City Directories and History: The Carolinan Tanker – 29 May 2017
Article: The M/S Carolinian: The First Entirely Welded Commercial Vessel
Welding has had a profound impact on every aspect of modern life. From the cars we drive, to the ships that traverse open seas, the fusing of metals using heat has advanced astronomically in the last century. Arguably, the greatest impact welding has had is the construction of cost-effective, lighter, and larger ships. Electric arc welding has been around in commercial and industrial settings since the 19th-century. The wartime shipbuilding boom of World War I lead American and British shipbuilders to explore the advantages of electric welding in-depth. The United Kingdom unveiled the first all-welded hull in 1920, the tanker Fullagar. This initial experiment was a success, but the first truly electrically welded ship (superstructure et. all) would not come for another decade. The scenic city of Charleston, South Carolina would be the setting of this second shipbuilding breakthrough.
The Carolinian was designed by naval architect Richard F. Smith, to be operated by Texaco, as a 226-ton coast wise tanker. This ship utilized the revolutionary Lock Notch Welded System, which saved one-quarter of the cost and eliminated 85,000-lbs of rivets (and using 8,000-lbs of welding wire). Her keel was laid in the Summer of 1929 at Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Company, situated on the eastern side Charleston. Amazingly, the lock notch design only required only nine workmen to build the hull. Charleston Dry Dock & Machine was the sole licensee of this design, and it was featured in Marine Review, Popular Science, and other contemporary periodicals.
Propulsion consisted of a Fairbanks-Morse 6-cylinder diesel engine geared to a single screw. The Carolinian produced 180-shaft horsepower at 400 rpm. During her shakedown cruise in March of 1930, the ship made 11-½ knots steaming from Charleston Harbor, past the Fort Sumter light, and out into the Atlantic.
This tanker plied the waters between Charleston and her new homeport of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The success of this prototype lead to “an estimate for six orders of similar ships in 1931.” The standard of welded hulls and internal-combustion engines would become universal in construction of new vessels. Welding technology today continues to advance, perpetuated by the same features touted by Smith; lighter weight, reduced costs, and greater durability.
The legacy of Smith’s venerable ship took an interesting turn thanks to the unforgiving Atlantic weather. On March 9th, 1934, the Carolinian was involved with a dramatic rescue in Albemarle Sound along the North Carolina coast. Four fishermen were plucked from a squall after the engine malfunctioned in their small Shad Boat. These small wooden craft were typical along the Southern coast, and provide little protection. Captain E. R. Outlaw was in-command of the rescuing tanker.
Unfortunately, as celebrated as the Carolinian was at the time of her launch, there is very little information on her fate. Two color photos, which appear to be from the late-60’s or early-70’s, would point to a long fruitful career of at least 30-years and one World War. With no casualty record found as of the date of this article, it is assumed that the ship was eventually broken-up for scrap. If the readers have any further information, please feel free to contact the author.
As Charleston, South Carolina continues to become an international tourist attraction and manufacturing center, it is important to recognize the contribution of the Carolinian to engineering, welding technology, and shipbuilding. This critical link to our technological past shows that Charleston has long been important to transportation and industry, and will continue to innovate in the 21st-century. One can only hope that there will be an effort put forth to interpret this history to the public.
The photographs featured in this article, taken in 1930, have since been donated to the South Carolina Maritime Museum in Georgetown, South Carolina. This organization strives to provide a rich, educational experience for interpreting South Carolina’s maritime history. The museum features a collection of photographs, documents, and other physical artefacts pertinent to its mission. At this museum, the photos will be preserved and kept for future museum exhibits and archival research.
Article contributed and written by Zach Paul Liollio – 2017
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