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TOTE Christens New RO/RO North Star

July 2003

A red, white and blue celebration took place June 14 at San Diego’s NASSCO shipyard—and not just because it was Flag Day. For the SIU, the bigger occasion was the christening of Totem Ocean Trailer Express’ (TOTE’s) North Star, a new roll-on/roll-off vessel that is sister ship to the Midnight Sun. Each of the new SIU-contracted Orca-class trailerships is 840 feet long, 118 feet wide and capable of carrying highway trailers as large as 53 feet in length. Cargo decks are 360,000 square feet apiece and can handle up to 600 cargo trailers and 220 autos as well as oversized freight. The ships employ the latest in marine technologies, including twin-screw, diesel-electric propulsion that can achieve a speed of more than 24 knots. The North Star will join the Midnight Sun in TOTE’s Tacoma, Wash. to Anchorage, Alaska service. “The North Star means new jobs for Seafarers, and I’m confident the SIU men and women who crew this ship will do an excellent job,” stated SIU President Michael Sacco. “But we should not overlook the fact that the North Star also will benefit U.S. national security. “As we again were reminded during Operation Iraqi Freedom, commercial ships are needed to support our troops during war,” he continued. “Both the North Star and the Midnight Sun will help maintain the pool of qualified shipboard manpower that’s needed to meet American sealift requirements in times of conflict.” Lu Young, wife of U.S. Rep. Don Young (R- Alaska), and Marie Magee, wife of Robert P. Magee Jr., president and CEO of TOTE, were the ship’s sponsors. Congressman Young, a strong supporter of the U.S. Merchant Marine who is serving in his 16th term in the House of Representatives, was the keynote speaker at the event. “We are pleased with the performance of the Midnight Sun and look forward to placing the North Star into service,” said Magee. “Our multimillion-dollar investment in these ships will contribute immeasurably to the growth and vitality of the Alaskan economy.” The Midnight Sun and North Star have received several prestigious awards for their environmentally sensitive features. These awards include the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force Legacy Award for 2000, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner’s 2000 Pollution Prevention Award, and the U.S. Coast Guard’s William M. Benkert Foundation 2002 Environmental Excellence Bronze Award.