Conversion Of RO/RO 'Ponce' Completed By Sun Ship

The S/S Ponce (shown above) left Sun Ship Inc. recently after undergoing a 22- month, $30-million conversion at the Chester, Pa., shipyard. In the unusual project, which began in July 1979, a new hull section was spliced into the center portion of the rollon /roll-off (RO/RO) trailership, and its machinery plant was modernized.

The new 90-foot hull section increased the ship's length to 790 feet and boosted the Ponce's trailer-carrying capacity by 35 percent to a total of 410 forty-foot overthe- road trailer equivalents. The installation of new boilers, generators, and a variety of other auxiliaries improved both fuel efficiency and operation ease. While on sea trials, the Ponce reached a speed of 25 knots.

The Ponce's first destination after conversion was Port Elizabeth, N.J. The ship will be making scheduled trips between Elizabeth and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

One of 10 RO/RO ships built by Sun Ship, the Ponce was launched in November 1967, and delivered in March 1968. She is operated by the Puerto Rican Maritime Shipping Authority, and is assigned to carry cargoes from major East Coast ports to San Juan.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 10, Jul 1981

Read Conversion Of RO/RO 'Ponce' Completed By Sun Ship in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of July 1981 Maritime Reporter

Other stories from July 1981 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.