The French Quarter – A quick walk from the Delta Line wharf – in the late 1940s.   Cruise Line and Social History – way down South in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS – PORT OF CALL

The New Orleans based steamship comapny introduced three revolutionary passenger-cargo ships to its South American services in the post-war years of the 1940s. In keeping with the trade name of the company, “Delta Line”, the three vessels were given “Del” names DEL NORTE, DEL SUD and DEL MAR.

SAILING ABOARD THE DELTA LINE SHIPS – OLD FAMILY TRAVEL FILM.

The three “Dels” unusual design, by the naval architect George G. Sharp of New York, made them unique along the New Orleans waterfront and the east coast of South America, an area where they traded for nearly a quarter of a century.

From a quiet street to the Mardis Gras Ball.   What a better place to start a cruise – than wonderful New Orleans.

Main Lounge of the Delta Line’s ships…

The liners were originally based on standard C-3 design cargo hulls all that were available for purchase during the late war years.

With the cooperation of Admiral Vickery, head of the construction division of the American Maritime Commission, Delta Line arranged that three of these hulls be redesigned as passenger/cargo vessels to re-establish the company’s services to South America.

The ships, built at the Ingalls Shipyard, Pascagoula, Mississippi, were fitted with D.R. geared turbines giving a 17-knot service speed.

A new innovation for the time was complete air-conditioning throughout the accommodation areas for passengers, officers and crew.

Being nearly identical, the sister ships were all 10,074 tons, 495 feet in length and 70 feet in breadth. Their total cost in 1946 was over $7,000,000 each.

Mardis Gras scenes – just blocks from the Delta Line ships.

A new day’s morning at sea could be started with a stroll along the glass enclosed Promenade deck, a visit to the ship’s library – or breakfast in bed. The latter “institution” was served with a full view of the sea sliding by outside through semi-square “windows” which had replaced the traditional round port hole in many cabins.

Mid-morning coffee was served in the main lounge, a room decorated by murals of “old” New Orleans. Glass partitions separated the various public rooms, yet, at the same time, created an open spaciousness associated with much larger ships. Days were lazy and relaxed with games available on the sports deck or a long siesta in one of the comfortable lounge chairs awaiting passengers out of the wind’s way on the aft deck.

Evenings had their beginnings in the ship’s dining room, and then were continued in the Grand Lounge while the band played – or on warm, tropical evenings at poolside.

On deck a dominant feature of the new ships was the huge funnel – actually a dummy built of aluminum. Inside this structure were two decks of officer’s quarters, the main radio room and an emergency generator.

The actual exhaust gases were discharged through two thin stacks just aft of the dummy funnel, somewhat disguised as kingposts.

The vessels were among the first commercial ships of the world to be equipped with post-war radar, highly refined after stringent combat use.

A scanning screen with three ranges of visual presentation gave the navigating officers views at 2, 6 and 30 nautical miles, a comforting fact

or in the highly congested waterways of the Mississippi Delta and River Plate.

Though routes and ports of call varied somewhat during the careers of the three vessels their area of trade was normally the Caribbean and the east coast of South America. On a southbound voyage San Juan in

Puerto Rico was usually the first stop. The ship might then precede top Bridgetown, Curacao of La Guaira before pushing out into the Atlantic for the long run around the eastern bulge of Brazil. After 12 days at sea the vessel would glide by the majestic prominence of “Sugarloaf” and slip into the beautiful bay of Rio de Janeiro.

Passengers would have just enough time to see the city’s sights before two long blasts on the ship’s horn spoke of an imminent departure.

Santos, the second port of call in Brazil, held a special place in Delta’s post-war cargo trade. It was the world’s leading coffee loading port and American consumption of the aromatic bean had made Delta the globe’s largest coffee carrier – so much so in fact that Delta ships were known as the “Coffee Fleet”. The southbound stop at Santos, however, was limited. Montevideo, Paranagua and Buenos Aires had to be satisfied before coffee could be loaded for the northward voyage.

The first ship completed, the DEL NORTE, departed on her maiden voyage from New Orleans to South America on 26th November 1946.

Her sister vessels, DEL SUD and DEL MAR, followed on 28th March 1947 and 13th June 1947 respectively. Once in service the three-passenger/cargo liners maintained a regular schedule of two sailings per month from U.S. Gulf ports to the Caribbean and South America.

The “Del” trios quickly established an enviable record for dependable sailings and were soon offering 44-day round-trip cruises to such ports of call as Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Paranagua and Buenos Aires.

Life on board these vessels was a pleasant surprise to passengers who had undertaken pre-war voyages in less refined ships.

