Costing millions of dollars in 1969 America’s first and only Nuclear powered merchant ship was designed in hopes of finding peaceful uses for Nuclear energy. She was the pride of the fleet and designed with looks as powerful as her reactor. With a savings of over 29 million gallons of fuel oil during her short 5 year service life (1965-1970) she might have been a solution to present environmental and self-sufficiency problems. Her high maintenance cost however, led to her downfall. Since 1975 she has been sitting idle, left to rust, but this year post 9/11 security concerns have led the U.S. Government to budget 4.5 million for her restoration and conversion. Her new mission? She will be brought back to her cold war glory and re-activated as a museum ship offering future Americans a glimpse into the atomic age.
Our iPhone Contestant Capt.Billy submitted this article on the restoration of the famed nuclear ship N/S Savannah. Here is a brief look at her story:
The U.S. Maritime Administration said Friday that it has awarded BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair a $4.1 million contract to put the weathered ship into dry dock for a long-awaited blasting and repainting.
It is the next step in the agency’s plan to eventually donate the famous maritime relic as a museum or public attraction.
“We’re thrilled to death,” said Erhard Koehler, the maritime agency’s senior technical adviser for the Savannah project. “We’re moving forward.”
Designed with the sleek lines of an oceangoing yacht, the 596-foot-long vessel was launched in 1959 as the world’s first nuclear-powered cargo ship. President Eisenhower had the ship built to promote the peaceful use of atomic power. Read More…
Some photos of the beautifully designed ship:
N/S Savannah Underway
A Look At Her Reactors
Interesting Facts
- She produced nearly $12,000,000 in revenue, real money back then.
- She sailed over 450,000 miles in her five years of merchant service (1965 to 1970).
- She required a crew of more than 100 mariners.
- She cost $46,900,000 ($18,600,000 for the ship, and $28,300,000) when built in 1959
- The Army considered using her as a power plant to be used during national emergencies.
- She is being reconditioned primarily due to post 9/11 security concerns.
Photos Of Her Today
Other Nuclear Merchant Ships
Russia’s 1988 Nuclear Cargo ship and now drillship N/S Sevorput
Japan’s 1969 built N/S Mutsu
Nuclear Icebreakers
Russia has built a number of modern nuclear icebreakers including the Yamal.
Links:
- NSSavannah.net
- 2006 Photos
- Nuclear Fuel Transport Ship Launched
- A Complete List of Nuclear Powered Ships
- Russia’s Nuclear Icebreakers
Related Posts:
This blog is sponsored by:
gCaptain On Twitter
gCaptain On Facebook
gCaptain On LinkedIn