Page 45: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1978)

Bay Shipbuilding Delivers Bulk Carrier

M/V Buffalo To American Steamship Company

Mayor James D. Griffin of Buffalo, N.Y., greets Mrs. James J. Glasser, wife of the president of GATX Corporation, prior to the christening of the M/V Buffalo, a $25-million Great Lakes carrier named in honor of New York's second largest city.

The M/V Buffalo, newest addi- tion to the American Steamship

Company's (ASC) Great Lakes fleet, was christened on August 2 in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The $25- million, 635-foot carrier was named in honor of Buffalo, N.Y.,

ASC's home port city. ASC is a subsidiary of GATX Corporation,

Chicago, 111.

Mrs. James J. Glasser, wife of the president of GATX Corpora- tion, was the Buffalo's sponsor.

She highlighted the colorful event when she shattered a bottle of

New York State champagne on the ship's bow, accompanied by band music and applause from a large crowd of spectators.

James D. Griffin, Mayor of the

City of Buffalo, was the principal speaker at the ceremony, which was held in the yard of the Bay

Shipbuilding Corporation, a sub- sidiary of The Manitowoc Com- pany, Inc. As part of his remarks,

Mayor Griffin stated: "With the help of the shipping industry, the Great Lakes will combine to play a vital and prominent role in the lives of the residents of Buf- falo and other major cities. Such a partnership will make our re- spective voyages both safe and successful." Following the chris- tening, dignitaries and guests, who included government and cor- porate officials and their fami- lies, attended a luncheon at the

Leathern Smith Lodge in Stur- geon Bay.

The Buffalo's flexible design enables her to carry iron ore pel- lets, coal, and other bulk commodi- ties. Her 635-foot length—slightly longer than two football fields— will permit the ship to use port and dock facilities that would be inaccessible to larger carriers.

The vessel has a 68-foot beam and a midsummer draft of 27 feet 11 inches. She has an unloading rate of 6,600 long tons of iron ore pellets an hour, and a capacity of 24,000 long tons of iron ore pel- lets. Her two diesels will provide 7,000 shaft horsepower, and will enable the Buffalo to transport cargoes at a service speed of 15.5 miles per hour.

The ship is the seventh new carrier to enter service since 1973 in ASC's current building pro- gram. This has added 250,000 long tons of new capacity to the ASC fleet, which now totals 20 vessels.

The company has been headquar- tered in Buffalo since 1907, and both it and the city have been major contributors to the growth of commerce on the Great Lakes.

GATX provides major financial services worldwide, including the leasing of aircraft, railcars, barg- es, offshore drilling equipment and other capital assets; owns and operates fleets of oceangoing and Great Lakes vessels, as well as bulk liquid terminal facilities; engages in banking, insurance and real estate and construction fi- nancing; and manufactures heavy industrial and transportation equipment.

Alexander & Baldwin

Appoint R.J. Pfeiffer

R.J. Pfeiffer, president and chief executive officer of Matson

Navigation Company, San Fran- cisco, Calif., has been appointed to the board of directors of Alex- ander & Baldwin, Inc. of Hono- lulu, Hawaii, Matson's parent company. Mr. Pfeiffer is also ex- ecutive vice president of A&B.

He succeeds George Ishiyama, president of the Ishiyama Cor- poration, San Francisco, who re- signed from the A&B board.

FIRST OF TWO FOR REINAUER — Equitable Shipyards, Inc., New

Orleans, La.-based shipbuilder, has launched the first in a series of two oil barges for Reinauer Transportation Company, Inc., Newark,

N.J. The 227-foot by 43-foot by 15-foot barges will handle Grade A and lower product. The barges are built to ABS ocean service rules and for manned service. Equitable is a wholly owned subsidiary of

Trinity Industries, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, a manufacturer of indus- trial marine and structural metal products.

Our newest acquisition -- THE JUDGE

SUDERMAN Qg AND YOUNG

TOWING CO., INC.

HARBOR AND COASTWISE TOWING

HOUSTON GALVESTON FREEPORT

CORPUS CHRISTI PORT ARANSAS 918 World Trade Building, Houston, Texas 77002

Cable: Sandy, Houston 713/227-1128

THE MOST POWERFUL

HARBOR? TUG ON THE

ULF COAST

September 1, 1978 47