The J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1924 by Joseph M. Martinac on the

Thea Foss Waterway The Thea Foss Waterway, formerly the City Waterway, is a north–south inlet of Commencement Bay separating downtown Tacoma, Washington, from the Port of Tacoma. History The City Waterway was created in 1902 through a dredging operation proposed ...

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...

. It specialized in the construction of tugs, trawlers, purse seiners, ferries, naval patrol craft and power yachts up to long.

History

20th century

Before 1942, the production was centered on the manufacture of fishing vessels constructed of wood. In 1942, because of the need for wooden-hulled minesweepers for the war effort, the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

contracted for 12 YMS-type sweepers which were delivered between July 1942 and November 1943. Delivery of 4 YT-type tugs was accomplished during 1944. An additional 4 minesweepers of the YMS-type were delivered to the Navy in 1945. Post war production was devoted to the manufacture of yachts, passenger and cargo ships until 1954 when the Navy needed more minesweepers. A total of 9 MSO-type minesweepers were produced from May 1954 to April 1956. In 1963 production was started on 5 patrol boats for the South Vietnamese Navy of the PGM-type. Most production since 1964 has concentrated on fishing vessels and tugs. The largest contract awarded to Martinac was for the manufacture of 26 patrol boats for the

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

of the WPB-type. Production started in early 1966 and was completed by August 1967.

21st century

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding was sold in a foreclosure auction on Friday, July 18, 2014.

Facilities

The company was located on a site with 3 fully enclosed construction ways accommodating vessels up to long and with a beam of . The outfitting dock accommodated a vessel up to long and deep.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinac, J.M. Companies based in Tacoma, Washington Shipbuilding companies of the United States Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1924 1924 establishments in Washington (state) Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 2014 2014 disestablishments in Washington (state) Shipbuilding in Washington (state) Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States