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At Marquette, MI, Oct. 13, 2007.	Rod Burdick

Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Canadian Leader

By George Wharton

On November 15, 1966, the keel for this classic Great Lakes bulk steamer was laid at Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. of Collingwood, ON. The new laker was launched on June 16, 1967 as the Feux-Follets for Papachristidis Shipping Ltd. of Montreal, QC becoming their newest, largest and final addition to their 5 vessel fleet.  Upon her completion, she was designated the fleet's flag ship.  The Feux-Follets was built to replace the steamer Don-de-Dieu which had previously been sold to Labrador Steamship in 1967.  She also proved to be the last new steam-powered laker to have been built on the Great Lakes.  The new bulk steamer was named in honor of the Feux-Follets Ballet Group of Montreal. a group that was avidly supported by the fleet's owner Mr. Phrixos Papachristidis.  The name itself translates from French as "will of the wisp" or, more literally, "like gases over water."

The Feux-Follets is powered by a Canadian General Electric 9,900 s.h.p. (7,282 KW) cross-compound steam turbine engine built by Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., Peterborough, ON with 2 heavy fuel oil fired Babcock and Wilcox water tube boilers with Bailey automatic controls.  The power is fed to a single fixed pitch propeller which can push the vessel along at speeds of up to 19 m.p.h.  She is also equipped with an 800 h.p. (588 KW) KaMeWa controllable pitch propeller bow thruster.  The bulker is capable of carrying 28,300 tons (28,755 mt) of ore at a mid-summer draft of 27' 09" (8.47m) and approximately 26,997 tons (27,431 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26' 06" (8.08m).  Cubic cargo capacities of her holds include 30,500 net tons* of coal (27,232 tons / 27,670 mt), 27,303 tons (27,742 mt) of wheat, 25,683 tons (26,096 mt) of corn and rye, 22,534 tons (22,896 mt) of barley and 20,713 tons (21,046 mt) of oats.  The cargo is contained in 6 holds serviced by 17 hatches.  Other capacities include 765 tons (777 mt) of fuel oil, 18.7 tons (19 mt) of diesel oil, 93.5 tons (95 mt) of potable water and 10,935 tons (11,111 mt) of water ballast.

On October 12, 1967 the Feux-Follets entered service sailing on her maiden voyage in ballast from Collingwood, ON to Port Arthur, ON (now part of Thunder Bay, ON) for a load of grain for a St. Lawrence River port.  While downbound on this voyage, on October 17, the bulker lost power while approaching the Soo Locks drifting close to the new, still drying Poe Lock.  Power was restored and control was regained before any damage was done.  The bulker set a Seaway record on May 7, 1969 carrying 961,988 bushels of #1 Northern wheat.

For a number of reasons, Mr. Papachristidis decided to leave the Great Lakes shipping industry.  Thus, on March 16, 1972, the Feux-Follets with her fleet mates Montrealais, Quebecois, Petite Hermine and Grande Hermine were sold to Jackes Shipping Ltd., a division of Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. of Toronto, ON for $25 million.  The Feux-Follets was renamed Canadian Leader, the Petite Hermine and Grande Hermine being renamed Canadian Hunter and Canadian Mariner respectively with the Montrealais and Quebecois retaining their names.

The Canadian Leader immediately distinguished herself with her new fleet on March 28, 1972 by being the first Upper Lakes vessel to pass down through the new Welland Canal bypass of the city of Welland, ON.  On August 5, 1972, the laker struck the loading dock at Thunder Bay caving in the bow and flooding the forepeak.  Temporary repairs were completed there with permanent repairs being completed at Port Weller Dry Docks at St. Catharines, ON.  On April 1, 1976 (also on March 24, 1998), the Canadian Leader's Captain was awarded the "Top Hat" at ceremonies held annually at the Lock 3 Visitors' Center of the Welland Canal at St. Catharines for being the first vessel to transit downbound through the Welland Canal officially opening the Canal for the new navigation season.  The Canadian Leader set a Huron, OH port record on November 18, 1982 when over 1 million bushels of grain were loaded on board.  Then on April 16, 1983, she struck the west pier of the Conrail bridge in Toledo, OH while outbound with a load of grain.  Major damage was caused to the bridge and lesser damage to the vessel.

