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Pacific NW Section Reviews Pictured above, left to right: John Hohler, Columbia Riv- er Area chairman; Andrew Nielsen, American Bureau of Shipping; Arthur Farr, Northwest Marine Iron Works; Philip Spaulding, author; Vincent Van Riper, American Bureau of Shipping, and George Salisbury, chairman, Pa- cific Northwest Section of SNAME. A Review of Alaska's History and The De- velopment of Alaska's Ferry System was pre- sented by Philip F. Spaulding, vice president of Nickum & Spaulding Associates, Inc., at a Portland, Ore., meeting of the Pacific North- west Section of The Society of Naval Archi- tects and Marine Engineers on February 9. Commencing with the Russians' fur-trading interests in the 1700s, Mr. Spaulding talked his audience through "Seward's Folly," whaling expeditions during Civil War years, gold dis- covery in 1898, World War ll's role in Alaska's development, and finally, statehood. He point- ed out that extensive studies determined that, unlike the growth of roadways in the "lower forty-eight," a complete conventional highway system would not be economically feasible when considering sparse population, great dis- tances to be traversed, and the many bridges and structures which would have to be built to span the countless rivers and inlets. And so the Alaska Marine Highway was born. The first ferry in the Juneau area, a con- verted Navy LCT, was replaced in 1957 by the 100-foot Chilkoot, built by Martinac Shipbuild- ing Corporation. Five larger vessels soon fol- lowed—the M/V Taku, Matanuska, Bartlett, Tustumena, and the largest of all, the 408-foot M/V Malaspina. The M/V Wickersham, whose activities are somewhat restricted be- cause of The Jones Act, is also a member of the "Blue and Gold Fleet." Two more vessels are presently being built and slated to join the system by 1974. Of interest to all taxpayers in all 50 states: each Alaskan has a stake of over $215 in the Alaska Marine Highway. This fact in itself in- dicates that Alaskans became fully aware of this special transportation need and were will- ing to support their ferry system. The motion picture "Good Morning Alaska," showing the fleet of ferries gliding through Alaska's breathtaking scenery, concluded Mr. Spaulding's presentation. New London Freight Lines Asks MarAd For Title XI To Build 216-Foot Ferry New London Freight Lines, Inc., 17 Battery Place, New York, N.Y. 10004, has applied to the Maritime Administration for Title XI mort- gage and loan financing to aid in the construction of a 216-foot ferry which the company plans to use with the other two ferries it operates be- tween Orient Point on Long Island, N.Y., and New London, Conn. The vessel, estimated to cost $1.6 million, is to have a capacity for 267 long tons of passengers and vehicles and will be 42 feet wide with a 10-foot draft. As yet, no construction contract has been awarded. Beth-Beaumont Commissions Offshore Drilling Platform For Storm Drilling Company ZEPHYR I, a semisubmersible mobile plat- form scheduled to drill for oil in the North Sea for Texaco, was commissioned on March 16 at Bethlehem Steel's Beaumont, Texas, shipyard. Constructed for the Storm Drilling Company of Houston, Texas, and the A.P. Moller Com- pany of Denmark, ZEPHYR I will have a maxi- mum drilling capacity of 25,000 feet in 1,000 feet of water. Mrs. Erik Krog-Meyer, wife of the Danish Consul General to the United States, commis- sioned the rig, which will be delivered shortly. ZEPHYR I is the first of seven semisubmer- sible drilling vessels which Bethlehem has on order or under construction. The Beaumont yard will construct six, and Bethlehem's Baltimore, Md., yard one. The vessel consists of two rectangular lower hulls, each 202 feet long, 32 feet wide, and 28 feet high. Overall width is 182 feet. There are eight stability columns, with the four corner columns having diameters of 32 feet, and four intermediate columns with diameters of 10 feet. The upper rectangular watertight platform is 186 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 14 feet deep. It contains machinery, mud tanks, cement and mud handling equipment, workshop, drilling equipment, and quarters for 82 men. The ma- chinery deck is 94 feet above the bottom of the lower hull. A heliport, pipe rack and drilling derrick will be mounted on the upper deck. The platform has an operating draft of 50 feet, and employs an 8-point mooring system. ZEPHYR I has been built in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulations, and classed by the American Bureau of Shipping for unrestricted ocean service as a drilling vessel. ZEPHYR II, a sister platform, is scheduled for delivery to Storm Drilling Company early next year. 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