February 1977 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

U.S. Navy Awards Maritime Industries Ltd. $1.7-Million Contract

A Canadian company, Mari time Industries Ltd. of Burnaby British Columbia, has been award ed a U.S. Navy contract to supplj 20 of its Mariner L-295 steerabk propeller propulsion units.

Value of the contract is $l/i million, and is the second substantial contract against international competition that the suburban Vancouver company has received from the U.S. Navy.

About four years ago, Maritime Industries supplied 32 similar Mariner units.

Jeremy D. Shrive, Maritime's managing director, said the contract calls for delivery by January 1978.

The units, which meet MIL Spec. P-15916E, are to be used for specialized shallow-water craft.

The first delivered unit will be subject to severe testing over rocks and sand bars. Exhaustive testing of previous units supplied the U.S. Navy turned up no problems, Mr. Shrive noted.

The Mariner L-295 has a 360- degree steerable drive leg and propeller which swings up automatically when the propeller skeg hits an obstacle. The propeller remains tilted but continues to transmit full power, and retains full 360-degree steering capability.

The units will be powered by GM-8V71 engines within a soundproofed enclosure. Minimum thrust will be 7,500 pounds.

The L-295 is one of several Mariner steerable propulsion models that Maritime Industries builds for use in ferries, self-propelled barges and shallow-water vessels.

They are in use in many parts of the world.

Recent contracts for propulsion units include two 1,600-hp, fast commuter ferries for the Burrard Inlet crossing in Vancouver; five Government car-and-passenger ferries in British Columbia; a series of new Government of Manitoba shallow-water ferries; and a variety of units delivered to Cuba, Nigeria, Iran, Kenya and the Ivory Coast for selfpropelled barges.

The company also provides special design services to meet peculiar problems as in the case of a shallow-draft self-propelled barge now under construction in Ghana. This specially designed barge will be used to transport trailer-loads of rice from Yapei in the north down the Volta Lake to Akosombo, part of the journey along a shallow, winding river.

Maritime Industries is a subsidiary of Federal Commerce and Navigation Ltd., Montreal, one of Canada's most important shipping groups. The parent company owns and operates worldwide cargo ships and tug and barge fleets, as well as cargo terminals and offshore supply vessels.

Maritime Industries' mailing address is 6307 Laurel Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

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