We've been a leader since 2006 investing more than 100 million in re-powering and installing exhaust gas scrubbers. Captain Johnson says the ship is a floating city, "We're our own village, we're self-contained. Since joining Interlakes executive team in January 2008, Tom has leveraged his vast expertise in the areas of admiralty and maritime law to represent the companys interests on all legal issues, contract negotiations and crisis management. Captains make $160,000 to $200,000, according to Glenn Kolke, marine personnel manager for Interlake. She can carry up to 68,000 gross tons of taconite pellets or 71,000 net tons of coal. In 1990, she was renamed Paul R. Tregurtha in honor of Interlakes Vice Chairman of the Board. Half a mile an hour or more, which has an economic impact. 80 0 obj <>stream Formally launched on February 4, 1981, the vessel was christened on April 25, 1981, as MV William J. 0:32. The biggest shift is in the pilot house, where there are now things like electronic navigation and satellite weather forecasts, "We didn't have all these fancy electronics in the early days , it was mostly visual then. They have two children. Discover the vessel's particulars, including capacity, machinery, photos and ownership. These are folks who win charity raffles and auctions or talk their way on board to chronicle freighter life. Clair Power Plant at Recors Point, East China, Michigan. 105.0' 17,120 At 1013.5 feet, Interlake's flagship M/V Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest ship on the Great Lakes. Jan A.A. van Lier, president of the firm's ocean bulk transport. Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo As Interlakes Vice President of Engineering, Phil oversees all of the day-to-day engineering processes for the fleet and the associated fleet maintenance, repairs and upgrades, dry-docking, as well as regulatory compliance, engineering budgets and general oversight of engineering personnel both aboard ship and shore side. It is fascinating to see something so large moving so effortlessly through the lakes. Once you start unloading, the ship will rise so we have to counter balance it with ballast to keep the draft straight and keep the boat from bending too much. Instead, there is satellite TV in every room. Type: Cargo IMO: 5385625. She has an elevator and quite luxurious guest accommodations. Randy Burgett said it is hard to explain what it is like to be a guest on the largest freighter in the Great Lakes. On completion, the forward section was towed to their yard in Lorain, Ohio where it was mated with the stern portion. The coal gets there through gates that are opened at the bottom of the cargo hatches, which are above where he works. Bill graduated from The Ohio State University in 1992 with a BSBA in accounting. now, winter shore leave is over. The money will be used for things including educational programs, research and the museum. Powered by. Her unloading system and 260-foot boom empty her five cargo holds in about eight hours. The ship and crew work around the clock, running day and night. In the pilot house high above the water, mates and wheelsman help navigate around the clock. The boat runs 10 months out of the year, often going deep into January, as ice conditions allow. US Coast Guard Documentation and Licensing. The 308 meter long, 69172 dwt bulk freighter Paul R. Tregurtha went aground on St. Mary's River near Neebish Island.. In addition, he has been Chairman of Moran Towing Corp. since 1994 and Chief Executive Officer since 1998. christian laettner first wife; leaf home water solutions vs culligan; conventions in las vegas 2022. sona jobarteh husband; houston crime rate by race 909 has a total length of 1,013 feet (309m). In the engine room, earplug-wearing workers constantly monitor the performance of the massive diesel engines, the shed-sized generators and other equipment below deck. That program recounts how in 2008, while leaving Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, MV Paul R. Tregurtha got stuck in ice and cracked steel plating on the port side of her bow, causing ballast tank water to leak out. The Interlake Steamship Co., which owns nine working vessels on the lakes, employs 23 people aboard the Tregurtha. He lives out of his suitcase in case he gets a call to report to a port. And he likes chatting with them and spreading his love of the lakes. And the boat's width that 105 feet leaves just a tiny buffer zone on each side. Since joining forces with James R. Barker to purchase and reinvigorate The Interlake Steamship Company in 1987, Mr. Tregurtha has actively served as Vice Chairman. Have a safe one captain bob well miss you stay safe in the MV paul r thergertha, Enjoy your retirement, Captain Bob!! It is the biggest ship sailing the lakes today. She is the reigning "Queen of the Lakes", a title she has held since she entered service in 1981. Paul R. Tregurtha, Vice-Chairman Since joining forces with James R. Barker to purchase and reinvigorate The Interlake Steamship Company in 1987, Mr. Tregurtha has actively served as Vice Chairman. We also went under the Ambassador Bridge, where we were met by the J.W. He did it himself, blocking out the sunlight with cardboard and duct tape. Capt. Arriving into Port Huron on, suitably, the 4th of July, it appeared that nearly every seaworthy vessel in the area, likely already planning a nice holiday boat cruise, made its way out on to the river to escort the Captain in, and occurring on Independence Day made the spectacle even more impressive. Mates substitute in around the clock and often pilot the ship, but they call him when needed. 0000005758 00000 n "My wife says, 'You're done.' A native of Worcester, Mass., Brendan has been a respected member of the maritime industry since graduating from The Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1993 earning a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and an Unlimited Third Mate Open Oceans License and a commission as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. It's minimum wage; $8 an hour is all you're gonna get," Perkins said. Mark is past Chairman of the board for Lake Carriers Association and he serves on the board of Moran Towing Corporation. In open water, there's an autopilot, but someone always has to be on watch. He received a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. They caught up on "Game of Thrones" episodes in his room when he wasn't working. The groom, Gerald, was the Captain of the Tregurtha back in 1991. Catch up with their adventures here. She holds a number of cargo records:[1], On termination of the Republic Steel contract, on May 23, 1990, she was rechristened MV Paul R. Tregurtha at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, named in honor of the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Co. On May 3, 2002, her only captain died in his cabin, Captain Mitch Hallin, aged 55. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. We did Part One the day before this Interview and I will post it as well but the sound isn't as good (they were in a dodgy area on the St Mary's River) Even in this video you'll notice there are times when the sound goes a little wonky but it's worth it to see and hear Captain answer some questions, show us what's happening on the River and just talk for about a half hourA huge thank you to him for agreeing to do this With Covid and me being in Canada, this was about as good as it was going to get to be able to see him before he left the ship so I'll take it!I apologize for the sounds issues here and there.. While a lot of the work is done outside, there's one place inside everyone likes to spend time. Marie. After unloading on January 29, she departed for her normal winter lay-up in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. If something busts, he may have to shut down the line, losing precious time. Loading 43,000 net tons in Conneaut, Ohio, both United States and Canadian Coast Guard services provided ice breaking assistance so that the voyage was completed without any delays. [4], During the afternoon of September 20, 2014, she was involved in an incident in Duluth, Minnesota, when she ran aground just off the Bayfront Festival Park in the Duluth Harbor Basin, just west of the Aerial Lift Bridge. Captains like Thibaudeau use markers and GPS and radar to help them guide these goliaths plus a substantial amount of gut. The freighter was proceeding downbound with 62,000 tons of coal when it grounded at the bow. The cooks on board the Tregurtha don't even want Perkins in their galley until he scrubs his hands and arms up to the elbows, ridding himself of coal grime and black grease or as much as possible. All rights reserved. They hold union jobs, all the way up to the captain, and crew members say the pay and benefits are worth the sacrifices they make to be on board. When they are on board, they work seven days a week. The Paul R. Tregurtha is the crown jewel of her fleet, and she makes a lot of trips through our area. It is certainly a team sport out here. For more information, click the "The National Museum of the Great Lakes" or "Interlake Steamship Company on Facebook" link on this page. This is the final trip for Captain Bob Thibaudeau, senior-most captain in his 42nd season sailing with Interlake. PAUL R TREGURTHA Royal Blast (2021) Creator (s) Sharon Miller Jo Jordan Voice Actors UK Voice Actor Matt Wilkinson (2010-2012) US Voice Actor Tom Kenny (2010-2012) Overview Name Paul R. Tregurtha Nicknames The Logging Freighters (along with US