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| St. Clair River, July 23, 2005. |
John Meyland |
Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Algoville
By George Wharton
One of very few vessels built for Great Lakes
service by the Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Saint John, NB, the
Seaway sized gearless bulk carrier was built as the yard's hull # 1084 and
launched October 15, 1967 as the Senneville for the Mohawk Navigation Co.,
Ltd., Montreal, QC. Named after a community near Montreal, QC located on the
western end of Montreal Island on the Lake of Two Mountains, home to Mohawk
Navigation's president Mr. Robert A. Campbell, the Senneville became only
the second Great Lakes bulk carrier with her wheelhouse, all accommodations
and machinery aft. The first laker was the Senneville's 1963-built
fleetmate Silver Isle (now sailing as the Algoisle). The Senneville
was built using the lightest weight steel that would pass classification
society and Coast Guard inspections to save weight and increase cargo
capacity. Upon entering service, the Senneville became the flagship of
the fleet and departed Sept-Isles, QC on November 8, 1967 on her maiden
voyage laden with iron ore for Cleveland, OH. While on this trip, she
was noted to have transited upbound in the Welland Canal on November 11.
As originally built, the Senneville was the
standard Seaway 75' 00" (22.86m) wide. She had a mid-summer cargo
capacity of 28,200 tons (28,653 mt) at a draft of 27' 09" (8.46m) and a
Seaway capacity of 26,100 tons (26,519 mt) at the old draft restriction of
26' 00" (7.92m). Her original power plant was a M.A.N. model K6Z78/155
single acting, two stroke cycle, 6 cylinder 9,900 b.h.p. (7,367 kW) diesel
engine burning intermediate grade 180 fuel; the power being directed to a
single controllable pitch propeller moving the laker at speeds up to 17.8
m.p.h. She is equipped with a controllable pitch 1,000 h.p. (744 kW)
bow thruster.
The Mohawk Navigation Co. operated in conjunction
with and carried cargoes on behalf of James Richardson and Sons Ltd.,
Winnipeg, MB (a large Canadian grain handler). On September 19, 1969,
it was announced that the Mohawk Navigation fleet consisting of the
Senneville, Silver Isle and Golden Hind would be operated, managed and
crewed by Scott Misener Steamships Ltd., St. Catharines, ON with the
beginning of the 1970 season. Mohawk retained ownership while the bulkers
were chartered to Scott Misener Steamships. The Senneville
distinguished herself on March 28, 1973 when she became the first vessel to
pass downbound through the newly built Welland Canal bypass of the city of
Welland Canal. Meanwhile, on the same day, Canada Steamship Lines'
self unloader J.W. McGiffin was the celebrated vessel as the first official
upbound vessel at the Welland Canal's "Top Hat" ceremony at Lock 3 opening
the canal for the 1973 season. Then on October 4, 1975, the Senneville
set a Great Lakes and Seaway rye record carrying 1,026,983 bushels from
Thunder Bay, ON to Sorel, QC. This record still stands today.
October 1, 1977 saw the vessel setting a Great Lakes soybean record when she
carried 947,000 bushels from Superior, WI to Sorel, a record which was
broken 2 years later. From 1991 to 1994, the Senneville and her
fleetmate were operated by Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, Inc., St. Catharines,
ON, a consortium consisting of the bulker fleets of Canada Steamship Lines,
Misener Holdings and Pioneer Shipping, though still being managed by
Misener. During the 1991/92 winter lay-up, the Senneville had double
bottom steel work completed and her # 1 hold was rebuilt as a tank to carry
canola oil when not being used for dry bulk cargo.
Early in 1980, the Senneville with her fleetmate
Silver Isle were acquired by the newly formed Pioneer Shipping Ltd., an
affiliate of Pioneer Grain Co. and a subsidiary of James Richardson and Sons
Ltd., Winnipeg, MB. Misener continued to operate and manage the small
fleet. The bulkers' hulls were painted the distinctive fleet colors of
orange/red hulls with large white "PIONEER" on each side, yellow
forecastles, white cabins and orange/red stacks with black caps and styled
"JR" lettering on each side.
The Senneville had very few incidents recorded
against her name. On July 3, 1973, a power failure caused the vessel
to strike a pier in Montreal resulting in bow damage. The laker
grounded on October 3, 1977 while leaving Thunder Bay, ON with a load of
grain. She was freed the next day after lightering some of her cargo;
the resulting damage being a minor crack in one of the ballast tanks.
April 8, 1994 marked the closure of a deal whereby
Algoma Central Marine, St. Catharines, ON purchased the Senneville and her
fleetmate Silver Isle from Pioneer Shipping for $5.7 million (CN) following the
collapse of Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, Inc. and Misener Holdings Ltd. On June
1, 1994, the Senneville officially became part of the Algoma Central Marine
fleet. After repainting and being renamed Algoville, the bulker entered service
for her new owners operated by Seaway Bulk Carriers, Winnipeg, MB (a
partnership between Algoma Central and Upper Lakes Group). In January of
2000, the operation of the Algoville came under the new banner of Seaway Marine
Transport, St. Catharines, ON following the amalgamation of Seaway Bulk Carries
and Seaway Self Unloaders, St. Catharines, ON into one operating entity. The
bulker's new name
was simply a result of combining the corporate prefix "Algo" with the suffix of
her previous name "ville".
