Samuel de Champlain was built in 1975 by Mangone Shipyard of Houston, Texas, as the large harbor tugboat Musketeer Fury for Bernhard Hansen AS of Norway. She was completed and entered service in 1976. In 1978, Bernhard Hansen sold the tug, and she was renamed Tender Panther. She was sold again in 1979, and renamed Margarita. In 1983, Margarita was sold Italian and renamed Vortice.

Vortice suffered a major fire while off of the Azores in 1993. The burnt-out hull was laid up at Trieste, Italy, until 1996 when it was sold to McKeil Marine of Burlington, Ontario. The hull was towed across the Atlantic to McKeil’s facilities in Hamilton, Ontario. She remained in layup. In 1998, the tug was sold once again to Sea Force Marine of Norfolk, Virginia, which took her down to Norfolk where she was rebuilt and renamed Norfolk. She never saw service under that name, remaining in layup until 2005 when she was sold to American Transport Leasing.

Norfolk was brought back to the Great Lakes in July 2005 and taken to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where an upper pilothouse was added and she was fitted with a Bludworth-style articulated tug-barge system to be paired with the new cement barge Innovation, being constructed at the shipyard. Norfolk was renamed Samuel de Champlain in early 2006, and was paired with her barge in May 2006. The pair entered service on June 3, 2006, departing Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Alpena, Michigan, to load cement.

The Samuel de Champlain / Innovation continue to serve Lafarge cement, operated and managed by Andrie Inc. of Muskegon, Michigan.

Innovation was constructed in 2006 by Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as a self-unloading cement barge for American Transport Leasing of Muskegon, Michigan. The barge was to be operated by Andrie, Inc. of Muskegon under a cargo contract to Lafarge Holcim. Innovation was the second of two nearly identical self-unloading cement barges constructed by Bay Shipbuilding, her sister being Integrity of 1996. Innovation, unlike her sister, is equipped with both a Fuller-Kinyon cement pump discharge system as well as a conventional airslide boom. The airslide system is not used at most of her unloading ports. The barge is equipped with a Bludworth-style Articulated Tug-Barge connection, allowing the tug and barge to connect and operate together.

Innovation was floated out of the drydock on December 11, 2005, and underwent final preparations for service over the winter. She was paired with the tug Samuel de Champlain in May of 2006, and the pair entered service on June 3, 2006, departing Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Alpena, Michigan, to load cement.

The Samuel de Champlain / Innovation continue to serve Lafarge cement, being operated and managed by Andrie Inc. of Muskegon, Michigan.

Written by Brendan Falkowski.