Page 46: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2024)

WORKBOATS

LEGACY SHIPS

The 205-foot, 1,600-ton pre-WWII

Navajo-class began construction in 1940, and 76 ships of this class were built throughout the war. The lead ship (USS

Navajo (ATF 64)) and second ship (USS

Seminole (ATF 65)) were wartime loss- es, so the class name reverted to the next ship in the class, (USS Cherokee (ATF 66)). Several were delivered after the war ended. Some were converted for Coast

Guard use or as submarine tenders. Later versions of this ship had slightly different propulsion arrangements, and are some- times know by different class names.

Many were reengined in their later life.

Many were transferred to foreign navies, and a few still serve today.

The World War II-era Diver and Bol- ster class ARSs served up until 1994.

They were succeeded by the four ships of the Safeguard class, which were built to operate with Nay crews to conduct towing, diving, salvage and rescue op- erations, but subsequently transferred to

MSC and operated by civil service mari- ners and active Navy salvage and diving teams. They were constructed at Peterson

Navajo class towing, salvage and rescue ships (T-ATS)

Displacement 5,110 long tons (5,190 t)

Length 263 ft (80 m

Source: Edward Lundquist

Beam: 59 ft (18 m)

Builders: Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La.; Austal USA, Mobile, Ala.

The Navajo class is a class of

The initial T-ATS contract was awarded to Gulf Island Fabrication, which was subsequently acquired by Bollinger Shipyards 5,100 ton towing, diving and

Gulf Island Fabrication rescue tugs for the U.S. Navy’s

Military Sealift Command of

Navajo Nation T-ATS-6 the United States Navy. They

Cherokee Nation T-ATS-7 were ordered in 2017 to replace

Bollinger Shipyards for the aging Safeguard-class

Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek T-ATS-8 rescue and salvage ships and

Lenni Lenape T-ATS-9

Powhatan-class tugboats. A

Muscogee Creek Nation T-ATS-10 total of ten ships of the class

Austal USA have been planned and none have yet to be put in service.

Billy Frank Jr. T-ATS-11

Seen here is the future USNS

Solomon Atkinson T-ATS-12

Billy Franks Jr. (T-ATS 11),

James D. Fairbanks T-ATS-13 under construction at Austal

Narragansett T-ATS-14

USA’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard.

Unnamed T-ATS-15 46 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2024

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