Isthmian Line -Liberty Ships -Victory Ships -WWII

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Isthmian Name:	Steel Seafarer	Period:	Modern

Gross Tonnage:	7,948	Net:	4,677
Dimensions:	492' 0" x 69' 7" x 29' 5"	MC Type:	C3-S-A2

Builder:	Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. Pascagoula, MS	Hull # USMC Hull # Date of Build: Delivered:	436 1810 1945 9/29/45
Engines:	2 Steam Turbines DR Geared to Single Screwed Shaft	Engine Builder:	Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. Pittsburgh, PA
Navigation:	DF, ESD, GC, RDR, RT	Decks, etc.:	2 Decks & Open Shelter Deck

Began Isthmian Service:

1947

Ended Isthmian Service:

1973

----------------------------------- Vessel History -----------------------------------

Date	Vessel #	Vessel Name	Vessel Owner	Call Ltrs	Home Port	Flag
1945	248738	*Kathleen S. Holmes*	US War Shipping Administration	AOMN	New Orleans	USWB
1946	248738	*Kathleen S. Holmes*	US Maritime Commission	AOMN	New Orleans	US
1947	248738	*Steel Seafarer*	Isthmian Lines, Inc. New York	KRRJ	New York	US

Events:
11/7/44: Keel laid.
4/27/45: Launched.
9/29/45: Delivered.
1946: U.S. Maritime Commission.
6/47: Forepeak tank damaged by excessive pressure; straighten and renew bulkhead, stiffeners and longitudinals.
12/49: On voyage Singapore for Baltimore, hit dock resulting in plate, frame, bulkhead and bracket damage; repair cost $10,752.
5/50: Ice damage; renew shaft, install spare propeller, rewood stern bearings and repair rudder at a cost of $18,029.
9/17/50: On voyage Baltimore to Singapore, aground at New York. Repair stern frame and rudder at New York.
7/51: Heavy weather. Renew 6 plates and 6 fairweathers, partially renew floor and frames, steam, clean and test tanks at Baltimore.
3/23/53: From propeller damage discovered 1/3/53, propeller remove and recondition, spare fit, tailshaft draw and examine, together with sundry damages and repairs; repairs and drydocking at Baltimore.
6/26 - 6/30/57: Damaged in consequence of encountering heavy weather while en route for Khorramshahr and Bombay to Suez and Philadelphia.
10/8/57: From heavy weather damage 6/26 - 6/30/57, 3 shell plates renew, and 1 partially renew, keelsons, intercostals and floors straighten and partially renew, rudder remove, rudder casing vee out and weld, pintles renew, gudgeons bore, together with sundry damages and removals; repairs at Brooklyn. Repairs to bottom plating deferred. Surveyor reports owners renewed rudder. Damage considered part cumulative, occurring over all periods of heavy weather encountered since last drydock period.
12/9/57: STEEL SEAFARER, on voyage New York for Khorramshahr, quarantined at Bombay because 3 crew members and 2 passengers did not have yellow fever innoculation certificates.
12/13/57: Vessel released from quarantine at Bombay.
3/31/60: From damage sustained 6/26 - 6/30/57 in consequence of encountering heavy weather while en route from Khorramshar and Bombay to Suez and Philadelphia: Three bottom shell plates renew and one fair, keelson and floors straighten and partially renew, together with sundry damages and removals. Repairs completed at Baltimore.
5/20/61: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER at Shed 4, Erie Basin, Brooklyn, NY, had fire in cargo on first deck; trifling damage to vessel and cargo.
5/21/61: STEEL SEAFARER, New Orleans for Karachi, left New York.
10/9/62: Collision.
7/16/63: Stevedore damage.
3/7/64: From New Orleans: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER, Galveston for Basrah, outbound and Motor Vessel ZETA, from Jacksonville, inbound, collided at 11:30 PM at Port Sulphur; visibility reported poor. No casualties reported. STEEL SEAFARER returned to New Orleans and surveyed by American Bureau of Shipping and Salvage Association.
3/9/64: From New Orleans: Repairs to bridge damage, estimated at $22,000, in progress. ZETA proceeded to New Orleans and surveyed by register and Salvage Association. Repairs to bow damage estimated at $10,000.
3/13/64: STEEL SEAFARER left New Orleans for Basrah.
3/17/64: From New York: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER without prejudice on behalf of ZETA in consequence of collision 3/7/64: Two side shell plates, two deck plates, three leves(?) amidships house wings partially renew, guardrails, boom and mast stays and electrical equipment partially renew, together with sundry damages and removals.
3/21 - 24/64: Heavy weather damage.
3/25/64: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER, damage alleged sustained 3/7/64 in consequence of collision with MV ZETA in the River Mississippi below Port Sulphur: One shell plate renew, one side shell plate and two deck plates partially renew, frames, beams and brackets straighten and partially renew, amidships house wings partially renew, guardrails, boom and mast stays and electrical equipment partially renew, together with extensive sundry damages and removals. Repairs completed at New Orleans.
11/20 - 11/21/64: Surging.
3/21/65: From Galveston: Port main boiler damage.
3/24/65: From New York: From surging 11/20 - 21/64: Sixteen shell plates renew, two partially renew and 10 fair, internals straighten and partially renew, together with sundry damages and removals. Following additional casualties surveyed: From collision on 10/9/62: Repairs in respect of this casualty carried out with surging damage above. From stevedore damage 7/16/63: Cork insulation on air duct partially renew, together with sundry damages and removals. From heavy weather damage 3/21 - 24/64: Goose neck ball check fitting and two tarpaulins renew, together with sundry damages and removals. From stevedore damage, time and place unknown: Shelter deck partially renew and partially fair, internals straighten and partially renew and two ladders fair, together with sundry damages and removals. All repairs completed.
