Page 4: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1973)

U.S. Navy's Surface Effect Ship

Data being collected during the SES-100B test and evaluation program is being applied to the preliminary design of a 2,000-ton operational prototype Surface Effect Ship for the U.S. Navy.

The U.S. Navy's SES-100B Surface Effect

Ship test craft achieved a speed of more than 70 knots—a world record for this type of craft— during a recent test and evaluation mission on

Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain, north of New

Orleans, La.

The experimental craft, designed and now being tested by the Bell Aerospace Division of

Textron for the U.S. Navy's Surface Effect Ships

Project Office, has been engaged in a test program which involved a gradual expansion of its per- formance envelope.

The speed in excess of 70 knots was accom- plished on the fourth test run over a six-mile-long test course on Lake Pontchartrain. After earlier tests at lower speeds confirmed Bell engineers' predictions of craft performance, the high-speed test run was accomplished. The speed was re- corded and verified by both on-board instrumen- tation and test equipment mounted on the support craft.

Although the test data still is being analyzed,

Bell engineers reported that the craft performed flawlessly and in accordance with their predictions.

The six-man crew described the craft's sta- bility during the high-speed run as excellent, and

Marcona To Ocean Mine

For Aragonite In Bahamas

The Honorable Carlton Francis, Minister of

Development, Commonwealth of The Ba- hamas, has announced that subject to final approval by the Bahamian Government, an agreement has been reached between Marcona

Corp. and Dillingham Corp. under which Mar- cona will lease the operating facilities of Ocean

Industries 'Inc., a Dillingham aragonite mining subsidiary at Ocean Cay, Bahamas.

As part of the agreement, Marcona will also purchase for $14.5 million the 70,000-dwit M/V

Aragonite Islander, ,a self-discharging bulk carrier specifically designed for use in the aragonite trade.

Minister Francis said: "It appears that the agreement between these two companies will accelerate development of the aragonite busi- ness and, in so doing, further increase profits and financial benefits to the Bahamas in the form of royalties. The availability of additional capital investment and the bulk ocean trans- porting capabilities added by Marcona cannot but have a beneficial effect on this growing business."

Martona Corporation is a San Francisco- based mining and shipping company primarily owned by NYSE-listed Cyprus Mines Cor- poration, and Utah International Inc. Dilling- said they had a very smooth ride throughout the mission.

The SES-100B, almost 78 feet long with a beam of 35 feet and weighing a little more than 100 tons, rides on a drag-reducing cushion of air contained by catamaran-style side hulls and flexible bow and stern seals. The air cushion is generated by eight lift fans driven by three marine gas turbine engines. When cruising, the center portion of the hull is clear of the water and the craft supported almost entirely by the air cushion with only the lower surfaces of the catamaran side hulls skimming the surface for stability and propulsion.

Propulsion for the craft is provided by three marine gas turbines which drive two semisub- merged controllable-pitch supercavitating propel- lers. The power transmission system features right-angle drives to the propellers, and the en- gines are cross-shafted for reliability and to per- mit cruising on a single engine.

The deckhouse sits near the stern of the craft and will accommodate the four-man operating crew and observers. The test craft instrumenta- tion obtains both test and operating data for design confirmation and to predict the character- istics of even larger Surface Effect Ships. ham is a diversified, NYSE-listed corporation, headquartered in Honolulu and operating pri- marily in the Pacific Basin in the fields of maritime, property development, construction and resources.

Marcona president C.W. Robinson said: "We are extremely pleased with this opportu- nity. We believe that our experience in the mining, marketing and shipping fields will combine to enhance the future market for ar- agonite. In particular, we expect to open the large new market for this material in the beach restoration field, utilizing our patented Mar- conaflo slurry handling system."

Lowell S. Dillingham, chairman and chief executive officer, Dillingham Corp., said: "The agreements with Marcona are consistent with our expressed corporate objectives, particularly concentration on activities within the Pacific

Basin. We expect Ocean Industries to con- tinue to be successful, and our agreements pro- vide for continued benefits to our shareholders during the proposed 13 year association or shorter period if Marcona exercises its option to buy during that period."

Aragonite, an exceptionally pure form of calcium carbonate, is used in cement making, as high-quality sand, and in the processing of lime, steel, glass and concrete products. The material is mined from a huge underwater de- posit south of Bimini Island on the Great Ba- hama Bank under provisions of a Crown Lease from the Bahamian Government. It is stock- piled on Ocean Cay, a 65-aicre reclaimed island, and shipped to users on the U.S. Atlantic and

Gulf Coasts and in the Caribbean.

The M/V Aragonite Islander will be re- named The Marcona Conveyor. In addition to its use for aragonite deliveries, the vessel will be employed by Marcona in a variety of other bulk commodity trades.

IHC Holland-LeTourneau Marine

Elects T.P. de Jooden President

R.L. LeTourneau has announced the elec- tion of T.P. de Jooden of Kinderdyk, Holland, to succeed him as president and chief executive officer of IHC Holland-LeTourneau Marine

Corporation, Kilgore, Texas.

Mr. de Jooden is a managing director of

IHC-'Smit, one of the constituent companies of the Dutch-'based IHC group, which is the controlling shareholder of IHC Holland-Le

Tourneau. He is a graduate in naval architec- ture of Delft University, and has more than 20 years of experience in shipyard management. "The company is fortunate to have the bene- fit oif Mr. de Jooden's extensive background in marine engineering," Mr. LeTourneau said.

The company's Ingleside, Texas, yard has now under contract the construction of three self-mobilizing jackup drill barges of 300-foot capability.

Mr. LeTourneau, a founder of the company, will remain as a director.

Service Machine To Build Four

Workover/Drilling Barges

At A Cost Of $4.8 Million

An application for Title XI insurance from

Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust

Company of Chicago in connection with four inland workover/drilling barges has been ap- proved in principle by the Maritime Adminis- tration.

The four barges, which are estimated to cost $4.8 million, will be constructed by Service Ma- chine & Shipbuilding Corporation, Morgan City,

La., and they will be chartered to Mallard Well

Service, Inc.

ADMIRAL WILL HONORED: Vieri Troxler, Consul Gen- eral of Italy, presents Adm. John M. Will, USN (ret.), with a citation naming him Grand Official of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy at ceremonies at the consulate in New York. The admiral, former president and board chairman of American Export Lines, and a 40-year Navy veteran, was honored for the three years he served as president of the Italy-America Chamber of

Commerce. Mr. Traxler, in his remarks, praised Admiral

Will for working to foster a growing and continued healthy trade relationship between the United States and Italy, and "being a good friend" to oil Italians. He noted that it is "a distinct pleasure" to award the ad- miral with the citation "because of the help and friend- ship he has given me." The admiral, who is presently with the Maritime Association of New York, is well- known in the entire shipping world. The honor is a highest ever accorded a foreigner. Besides the citation, he was given the ribbon and decoration he wears. 6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News