Ralph Hewett - ran maritime supply business

Tag : Marine Hardware

Ralph W. Hewett, a businessman who ran a worldwide maritime supplybusiness on the San Francisco waterfront for years, died at his SanMateo home Monday after a short illness. He was 94 and had sufferedfrom pulmonary disease.
Mr. Hewett was an entrepreneur and a fixture on the San Franciscowaterfront when the city was a major port. He started in theshipping business as a young man just out of high school and made asuccess out of selling huge pieces of marine hardware, such asanchors, big anchor chains, even whole offshore mooring devices forports around the world.
"He was a self-made man who came up the hard way," said his son,Michael Hewett. "He was tough as nails, and he always kept hisword."
Mr. Hewett grew up in a now-vanished world along the waterfronts,when the Embarcadero was lined with ships and the districts nearthe bay were full of warehouses, marine businesses and saloons.
Born in San Francisco in 1913, he graduated from the old HighSchool of Commerce at the age of 16 and immediately went to workfor the American Hawaiian Steamship line as an office boy.
He worked his way up to freight solicitor and then became thecompany officer in charge of procurement. His specialty waslocating heavy-duty hardware for cargo ships, particularly anchorsand chains.
He usually stuck close to the waterfront and was in a crowd whenpolice opened fire on strikers during the bloody waterfront strikeof 1934. Two men were killed, and Mr. Hewett was one of 31 otherswho were wounded. His wound was not serious, however.
He worked for Haviside Marine as a manager during World War II whenthe Port of San Francisco was at the peak of its activity. In 1952,he started Hewett Marine Co. in the garage of his home in MenloPark.
Later he had facilities in San Francisco. He kept his inventory -blocks, chains, anchors and offshore rig parts - in a warehouse loton Selby Street in the Bayview district.
At one time he had 10,000 anchors in stock, weighing from 50 poundsto 60,000 pounds, said Clark Atkinson, who worked with him for manyyears.
Mr. Hewett also designed and supplied offshore mooring systems foroil rigs and coal facilities all over the world, including theSoviet Union.
He retired in 1996 to travel the world. The business continues asHewett Marine/Coast Marine. "We still have anchors in stock if youare interested," said his son, who joined his father in the marinehardware business in 1954.
In addition to his son, Michael of Rescue (El Dorado County), Mr.Hewett is survived by his daughter, Catherine Podell ofHillsborough, four grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service Monday, which would have been his 95th birthday.