APRIL 1965
Plans for the construction of a 226' ship with an all-aluminum hull — marking the first use of aluminum for hulls in large commercial, oceangoing ships — have been announced jointly by United Tanker Corp. and Reynolds Metals Co., Richmond, Va. To be the largest self-propelled aluminum hull ship, the vessel will be a roll-on, roll-off trailer ship capable of transporting 40 van-type trailers. With a 44' beam and 28' depth, it is expected to maintain a speed of 15 knots.
• The new twin-screw Guy P. Cenac, a 54' pushboat built by Main Iron Works for E.A. Cenac, both located in Houma, La., is the object of considerably more attention than similar boats plying the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Credit for engineering the Guy P. Cenac’s power system goes to Rogers Diesel Engineering Co., New Orleans.
APRIL 1975
The newest addition to London-based Northern Offshore Ltd. is the 180'x38'x14' Northern Worker. Since its delivery, the offshore service vessel, built by Halter Marine Services, Lockport, La., has been working in the Gulf of Mexico but is slated for duty in the North Sea during the second part of the year. The Northern Worker’s large carrying capacity is its strongest suit. It has room for 600 tons of deck cargo and its mud tanks can hold 3,600 cu.ft. of product.
• The tight energy supply situation in 1974 showed up in reduced barge shipments of coal and petroleum products on the Tennessee River waterway, breaking a 12-year string of consecutive annual increases in overall freight tonnage using the river. Total commercial traffic on the Tennessee River in 1974 was 26.7 million metric tons, according to preliminary estimates. This was a 9% decline for the year. Coal shipments showed a 20% decline.
APRIL 1985
Leevac Shipyards, Jennings, La., recently launched a new seismic vessel which is under construction for Geophysical Service, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Texas Instruments Inc. Designed for worldwide service, the ABS-classed 220 'x42' Kenda is scheduled for delivery later this month.
• The most famous ship in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet will be among the invited vessels present at the opening of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway later this year. The three-masted, square-rigged training vessel Eagle will arrive at Mobile, Ala., next month.
• Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wis., recently delivered the 15th of 52 workboats to the Naval Sea Systems Command. The 50'x14'6" steel-hulled boats feature a draft of 4'6". The original Sea Systems contract for 28 vessels was awarded to Marinette last year
