Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 15, 1981)

Front view of the MAK-powered UPSCO tug resting in the floating drydock as it was towed to the mid-water launch site.

UPSCO Launches Hull Number 001 —A 120-Foot Tug For An ITB

Participants in the Hawaii Section meeting were (left to right): Capt. Thomas

Marnane, Commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Rudy Choy, president of Aikane Corporation, who delivered a paper on hydrofoil catamarans, and Dr.

Frederick Munchmeyer, who was honored as immediate past chairman.

SNAME-Hawaii Discusses

High-Speed Catamaran Hydrofoils

The Upper Peninsula Shipbuild- ing Co. (UPSCO) in Ontonagon,

Mich., recently launched its first vessel to be built under contract.

Hull No. 001—a 1,053-ton tug for an integrated tug-barge (ITB) system—is being built, along with four barges, for the State of

Michigan. It was the first com- mercial launching at the 16- month-old yard.

UPSCO used its 2,167-LT float- ing drydock for the launch. The drydock, which is equipped with removable wing walls for side transfers, was designed and built by the yard — its first newbuild- ing.

The 120-foot-long tug, designed by the naval architectural firm of Breit & Garcia, New Orleans,

La., is undergoing outfitting and completion of its superstructure while moored at UPSCO's dock.

Four rail ferry barges for the

ITB system are also being built by the yard, with the first barge scheduled for completion six months ahead of schedule.

The tug has an automated en- gine room and is powered by two

MAK 6M551, 4,000-hp turbo- charged diesel engines which drive Liaaen controllable-pitch propellers. The tug will propel one of the four 436-foot-long rail ferry barges in turn across Lake

Michigan, while the remaining three barges are loaded and un- loaded in port. The tug and barges, ice-strengthened to per- mit year-round operation on the

Great Lakes, will utilize a con- necting system and hydraulic pads manufactured under license from Bretagne ACB.

The State of Michigan selected the ITB system to increase utili- zation of this cross-lake service and to eliminate a state rail sub- sidy which exceeds five million dollars annually. The state felt the versatility of the ITB would attract a variety of cargoes as would the unique shuttle sched- ule.

The Hawaii Section of The So- ciety of Naval Architects and

Marine Engineers held its first meeting of the 1981-82 season recently at the Cannon Club, on the Lanai, Fort Ruger, under the chairmanship of Dr. Manley St.

Denis.

A paper entitled "High-Speed

Catamaran Hydrofoils" was de- livered by Rudy Choy, president of Aikane Corporation, one of

Hawaii's largest commercial sail- ing operations. A member of the

SNAME since 1964, he has been involved with catamaran con- struction and design since 1947.

One of his major designs is the voyaging canoe Hokulea.

Mr. Choy discussed the concept, design, and model testing of a proposed catamaran hydrofoil that was tested at the General

Dynamics Convair tank in San

Diego, Calif. It achieved a scale speed of 70 knots on the final day of testing, which was the desired goal. This design shows promise and warrants additional research and development.

Other officers elected for the year include: vice chairman, Capt.

Thomas Marnane; secretary- treasurer, John Biddulph; mem- bers, Executive Committee, Capt.

Alfred Gallant, James Hollen- herg, Brian Trenhaile, and Dr.

Frederick Munchmeyer.

Southwest Marine Expands

San Diego Offices

Southwest Marine, Inc. has re- cently expanded its San Diego administrative offices. This is the beginning phase of plans to ren- ovate and add to the entire yard. "Our plans are to not only ex- pand with yards all along the

West Coast, but to have the finest, most up-to-date yards in the country," stated Arthur Engel, president of Southwest Marine.

The new addition includes com- puter and accounting facilities on the first floor. Management offices are located on the second floor, with a huge conference and meet- ing room on the third floor.

Besides San Diego, Southwest

Marine has ship repair yards in

San Pedro and San Francisco.

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