Former Self Unloader ALGOMA ENTERPRISE

 ENTERPRISE fueling up in Port Colborne - March 8, 2006

 

And then there was one last piece to put in place to complete my Jigsaw Planet puzzle of the 730' ALGOMA ENTERPRISE last Tuesday night. As you can see in the pic above it was the Algoma Central Corporation "Bear" logo or emblem that can be seen at the bow and also on the stack on any of their vessels. The ENTERPRISE didn't always bear the bear. While being built in 1979 at Port Weller Dry Dock, her hull was painted black and the familiar Upper Lakes Shipping's white trimmed diamond logo was displayed on her red and black twin side by side stacks until she and the Upper Lakes fleet were sold to Algoma Central Corp in February 2011. 

Originally her name was CANADIAN ENTERPRISE, and she was the last of five self unloading newbuilds that were uniquely designed with relatively blunt non-angled bows, flattened sterns and a long single hold all done to maximize cargo capacity. Along with introducing this new design of ships to the fleet, it was also the start of Upper Lakes including the prefix "CANADIAN" to a ship's name which generally commemorated a special event, a type of commerce or tradesman in Canada. 

The CENTURY was renamed JOHN D. LEITCH after her mid-body was rebuilt wider in 2002.

The first, the CANADIAN CENTURY with her tall "high-rise-like" wheelhouse situated a short distance from the point of her bow, resembled a traditional Great Lakes straight-decker, and commemorated Canada's Centennial year in 1967, the year it was built. The CANADIAN PROGRESS was next and the first of the remaining newbuilds that were wheelhouse aft, built in 1968 and her name acknowledged Canada's Centennial theme:"A Century of Progress". 

The TRANSPORT & OLYMPIC at Port Colborne, March 10, 2005.

The CANADIAN OLYMPIC was named after Canada's first Olympic games in Montreal in 1976, the year she was built.  The CANADIAN TRANSPORT named for the primary purpose of each vessel, to "transport" coal to Ontario's coal-burning power plants, was built in 1979 along with the CANADIAN ENTERPRISE which was named for the long-term business arrangement that was created to haul the coal from Thunder Bay to various Ontario Hydro power plants on the lower lakes. As Ontario Hydro's coal-burning plants began phasing out in the early 2000's, the vessels were used to haul other cargoes like grain, iron ore and road salt.  There were many other ULS ships that bore the prefix "CANADIAN" like the LEADER, HUNTER, and MARINER to name a few that joined the fleet through acquisitions or as rebuilds like the RANGER and EXPLORER, but most of them had already been sold for scraps before  Algoma Central took over the Upper Lakes Shipping and their fleet on February 25, 2011.

CANADIAN PROGRESS at Port Colborne, January 16, 2003.

Soon after the prefix "CANADIAN" was replaced with "ALGOMA", named for the region the corporation which started in 1899 first as a railroad and then a steamship company the following year was based, in Sault Ste, Marie, Ontario. 

 Others like the NAVIGATOR and TRANSFER continued to sail with ALGOMA prefix but they're now gone too including the special-built Ontario Hydro coal haulers, PROGRESS, OLYMPIC and now the ENTERPRISE arriving for dismantling at Marine Recycling Corp. ship-breaking yard in Port Colborne just last weeks ago.

The TRANSPORT with the OLYMPIC at her stern wintering below Lock 8 in Port Colborne in January 2, 2011, a little more than a month before being sold to Algoma Central Corporation.

While her days of hauling cargo is over, she looked very much alive and useful when I snapped ALGOMA ENTERPRISE for the first time while bearing the bear as she cautiously approached then passed the old Iroquois Lock entrance to the former Galop Canal as she made her way to the newer Seaway lock on September 14, 2015

For a 76' wide ship passing through several 80' wide Seaway and Welland Canal locks all season long, a few visible scrapes above the waterline is more than acceptable.

The side engine room hatches are great for ventilation and a wonderful vantage point to see the world go by.  

It was like I was looking at my dad as the seaway worker with a white hard hat on for safety and suspenders, (for doing what they're supposed to do), walks the big self unloader into the lock and then stops to look at her draft in front of the lockmaster's shack. It was a task or routine I saw my dad do many times when he was a lockmaster at Lock 8 in Port Colborne until he retired in 1991. Fond memories. He's gone and so soon will be the ENTERPRISE.

Beyond the bascule bridge but the tall superstructure of the ENTERPRISE with her 250' long discharge boom extended from it must still get by the east end arrester before the gates are closed and the ship is raised to Lake Ontario levels is needed.

Just about as far she'll go at the bow...

...the west end gates crack open....

...the arrester goes up...

