Marinship
Sausalito, California
source: Sawyer & Mitchell

©
California

In February 1942 a directive from President Roosevelt demanded the 'impossible' task of increasing the tempo of shipbuilding: the previous objective of 18 million tons of new shipping during 1942-1943 was raised to 24 million tons, this being 9 million tons in 1942 and 15 million in 1943.

The shipways planned and those already in operation were quite unable to increase their schedules to this great extent and it became necessary to add further slips to these existing yards and to create new yards in new locations. On the East Coast the first few Libertys had been launched; on the Gulf the yards were only just commencing and on the West Coast, Libertys were ready for launching and British 'Ocean' type vessels were under rapid construction. So it was to this latter area that the Maritime Commission turned for the siting of another yard. Due to its outstanding record, they again looked to the Kaiser organization for assistance. Each company within Kaiser's Six Services group was invited to submit proposals for a new yard that would produce ships during 1942.

The initial contract for the yard and for Liberty ships was given to the W. A. Bechtel partnership. Management and workers were enlisted from allied companies, steel for the first ships was fabricated more than 400 miles away at the associated Calship plant and the venture, under the name of the Marinship Corporation, was successsful in getting ship construction under way very rapidly.

The yard was located in Sausalito, Marin County, California, on the northwest side of San Fransico Bay and was situated so as to attract labor that could not easily reach other shipyards across the bay. It began as a six-way yard, this number then being presumed to be adequate for maintaining a steady production flow.

In accordance with the terms of the contract the first delivery was made in the latter part of 1942, and before the end of this same year five vessels had been completed.

At sea at around this same time shipping losses had reached a high peak and attacks by the enemy on oil tankers had proved so successful that there was a dire need of further tanker tonnage. Accordingly, the Marinshipyard, designed to produce a relatively simple ship, was given large additions to its facilities and had its remaining Liberty contracts cancelled. These were replaced by ones that authorized construction of various types of tankers.

Liberty ship output: 15 vessels.

USMC Numbers	Yard Numbers
1223-1234	1-12
1235-1237	16-18
1238-1272	cancelled

World War II Construction Records of Marinship

See a copy of Marin-er, published by Marinship

Marinship, A Photo History.