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The 27,000-Ton Supertanker - Part 1
Sun Ship Completing “Sovacs”.
Source : Pacific Marine Review, Volume 47, March, 1950
lN JANUARY, 1948, a contract was placed by Tankers Navigation Company, Inc., with Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company for the construction of seven large tankers, to go on bare-boat charter to Socony-Vacuum Oil Company. This construction, as part of a
tank ship building program which has included more than sixty-five so caller "supertankers" in United States shipyards, has constituted an invaluable contribution to our national shipbuilding activity.
 "Sovac Comet" on the ways at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.The names selected for these seven tankers, the first four of which have already been delivered before the close of 1949, are as follows: Sovac Pegasus, Sovac Aladin, Sovac Astral, Sovac Brilliant, Sovac Comet, Sovac Daylight and Sovac Radiant.
All these vessels are quite similar to the tankers contracted for at the Sun Shipyard by Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and Gulf Oil Corporation. As to major hull characteristics, horsepower, and propeller design, all these tankers are counterparts. However, in the development of the design, which was a cooperative effort of the staffs of the shipbuilder, of Robert W. Morrell, Naval Architect for the Owner, and of William B. Jupp, of Socony-Vacuum Oil Company for the charteter, a number of departures and special features were adopted for this group.
The vessels are built to highest class in American Bureau of Shipping and Lloyd's Register, and to comply with the existing regulations of U. S. Coast Guard, U. S. Public Health Service, and Panama and Suez Canal requirements.
Arrangements
Each vessel is single-screw with machinery aft and has a cruiser stern and a single continuous steel deck and a forecastle, bridge and poop erection. In the hull proper, the sequence of compartments is as follows:
Fore peak, with chain locker and storerooms over; forward deep tanks for fuel oil, with dry cargo spaces over; forward pump room, with cofferdam abreast each side and above; cargo tanks Nos. 1 to 10 inclusive, port, center and starboard (all 39’-4” in length except No. 1 which is 30’-4” and No. 10 which is 52'-6" long in wings and 27'-0" long in center); cargo pump room 9'-10" long with cofferdam abreast each side; fuel bunker tanks port, center and starboard; engine room; boiler room with "shaft alley" under and with distilled water tanks and paint locker abaft the boilers; after peak with steering gear room over; Diesel fuel tank in overhang.
Double bottoms are provided under the machinery space.
Each vessel has a full bridge erection, with storage space in the bridge enclosure. The bridge deck house contains accommodations for four mates, pilot, purser, two cadets, an officers’ recreation room and pantry, and a fan room. The upper bridge deck house contains the
Captains stateroom and office, radio operators room, radio room, battery room, slop chest, linen locker and deck locker. On the navigating bridge level are the wheel room, chart room, and gyro and radar room.
On the upper deck aft, in the poop space, are crew quarters, CO2 rooms, lockers, fresh water tanks, cold storage rooms, laundry, and cordage space. The poop deck house contains engineers quarters, officers mess room and pantry, petty officers and crew mess rooms, galleys, and linen lockers. The hospital is on the boat deck aft.
Principal Characteristics:
The deadweight carrying capacity on summer draft varies only slightly for the four vessels already completed, as follows:
27,003, 27,006, 27,010, and 27,008 tons D.W.
See also : The 27,000-Ton Supertanker - Part 2
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