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PURSE SEINER, Advantages of Steel Construction small craft built on the Pacific coast, the 70-foot purse seiner Cc. S. F. may mark an epochal transi- tion from wood to steel in the con- struction of fishing vessels in this area, The C. S. F. as this is written is in Alaskan waters and is engaged in herring fishing for her owner the Chatham Straits Fish Co., Seattle. She was designed and built by Andrew B. Berg, president of the Berg Shipbuilding Co., Seattle. Considering the general use of wood for the large fleets of fishing craft operating from the equator to Bering sea, should steel construction prove advantageous, it will mean not only an extended market for steel products, but also a considerable de- mand for tools and machinery neces- sary for steel shipbuilding. Te first steel, electric welded Versatility in Service While the C. S. F. was designed primarily for purse seining she is adapted for other uses. The vessel has ample power for heavy towing, excess tank space for carrying and distributing fuel oil, as well as pas- senger accommodations for the use of officials and employes. In addi- tion she can be used as a cannery tender. The designer is a practical ship- builder, who has operated a wood shipyard for eleven years and is thor- oughly familiar with the intricate de- tails of that business. The adaptation of steel for the fishing industry is significant because of the abundance of lumber and its low cost in the North Pacific. How- ever, the change has been forced up- on shipowners, it is claimed, by the ravages of dry rot. This menace in recent years has reduced the life of the average wood fishing hull to five years. This is not an indictment against wood, Douglas fir in particu- lar, generally used for building small hulls. There are wood ships on this coast still in service after 50 years of operation. They were built of seasoned materials, properly prepared and protected. But shipbuilders as- sert that the fishing industry itself is to blame. In the last 15 years own- ers have developed a “‘fever” for fast work. In the circumstances loggers“have not had opportunity, as in former years, to select trees suitable for ship timbers nor has the builder had a chance to season his material or to STHEL—Purse seiner C. 8. F.. First steel hull, electric welded vessel of her type of Pacific coast protect it against the elements. The result is that heavy investments in fishing craft have been dissipated. The problem has been growing more serious the last three years. Builders, alive to the situation, have been quietly developing steel hull designs. Large Fleet of Vessels Accurate figures are lacking but it is known there are at least 250 seiners in service in Washington and Oregon. The North Pacific halibut fleet num- bers 275 under the American flag and 75 of Canadian registry. It is esti- mated that in this area there are 3000 American and 3000 Canadian trolling vessels. All of this fleet is wood. In the C. S. F. 60 tons of 62,000 pounds tensile strength steelplate was used. In a similar vessel of wood, about 40,000 feet of lumber is re- quired. The C. S. F. is entirely of steel, including the house. Dimen- sions are: Length, 70 feet; beam, 19 feet; and depth 9% feet. She is built along the same general lines as wood WwWoOD—Purse seiner AMERICAN FPAGLE. Of customary wood hull construction. Of similar type to the C. 8S. F. MARINE REVIEwW—January, 1935 By ROBERT C. AIL vessels of similar type. Power is fur- nished by a 135 horsepower Atlas Imperial diesel engine, driving her at 9.7 knots. The builder already has contracts for a sister vessel as well as for a 50-foot steel troller. Work began March 1 and on June 10 the C. S. F. left Seattle for Crab Bay, Alaska, a voyage of more than 1600 miles. She carried 119 tons of cargo and fuel, made two ealls en route, and arrived at destination in eight days. For 48 hours she en- countered a strong westerly gale in the,stormy Gulf of Alaska but reports state that she handled satisfactorily and developed no leaks, either in hull or tanks. The cost of this first steel seiner was about 20 per cent higher than wood. However, with improved meth- ods based on experience the builder figures that he will eventually be able to equal the price of wood construc- tion. Also that it will be possible eventually to make delivery in sixty days or less. While angles were used in build- ing this first vessel, T bars are speci- fied for the second. The latter type of construction is declared to afford greater flexibility for contraction and expansion, The Isaacson Iron Works, Seattle, furnished the steel. Less Weight, More Space Lesser weight and increased space are two advantages claimed for the steel hull. With wood, much of the interior is filled with heavy timbers, necessitating cramped living quarters and limiting cargo room. The resale value of wood hulls is greatly depre- ciated after one or more seasons due to the need of repairs. This will be obviated with steel, as the life of a steel hull, with reasonable eare, should be 25 to 30 years. The C. S. F. carries 7000 gallons of fuel oil in double bottoms. In the hold there is space for 900 to 1000 barrels of herring. Wood vessels of similar size have capacity for a maxi- mum of 2000 gallons of fuel, carried in tanks installed in odd _ spaces wherever available. In the accompanying illustrations are ‘shown the ©. 8S. F and: the AMERICAN EAGLE, a wood seiner, of similar type, from the same builders. However, the wood vessel is 75 feet long with beam of 18 feet, with the same machinery and speed as the C.S. F. But the steel hull is a larg- (Continued on Page 38)