Page 35: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 1974)

First Of Three U.S.-Flag

LASH Vessels Launched For

Central Gulf At Avondale

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COMET MARINE SUPPLY CORK 157 PERRY STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10014 • TEL. (212) 675-8776

Principals at the launching of the S/S Green Vauey, are left to right: Edwin Hartzman, president, Avondale Ship- yards, Inc.; Erik F. Johnsen, president. Central Gulf Lines,

Inc.; Mrs. William B. Johnson, sponsor; J.W. Van

Gorkom, president, Trans Union Corporation, and Niels

W. Johnsen, chairman of the board. Central Gulf Lines,

Inc.

The company that introduced the world's first LASH ship in 1969 has launched the first of a new generation of LASH vessels in ceremonies at Avondale Shipyards in New

Orleans, La.

Central Gulf Lines' 893-foot-long 46,000- ton S/S Green Valley is the first of three U.S.- flag LASH carriers ordered by the New Or- leans-based vessel owner and operator from

Avondale. The new ships will have the larg- est cargo-carrying capacity of any LASH ves- sels built in the United States, including car- riage of 89 LASH barges each, as well as other spaces for thousands of tons of additional cargo.

The Green Valley, scheduled to begin op- eration in late August, and sister ships Green

Harbour and Green Island, following at 75- day intervals, are part of a $100-million ex- pansion program for Central Gulf's American- flag fleet. The company is also adding 600

LASH lighters (barges) to ibring its total

LASH barge capacity to 1,100 units, largest in the world for one operator.

Central Gulf president Erik F. Johnsen said the Green Valley will initiate service on a new trade route 'between U.S. Gulf and East

Coast ports and ports in Southeast Asia, including such areas as Singapore, Saigon,

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. "Our three new LASH vessels will be offer- ing sailings every three weeks between the

United States and Southeast Asia, serving in- land and coastal points here, as well as offer- ing direct service to and from smaller South- east Asian ports that have hitherto had only indirect access for imports and exports," he said.

Central Gulf began its American-flag fleet operations more than 25 years ago with one vessel named Green Wave in honor of Tulane

University in New Orleans. All of the com- pany's subsequent U.S.-flag ships have been named for actual places that have the word "Green" in their names.

Mr. Johnsen said that Central Gulf has con- tinually renewed and expanded its vessel op- erations to 'become one of the leading United

States steamship companies. "We're proud to continue our growth pattern with these new LASH carriers, which were ordered un- der the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 that has provided for a resurgence of the American merchant marine during this decade," he said.

He said that Central 'Gulf's affiliation in 1971 with Trans Union Corporation, a Chicago- based company that has achieved phenomenal growth in many areas of the transportation industry, has "contributed substantially to our prospects for growth."

More than 300 launching guests, including

Central Gulf and Trans Union officers and directors and exporters and importers from many parts of the nation, were welcomed by

Avondale president Edwin Hartzman. The invocation was delivered by the Reverend Al- len T. Sykes, Chaplain of the Episcopal Dio- cese of Louisiana.

Principal speaker for the Green Vallej launching was J.W. Van Gorkom, president of Trans Union Corporation. He was intro- duced iby Central Gulf president Erik F. John- sen, who delivered opening remarks to the assembled guests.

Sponsor for the Green Valley was Mrs.

William B. Johnson, wife of the chairman of

Illinois Central Industries, Inc., who is a member of the board of directors of Trans

Union Corporation.

The principal characteristics of the Green

Valley, designed by Friede & Goldman, Inc., naval architects and marine engineers head- quartered in New Orleans, include overall length of 893 feet, molded beam of 100 feet, depth at side of 60 feet, service speed of 22 knots, propulsion of 32,000 shaft horsepower, and deadweight of 46,039 long tons at the de- sign draft of 40 feet inches.

Sister ships Green Harbour and Green Is- land, scheduled to be launched in July and

September, respectively, will 'be identical in dimensions and other characteristics.

First Maritime Trcmsportation

Certificate Granted By School

At Seamen's Church Institute

Participating in the presentation were, left to right:

Clifford Wise, manager, ship repair/sales, Bethlehem

Steel Corporation and SCI board member; Mr. Towner;

Dr. John M. Mulligan, SCI director, and1 Robert1 T. Young, chairman and president of the American Bureau of

Shipping.

William P. Towner, surveyor for the Ameri- can Bureau of Shipping and an ex-seaman has been awarded the first 'Maritime Transporta- tion Certificate granted by the Roosevelt In- stitute—the evening adult education division of the Seamen's Church Institute of New

York.

Mr. Towner logged 20 years of sea duty before coming shoreside as surveyor for the

American Bureau of Shipping.

The six-course evening Maritime Transpor- tation Program is designed to teach the latest developments in the intermodal/multimodal as- pects of the maritime field and has met with enthusiastic response from t!he industry.

Since its inception a year ago, 96 students representing more than 30 companies in the field have enrolled for one or more of the program's courses, with the majority working toward the full six-course certificate. 10 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News