R. W. Sesler – Invincible
1979-Present
Articulated Tugboat; Paired with Barge —
Specs
Build Information
Year Built: 1979
Builder: Atlantic Marine, Fort George Island, FL
Hull #171
Registry: U.S. 610267
IMO #7723819
Laid Down: —
Launch Date: —
Commissioned: 1979
Paired Barges:
Construction
The Invincible was constructed in 1979 as an articulated push tug by Atlantic Marine in Fort George Island, Florida. She was originally fitted with a Bludworth type Articulated Tug-Barge connection system.
General Stats
Length Overall [Combined Tug & Barge]: —
Length Overall [Tug]: 100′
Breadth: 35′
Depth: 22’06”
Vessel Type: Articulated Tugboat
Propellers: 2
Rudders: 2
Engineering Equipment
Original
Engine
Engine Type: Diesel Engine
Engine Manufacturer: General Motors Electro-Motive Division, Chicago, IL
Engine Model: 16-645-E7B
Number of Engines: 2
Rated HP: 5,750 BHP
History
Lineage
R. W. Sesler – 1979-1991
Owner: Atlantic Marine, Fort George Island, FL
Operator: Atlantic Marine
Flag: United States
Home Port: —
Invincible – 1991-1999
Owner: Dixie Fuels, Houston, TX
Operator: Dixie Fuels
Flag: United States
Home Port: Houston, TX
Invincible – 1999-Present
Owner: Grand River Navigation Co., Traverse City, MI [Rand Logistics]
Operator: Grand River Navigation Company
Flag: United States
Home Port: Cleveland, OH
Her Story
The R. W. Sesler was constructed in 1979 as an articulated push tug by Atlantic Marine in Fort George Island, Florida. She was originally fitted with a Bludworth type Articulated Tug-Barge connection system. She pushed barges for Atlantic Marine for 12 years.
In 1991, the Sesler was sold to Dixie Fuels of Houston, Texas, and renamed Invincible. She was employed pushing tank barges for Dixie Fuels.
In 1999, the Invincible was purchased by Grand River Navigation of Traverse City, Michigan, to push the barge McKee Sons, which they recently chartered. The pair entered service together on September 4, 2000.
The McKee Sons / Invincible were laid up at Erie, Pennsylvania in late 2012 after it was decided that the repairs needed aboard the barge were too costly at the time to be justified. The charter to Grand River Navigation ended in late 2014, and the tug pushed the McKee Sons to Muskegon, Michigan, where the barge was laid up on December 20, 2014. The tug Invincible then proceeded to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for continued layup, arriving on December 21, 2014.
In August of 2018, the Invincible was towed to Ashtabula, Ohio, for preliminary work for being rebuilt to push the barge Menominee. Work was supposed to consist of the removal of her Bludworth connection system, addition of sponsons on her hull to house a new Hydraconn Articulated Tug-Barge connection system, and her pilothouse heightened. The project has been since put on hold and she has remained in layup in Ashtabula.
Compiled By Brendan Falkowski
Updated on August 31, 2020
Gallery
Invincible on her delivery trip to the Great Lakes, on the Welland Canal, 1999. Photo by Roger LeLievre Invincible in winter layup at Sarnia, Ontario, March 2, 2008. Photo by Roger LeLievre 
Invincible in the notch of her barge McKee Sons, unloading on the Rouge River, November 17, 2012. Photo by Isaac Pennock 
Invincible laid up at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, August 9, 2016. Photo by Roger LeLievre
Sources
Greenwood’s Guide to Great Lakes Shipping 2016, Harbor House Publishers, 2016. Pp. 6.5.
Pennock, Isaac. “Invincible”. Great Lakes Tugs & Workboats. N.d. Accessed 31 August 2020. <https://gltugs.wordpress.com/invincible/>
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