...and then the ALGOMA ENTERPRISE gets underway. Got to love the observation area at Iroquois Lock.

My next rendezvous with the ALGOMA ENTERPRISE was almost a year to the day later on September 19, 2016 from my balcony at the Inn at Lock Seven as the big downbound self unloader entered then passed through Lock 7 in Thorold. It's a wonderful vantage point and an interesting tale to tell and see on another day.

In my last photo of the ENTERPRISE on December 29, 2018, she sat high in ballast and looking a little worse for wear while wintering in Port Colborne. Despite her looks, the hardworking girl would ply the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway for another two seasons while the ships to her stern, the former package freighter and then cement carrier ENGLISH RIVER, tug ROBIN LYNN and Algoma fleetmates ALGOWAY and ALGORAIL wait for dismantling to begin at the Marine Recycling Corp's ship-breaking yard there. Today, they are all gone but not forgotten while the ALGOMA ENTERPRISE sits in their place after more than a half of her tattered hull was hauled out of the water last week.  She served her owners well,  and was a great home away from home for her officers and crew for just over 40 years. Soon she'll be taken apart like a completed jigsaw puzzle and for many more years to come, her pieces will be used to make something new, over and over again  Not a bad a way to go. 

ALGOMA ENTERPRISE being hauled ashore on huge inflatable rolls in this photo by Bill Salton with his DJI Mavic Mini drone. Great shot and thanks Bill. Be Safe my friend. 

Former U.S. Army T-Boat PATHFINDER T-509

Photo by Janey Anderson -November 8, 2020

Photo by Janey Anderson -November 8, 2020

You'd be surprised what you can find when walking along a beach after a storm like what my sisters and I would do when visiting our grandparents farm which was located across the road from the Lake Erie shoreline in Wainfleet, west of Port Colborne. It was that kind of curiosity that returned when while standing on a dock below the main street of Clayton, New York in June 2015, when I saw this grand old tug, the BOWDITCH which the owner and skipper, Captain DeWitt Withington, would go on to say that when built in 1954, she was the U.S. Army "Small Tug", ST-1991. What an interesting story she's had and you can read about her whenever at (https://carlzboats.blogspot.com/2015/08/bowditch.html). 

Meanwhile it seems, my boat watching friend, Janey Anderson who lives in Toronto was equally intrigued when she came across a small black hulled boat at a Toronto harbour-front marina with the a crest and the words  "U.S. Army T-509" embossed on her bow.  Janey's photos and some of the descriptions she found online and posted on a Facebook group she moderates, The Prescott Anchor, appears in this post along with more information and pics that I found, but I'm hoping some of my friends who were in the marine services branch of  the U.S. Army, might be able to help me fill in the blanks and complete her story. Here's what we know:

The boat, now named PATHFINDER was privately bought in 2010 and is a modified 2001 series T-Boat built and placed in reserve in 1954 by Higgins Industries of New Orleans, Louisiana which built over 20,000 boats of all kinds during World War II and the post-war hull numbers appear to be another 7,000 until company closed in 1963.

The class of vessels known as T-Boats were originally built according to Higgins Industries as "Coastal Freighters" for the US Army during WWII. During the war, the Army built 170 wooden T-boats, known as design 259. Apparently there are very few of these boats still surviving today, however if you know of one, please send a pic or details my way and I'll add it to this story.

 

Photo by Janey Anderson -November 8, 2020

The post war steel boats were called design 2001 and were built in three shipyards from 1952-1954. At the time it was believed that there was going to be a second Korean War so they started building the boats and then were laid up most of their Army careers. The boat was specifically designed to cruise up the rivers of Korea with a load of troops, munitions or medical supplies. They were procured during a period when the Navy was handling the contracts for all the armed forces, and apparently it is possible that each of these boats also had a Navy number. They covered the numbering series T-424 through T-517, excepting the group T-466 through T-477. These numbers were assigned to existing vessels whose mission changed during this period.

Photo by Janey Anderson -November 8, 2020

Some of the 82 T-Boats built to this design did go to Korea for the Army, and at least one made an appearance in the Vietnam War. Almost as soon as they were built, some were made available to other government agencies, and starting in 1980, they began being sold to commercial ventures. T-509 never saw any action in Korea or Vietnam and seemed to start her career in the Army on reserve status in New Orleans as mentioned earlier however at sometime and I'd appreciate any input that you may have, the vessel was assigned to duty on the Great Lakes while stationed with the Army's Buffalo District.

 

 

In this photo that I found on the Bowling Green State University's - Historical Collections of the Great Lakes website, T-509 is tied off in Cleveland, Ohio at or about April 4, 1965.
 

