The first new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier built in nearly 40 years departed on its maiden voyage this morning from Fancantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The M/V Mark W. Barker left the shipyard at a little after 10:30 a.m. for its 110-mile voyage to Port Inland, Michigan, where it will load stone to deliver to Muskegon, Michigan. Once delivered, that stone cargo will go into ready-mix concrete production.
“This is a monumental day for our company and the US flag fleet as our much-anticipated freighter departs on her first voyage in what will be a long life of service on the Great Lakes,” says Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and namesake of the vessel, the company’s first newbuild since 1981. “The construction of this vessel, which was made from steel manufactured in Indiana, from iron ore delivered by vessel from Minnesota, reinforces our long-term commitment to shipping and delivering essential cargoes for our customers throughout the region.”
Photo courtesy: Interlake Steamship Company
The maiden voyage comes nearly three years after construction began involving hundreds of workers at the Sturgeon Bay shipyard.
The Mark W. Barker is a new River-Class, self-unloading bulk carrier is believed to be the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983. The vessel is designed in-house by Interlake Steamship Company, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Bay Engineering, complete with advanced vessel and unloading systems automation. Ordered in April 2019, construction began in August that year and continued throughout the pandemic, leading to the vessel’s launch into Sturgeon Bay in October 2021 and now delivery as planned in mid-2022.
Measuring 639 feet in length 28,000 DWT, the ship will transport raw materials such as salt, iron ore, and stone to support manufacturing throughout the Great Lakes region.
Photo courtesy Interlake Steamship Company
“This new vessel not only brings with it additional cargo carrying capacity and capabilities, it is the most versatile in our fleet and strategically sized to navigate into nearly any port on the Great Lakes,” says Brendan P. O’Connor, Vice President of Marketing and Marine Traffic. “The M/V Mark W. Barker will give us unmatched ability for cargo operations and to carry unique project cargoes because of both her square-shaped cargo hold and larger hatch openings. She truly was designed to be a vessel for the future.”
Major partners providing services and equipment for the project include the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Cleveland-Cliffs, Bay Engineering (BEI), EMD Engines, Caterpillar, EMS-Tech, Inc., Lufkin (a GE Company), Kongsberg and MacGregor.
Photo courtesy Interlake Steamship CompanyPhoto courtesy Interlake Steamship Company
Five major organizations involved in global cargo transport have joined forces to create a framework for cooperation that will enhance safety during the movement and handling of goods that have...
March 22 (Reuters) – UBS Group AG will likely shrink Credit Suisse Group’s $10 billion shipping portfolio that it inherited as part of its emergency takeover on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. UBS...
By Todd Woody (Bloomberg) — A growing number of countries are calling to delay plans to strip-mine the seabed for metals to make electric car batteries as US defense giant Lockheed Martin Corp.,...
4 hours ago
Total Views: 417
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
SIGN UP
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
Sign up for gCaptain Daily
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
{"Tags":["fincantieri bay shipbuilding","great lakes","interlake steamship company"],"Categories":["Shipbuilding","Shipping"],"Excerpt":"The first new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier built in nearly 40 years departed on its maiden voyage this morning from Fancantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The M\/V..."}