Shipbucket

Towards the end of WWI, Great Britain suffered from a shortage in steel and programs were started to build ships out of alternative materials such as ferrocement.

In 1918, the Admiralty ordered the construction of the Crete class ferrocement tugs to transport barges of Spanish iron ore to British foundries, however the tugs weren't launched until nearly a year after the war ended. Some of the Crete class tugs served as commercial tugs but turned out to be uneconomical due to their high fuel consumption and the expensive dock fees, and most of the tugs were stripped in the 30's to be used as breakwaters. The Creteboom and Cretehawser were abandoned in the River Moy and the River Wear and were damaged in WWII by the German bombings of Sunderland. The Cretegaff still floats, tied up in Carlingford Marina, with most of its fittings stripped but with its hull and superstructure painted.



Next up will be the oil tanker SS San Pasqual.

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Lovely work.

I saw the wreck of a concrete ship in Bimini, Bahamas. It's called SS Sapona.

There was, and may still be, an old pier in Santa Cruz, California,
made from an old "cement" freighter. I have been told that several
of these ships were driven ashore and converted into piers on both
the East and West coasts of the U.S. Because the hulls do not rust
or rot they were excellent supports for fishing or sightseeing piers.

I'm still trying to locate images of the SS Sapona during its career to draw her.

signal, I believe you are thinking of the SS Palo Alto, she still sits in front of the Seacliff pier, however people can no longer fish or walk on the Palo Alto as she's structurally unsound now due to deterioration. It's only a matter of time till she collapses like the SS Atlantus. I do have a photo of the Palo Alto before she was abandoned and I might attempt to draw her.

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Good job ONI-Defence.
The concrete effort was on both sides of the Atlantic, both during WW1 and there was an American effort in WW2 for concrete ships.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thanks.

I'm trying to find out which ships Italy, Spain, and Sweden built, so far I've only found the British, American, and Norwegian concrete ships.

I found some great images of the Gooseberry and Phoenix class breakwaters that formed the Mulberry harbor during the Allied invasion of Normandy.

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Nice work.
I see You're on the best way to become our expert in highly unusual vessels.

The SS San Pasqual was constructed as an oil tanker by the Pacific Marine Construction Company in San Diego, CA and launched on June 28, 1920. She is the sister ship of the Cuyamaca.

In March of 1921, the San Pasqual was damaged in a storm and laid up for another three years. In 1924 she was purchased by the Old Times Molasses Company of Havana, Cuba and used as a store ship in Santiego, Cuba. Eight years later, the San Pasqual was dismantled and used as depot-ship in Havana.

In 1933, she was run aground off the coast of Cuba. During the Second World War, the hulk was outfitted with machine guns and cannons and used as a lookout for German submarines. At that time a temporary bridge was constructed between the ship and the mainland but it was eventually either dismantled or destroyed by weather.

During the Cuban Revolution, the ship served as a prison for soldiers captured by Che Guevera's army. Since then the ship had served various purposes including a sportsman club and headquarters for fishing competitions. Finally, in the 1990's, the ship was converted into a hotel and remains so to this day.



The SS Cuyamaca was built in 1920 by the Pacific Marine Construction Company in San Diego, CA. For several years she was used by the France and Canada Oil Transport Company of New York to transport oil between Tampico, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Finally in February 1924 she was converted into an oil barge in New Orleans. She is listed as being "scrapped" in March, 1926.

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Excellent work!

The colours on the Crete class are amazing, you've nailed that wet concrete look!


I have a technical question, not knowing much about these ships, how are these ships constructed? I assume they are cast in sections, but what form does the structure take? Are there metal beams and ribs the same as normal vessels?
Also, is there more drag given concrete is rougher than steel and were they more prone to barnacles etc. (can't think of the right word!)?

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
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Hi Hood,

"Fouling"?

Regards,
Ad

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