MARITIME TECHNOLOGY COURSEWORK:

Maritime Technology Coursework:



Maritime Technology Coursework:

In 1996 Metro Machine leased a portion of the Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly the Philadelphia Navy Base, with berthing and dry-docking capabilities in excess of 1,000 feet. Metro Machine's Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (PNSY) facility includes building 669, Dry Dock 2, Pier 5, and option on Dry Dock 3. Dock 2 is suitable in general for docking Cruisers, Destroyers and Frigates. It is made of granite and concrete. The dry-dock entrance enclosure is a Caisson (Martin, 2000, 33-41). The facility has Main and Auxiliary cranes capable of Max lift of 50 long tons and 15 long tons as well as Whip type cranes for 5 long tons. There is 35 feet of water alongside the East Side of Pier 5. Ship moorings for 800 foot long ships are fitted on Pier 5.

On 29 September 1999, Navy awarded four Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts under Phase One of the Ship Disposal Project (i.e., the pilot phase). Metro Machine will dismantle the ex-USS Blakely at its shipyards in Philadelphia and Chester, Pa. Camden Iron & Metal Inc., Camden, N.J., will broker the scrap sales.

Philadelphia NSY is on League Island in the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The original naval yard was established in 1801 (Martin, 2000, 33-41). The yard underwent numerous upgrades, primarily in the early part of the 20th century. In 1917, the Naval Aircraft Factory was established on the island. After World War I, the factory focused on the development and manufacture of experimental aircraft and aircraft accessories. During World War II, the shipyard constructed 53 ships and repaired 574. The workforce was greatly reduced after World War II, from 40,000 to 12,000. The Naval Aircraft Factory was redesignated the Naval Air Material Center in 1943, and became the Naval Air Engineering Center in 1963. In 1974, the Naval Air Engineering Center was relocated to Lakehurst, NJ. The last ship completely built at the yard was finished in 1970. In 1987, fleet carriers underwent service life extension at the yard (Androsov, 2002, 401-415).

The Navy Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility (NIMSF) continued to store decommissioned and mothballed ships after the shipyard closed in the mid-1990s. In storage at the shipyard as of late 1995 were two battleships, one heavy cruiser, two aircraft carriers, two amphibious assault ships, two AEs, two AOs, two AORs, one AFS, four CGs, nine DDGs and seven FFs plus numerous small auxiliaries. These included the amphibious assault ships GUADALCANAL (LPH-7) and IWO JIMA (LPH-2); aircraft carriers SARATOGA (CV-60) and FORESTALL (CV-59); and the battleships IOWA (BB-61) and WISCONSIN (BB-64).

Ex-USS Saratoga (AVT-60), one of the inactive aircraft carriers mothballed at the old Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, was towed out of Philadelphia for the last time 03 August 1998 by the Fleet-tug USNS Powhatan (T-ATF-166). Saratoga was the first of three deep-draft vessels to be relocated to Newport, RI, for storage (Androsov, 2002, 401-415). The relocation was done as part of the lease arrangement between the Navy, the City of Philadelphia and Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard ...