MV Paul R. Tregurtha
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MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha'' is a
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
-based
bulk carrier A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially naval architecture, designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo—such as Grain trade, grain, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement—in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrie ...
freighter. She is the current ''
Queen of the Lakes ''Queen of the Lakes'' is an unofficial but widely recognized title bestowed upon vessels on the Great Lakes of the United States and Canada, honoring the longest vessel currently in service on the lakes. A number of vessels, mostly lake freight ...
'', an unofficial but widely recognized title given to the longest vessel active on the Great Lakes. Launched as MV ''William J. De Lancey'', she was the last of the thirteen "thousand footers" to enter service on the Great Lakes, and was also the last Great Lakes vessel built at the
American Ship Building Company The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio, in 1898. It changed its name t ...
yard in
Lorain, Ohio Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River (Ohio), Black River about west of Cleveland. It is the List of cities in Ohio, ninth-most populous city in O ...
. The MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha'' is the current
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
for the
Interlake Steamship Company The Interlake Steamship Company is an American freight ship company that operates a fleet on the Great Lakes in North America. It is now part of Interlake Maritime Services. The company is chairman, chaired by James R. Barker (businessman), Jame ...
.


Construction

The
Interlake Steamship Company The Interlake Steamship Company is an American freight ship company that operates a fleet on the Great Lakes in North America. It is now part of Interlake Maritime Services. The company is chairman, chaired by James R. Barker (businessman), Jame ...
was given a contract in 1979, by its customer
Republic Steel Republic Steel is a Mexican steel manufacturer that was once America’s third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, ...
, to transport
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
from
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ports to their
steel mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-fini ...
at Indiana Harbor, or to their transshipment terminal at Lorain. Designed by the American Ship Building Company to fulfill two briefs: * Bulk carrier * Executive passenger transportation With the second brief in mind, she was one of the first freighters with full air conditioning, elevators, and luxurious décor. Built in two parts, her
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
on July 12, 1979, at the
American Ship Building Company The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio, in 1898. It changed its name t ...
yard in
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
. On completion, the forward section was towed to their yard in
Lorain, Ohio Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River (Ohio), Black River about west of Cleveland. It is the List of cities in Ohio, ninth-most populous city in O ...
where it was mated with the stern portion. The completed hull No. 909 has a total length of . Stephens-Adamson designed a loop belt elevator system, that feeds a stern mounted discharge boom that can be swung 100 degrees to port or starboard. Capable of unloading at a rate of 10,000 long tons of iron ore per hour, or 6,000 net tons of coal per hour, the total system displaces 14,497 tons. Formally launched on February 4, 1981, the vessel was christened on April 25, 1981, as MV ''William J. De Lancey'', named in honor of
Republic Steel Republic Steel is a Mexican steel manufacturer that was once America’s third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, ...
's chairman who participated in the launch. In 1990 she received her current name. Paul R. Tregurtha, born 1935, was the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Company's Board.


Operations

MV ''William J. De Lancey'' departed Lorain on her maiden voyage on May 10, 1981, sailing in ballast to
Silver Bay, Minnesota Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,857 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the largest population center in a natural tourism area which includes Tettegouche State Park and the Split Rock Lig ...
, to load of iron ore pellets. She arrived back in Lorain on May 16, 1981. She holds a number of cargo records: * August 7, 1982: load at
Escanaba, Michigan Escanaba ( ), commonly shortened to Esky, is a port city and the county seat of Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,450 at the 2020 census, making it the ...
, for Indiana Harbor * July 20, 1983: broke the Lorain port record delivering of iron ore pellets from Escanaba. She then established a lower lakes record by loading net tons of coal from Ashtabula to Consumers Power, becoming the largest cargo loaded on the lower Great Lakes. * First 71 cargoes totaled , averaging per load, restricted due to the lower draft in Lorain (less draft) and Escanaba to Indiana Harbor * Holds lower lakes record of 50,239 net tons of coal, shipped from
Ashtabula, Ohio Ashtabula ( ) is the most populous city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the mouth of the Ashtabula River, on Lake Erie, northeast of Cleveland. At the 2020 census, the city had 17,975 people. Like many other cities in the ...
, to Consumers Power * 2001 season: Carried the most cargo through the
Soo Locks The Soo Locks (sometimes spelled Sault Locks but pronounced "soo") are a set of parallel Lock (water navigation), locks, operated and maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, that enable ships to travel between ...
at On termination of the
Republic Steel Republic Steel is a Mexican steel manufacturer that was once America’s third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, ...
contract, on May 23, 1990, she was rechristened MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha'' at
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in Door County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the bay of Sturgeon Bay for which it is named, it is the most populous city o ...
, named in honor of the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Co. On May 3, 2002, her only captain died in his cabin, Captain Mitch Hallin, aged 55. In winter 2004, she was asked to transport a reserve of coal to Algoma Steel in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in northern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of the St. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city," Sault Ste. Marie, in the state of Michigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, makin ...
, necessitating a mid-winter voyage. Loading 43,000 net tons in
Conneaut, Ohio Conneaut ( ) is the northeastern most city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, as well as the entire state as a whole. Located in the Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropolitan area, it is settled along Lake Erie at the mouth of Conneaut Cre ...
, both
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and
Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...
services provided
ice breaking An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and Ice navigation, navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also r ...
assistance so that the voyage was completed without any delays. After unloading on January 29, she departed for her normal winter lay-up in
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in Door County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the bay of Sturgeon Bay for which it is named, it is the most populous city o ...
. She was the subject of a television program in the first season of
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's series ''
Mighty Ships ''Mighty Ships'' is a documentary television program produced by Exploration Production Inc. in Canada and aired on Discovery Channel Canada and also broadcast around the world. Each episode of the series follows a particular sea-going vessel an ...
.'' That program recounts how in 2008, while leaving Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha'' got stuck in ice and cracked steel plating on the port side of her bow, causing ballast tank water to leak out. Framing beneath the plating was also bent and cracked. After undergoing repairs at the
Fraser Shipyards Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ...
in
Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...
, she then loaded her coal cargo at the dock and carried it to
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
.


2012 and 2014 grounding incidents

At around 3 a.m. on August 15, 2012, as she was proceeding downbound with 62,000 tons of coal, the bow of MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha'' grounded in the outbound channel of St. Marys River, just north of the Neebish Island ferry crossing, near
Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to: People * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan Places * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada ** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...
. Her stern then pivoted and grounded on the opposite side of the channel, completely blocking the approach to the Rock Cut in the Lower St. Marys River. With assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, at 5:30 a.m. on August 19, two tugs with a combined moved the stern of the ship into the middle of the channel. This enabled salvage experts to successfully raise the ship's bow by filling stern voids which reduced the amount of forward weight on the rocks, and hence refloat the vessel. During the afternoon of September 20, 2014, she was involved in an incident in
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
, when she ran aground just off the Bayfront Festival Park in the Duluth Harbor Basin, just west of the
Aerial Lift Bridge The Aerial Lift Bridge, earlier known as the Aerial Bridge or Aerial Ferry Bridge, is a landmark in the port city of Duluth, Minnesota. The span began life in 1905 as the United States' first transporter bridge: Only one other was ever construc ...
.


References


External links

*
MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha''
at MarineTraffic.com
WYR4481: MV ''Paul R. Tregurtha''
at Realtime Great Lakes Weather Data and Marine Observations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration {{DEFAULTSORT:Paul R. Tregurtha, MV 1981 ships Merchant ships of the United States Ships built in Lorain, Ohio Queen of the Lakes