The Great Lakes bulk carrier conversion Canadian Ranger emerged from Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, ON
on April 5, 1984 as hull their #72; a result of the joining of the stern section (pilothouse, engine room,
and machinery) of the former coastal package freighter Chimo with the bow and midbody of the “T2” tanker converted lake bulk carrier Hilda Marjanne less her forward wheelhouse, stern accommodations, and machinery. In order for the stern of the Chimo to adapt to the bow section of the Hilda Marjanne, a special 25
foot (7.62m) transition hull had to be constructed to accommodate the 19 foot
(5.79m) difference in beam. The rear pilothouse was raised the equivalent of one deck level to increase visibility. At her launch, the Canadian Ranger was registered as being owned by Ranex Shipping who chartered the vessel to
ULS. International Inc.; both wholly owned subsidiaries of Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, ON. After completing sea trials April 26,
1984 on Lake Ontario; the Canadian Ranger sailed on her maiden voyage May 6 to Toledo, OH to load coal for Hamilton, passing downbound through the Welland Canal on May 9, 1984.
The Canadian Ranger is powered by a Sulzer model 5RND68 two stroke cycle, single acting 6,100 b.h.p.
(4,487 kW) 5 cylinder diesel engine
built in 1967 by Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Winterthur, Switzerland and burns intermediate grade 180 fuel. She is equipped with a single variable speed propeller and has a rated speed of 19.6 m.p.h. The vessel is equipped with a 1,000 h.p.
(736 kW) bow thruster.
The Canadian Ranger sailed as a “straight decker” primarily in the grain and iron ore trades until her conversion to a self unloader during her 1987/88 winter lay up. The unique self unloading system consists of an on-board unloading leg complete with a deck belt, forward transfer belt, and a bucket type elevator feeding a bow mounted 157’06”
(48m) discharge boom that can be swung 72 degrees to port or starboard and unload at a rate of up to 500 tons
(508 mt) per hour. This one-of-a-kind unloading system is the only one of its type on the Great Lakes and is designed specifically for the unloading of grain or other light commodities. The installation was completed by Hamilton Marine Div., Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd., Hamilton, ON. This installation was a result of a long term floating contract with Cargill for the delivery of grain products to their Quebec City, QC facility.
The Canadian Ranger has 20 hatches servicing 6 holds where the vessel can carry
approximately 23,873 tons (24,256 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26’ 06”
(8.08m) implemented in
2004 and is capable of carrying 25,900 tons (26,316 mt) at a mid-summer draft of 27’ 06”
(8.36m). Other capacities include 614 tons (624 mt) of fuel oil, 120 tons
(122 mt) of diesel oil, 84 tons (85 mt) of potable water, and 11,190 tons
(11,370 mt) of water ballast. The vessel displaces 7,475 tons (7,595
mt) lightship.
Being the ship of record, the coastal package freighter Chimo (#323030) was built by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., Lauzon, QC as hull #662; being launched June 27, 1967 for owners Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal, QC. The Chimo was managed by Clarke Transportation Canada Ltd. and operated by Newfoundland Steamship Co., Montreal QC in the St. Lawrence River package freight business specifically between Montreal and Newfoundland. Her dimensions were 471’ 02”
(143.56m) loa x 56’ 00” (17.07m) beam x 32’ 00” (9.75) deep; 7,800 tons (7,925.3
mt) dwt. The only noted incident for the Chimo occurred April 1, 1978 when the Chimo was in collision with the saltie Federal Thames in the St. Lawrence near Grondines while enroute from Montreal to St. John’s. The Chimo received only minor damage. There were a series of ownership changes but Newfoundland Steamships continued to operate the vessel until they assumed ownership of the vessel in 1981. On August 9, 1982 the Chimo departed Montreal with supplies for Arctic communities under charter to C.A. Crosbie Shipping Ltd. Upon her return from this trip, the Chimo was laid up in Montreal due to lack of cargo, and then later towed to Sorel, QC.
The Chimo and her sister ship Cabot were sold to 12883 Canada Inc., Toronto, ON (Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., managers) on January 26, 1983. The Chimo was then towed by tugs R. & L. No.1 and James E. McGrath to Port Weller Dry Docks arriving September 17, 1983 where her bow and midbody were cut away just forward of the stern pilothouse and accommodations. The forebody was scrapped in Port Maitland, ON leaving the stern section to await her new forebody from the Hilda Marjanne. (Of note, the stern of the Cabot also remains in active service as the Canadian Transfer.)