Brig Niagara) Gender Male Country Misty Island England (formerly) United States (built) Affiliation On Sunday morning, Perkins was up early as the boat nestled against the dock at a power plant in East China Township to dump half its load of coal for DTE; the other half goes to Monroe today. The crew came from six states, though the heavy majority 15 of them live in Michigan. One deckhand last week said he'd had just three off days since March, and that was to get a broken tooth fixed. A lot has changed since the captain's first days on the job. He works in a tunnel where he can see the coal filtering down through the gates like water to an unplugged drain. Burgett and his wife, Lynn, boarded the 1,000-footer Tuesday in St. Clair with friends Bob and Linda Kempf,Janet Knust and Rick Sheffield. He has served as Chairman of Mormac Marine Group, Inc., since 1998. She started as a temporary cook, and years later she's still sailing, "My kids were all grown, and I was working on Mackinaw Island and I would see the freighters go by. Whether I was covered in cow (poop) or covered in grease working on tractors I've grown up just being dirty. Paul R Tregurtha Downbound Lake Huron to Blue Water Bridge while Captain Dayton explains late fall and winter transits on Lake Superior Brendan is part of Interlakes Incident Response and Management Team, and is a Qualified Individual (OPA 90) and is trained as an Incident Commander/On-scene Coordinator. Kadleck says the company moves cargo for a number of different industries, "In any given season, all of our ships move about 20 million tons of iron ore, coal and stone. Once the Great Lakes freighter was tucked safely inside the lock, the gates shut behind it, an influx of water raised it 20 feet, and she was on her way into Lake Superior. The guests have three staterooms on the same floor as the captain on the ship, along with a larger community room with picture windows giving them a view of the ship and waterways. After the bow struck the Paul R. Tregurtha swung around until the vessel's stern was hard aground with the span of the vessel blocking the navigation channel. Paul R. Tregurtha: See how Great Lakes freighter Tregurtha's first mission of the shipping season pushes her and her crew to the limits. Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130 Search. After sailing with Interlake Steamship Company for over 40 years, Captain Bob Thibaudeau commands the Queen of the Lakes, the 1,013 foot long PAUL R. TREGURTHA, one last time down the St. Clair River for the DTE/St. Those goodies are everything from pastries and cookies to smoked sausages. Freighter life does have challenges, though, and when there are normal, everyday disagreements, there is no escape. Fair winds and following seas. At more than three football fields long, not only is the ship's size impressive, but so is her workload. The Paul R. Tregurtha is the crown jewel of her fleet, and she makes a lot of trips through our area. Built for approximately $60 million, she became a flagship for the Interlake fleet. Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, January 6, 2023. michigan. Interlake allows family visits to cut the stress of being away. The scrubbers clean the environment and give us a signature steam plume.". His wife, Kathleen (Sissy) Perkins jumped onto the boat this week at the Soo Locks to spend a week with him. The pilot house that's the brains of the ship making everything go. Here in the kitchen, we're the heart, so we help keep it all together. Fax: 440-260-6945. Paul R. Tregurtha, born 1935, was the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Company's Board. [5], Last edited on 18 December 2022, at 12:01, "1,000-foot coal freighter stuck in St. Marys River", "Salvage Experts Refloat Grounded Vessel in St. Marys River", "1,000-foot Laker Stuck near Bayfront Park", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MV_Paul_R._Tregurtha&oldid=1128108016, August 7, 1982: 63,007 long tons (64,018t) load at. "But if I wasn't out here doing what I'm doing, they wouldn't have the good times.". That system moves through the ship and out onto the boom . 