by Richard Jenkins » November 6, 2014, 8:03 pm
The Maritimers were intended for post-war fleet modernization as well as boosting steelmaking capacity during the war. There weren't any U-boats operating on the Lakes, so these boats didn't need to be expendable. However, there was one major concession to wartime economy in their design: the use of reciprocating steam engines, which were basically obsolete by that time. Like the ocean-going Liberty Ships, the Maritimers were built with reciprocating engines because they were relatively simple machines that could be built by any shipyard or heavy machine shop, while the turbine makers like DeLaval and Westinghouse had their hands full producing engines for warships and fast transports.
The accommodations on the Maritimers, particularly the officers' quarters and owner's stateroom, were pretty spartan compared to the ships of the 1920s and earlier, but that was a matter of style and safety as much as anything else. No fancy woodwork on these boats, the walls were all paneled in Marinite asbestos board, but for the most part that was also true of other boats built immediately before the war, and after. Back in those days, the harmful effects of asbestos were unknown, and asbestos board had the advantage of being fireproof.
The Maritimers were intended for post-war fleet modernization as well as boosting steelmaking capacity during the war. There weren't any U-boats operating on the Lakes, so these boats didn't need to be expendable. However, there was one major concession to wartime economy in their design: the use of reciprocating steam engines, which were basically obsolete by that time. Like the ocean-going Liberty Ships, the Maritimers were built with reciprocating engines because they were relatively simple machines that could be built by any shipyard or heavy machine shop, while the turbine makers like DeLaval and Westinghouse had their hands full producing engines for warships and fast transports.
The accommodations on the Maritimers, particularly the officers' quarters and owner's stateroom, were pretty spartan compared to the ships of the 1920s and earlier, but that was a matter of style and safety as much as anything else. No fancy woodwork on these boats, the walls were all paneled in Marinite asbestos board, but for the most part that was also true of other boats built immediately before the war, and after. Back in those days, the harmful effects of asbestos were unknown, and asbestos board had the advantage of being fireproof.