Mr. Heemskerk: I spent some time on this ship in the ASRY yard in Bahrain in 1991. Would very much like to use this photo for a book that involves this ship and some others. May I have your permission? Best regards, Don Bodron

Delta Line ships of this class:

Built for Mississippi Shipping Co. (unofficially known as the Delta Line)
Del Rio, IMO 5087819, Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, LA, 1961, C3-S-43a
1986 scrapped
Del Sol, IMO 5087845, Avondale, 1961
1986 scrapped
Del Oro, IMO 5087807, Avondale, 1961
1986 scrapped

Details and specifications
http://drawings.usmaritimecommission.de/drawings_c3_ma_types.htm
and
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del-Rio-Klasse

Built for Delta Line (official company name changed in 1962)
Delta Argentina, IMO 6729218, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS, 1968, C3-S-76a
1980 Del Mundo
1983 to MARAD
1985 Scrapped
Delta Brasil, IMO 6804240, Ingalls, 1968
1980 Del Monte
1983 to MARAD
1984 Del Monte AK-5049, RRF
Delta Mexico, IMO 6828521, Ingalls, 1968
1980 Del Viento
1983 to MARAD
1984 Del Viento AK-5026, RRF
2008 Scrapped
Delta Paraguay, IMO 6817819, Ingalls, 1968
1980 Del Campo
1983 to MARAD
1985 Scrapped
Delta Uruguay, IMO 6817807, Ingalls, 1968
1980 Del Valle
1983 to MARAD
1983 Del Valle AK-5050, RRF
2008 Scrapped

One of her sisters the Del Monte is still afloat at Little Creek, Va and is being used for training.

Hi there!
The design of the Delta-Argentina-class (Marad Designation C3-S-76a) based on the 1960/61 built Del-Rio-class (Marad Designation C3-S-43a). Both types stemmed from the office of Friede & Goldmann in New Orleans. That's why the accomodations looked a bit old fashioned.

If one removes the gear and reshape the stern she looks like Stonewall Jackson, the lash carrier

"Was she originally that built? Beautiful accommodation though."

Yes, they really did look like this as built. These unusual ships were built for Delta Lines' general cargo service between the U.S. Gulf Coast and the West Coast of South America. The forward end looks very like that on the LASH ships (which were built about ten years later), and I wouldn't be surprised if the latter were designed by the same firm of naval architects. Many of the South American ports lacked shore cranes, so ships intended for that run carried plenty of their own, including the heavy-lift boom amidships, which made these ships resemble nothing so much as an insect pinned to a card! On board the LASH ships the two small cranes mounted on the fore-deck were intended only for loading ship's stores, and that is probably the case with this ship as well.

@TLPlanner Exactly what I thought, so was wondering if the accommodation or maybe whole bow part is taken from different ship. In whole this one reminds those of DDG Hansa from the 50s - 60s, but they had more cargo deck space.

More info (in german language) at:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-Argentina-Klasse

The superstructure looks like those of the good old american built lash carriers (ROBERT E LEE / STONEWALL JACKSON)I met in the 80s in the indian ocean!

Looks virtually unchanged from her 'as built' condition.

Hi Denis,
I can't tell you.
Maybe someone can give more info about that.

Was she originally that built? Beautiful accommodation though.