More recently, on August 21, 1998, the Canadian Leader ran aground on Crab Island Shoal while downbound on the St. Marys River on the Drummond Island side of the Detour Channel.  The grounding was suspected to have been caused by steering gear failure.  She was pulled off her strand on August 23rd with the aid of Purvis Marine tugs Anglian Lady, Avenger IV and Wilfred M. Cohen.  There was substantial forepeak damage with flooding which was temporarily repaired with the laker proceeding to Port Weller Dry Docks for permanent repair.  She returned to service on September 28, 1998.  Then on December 10th, 2003, the Canadian Leader experienced steering problems while downbound on Lake Huron with grain from Thunder Bay to Baie Comeau, QC.  She anchored in Lake Huron before entering the St. Clair River to make repairs but had steering trouble again by Harsens Island above Lake St. Clair.  The vessel was permitted to proceed to Port Colborne, ON for more complete repairs.

On September 26, 2005, the Canadian Leader grounded in the St. Lawrence River near Grondines, QC (between Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City) due to engine failure.  At the time, she was upbound with a load of iron ore from Pointe Noire, QC for Hamilton, ON.  The vessel was freed September 28 having received bottom plate damage and water in the forward hold.  She proceeded to Quebec City for further inspection and temporary repairs before being allowed to proceed to Hamilton to unload her cargo.  She then went to Port Weller Dry Docks where she was drydocked for permanent repairs; returning to service in mid-November.

The steam powered laker continues to sail under the ownership of Upper Lakes Shipping, being managed by Seaway Marine Transport of St. Catharines, ON.  Seaway Marine Transport is a partnership jointly owned by Upper Lakes Shipping and Algoma Central that commercially manages and operates the dry-bulk fleets of both companies.  Her cargoes continue to be focused in the bulk agricultural products, iron ore and cement clinker trades.

*The Great Lakes shipping industry standard for coal is the "net ton" (2,000 lbs.).  All other tonnage figures shown in this article are "gross tons" (1.12 net tons or 2,240 lbs.) with metric mt shown thus ( ).

 

Overall Dimensions (metric)
Length	730' 00" (222.50m)
Beam	75' 00" (22.86m)
Depth	39' 08" (12.09m)
Capacity (mid-summer)	28,300 tons (28,755 mt)  at a draft of 27' 09" (8.47m)
Power (steam turbine)	9,900 s.h.p. (7,282 KW)

 

St. Lawrence Seaway near St. Lambert Lock, July, 7, 2007. Michel St-Denis	Coming off Lake Huron at Point Edward, ON, Aug. 16, 2007. Marc Dease	Arriving at Marquette to load iron ore, Oct. 13, 2007. Lee Rowe
On Lake St. Clair, Dec. 9, 2006. Boatnerd Staff	St. Lawrence River near Quebec City, June 18, 2007. Michel St-Denis	Stern view. Michel St. Denis
St. Lawrence River in the American Narrows by Wellesley Island, NY, July 21, 2005. Fritz Hager	Entering the St. Clair River at Port Huron, Apr., 2006. Bill Bird	Loading at Thunder Bay, May 7, 2006. Rob Farrow
Unloading cement clinker at Duluth, May  27, 2005. Chris Mazzella	Another view. Chris Mazzella	Welland Canal, Sept. 22, 2004. Alex Howard
Into the lock. Alex Howard	Different views at Welland Canal Aug. 19, 2004. Alex Howard
	Welland Canal Apr. 19, 2002. Dan Sweeley	Loading at Toledo Oct. 31, 2002. Mike Nicholls
St. Lawrence River, May 2005. Jacque Trempes	Being towed Sept 28, 2005 after grounding, St. Lawrence River. Jacques Trempe	Upbound the Welland Canal, Aug. 11, 2001. G. Wharton