''Mississagi'' was a Type L6-S-B1

lake freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Freighters typically have a long, narrow hull, a raised pilothouse, and the ...

launched in 1943. Originally she was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine. In 1985 her steam engines were replaced by a diesel engine. She was built to a design from the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The co ...

by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in

River Rouge, Michigan River Rouge (, ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,224 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city's northern border and into the Detroit River. The cit ...

. She had fifteen sister ships, also built to the Maritime Commission's design, known colloquially as ''"Maritimers"''. The vessel was originally commissioned as ''Hill Annex''. When she was acquired by the Pittsburgh Steamship Company in July 1943 she was rechristened ''George A. Sloan''. She was bought by the Bradley Transportation Company in 1966, which converted her to a self-unloading bulk carrier. In 1967 Bradley Transportation was purchased by

US Steel The United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...

, which also owned Pittsburgh Steamship, which returned the ''George A. Sloan'' to Pittsburgh fleet. The ''George A. Sloan'' was sold in 2001 to Lower Lakes Towing Ltd., Ontario, Canada, and renamed ''Mississagi''. Her final voyage was from Thunder Bay to Hamilton with a cargo of wheat, she arrived at Hamilton 8 January 2021. After being discharged she was officially retired. In April 2021 ''Mississagi'' sailed to

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes, ...

, Ontario, for indefinite layup. Here she was stripped for parts and equipment. On October 10, 2021, the ''Mississagi'' arrived, under tow, at Purvis Marine Scrapyard 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 ...

, Canada for scrapping. As of early 2025, the vessel's scrapping is yet to be completed.

Emergencies

In 1966, the ''Mississagi'' ran aground in the

Straits of Mackinac The Straits of Mackinac ( ; ) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects the Great Lakes of Lake M ...

. She was laid-up in 2000, and sold to

Port Dover, Ontario Port Dover is an unincorporated community and former town located in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is the site of the recurring Friday the 13th motorcycle rally. Prior to the War of 1812, this community ...

, firm Lower Lakes Towing Limited, which renamed her ''Mississagi'' for the start of the 2001 season. On October 4, 2004, she nearly collided with the

seawall A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation, ...

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Po ...

On February 26, 2015, a fire occurred aboard the ''Mississagi''. At the time, the ship was docked in the Port of Hamilton.

Firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

s and

Confined Space Rescue Confined space rescue is a subset of technical rescue operations that involves the rescue and recovery of victims trapped in a confined space or in a place only accessible through confined spaces, such as underground Utility vault, vaults, storage ...

rs from the Hamilton Fire Department responded to the incident. The fire was caused by welding; only minor injuries resulted. On April 22, 2015, while downbound on the lower St. Marys River, the ''Mississagi'' ran aground near De Tour Village, Michigan. At the time of the accident, the vessel was loaded with rock, and had run hard aground by the bow. There were no injuries or environmental pollution.

Gallery

File:Lake freighter Mississagi in the Eastern Gap -c.jpg, Laker ''Mississagi'' entering the channel to Toronto's turning basin File:Mississagi IMO 5128467 B Toledo 31-07-2018.jpg, ''Mississagi'' at

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

, July 2018 File:Mississagi IMO 5128467 B Toledo 31-07-2018 (2).jpg, ''Mississagi'' at

, July 2018

References

{{reflist 1943 ships Great Lakes freighters Ships built in River Rouge, Michigan