5/16/65: From New York: From damage alleged sustained by port main boiler 3/21/65 at Galveston: Port main boiler 52 screen tubes renew, 40 forward waterwall tubes renew, 74 roof and side waterwall tubes renew, generating tubes reroll, refractory material and insulation partially renew, test boiler and adjust safety valves, together with sundry damages and removals. Repairs completed. New tubes furnished by owners. Only one tube had ruptured and all other tubes were damaged by loss of pressure and temperature. No allegations were made by owners as to the cause of tube failure. The ruptured section of tube has been retained by owners for metallurgical examination if required.
9/14/65: Grounded while proceeding to anchorage at outer harbor, Alexandria.
4/11/67: From damage alleged sustained 9/14/65 in consequence of grounding while proceding to anchorage at Alexandria: One bottom shell plate partially renew, double bottom tank clean, tailshaft withdraw and fit owner's new tailshaft, stern tube bushing rebore and coupling bolts renew, together with sundry damages and removals; repairs completed.
10/4/67: Damage to turbo-generator.
11/3/67: From Portland, OR: The following report has been received: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER, assured States Marine Corp., Isthmian Lines, Inc., sustained turbo-generator damage on 10/4/67.
11/26/68: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER, damage alleged sustained, time and place unknown but discovered today, voyage Los Angeles for Sattahip, in consequence of blade in fourth row of low pressure rotor ahead section breaking out and causing further subsequent damage: Permanent repairs would require renewal of blades in fifth stage upper and lower casing diaphragms and fourth stage of rotor, rotor to rebalance, together with sundry damages and removals. Temporary repairs carried out consisted of removal of all blades from fifth stage upper and lower diaphragm and fourth row of rotor, together with sundry damages and removals.
4/5/69: Damaged in consequence of being in collision with Alaska Barge & Transport, Inc. barge 641 during cargo operations at outer anchorage at Da-Nang.
6/7/69: Steamer STEEL SEAFARER in collided with M.V. ATHINAI, Philadelphia for Piraeus, in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal approaching Reedy Point Bridge while en route from New York and Baltimore to Philadelphia and Saigon: STEEL SURVEYOR surveyed without prejudice: Port side bow one soft nose plate renew, two shell plates renew and three partially renew, internals straighten and partially renew, port anchor disconnect, examine and reinstall, together with sundry damages and removals; repairs being carried out.
6/25/69: From New York: From damage alleged sustained 6/7/69 at 2:28 AM, in consequence of being in collision with M.V. ATHINAI in C & D Canal when approaching Reedy Point Bridge en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia: Port side bow shell plating, including soft nose, one nose plate renew, two shell plates renew, three shell plates partially renew, one anchor tripping bracket renew, nine shell frames renew, three shell frames fair, one deck beam fair, six shell frames partially renew, one bulkhead partially renew, two horizontal shell stiffeners renew, one plate frame partially renew, one breasthook renew, one storm oil line partially renew, one storm oil line valve renew and port anchor disconnect, examine and reinstall, together with sundry damages and removals; repairs carried out.
9/15/69: From San Francisco: From damage alleged sustained 4/5/69 in consequence of colliding with barge at Da-Nang outer anchorage: Two side shell plates partially renew, 'tween deck plating partially renew, frames straighten, together with sundry damages and removals; repairs deferred.
12/14/72: Prior to arrival off Okinawa striked unknown submerged object. While the vessel was manuvering and preparing to anchor off Kamiyama Light, Okinawa a sharp "thump" was heard, apparently coming from the starboard side of the hull in the vicinity of #4 and #5 hatches. An examination was carried out and no visible damage found.
12/15/72: While the vessel was manuvering to enter the harbour of Naha, a similar "thump" was heard.
12/16/72: Vessel departed Naha.
12/18/72: Vessel arrived Subic Bay, Phillipines where, while manuvering, the "thump" was heard on several occasions.
12/19/72: A diver's examination revealed about 18 in. of one propeller blade tip was missing and the propeller nut was backed off with the propeller also backed off the shaft about five inches.
12/24/72: The vessel was placed in a floating drydock where it was found the propeller nut locking device was sheared off and the propeller cone missing. No repairs were effected.
12/26/72: The vessel proceeded to Hong Kong.
1/12/73: From Hong Kong, STEEL SEAFARER surveyed afloat and in drydock in respect to propeller damage caused by striking an unknown submerged object prior to arrival off Okinawa 12/14/72. The Surveyor found the tip of # 2 propeller blade to be missing, the line of fracture being along a previous weld repair. Two other blades had indents and minor buckling on the leading edges near the tips. Temporary repairs, consisting of trimming the edges of the damaged blade to suit were effected. Permanent repairs were deferred.

Disposition Date	Comments
1973	Sold to Hua Eng Copper & Iron Industrial Co., Ltd., arriving at Kaohsiung 7/15/73. Scrapped 7/73 Kaohsiung. Reported 9/73: Sold to the Republic of China (Taiwan) for Scrapping.

The information on this page is the kind contribution of Skip Lewis. Skip, whose dad sailed for Isthmian, is an avid collector and researcher of everything Isthmian. In his quest, he has used many sources and publications including Lloyd's of London and Imperial Steel by John Atherton. Thank you, Skip. Copyright © 2003-2007 - All rights reserved.

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