Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} – Michipicoten {2}
1952-Present
Specs
Build Information
Year Built: 1952
Builder: Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock, Sparrows Point, MD
Hull #4512
Registry: US 264126 [1952-2003] CAN 825098 [2003-Present]
IMO #5102865
Laid Down: —
Launch Date: March 7, 1952
Commissioned: August 15, 1952
Construction
The Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} was constructed in 1952 as a gearless bulk carrier by Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock at their Sparrows Point, Maryland shipyard for the Interlake Steamship Company. Due to long waiting lists on Great Lakes shipyards, shipping companies were forced to look elsewhere to build ships. The Hoyt was constructed in Sparrows Point, Maryland, and after launching, her superstructures were placed on the spar deck in pieces so that she could be towed up the Mississippi River, and through Chicago. She was put together and underwent final fit-out at American Shipbuilding’s South Chicago shipyard before entering service.
The Hoyt 2nd was the second of three similar sister ships constructed by Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock for Great Lakes service. The other two were the Johnstown [Scrapped, 1985] and Sparrows Point [Buckeye {3}, 1991; Lewis J. Kuber, 2006; Menominee {3}, 2017;], both constructed for Bethlehem Steel’s Marine Division.
The Elton Hoyt 2nd was originally constructed as a gearless bulk carrier, with large box holds designed for maximum efficiency for carrying iron ore and coal. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1980, and her equipment consists of a single hold belt leading to an aft loop-belt system to a 250′ deck-mounted boom.
Modifications
- Lengthened by 72′, American Shipbuilding Co. South Chicago, IL, 1957.
- Bow thruster installed, 1965.
- Converted to self-unloader, American Shipbuilding Co., Toledo, OH, 1980.
- Bow thruster replaced, 1980.
- “Canadianized”, 2003.
- Repowered, Sarnia, Ontario, 2011.
General Stats
As Constructed
Length Overall: 626′
Length Between Perpendiculars: 611′
Breadth: 70′
Depth: 37′
Loaded Draft: 26’11”
Capacity: 19,595 Tons
Vessel Type: Gearless Bulk Carrier
Number of Cargo Holds: —
Number of Hatches: 17 [Dimensions: 35’x11′]
Primary Operations: Ore, Coal Trades
Propellers: 1
Rudders: 1
After Lengthening, 1957
Length Overall: 698′
Length Between Perpendiculars: 683′
Breadth: 70′
Depth: 37′
Loaded Draft: 26’11”
Capacity: 23,350 Tons
Vessel Type: Gearless Bulk Carrier
Number of Cargo Holds: 5
Number of Hatches: 20 [Dimensions: 35’x11′]
Primary Operations: Ore, Coal Trades
Propellers: 1
Rudders: 1
After conversion to self-unloader, 1980
Length Overall: 698′
Length Between Perpendiculars: 683′
Breadth: 70′
Depth: 37′
Loaded Draft: 26’11”
Capacity: 22,300 Tons
Vessel Type: Loop-Belt Self-Unloader
Self-Unloading Boom Length: Aft-Mounted; 250′
Number of Cargo Holds: 5 [Hatch-Hold Arrangement: 4-5-4-4-3]
Number of Hatches: 20 [Dimensions: #1-18 – 35’x11′; #19-20 – 35’x7’06”]
Primary Operations: Ore, Coal, Stone, Grain Trades
Propellers: 1 [Controllable Pitch Propeller installed, 2011]
Rudders: 1
Engineering Equipment
Original
Engine
Engine Type: Steam Turbine
Engine Manufacturer: Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Sparrows Point, MD
Engine Model: Double reduction-geared Cross Compound Steam Turbine
Number of Engines: 1
Rated HP: 7700 SHP
Boiler
Boiler Type: Oil-Fired Water Tube Boiler
Boiler Manufacturer: Foster-Wheeler, Baar, Switzerland
Boiler Size: 17760 sq. ft.
Number of Boilers: 2
Repower – 2011
Engine Type: Diesel Engine
Engine Manufacturer: MaK, Kien, Germany
Engine Model: 6M43C; 6-Cylinder
Number of Engines: 2
Rated HP: 8,160 BHP
History
Lineage
Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} – 1952-1966
Owner: Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, OH [Pickands Mather & Co.]
Operator: Interlake Steamship Co.
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} – 1966-1973
Owner: Pickands Mather & Co., Cleveland, OH
Operator: Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, OH [Pickands Mather & Co.]
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} – 1973-1987
Owner: Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, OH [Pickands Mather & Co.]
Operator: Interlake Steamship Co.
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} – 1987-2003
Owner: Interlake Steamship Co., Middleburg Heights, OH
Operator: Interlake Steamship Co.
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Michipicoten {2} – 2003-Present
Owner: Lower Lakes Towing LTD., Port Dover, ON [Rand Logistics]
Operator: Lower Lakes Towing LTD.
Flag: Canada
Home Port: Port Dover, ON
Her Story
The Elton Hoyt 2nd {2} was constructed in 1952 as a gearless bulk carrier by Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock at their Sparrows Point, Maryland shipyard for the Interlake Steamship Company. Due to long waiting lists on Great Lakes shipyards, shipping companies were forced to look elsewhere to build ships. The Hoyt was constructed in Sparrows Point, Maryland, and after launching, her superstructures were placed on the spar deck in pieces so that she could be towed up the Mississippi River, and through Chicago. She was put together and underwent final fit-out at American Shipbuilding’s South Chicago shipyard before entering service.
