SHIPS OF THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE 



AMERICAN EXPORT LINES, one of the principal American-flag 

 J- A. steamship companies, operates essential trade routes between our 

 North Atlantic ports and the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Black Sea, 

 the Red Sea, India, Ceylon and Burma. Application has been made to the 

 Maritime Commission to extend these routes to Singapore and the Dutch 

 East Indies. 



The S.S. Extavia is one of fourteen sister ships known as the "Exporter" 

 type. Vessels of this special design are 473 feet in length, 66 feet molded 

 breadth, and draw 27 feet 9 9/16 inches of water when fully loaded. They 

 are registered at 9,900 deadweight tons. Their sea speed is 165^ knots, 

 with ample reserve to maintain schedules under adverse weather condi- 

 tions. Their steaming range is 15,000 nautical miles. 



Distinguishing characteristics of the "Exporters" include their seven 

 cargo holds with wide hatches, four of the holds being located forward of 

 the midships deck house and three aft. They have a distinctive layout 

 of 21 booms, each with lifting capacity up to 35 tons and served by electric 

 winches. This permits rapid and efficient loading and unloading of cargo. 

 There are four deep tanks totaling 850 tons capacity, equipped with 

 powerful pumps for handling fluid and semi-fluid cargo. 



The holds and 'tween decks have total bale capacity of 535,750 cubic 

 feet. Three holds are provided with apparatus for ventilating and con- 

 trolling dehumidification of semi-perishable cargo. Five of the new "Ex- 

 porters" have refrigerated space for 30,000 cubic feet of perishable cargo. 

 "Exporters" carry a crew of 46 men, including the master, except those 

 equipped with "reefer" space, which carry 49 men. 



Power plants for these express freighters are steam turbines which 

 develop 8,000 horsepower. Their high-pressure, superheat water-tube 

 boilers, oil-fired, operate under 500 pounds pressure at 750° F. 



Vessels of these special types exemplify the advances made by the 

 American shipping industry under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. 

 In Export's case, these fast, efficient vessels replaced smaller, slower ves- 



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