Sun Ship Builds Big, Fast Trailership In Record Time

Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, Pa., recently delivered the S/S Matsonia, marking the completion of a nine-month trailership construction program that was the fastest in the shipyard's history. The keel for the Matsonia was laid on March 15, 1973, and the vessel turned over to its operators, Matson Navigation Company, on December 11, 1973.

The trailership departed Chester, Pa., for Los Angeles, Calif., where it will join its Sun-built sister ship, S/S Lurline, in providing roll-on/ roll-off cargo service between the West Coast and Hawaii.

The Matsonia is'Sun Ship's basic trailership, but includes several customized features such as a bow thruster, liquid products tank for the transportation of molasses, and special auto decks. The Matsonia is the fifth trailership of the Ponce de Leon class built by Sun Ship.

Although the construction of the Matsonia is a shipyard record, all of Sun Ship's trailership construction programs have been marked by rapid construction time. The construction of the S/S Lurline was accomplished in a little more than 10 months.

The delivery of the Matsonia is Sun Ship's fourth in the 1973 calendar year. Previous ship deliveries in 1973 have included the S/S Lurline, the deep ocean mining ship Hughes Glomar Explorer, and the 80,000-deadweight-ton tanker Notre Dame Victory.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 37, Jan 15, 1974

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First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.