MV Indiana Harbor

The lake freighters Indiana Harbor (fore) and Presque Isle
History
United States
Name	MV Indiana Harbor
Namesake	Indiana Harbor, Indiana
Builder	Bay Shipbuilding Company [1]
Yard number	719 [1] [2]
Launched	1979 [1]
Identification	Call sign:WXN3191 IMO number:  7514701
Status	In service as of 2022
General characteristics
Class and type	Lake freighter
Tonnage	35,923  GT [1] 33,534  NT [1]
Length	1,000 feet (305 m) (oa) [3] 988.8 feet (301 m) [1]
Beam	105 ft (32 m) [1]
Draft	34.75 ft (10.59 m) (midsummer draft) [3] 56 ft (17 m) (hull depth) [1]
Propulsion	four 3,500  hp (2,600 kW) General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) diesel engines, 14,000  shp (10,000 kW) [3]

MV Indiana Harbor is a very large diesel-powered lake freighter owned and operated by the American Steamship Company. This vessel was built in 1979 at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and included self-unloading technology.

The ship is 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 105 feet (32 m) wide, with a carrying capacity of 77,500 Net tons of Iron Ore which is the record tonnage through the Soo Locks. ^[3]

Service history

In May 1984, Indiana Harbor became the largest ship to ever enter the harbor at Ludington, Michigan, delivering 45,000 tons of limestone to the Dow plant in Ludington. ^[4] The following year, it also set another record delivering 50,090 tons of limestone. ^[5] In August 1986, Indiana Harbor broke the Lake Erie record for loading coal by taking on 52,000 tons of coal at Toledo, Ohio. ^[6] Ten days later, Indiana Harbor ran aground in the St. Clair River. ^[7]

On September 8, 1993, the ship collided with the Lansing Shoals Light Station. There were no injuries, but the collision caused approximately $1.9 million damage to the ship and $100,000 in damage to the light. ^[8] On January 3, 1996, Indiana Harbor grounded in the St. Marys River and suffered an 8-foot (2.4 m) gash in the port bow. ^[9]

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. "M/V Indiana Harbor". American Steamship.
4. "Economy, Ice Bring Biggest Ship Ever to Ludington". Ludington Daily News. May 9, 1984.
5. "Longest Ship on the lakes brings biggest load here". Ludington Daily News. May 7, 1985.
6. Bates, Eric (August 7, 1986). "Seamen Idled as Lake Ships Become Bigger". Toledo Blade.
7. "Record-holding Ship Runs Aground In River". Toledo Blade. August 22, 1986.
8. Thompson, Mark L. (2004). Graveyard of the Lakes. Wayne State University Press. pp. 82–84. ISBN   978-0-8143-3226-9.
9. Thompson, Mark L. (2004). Graveyard of the Lakes. Wayne State University Press. p. 85. ISBN   978-0-8143-3226-9.