The Christening of the
Tug Dorothy Ann
& Self-Unloading
Barge Pathfinder

With the crack of the traditional bottle of champagne, Interlake's new tug Dorothy Ann was christened at a ceremony in Cleveland at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority on Monday, June 28, 1999.

Susan Tregurtha Marshall, daughter of Paul R. Tregurtha, successfully broke the bottle on the tug's hull with one swing. Shortly after April S. Barker repeated the task for the barge Pathfinder.

The tug and barge completed their first trip together in late June carrying a load of taconite from Escanaba, Michigan to Huron, Ohio.

Dorothy Ann is the largest Z-drive tug built to date in North America. Her twin Ulstein Z-drives enable her to turn on her own axis, stop within her own length, and move easily in any direction. Coupled with barge Pathfinder, the pair is the most maneuverable unit on the Great Lakes. Alone, Dorothy Ann can travel at 16 MPH: when pushing the loaded barge, open lake speed is 11.5 MPH. She is fitted with a Great Lakes-specific articulated pin-type connection system for engaging Pathfinder's notched stern. Dorothy Ann's elevated pilot house - outfitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment - has a height of eye of 70 feet, and the vented tower was designed to spoil trailing air drafts. Accommodations include air-conditioned private cabins with semi-private bathroom facilities for 12 crew members, a lounge, and an owner's stateroom.

Namesake of tug Dorothy Ann is Dorothy Ann Tregurtha Croskey of Minneapolis, MN. "Dory" is the daughter of Paul R. Tregurtha, vice-chairman of the Interlake Steamship Company.

We salute the Interlake Steamship Company and welcome the tug Dorothy Ann, may she and the Pathfinder have a long and successful career on the Lakes.