In October of 1996, the Algoville returned to
service after having side tank and shell renewal as well as a widening of the
hull by approximately 3' (.91m) to the new Seaway dimensional allowance.
The work was completed at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, ON at an
approximate cost of $6.4 million (CN). Her new mid-summer capacity
increased to 31,250 tons (31,752 mt) at a draft of 28' 11" (8.89m) and
approximately 27,371 tons (27,811 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26' 06"
(8.08m); the cargo being contained in 6 holds serviced by 18 hatches.
Cubic hold capacities include 32,400 net tons of coal (standard measurement for
coal, equivalent to 28,929 tons or 29,393 mt); 28,928 tons (29,393 mt) of wheat;
26,788 tons (27,218 mt) of corn or rye; 23,498 tons (23,875 mt) of barley; or
21,603 tons (21,950 mt) of oats. Operating capacities include 632.8 tons
(643 mt) of fuel oil, 86.6 tons (88 mt) of diesel oil, 96.5 tons (98 mt) of
potable water and 10,476.7 tons (10,645 mt) of water ballast.
On May 1, 2006, the Algoville was towed to Goderich,
ON by Malcolm Marine's tug Manitou after experiencing engine trouble while
downbound in Lake Huron near Alpena, MI with 27,024 tons (27,458 mt) of wheat
from Thunder Bay, ON for Quebec City, QC. After temporary repairs were
made, she departed Goderich on May 13 only operating on 5 of her 6 cylinders.
After unloading at Quebec City, the Algoville returned to Heddle Marine at
Hamilton, ON (arriving May 23) pending the delivery and installation of a new
engine. While laid up, on January 25, 2007, a fire broke out below decks
as workers were cutting steel with a torch resulting in heavy smoke when some
lubricant and oil caught fire. There were 12 workers on board at the time
and 21 firefighters were required to extinguish the fire. No injuries were
reported and there was no damage to the ship.
The Algoville's new engine is a modern, efficient,
medium speed MaK model 8M43C inline 8-cylinder 10,730 b.h.p. (8,000 KW) diesel
engine built in 2007 by MaK, Rostock, Germany. The power is fed through a
Jahnel-Kestermann reduction gear to a single controllable pitch propeller.
The engine's basic dimensions are 32' 01.75" (9.798m) long x 9' 06" (2.905m)
wide x 20' 02" (6.145m) high, with a dry weight of 112.2 tons (114 mt).
The Algoville is expected to return to active service in April or May of 2007.
Seaway Marine Transport continues to operate and
manage the Algoville for Algoma Central Corporation. Her cargoes remain
focused in the bulk agricultural and iron ore trades as they have since she
first entered service on the Great Lakes.
| Overall Dimensions
(metric) |
| Length |
730' 00"
(222.50m) |
| Beam |
77' 11"
(23.75m) |
| Depth |
39' 08"
(12.09m) |
| Capacity (mid-summer) |
31,250
tons (31,752 mt)
at a draft of 28' 11" (8.89m) |
| Power (diesel) |
10,730
b.h.p. (8,000 KW) |
Upbound the Welland Canal, Aug. 2, 2005.
Mike Nicholls |
Stern view. Mike Nicholls |
Downbound at the Soo, Apr. 29, 2006.
Roger LeLievre |
Detroit River, Sept. 19, 2004. Mike Nicholls |
Stern view. Mike Nicholls |
St. Lawrence Seaway, July 31, 2005. Fritz Hagar |
At Pier 52, Toronto Jan. 24, 2004 with a
winter
lay-up cargo of sugar. Murray Smith |
Meeting the upbound saktie Yarmouth above the
Soo Locks, Apr. 17, 2004. Jerry Masson |
On the St. Marys River at Mission Point,
June 27, 2004. Roger LeLievre |
Detroit River, Sept. 14, 2003.
Mike Nicholls |
Stern view. Mike Nicholls |
St. Lawrence River, Dec. 2004.
Marc Piché |
Approaching Welland Canal's Lock 1, Nov. 17, 2002.
Alex Howard |
Upbound the Welland Canal, Apr. 15, 2003.
Bill Bird |
Heading under the bridges at the Soo, June 24, 2003.
Capt. John Chomniak, Lock Tours Canada Boat Cruises |
At Richardson's, Thunder Bay on Aug. 24, 2001.
Rob Farrow |
Detroit River, Nov. 16, 2001.
Mike Nicholls |
Stern view. Mike Nicholls |
