The Historic American Engineering Record's Maritime documentation Project

Brian Clayton provides MarEx with a fascinating look at the nation’s three MARAD National Defense Reserve Fleets.

The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) maintains a fleet of inactive ships in anchorages in James River, Virginia; Beaumont, Texas; and Suisun Bay, California. From vintage World War II craft to modern cargo ships, this "mothball" or "ghost" fleet dates back to 1946, when Congress established the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) as an emergency supply of ships in time of crisis. Within the fleet, MARAD also maintains many ships that have outlived their military usefulness and await disposal.

The National Park Service's Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) visited the three reserve fleet sites in 2oo6 to document four ships: the fleet oiler Taluga, tankers Mission Santa Ynez and Sawgatuck, and the troopship Private Frederick C. Murphy. Built during World War II, the ships have lain dormant for many years and weathered in their flotillas yet offer a great deal of information about their design, operational details, and histories.

Follow along with Brian as he describes these vessels and the way that they are handled and disposed of by the U.S. Maritime Administration. Click HERE (MARITIME DOCUMENTATION ARTICLE) to view the report.

•About the Author:

Brian Clayton is a National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers employee working for the Historic American Engineering Record in Washington, DC. He graduated from the Citadel in 1994 and has worked on tour boats, fishing boats, and harbor tugs in Charleston, SC. Later, he went to the Gulf of Mexico and worked on a crew boat for the oil & gas industry. He alsao finished his post-graduate degree in Maritime Studies (underwater archaeology and maritime history), finishing in the summer of 2005. He now works in the National Park Service division which includes the Cultural Resources Department, where, among other things, he documents significant structure in America.

•Note:

The accompanying image refers to HABS, or the Historic American Building Survey & HAER - Historic American Engineering Record.