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LARGEST WELDED SHIP, Diesel Tanker Poughkeepsie Socony By ROBERT D. Mac MILLEN* of America’s most numerous mer- chant fleet, gave substantial rec- ognition to the all-welded ship of larger size on Aug. 3, when its diesel driven tanker POUGHKEEPSIE SoOcoNy was launched at the Staten Island plant of United Dry Docks Inc. The PoUGHKEEPSIE Socony, largest all- welded merchant vessel of any type yet to be built in the United States and, probably, in the world, is the third of three sisterships launched at the Staten Island plant in recent weeks and, the sixtieth vessel built at that plant for Standard Oil Co. of New York interests. Te Socony Vacuum Oil Co., owner Barge Canal—Lakes Service The new all-welded tanker, with her sister ships of riveted design, the New Haven Socony which was launched June 1 and sailed from New York on her maiden voyage July 23 and PLaArTspurRGH Socony; launched June 29 successfully completing her sea trials Aug. 1, will be used pri- marily for gasoline transport in the New York State Barge canal—Great Lakes and Atlantic coast trades. The last two, to be followed shortly by their all-welded sister ship, constitute the first deliveries on the oil com- pany’s current $5,000,000 shipbuilding program, Throughout her construction period, the PoUGHKEEPSIc Socony has held the especial interest of naval archi- *The author, Robert D. MacMillen, is Eastern Manager, MARINE RevIrw. Poughkeepsie Socony—All-welded tanker, tects and other informed observers, not for any essential difference in structure nor because she was the largest welded vessel but, rather, for the readiness with which accepted forms of framing adapt themselves to the welded design, used throughout except for the stem and stern frame and a few minor details. She is of typical Socony-Vacuum “canal” type, a bulk oil carrier of 1242 gross tons and 13,500 barrels cargo capacity. Pro- pulsion is through twin screws, driv- en by diesel engines of the direct re- versible, air-injection, type, 375 brake horsepower each; other specifications are given later on in this article. Nicholas J. Pluymert, Socony-Vacu- um naval architect, in a discussion following the launching, stressed the standardized character of his com- pany’s fleet, pointing out that the new vessels are substantially the same as the Canal-Great Lakes tankers first developed in the 1923 building pro- Plattsburgh So- cony — Twin screw diesel tanker on trials Aug. 1 Profite of Pough ke epsie Socony and class 16 lo | neem es oS St is i 0 ea >I C2 (A A | SY A CES =—— Ute aii 4 i ENa@ine Room Sea wits Se Bash G ts anne eaadacws desl enceraerenase SH Ssen Tact NOD é is TANK N26 MARINE REvIEWw—September, 1934 = a Stal ates AL REZ f ET Toe 1 seersisrszsseseF pass sueesssssescbesssssssassteeed sets TAs NOS * TANK No 4 launched at Staten Island, N. Y., Aug. 3 gram; at the same time, he called the introduction of the all-welded ship in- to these larger categories the most drastic challenge in the history of the older type riveted vessel. “While the all-welded hull is no newcomer among. service vessels of smaller size and government craft,” said Mr. Pluymert, “there doubtless will be some who will regard as revo- lutionary the use of that method for such a vessel as the POUGHKEEPSIE Socony. We feel, however, that little more than pioneering courage was re- quired to take advantage of this great advancement in the shipbuilding art and to seize for ourselves the far- reaching economies made possible by the all-welded design. Our fleet is the product of long-continued study and development and this step is no excep- tion.” Less Cost, Increased Capacity “As ship operators,’ continued Mr. Pluymert, “planning to gain the ut- most from cheap water’ transport (which, in 1921, we were the first to initiate on the New York State Barge canal), we could not overlook the lower initial cost nor the immediate saving of fifty tons in weight, which permits fifty tons of additional cargo to be carried as long as the vessel runs. It is possible that from this source we might gain a full ‘free trip’ every year or so.” “The elimination of 217,000 rivets and the substitution therefor of 108,-