Launching of the SS Faith. March 14, 1918. Service Studio Photo. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Faith |
| Owner: | William Leslie Comyn |
| Ordered: | December 1917 |
| Builder: | San Francisco Shipbuilding Company |
| Cost: | $750,000 |
| Launched: | March 14, 1918 |
| In service: | 1918 |
| Out of service: | 1921 |
| Fate: | First Concrete Ship of the United States |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Concrete Ship |
| Tonnage: | 8000 tons |
| Length: | 97.54 m |
| Beam: | 6.86 m |
| Height: | 13.56 m |
| Installed power: | 1700 hp |
| Propulsion: | 2 triple expansion steam machines |
| Speed: | 17 knots |
The SS Faith was the first concrete ship built in the United States. It was constructed by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company in 1918 owned by William Leslie Comyn. It cost $750,000.
Contents |
The Steam Ship (SS) Faith started to be built in January 1918 and launched in 14 March 1918[1]. The ship was designed by Alan Macdonald and Victor Poss. It pulled up to 8000 tons, being the biggest ship of its time.
"[...] said William Leslie Comyn [...] he likewise pointed out the lack of steel-making plants and shipyards on the West Coast. His solution: build ships of concrete. [...] He was convinced that a 5,000-ton concrete freighter could be operated at a profit and on 3 September 1917 he solicited contractual support from USSB to build "five reinforced concrete steamers" [...] On speculation, then, his firm began to build the Faith at Redwood City, California"[2]
The first journeys were to Honolulu, Balboa, Callao, Valparaíso and New York. In 1919, the San Francisco Shipbuilding company was sold to French American SS lines, and in 1921, the SS Faith ended as a breakwater in Cuba.