SS Manhattan (1961)

The SS Manhattan was an American supertanker, notable for being the first commercial ship to transit the Northwest Passage in 1969. Built in 1961 by the Bethlehem Steel Company at its Sparrows Point shipyard in Maryland, the Manhattan originally served as a conventional oil tanker transporting crude oil from the Middle East and Alaska.

In the late 1960s, the Humble Oil and Refining Company (later Exxon) was exploring the feasibility of transporting oil from the newly discovered oil fields at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, via the Northwest Passage. To test this concept, Humble Oil purchased the Manhattan and heavily modified her for icebreaking duties. This conversion involved reinforcing the hull with a massive steel ice belt, adding a strengthened icebreaker bow, and installing powerful engines.

The Manhattan's historic voyage through the Northwest Passage in 1969 was a major technological achievement, although not without challenges. She was escorted by the Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers CCGS John A. Macdonald and CCGS Sir John Franklin, which assisted her through particularly difficult ice conditions. The voyage proved the feasibility of large vessels navigating the route, albeit with significant limitations and environmental concerns.

Despite the success of the voyage, the Manhattan was ultimately deemed uneconomical for regular oil transport through the Northwest Passage. The costs associated with maintaining icebreaker escorts and the potential environmental impact led Humble Oil to instead pursue the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) as the preferred method for transporting Alaskan oil.

Following the Northwest Passage voyage, the Manhattan returned to conventional tanker service. She was eventually sold and scrapped in 1987. The SS Manhattan remains a significant vessel in maritime history, representing a bold attempt to utilize the Northwest Passage for commercial shipping and contributing to the development of Arctic navigation technology.