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Among the participants at the Maritime Day ceremonies in New York this year were (L to R): Capt. Robert E. Hart, president, Marine Index Bureau and Maritime Day chairman; Quarles van Ufford, consul general of the Netherlands; first officer Harry Rogers of the tanker Williamsburgh; Capt. Arthur H. Fertig, master of the Williamsburgh; and Samuel B. Nemirow, assistant secretary of commerce for mar- itime affairs. New York Maritime Day Ceremonies Featured Presentation Of Two Awards National Maritime Day was ob- served in New York Harbor with a cruise down the Hudson River aboard a Circle Line vessel, on which presentations of maritime awards and an ecumenical service were held. As some 400 members of New York and New Jersey's maritime community looked on, sponsors from government, labor, and management placed ceremo- nial wreaths on the waters of the harbor. A bugler from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point sounded taps in memory of the men and women of the merchant marine who died in the past year. Ceremonies aboard the vessel featured the presentation of the Gallant Ship Award to the tanker Williamsburgh by the Honorable Samuel B. Nemirow, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Mar- itime Affairs. Capt. Arthur H. Fertig, skipper of the tanker, was honored for his role in the dra- matic rescue by sea and air of the 560 passengers and crew of the Dutch liner Prinsendam, which caught fire in the Pacific last Oc- tober. In a last-minute program addition, Secretary Nemirow also presented the American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy, a perpetual cup dedicated as a per- manent tribute to deeds of extra- ordinary American seamanship and maritime skill, to Captain Fertig, as well as individual awards and citations to all mem- bers of the Williamsburgh. Also in attendance and hon- ored were first officer Harry Rogers and union officials repre- senting the shipping line, includ- ing Jerome E. Joseph, vice presi- dent District 2, MEBA, AMO, and Leon Hall, vice president Sea- farer's International Union of North America. Joining the group for additional speeches and me- mento presentations were ship- ping executives associated with the tanker, including Albert Gu- etta, president of Bay Tankers, Inc., operator of the Williams- burgh during the rescue; A1 Jur- ist, vice president of the present operator of the vessel, Apex Ma- rine Corporation; Peter Marshall, general manager product trading for American Petrofina, charterer of the vessel; and Consul Gen- eral Quarles van Ufford of the Netherlands. The announcement of the recip- ient of the annual Merchant Ma- rine Achievement Trophy Award also was made on the cruise by Capt. John V. Caffrey, command- er of the Robert L. Hague Mer- chant Marine Industries Post of the American Legion. Each year since 1956, the post has honored the person, company, or associ- ation that has made a significant contribution to the American merchant marine in that vear. EXXON USA was this year's re- cipient, and the award will be made at the White House later this year. Earlier, Vice Adm. Robert I. Price, United States Coast Guard, made awards to a number of shipping companies from the New York area. These awards, for sup- port of the Coast Guard's Auto- mated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system, were made aboard the Maritime Day vessel before its departure from pier 81. James P. McAllister Sr. of J.P. McAllister Associates, honorary chairman of the 1981 World Trade Week Committee, gave the traditional welcome aboard the vessel. Capt. Robert E. Hart, pres- ident of the Marine Index Bureau and chairman of the Maritime Day Committee, served as master of ceremonies for the day's events. Joining the marine and world trade executives aboard were the 1981 Maritime Queen Miss Karen Powderly and her princess, spon- sored by the Maritime Associa- tion of the Port of New York. Miss Powderly, an employee of South African Marine Corpora- tion, New York, is 23 years old and resides in Ozone Park, Queens. The ecumenical and wreath cer- emonial service in honor of those seafarers who have given their lives serving the merchant ma- rine was conducted onboard the vessel beyond the Verranzano Bridge by the Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey. The Reverend Francis C. Huntington officiated. Officials casting the Labor Wreath over the stern included Mr. Hall and Mr. Joseph; Henri L. Neraux, International Organi- zation of Masters, Mates & Pi- lots ; and Andrew Rich of the Na- tional Maritime Union of North America. Representatives handling the Government Wreath were Capt. Richard 0. Gooden, U.S. Navy, Commander, Military Sealift Com- mand, Atlantic; Rear Adm. Thom- as A. King, superintendent, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Todd Shipyards Awarded Navy Study Contract On DDGX Producibility The Naval Sea Systems Com- mand recently awarded the Los Angeles Division of Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation a $384,382 producibility study contract for DDGX, the Navy's next genera- tion guided missile destroyer. Todd will investigate techniques to modify contract design data packages to implement computer- ized design construction, deter- mine cost effectiveness of instal- lation of a Ship's Data Multi- plexing System (SDMS), as well as other cost benefit trade-off studies. Todd immediately an- nounced that the Anaheim-based Autonetics Marine Systems Divi- sion of Rockwell International would assist in preparation of the SDMS study. The DDGX destroyer design is currently in the preliminary de- sign phase, with construction of the first ship scheduled to com- mence in 1986. Todd Los Angeles Point; Rear Adm. Sheldon Kin- ney, president, New York State Maritime College, Fort Schuyler; the Honorable Samuel B. Nem- irow, Assistant Secretary of Com- merce for Maritime Affairs; and Vice Adm. Robert I. Price, USCG, Commander, Atlantic and Third Coast Guard District. The Management Wreath was cast into the waters by Daniel B. Curll III, president of New York Towboat & Harbor Carriers Association; James J. Dickman, president of New York Shipping Association; Donald J. Schmidt, president of The Propeller Club, Port of New York; and Robert L. Massa, president of the Dry Dock Association of New York & New Jersey. Joseph F. Brady, chief officer of international trade, Depart- ment of Labor & Industry in Newark, N.J., announced the ap- pointment of George H. Becker Jr. of Eatontown, N.J., as the chairman of New York and New Jersey World Trade Week for 1981, and also gave special rec- ognition to Mr. McAllister and Captain Hart for their part in the presentation of an outstand- ing 1981 Maritime Day program in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The observance of Maritime Day, in recognition of the im- portance of the American mer- chant marine and the men and women serving aboard U.S. mer- chant ships, has been held on May 22 for the past 49 years. It commemorates the same date in 1819 when the S/S Savannah be- gan the first trans-Atlantic voy- age using steam power, from the Port of Savannah, Ga. It was held in New York and New Jersey on Thursday, May 21, in order not to conflict with the start of the Memorial Day weekend. currently holds contracts for 15 FFG guided missile frigates, of which three have been delivered, and the yard is developing nec- essary facilities and personnel to be in a formidable position to win the competition as prime con- tractor to design and build the lead ship of the DDGX class. MarAd Approves Title XI On Oceangoing Barge To Cost $18.6 Million The Maritime Administration has approved in principle an ap- plication by Ocean Barge Corpo- ration, New Orleans, to aid in financing the construction of an oceangoing, 33,000-dwt dry cargo barge. Bay Shipbuilding Corporation, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., is the build- er. The 550-foot vessel is sched- uled to be delivered in November and is expected to be employed in the domestic U.S. coastwise coal trade. The Title XI guarantee covers $16,257,000, or 87U per- cent of the estimated cost of $18,580,000. 58 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
