The United States first and only Nuclear powered merchant ship was designed in hopes of finding peaceful uses for Nuclear energy as part of the Atoms for Peace program. President Eisenhower had the ship built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9 million, which included a $28.3 million nuclear reactor and fuel core. At 596-feet-long she was the pride of the fleet with sleek lines like that of an oceangoing yacht. During her short 5 years of service (1965-1970) she saved over 29 million gallons of fuel oil but her high maintenance cost led to her downfall. In 1981, the Savannah was brought back to her cold war glory by re-activating her as a museum ship offering Americans a glimpse into the atomic age. Visitors could walk the ship’s decks and even tour the reactor from an observation window as well as look into staterooms and passenger areas but in 1994 the charter was terminated. The Maritime Administration, who is responsible for overseeing the Savannah, had the ship moved to Baltimore where she remains under a 3 year, $588,380 U.S. Maritime Administration contract with the Vane Brothers’ shipyard at the Canton Marine Terminal. Once the Savannah’s DDR (Decommissioning, Decontamination and Radiological) work is completed the U.S. Maritime Administration plans to eventually donate the famous maritime relic as a museum or public attraction.

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.=
• 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.

NS Savannah Documentary – Once Upon A Nuclear Ship

More videos and photos of the beautifully designed NS Savannah ship:

Nixon’s Moscow Mission; Nuclear Ship Comissioned 1959/7/23

2) NS Savannah nuclear ship commissioned, christened by Mamie before 15,000 spectators, cost $41 million (partial newsreel)

N/S Savannah Underway

A Look At Her Reactors

Photos Of Her Today

Other Nuclear Merchant Ships

Germany’s N/S Otto Hahn

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

M/V RIM IMO: 7328554 – photo via SHIPSPOTTING »

Crew of the hijacked MV RIM retake control from Pirates, EU NAVFOR warship SPS VICTORIA gives medical support

Today at 1010 local time, the hijacked Libyan owned merchant vessel RIM reported that the crew had successfully retaken control of the ship.  One crew member was seriously injured during the incident.

The incident took place south east of Garacad, off Somalia’s northern coastline.  The closest EU NAVFOR warship, the SPS VICTORIA, was immediately tasked by the Force Commander Jan Thörnqvist, to meet up with MV RIM in order give medical assistance. SPS VICTORIA launched her helicopter immediately.

Confusing reports that the ship had been pirated again came prior to the helicopter reaching the scene of the incident.  It was quickly established that the crew were in control of the vessel.  There were however, pirates in the vicinity who were attempting to impede the EU NAVFOR operation by utilising another hijacked vessel the MV VOC DAISY. When SPS VICTORIA’s helicopter approached the MV VOC DAISY she changed her course – no warning shots were fired.

It is believed that some of the pirates were killed during the incident; the ship is now under the control of the crew.

EU NAVFOR is monitoring the situation and more information will be released as it becomes available.

AustraliaNews – MV RIM SAILS FREE AFTER SOMALI PIRATE SHOOT-OUT »

During a serious shoot-out between two rival pirate groups surrounding the sea-jacked MV RIM, leaving 9 Somalis dead, the Syrian crew of the vessel managed to overpower six pirates on board and to sail free. Maritime observers working with ECOTERRA Intl. reported that the crew is said to be all right and that the six Somalis are kept on board as captives. The scrap-vessel MV RIM was seized on February 02, 2010.

Archaeologists in China have just salvaged an 800 year old ship from the South China Sea. The Associated Press tells us;

After 800 years at the bottom of the sea, a merchant ship loaded with porcelain and other rare antiques was raised to the surface Friday in a specially built basket, a state news agency reported.

The Nanhai No. 1, which means “South China Sea No. 1,” sank off the south China coast with some 60,000 to 80,000 items on board, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Wu Jiancheng, head of the excavation project.

Archaeologists built a steel basket around the 100-foot vessel, and it took about two hours for a crane to lift the ship and surrounding silt to the surface, Xinhua said. The basket was as large as a basketball court and as tall as a three-story building.

Green-glazed porcelain plates and shadowy blue porcelain items were among rare antiques found during the initial exploration of the ship. Archaeologists have also recovered containers made of gold and silver as well as about 6,000 copper coins.

The ship dates from the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It was discovered in 1987 off the coast near the city of Yangjiang, in Guangdong province, in more than 65 feet of water.
The Nanhai No. 1 was placed on a waiting barge. It will be deposited in a huge glass pool at a museum where the water temperature, pressure and other environmental conditions are the same as where it has lain on the sea bed.