Namecki is a “Ferris” built vessel, one of many that make up the Ghost Fleet. A “Ferris” built vessel gets its name from Theodore E. Ferris, a senior architect for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). The idea was to standardize these emergency ships with similar designs that could be built at yards all across the United States. Each “Ferris” ship measured approximately the same, 282 feet long, and 3,500 deadweight tons. Four of these vessel types were built at the Tampa Dock Company, with Namecki being the first.
Listen to this historical perspective from Charlie Fuss and his connection to Mallows Bay through his father, a ship builder from Tampa, Florida.