2019 The Interlake Steamship Company. He's Chris Perkins, for those of you not on the boat. That means learning on the job, rather than earning a maritime license from an academy. You can't provide for your family. M.L. Perkins works in the deepest areas beneath the engine room. For many on the crew of the Paul R. Tregurtha it had been a long and difficult week and the reality of life without Captain Hallin was slowly beginning to sink in. The others live in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Science from the Maine Maritime Academy and also served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. If they start bobbing too much, he knows he will have to replace the bearings soon. He pilots from high above the stern, in a rectangular room filled with banks of computers, radar equipment, communications equipment and electronic mapping screens. . ", The menu while we were on board was impressive,"We're serving prime rib, sea scallops in butter Parmesan sauce and a chicken Parmesan breast. "Back where I live, you either work on a dairy farm or cut down trees for a living. And they are proud of their ability to succeed. Jan A.A. van Lier, president of the firm's ocean bulk. After receiving his Juris Doctorate from The University of Toledo College of Law, Tom worked for the boutique Cleveland, Ohio admiralty and maritime law firm of Ray, Robinson, Carle & Davies, P.L.L. She was married on her husband's ship, the Paul R. Tregurtha. When something breaks, there are no repairmen to call until port. Staff writer Jim Schaefer and staff photographer Eric Seals invite you to share their journey aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes. It takes a lot to get the Paul R. Tregurtha from Point A to point B. Related: Life on a Great Lakes freighter: All hands well fed, Related: Follow Freep aboard a Great Lakes freighter. Crew members get their own cabins. It drops onto the belt, which then whisks it up out of the ship, through a boom stretched to a silo on land. A backup is necessary there because the channel is too narrow for the Tregurtha to turn. duluthharborcam.com. This was on a gorgeous late August day, but of course Darby says life on the lakes is not always like this, "Summer sailing is nice and easy. You get used to it by now.". Schedules vary, but many crew members work 60 days on, then take 30 days off. Stay onboard with Interlake: The Interlake Steamship Company "Nater In The Wheelhouse." Nater lives on a boat and it is one of a kind. Reporter Jim Schaefer and photographer Eric Seals are sailing this week aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes. [1] In 1990 she received her current name. Marie. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. with distinction, from Harvard Business School. Contact Jim Schaefer: 313-223-4542 or jschaefer@freepress.com. The space where the boat had to go is 110 feet wide. Hawsepipers on the Tregurtha, like Perkins, said they get as much respect as the school-licensed sailors. The completed hull No. startxref Make a mistake and you "scrape the paint," as ship-watchers say. "I grew up on a farm; I've always been dirty. De Lancey, she was the last of the thirteen "thousand footers" to enter service on the Great Lakes, and was also the last Great Lakes vessel built at the American Ship Building Company yard in Lorain, Ohio. "You're not relaxed until you're on vacation for about a week," said Laksonen, who is the engine room's chief engineer. Designed by the American Ship Building Company to fulfill two briefs: With the second brief in mind, she was one of the first freighters with full air conditioning, elevators, and luxurious dcor. Have a great retirement Captain Bob. One reason is that he thinks they made the right choice. Or worse. Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press, Life on a Great Lakes freighter: All hands well fed, Follow Freep aboard a Great Lakes freighter, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "Mother Nature's going to be a big factor.". Our travels took us by beautiful waterfront homes, through downtown Detroit. "There's really nowhere to go, except your room," he said. A slight man with a scruffy beard, he may be the filthiest crew member aboard the 1,013-foot Paul R.. They stay in staterooms near the captain's own on a deck below the pilot house. Y]T ZY:. A hawsepipe is the tube through which an anchor chain is drawn into a boat. Following graduation from Massachusetts Maritime, Brendan utilized his United States Coast Guard license, spending several years aboard U.S.-flag vessels before transitioning shoreside and joining Mormac Marine Group, Inc.s marine division and shortly thereafter the Interlake Steamship Company team in 1996. It's a story you'll only see here. Following graduation from SUNY Maritime College with a BS in Marine Transportation Management and an Unlimited Third Mate Open Oceans License, Tom sailed as an officer aboard merchant vessels before attending law school. The ships usually run from March into December or January. Reporter Jim Schaefer and photographer Eric Seals sailed last week aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes. His other responsibilities as captain include managing the crew of 23, planning out schedules, projects and maintenance, and sometimes acting as sheriff and counselor, de-escalating any on-board issues. 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