Lewis Wilson Foy – Oglebay Norton – American Integrity
1978-Present
Specs
Build Information
Year Built: 1978
Builder: Bay Shipbuilding Corp., Sturgeon Bay, WI
Hull #717
Registry: US 592377
IMO #7514696
Laid Down: Bow Section: October 8, 1976; Stern Section: August 5, 1976
Launch Date: Bow Section: April 28, 1977; Entire Hull: June 6, 1978
Commissioned: June 8, 1978
Construction
The Lewis Wilson Foy was constructed as a self-unloading bulk carrier for Bethlehem Steel’s Great Lakes Steamship Division. She was their second 1,000-Footer, the first being the Stewart J. Cort. The Foy was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970.
The Lewis Wilson Foy was constructed in two sections, with the keel being laid for her 340′ stern section on August 5, 1976. The keel for her 660′ bow section was laid on October 8, 1976, and was side-launched on April 28, 1977. The two sections were combined in drydock and floated out on June 6, 1978.
She was built to the plans of the Bay Shipbuilding 1,000-Footers, being the second vessel constructed. These ships were the Belle River [Walter J. McCarthy Jr., 1990;], Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor, and Columbia Star [American Century, 2006;].
Her self-unloading equipment consists of a single hold belt leading to an aft loop-belt system to a 250′ deck-mounted boom.
General Stats
Length Overall: 1,000′
Length Between Perpendiculars: 990′
Breadth: 105′
Depth: 56′
Loaded Draft: 34’01”
Capacity: 80,900 Tons
Vessel Type: Loop-Belt Self-Unloader
Self-Unloading Boom Length: Aft-Mounted; 250′
Number of Cargo Holds: 7 [Hatch-Hold Arrangement: 5-5-6-6-6-5-4]
Number of Hatches: 37 [Dimensions: 56’x11′]
Primary Operations: Ore, Coal Trades
Propellers: 2 Controllable Pitch Propellers
Rudders: 2
Engineering Equipment
Original
Engine
Engine Type: Diesel Engine
Engine Manufacturer: General Motors Electro-Motive Division, Chicago, IL
Engine Model: 20-645-E7
Number of Engines: 4
Rated HP: 14,000 BHP
History
Lineage
Lewis Wilson Foy – 1978-1991
Owner: Bethlehem Steel Corp., Great Lakes Steamship Division, Cleveland, OH
Operator: Bethlehem Steel Corp., Great Lakes Steamship Division, Cleveland, OH
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Oglebay Norton – 1991-1994
Owner: Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Co., Cleveland, OH
Operator: Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Co., Cleveland, OH
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Oglebay Norton – 1994-2006
Owner: Oglebay Norton Co., Cleveland, OH
Operator: Oglebay Norton Co., Marine Division, Cleveland, OH
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
American Integrity – 2006-2020
Owner: Liberty Steamship Co., Buffalo, NY [American Steamship Co., GATX Corp.]
Operator: American Steamship Co., Buffalo, NY
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
American Integrity – 2020-Present
Owner: American Steamship Co., Buffalo, NY [Rand Logistics]
Operator: American Steamship Co., Buffalo, NY
Flag: United States
Home Port: Wilmington, DE
Her Story
The Lewis Wilson Foy was constructed as a self-unloading bulk carrier for Bethlehem Steel’s Great Lakes Steamship Division. She was their second 1,000-Footer. The Foy was constructed in two sections, with the keel being laid for her 340′ stern section on August 5, 1976, being floated out of the drydock on February 26, 1977. The keel for her 660′ bow section was laid on October 8, 1976, and was side-launched on April 28, 1977. The two sections were combined in drydock and floated out on June 6, 1978. She was originally to be named Burns Harbor, but while under construction her name was changed to Lewis Wilson Foy. The Foy was christened on June 8, 1978, and departed on her maiden voyage later that day bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load ore.
The Foy collided with the E.B. Barber on September 15, 1981, sustaining minor damage. She hit the breakwall and grounded at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota, on July 6, 1982, requiring repairs to her hull.
On July 16, 1990, Bethlehem Steel announced plans to sell the Lewis Wilson Foy and her fleetmate Sparrows Point to Oglebay Norton’s Columbia Transportation Division. The deal was finalized later that year, and the Foy was repainted in Columbia Transportation colors and renamed Oglebay Norton in March 1991. In October 1994, Oglebay Norton Company assumed full ownership of the Oglebay Norton, after the Columbia Transportation Division was dissolved. The Oglebay Norton logo was applied to the bow of the ship as well as the stacks soon after the restructuring.
After being sold to Columbia, the Oglebay Norton began to carry some different cargoes. She began to participate in Oglebay Norton’s transport of Western coal from Superior, Wisconsin to Detroit Edison’s power plants in St. Clair and Monroe, Michigan, as well as delivering to facilities such as Consumers Energy’s B.C. Cobb plant at Muskegon, Michigan. She also set a limestone record in 1992, loading 57,749 tons of limestone.
Oglebay Norton filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in February 2004. On June 6, 2006, Oglebay Norton announced that they had sold six of their remaining ships to American Steamship Company of Buffalo, New York for $120 Million. The Oglebay Norton was included in the deal, and was renamed American Integrity soon after.
The American Integrity broke the Soo Locks iron ore record on September 24, 2017, with 75,095 Tons of ore. She later broke her record again on July 21, 2019, with a cargo of 76,424 Tons. The 2019 record was broken by her fleetmate Indiana Harbor a few weeks later.
In February 2020, Rand Logistics announced that they purchased American Steamship Company from their parent company GATX Corp. No immediate changes were made to the fleet, but the American Integrity did not fit out until partway through the 2020 season due to an economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She is an active vessel in the ore and coal trades.
Compiled By Brendan Falkowski
Updated on April 19, 2023
Gallery
Sources
Ahoy & Farewell II. Marine Historical Society of Detroit, 1996. Pp. 18.
Bawal, Raymond A., Jr. Superships of the Great Lakes. Inland Expressions, 2011. Pp. 38-42.
Berry, Sterling P. “Foy, Lewis Wilson”. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vessel Histories of Sterling P. Berry. N.d. Accessed 26 May 2020. https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/f/foy-lewis-wilson
Ferguson, Brian. “American Integrity”. Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping Online. N.d. Accessed 26 May 2020. http://boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/AmericanIntegrity.htm
Greenwood’s Guide to Great Lakes Shipping 2016, Harbor House Publishers, 2016. Pp. 4.4.
“M/V American Integrity”. American Steamship Company, N.d. Accessed 26 May 2020. http://americansteamship.com/fleet/mv-american-integrity.php
Shipwatcher News Great Lakes Ships 