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. It's a lifestyle. His captain's seat resembles a barber's chair, but that's probably an insult. All rights reserved. During his six years at Cliffs, he was responsible for financial oversight of the North American Coal business unit as well as various non-business unit projects that included oil & gas, South American iron ore, Iron Nuggets, renewaFUEL, mergers & acquisitions, and union negotiations. 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. 0 The shipping industry has a more than one billion dollar economic impact on the region. The freighter was proceeding downbound with 62,000 tons of coal when it grounded at the bow. 0000001202 00000 n 13abc's Lissa Guyton and videographer Todd Gaertner had a rare opportunity to go along for the ride as the ship unloaded coal in the Detroit area and Monroe. That might be 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. To compensate, Thibaudeau sleeps in a cabin with blacked-out windows. . she's been hibernating in sturgeon bay, wisconsin. It's a story you'll only see here. Burgett said after boarding in St. Clair where the ship was offloading coal, they continued to Monroe where more coal was offloaded. Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. "You're not relaxed until you're on vacation for about a week," said Laksonen, who is the engine room's chief engineer. Mark is a strong leader with a clear voice on industry issues at the state and national level. Capt. His wife, Kathleen (Sissy) Perkins jumped onto the boat this week at the Soo Locks to spend a week with him. She is more than 1,000 feet long and more than 100 feet wide and these cargo holds can carry tens of thousands of tons of cargo in a single trip. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. with distinction, from Harvard Business School. Brendan is also the Chairman of Board of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Foundation, where he has served as an Officer and Trustee since 1999. He and the other men and women who work aboard Great Lakes commercial freighters make good money devoting months of every year to these boats. 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. The next day, at 1:08 a.m., Thibaudeau maneuvered the boat away from a shallow dock at another electric plant in Monroe. These are the shipping lanes and channels dredged throughout the rivers and shallow areas of the Great Lakes water system. Search. These things also affect a captain's sleep. He also an active member on the Council of the American Bureau of Shipping. Paul R Tregurtha Downbound Lake Huron to Blue Water Bridge while Captain Dayton explains late fall and winter transits on Lake Superior Real Estate. He called it a "lack of employment on the beach." Perkins descended ladders into the belly of the ship, below the massive cargo hold, to monitor a conveyor belt as it unloaded about 34,000 tons. 0000002601 00000 n Cheers and congrats from those of us who have had the great opportunity to watch your comings and goings here on Dennis' wonderful duluthharborcam website, and on our occasional trips to Duluth/Superior. (But) you gotta be very fair with people you're dealing with.". 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. NOTE: YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK THE REFRESH ICON ON THE LEFT TO SHOW SHIPS! Mark Barker is President of The Interlake Steamship Company, the largest privately held shipping company on the Great Lakes. Interlake is home of the largest freighter on the Great Lakes; the Paul R. Tregurtha. Built for approximately $60 million, she became a flagship for the Interlake fleet. At 1013.5 feet, Interlakes flagship M/V Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest ship on the Great Lakes. ", Kadleck says it would take 700 train cars or 2,800 trucks to move the same amount the Tregurtha carries in a single trip. A week earlier, on May 3, 2002, Captain Mitch Hallin passed away on board his command, the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha. They stay in staterooms near the captain's own on a deck below the pilot house. "It worked out great for me.". Though they may be sporting suits and ties now, many have worked their way up the ships ladder so to speak, earning degrees from maritime colleges, U.S. Coast Guard licenses and sailing aboard vessels. %PDF-1.3 % A trip on a freighter will also be raffled off. 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. ", In addition to bad weather, the ship's can also be affected by what;s in the lake. Capable of unloading at a rate of 10,000 long tons of iron ore per hour, or 6,000 net tons of coal per hour, the total system displaces 14,497 tons.[1]. 