The Hoyt 2nd was launched at Sparrows Point, Maryland, on March 7, 1952. Soon after, her superstructures were dismantled and placed on her spar deck, and she was towed up the Mississippi River system to South Chicago, Illinois, where her superstructure was completed and she underwent final fit out at American Shipbuilding Company’s yard. She entered service on August 15, 1952, departing South Chicago to load iron ore at Superior, Wisconsin.
It was found that even though the Hoyt was one of the largest vessels on the lakes, she could be a more efficient carrier after a lengthening. She was sent back to American Shipbuilding’s South Chicago, Illinois yard, at the end of the 1956 season, where she would be lengthened by 72′ over the winter. The Hoyt was placed in drydock, where she was cut in half just aft of midship, and her stern section floated out of the drydock. The new 72′ long mid-body was floated in and lined up with the bow, followed by the stern section, and the sections were welded together. She returned to service at the beginning of the 1957 season. The Hoyt was fitted with a bow thruster to make her more maneuverable in 1965.
In February 1978, officials from Interlake Steamship Company signed a major ore hauling contract with the LTV Steel. This contract prompted Interlake Steamship to convert the Elton Hoyt 2nd and her fleetmate Charles M. Beeghly into self-unloaders, as well as the construction of the William J. DeLancey. In October 1979, the Hoyt laid up at American Shipbuilding’s Toledo, Ohio, yard, where her cargo hold bottom was removed and new sloped sections were lowered through her cargo hatches and welded together. Conveyor belts running lengthwise of the ship were installed in the hold. A loop-belt elevator system was installed just forward of the aft deckhouse with a 250’ cargo boom to deliver the cargo to the dock. She returned to service for the 1980 season.
On December 22, 1983, a crack was discovered in her hull after sailing through a storm on Lake Huron. Repairs were made and she was able to complete her season. On September 21, 1985, she struck the 95th Street Bridge on the Calumet River in South Chicago, placing the bridge out of service for the next five years, as well as requiring the Hoyt to go to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for repairs.
Throughout the 1980’s and into the 1990’s, there was not enough cargo demand in the iron ore trade to keep the Hoyt operating in that trade, so she spent time hauling other cargoes such as stone, and later grain, while spending quite a bit of time on the wall. From January 9, 1991, to April 16, 1993, the Hoyt was laid up at Superior, Wisconsin due to lack of demand.
On August 6, 1994, the Elton Hoyt 2nd responded to a distress call from a pleasure craft, rescuing eight people from a cabin cruiser that was sinking a few miles off of the coast of Stoneport, Michigan. The Hoyt 2nd became the largest vessel to sail up the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 11, 1997, with ore for the LTV steel dock up river.
The Elton Hoyt 2nd laid up for the final time in Interlake Steamship colors on January 11, 2001, at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin. She would rest in Superior for the next two years, until she was sold in April 2003 to the Canadian shipping firm Lower Lakes Towing. She underwent a new paint job and hull inspection in the Fraser drydock in April before being towed to Sarnia, Ontario, for final fit-out, arriving on May 7. She was formally rechristened Michipicoten {2} and reflagged Canadian on May 24, 2003, sailing on her maiden voyage under her new name on June 13, 2003.
Over the winter of 2010-2011, the Michipicoten was repowered with new diesel engines at Sarnia, Ontario, returning to service as a motor ship in spring of 2011.
The Michipicoten remains largely dedicated to the movement of ore from Duluth, Minnesota, to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, while also serving the coal, stone, and grain trades for Lower Lakes Towing LTD.
Compiled By Brendan Falkowski
Updated on July 2, 2020
Gallery
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, 1970’s. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, August 1975. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, 1996. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, July 1998. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, August 26, 1998. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Elton Hoyt 2nd on the St. Marys River, August 1998. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, June 2003. Photo by Jim Hoffman 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, September 4, 2009. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, August 10, 2010. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten in winter layup at Sarnia, Ontario, February 23, 2013. Photo by Isaac Pennock Michipicoten at Port Huron, Michigan, June 1, 2013. Photo by Isaac Pennock 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, May 30, 2019. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, May 30, 2019. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten loading iron ore at Duluth, Minnesota, June 1, 2018. Photo by Isaac Pennock 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, August 30, 2018. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten at Grand Haven, Michigan, June 2019. Photo by Sam Hankinson 
Michipicoten on the upper St. Marys River, June 29. 2019. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Michipicoten on the St. Marys River, July 25, 2019. Photo by Roger LeLievre
Sources
Aho, Jody L. “Michipicoten”. Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping Online, N.d. Accessed 1 July 2020. <http://boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/michipicoten.htm>
Bawal, Raymond A., Jr. Twilight of the Great Lakes Steamer. Inland Expressions, 2009. Pp. 47-52
Berry, Sterling P. “Hoyt 2nd Elton”. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vessel Histories of Sterling P. Berry. N.d. Accessed 1 July 2020. <https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/h/hoyt-2nd-elton>
Devendorf, John F. Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, 1869-1985. John F. Devendorf, 1996. Pp. 172.
Greenwood’s Guide to Great Lakes Shipping 2016, Harbor House Publishers, 2016. Pp. 4.14.
“M/V Michipicoten”. Rand Logistics, N.d. Accessed 1 July 2020. <https://www.randlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Rand-Vessel-Profile-MIC-8-2019.pdf>
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