S/s DOCTOR, ALMERIA, or TILLIE Lykes Artistic Rendering Ship Poster, retailer Lykes Brothers Steamship Co.

Although these prints are captured in a digital format, the creation process is a painstaking effort typically requiring several months of research. There are no shortcuts or copy-pasting. Everything you see has been constructed from scratch in a digital retailer environment using original plans obtained from the ship builder or design agent.

All prints are plotted on durable matte finish polypropylene film which will not distort or yellow with age.

All prints are unframed and are shipped rolled in tubes.

Customers can specify any ship from the class when purchasing:

S/S DOCTOR LYKES
S/S ALMERIA LYKES
S/S TILLIE LYKES

The S/S DOCTOR LYKES was one of the barge carriers operated by the Lykes Brothers Steamship Co. from 1972 - 1986. She was one of a class of three sea barge clippers (aka SeaBees) built by the General Dynamics Quincy shipyard. The Seabee design lagged the LASH concept by only a couple years, but was equally (if not more) groundbreaking as a milestone in marine engineering.

Like the LASH, the Seabee was another attempt at steering trends in unitized intermodal cargo. The 'cargo' was a series of identical barges measuring 97.5 ft (L) by 35 ft (W) which would be floated to the stern of the ship for loading. Unlike the LASH ships which used traveling gantry cranes, the SeaBee was fitted with a 'synchrolift' platform that would be lowered below the waterline. Two fully-laden barges would then be floated into position above the platform. Once aligned, the platform would raise the barges out of the water, aligning with one of three decks. At this point a rail-mounted transporter would slide horizontally beneath the barges and move them forward to their stowage location.

The process described above required a tremendous amount of innovation. The lift system and transporters were both engineering feats unto themselves. The challenges in the handling and stowage of loaded barges weighing 1000 tons each required a hull structure that is simply unlike anything else afloat. Unfortunately, the SeaBee never gained popularity and the three Seabees built for Lykes were their last. All three were transfered to MARAD and, to this day, remain part of the ready reserve fleet.