles upriver from Central Ferry. Barge PAC 312-1 is the only grain barge on the Pacific Coast capable of loading to capacity with grain at upriver ports and moving direct- ly to sea. Launched in 1969, the barge was built by Gunderson, Inc., at Portland, Ore. It is 312 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CITATION: Ralph C. Chris- tensen, vice president of the American Bureau of Ship- ping, was the recent recipient of the American Legion Distinguished Service Medal and Citation. The award was made at the 31st annual Robert L. Hague Merchant Marine Industries Post Guard of Honor Dinner-Dance held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, N.Y., on November 6, 1971. Shown above are Mr. Christensen (left), Post Commander John H. Ingraham, engineering services representative for the Ameron Corrosion Control Division, and Thurland T. Wilkinson (right), general chairman of the Guard of Honor Dinner-Dance and vice president and general manager of Trinidad Corporation. feet long and has a breadth of 68 feet. In prep- aration for its new role, it recently underwent modifications at the Guntert & Zimmerman yard at Stockton, Calif. Added were five deck-mounted metal grain tanks, each 60 feet in diameter and 33 feet high. A single tank holds 1,300 tons, giving the barge total capacity of 6,500 tons and up to five varie- ties of grain. An 18-inch sweep auger is built into the tank. Certified for unrestricted ocean service, the modified PAC 312-1 represents an investment of more than $1 million, Mr. Carlen noted. Teamed with the unusual barge, the Sioux is a unique shallow-draft oceangoing tug with river capabilities. It is equipped with twin screws and Kort nozzles and develops 3,000 horsepower. A high wheelhouse provides visi- bility during push towing, and six deck-mount- ed hydraulic winches provide tight control over the barge. The Sioux was built for PAC by Martinac Shipbuilding, Tacoma, at a cost in excess of $1 million. It was launched in 1970. PAC is the trade name for Pacific Inland Navigation Company, Inc., and a number of wholly owned subsidiaries that provide cargo movement in the Pacific, Alaska and on the Columbia. Corporate headquarters are at Se- attle. Columbia River operations are directed by Mr. Carlen from Vancouver, Wash. Equitable To Build Two-Story All Welded Steel Offshore Quarters Unit For Humble Oil Equitable Equipment Company, Inc., has been awarded a contract by Humble Oil & Refining Co. for the construction of a 42-foot by 42-foot two-story all welded steel offshore quarters unit with a 60-foot by 60-foot heliport for location in the Gulf of Mexico. The quarters unit will be completely outfitted with a modern stainless steel electric galley. Mess hall and galley will be arranged for cafeteria-style feeding. It will be designed and outfitted with four-men staterooms, recreation facilities, two su- perintendents' offices and staterooms. The building will also contain a utility room for equipment. Additionally, the quarters unit will have a year- round air-conditioning system. The quarters build- ing design will provide structural requirements for withstanding a 62.5 pound per square foot hori- zontal wind loading (125 m.p.h.) from any direc- tion. The building will also be designed to meet the structural requirements of a 5,700 pound per square foot concentrated load on any square foot of the building's heliport deck area. Equitable Equipment Company Incorporated's main office and yard are located at 4325 France Road, New Orleans, La. 70126. Bethlehem Singapore Receives First Drill Platform Contract J.O. Crooke, left, general manager of Bethlehem's Beau- mont, Texas, shipyard, and J.L. Steitle, president of Tele- dyne Movible Offshore, Inc., signing the contract for the first drill rig to be built at Bethlehem's Singapore facility. Bethlehem Singapore Private Ltd. has re- ceived a contract from Teledyne Movible Off- shore, Inc., of Lafayette, La., to design and construct a self-elevating mobile offshore plat- form capable of drilling to a depth of 25,000 feet in as much as 250 feet of water. To op- erate in Southeast Asian waters, the rig is scheduled for completion in October 1972. Announcement of the award was made by J.O. Crooke, general manager of Bethlehem's Beaumont shipyard, which is the U.S. sales representative and engineering consultant for the Singapore yard. The mat-supported platform, Movible Rig 16, is the first to be awarded to the Singapore yard since its completion a few months ago. A joint venture of Bethlehem Steel Corpora- tion and the Development Bank of Singapore, the yard is on a 79-acre tract. Movible Offshore, a Teledyne company, be- gan operations in 1957 and now has two mobile drilling rigs and 10 platform drilling and work- over rigs. It recently opened offices in Singa- pore as part of an international expansion pro- gram. The new shipyard specializes in the design and construction of mobile offshore drilling platforms and associated equipment and also builds supply boats, barges, storage units, dredges, and fixed platform equipment. GET-TOGETHER: The three senior captains of United States Lines enjoy a rare get-together at Newport News Shipbuilding where their containerships are berthed awaiting settlement of the East Coast longshoremen's strike. From the left in photo are Capt. A.J. Knowlfon of the American Apollo; Capt. B.J. Hickey, skipper of the U.S. Lines' American Liberty; T. Wilhelmsen, United States Lines port engineer; Capt. A.J. Alexanderson of the American Legion, and G.G. Via Jr., the Tenneco shipyard's manager of marketing for commercial ships. Although long-time friends, the skippers are usually a week behind each other on their regular voyages between East Coast Ports and the Far East. 6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
