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Windsor, ON, August 2004.	Mike Nicholls

Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Algocen (2)

Launched on June 18th, 1968 for the Algoma Central Corp., Sault Ste. Marie, ON; the keel for this classic traditional styled straight deck bulk carrier was laid December 28th, 1967 as hull # 191 by Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON. At a formal ceremony held at the ship yard, the new bulker was officially christened Algocen (2) on September 20th, 1968 by Mrs. John Robarts, wife of the Premier of Ontario.  Attending to the new vessel was Captain Les Brown and Chief Engineer Sam Wheeler.  The Algocen proved to be the last traditional styled (fore/aft cab design) straight deck bulk carrier built at the Collingwood Shipyards.

The Algocen name has been associated with Algoma Central since 1935. The name is derived from the first two words of the owning company's corporate title: "Algo" from Algoma and "Cen" from Central. The first Algocen was launched as the John H. Barlum (2) in 1909 built by American Ship Building Co., Lorain, OH. Her dimensions were 524' (159.72m) loa x 54' (16.46m) wide x 39' 08" (12.09m) depth. The vessel became part of the Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway Co. fleet and was renamed Algocen in 1935. The Algocen (1) continued to sail for the Algoma fleet until being sold for scrap in 1968. On the exact date of the Algocen (2)'s launch, her predecessor departed Quebec City, PQ under tow for scrapping overseas.

The vessel is powered by 4 Fairbanks Morse 12-38D8-1/8 opposed piston, single acting, 2-stroke cycle 12-cylinder 2,000 b.h.p. (1,494 kW) diesel engines built by Canadian Locomotive Co. Ltd., Kingston, ON.  These engines burn marine diesel oil.  The power is geared through a single screw output gearbox to a single KaMeWa 18.7' (5.70m) diameter controllable pitch propeller giving her a speed of 16.1 m.p.h..  The Algocen was originally built with the "side drive" option with 2 additional 12 cylinder Caterpillar D398 700 b.h.p. (523 kW) auxiliary diesel engines built by Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, IL; that, when not being used as electricity generators, could be clutched into the central gearbox to provide additional power.  This capability was later disconnected but the engines were not removed.  She is equipped with an 800 h.p. (598 kW) bow thruster.

The Algocen's 17 hatches service 6 holds where she is capable of carrying 28.400 tons (28,856 mt) at a mid-summer draft of 27' 09" (8.46m) and approximately 26,666 tons (27,094 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26' 06" (8.08m) which was implemented in 2004.  At the old Seaway draft of 26' 03" (8.00m), the Algocen could carry 26,414 tons (26,838 mt).  Other capacities include 452 tons (459 mt) of fuel oil, 80 tons (81 mt) of potable water, and 11,153 tons (11,332 mt) of water ballast and also has the facility for hold flooding.

The Algocen entered service on September 20th, 1968 and was noted to have passed through the Port Colborne piers entering the Welland Canal with her first load of grain on September 28th, 1968.  Shortly after, on October 13th and 14th, Algoma held an "Open Ship" at Sault Ste. Marie, ON where over 14,000 people toured the Algocen.  By early November of 1969, grain cargoes for the new vessel were scarce and the Algocen laid up for the winter with a storage cargo of grain for a spring 1969 delivery.  The Algocen set a barley record at Superior, WI on May 6th, 1970 carrying 1,061,300 bushels.  This record was followed up with a Great Lakes corn record loading 1,014,000 bushels at Milwaukee, WI on November 5th, 1971 bound for Port Cartier, QC.  She was the first vessel to have loaded in excess of one million bushels of this product.  On August 14th, 1973,  the Algocen set a Great Lakes soybean record loading 934,000 bushels at Duluth, MN for Baie Comeau, QC.  She then reset this record on July 3rd, 1974 by loading 946,000 bushels of soybeans at Superior, WI bound for Quebec City, QC.

