Gross Tonnage In ABS Classification Exceeds 100-Million Mark

Total amount of vessel tonnage in American Bureau of Shipping classification passed 100-million gross tons in July for the first time in the ship classification society's 115-year history. As of July 31, there were 14,993 vessels of 100,111,236 gross tons, or 178,192,423 deadweight tons, in ABS class.

In announcing the figures, ABS chairman and president Robert T.

Young said that ABS passed the 50-million gross tonnage mark in 1966. "With the tapering off in construction of the larger tankers," Mr. Young said, "we cannot expect to maintain this rate of tonnage increase. However, we do expect that the total number of vessels in ABS classification will continue to increase." In July, ABS classed 112 new vessels of 463,086 gt, or 823,832 dwt, worldwide. The new vessels included eight offshore drilling units, two manned submersibles, one oil pollution control tanker, four oil tankers, and 10 bulk carriers.

Among the drilling platforms are four column-stabilized units — the United States-flag Sedco 708, built by Kaiser Steel Corp., Oakland, Calif., for Sedco Maritime, Inc., Dallas, Texas; the United States-flag Zapata Yorktown, built by Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Avondale, La., for Zapata Off-Shore Company, Houston, Texas; the Panamanian-flag Ocean Bounty, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Hiroshima, Japan, for Odeco Niho, S.A., Panama, and the United States-flag Sedco 709, built by Hawker Siddeley Canada Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the United States Trust Company of New York.

The two submersibles classed are the PC 1801 and PC 1802, French-flag vessels designed for underwater inspection and research.

The vessels were built by Perry Submarine Builders, Riviera Beach, Fla., for Northern Offshore Services (UK) Ltd., London, England.

Also classed was an oil pollution control tanker, the Bay Skimmer, a 65-foot vessel fitted with oil sweeping and skimming features that will operate in Irish waters. The twin-screw vessel was built by Blount Marine Corporation, Warren, R.I., for Gulf Oil Terminals Ltd., Bantry, Ireland.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 33, Sep 1977

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