Design and Construction
The West ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the West Coast of the United States for the United States Shipping Board for emergency use during World War I. All were given names that began with the word West, like West Alsek, named, in part, after the Alsek River in Alaska. West Alsek was one of some 24 West ships built by Skinner & Eddy of Seattle, Washington.
West Alsek (Skinner & Eddy No. 22, No. 87) was launched on 4 May 1918 and delivered to the United States Navy upon completion later in the month. West Alsek was built in a total of 78 working days, 92 calendar days, and was tied with three other ships for tenth place on a list of the ten fastest constructed ocean-going vessels compiled in 1920. Skinner & Eddy received a $25,000 bonus for completing the ship early.
The ship was 5,637 gross register tons (GRT), and was 409 feet 5 inches (124.79 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 54 feet (16.5 m) abeam. West Alsek had a steel hull and a mean draft of 24 feet 2 inches (7.37 m). She displaced 12,226 t, and had a deadweight tonnage of 8,529 DWT. The ship had a single triple-expansion steam engine powered by three coal-fired boilers that generated 2,700 horsepower (2,000 kW) and drove her single screw propeller, and moved the ship at a 10.5-knot (19.4 km/h) pace.
Read more about this topic: USS West Alsek (ID-3119)
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