Page 50: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1971)

Raytheon's New 83-Foot

Research Vessel Sub Sig

Launched At Blount Yard

A seagoing electronic research laboratory was launched at the Blount Marine Corpora- tion, Warren, R.I., ways on June 26, following the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle across her bow by the widow of a renowned

Raytheon Company scientist, engineer, and inventor.

Christened the M/V Sub Sig by Mrs. Percy

L. Spencer of Newton, Mass., the new 83- foot research vessel will serve Raytheon Com- pany's Submarine Signal Division, headquar- tered in Portsmouth, R.I., as a laboratory for the development of advanced underwater acoustics systems, a pollution fighter, and a test bed for a wide range of ocean systems and marine navigation and communications equip- ment.

Senator John O. Pastore, principal speaker at the christening and launching ceremonies, stressed the importance of the emphasis by

Raytheon's Submarine Signal Division on the application of its long-established expertise in marine technology to the growing fight against water pollution. Other speakers were

Senator Claiborne Pell, Governor Frank Licht,

Congressman Fernand J. St. Germain, and shipbuilder Luther Blount.

D. Brainerd Holmes, executive vice presi- dent of Raytheon, characterized the M/V Sub

Sig as symbolic of the division's long service in the defense of the nation and to the cause of safety at sea and expressed the belief that it would further contribute to the welfare of the nation through its services to help im- prove and maintain the quality of our water environment. "May it serve not just as part of our industrial effort," he said, "but, in its small but real way, as a contributor to a stronger United States and to the growth of man's knowledge."

According to Ralph A. Martin, Raytheon vice president and general manager of the

Submarine Signal Division, among the first assignments of the new research vessel will be the test and evaluation of an advanced computer-controlled sonar system developed by the company.

Oceangoing laboratory for Raytheon Company's Sub- marine Signal Division, Portsmouth, R.I., has range of 2,700 miles for ocean and coastal studies.

Mrs. Spencer, sponsor of the new vessel, is the widow of the late Dr. Percy L. Spencer, one of the first employees of Raytheon, a prolific inventor, and a senior vice president and a director of the company.

Skipper of the M/V Sub Sig is Capt. Max- son Langworthy, a veteran of 40 years as a small craft skipper and commander of Sub- marine Signal Division test vessels since 1945.

He commanded the M/V Alan, a 65-foot test vessel being retired after more than 20 years of service to the division.

The M/V Sub Sig, powered by two 350-hp diesel engines, has a range of 2,700 miles and a cruising speed of 12 knots. She has 480 square feet of laboratory space and 500 square feet of work deck equipped with a hydraulic crane, a double capstan winch, and an oceanographic cable winch. She has living quarters for a crew of three and up to eight scientists, engineers, and technicians.

She is loaded with Raytheon electronic gear, including two radars, five marine radiotele- phones, eight Fathometer® depth sounders, a Navimatic™ automatic direction finder, a sonar system, and a loran system. She has the capability for towed-line array and vari- able depth sonar systems, flooding-type trans- ducer wells inside the vessel, a 36-inch sea chest for transducer testing, and a 34-square- foot diver platform on the stern.

She will be used in Atlantic coastal waters for research, development, and test in ad- vanced underwater acoustics techniques and in the environmental sciences; coastal and harbor surveys; and the test and demonstra- tion of ocean systems and equipment and of marine navigation and communications equip- ment.

East West Shipping

Opens Houston Office

The opening of a new office in Houston,

Texas, has been announced by R.E. Workman, vice president of East West Shipping Agen- cies. Stephen P. Adams, formerly with East

West Shipping in Alabama, will head the new office as manager. The office will be located at 1714 Petroleum Building.

East West acts as general agents for Na- tional Shipping Corp. of Pakistan and as gen- eral agents and distributors for Fjord Boats of Norway. It also represents Nordship Agen- cies, Inc., a subsidiary company of East West

Shipping on the Great Lakes. •powmui

Aimx... to any towing problem

Around the clock, Turecamo's modern fleet of fast, powerful tugs stand ready to instantly provide you with the very best in towing services.

Added to this are the years of invaluable experience docking and undocking ships of all sizes and in every phase of towing operations.

When yon want fast, efficient and economical service . . Call Turecamo First.

DOCKING • UNDOCKING - harbor, sound, coastwise, canal and lake towing

TURECAMO COASTAL

Sc HARBOR TOWING CORP. 1752 SHORE PARKWAY, BROOKLYN, N. Y. 11214 • TEL: ES 2-5200

MATTON

TRANSPORTATION CO..

INC.

TURECAMO

TRANSPORTATION CORP.

MATTON

SHIPYARD CO.. INC.

B TURECAMO

CONTRACTING COMPANY.

INC.

TURECAMO TANKERS.

INC. 50 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News