Most appreciated was the air-conditioning, particularly after reaching some of the South American ports, but also appreciated was the swimming pool situated aft of the main superstructure on each liner.

These facilities, together with the open sun deck and nearby bar and cafe, assured a first class holiday for passengers as the ship sped southward to South America aboard the first class ships.

Delta Line (Mississippi Shipping Co.), New Orleans (1919-85)

Cruising The Past looks at the Delta Line.  They provided service from Gulf of Mexico and east coast of South America; originally established by coffee merchants to ship Brazilian produce directly to the Mississippi Valley through New Orleans, bypassing New York. Officially the Mississippi Shipping Company until 1962, but was already known unofficially as the Delta Line long before that.

The line’s management failed to buy container vessels in the 1970s, lost so much money that its owners (by then the Holiday Inn Corporation) sold out to Crowley Maritime, the largest US barge and tug operator, in 1982.

HISTORY – thanks to the fabulous OCEAN LINER MUSEUM website. Click here visit this terrific online museum.

The Del Norte and her sister ships – Del Sud and Del Mar were most distinctive and revolutionary ships.

They were the pride of the Southern Hemisphere and soon became synonymous with revival of the Delta Line’s service from the USA to South America after the Second World War. They were “resorts at sea” and fully air conditioned and the last word in ocean comfort.

Design and Construction (1946 – 1947):

The Mississippi Shipping Company of New Orleans introduced three revolutionary passenger-cargo ships to its South American services in the post-war years of the 1940s.  In keeping with the trade name of the company, ”Delta Line”, the three vessels were given  “Del” names Del Norte, Del Sud and Del Mar.  The three “Dels” unusual design,  by the naval architect George G. Sharp of New York,  made them unique along the New Orleans waterfront and the east coast of South America,  an area where they had traded for nearly a quarter of a century.

The liners were originally based on standard C-3 design cargo hulls, all that was available for purchase during the late war years.  With the cooperation of Admiral Vickery, head of the construction division of the American Maritime Commission, Delta Line arranged that three of these hulls be redesigned as passenger/cargo vessels to re-establish the company’s services to South America.  The ships, built at the Ingalls Shipyard, Pascagoula, Mississipi, were fitted with D.R. geared turbines giving a 17 knot service speed.  A new innovation for the time was complete air-conditioning throughout the accommodation areas for passengers, officers and crew.  Being nearly identical, the sister ships were all 10,074 tons, 495 feet in length and 70 feet in breadth.  Their total cost in 1946 was over $7,000,000 each.

The Del Norte was the first ship of the trio to be completed. She sailed on her maiden voyage to Buenos Aires on the 26th November 1946.She was soon followed by her sister ships: Del Sud (28th March 1947) and Del Mar (13th June 1947). Once in service the three passenger/cargo liners maintained a regular schedule of two sailings per month from U.S. Gulf ports to the Caribbean and South America.  The “Del” trio quickly established an enviable record for dependable sailings and were soon offering 44 day round-trip cruises to such ports of call as Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Paranagua and Buenos Aires.

The Delta Line era (1946 – 1967):

Life on board the “Dels” was an leisurely affair. One could start the day with a stroll along the glass enclosed Promenade deck, a visit to the ship’s library – or breakfast in bed.  The latter “institution” was served with a full view of the sea sliding by outside through sem-square “windows” which had replaced the traditional round port hole in many cabins.  Mid-morning coffee was served in the main lounge, a room decorated by murals of “old” New Orleans.  Glass partitions separated the various public rooms, yet, at the same time, created an open spaciousness associated with much larger ships.  Days were lazy and relaxed with games available on the sports deck or a long siesta in one of the comfortable lounge chairs awaiting passengers out of the wind’s way on the aft deck.  Evenings had their beginnings in the ship’s dining room, then were continued in the Grand Lounge while the band played – or on warm, tropical evenings at poolside.

On deck a dominant feature of the new ships was the huge funnel – actually a dummy built of aluminium.  Inside this structure were two decks of officer’s quarters, the main radio room and an emergency generator.  The actual exhaust gases were discharged through two thin stacks just aft of the dummy funnel, somewhat disguised as kingposts.

<>The vessels were among the first commercial ships of the world to be equipped with post-war radar, highly refined after stringent wartime use. A scanning screen with three ranges of visual presentation gave the navigating officers views at 2, 6 and 30 nautical miles, a comforting factor in the highly congested waterways of the Mississipi Delta and River Plate.
On departure from New Orleans, the ships sailed southwards through the Caribbean to San Juan (Puerto Rico), then to Bridgetown, Curacao and La Guaira. After this the ship headed out into the South Atlantic round the east coast of Brazil. After 12 days at sea the ship would sail past the majestic Sugarloaf and into the bay at Rio de Janiero.

