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Celebrating the Ships that Made History From the first all water voyage connecting the U.S. east and west coasts in 1848, to the new generation 10,000-TEU mega ships ordered for 2011 delivery, APL has been a pioneer in designing vessels that push new boundaries both technologically and geographically. Today, more than 100 vessels on every major trade route connect 25,000 service points all seven continents. Here is a short biography of some vessels that made history. California
Winning the government contract to transport mail from New York to San Francisco, Pacific Mail (predecessor to APL) commissioned a grand sidewheel steamer for the arduous journey. Built in May 1848, she left New York that October and 144 days later arrived in San Francisco. The California was the very first steamship to enter San Francisco Bay, and would be forever linked to the great California Gold Rush. For several years, she transported goods, mail and seekers of fortune on one of the most modern ships of the day. A few years later, to speed the journey, one of the world’s first intermodal routes was created by Pacific Mail’s founder, William Aspinwall. One vessel would ply from New York to Panama, where passengers and cargo would be offboarded and transported across the Isthmus by mule or train. They would then board another vessel for the Panama to San Francisco run. This sea-land-sea connection dropped the transit time to just 21 days from more than 140 and was the precursor to the development of the Panama Canal. Colorado
In 1867, after Pacific Mail won an international mail transport tender, the Colorado set sail, loaded with mail, newspapers, passengers and a huge amount of coal to fuel its journey, it set off from San Francisco to Yokohama and Hong Kong amid great fanfare. When the Colorado arrived in Hong Kong on 30 January 1867, the newspapers aboard the ship were two weeks newer than those brought via the Mediterranean and Red Sea. The voyage was a great success, and it inaugurated the world’s first trans-Pacific service between Asia and the United States. Later in the year, the service was extended when the steamship Costa Rica began a connecting feeder route between Yokohama and Shanghai. Learn more about Colorado's sister vessel, The Great Republic. Hoover
The SS President Hoover was launched on 9 December 1930 by Mrs. Herbert Hoover. Designed primarily as a luxury liner, the Hoover was the largest passenger ship to be constructed in the United States at the time. The plush accommodations and Art Deco furnishings on the upper decks of the SS President Hoover rivaled that of the best hotels of the era. The Hoover's first class lounge was decorated with murals by the New York artist Frank Bergman. In addition to its lavish décor, the ship was built with a turbo-electric drive, which allowed for first time luxuries at sea such as electric elevators, air-conditioning, and electric heaters in every room. Transporting passengers aboard the prestigious ocean liner created an added benefit for the accompanying cargo shipments. Vessels carrying passengers received priority berthing at international ports over pure cargo vessels, resulting in expedited cargo loading and unloading for APL ships. Cleveland
After World War II, a new generation of Americans was eager to travel in style. In response, APL launched the Presidents Cleveland and Wilson, in 1947. Designed to carry 550 passengers and a crew of 352, the ships were advertised as "your American hotel abroad.” Air-conditioned throughout, with swimming pools for every Class, fashionable shops, theaters, cafe-grill and many other innovations, the vessels set the standard for seagoing travel. And they took passengers to remarkably unspoiled ports like Alexandria, Colombo, Antigua, Suva, and Penang. Not surprisingly, demand was so high that tourist-class cabins were soon converted in order to accommodate more first-class passengers. Jefferson
Four new Pacesetter-class vessels, including the President Jefferson, were built between 1973 and 1974. They were the first APL vessels designed to carry containers exclusively. This shift from a mix of passenger and cargo (cargoliners) to cellularized containerships signified APL’s strong commitment to containerization and intermodalism.
Truman
Since the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, virtually all ships have been constructed to fit within its locks. Conventional wisdom favored flexibility, so ships were never more than 91 feet wide or 1,000 feet long. And because these "Panamax" ships could transit the canal, they could be deployed in either the Atlantic or Pacific as market conditions changed. APL challenged this way of thinking in 1988 when it introduced the President Truman, first "post-Panamax" containership. In addition to being a technological marvel, outfitted with the latest in satellite navigation and safety features, the new ship could carry up to 30 percent more cargo than its predecessors, had a range of over 20,000 nautical miles, and could reach speeds of nearly 25 knots. And because goods imported from Asia to North America could be discharged from mega terminals on the West Coast and efficiently eastward by train, it made sense to build ships that were committed to trans-Pacific trade. The Legacy Continues
Eight high-speed, 10,000 TEU ultra-large containerships have been ordered for delivery in 2011, ensuring the future needs of customers are met. In particular, these ships are designed to provide the highest levels of horsepower and speeds of more than 26 knots, which will help deliver higher volumes of cargo to more destinations more quickly and efficiently than before. Importantly, our newbuilding program ensures that additions to our fleet incorporate the most environmentally friendly technologies available such as TBT-free anti fouling paints and emission-reducing engines. More information is available on the History section of our web site. |
