22JA4575HDRZ-denoise-standard-SharpenAI-Focus
"LAURA L VANENKEVORT"
The tug "Laura L. Van Enkevort" pushing the Barge "Joseph H. Thompson" seeking shelter from winds on Superior in Thunder Bay down near Bays End on her way to Duluth. Occasionally the Ore Carriers wll seek temporary shelter from high winds on Superior in Thunder Bay and anchor down towards Bays End out of the main shipping channels. We had 3 in November 2020 sheltering here.
The tug Laura L. Van Enkevort (US 1020314) was built as the Sidney Candies for Otto Candies Inc. It was at least the second vessel to carry that name. A twin-engined, twin-screw conventional tug, the Sidney Candies was built by Halter Marine at its Lockport, Louisiana, yard and was delivered April 29, 1994. A near-sister tug, the Kelly Candies (now Kelly, operated by Savage Alafia Operations LLC) was constructed two years earlier in the same yard. Like many Otto Candies tugs, both featured towing winches and a large pilothouse sandwiched between two tall exhaust stacks, with large windows forward and aft.
Naida Ramil and Peggy Palmer were frequently spotted as laid up as early as 2009, and it is believed that the barge carried its last cargo in 2011. The tug was long rumored to be for sale, but it was eventually caught up in the International Shipholding Corp. bankruptcy proceedings. In late 2018 the tug was purchased by Van Enkevort Tug and Barge Inc. of Escanaba, Michigan. Major renovation of the tug was undertaken at Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa. Exterior work included conversion of the old lower pilothouse for bunk space or other interior use, increasing the height of the raised pilothouse, removing the towing winch and adding supply handling cranes. It is unknown if the tug was repowered. The tug, renamed Laura L. Van Enkevort, sailed from Tampa for the lakes on Aug. 23, 2019. It arrived in Toledo on September 8, where it was quickly paired up with the barge Joseph H. Thompson. The barge had been retrofitted with a Bludworth connection system the previous winter, while still retaining its Hydroconn connection system so that the tug Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. could continue to push the barge until the new tug arrived. The Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. is expected to be refurbished to push the newly-built barge Michigan Trader once it is completed in 2020. The reason for the switch in tugs is apparently because the Laura L. Van Enkevort is 22 feet shorter than the Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. so with the new tug the Joseph H. Thompson should be able to service docks that the barge with the old tug could not.
Written by Tom Hynes.
Tug Particulars
Length 124' 00" (37.8m)
Beam 37' 00" (11.28m)
Depth 18' 04" (5.59m)
Midsummer Draft ??' 00" (?.??m)
Engine Power 7,000 bhp diesel
Previous Names
Sidney Candies 1994 - 1998
Naida Ramil 1998 - 2019
Laura L. Van Enkevort 2019 - Today
Barges paired with tug
Peggy Palmer 1998 - 2016
Joseph H. Thompson 2019 - Today
22JA4575HDRZ-denoise-standard-SharpenAI-Focus
"LAURA L VANENKEVORT"
The tug "Laura L. Van Enkevort" pushing the Barge "Joseph H. Thompson" seeking shelter from winds on Superior in Thunder Bay down near Bays End on her way to Duluth. Occasionally the Ore Carriers wll seek temporary shelter from high winds on Superior in Thunder Bay and anchor down towards Bays End out of the main shipping channels. We had 3 in November 2020 sheltering here.
The tug Laura L. Van Enkevort (US 1020314) was built as the Sidney Candies for Otto Candies Inc. It was at least the second vessel to carry that name. A twin-engined, twin-screw conventional tug, the Sidney Candies was built by Halter Marine at its Lockport, Louisiana, yard and was delivered April 29, 1994. A near-sister tug, the Kelly Candies (now Kelly, operated by Savage Alafia Operations LLC) was constructed two years earlier in the same yard. Like many Otto Candies tugs, both featured towing winches and a large pilothouse sandwiched between two tall exhaust stacks, with large windows forward and aft.
Naida Ramil and Peggy Palmer were frequently spotted as laid up as early as 2009, and it is believed that the barge carried its last cargo in 2011. The tug was long rumored to be for sale, but it was eventually caught up in the International Shipholding Corp. bankruptcy proceedings. In late 2018 the tug was purchased by Van Enkevort Tug and Barge Inc. of Escanaba, Michigan. Major renovation of the tug was undertaken at Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa. Exterior work included conversion of the old lower pilothouse for bunk space or other interior use, increasing the height of the raised pilothouse, removing the towing winch and adding supply handling cranes. It is unknown if the tug was repowered. The tug, renamed Laura L. Van Enkevort, sailed from Tampa for the lakes on Aug. 23, 2019. It arrived in Toledo on September 8, where it was quickly paired up with the barge Joseph H. Thompson. The barge had been retrofitted with a Bludworth connection system the previous winter, while still retaining its Hydroconn connection system so that the tug Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. could continue to push the barge until the new tug arrived. The Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. is expected to be refurbished to push the newly-built barge Michigan Trader once it is completed in 2020. The reason for the switch in tugs is apparently because the Laura L. Van Enkevort is 22 feet shorter than the Joseph H. Thompson, Jr. so with the new tug the Joseph H. Thompson should be able to service docks that the barge with the old tug could not.
Written by Tom Hynes.
Tug Particulars
Length 124' 00" (37.8m)
Beam 37' 00" (11.28m)
Depth 18' 04" (5.59m)
Midsummer Draft ??' 00" (?.??m)
Engine Power 7,000 bhp diesel
Previous Names
Sidney Candies 1994 - 1998
Naida Ramil 1998 - 2019
Laura L. Van Enkevort 2019 - Today
Barges paired with tug
Peggy Palmer 1998 - 2016
Joseph H. Thompson 2019 - Today