Santos, the second port of call in Brazil, held a special place in Delta’s post-war cargo trade.  It was the world’s leading coffee loading port and American consumption of the aromatic bean had made Delta Line the globe’s largest coffee carrier – so much so in fact that Delta ships were known as the “Coffee Fleet”.  After Santos the ship sailed on to Montevideo, Paranagua and finally its destination of Buenos Aires.

Life on board these vessels was a pleasant surprise to passengers who had undertaken pre-war voyages in less refined ships.  Most appreciated was the air-conditioning, particularly after reaching some of the South American ports, but also appreciated was the swimming pool situated aft of the main superstructure on each liner.  These facilities, together with the open sun deck and nearby bar and cafe, assured a first class holiday for passengers as the ship sped southward.

At Buenos Aires the liners turned around for the three week voyage that would take them back to New Orleans.

The Final Years (1967 – 1972):
For twenty years the three light grey-hulled vessels carried a steady following of passengers – including the rich and famous – but economic difficulties were on the horizon.  By 1967 rising operating costs had exceeded passenger profits and the line was forced to discontinue its passenger trade, a service not to be renewed for another decade.  The DEL SUD, DEL MAR and DEL NORTE were converted over to express cargo liners supplementing an already growing fleet of Delta ships serving both coastlines of the South Atlantic and the Caribbean.

In early 1972 the three ships, now 25 years of age, were placed on a one-way charter run to Indonesia, one that eventually took them on to scrapping in Taiwan.  They had served a useful and profitable life – just missing, in fact, the dramatic rise in fuel prices during 1973 that would send many a newer ship out of business.  When it came time for Del Norte, the first of her class to be completed, to make her final departure from New Orleans she seemed reluctant to leave. Twice the ship swung back snug to the wharf before the efforts of river tugs, pilot and captain eased her out into the river for the final voyage to the scrappers.

Crowley tried to modernize the fleet, but decided to cut its losses by selling Delta to United States Lines in 1985, which subsumed Delta’s ships into its own fleet before going bankrupt in 1986.

Flag green with a yellow Greek letter delta (a triangle). In 1949, Delta owned 14 ships, with a total of 98,000 grt.

Their passenger service, last under the American flag, was deluxe and first class cargo-passenger service.

These are ads along with profiles of their post-World War 2 ships.

The Delta Line  was cruising to South America from New Orleans in the 1950s.  The steamship company introduced three revolutionary passenger-cargo ships to its South American services in the post-war years of the 1940s. In keeping with the trade name of the company, “Delta Line”, the three vessels were given “Del” names DEL NORTE, DEL SUD and DEL MAR. The three “Dels” unusual design, by the naval architect George G. Sharp of New York, made them unique along the New Orleans waterfront and the east coast of South America, an area where they traded for nearly a quarter of a century.

The liners were originally based on standard C-3 design cargo hulls all that were available for purchase during the late war years. With the cooperation of Admiral Vickery, head of the construction division of the American Maritime Commission, Delta Line arranged that three of these hulls be redesigned as passenger/cargo vessels to re-establish the company’s services to South America. The ships, built at the Ingalls Shipyard, Pascagoula, Mississippi, were fitted with D.R. geared turbines giving a 17-knot service speed. A new innovation for the time was complete air-conditioning throughout the accommodation areas for passengers, officers and crew. Being nearly identical, the sister ships were all 10,074 tons, 495 feet in length and 70 feet in breadth. Their total cost in 1946 was over $7,000,000 each.

A new day’s morning at sea could be started with a stroll along the glass enclosed Promenade deck, a visit to the ship’s library – or breakfast in bed. The latter “institution” was served with a full view of the sea sliding by outside through semi-square “windows” which had replaced the traditional round port hole in many cabins.

Mid-morning coffee was served in the main lounge, a room decorated by murals of “old” New Orleans. Glass partitions separated the various public rooms, yet, at the same time, created an open spaciousness associated with much larger ships. Days were lazy and relaxed with games available on the sports deck or a long siesta in one of the comfortable lounge chairs awaiting passengers out of the wind’s way on the aft deck.

Evenings had their beginnings in the ship’s dining room, and then were continued in the Grand Lounge while the band played – or on warm, tropical evenings at poolside.

On deck a dominant feature of the new ships was the huge funnel – actually a dummy built of aluminum. Inside this structure were two decks of officer’s quarters, the main radio room and an emergency generator.

The actual exhaust gases were discharged through two thin stacks just aft of the dummy funnel, somewhat disguised as kingposts.

