NS Savannah, the first nuclear powered civilian ship

NS Savannah, named for SS Savannah, the first steam-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean, was the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, one of only four nuclear-powered cargo ships ever built. NS Savannah File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... NS Savannah File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... SS Savannah The SS Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. ... The following are ships that are or were in commercial or civilian use and have nuclear marine propulsion. ...

In 1955, President of the United States Dwight Eisenhower proposed building a nuclear powered merchant ship. The next year, Congress authorized NS Savannah as a joint project of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Maritime Administration, and the Department of Commerce. She was designed by George G. Sharp, Incorporated, of New York City. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey. Her nuclear reactor was manufactured by Babcock and Wilcox. She was launched on March 23, 1962 sponsored by First Lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower as a showcase for President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative. 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Seal of the Congress. ... Almost a year after World War II ended, Congress established the United States Atomic Energy Commission to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. ... The United States Department of Commerce is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... A keel is a large beam around which the hull of a ship is built. ... The New York Shipbuilding Corporation (or New York Ship for short) was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. ... Tweeter Center The City of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey in the United States. ... Nuclear power station at Leibstadt, Switzerland. ... Babcock and Wilcox is a power generation and equipment design company. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Laura Bush, current First Lady (2001-present) First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. ... Mamie Eisenhower, with her husband Dwight, as a young Lieutenant during World War I Mary Geneva Doud Eisenhower (November 14, 1896 - November 1, 1979) was the wife of Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961. ... Atoms for Peace was the title of a speech delivered by Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. ...

Savannah was a demonstration of the technical feasibility of nuclear propulsion for merchant ships and was not expected to be commercially competitive. She was designed to be visually impressive, looking more like a luxury yacht than a bulk cargo vessel, and equipped with 30 air-conditioned staterooms, each with an individual bath, a dining facility that could seat 100 passengers, a lounge that could double as a movie theater, a veranda, a swimming pool and a library. By many measures, the ship was a success. She performed well at sea, her safety record was impressive, her fuel economy was unsurpassed, and her gleaming white paint was never smudged by exhaust smoke. Even her cargo handling equipment was designed to look good. From 1965 to 1971, Savannah operated in the revenue cargo service. A yacht A yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

However, Savannah's cargo space was limited to 8,500 tons of freight in 652,000 cubic feet (18,000 m³). Many of her competitors could accommodate several times as much cargo. Her streamlined hull made loading the forward holds laborious, which became a significant disadvantage as ports became more and more automated. Her crew was a third larger than comparable oil-fired ships. Her operating budget included the maintenance of a separate shore organization for negotiating her port visits and a personalized shipyard facility for completing any needed repairs. The on-board crew received special training after completing all training requirements for conventional maritime licenses.

No ship with these disadvantages could hope to be commercially successful. Her passenger space was wasted while her cargo capacity was insufficient. As a result of her design handicaps, Savannah cost approximately US$2 million more per year in operating subsidies than a similarly sized Mariner-class ship with an oil-fired steam plant. The Maritime Administration decommissioned her in 1972 to save costs, a decision that made sense when fuel oil cost US$20 per ton. In 1974, however, when fuel oil cost $80 per ton, Savannah's operating costs would have been no greater than a conventional cargo ship. (Maintenance and eventual disposal are other issues, of course.) 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

In 1981 the Savannah was obtained via bareboat charter for display at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Although the museum had use of the vessel, ownership of Savannah remained with the Maritime Administration, and the Patriots Point Development Authority had to be designated a "co-licensee" for the ship's reactor. The ship was also subject to periodic radiological inspections to ensure the safety of the ship. Once Savannah was open for display, visitors could tour the ship's cargo holds, view the reactor spaces from an observation window, look into staterooms and passenger areas, and walk the ship's decks. State nickname: Palmetto State Other U.S. States Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Governor Mark Sanford (R) Official languages English Area 82,965 km² (40th)  - Land 78,051 km²  - Water 4,915 km² (6%) Population (2000)  - Population {{{2000Pop}}} (26th)  - Density 51. ...

The museum had hoped to recondition and improve the ship's public spaces for use by museum and resort visitors, but these plans never materialized. Savannah never drew the visitors that the museum's other ships, notably the aircraft carrier Yorktown, did. Before Savannah was due for a required drydocking and inspection, Patriots Point and the Maritime Administration reached a mutual agreement to terminate the ship's charter in 1994. The ship was removed from the museum and, following inspection, was moved to the James River Merchant Marine Reserve Fleet near Newport News, Virginia. The Maritime Administration plans to have the ship's reactor decommissioned and removed within the next few years. However, since the NS Savannah is historically significant and has been designated a National Historic Landmark, MarAd has expressed interest in offering the ship for preservation once Savannah's DDR (Decommissioning, Decontamination and Radiological) work is completed. Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia from space, July 1996 Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. ...

General characteristics

• Displacement: 22,000 tons
• Length: 596 ft (180 m) overall
• Beam: 78 ft (23.8 m)
• Complement: 124 crew, 60 passengers
• Cruising Speed: 21 knots (40 km/h)
• Top Speed: 24 knots (47 km/h)
• Power: 74 MW, 20,300 hp to a single propeller
• Load carrying capacity: 14,040 tons
• Watertight compartments: 14
• Loading spaces: 6
• Reactor Manufacturer: Babcock & Wilcox
• Builders: New York Shipbuilding, Camden, NJ

• See also: List of Civilian Nuclear Ships

The following are ships that are or were in commercial or civilian use and have nuclear marine propulsion. ...

External Links

• Fuel assemblies from NS Savannah to be reprocessed for commercial reactor
• U.S. Maritime Administration Virtual Office of Acquisition -- NS Savannah