Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 1978)

MarAd Amends Two

Research Contracts

The Maritime Administration has executed amendments to re- search and development contracts with two firms for additional work to be performed for the agency.

Under one of the contracts,

Daedleaen Associates, Inc., Wood- bine, Md., has been developing an adequate protective covering sys- tem for steel propellers in order to replace bronze propellers, thereby reducing manufacturing and operating costs. The purpose of this second phase of work is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of such pro- pellers. The amendment covers a final test and evaluation of a large steel propeller protected by a selective covering system. The negotiated price of $882,742 in- cludes the cost of the full-scale propeller.

The other contract—with Me- chanical Technology, Inc., Latham,

N.Y.—covers the second phase of a three-phase program expected to culminate in the demonstrated operation of improved stern tube bearings and seals for merchant ships. The tasks required under the contract include the perform- ance of immersion, wear, corro- sion and endurance tests of can- didate seal and bearing materials; fabrication, assembly and check- out of a seal-testing fixture and a bearing-testing fixture; and the design, fabrication and testing of seal and bearing configurations.

The negotiated price is $489,181.

Title XI Approved For Rig

To Be Built By Marathon

At Cost Of $26 Million

U.S. Department of Commerce,

Maritime Administration, Deputy

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Maritime Affairs Samuel B.

Nemirow has approved in princi- ple an application from Western

Company of North America, 6100

Western Place, Fort Worth, Tex- as, for a Title XI guarantee to aid in financing the construction of a non-self-propelled cantilevered in- dependent leg jackup drilling rig.

The rig will be approximately 208 feet in length, with a beam of 176 feet and hull depth of 20 feet. It will be built by Marathon

LeTourneau Company, Browns- ville, Texas, with delivery esti- mated for November 1, 1979. The estimated actual cost of the rig is $26,000,000, and up to 75 per- cent of that amount is eligible for the guarantee.

George E. Chronakis

Joins Electro-Nav %

George E. Chronakis

Electro-Nav president Robert

E. Negron has announced that

George E. Chronakis, navigator, marine electronic sales represent- ative, and most recently -program manager for a major firm of naval consulting engineers has joined the Electro-Nav sales staff.

After graduating from the Mar- itime Academy in Crete in 1968,

Mr. Chronakis served for five years as navigation officer aboard ships of the Goulandris Shipping

Company. In 1973, he joined a prominent Japan-based marine electronics firm, specializing in sea trials of navigation and com- munications equipment on fishing craft and other vessels. In 1976, he transferred to the naval con- sulting firm of Systems Engineer- ing Associates where, as program manager, he prepared proposals and evaluations for repair, modi- fication and retrofitting, with emphasis on electronics. He comes from there to Electro-Nav.

Mr. Chronakis is a member of the American Society of Naval

Engineers and of the Greek Mer- chant Marine Association.

Navigating through ice demands top performance. Reliability, operating effi- ciency and maximum flexibility aren't optional extras in this environment— they're mandatory.

U.S. Steel's M/V ROGER BLOUGH meets these requirements. She's suc- cessfully maneuvered in the ice-covered waters of the Great Lakes since 1972.

Season after season, this bulk carrier has made her way through floating fields of solid blue lake ice, navigated in ice- packed ports and channels, and operated in brash ice often measuring more than 8 feet deep.

The BLOUGH's 14,000 HP

KaMeWa controllable pitch propeller played a key role in these operations. Engi- neered to absorb full horsepower—while automatically adjust- ing pitch to maintain a safe engine load— the CPP system en- ables the vessel to sus- tain headway in heavy ice. Full power also can be used in the cistern mode. This improves the ship's performance during ice ramming operations. So, too, does the continuous, unidirectional rota- tion of the propeller shaft. Further, the system can be manually controlled from the bridge or engine room. This means better speed control and reduces hull damage risks when navigating in port or narrow waterways.

These operating advantages have been tested over time.

Five years after installation, the BLOUGH's

KaMeWa CP propeller

For details on how we can im- prove your ves- sel's performance, write or call

Bird-Johnson pany, 110 Norfolk

Street, Walpole, Mass. 02081, (617) 668-9610.

BIRD-J0HNS0H COMPANY fchoto by Artec. Incorporated 10 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News