Click on image for a full screen view
 

Detroit River	Mike Nicholls

Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Canadian Navigator

by George Wharton

Originally sailing as the British deep sea bulk carrier Demeterton; this vessel was launched Jan.26, 1967 for the Cambay Steamship Co. built by J. Redhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields, U.K. Her original dimensions were 566'11" (loa) x 74'09" x 43'04" with a capacity of 21,105 tons. She was (and still is) powered by a Doxford type 76JT4 9,680 horsepower 4-cylinder piston diesel engine giving her a rated service speed of 14.5 knots. The Demeterton was lengthened in 1969 to 646'11" (loa) with her capacity increased to 25,550 tons. April 4, 1975 saw the Demeterton renamed St. Lawrence Navigator as she was acquired by Upper Lakes Group, Toronto, ON. Her duties were focused on iron ore runs on the St. Lawrence River. She was also involved in an experimental run of coal cargo from Vancouver, BC to Hamilton, ON in 1976 and a grain trip to Gdansk, Poland in 1977.

April 14, 1980 saw the St. Lawrence Navigator renamed as the Canadian Navigator following an additional lengthening with the installation of a new bow and cargo section including a 1,000 horsepower bow thruster completed at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catherines, ON. The Canadian Navigator has 15 hatches feeding into 3 holds where she can carry 25,500 tons at maximum Seaway draft of 26 feet and is capable of carrying 31,600 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 29 feet 8 inches. Port Weller Dry Docks installed her self-unloader in 1997. This self-unloading equipment consists of a single belt gravity system with a single loop belt elevator feeding a 260 foot discharge boom that can swing 90 degrees to port or starboard and discharge at a rate up to 4,000 tons per hour.

Still owned by Upper Lakes Group, the Canadian Navigator currently sails under the management of Seaway Self Unloaders (partnership of Algoma Central and Upper Lakes Group). Her cargo could now consist of coal/coke, aggregates, slag, iron ore/oxides, salt, fertilizers, grain products, gypsum, quartzite, or sand. As with all S.S.U. vessels, the Canadian Navigator is equipped with a DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) precision navigation system.

With its updates, this well traveled vessel should see many more productive and profitable navigation seasons for her owners.
 

Overall dimensions
Length	729'10"
Beam	75'10"
Depth	40'06"
Capacity (tons)	31,600

The newly converted Canadian Navigator upbound St. Clair, John Belliveau