Society of Marine Port Engineers provides seed funding for SL7EXPO

SL7 M&O: SS Sea-Land Galloway, Martin & Ottaway collection.

The SL7EXPO project, which aims to preserve one of the groundbreaking SL-7 Sea-Land Container ships as a maritime exposition center in support of the SHIPS for America Act, has received seed funding from the Society of Marine Port Engineers (SMPE).

Originally built by containerization innovator, Malcolm McLean, as 33 knot container ships, the eight SL-7 class ships were converted into Fast Sealift Ships by the U.S. government in the early 1980s. Their conversion into Roll on/Roll off vessels provided the U.S. government with a massive tactical sea lift capability that was vital in military operations such as Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Their excellent structural condition, groundbreaking history, and massive interior unobstructed deck areas, makes them perfectly suited as training and exposition centers to promote maritime and intermodal awareness.

SMPE was founded after World War II when the U.S. merchant fleet was the largest in the world to support the education, welfare and technical advancement of port engineers. Port engineers are maritime engineering professionals who are responsible for the shore based management of ship operations, particularly with regard to vessel construction and maintenance and the resolution of shipboard technical issues.

SMPE strongly supports the SL7EXPO effort and its board has provided seed funding from its educational foundation fund.

SMPE chairman, David Tantrum said: “SMPE is proud to be an early financial supporter of this important concept and hopes that this effort will gain further financial support from other maritime organizations. SMPE and its member Port Engineers have always cooperated with both the U.S. government and Commercial Maritime entities and hopes that the SL7EXPO effort will proceed and provide essential education and awareness of the critical U.S. maritime industry.”

SL7EXPO is a non-profit association led by industry professionals that are promoting this concept.

SL7EXPO member John Riddle said: “As a retired port engineer, I am delighted that SMPE is an early financial supporter of the SL7EXPO concept. As a mariner I strongly feel that this concept will result in increased interest by the public in maritime careers and alleviate our present personnel shortage in all aspects of our industry.”