Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Maumee
By George Wharton
Launched as the William G. Clyde for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company (a
wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Steel Corp.), this Great Lakes bulk carrier
was built as hull #804 by American Ship Building Co., Lorain, OH. The
Clyde entered service August 15th, 1929 when she departed on her maiden
voyage light from Lorain, OH to Duluth, MN to load iron ore. Due to the
nation's prosperous economy at the time, the William G. Clyde was one of three
vessels built for the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet in 1929. The other two
vessels were the Horace Johnson also built by the American Ship Building
Co., Lorain (as hull # 805), scrapped in 1984; and the Calumet, a) Myron
C. Taylor 2001 built as hull #269 by Great Lakes Engineering Works,
River Rouge, MI.
The William G. Clyde was initially powered by a ship yard built 2,200
horsepower triple expansion steam engine with 3 coal-fired Scotch marine
boilers. This large engine was replaced in 1964 by a V-12 cylinder
Nordberg FS-1312-H5C 3,240 b.h.p. diesel engine built by the Nordberg
Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee, WI. The engine burns intermediate
grade 180 fuel giving her a service speed of 11.5 m.p.h. Telescoping
hatch covers seal the 19 hatches that service 4 holds where she
is capable of carrying 12,650 tons (12,853 tonnes) at her mid-summer draft of 22'
03" (6.78m). Three years prior to the installation of her diesel
engine; during her 1960/61 winter lay-up, she was converted to a
self-unloader by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. The
self-unloading system is gravity-fed through gates to two 4-foot wide
belts feeding a forward mounted chain driven bucket elevator leading up
to a 250' (76.2m) discharge boom that can be swung 110 degrees to port or
starboard. Also in 1961, a bow thruster was installed. She became one
of the first vessels to be fitted with the bow thruster.
The William G. Clyde sailed primarily in the iron ore trade from Duluth
and Two Harbors, MN to Chicago, IL, Gary, IN, Conneaut, and Lorain, OH
under the Pittsburgh Steamship banner through until 1952. Effective
January 1st, 1953; as a result of restructuring, Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
was renamed Pittsburgh Steamship Division, U.S. Steel Corp. Ownership
of the William G. Clyde and her fleet mates were transferred directly to U.S. Steel
Corp., Cleveland, OH. The vessel's cargoes continued to be focused in the
iron ore trade with the occasional spot loads of coal, slag, or stone.
The William G. Clyde was transferred to the U. S. Steel owned Michigan Limestone
Division, more commonly known as the Bradley Fleet, in 1960. She was
renamed Calcite II (or "C-2" as she was affectionately called) at this
time with her hull color being painted Bradley gray from Pittsburgh
red. The Calcite II was named in honor of the small self-unloader she
was replacing in the Bradley fleet. The original Calcite was the first
vessel to sail in the Bradley fleet, giving reliable service from 1912
through until her retirement in 1960 and subsequent scrapping in 1961.
The 436' (132.89m) Calcite was the first self-unloader built and operated by
U.S. Steel Corp. The Calcite II's namesake is the town of Calcite, MI;
the location of the world's largest limestone quarry. Under her new
banner, the Calcite II's primary cargo became limestone with her loading
ports becoming Rogers City and Cedarville, MI.
The Calcite II continued to sail for the Bradley fleet until July 1st,
1967; when, for economic reasons, U.S. Steel merged the Bradley fleet
into the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet. June 5th, 1981 saw U.S. Steel
further restructure when it turned its fleet into a wholly owned
subsidiary renaming it the USS Great Lakes Fleet with the designation of
the fleet being a common carrier. The Calcite II was repainted the new
fleet colors of red with the gray stripe. Throughout her tenure with
the new fleet, her trade routes continued to be focused in the lower
Great Lakes limestone, stone and aggregates trades.
