Tanker TEXAS SUN, the largest vessel in the Sun Transport fleet, is a product of the famous Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Chester, Pa. Laid down in 1959 and
launched on August 24, 1960, the ship completed sea trials in the late fall and was delivered to Sun Oil Company at noon on December 13,1960. On her first trip, she sailed from Marcus Hook on December 17. TEXAS SUN is a sister ship of a former Sun
Transport vessel, tanker PENNSYLVANIA SUN. These two ships were originally designed and built as crude carriers for the Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela-to-Marcus Hook trade. To meet the requirements of this service, unique design features such as the stern
anchor, were incorporated. TEXAS SUN was built with her distinctive teardrop-shaped pilot house, which affords the bridge watchstander outstanding visibility. The bridge watch can observe the entire main deck as well as the port and starboard quarters
of the ship. The current bulbous bow was retrofitted in 1964 - at a cost of $164,000! Propulsion is provided by an 18,500 horsepower Westinghouse steam turbine engine, with steam developed by two Babcock and Wilcox 600 psi boilers. The electrical
plant consists of two Westinghouse turbine generators with a capacity of 600 kw each. Crude oil or "dirty" products, such as black oil or vacuum gas oil, are carried in 11 centerline and 18 wing tanks, with a total cargo capacity of 373,794 barrels.
With two pumps in operation, TEXAS SUN can discharge her entire cargo in just under 17 hours, at a rate of 22,000 barrels per hour. While modest in size compared to the crude carriers of today, TEXAS SUN was considered a supertanker when built. She
measures 751' 9-7/8" in length, 102' on the beam, and has a summer draft of 40' 7" when fully laden. TEXAS SUN weighs in at 53,453 deadweight tons and is equipped with crude oil washing systems, inert gas and cargo heating coils. Employment for TEXAS
SUN throughout her career has been varied. In addition to Lake Maracaibo service, the ship transited the Panama Canal to load crude prior to the completion of the transPanama pipeline and was engaged in the carriage of "Grade A" crudes from Texas to
Marcus Hook. Most recently our ship has been on long-term charter to BP America, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio. In this service, TEXAS SUN has returned to her old haunts at the Chiriqui Grande terminal in Panama, and has lifted crude into various Gulf
ports, including Houston, Galveston, Texas City, New Orleans, St. Rose, St. James, Baton Rouge and Mobile. As the BP charter will not resume until the fall, TEXAS SUN has been employed on the spot market, lifting crude and products into Yabucoa, Fort
Lauderdale and our own terminal in Fort Mifflin - her first return to the Delaware River since 1992. The current TEXAS SUN, the second Sun vessel of this name, carries a crew of 28. Her Masters are Captain Mike Caron and Captain Steve Groneman, who
has recently assumed the position in the wake of Captain Francis "Kim" Barry's reassignment as Northeast Tug/Barge Manager. With 34 years of service to the Company and thousands of miles under her keel and millions of barrels carried in her tanks,
TEXAS SUN continues to serve today-profitably, safely, efficiently and is a testimony to the Sun employees who built her, and those who sail her today.
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