From 1970 to 1984,  T-509 was assigned as a research vessel to Great Lakes Laboratory and named C.A. DAMBACH. I found this photo at usarmytboathistorypictures.shutterfly.com. Location, date and photographer is unknown.

Another usarmytboathistorypictures.shutterfly.com photo of the PATHFINDER being converted into a pleasure craft in Easport, Maine. Photographer and date unknown.

 

Photo by Janey Anderson -November 8, 2020

In August 20, 1984, the C.A. DAMBACH T-509 was transferred to the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, ME, and sometime there after her name was changed to PATHFINDER. That name stuck with Josh Brierton of Toronto, who purchased her and after modifications were completed, motored the PATHFINDER in May of 2010 from Eastport, Maine down the eastern seaboard, up the Hudson River, crossed upstate New York via the Old Erie Canal and finally across Lake Ontario to Toronto which is where she has remained as a "live afloat" pleasure craft. After living on board for over 7 years, the PATHFINDER was sold in 2017 but remains in Toronto which is where Janey Anderson found her sitting pretty but proud last month. 

It's amazing what you might find while walking along a shoreline, through a marina or the many internet pages of Wikipedia. But there's still information that I'd like add to her story like when was T-509 assigned to the U.S. Army's Buffalo district, and what were her crew's responsibilities when she worked as a research vessel on the Great Lakes and along the New England shoreline? I'm also wondering what was she up to when the T-Boat was known as NOCOMIS and CLEAR WATER?  If there's anything more you call tell,  please leave a comment and I'll add it the T-509's story.  

Stay Safe everyone and especially thinking of those who lost their lives when Pearl Harbor was attacked 79 years ago today. All Gone But Not Forgotten.

PHOTO UPDATE:

December 8, 2020:

To prepare for new coat of paint, PATHFINDER is being sandblasted in St. Catharines. Taken by Brayden Gavanac in 2014.

January 3, 2021:

Hey I came across another photo of T-Boat taken by Will Van Dorp who writes an interesting blog called tugster: a waterblog, https://tugster.wordpress.com/tag/knock-na-shee/  which as Will says, "helps landfolk see his home waters - the Port of New York. The photo of the KNOCK NA SHEE here was taken about five ago during one of his road trips along the eastern seaboard. There's also another neat article I found about retired T-Boats in the Chesapeake Bay area an online magazine called SOUNDINGS. Here's the links to it: https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/chesapeake-t-boats-happy-in-retirement  Happy New Year and Stay Safe!!

A River Meet and Then Some.

No, it wasn't exactly a "Teddy Bear's Picnic" and though I shot many of my photos through branches and beneath trees, it wasn't the woods I was going to on Wednesday, October 28th, but the river, the St. Lawrence and my photo possibilities surely were a "big surprise". 

With an inch of wet snow blanketing the neighbourhood, motoring anywhere through that slop hadn't entered my mind for a second that day even though it was a day off and I truly didn't know when I'd be able to get back down to the river after my upcoming hernia surgery. That was until I saw photos taken by fellow boat watching friend, Pat English of the 740' CSL NIAGARA unloading road salt at the Rideaubulk dock near Mariatown, a location I had not been able to catch a ship at since by chance, I came across the former Algoma Central self unloader PETER R. CRESSWELL discharging the hot commodity of the day then too, on October 8, 2012 (http://carlzboats.blogspot.com/2012/10/self-unloader-peter-r-cresswell.html).

Making that 90 minute drive to that wee dock on Lake St. Lawrence, a body of water that was created during the building of the Seaway was not going to happen but catching the Canada Steamship Lines self unloader underway along with the recently built Polsteam bulk carrier NARIE which was also upbound, was very doable regardless of the early-winter conditions. Actually I almost didn't make it to the river in time to even catch the 656' NARIE, I had barely parked at the foot of Centre Street in cute town of Prescott when the sitting high in ballast Polish-owned bulker effortlessly motored by.

Those unpredictable autumn skies along the river makes it look like the passage of the flagged Bahamas general cargo vessel took place late in the afternoon though it was just after lunch hour.

Even before I had time to check the whereabouts of the now upbound CSL NIAGARA,  I suddenly noticed a downbound in the distance....

...loaded and bound for Port Cartier, the 740' ALGOMA STRONGFIELD was approaching the NARIE which was bound for Toledo...

...and soon realized that not only was I going to get an unexpected rendezvous but also a mid-river meet. Oh YAAA!! 

From east of Prescott at Windmill Point, you can see the NARIE continuing to motor away towards Brockville in the distance, while another downbound, the cement carrier NACC ARGONAUT appears to the stern of the advancing ALGOMA STRONFIELD.