The Hilda Marjanne was launched December 9, 1943 as the type “T2-SE-A1” ocean tanker Grande Ronde for the U.S. Maritime Commission, being chartered to Los Angeles Tanker Operations, Inc., Los Angeles, CA for wartime service. Her dimensions at launch were 523’ 06”
(159.56m) loa x 68’ 00” (20.73m) beam x 39’ 03” (11.96m) deep; 16,600 tons
(16,866.66 mt) dwt; powered by a 7,240 s.h.p. GE steam turbine. She had 9 cargo tanks with a capacity of 141,200 barrels
(16,836.76 cubic meters). This tanker served primarily in the Pacific Theater. Typical WWII defensive armament for this type of tanker included 1 - 5”
(127mm), 4 - 3” (76.2mm), and 8 - 40mm anti-aircraft guns. The Grande Ronde was sold to Cephalonian Maritime Co., Athens, Greece in 1948 being renamed Kate N.L. The tanker was then engaged in carrying petroleum products on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Kate N.L. was sold to Leitch Transport Ltd., Toronto, ON (Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., managers) in 1960 being renamed Hilda Marjanne. She was towed to Hamburg, West Germany where she was converted to a straight deck bulk carrier and lengthened by Schlieker-Werft Shipyards with a new mid-body and bow. The keel was laid for this conversion on February 21, 1961. The new bulk carrier’s dimensions were 730’ 05”
(222.63m) loa x 75’ 00” (22.86m) beam x 39’ 03” (11.963m) deep; 25,600 tons
(26,011.24 mt) dwt. The Hilda Marjanne crossed the Atlantic under her own power arriving at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, ON August 10, 1961 where she was refitted for Great Lakes service. She began this service November 2, 1961; her activities being focused in the grain and iron ore trades. The Hilda Marjanne’s tenure on the Great Lakes was only marred by 2 groundings.
The first near Sarnia on April 10, 1977 and the second on the St. Lawrence near Port Neuf on July 17, 1979. The bulk carrier laid up at Hamilton, ON for a final time on June 13, 1983 after completing her final laden voyage carrying cement from Clarkson, ON to Duluth, MN. After removing her forward cabins and cutting off her hull just forward of her engine room, the bow and midbody were towed from Hamilton to Port Weller Dry Docks to match with the stern of the Chimo. The stern of the Hilda Marjanne was scrapped at Port Maitland in late 1983.
The Canadian Ranger saw continued service after returning to the Upper Lakes
fleet as a specialized self unloader. From 1993 until she laid up in
Montreal on December 31, 2000, the vessel sailed under the management of
Seaway Bulk Carriers, Winnipeg, MB. The Canadian Ranger is currently owned by ULS Corp., a division of Upper Lakes Group, Inc., Toronto, ON operating under the management of Seaway Marine Transport, St. Catharines, ON. The vessel
remained in lay up statues until she was towed by the tugs Jerry Newbury and
Bonnie B. III from Montreal arriving at Trois-Rivieres, QC November 2, 2002 to
be used as a storage hull with her fleet mate Canadian Trader. The Canadian
Ranger returned to active service November 24, 2003 when she sailed from Trois-Rivieres to Toronto with a winter load of sugar.
On July 10, 2004 the Canadian Ranger departed Toronto under her own power
proceeding to Port Weller Dry Docks at St. Catharines, ON for a $2 million
refurbishment and a 5-year survey. With the assistance of McKeil tugs
Progress and Glenevis, the unique bulker emerged from the dry dock on October
6, 2004 then proceeded upbound in the Welland Canal bound for Anderson's dock
in Toledo, OH to load.
Being one of the only vessels of the Canadian fleet to remain in lay-up after
the start of the 2006 navigation season, the Canadian Ranger became jointly
owned by Upper Lakes Group, Inc. of Toronto, ON (her previous owners) and Algoma
Central Corp. of St. Catharines, ON in late April of 2006. On September 1,
2007, the Canadian Ranger returned to service departing her lay-up berth in
Toronto bound for Toledo, OH with a stop at the Seaway Marine Drydock (former
Port Weller Dry Docks) to have her movable elevator removed. She arrived
in Toledo on September 3 to load. The Canadian Ranger is now operated and
managed by Seaway Marine Transport, St. Catharines, ON.
