Page 52: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1973)

SAFETY FIRST: Capt. Bernard J. Hickey (left), of United

States Lines' containerliner S/S American Liberty, re- ceives Fleet Seamanship Safety Award noting ship's 366- day accident-free record, from Kenneth W. Gundling, vice president for marine operations of United States Lines, and L.H. Pert (right), assistant marine superintendent.

United States Lines has started this award program to recognize safety achievements by its fleet and personnel.

There were six other containerliners with perfect records for 1972.

Boston And Lockport Block Co.

Acquired By Joslyn Mfg.

The formal signing of final papers for the acquisition of the Boston and Lockport Block

Co., Inc., Boston, Mass., by the Joslyn Mfg. and Supply Co., Chicago, 111., was announced in Boston by officials of both companies.

The joint statement reads as follows: "Completion of the acquisition of the assets of Boston and Lockport Block Co., Inc. was announced by George W. Stamm, president of Joslyn Mfg. and Supply Co., Chicago, and

Donald C. Seamans, president of Boston and

Lockport Block Co., Inc., Boston. The consid- eration was not announced. "Mr. Stamm stated that the business should be continued under the name of Boston and

Lockport Corp. under present management with Mr. Seamans serving as president. The company will be operated as a subsidiary of

Brewer-ITitchener Corp., Cortland, N.Y., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Joslyn Mfg. and Supply Co. "Joslyn, a Chicago-based firm, is in its 71st year and has 22 plants in 10 cities."

Isherwood System Reduces

Large Ship Operating Costs

Sir Joseph W. Isherwood & Company Limited, consultant naval architects and marine engineers, with officers in London and Newcastle upon

Tyne, are launching a new service—A-mar-Z— which aims to provide a powerful management tool to enable fleet managers to optimize the costs associated with the total repair and maintenance function of ships of all sizes.

By identifying the total work load necessary to maintain ships in service and apply planning tech- niques to ensure that manpower deployment is executed in the most cost effective manner, Isher- woods are making available a service designed to overcome many of the problems that detract from the profitable operation of modern ships.

Many modern vessels, including VLCCs and containerships, incorporate a high degree of so- phistication in an endeavor to improve their com- mercial productivity. Technical problems, how- ever, aggravated by a number of external factors, have resulted in recent times in an unprecedented increase in repair, maintenance and associated off- hire costs, which has detracted from the value of the investment made in these areas.

This situation has caused many owners to ques- tion traditional methods of managing maintenance, and in some cases planned maintenance schemes have been implemented in an endeavor to bring costs back under control.

From their observations and after "in-depth" research, Isherwoods have concluded that the ma- jority of these planned maintenance schemes are failing to produce the anticipated benefits. They believe that the reason for this failure stems large- ly from too great emphasis being placed on office- bound systems and insufficient attention being paid to the job of effectively managing the whole range of maintenance and repair activities.

Illustrating the size of the problem, Isherwoods have determined that currently some VLCCs spend up to 40 days ©ut of service in an 18-month period due to maintenance and repairs, and total costs of about $1,500,000 during such a period are not untypical.

The A-mar-Z system has been designed to over- come the problems in an economical fashion.

Given full management and sea-staff support, the system has the potential to reduce the total repair bill during an 18-month drydocking interval by some 33 percent and on the basis of their quoted costs for operating this system, this gives a saving to cost ratio of the order of 6:1.

The A-mar-Z system not only provides the basic planning and documentation software, but makes available an operating bureau which provides the ship manager with a complete management service —without any of the problems and overheads associated with in-house systems. The planning system is all embracing in respect of maintenance and repair activities and covers steelwork, pipe- work, systems and spares, in addition to the tra- ditional planned maintenance which is concerned principally with rotating machinery.

Cost reduction is the major objective of the scheme. This is achieved by maximizing the amount of maintenance, inspections and repairs carried out at sea. using shoreside facilities only for work which cannot possibly be carried out at sea.

In order to effect work on board ship, which is beyond the resources of the ship's staff, skilled labor will be made available by a number of ap- proved specialized contractors who will undertake the work at sea. The work will be planned and co- ordinated by the planning bureau.

To complete the all-embracing nature of the system, advisory services, including drydock planning, operating manuals and operational re- search will be made available through the bureau.

A-mar-Z is operated by Isherwood's Mainte- nance Services Division based in Newcastle upon

Tyne and in association with the following ap- proved contractors: Wm. McCrindle & Son, work squads; R. Pollard Associated, operating manu- als; Engineer Test Services (Far East) Ltd., steelwork surveys (ultrasonics) ; Rodger, Morley

Ltd.; vibration analysis, and I.M.E.C. (Marine

Ltd.), automation and electronic equipment main- tenance.

Astilleros Espanoles Launches

Second Of Four 230,000-Dwt

Tankers For AMOCO Transport

Pictured at the launching, left to right: Luis Nadal, direc- tor of the Cadiz Yard; Robert Haddow, vice president of supply and transportation of AMOCO International Oil

Company; Mrs. Haddow, sponsor; the port commander, and Mrs. Delgado, wife of the director of the Southern

Area of Astilleros Espanoles, S.A.

The 230,000-dwt AMOCO Singapore has been launched at the Cadiz Shipyard o'f Astil- leros Espanoles, S.A. This is the second of a series of four vessels that are being built at the Cadiz Shipyard for AMOCO Transport

Company of the U.S.

The approximate measurements and main particulars of the vessel are length overall, 1,096 feet; length between perpendiculars, 1,027 feet; molded breadth, 167 feet; molded depth, up to main deck, 86 feet, and molded draft, 65 feet. The cargo tank capacity (100%) is about 10,011,857 cubic feet, and the antici- pated fully laden trials speed is 15.3 knots.

The 230,000-dwt tanker AMOCO Singapore slides down the ways at the Astilleros Espanoles Cadiz Shipyard.

The propulsion machinery on the AMOCO

Singapore comprises an AESA-Burmeister &

Wain 8K98FF type main engine, totaling 30,400 bhp at 103 rpm, built by Astilleros

Espanoles, S.A.

Other equipment such as winches, windlass- es, steering gear, main boilers, heavy forgings and castings have also been constructed at different works of Astilleros Espanoles, S.A.

Mrs. Ginger S. Haddow, wife of the vice president of supply and transportation of

AMOCO International Oil Company, served as sponsor during the launching ceremony, accompanied by authorities, executives of the shipbuilding company and officials of the

AMOCO Group. 56 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News