Originally built in 1960 as the deep sea ore carrier Ruhr Ore by Schlieker-Werft, Hamburg, West Germany; this ship was launched March 19, 1960 as shipyard hull #536. The Ruhr Ore was built with the wheelhouse amidships and with the original overall dimensions of 546’00”
(166.42m) loa x 73’10” (22.403m) beam x 40’02” (12.243m) depth and a carrying capacity of 20,032
tons (20,354 mt). The bulk carrier was and is still powered by a single Burmeister & Wain model 7-74VTBF-160 two stroke cycle, single acting 7 cylinder 8,750 b.h.p.
(6,436 kW) diesel engine
built in 1959 by Fried. Krupp Dieselmotoren GmbH, Essen, Germany. The engine burns intermediate grade 180 fuel.
The Ruhr Ore entered service in June of 1960 carrying iron ore from Venezuela to Europe for U.S. Steel offshore interests, operating under charter to Transatlantic Bulk Carriers, Monrovia, Liberia. The Ruhr Ore was last of three identical sister ships built by Schlieker-Werft for this service. The other two vessels were the Rhine Ore launched April 11, 1959 (hull #533) and the Ems Ore launched October 17, 1959 (hull #535).
Hall Corporation Shipping Ltd. (Halco) of Montreal, QC bought the three ore carriers in 1976 to carry Labrador ore from Gulf of St. Lawrence ports to the steel mills in Hamilton, ON. Officially registered Canadian at Toronto, ON November 4, 1977; the Ruhr Ore was the first of the three vessels to be converted to a Seaway sized Great Lakes bulk carrier by being lengthened and modernized at Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., Lauzon, QC (hull #692) at a cost of $9 million. Included in this work was a complete new mid body and bow installed from the engine room forward with the midship wheelhouse and cabins being modernized and relocated to the stern. Also installed were a 16 cylinder 1,200 h.p.
(883 kW) Caterpillar diesel bow thruster and a controllable pitch propeller. The original B. & W. power plant was retained. The newly converted bulker had a rated service speed of 14.4 m.p.h. The bulk carrier has 17 hatches servicing 6 holds where the vessel is capable of carrying 29,100 tons
(29,567.5 mt) at mid summer draft of 2710.25” (8.49m) and approximately 27,057 tons
(27,492 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26’06” (8.08m) which was implemented in 2004.
Her holds have the cubic capacity to hold 30,400 net tons (equivalent of 27,143
tons / 27,579 mt) of coal; 27,477 tons (27,918 mt) of wheat; 25,657 tons (26,069
mt) of corn or rye; 21,992 tons (22,345 mt) of barley or 18,790 tons (19,092 mt)
of oats. Other capacities include 492 tons
(500 mt) of fuel oil and 11,465 tons (11,649 mt) of water ballast. With this conversion, the new bulker would displace approximately 7,770 tons
(7,895 mt) lightship.
The old forebody was sold for scrap and was towed (possibly in tandem with the old forebody of the Ems Ore) by the tug Irving Birch to Brownsville, TX arriving in December, 1977.
Halco renamed the new bulk carrier Cartiercliffe Hall with it entering service in December of 1977. The bulker laid up for the winter in Prescott, ON shortly after, requiring more work before making its maiden voyage upbound through the Welland Canal on April 16, 1978. The other two ore carriers purchased by Halco were renamed as follows: the Ems Ore becoming the Montcliffe Hall, later the Cartierdoc, now sailing as the Cedarglen (2); the Rhine Ore becoming the Steelcliffe Hall and later the ill fated Windoc (2).
On June 4, 1979; the Cartiercliffe Hall had loaded 24,830 tons (25,229 mt
or 993,000 bushels) of corn and departed from Duluth, MN bound for Port Cartier, QC. Early the next morning, while downbound on Lake Superior about 11 miles off Copper Harbor on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, a serious fire broke out in the crew’s quarters of the aft end accommodations. The fire quickly spread throughout the stern accommodations area and consumed the wheelhouse before any distress calls could be sent. The wheelsman was only able to sound the general alarm before he was forced from the wheelhouse by intense smoke. The fire was spotted by the upbound U.S. Steel vessel Thomas W. Lamont who advised the U.S. Coast Guard station at Hancock, MI of a ship on fire and immediately altered course to lend assistance. The “abandon ship” order had been given and the Thomas W. Lamont arrived to pick up 17 of the 25 crew who were in the lifeboat. Canada Steamship Lines’ self unloader Louis R. Desmarais arrived on the scene shortly after and picked up 2 of the crew from a life raft. Bethlehem Steel’s Arthur B. Homer, Inland Steel’s Philip D. Block, and U.S. Steel’s A.H. Ferbert also arrived to search for the remaining 6 crew. Unfortunately, the 6 unaccounted for crew members had died in the fire. A seventh member succumbed to his injuries later. The smoldering vessel was taken under tow to Thunder Bay, ON by Halco’s Doan Transport with the assistance of the tug Peninsula, arriving late in the morning of June 6th. Transport Canada later confirmed the fire had started in the crew accommodation area on the port side but could not determine the exact cause of the blaze due to the intensity of the fire.
