February 4, 1977
Page 3715
BATH IRON WORKS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I have spoken frequently of the critical role of Bath Iron Works in building and maintaining our Naval fleet. Bath has played a particularly key part in the FFG-7 Guided Missile Frigate program. Last October, I participated in the launching of the lead ship in that program, the U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry. Bath Iron Works is already committed to building at least five additional ships in this class and is prepared to continue as a major construction base for this program.
Bath's role in the effort to overhaul and modernize our Naval fleet is also well established. The reputation of Bath workers for excellence and value in overhauling destroyers, particularly in the 1,200-pound class, is without challenge. The U.S.S. Brumby arrived in Bath just this week to undergo a major overhaul and the U.S.S. Detroit will soon be returning to service following extensive modernization at Bath. Recently acquired drydock facilities and other improvements at Bath further enhance the shipyard's capabilities in future overhaul work.
Bath Iron Works' contribution to the American fleet is not limited to support of our Naval forces but extends to the commercial maritime industry the same outstanding workmanship applied to Naval programs. Testimony of BIW's continuing excellence was provided in the December 1976 edition of Marine Engineering Log which recognized the Bath built S.S. Maine as one of the distinctive ships of 1976. Launched in May of 1975, the Maine is the first in a series of four roll-on/roll-off vessels built by BIW. In addition to the international honor of being recognized by Marine Engineering Log, the S.S. Maine was designated the Bicentennial Ship of the States Steamship Co. fleet and received the Ship of the Year Award from the Reliance Electric Co.; an international supplier to the shipbuilding industry. I take great pride in sharing this tribute to the continuing tradition of excellence in the Maine maritime industry with my colleagues and request unanimous consent that the text of the article in Marine Engineering Log be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
BATH-BUILT RO/RO SHIPS DELIVERED TO STATES STEAMSHIP
The first in a series of four roll-on/roll-off vessels designed specifically for the transpacific service and built by Bath Iron Works, of Bath, Maine, was turned over to her owners, States Steamship Company, on April 27. The Maine sailed from her home port of San Francisco for Far Eastern ports on May 31.
Launched on May 24, 1975, the Maine will be followed by the Arizona, launched on November 1, 1975, the Nevada, launched on May 15 of this year, and the Illinois, launched in July. The four vessels will be the only U.S.-flag RO/RO ships operating over Pacific Trade Route 29. The four ships represent an investment of more than $158 million in building costs.
All are being funded under the construction differential subsidy provisions of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. The CDS for the Maine, Arizona, and Nevada is approximately 43 percent and the Illinois subsidy is approximately 41 percent. The remainder of the funds are being provided from States Steamship Co. capital reserve funds (25 percent) and proceeds from the issuing of U.S. Government guaranteed Merchant Marine Bonds (75 percent). The bond issues are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government and were placed at relatively lower rates than States would have to pay on debt solely guaranteed by the company.
BICENTENNIAL SHIP
At her launching ceremonies, the Maine was designated as the "Bicentennial Ship" of the States Line fleet by company officials. The 648-foot vessel is painted in the traditional red, white, and blue of States Line and carries an 18-foot American Bicentennial symbol amidships on both port and starboard sides. Designed by the American naval architectural firm, J. J. Henry Company, she is the fifth Maine to have been built in the Bath yard.
Virtually every type of cargo, whether self-propelled or general cargo, container, bulk, liquid, refrigerated, long or odd-shaped, or heavy, can be handled aboard these new vessels. The Maine's initial service is between West Coast ports and Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The ships are built with a retractable ramp that permits them to berth at any conventional pier, thus eliminating large shore-side investment for the ports of call.
The cargo is loaded by mobile equipment that delivers it to any location at one of four underdeck levels via internal ramps aboard the ship. Mobile equipment, trucks, cars, rubber-tired or cleated tractors, and heavy construction materials can be driven aboard under their own power and secured in place for transpacific voyage. General cargo, whether an agricultural item such as canned or bagged goods, or baled items such as cotton or wood pulp, can be unitized and taken aboard in large units. Additionally, lumber moving in quantities up to 10 million board ft. per shipment can be handled. This equates to over 200 carloads on the basis of 50,000 board ft. per railroad car.
It is also possible to land helicopters on the deck and stow them in the holds with the use of two cranes on the forward deck. The ships can carry containers of lengths from 10 to 40 ft. They contain security lockers for shipment of valuable cargo such as precious metals, mail, or small parcels, and have conventional 20-ft and 40-ft containers as well as reefer containers. In addition, the vessels have tanks for the carriage of bulk liquid cargo. All four of these Maine Class ships will have accommodations for 12 passengers.
Fast and continuous loading, made possible by the 24-ft stern ramp, is augmented by the two 15-ton deck cranes which handle cargo too large for ramp-loading, by the conventional up-and-over method. A special break-bulk hatch allows lift-on cargo to be stowed below. The internal ramp system, connecting five decks, makes it possible for individual shipments to be readily accessible for discharge in any given port of call, speeding turnaround time. Each ship will maintain its own fleet of cargo handling equipment consisting of two straddle carriers, two 20-ton, and six 10-ton fork lifts. Straddle carriers move up to 20 tons of long-length cargo across ramps and throughout the ship. The 10- and 20-ton fork lifts handle 20-ft containers, cotton bales, bagged asbestos, and unit loads, palletized goods, machinery, yachts, and other shipments of general cargo.
These ships have a fuel-oil capacity (98 percent full) of 3648 LT, a saltwater ballast of approximately 6221 LT, and approximately 243 LT of fresh water. They have a maximum continuous shaft horsepower of 37,000, the 6-bladed propeller diameter is 22 ft 6 in, and they have a steaming radius of 10,600 miles.
Loading computers. Each vessel is fitted with a Raytheon Loadmax-200 digital loading computer for rapid computation of drafts, trim, stability, hull stresses, and heel angle prior to and during loading operations. Both Bath Iron Works and States Line selected this unique computer for its speed and accuracy in planning cargo stowage and ability to permit quick adjustments for last minute cargo-bookings or changes in cargo availability.
Tonnages for more than 200 individual cargo spaces, ballast, and fuel tanks are easily entered via a simple desk calculator-type keyboard. With each tonnage entry the total effect on the vessel is immediately computed and displayed on the console. Each complete calculation requires about two seconds and includes automatic corrections for tank free-surface effects. Heeling moment and heel angle are computed on operator demand. A compact, built-in printer records every key-board operation and on demand prints a sequenced tabulation of the tonnages in all spaces as well as a summary of the final loading condition status. The Loadmax-200 was designed, programmed and manufactured by Raytheon's Maritime Systems Department in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
These new Maine Class RO/RO's will join five liners of the Coronado Class and six Advanced Mariners of the California Class that currently make up the fleet of States Line. All 15 vessels will bear the line's red seahorse funnel emblem.