The vessels were among the first commercial ships of the world to be equipped with post-war radar, highly refined after stringent combat use.

A scanning screen with three ranges of visual presentation gave the navigating officers views at 2, 6 and 30 nautical miles, a comforting fact

or in the highly congested waterways of the Mississippi Delta and River Plate.

Though routes and ports of call varied somewhat during the careers of the three vessels their area of trade was normally the Caribbean and the east coast of South America. On a southbound voyage San Juan in

Puerto Rico was usually the first stop. The ship might then precede top Bridgetown, Curacao of La Guaira before pushing out into the Atlantic for the long run around the eastern bulge of Brazil. After 12 days at sea the vessel would glide by the majestic prominence of “Sugarloaf” and slip into the beautiful bay of Rio de Janeiro.

Passengers would have just enough time to see the city’s sights before two long blasts on the ship’s horn spoke of an imminent departure.

Santos, the second port of call in Brazil, held a special place in Delta’s post-war cargo trade. It was the world’s leading coffee loading port and American consumption of the aromatic bean had made Delta the globe’s largest coffee carrier – so much so in fact that Delta ships were known as the “Coffee Fleet”. The southbound stop at Santos, however, was limited. Montevideo, Paranagua and Buenos Aires had to be satisfied before coffee could be loaded for the northward voyage.

The first ship completed, the DEL NORTE, departed on her maiden voyage from New Orleans to South America on 26th November 1946.

Her sister vessels, DEL SUD and DEL MAR, followed on 28th March 1947 and 13th June 1947 respectively. Once in service the three-passenger/cargo liners maintained a regular schedule of two sailings per month from U.S. Gulf ports to the Caribbean and South America.

The “Del” trios quickly established an enviable record for dependable sailings and were soon offering 44-day round-trip cruises to such ports of call as Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Paranagua and Buenos Aires.

Life on board these vessels was a pleasant surprise to passengers who had undertaken pre-war voyages in less refined ships.

Most appreciated was the air-conditioning, particularly after reaching some of the South American ports, but also appreciated was the swimming pool situated aft of the main superstructure on each liner.

These facilities, together with the open sun deck and nearby bar and cafe, assured a first class holiday for passengers as the ship sped southward to South America aboard the first class ships.

The DELORLEANS leaving New Orleans for South America in 1941.

The California Maritime Academy’s GOLDEN BEAR II – and later the ARTSHIP.

The DELORLEANS, later to become the California Maritime Academy’s GOLDEN BEAR II, was originally built as a combination first class passenger-cargo ship just prior to World War II.

DELORLEANS docked in New Orleans with American flag seen on hull.

She sailed from New Orleans to South America on 49-day cruises.

A segment of the DELORLEANS log book of South American voyages from New Orleans.

An American flag was painted on her hull proclaiming she was a neutral ship.

World War II was well underway in Europe.  Americans were not taking holidays in Europe.  Delta Line’s South America run out of New Orleans was neutral territory.

There were to have been six sister ships to serve the Delta Line’s “Coffee Run.”

Offering American flag service, between New Orleans and South America.

The ships were to be symbols of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy with South America.

They would be the first passenger-cargo ships of the 1938 Merchant Marine act – the DELBRASIL, DELORLEANS, DELARGENTINO, DELURUGUAY, DELORLEANS and DELARGENTINO.

But only three of the six ships had brief pre-war careers on the South American run.

The ships resembled Adriatic-built Italian motor liners, with counter stern and a compact “motor ship look” funnel.

All were cargo carries and carried 67 first class passengers.

Lounge with fireplace.

They had a Art Deco look that was very modern American popular in the late 1930s.

Entrance hall and modern stairway.

Streamlined, dramatic use of maple-wood for the dance floor, seating alcoves, red leather and contrasting black and white linoleum decking.  They all had indirect lighting.

Dining salon.

Since they were combined passenger-cargo ships, they had large staterooms compared to liners devoted to just carrying passengers.

Public rooms included a lounge, dining room, bar, smoking room and veranda café with a dance floor.

A swimming pool was located on the boat deck.

There was also a large promenade deck – partially glass enclosed.

All cabins had private facilities.

There were single, double or triple berthed cabins.

The DELBRAZIL, DELORLEANS and DELARGENTINO during their brief careers doing the “Coffee Run” to South America, did a brisk business.

Americans sought the safety promised by the large Stars and Stripes painted on the Del’s hulls.

And Copacabana beach seemed far from the blitzed battlegrounds for Europe.

Passage one-way from New Orleans to Brazil cost $200 per person.

This included transportation, accommodations and all meals.