The Seaway-max size STRONGFIELD turns again to avoid another one of many shoals and shallow points along the seemingly vast upper St. Lawrence River.

After turns completed, shipping by the old windmill lighthouse runs very close to the Canadian side of the river.

While the NARIE had cranes topside to assist in unloading her cargoes, the oncoming ALGOMA STRONGFIELD has none requiring unloading to be done by dock equipment making her known as gearless bulk carrier.

One of my favourite vantage points, Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site. 

Even though we're experiencing late summer temps today in the 20's celcius, it definitely looks like winter was near in this clouded over view from the end of Old Windmill Road. 

The last of four Equinox-class gearless bulk carriers in Algoma Central's fleet renewal program, her original name was  CWB STRONGFIELD when built in 2015 at Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry, in Nantong City, China...

...however before the then Canada Wheat Board owned vessel was completed, the shipbuilder went into bankruptcy. Algoma Central purchased the hull, had the construction completed and when she entered service in 2017 the vessel was renamed her ALGOMA STRONGFIELD .

As the STRONGFIELD, which is the name of a Canadian prairie wheat continues passed the Port Of Johnstown's riverfront docks  the upbound CSL NIAGARA approaches beyond the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge.

Trying to get a better view of my next ship-meet, I was able to find some high ground above the port's dock, but then had to contend with shooting through swaying branches in wind gusts of 28km and dead ones from a partially submerged tree along the shoreline. Meanwhile you can see the two 740's position themselves to complete their meet beneath the 1.5 mile suspension bridge in this sequence of photos...

 ....ALGOMA STRONGFIELD starts to turn to starboard as the rounded bow of CSL NIAGARA makes a wide wake as she pushes against the steady river current...

...while CSL NIAGARA maintains her course, ALGOMA STRONGFIELD continues to swing right...

...while the gap between the two passing ships widens below, an 18 wheeler crosses over to the Canadian side on the completed in 1969 suspension bridge that remains closed to non essential travel due to the pandemic.

With the STRONGFIELD out of her way, the NIAGARA straightens out as she approaches the Port of Johnstown...

She was known as J.W. McGIFFIN when christened by her namesake, the then CSL chairman of the board at Collingwood Shipyards on April 11, 1972. At 730' in length and 75' wide, the 34,380 ton cargo capacity McGIFFIN was the first in a new class of domestic self unloading bulk carriers with a rounded bow, flat stern, and all cabins and wheelhouse aft.

When seaway-maximum sizes were revised, she was also the first in her class to receive a new and larger forebody at Port Weller Dry Dock. Renamed CSL NIAGARA, she re-entered service in 1999,  10' longer, 3' wider and deepened by 1.5' which increased her cargo capacity to just under 38,000 tons.

While built primary to haul coal from Lake Erie ports of Conneault and Toledo to steel mills in Hamilton, Nanticoke and Sault Ste, Marie and the Ontario Hydro coal burning plants at Courtright, Nanticoke and Port Credit., these days her cargoes also includes iron ore, salt, grain and stone.

As CSL NIAGARA continues her upbound passage to Toledo, another meet was about to begin, with the  cement carrier NACC ARGONAUT skirting the American side of the river while bound for Trois-Rivieres.

While the sleek and bulbous of the NACC ARGONAUT appears, tossed wave spray and furiously flapping flags make for an interesting effect as the big CSL NIAGARA pushes on into the strong and constant wind gusts that day in these next two photos.

Her name was ARKLOW WAVE when built at Kyokuyo Shipyard, in Shimonoseki, Japan in 2003. She was a general cargo vessel then like fleetmate ARKLOW WILLOW which is now named FLORENCE SPIRIT.

She was converted into a cement carrier in 2017 and initially named NACC TORONTO, but changed to NACC ARGONAUT before taking over the cement trade for Lafarge on the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in 2018.

NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers (NACC) was founded in 2016 as a 50/50 joint venture company between Algoma Central Corporation and Nova Marine Holdings SA of Luxemborg dedicated to building a global fleet of cement Carriers to support infrastructure projects worldwide.

The 447.5' NACC ARGONAUT is just over 40' longer than her predecessor, ENGLISH RIVER seen entering Toronto harbour on August 27, 2011 in the background of this all of my Carlz Boats blogposts. At 14, 650 tonnes, she can also carry almost double the cement capacity of the former CSL package goods freighter which is still being dismantled in Port Colborne.
 

Well I certainly got more than I bargained for during this last rendezvous at the river. While today at home "relaxing" with another cold pack on my groin to sooth the pain from my hernia surgery last week, you might say it's exactly what the doctor ordered. Anyhow my recovery is one day at a time and hopefully before I know it I'll out and about photographing boats. The sooner the better.