Marinship Corporation

In February 1942, the demand for increased ship building production continued and the United States Maritime Commission was under pressure to find areas to site another shipyard. The existing West Coast yards had proven to be effective in their construction operations, so the Maritime Commission decide to locate the new shipyard there under the supervision of the Kaiser organization. Henry Kaiser's company ultimately ran seven shipyards in California, Oregon and Washington during World War II.

The new shipyard, named Marinship Corporation, was located at Sausalito, California in Marin County. This shipyard had six inclined slideways or "ways" that have been used in traditional shipbuilding for thousands of years. The ship's keel is laid down and the hull structure built up with support from a cradle. When the hull was completed, it would slide down the incline into the water using its own gravity. Marinship delivered its first ships before the end of 1942. However, by the end of that year, U.S. shipping losses were significant. Attacks on Allied oil tankers had been so devastating that there was a critical need for additional tanker tonnage. As a result, Marinship was expanded significantly and given contracts to construct tankers. The contracts for its remaining Liberty Ships were canceled and its total production of Liberty Ships was only 15 vessels.

Asbestos Use at Marinship Corporation

The ships built at Marinship were powered by steam driven engines. These engines and the steam powered auxiliary machinery all used asbestos insulation. There were thousands of pounds of asbestos insulating materials used on each of these ships. Shipyards workers were exposed to these asbestos products on a regular basis as they worked three shifts each day to build these vessels. Seamen who later sailed on these ships were exposed to the asbestos dust generated through the routine operation and maintenance of the asbestos laden equipment, piping, and machinery. These seamen and shipyards workers are at risk of developing mesothelioma because of such exposures to asbestos.