Time and Tide
The NS Savannah ­ Celebrates 50 Years
By Robert Moody `68
In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proposed that the United States build the world's first nuclear-
powered cargo/passenger ship to demonstrate the peaceful use of the atom. As a result, the 596-foot NS
Savannah's keel was laid at the New York Shipbuilding Co. in New Jersey. In August 2012, the graceful
ship celebrated the 50-year anniversary of her August 1962 maiden voyage. She was removed from service
in 1970 after successfully completing her research and commercial development program objectives.
In 1972, the ship was towed to her homeport of Savannah, GA, as part of a plan to establish an "Eisenhower
Peace Memorial." However, support for the memorial never materialized. By 1981, the nuclear ship was
part of the Patriot Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant, SC. The museum decided it no
longer wanted the ship, so she was moved to the James River Reserve Fleet near Newport News, VA.
Since 2008, she has been berthed in Baltimore, MD, and has been open for tours during the week at
Pier 13, Canton Marine Terminal, Baltimore Harbor. The NS Savannah is owned by the US Department
of Transportation, managed by the Maritime Administration, and remains licensed by the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
Over the years, the Savannah has won many awards. She has also been nominated for the National
Register of Historical Places and named an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark
by the American Nuclear Society. The US Department of the Interior designated her a National Historic
Landmark. Most important of all, she sailed over 450,000 sea miles, visiting 32 domestic ports and 45
foreign ports in 26 countries without incident.
In 2009, a group of individuals with an interest in preserving the Savannah formed the nonprofit NS
Savannah Association, Inc (NSSA). NSSA's mission is to educate the public about the importance and
historical significance of the Savannah, to support continued and expanded public access to the ship,
place aboard displays and artifacts concerning the ship, undertake specific limited scope restoration and
preservation projects, and secure a permanent berth and function for the ship. NSSA has also opened the
Ship's Store and sells merchandise to raise funds to help preserve the ship.
The future remains somewhat unsettled for the NS Savannah, but encouraging activities in the last two
years have given NSSA hope that its mission will be accomplished:
1) MARAD intends to maintain the ship in protective storage for several years. However, by law,
the decommissioning process must be completed and the ship's federal license terminated
by December 2031;
2) A multi-national consortium signed an agreement on November 15, 2010 to conduct research
into nuclear propulsion. The consortium believes it is technically feasible and has the potential to
drastically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced by commercial shipping; and
3) two conferences in 2010 contained crucial discussions related to the future of nuclear-powered
merchant ships.
Maine Maritime Academy has provided many officers over the years to crew the NS Savannah. With
the fear that some MMA alumni names have been unintentionally omitted, the following is a list of
MMA graduates believed to have served on, or been associated with, the Savannah: Cecil Benson '46,
Robert Bickford '65, William "Tex" Crawford '56, Doug Glenn '64, Larry Gribbin `56, Larry
Grimard `66, Thomas "Scottie" Hyde `59, Richard Keimig `62, John Mathieson `67, Robert
Moody '68, Francis "Bucky" Owens `66, Herbert Phelps `57, Dave Pope `67, Warren Richter
`66, Robert Robbins `60, and Charlie Weeks '64. If you are an MMA graduate, sailed aboard the
NS Savannah, and are interested in future reunions, contact Robert Moody '68 at
robertmoody2@gmail.com.
More information about the ship can be obtained at http://www.marad.dot.gov or at www.ns-savannah.
org. To schedule a tour during the week, telephone 410-633-4973.
48 MARINER / FALL 2012

---