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Second Largest U.S.-Built Commercial Vessel Delivered To Atlantic Richfield Company The S/S Arco Anchorage cruises down Chesapeake Bay on her trials before her christening at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point shipyard. She will sail in overseas service pending completion of the Trans Alaska pipeline. The 120,000-deadweight-ton tanker S/S Arco Anchorage, the second largest commercial ves- sel ever (built in the United States, was chris- tened at the Sparrows Point, Md., shipyard of Bethlehem Steel Corporation on June 2 by Mrs. Robert O. Anderson, wife of the chair- man of Atlantic Richfield Company. Named after Alaska's largest population center—the city and borough of Anchorage— the 883-ifoot-long vessel features the latest safety, navigational, communications and anti- pollution equipment available. The ship 'has a cruising range of 15,000 miles, with a nominal sea speed of 16 knots developed from 26,000- horsepower steam turlbines. She is the third of five tankers totaling 500,000 tons to be built by Bethlehem Steel for Atlantic Richfield. Mrs. Anderson of Roswell, N.M., christened the eighth and largest U.S.-flag vessel in At- lantic Richfield's tanker fleet by breaking a bot- tle of champagne oh the foremast. Her daugh- ter-in-law, Mrs. Robert B. Anderson of Al- buquerque, N.M., was matron of honor for the ceremony. The ship was "floated out" of a new 1,200-foot building basin last March 1. Among prominent Alaskans on hand for the christening were Mayor George Sullivan of the City of Anchorage and Mayor John Roderick of Greater Anchorage Area Borough. Follow- ing the event, William H. Collins, general manager of the shipyard, was host at an on- board luncheon in honor of the sponsor, Mrs. Anderson. In remarks prepared for delivery to the guest luncheon audience, Mr. Anderson said that a predicted rise of U.S. oil imports to more than 50 percent of domestic demand will make the use of even larger crude carriers "imperative to avoid the potential hazards associated with congestion of ponts from large numbers of small ships." He called for construction of domestic deep- water ports, noting that of 50 ports in the world "capable of handling tankers of 200.000 deadweight tons, not one of them is in the United States." Stressing the need for the United States "to do the things that will assure an uninterrupted flow of energy," Mr. Anderson said "it is ur- gent that ithe nation retain a large measure of control over the shipping that will bring" in- creasing imports of energy resources "to our shores." The new tanker, Mr. Anderson said, "sym- bolizes our confidence in a Trans Alaska pipe- line, which we believe will be the safest and environmentally soundest first leg in the great journey of crude oil from an Arctic reservoir to the homes, industries and autos of the low- er 48 states. The S/S Arco Anchorage has a length overall of 883 feet, length between perpendiculars of 850 feet, molded breadth of 138 feet, molded depth of 68 feet, and a draft of 51 feet 9 inches. Her power plant comprises General Electric double-reduction gear steam turbines producing 26,000 shaft horsepower from Foster Wheeler twin boilers, each providing 92,700 pounds of steam per hour. Her 27-foot 6-inch-diameter five-bladed right- handed manganese bronze Ferguson propeller weighs 65 tons. The unitized, double opposed Jered ram steer- ing gear, with a capacity of 25 million inch pounds torque, consists of power unit, ram group, cross- head, differential control and emergency steering, all mounted on a common bedplate. Among the other features of the new vessel, which has a liquid cargo capacity of nearly 950,000 barrels, are: • For safer maneuvering, Bethlehem central- ized pilothouse engine control, which maximizes speed of transmission of orders to the engine room. • Rucker central cargo control station for push- button operation and constant monitoring of all cargo valves, pumps and tanks. • Optimum navigational guidance using large screen Raytheon radar systems with two sepa- rate frequencies for the advantage of maximum storm penetration and clarity of resolution in harbor areas. An "Omega" system supplied by Micro Instruments for continuously determining the vessel's position worldwide (with accuracy of one-half mile or better at 5,000 miles), and an automatic tracking loran (Benmar type 747 Mrs. Robert- O. Anderson, wife of the chairman of Atlan- tic Richfield Company, smashes a bottle of champagne to christen the S/S Arco Anchorage, the second largest vessel under the American flag. At the left looking on are William H. Collins, general manager of Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point shipyard, and Mr. Anderson. automatic AC) system for short and medium offshore navigation. • High seas voice communication via 1,000- watt C.A.I. (Communication Assoc. Inc.) single sideband radio system operating on 40 pretuned channels, and a 55 channel VHF bridge to bridge transceiver for maximum port and short-range related communications. • Mooring system provided with automatic tensioning winches which further facilitate safe service of the vessel during cargo transfer at docks. All officer and crew quarters are air-condi- tioned. Two additional 120,000-ton sister ships of the Arco Anchorage are under construction in the shipyard and are scheduled for delivery to At- lantic Richfield in April and August 1974, re- spectively. Previously, two 70,000-ton tankers— the S/S Arco Prudhoe Bay and the S/S Arco Sag River—were delivered in 1971 and 1972 and are now in service for the company between Alaska's Cook Inlet and the West Coast of the United States. The Arco Anchorage will not go into Alaskan service immediately. The ship will initially be used principally in overseas service, pending con- struction of the Trans Alaska pipeline, a 'spokes- man said. In addition to the Arco Anchorage and its two sister ships for delivery to Atlantic Richfield, the yard has under construction, or on order, five 265,000-deadweight-ton tankers, one 120,000- deadweight-ton tanker, one 70,000-deadweight-ton tanker and two containerships. The port of registry of the Arco Anchorage is Philadelphia, Pa. 6 > Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
