SS Faith

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.

The construction
Work began September 1, 1917; concrete pouring began October 31 and ending February 26, 1918. The Steam Ship (SS) Faith launched on 14 March 1918. The ship was designed by Alan Macdonald and Victor Poss. It pulled up to 5000 tons, being the largest concrete ship of its time. The cost of the hull itself was estimated at $450,000, and the early estimate before completion was that it would total $890,000 overall.

Dimensions

 * 102.56 x 13,56 x 6,86 metres 336.5 x 44.5 x 22.5 feet
 * 6125 tons
 * 2 triple expansion steam machines
 * 1760 hp
 * 10 knots

History
"[...] 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"

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.

Articles

 * NY Times, March 15th, 1918
 * NY Times, May 5th, 1918