Conversion of the sugar-freighter MV Mokuhana to a refrigerator ship was accomplished by a two-man team with the use of CPR rigid urethane-foam insulation.
The ship, 177 feet long, with a 35-foot beam, is now hauling 1.5-million pounds of palletized frozen fish per trip from Alaskan ports to Seattle, Wash., under the ownership of the Kayler-Dahl Company of Seattle. A Frick refrigeration system, installed by Puget Sound Engineering, Inc., 4333 Leary Way N.W., Seattle, Wash., maintains the holds at a temperature of 0 degrees F.
The refrigeration features hydraulically driven compressors, using the ship's existing hydraulic system as a power source, and an automatic hot gas defrost system for the cargo holds.
To convert the MV Mokuhana, approximately 14,000 pounds of CPR 385 rigid urethane foam was sprayed in a four-inch layer on the bulkheads and overheads, and 6,000 pounds of CPR 323 were poured-in-place between the double decking (existing steel deck and new wood deck wearing surface).
The urethane systems, supplied by the CPR Division of The Upjohn Company, 555 Alaska Avenue, Torrance, Calif., and applied by Vertecs Corporation, 12601-132nd Avenue, Kirkland, Wash., were chosen because urethane foam's 95 percent closed-cell structure restricts water vaporation penetration. It will not impart or absorb odors, mildew, or attract rodents.