Page 15: of Marine News Magazine (January 2026)

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Column

Washington Watch

States. Prices were agreed and con- commercial cargo vessel game and out ing the design would give U.S. ship- struction commenced which set the from under the World War II ship yards a chance to get the bene? ts of

United States on its way to having a overhang. The same type of program series construction which they have solid shipbuilding foundation it sore- can be repeated today. not enjoyed for many years.

ly needed when World War II started Title VII has not been repealed MARAD has also already set up a in Europe in 1939. – it exists in the U.S. Code and can program of private ship construction

The Commission (which morphed be utilized today no different than supervision for its National Security into U.S. Maritime Administration or MARAD used it in the early 1950’s. Multi-Mission vessel construction

MARAD in 1950) did not forget its The system has already been designed program that could work with Title

Title VII authority. The World War to have shipyards bid in a competitive VII. That can be expanded. All that

II overhang of surplus vessels stymied process and, if MARAD charters the is needed are the resources to get

U.S. commercial vessel construction vessels to private owners, to have own- such a program going and the will just like the World War I overhang ers competitively bid on charter rates. to do it. The authority already exists. had done. No study is needed except to pick a No new law is needed. If the Na-

The Korean War brought home standard ship design from many in tion is serious about its commercial the dearth of U.S. commercial ship- the world that would be suitable for shipyards and its maritime industrial building for international trade and U.S. shipyard construction and would base, then it should stop studying the already growing obsolescence of be commercially viable. Standardiz- and just build ships. the war-built U.S. ? ag ? eet. MARAD for once did not stop to study what to do. Instead, it stepped into the breach and obtained an appropriation from

Congress to order 35 vessels of a stan- dard MARAD-designed vessel called the “Mariner” class. The break bulk design was an offshoot of one of the standard World War II designs (the

C4 cargo ship). Bidding commenced and MARAD ordered the vessels in early 1951 from seven U.S. shipyards – ? ve each. The vessels were fast and large for the day and had features such as hydraulicly operated hatches that were leading edge.

Private owners at ? rst were not admirers of the Mariner-class vessels and many went to the U.S. Navy or were operated under MARAD general agency agreements. But the industry got used to them and even more were ordered for private account. Thus, the

Mariner program succeeded in help- ing to get U.S. shipyards back in the www.marinelink.com MN 15|