MV Edwin H. Gott

Edwin H. Gott
History
United States
Name	MV Edwin H. Gott
Namesake	Edwin H. Gott
Owner	Great Lakes Fleet
Operator	Great Lakes Fleet
Builder	Bay Shipbuilding Company [1]
Yard number	718 [1] [2]
Launched	1979 [1]
Identification	Call sign: WDH7558 IMO number:  7606061
Status	In service as of 2025
General characteristics
Class & type	Lake freighter
Tonnage	35,592  GRT [1] 30,690  NT [1]
Length	1,004 feet (306 m) oa [3] 990 feet (302 m) [1]
Beam	105 ft (32 m) [1]
Draft	32 ft (9.8 m) (Max loaded draft) [3] 56.7 ft (17.3 m) (hull depth) [1]
Propulsion	two Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines, twin propellers, rated at 19,500  bhp (14,500 kW) (as built) [4] two MaK/Caterpillar 8M43C diesel engines which each produce 9,650 hp (7,200 kW) (repowered 2011)
Speed	16 kn
Capacity	73,700 tons of iron ore
Crew	21

MV Edwin H. Gott is a very large diesel-powered lake freighter owned and operated by Great Lakes Fleet, Inc, a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway. This vessel was built in 1979 at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and included self-unloading technology.

The ship is 1,004 feet (306 m) long and 105 feet (32 m) at the beam. It has a carrying capacity of 2,105,527 cubic feet (59,621.9 m³), has a 280-foot (85 m) unloading boom and is capable of unloading 11,200 NT/hr. ^[3] This is a maximum load of about 74,100 tons. ^[4] The ship has five cargo holds, ^[3] but 20 hatches which are 28 by 11 feet (8.5 by 3.4 m). The hatches are significantly smaller than other large lake freighters. ^[4]

History

The ship was originally built in 1979 for U.S. Steel ^[2] and was named for their former chairman and chief executive officer, Edwin H. Gott.

The ship was originally built with two 16-cylinder Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines which powered twin propellers and was rated at 19,500 brake horsepower (14,500 kW). ^[4] The ship was repowered during the winter of 2010/2011 at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. ^[5] The Enterprise diessels were replaced with two 8-cylinder MaK/Caterpillar 8M43C diesel engines which each produce 9,650 horsepower (7,200 kW) and are compliant with EPA emission requirements. The project was partly funded by a $750,000 EPA Clean Diesel grant. MV Edwin H. Gott conducted sea trials of the new engines in March 2011. ^[6]

When the ship was originally built, it was fitted with a shuttle boom that could extend 52 feet (16 m) to either side of the stern of the vessel. ^[7] This type of boom limited which ports the vessel could unload, as it required a dockside hopper. In the layup period between the 1995 and 1996 season, the vessel returned to Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where it was fitted with a traditional unloading boom. The new boom, measuring 280 feet (85 m), is the longest self-unloading boom used on any Great Lakes vessel. ^[8]

References

1. "Vessel Documentation Query". NOAA/US Coast Guard. 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
2. Colton, Tim. "Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI". shipbuildinghistory.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03.
3. "Great Lakes Fleet Brochure" (PDF). CN Great Lakes Fleet.
4. Bawal, Raymond A. (2011). Superships of the Great Lakes: Thousand-foot Ships on the Great Lakes. Inland Expressions. p. 55. ISBN   978-0-9818157-4-9.
5. Status of the US - Great Lakes Water Transportation Industry (PDF) (Report). US DOT - MARAD. 2013. p. 67. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
6. "M/V Gott Repowering Project Completion" (PDF). Quarterly Update. Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute. April 2011.
7. Bawal, Raymond A. (2011). Superships of the Great Lakes: Thousand-foot Ships on the Great Lakes. Inland Expressions. ISBN   978-0-9818157-4-9.
8. Rod Burdick (1997-04-01). "About the Boat: Largest Boom Makes It A Super Carrier". Lake Superior Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-21.