Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-16
| New Merchant Ship
To Run Six Months,
Then Be Mothba|Ied
By Colt HendIey. Jr.
ssur ssoff Correspondent

Of the American merchant fleet,
is loading here today to begin
six months of operation before
going into mothballs.
The paradoxical situation gives
a good picture of the sickly state
of Americas maritime industry.
She will run cargo under the
Luckenbach Steamship Co. flag
for six months merely to test
the machinery.
The ship. one of the largest
and fastest cargo vessels in the
world, then will be put in a
graveyard, unless some one can
be found to buy her for about
IS million. She cost the Maritime
Administration more than 50
million to build at the Bethlehem
Steel Co. shipyard at Sparrows
Point. Md.
Five of the Mariners were
built at Sparrows Point. When
the shipyard finishes up some
tankers now under construction
sometime this fall. the yard will
have nothing else to build. What
this will mean economically to
Baltimore remains to be seen.
IS Vessels Ordered.
The Maritime Administration
let contracts to build IS of these
Mariners to seven shipyards
around the Nation. Most of
them have been completed and
one. the Cornhusker Mariner, al
ready is at the bottom of the sea
after running aground. Three
have been sold to private lines.
The Mariners were built for
several reasons, despite the fact
there apparently is no place for
them in the United States mer-
chant marine now.
They are to replace existing
ships now growing obsolete to
prevent the entire Merchant
Marine from suddenly becoming
obsolete at one time a few years
from now. Other nations have
been building merchant ships
outclassing anything running for
American lines. Also, with the
danger Of war growing, the new
ships are needed to provide bet |
ter support vessels for military
operations.
From all of this grew the pro-
gram Of building and mothball-
ing the new simpson the sur
face a silly procedure, since few
commercial steamship lines want
the ships now.
Chartered for 6 Months.
Sunflower Mariner was char
tered to Luckenbach for the six
months necessary to give the
ship good test. Luckenbach. in
turn, will carry military supplies
to Europe for the Military Sea
Transportation Service.
Luckenbach normally operates
only lntra-coastal ships. Robert
j. Tarr, operating manager for
the line, said his company is
not interested in buying a Mar |
liner at this time.
We just don't have the cargo
to move" he commented.
This reporter was aboard the
SunfioWer Mariner on her
maiden voyage. from Baltimore
to New York. The ship docked
at the Army depot in Brooklyn
wednesday to load military sup |
plies. There is not cargo shin
af1oat today any better.
The Sunflower Mariner is
rated a 20-knot ship. On the
voyage, she averaged better than
20 KNOTS. Her top speed is Sc
cret. because she has special
defense features built in. Luck
enbach will not be allowed to
operate her at more than her
rated speed to keep this speed
secret.
The overall length of the. Ma
riner is $50 feet. Her gross ton
mage is 300, and she has seven
cargo holds. She can carry re-
1flgerated as well as dry and
liquid cargos. The Mariners are
the largest and fastest ships of
their kind afioat.
Tour Masters Abroad.
-Four of the five Merchant Ma
rine officers aboard the Sun
flower Mariner are masters
qualified to be captains of their
own ships. But berths for mas
tiers are scarce these days.
To give an idea of how fast
the Mariners are, remember that
the Liberty ship. the work-horse
OF World War II, was a 10-knot
ship. Even the newer Victory
ships, built near the end of the
war, were only Is to II knot, yes
sells.
The Maritime Administration
hopes that. within five years, the
81 Mariners will be absorbed
into the American merchant ma
rine fleet as steamship lines
need replacements for ships now
getting obsolescent. If not, the
Mariners still will be in moth
balls waiting for a war emer-
gency that would demand more
h0tfnI11S than arn avo iloh lo yao1r,