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. Get the details of the current Voyage of PAUL R.TREGURTHA including Position, Port Calls, Destination, ETA and Distance travelled - IMO 7729057, MMSI 366904940, Call Sign WYR4481 The raffle is September 30th. She can carry up to 68,000 gross tons of taconite pellets or 71,000 net tons of coal. Meet Captain Bob Thibaudeau, Master of our M/V Paul R. Tregurtha and senior most captain in the Interlake fleet. In exchange for their paychecks, crew members miss family occasions, birthdays, holidays and more. 13abc's Lissa Guyton and videographer Todd Gaertner had a rare opportunity to go along. On completion, the forward section was towed to their yard in Lorain, Ohio where it was mated with the stern portion. His previous roles with the company include vice president of Industrial Relations and Government Affairs, Director of Human Resources & Industrial Relations and Director of Marine Personnel. 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. De Lancey departed Lorain on her maiden voyage on May 10, 1981, sailing in ballast to Silver Bay, Minnesota, to load 55,944 long tons (56,842t) of iron ore pellets. 909 has a total length of 1,013 feet (309m). A deckhand will use a deck crane to pull those lids when coal is filling the boat. Perkins, 33, comes from the tiny town of Hillman in Michigan's northeastern lower peninsula. 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. Stay onboard with Interlake: The Interlake Steamship Company Our management team has a deep institutional knowledge of Great Lakes vessel safety, ship operations, marine engineering and maintenance and collectively more than 300 years of experience in the shipping industry. 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.. Marie. It's truly a mountain of coal. You can't provide for your family. 67 14 Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo Freighters are a big part of our local history and economy. wolverines. at 1,010 feet long, she's bigger than three football fields laid end to end. While a lot of the work is done outside, there's one place inside everyone likes to spend time. He listened to mates on the deck and issued directions to the wheelman. The Kempfs won the trip in an auction benefiting the March of Dimes this past winter. As we entered the western basin of Lake Erie, there was algae in the water Captain Johnson says the algae causes problems for more than just our drinking water, "It creates quite a drag. Framing beneath the plating was also bent and cracked. Longtime owner of . My wife deserves better than that, so that's why I come up here and I do this.". Deckhands average about $55,000 to $65,000 a season, which usually equates to six or seven months of work. Marie, Ontario, necessitating a mid-winter voyage. 105.0' 17,120 At 1013.5 feet, Interlake's flagship M/V Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest ship on the Great Lakes. It's a Great Lakes Freighter boat and you see it has really big lines. Randy Burgett said it is hard to explain what it is like to be a guest on the largest freighter in the Great Lakes. Phil joined Interlake in 2004 as a Fleet Engineer and was later promoted to Fleet Superintendent. That kind of trip is a lot easier because of the technology we now have on board.". All rights reserved. With CENTURY on her way, she slid up and over to dock for her own offload, and the Captain's last. I hope you all still enjoy the interview anywayFair winds and following seas to Captain Bob we will all miss you on the Lakes very much, but wish you the best in the years ahead while you begin this new chapter of your life. Bob Thibaudeau early Wednesday morning eased the Paul R. Tregurtha into northern Michigan's Soo Locks slowly, slowly like a driver inching a monster truck into a crowded mall. Mr. Barker has served on various Boards of Directors, including the boards of GTE (1976-2000), Verizon (2000-2007) and Brinks (2000-2007). Perkins watched as a layer of the black chunks whizzed by. Powered by. He has twin stepsons, who also work on Great Lakes freighters. Westcott II, a boat that among other things, picks up and delivers mail to sailors. They caught up on "Game of Thrones" episodes in his room when he wasn't working. There's Nater and her cat. Phil Moore is Vice President of Engineering at The Interlake Steamship Company, the largest privately held shipping company on the Great Lakes. We also went under the Ambassador Bridge, where we were met by the J.W. Perkins works in the deepest areas beneath the engine room. Freighter life does have challenges, though, and when there are normal, everyday disagreements, there is no escape. It is fascinating to see something so large moving so effortlessly through the lakes. Paul R. Tregurtha, born 1935, was the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Company's Board. 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. In addition, he has been Chairman of Moran Towing Corp. since 1994 and Chief Executive Officer since 1998. 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. Contact Jim Schaefer: 313-223-4542 or jschaefer@freepress.com. They all have specific jobs, but it's a jack-of-all-trades environment. Shallow dock at another electric plant in Monroe other things, picks up and delivers mail to sailors Company the. 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