Great Lakes Trader
2000-Present
Articulated Barge, Self-Unloading Bulk Carrier; Paired with Tugboat Joyce L. VanEnkevort
Specs
Build Information
Year Built: 2000
Builder: Halter Marine Port Bienville, Pearlington, MS
Hull #301
Registry: U.S. 1091839
IMO #8635966
Laid Down: —
Launch Date: —
Commissioned: June 23, 2000
Paired Tugboats:
- Joyce L. VanEnkevort [2000-Present]
Construction
The Great Lakes Trader was constructed as a self-unloading barge for VanEnkevort Tug & Barge of Escanaba, Michigan. She was built in two halves at Halter Marine’s Port Bienville shipyard in Pearlington, Mississippi, being towed to their New Orleans, Louisiana shipyard where the halves of the ship were mated together and final fit out took place. She was equipped with a Hydraconn Articulated Tug/Barge connection system, which was pioneered by her owners. She was mated to the tugboat Joyce L. VanEnkevort, which sailed from the Great Lakes to pick up the barge in May of 2000.
The Great Lakes Trader was the first of three similarly designed barges, the other two being the Lakes Contender [Erie Trader, 2017] of 2012 and the Michigan Trader of 2020. All of these barges are currently under ownership of VanEnkevort Tug & Barge.
Her self-unloading equipment consists of a single hold belt and an aft loop-belt system feeding a 265′ deck-mounted boom.
General Stats
Length Overall [Combined Tug & Barge]: 840′
Length Overall [Barge]: 740′
Length Between Perpendiculars: 720′
Breadth: 78′
Depth: 45′
Loaded Draft: 30”
Capacity: 39,600 Tons
Vessel Type: Loop-Belt Self-Unloader; Articulated Barge
Self-Unloading Boom Length: Aft-Mounted; 265′
Number of Cargo Holds: 7 [Hatch-Hold Arrangement: 3-3-3-5-4-4-3]
Number of Hatches: 26 [Dimensions: 44’x11′]
Primary Operations: Ore, Coal, Stone Trades
History
Lineage
Great Lakes Trader – 2000-Present
Owner: VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Escanaba, MI
Operator: VanEnkevort Tug & Barge
Flag: United States
Home Port: Escanaba, MI
Her Story
The Great Lakes Trader was built in 2000 as a self-unloading barge for VanEnkevort Tug & Barge of Escanaba, Michigan. She was built in two halves at Halter Marine’s Port Bienville shipyard in Pearlington, Mississippi, being towed to their New Orleans, Louisiana shipyard where the halves of the ship were mated together and final fit out took place. She was equipped with a Hydraconn Articulated Tug/Barge connection system, which was pioneered by her owners. She was mated to the tugboat Joyce L. VanEnkevort, which sailed from the Great Lakes to pick up the barge. The pair departed New Orleans for the Great Lakes on May 28, 2000. Since the barge was built to maximum seaway dimensions, the tug had to detach while transiting St. Lawrence Seaway locks to allow a smaller harbor tug to push the barge into the lock. The tug then had to lock through separately afterwards.
The Great Lakes Trader / Joyce L. VanEnkevort entered service together on June 23, 2000, loading ore at Escanaba, Michigan, for delivery to Indiana Harbor, Indiana.
The pair are typically employed in the iron ore trade from Lake Superior ports to Cleveland, and Toledo, Ohio and other Southern Lake Michigan ports, and the stone trade from upper Lake Huron and Lake Michigan ports to across the Great Lakes.
Compiled By Brendan Falkowski
Updated on June 9, 2020
Gallery
Sources
Greenwood’s Guide to Great Lakes Shipping 2016, Harbor House Publishers, 2016. Pp. 4.10.
Pennock, Isaac. “Joyce L. VanEnkevort”. Great Lakes Tugs & Workboats. N.d. Accessed 9 June 2020. https://gltugs.wordpress.com/joyce-l-vanenkevort/
Wharton, George. “Great Lakes Trader”. Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online. N.d. Accessed 9 June 2020. http://boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/greatlakestrader.htm
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