Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 1971)

Peterson Builders Launches

Search And Recovery Vessel —243-Foot Alcoa Seaprobe

Alcoa Seaprobe, the most advanced deep- ocean search and recovery vessel ever con- structed, has been launched in Sturgeon Bay,

Wis. and hailed as a major vehicle in man's effort to unveil the secrets of the sea.

The 243-foot all-aluminum vessel will be operated by Ocean Search, Inc., an oceano- graphic venture of Aluminum Company of

America and Ocean Science and Engineering,

Inc. The ship has been under construction at

Peterson Builders, Inc. since February, and will remain at the yard in Sturgeon Bay until fitting out is completed in August.

Mrs. William C. Woodward of Pittsburgh,

Pa. wife of Alcoa vice-president William C.

Woodward, christened the ship. Their daugh- ter, Miss Cynthia Woodward of New York, served as maid of honor. Mr. Woodward is president of Ocean Search, Inc., and an OSE director. Honored guest was Rear Adm. O.D.

Waters Jr., adviser, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration. Others participat- ing in the program were Willard Bascom,

OSE's chairman and president, and Dr. Eric

A. Walker, Alcoa's vice-president, science and technology.

The Alcoa Seaprobe will be available for priority emergency operations, such as assist- ing in the search and recovery of missing sub- marines or other objects lost at ?ea. Other missions could include deep-sea recovery work, deep-ocean archeological projects, and prop- rietary undersea geological explorations for new mineral resources. The ship will be cap- able of recovering 200-ton payloads from 6,000- foot depths; it will possess the ability to hold

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INC. 22 its position in rough seas; search, core and sample mineral deposits on the sea floor; lo- cate and retrieve heavy objects more than a mile beneath the surface, and perform other research and exploratory oceanographic func- tions.

The Alcoa Seaprobe splashes into Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

The 243-foot-deep ocean search and recovery vessel will be fitted out and ready for sea trials in August.

Construction of the Alcoa Seaprobe is pro- viding a practical "reference manual" of ad- vanced aluminum fabricating techniques that will aid shipbuilders around the world. It rep- resents unique examples of aluminum tech- nology in welding, many of them developed by Alcoa specifically for marine application.

Approximately one million pounds of alumi- num will be used in the hull, framing, super- structure and furnishings of the ship.

Alcoa's Dr. Walker said: "Alcoa is proud to be associated in this venture with Willard Bas- com and his associates at Ocean Science and

Engineering. We share with him the convic- tion that Alcoa Seaprobe will be an important oceanographic tool, enabling us to uncover many new secrets of the seas, and to develop more of their tremendous potential for the betterment of man." Dr. Walker praised the craftsmen at Peterson Builders and said the "ship will truly be a monument to their skills."

The ship will have a 20-man crew and ac- commodate a scientific party of 30. It will have a speed of 10 knots and will be powered by two 800-kw diesel-electric generators. Her propulsion system will have two vertical-axis cycloidal propellers.

HILLMAN'S NEW HEADQUARTERS: Hillman Barge &

Construction Company have moved into their newly erected office building (shown above) at the Brownsville,

Pa. shipyard. This represents one phase of a planned growth program to consolidate, coordinate, and stream- line all of the operations of the Brownsville shipyard.

The ground level offices include a reception area, the general accounting department, industrial relations and personnel departments, supply department, superintend- ents, and marine repair department. The second floor is comprised of executive offices, a large conference room, engineering offices, estimating and steel control depart- ment, as well as offices of the Hillman Transportation

Company. Structural features of the new two-story all metal and all electric facility include 11,000 square feet of floor space, with fire resistant construction. All offices have individually controlled heating and air- conditioning, and the latest in telephone and communi- cation equipment. The surroundings are attractively land- scaped and have ample parking areas for employees and visitors.

Maritime Reporter/Engineering Hews