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a point of some discord – the button only there is excitement in the air on board as as an appropriate guardian of American same thing. But, Savannah is unique in allowed them to alert the ER – not ac- that day approaches. On July 20, Erhard maritime history. Whatever entity even- its compact scale, its possibilities and the tually activate it. In the engine control Koehler was the right host for our tour tually takes possession of her will be ultimately minor cost that will bring it to space, a light would come on, alerting – a veritable encyclopedia of all things similarly fortunate. life as a museum. And unlike the other the engineer on watch, who would ac- Savannah. An apt manager, he is also the There are more famous and high- Philadelphia-based icon, the U.S. Mari- tually do the heavy lifting. As a former perfect ambassador for Marad in his cur- pro? le maritime candidates for renova- time Administration has already done deck of? cer, I think that this was prob- rent role. They’re lucky to have this Fort tion and preservation in the news today. most of the hard work necessary for its ably (very) good policy. Schuyler graduate on board. Today, the Notably, and just up the I-95 Freeway, next owner to take the next step. Here’s

There are a lot of myths and sea sto- N.S. Savannah is the perfect candidate another famous merchant ship and its hoping that’s something that will happen ries about the boat, some of which are at for what hopefully will be its next life stakeholders are vying for the exact very soon. best exaggerations and most, simply not true. Koehler did his best to sort them all out as we made our way on this journey through U.S. maritime history.

Components for Your Equipment.

In the Radar

In the beginning, it was U.S. Presi- dent Dwight Eisenhower’s vision that brought the ship to life in the ? rst place. “Atoms for Peace,” he called it. It was, in his way of thinking, the perfect way to demonstrate to the general public the possibilities of nuclear capabilities for the greater good. In its purest form, the vessel allowed the United States to explore the possible introduction of nu- clear propulsion into commercial ship- ping, and helped discern the rules of ? ag states and the bilateral agreements that might evolve. It was never intended to be a big moneymaker, and it that regard, it did not disappoint. That’s because, in part, the vessel’s overriding mission dis- placed space that otherwise would have been used for cargo carriage. That said;

Koehler insists, it made more money than some thought it would. Labor trou- ble dogged the vessel during its lifespan, so in that regard, it (arguably) stayed true to its heritage as an American mer- chant ship. Pure and simple, the ultimate goal of MarAd for Savannah is dona- tion. Koehler told us ? rmly, “We’re not a museum operator.” Under the control of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since 1965, the vessel has long had its fuel removed. Eventually, Marad’s plans are to decommission it and terminate the

NRC license. A $131 million decommis- sioning project is now fully funded, says

Koehler. The decommissioning phase, which began on October 1, 2017, will reportedly last for seven years. Next up

A strong partner on the calendar, a three to four month for maritime applications drydock period is planned for next year.

Today, the boat doesn’t host a lot of

For many years, Liebherr winches, electric machines, gear- events, but occasional functions, most boxes, slewing bearings and power electronics have been

Visit us at: notably some National Maritime Day utilized successfully in numerous maritime applications such celebrations and other similar, educa-

SMM 2018 as ship, offshore and container cranes as well as propulsion tional events have been held on board. 4. - 7. September and positioning systems.

Hamburg

In fact, as many as 45,000 people have

Hall A3, Booth 306 visited it one day on previous occasions.

Our late July tour was a special treat,

Liebherr USA, Co.

one which should be a ‘must-see’ for any

Components North America Division 1465 Woodland Drive ex-mariner, if Marad has its way for this

Saline, MI 48176 vessel’s ultimate destination.

Phone: +1 734 944 6334

E-mail: [email protected]

August 21 will be the 59th anniver- components.liebherr.com sary of the Savannah’s launching, and www.marinelink.com 33

MR #8 (26-33).indd 33 MR #8 (26-33).indd 33 8/7/2018 9:56:20 AM8/7/2018 9:56:20 AM