The cuisine was first class and staterooms unusually spacious.  All were outside with two windows (not portholes).   There was a grand piano in the lounge.  Entertainment included shuffleboard, bingo, horse racing, bridge, concerts and dancing.  An orchestra was not carried but a retro version of a disc jockey played the latest big band dance music.  Movies were shown.

But since the passengers list was limited, those traveling aboard these new ships amused themselves with reading, conversation and making new friends.  Many of the travelers would have been business people.  So they would have kept in touch with their home offices by the ships wireless.   Many of the passengers were Spanish or Portuguese speaking.  The atmosphere was sophisticated and cosmopolitan.

They sailed at 1:00 pm from New Orleans on a six week round-trip itinerary, calling at: Pemambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

The ship’s careers were brief.

The service ended with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

After WW 2, Delta Lines would resume the service with the newly deluxe cargo-passenger ships Del Sud, Del Mar and Del Norte.

The U.S.S. CRESCENT CITY.

With the advent of World War 2, requisitioned by the U.S. Government in 1941, stripped the DELORLEANS for duty, and commissioned her as the U.S.S. CRESCENT CITY. She served during World War II in most of the major campaigns in the western Pacific theater.

The Cresent City (DELORLEANS) was decommissioned in San Francisco on 30 April 1948 and laid up.

Her two sisterships, DELBRAZIL and DELARGENTINO, were refitted and sailed as Farrell Line’s AFRICAN ENTERPRISE and AFRICAN ENDEAVOR operating from New York to South Africa into the late 1950s.  They were scrapped in 1969.

AFRICAN ENDEAVOR docking in Brooklyn the 1950s.

Dining aboard the Farrell Lines (the Delorleans’ sister-ships) from New York to South Africa.

Untouched until 1971, the DELORLEANS was finally revived by the Vallejo-based California Maritime Academy.

The T. S. GOLDEN BEAR on her annual cruise.

The T.S. GOLDEN BEAR in Sydney passing the Opera House on a cadet cruise.

Cadets aboard ship and crossing the Equator in the 1980s.

She would become the California Maritime Academy’s third training ship GOLDEN BEAR. By the time most of the other twenty-three C3P ships (including her five sisters) had been scrapped.  The former DELORLEANS was readied for a successful new career phase.

The first California Nautical School (that was the Academy’s original name from 1930 – 1940) was the U.S.S. Henry County, and renamed the T.S. California State after refurbishing in 1931.  At the beginning of WWII is was, again, renamed T.S. Golden State, and served as the Academy’s training ship from 1931 – 1946.  Then it was replaced with the T.S. Golden Bear I, which was in service from 1946 – 1971, when the T.S. Golden Bear II, came into service for the California Maritime Academy.

As the T.S. GOLDEN BEAR, ex-Delorleans, classrooms and dormitories were built into her holds.  She sailed for 24 years with a full company of cadets.  The T.S. GOLDEN BEAR II sailed on 28 major ocean cruises all over the world.

The T.S. GOLDEN BEAR II was finally retired and laid up at Suisun Bay in 1995 and replaced by a new ship – the T.S. GOLDEN BEAR III.

The T.S. GOLDEN BEAR III is the fourth and largest training ship at California Maritime Academy and the third to carry the name GOLDEN BEAR.  She is sometimes nicknamed “Square Bear” because of her unique profile.

The T.S. GOLDEN BEAR II was later acquired by the City of Oakland for use as an art colony and named the ARTSHIP.

The stairway in its final days as seen on the ARTSHIP.  The following photos are from the ARTSHIP project.

Initially ARTSHIP planned and crafted two programs and was on the brink of bringing in $1.5 million support from the US Department of Commerce for maritime and culinary industry job training. The Sailor’s Union of the Pacific endorsed the project. Maritime curriculum was created by one of the founding members of the ARTSHIP and Captain Ray Addicott who had been chairman for seven years.

The possibility lost. The pressures of Bay Area real estate interests won out for Oakland’s waterfront development.  The City of Oakland sued and evicted ARTSHIP on January 1st 2004.  Its agency the Port of Oakland strong-armed ARTSHIP Foundation to renounce its title to the ship and sold it for scrap.

The DELORLEANS, CRESCENT CITY, GOLDEN BEAR II, ARTSHIP still exists, has not been scrapped and is located in Vallejo harbor.

For complete information on the California Maritime Academy click here.

Credit for information on the Delorleans is from Peter C. Kohler’s article on the SOUTH ATLANTIC SISTERS published in the Summer 1993 edition of The Steamship Historical Society of America’s Steamboat Bill. Photos from society’s collection, author’s collection along with the Artship and Academy’s website.