The Calcite II's long career on the Great Lakes has not been entirely
without incident. Some noted examples follow. On August 28th, 1964; she
ran aground off Big Point, St. Marys River and in April of 1983, rammed
the seawall in Grand Haven, MI causing $46,300.00 damage to the wall.
The Calcite II struck a projection from the pier at the limestone dock
at Huron, OH resulting in a 2" x 6" (5cm x 15cm) hole in her shell plating and #1
port ballast tank. The C-2 ran aground on a sand shoal mid-channel
while attempting to enter the Fairport, OH harbor traveling at a speed
of 3.2 m.p.h. At the time, she was loaded with a split load from
Cedarville, MI for Fairport and Cleveland. With the aid of the wind and
waves, she was able to free herself and proceeded to Cleveland to
unload, then return to Fairport to finish unloading, The Calcite II was
not damaged. On July 14th, 1993; the Calcite II grounded in the Detroit River
due to a steering system failure. Resulting damage included both port and
starboard bow damage, keel plates, and the portside anchor; all of which were
repaired at Toledo, OH. On December 12th, 1997; the self unloader grounded in
the Saginaw River due to strong currents and high winds. The vessel was
freed with the aid of tug John Purvis. The C-2 grounded again on a sand shoal on April 20th, 2000
while leaving Port Inland, MI loaded with limestone for Cleveland.
The Calcite II was not damaged.
After 71 years of dedicated service to the various U.S. Steel fleets,
the Calcite II and her fleet mates George A. Sloan and Myron C. Taylor
laid up in Sarnia, ON for a final time under the fleet's flag in
December, 2000. A deal was consummated whereby the ownership of the
Calcite II passed in March of 2001 to the Grand River Navigation Co. of
Cleveland, OH (and now also of Rogers City, MI); the U.S. affiliate of Lower
Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover, ON. The
vessel was christened Maumee, an Indian name in keeping with the Company's
naming policy (thus the Company's stack insignia) and in honor of Ohio's Maumee
River; a river often visited by the fleet. The ceremony took place in Sarnia on
April 21st, 2001. After a refit and having her hull painted Lower Lakes
gray, the Maumee departed Sarnia on her maiden voyage April 28th, 2001 under the new
management of
Lower Lakes Transportation Co., Cleveland, OH bound for Stoneport, MI where she loaded stone for Saginaw, MI.
The Maumee continued to be engaged in
the stone, aggregates, limestone, and coal trades quite likely
for some of same customers as she served prior to her sale. She and her
long-time fleet mate Calumet, the former Myron C. Taylor have remained sailing under the American flag whereas her other fleet mate Mississagi,
the former George A. Sloan now sails under the
Canadian flag as a fleet mate to the Cuyahoga and Saginaw under the
Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. banner.
Shortly after entering service under her new colors;
on May 4th, 2001, the Maumee was in collision with a concrete abutment of the
Columbus St. bridge in Cleveland, OH damaging an 8' x 10' (2.44m x 3.05m) section of shell
plating on the starboard side about 10' (3.05m) above the waterline. Repairs were
made at Toledo, OH.
On January 10th, 2004; the Maumee arrived at Sarnia,
ON for what was supposed to have been just a winter lay up. After
preparing to fit out in the spring, the Maumee failed an annual inspection and
was not cleared to sail for the new season. The Maumee remained berthed at
Sarnia's North Slip for the 2004 season. With much work being done on the
veteran during the winter of 2004/2005 including tons of new sheet metal, the
Maumee departed Sarnia under her own power arriving at Bay Ship Building,
Sturgeon Bay, WI on April 15th, 2005 for more work, new paint, and the all
important 5-year survey. With little fanfare, the Maumee departed Sturgeon
Bay on May 16th, 2005 returning to active service.
| Overall Dimensions
(metric) |
| Length |
604' 09"
(184.33m) |
Beam |
60' 00"
(18.29m) |
Depth |
32' 00"
(9.75m) |
Capacity |
12,650
tons (12,853 tonnes) |
Power (diesel) |
3,240
b.h.p. |