The cargo of corn which was relatively undamaged by the fire was lightered on June 26 into the Beavercliffe Hall. The tug Wilfred M. Cohen towed the Cartiercliffe Hall from Thunder Bay to the Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON arriving September 12, 1979 for repairs and the rebuilding of the bulker’s aft accommodations and wheelhouse. This work was assigned “hull #221” and cost approximately $6 million to complete. While the final work was being completed, on May 7, 1980 an on board accident at the shipyard killed one and injured another person. The Cartiercliffe Hall returned to service on May 26, 1980.
On June 24, 1980; the Cartiercliffe Hall experienced steering gear failure and grounded in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, ON. The bulker was refloated with the aid of three tugs and continued on to Conneaut, OH with the load of iron ore. On December 11, 1986; a ruptured fuel line to a generator caused another fire on board the Cartierdoc while the vessel transiting the Welland Canal. This fire was quickly controlled and contained with the bulker continuing her voyage on December 13.
With the demise of Halco due to economic conditions, Canada Steamship Lines acquired the Cartiercliffe Hall in April of 1988, renaming the bulker Winnipeg (2). From 1991 through 1993, the Winnipeg sailed under the management of Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, a consortium of the bulk carriers from the Canada Steamship Lines, Misener Holdings Ltd., and Pioneer Shipping. In 1993, the Winnipeg carried 23 cargoes consisting of 11 grain, 10 iron ore, and 2 cement.
With the collapse of Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, on April 8, 1994 Algoma Central closed a deal purchasing the Winnipeg (2) and her fleet mates Richelieu (3) and Simcoe (2) from Canada Steamship Lines for approximately $4.5 million. In June of 1994, following a refit at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, ON; the bulker entered service for new owners Algoma Central Marine Group, St. Catharines, ON sailing under the management of Seaway Bulk Carriers, Winnipeg, MB bearing the new name Algontario. The Algontario takes its name from the standard Algoma fleet prefix “Algo” and the Province of Ontario being the home province of the vessel’s owners. The Algontario’s fleet mates were renamed Algocape (2) and Algostream respectively. During the 1997 season, the Algontario carried 27 cargoes consisting of 12 grain, 8 iron ore, 6 cement, and 1 sugar (for winter storage at Toronto).
On April 5, 1999 the Algontario grounded in the St. Marys River north of Johnson’s Point while upbound for Duluth, MN with 18,611 tons
(18,910 mt) of cement from Clarkson, ON. The grounding effectively blocked the upbound channel (Middle Neebish Channel). The bulker was freed from her strand 18:30 on April 7 with the aid of 3 tugs and the lightering of some fuel and the emptying of ballast tanks. The Algontario was also carrying 376 tons
(382 mt) of fuel oil and 96.5 tons (98.05 mt) of diesel. After inspection and temporary repairs, the Algontario was allowed to continue on to Duluth to unload then proceed in ballast to Thunder Bay, ON for repair.
The Algontario arrived at Pascal Engineering’s dry dock at Thunder Bay on April13, 1999. Incident related damages were found to include extensive bottom shell plating damage with the starboard double bottom ballast tank numbers 4, 5, and 6, the feed water tank, and cofferdams by way of the engine room all breached. The cost of repairing these damages combined with other non incident related damages requiring repair at the vessel’s next dry docking as noted by Transport Canada at Hamilton, ON in March of 1999 (Hamilton being the Algontario’s 1998/99 winter lay up port) prior to the vessel’s sailing again contributed to Algoma’s decision to place the vessel into long term lay up in an “as is” condition at Thunder Bay.
The Algontario has faced a very uncertain future since the 1999 incident; be it
repair, rebuild, or scrap. During the winter of 2003/04, it became apparent that the 2004 navigation season
would see the probable need for additional hulls to move an expected higher number of grain cargoes as compared to the previous number of years.
With the projected need for additional capacity and hulls extending beyond the 2004 season, the Algontario was placed
in Pascal Engineering's dry dock on April 14, 2004 with the intent of
returning the bulker to service. On September 4, 2004, the Algontario
was removed from the dry dock and began to fit out. The bulker
returned to active service sailing from Thunder Bay, ON on October 10, 2004
with 25,855 tons (26,270.415 mt) of wheat for Montreal, QC.
The Algontario is operated and managed by Seaway Marine Transport of St. Catharines, ON,
a partnership company formed by Algoma Central and Upper Lakes Group to
effectively operate and manage the combined fleets. The Algontario has
operated each season since her return to service in 2004. The bulker saw
extended service in her 2007 navigation season, operating well into 2008 in the
St. Lawrence River iron ore trade running between Port Cartier, QC and
Contrecoeur, QC.
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