Mark W. Barker - The Most Versatile Freighter on the Great Lakes

Here is the Mark W. Barker arriving in Duluth and Superior on the morning of June 3, 2024. She was hauling a load of salt from Cleveland, Ohio to discharge at the Hallett 8 dock in Superior. The salt is primarily used for melting ice and snow on roadways in the winter. The video starts with the Barker's arrival in the Duluth shipping canal, with the customary exchange of salutes between the Barker and the Aerial Lift Bridge. We then move over to Rice's Point to catch the Barker rounding the corner (with the saltie Federal Oshima in the foreground, unloading cement). The Barker then passes under the John A. Blatnik bridge and proceeds towards the Hallett 8 dock in the distance. After unloading her salt, the Barker would later shift to the CN dock in West Duluth to load taconite pellets for the downbound trip.
The Mark W. Barker is likely the most versatile of the Great Lakes freighters in operation today. In additional to the standard bulk cargoes... such as taconite, limestone, salt, coal, and grain... she can also carry project cargo, containers, wind turbine blades, and steel products. This is due to her cargo holds being flat-bottomed instead of the typical V-shape holds that funnels bulk cargo to the self-unloading conveyor. The trade-off is that it takes a little longer to unload, as two front-end loaders (housed within a "garage" at the end of the cargo hold) are needed to push cargo to the unloading conveyor. The Barker's shorter length also gives her versatility to navigate to smaller ports, such as those located on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. Her front-mounted self-unloading boom also has extra reach for unloading at docks with limited access.
We only get to see the Mark W. Barker in the Twin Ports a few times each year, so it's always nice to be able to document one of her visits. She did two salt runs from Cleveland to Superior in June. It's feasible we may not see her again for several more months.
The 639-foot Mark W. Barker was constructed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and launched in the Spring of 2022, making her the first newly-built American lake freighter since 1983. She made her first sea trials under her own power on July 1, 2022. She is the first "River Class" freighter, meaning she is designed to navigate rivers such as the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. She is powered by two 4,000 horsepower, 16-cylinder EMD diesel engines which drive a single 18-foot, four-blade, controllable-pitch propeller. She has 1,000-hp Kongsberg bow and stern thrusters, which help her navigate tight waterways without the need for tugboat assistance. Her hull has been optimized for efficiency and all systems have been designed to ensure low energy consumption. A Kongsberg high-lift rudder optimizes the wake through the propeller. Her cargo hold has capacity for 26,000 tons and she has a front-mounted self-unloading boom. She has five hydraulically controlled stackable MacGregor hatches, which are more commonly seen on ocean-going ships. The Mark W. Barker is named after the current president of Interlake Steamship Company. He is also the son of James and Kaye Barker, who also have vessels named after them.
____________________
If you are interested in supporting this channel to keep new videos coming, I accept PayPal donations at the following link:
www.paypal.com...
Donations of any size are gratefully accepted, as they help offset my travel expenses to capture this footage. Your views, likes, comments, and subscriptions also help this channel and are greatly appreciated. Thank you!