A Ship that Would’ve Been Unthinkable 20 Years Ago: Algoma Strongfield

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While they were very common in the first 2/3rds of the 20th Century, the Straight Decked lakers very quickly became a dying breed in the late 1970s when ports started removing the equipment needed to unload them. Many of the vessels were converted to self unloaders or put up into layup and eventually scrapped. In the mid 1980s, all Great Lakes ship building stopped, and most shipyards capable of building new ones shuttered for good. By the 2000s only a handful of the iconic but aging vessels remained active, kept in service for a select few ports in Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence Seaway that retained the equipment and seemingly barely making enough money to pay off the expenses of operating the 50+ year old vessels. But they were kept up because they could haul more than the sloped bottom self unloaders. By the late 2000s the aging straight deckers were so economically obsolete that Canadian shipping companies started purchasing aging salties that were sailing on their last legs to replace them. Today, even most of these replacement vessels are also gone, but a few remain such as Algoma Discovery or Spruceglen.
The new wave of modern vessels started from an unexpected source. In 2008 and 2009 the Algoma fleet became desperate, enough to send two of their most heavily salt damaged lakers around the world to China to be rebuilt. On the way, one of those two, Algoport, broke in two and sank into the Pacific. Then with spare parts built for the sunken ship, a new vessel was created, Algoma Mariner. This proved to be a watershed moment, suddenly the potential for new lakers was opened up. In the early 2010s, Algoma was approached by the Canadian Wheat Board to design and build four new ships to be used to transport grain and occasional iron ore shipments from the Great Lakes to ports on the St Lawrence River, the first new straight deckers in decades. Two would be owned by Algoma, two by CWB, and all four operated by Algoma crews. Two additional ones were built for CSL. This development shocked (and divided) the shipping community. After decades of decline and dying off, new straight deckers were suddenly being built out of the blue, except in China.
The first three, Algoma Equinox, Algoma Harvester, and CWB Marquis arrived without issue in 2013 and 2014, while the fourth, CWB Strongfield along with Algoma’s first Self-Unloading variant, Algoma Conveyor, were to be delivered in 2015. Instead, that same year the shipyard went bankrupt, shut down and had all their assets seized, with the two nearly completed lakers still inside it. The ships were put up on auction for sale. With CWB in the middle of a restructuring and a merger with the G3 group, they were in no condition to save their ship so Algoma stepped in and managed to salvage both vessels. After extensive headaches, the Algoma Strongfield arrived in the Lakes in 2017. In 2021 an additional fifth straight ship, Captain Henry Jackman, was built to a slightly different design. Despite concerns, she and her sisters have proven to be very successful vessels, perhaps even hinting at a return of the final classic vessel of their type, Edward L Ryerson.
Since then, as she was designed she mainly hauls grain but on very rare occasion, such as this, she’ll take an iron ore load. This was the first ship I’ve ever seen backed into Superior’s BNSF Ore Dock, usually they pull straight in! While she’s not one of the “famous” lakers, I hope everyone enjoys a rare visitor, with a unique back story!

Пікірлер: 20

@carolyndavis7476 4 ай бұрын

One of the best descriptive details I have ever read attached to a shipping video. Great job!

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Definitely put time into this one!

@bevpearson8268 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for the fascinating history!!

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

No problem! Glad you enjoyed!

@JimH-ey4ov 4 ай бұрын

Love the "Lakers"! Thanks for sharing this footage and info! See you in Duluth!

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

No problem! You coming to Duluth?

@Deshbhakt-hx9du 4 ай бұрын

❤😂😂🎉🎉🎉😂😂❤❤😂🎉🎉

@gregmctevia5087 4 ай бұрын

Ship. What ship? What’s the dog’s name. I assume he/she is your owner.😆😆😆😆

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

Lol not sure the dog’s name, but she was following me around the whole time, then I’d try to pet and she’d run back to her owners, then immediately go back to following me 😂 Adorable little stalker

@skycvg 4 ай бұрын

I have truly become a student of your videos and descriptions. I find myself basically reacting to your text with a "Oh, that's why that happened" and I look forward to your next contribution.

@user-AZ-phil 4 ай бұрын

That history gave me an increased appreciation for this beautiful laker. With typical laker grace, she slips out of the canal and into Lake Superior, from a partly cloudy sky to clear skies over the lake. Thanks for this video!

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

No problem! Thank you, glad you enjoyed the history and video! Beautiful ship, beautiful day, couldn’t have asked for more! 😃

@laurenolson8492 4 ай бұрын

Nice and thanks for the history!!! How do you get over to that side of Wisconsin Point? You had to go thru the air field?

@jonathanellsworth21 4 ай бұрын

It’s about a five and a half mile round trip hike to get out there, at the end of Minnesota Point. You can walk on the beach or there’s a hiking trail beside the airport! Beautiful back there!

@laurenolson8492 4 ай бұрын

@@jonathanellsworth21 LOL Well, I will have to rely on going to the other side! Where I can just drive up!!! Thanks and hope you are doing well!

@danielmorris3687 4 ай бұрын

Like so many of the other viewers I love reading the history of all the vessels working our Lakes. You did a great job on this one, Jon. Do you have any theories on why she backed into the dock?