21NO2547Mellissa
"Ojibway" 's last season . She apparently will be retired and scrapped at the end of 2021. "Melissa" at Fisherman's Whart in the foreground.
This classic Great Lakes bulk carrier was built by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, and entered service on September 24, 1952. The vessel was built along the same basic plans used for building U.S. Steel's "Super", or AA, class of vessel (Leon Fraser and others) in 1942.
The vessel was powered by a high pressure and a low pressure steam turbine engine each rated at 2,200 s.h.p., giving her a speed under full load of between 13.5 and 14 m.p.h. The engines were built by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1941 having been originally installed aboard the ocean vessel Alcoa Protector, which was sunk by the Japanese in late 1943. The engines were recovered from the wreck several years later to be used in this vessel. The vessel is fitted with oil-fired, water-tube boilers to produce steam, and the vessel has been an oil burner for her entire career on the Lakes.
After the 1987 season, the Breech's career with Ford was over, and rumors were afloat regarding the boat's future. Scrap was one of the rumors, but early in 1988 the vessel was purchased by Kinsman Lines (Great Lakes Associates Inc., Rocky River, OH) (Owner George Steinbrenner New York Yankees Owner) to replace one of the Kinsman fleet's 600-foot, coal-burning straight-deckers. On June 24, 1988, the newly renamed Kinsman Independent (3) set sail on her first voyage for Kinsman Lines, and it resumed its familiar Duluth to Buffalo trade route.
On Tuesday, August 28, 2007, Rand Logistics of New York, NY announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Lower Lakes Towing Ltd of Port Dover, ON acquired the Voyageur Independent and fleet mate Voyageur Pioneer for $25 million CAD from the Voyageur group of companies. Under her new ownership, the Voyageur Independent would continue to service companies engaged in the grain trade as a result of Lower Lakes assuming or negotiating contracts with grain companies, thus allowing Lower Lakes to better utilize their self-unloaders in additional self-unloader business. On February 29, 2008, Lower Lakes registered the bulker with Transport Canada under the new name Ojibway out of the port of Nanticoke, ON.
Overall Dimensions (metric)
Length 642' 03" (195.76m)
Beam 67' 00" (20.42m)
Depth 35' 00" (10.67m)
Capacity (mid-summer) 20,668 tons (21,000 mt)
Power (diesel) 4,100 b.h.p.(3,015 kW)
Displacement (light) 7,011 tons (7,124 mt)
It was announced in April 2022 that Ojibway was to be retired and sold for scrapping. She departed winter layup at Sorel, QC, on April 3, 2022, bound for the Marine Recycling Corp.
21NO2547Mellissa
"Ojibway" 's last season . She apparently will be retired and scrapped at the end of 2021. "Melissa" at Fisherman's Whart in the foreground.
This classic Great Lakes bulk carrier was built by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, and entered service on September 24, 1952. The vessel was built along the same basic plans used for building U.S. Steel's "Super", or AA, class of vessel (Leon Fraser and others) in 1942.
The vessel was powered by a high pressure and a low pressure steam turbine engine each rated at 2,200 s.h.p., giving her a speed under full load of between 13.5 and 14 m.p.h. The engines were built by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1941 having been originally installed aboard the ocean vessel Alcoa Protector, which was sunk by the Japanese in late 1943. The engines were recovered from the wreck several years later to be used in this vessel. The vessel is fitted with oil-fired, water-tube boilers to produce steam, and the vessel has been an oil burner for her entire career on the Lakes.
After the 1987 season, the Breech's career with Ford was over, and rumors were afloat regarding the boat's future. Scrap was one of the rumors, but early in 1988 the vessel was purchased by Kinsman Lines (Great Lakes Associates Inc., Rocky River, OH) (Owner George Steinbrenner New York Yankees Owner) to replace one of the Kinsman fleet's 600-foot, coal-burning straight-deckers. On June 24, 1988, the newly renamed Kinsman Independent (3) set sail on her first voyage for Kinsman Lines, and it resumed its familiar Duluth to Buffalo trade route.
On Tuesday, August 28, 2007, Rand Logistics of New York, NY announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Lower Lakes Towing Ltd of Port Dover, ON acquired the Voyageur Independent and fleet mate Voyageur Pioneer for $25 million CAD from the Voyageur group of companies. Under her new ownership, the Voyageur Independent would continue to service companies engaged in the grain trade as a result of Lower Lakes assuming or negotiating contracts with grain companies, thus allowing Lower Lakes to better utilize their self-unloaders in additional self-unloader business. On February 29, 2008, Lower Lakes registered the bulker with Transport Canada under the new name Ojibway out of the port of Nanticoke, ON.
Overall Dimensions (metric)
Length 642' 03" (195.76m)
Beam 67' 00" (20.42m)
Depth 35' 00" (10.67m)
Capacity (mid-summer) 20,668 tons (21,000 mt)
Power (diesel) 4,100 b.h.p.(3,015 kW)
Displacement (light) 7,011 tons (7,124 mt)
It was announced in April 2022 that Ojibway was to be retired and sold for scrapping. She departed winter layup at Sorel, QC, on April 3, 2022, bound for the Marine Recycling Corp.