As well as setting cargo records, the Algocen has also had a number of incidents on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system.  A few of these follow.  On November 27th, 1970; the Algocen was caught by strong currents while entering the harbor at Port Colborne swinging her stern causing her bow to strike a sunken bridge abutment at Welland Canal's Bridge 21 resulting in a 24' (7.32m) x 3' (.91m) gash in her starboard bow.  The damage was patched at Port Weller Dry Docks with permanent repairs being completed at Thunder Bay, ON at a cost of approximately $150,000 CN.  She was noted to have run aground on South McNair Shoal in the St. Lawrence River near Ogdensburg, NY on August 31st, 1975 while laden with grain for Port Cartier, QC. with resulting serious bottom damage. After refloating, she was taken to Port Weller Dry Docks where a 600 foot ( 182.88m) section of bottom plating was found to be in need of repair. After a month in dry dock and 750 tons of steel later, the Algocen was sent back into service.  On December 15th, 2003; the Algocen was driven by high winds into the Cargill dock at Sarnia, ON while approaching the dock to secure and load for Montreal.  Scraped paint and a 4 foot (1.22m) gash to the port bow above the waterline as well as some dock damage resulted.  Repairs to the vessel were completed at Sarnia before departing.

The Algocen's entire career has been spent as part of the Algoma Central Marine fleet. Since January 2000 the vessel has sailed under the management of Seaway Marine Transport, St. Catharines, ON (partnership of Algoma Central and Upper Lakes Group). A 2003 summary of loads shows the Algocen having carried a total of 30 cargoes consisting of 13 grain, 13 iron ore, 3 cement clinker, and 1split load of iron ore and black sand, with no mid season lay-up.  The bulker remained active throughout the entire 2004 navigation season as well. 

The 2004 navigation season appears to be her last season sailing on the Great Lakes with her final load being from Duluth, MN clearing the Duluth breakwall on December 18th, 2004 bound for Port Cartier, QC.  The Algocen arrived back at Montreal for her final lay-up on January 4th, 2005.  Before the end of the month, her new registered owner was Recycling Technologies, Inc. (subsidiary of Bayshore Recycling) in New Jersey; to be used as a spoils storage barge.  After being renamed Valgocen and flagged Panamanian in July of 2005, the retired laker departed Montreal on July 25th, 2005 bound for New Jersey in tow of Atlantic Towing's new tug Atlantic Oak, being assisted down the St. Lawrence River by tug Andre H.  The tow arrived at Bayshore's dock in Keasbey, NJ on August 3rd, 2005.

 

Overall Dimensions (metric)
Length	730' 00" (222.50m)
Beam	75' 00" (22.86m)
Depth	39' 08" (12.09m)
Capacity (mid-summer)	28,400 tons (28,856 mt)  at a draft of 27' 09" (8.46m)
Power (diesel)	8,000 b.h.p. (5,696 kW)

 

 

Detroit River. Mike Nicholls	Loading in Duluth. Gary A. Putney	Detroit River. Mike Nicholls
		Loading in Thunder Bay. Rob Farrow
Loading in Thunder Bay. Rob Farrow	Soo Locks MacArthur Lock.	Underway. Alex Howard
Unloading at St. Lawrence Cement. Steven Sliwka	Loading in Thunder Bay. Rob Farrow	Docked. Jeff Thoreson
Profile 2003. N. Schultheiss	Soo Locks. Rod Burdick	Rock cut stern view. N. Schultheiss
Engine room, Feb. 2004.  Kent Malo	Galley, Feb. 2004.  Kent Malo	One of the holds, Feb. 2004.  Kent Malo.
Downbound off Lake Huron, Apr. 2003.  G. Wharton	Bow profile, Apr. 2003.  G. Wharton	Upbound into Lake Huron, Apr. 2004. G. Wharton
After renaming in Montreal, mid July, 2005. Kent Malo	Atlantic Oak, Valgocen and Andre H on the St. Lawrence River by Trois-Rivieres. Kent Malo	Bow view, July 25, 2005. Kent Malo

Algocen video (Bill Bird)