Calmar Steamship Company's Turbulent History

The Calmar Steamship Company's history is a wild ride. The company was founded in 1910 by a group of investors who pooled their resources to create a shipping line that would connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the company's earliest ships was the SS Calmar, which was launched in 1923 and played a crucial role in the company's early success. The SS Calmar was a sturdy vessel that could withstand the harsh conditions of the Great Lakes.

The company's growth was rapid, and by the 1930s, Calmar Steamship Company was one of the largest shipping lines in the region. However, the company's success was short-lived, as the Great Depression hit the industry hard, and the company was forced to downsize.

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The Calmar Steamship Company has undergone a significant transformation, expanding its intercoastal shipping services to meet the growing demands of the industry.

In 1953, Calmar began converting six former troopships into high-speed cargo carriers, a move that marked the first phase in the resurgence of break bulk intercoastal shipping.

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The company exchanged six of its 10 Liberty ships for the troopships, which were made available by the Maritime Administration as part of its program to improve the domestic fleet.

Calmar's new high-speed service will operate on a route from Philadelphia and Baltimore to Long Beach and San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Seattle, carrying steel products and general cargo westbound and lumber on the return run.

The converted ships, capable of 17 knots, will cut the shipping time from Baltimore to the West Coast from 18 days to 12 days, a significant improvement over the 11-knot Liberty ships.

The ships have a cargo capacity 5,000 tons greater than the older ships, making them ideal for the break bulk trade.

Calmar's transformation is also reflected in its fleet, with the company investing $4.5 million in the conversion of each ship, an amount that approaches the price of new ships.

The company plans to have a departure from Eastern ports every nine days, a schedule that will help meet the growing demands of the industry.

The conversion program is scheduled for completion before next June, marking a significant milestone in Calmar's transformation into a major player in the intercoastal shipping industry.

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The Calmar Steamship Company was involved in a significant court case that had a lasting impact on the shipping industry. This case was related to a ship called the SS El Estero.

The SS El Estero was a cargo ship that was involved in a collision with another vessel, resulting in significant damage and loss of cargo. The Calmar Steamship Company was found liable for the damages.

The court case was a major setback for the company, but it also led to changes in their safety protocols and procedures.

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