Mississagi (ship)
.jpg) The Mississagi on the St Lawrence Seaway (2005)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mississagi |
| Owner | Lower Lakes Towing Ltd., Port Dover |
| Port of registry | Nanticoke  Canada |
| Builder | Great Lakes Engineering Works |
| Yard number | 292 |
| Launched | 23 December 1942 |
| Completed | July 1943 |
| Out of service | 8 January 2021 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | Scrapped 2021 |
| Notes | Former names: Hill Annex (1943), George A. Sloan (2001) |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Type L6-S-B1 lake freighter |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 189.13m |
| Beam | 18.29m |
| Depth | 10.67m |
| Propulsion | Caterpillar 3612TA 12-cyl. diesel (1985) |
The Mississagi was a Type L6-S-B1 lake freighter launched in 1943.[1][2] Originally she was powered by a 2,500 horsepower (1,900 kW) triple-expansion steam engine. In 1985 her steam engines were replaced by a 4,500 horsepower (3,400 kW) diesel engine.
She was built to a design from the United States Maritime Commission by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan.[1] She had fifteen sister ships, also built to the Maritime Commission's design, known colloquially as "Maritimers".
The vessel was originally commissioned as the Hill Annex.[1] When she was acquired by the Pittsburgh Steamship Company in July 1943 she was rechristened the George A. Sloan. She was bought by the Bradley Transportation Company in 1966, which converted her to a self-unloading bulk carrier. In 1967 Bradley Transportation was purchased by US Steel, which also owned Pittsburgh Steamship, which returned the George A. Sloan to Pittsburgh fleet.
The George A. Sloan was sold in 2001 to Lower Lakes Towing Ltd., Ontario, Canada, and renamed Mississagi. Her final voyage was from Thunder Bay to Hamilton with a cargo of wheat, she arrived at Hamilton 8 January 2021. After being discharged she was officially retired. In April 2021 Mississagi sailed to Sarnia, Ontario, for indefinite layup.[3] Here she was stripped for parts and equipment.
On October 10, 2021, the Mississagi arrived, under tow, at Purvis Marine Scrapyard in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada for breakup.
Emergencies[edit]
In 1966, the Mississagi ran aground in the Straits of Mackinac.[4] She was laid-up in 2000, and sold to Port Dover, Ontario, firm Lower Lakes Towing Limited, which renamed her Mississagi for the start of the 2001 season.[5] On October 4, 2004, she nearly collided with the seawall at Port Huron, Michigan[6][7]
On Thursday, February 26, 2015, a fire occurred aboard the Mississagi. At the time, the ship was docked in the Port of Hamilton. Firefighters and Confined Space Rescuers from the Hamilton Fire Department responded to the incident. The fire was caused by welding; only minor injuries resulted. [8]
On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, while downbound on the lower St. Marys River, the Mississagi ran aground near De Tour Village, Michigan. At the time of the accident, the vessel was loaded with rock, and had run hard aground by the bow. There were no injuries or environmental pollution.
Gallery[edit]
- Mississagi
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Laker Mississagi entering the channel to Toronto's turning basin -
Mississagi at Toledo, July 2018 -
Mississagi at Toledo, July 2018
.jpg)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Mississagi". boatnerd. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ George Wharton. "Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- George A. Sloan". boatnerd. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ "Shipspotting.com". April 15, 2021.
Mississagi upbound on the St. Clair River, MI, en route to Sarnia
- ^ "Coast Guard Fails to Free Freighter". New York Times. Associated Press. 1966-10-25. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^
Pete Fisher (2012-04-10). "Ship at anchor headed for Colborne". Northumberland Today. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. from Port Dover owns nine ships including Cuyahoga, Kaministqua, Manitoba, Michipicoten, Mississagi, Ojibway, Saginaw and Tecumseh.
- ^ Chris Sebastian (2004-10-09). "Shipwrecks spared in near crash of Mississagi". Port Huron Times Herald. p. B1. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ Chris Sebastian (2004-10-05). "Freighter avoids sea-wall hit". Port Huron Times Herald. p. A1. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ "Welding Sparks Fire on Cargo Ship on Hamilton waterfront". CBC News. 2015-02-26.