TV6’s Elizabeth Peterson begins her journey with the Lee A. Tregurtha through the Great Lakes

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MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – For those along Lake Superior they are perhaps the most photographed, the most iconic, the most mysterious attraction of the Upper Peninsula. We’re captivated by them, drawn to them. We sit along the shore watching as they glide through the water, seemingly unphased by the wind, waves and wild weather conditions. We track them. Tourists plan trips for a chance to view them. We’re in awe at their size and all they accomplish. They have become a symbol of who we are. The ore boats of the Great Lakes. Rich in history. Rich in U-P culture. …

Meet the Mark W. Barker, a new 639-foot ship hauling cargo on the Great Lakes

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — A new freighter is sailing the Great Lakes and carrying cargo in and out of the Cuyahoga River. The Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot bulk carrier, is the 10th ship in the Interlake Steamship Co.’s fleet, a Great Lakes carrier headquartered in Middleburg Heights. It’s the company’s first newly built ship since 1981. The MWB arrived in Cleveland this week after embarking from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where it was built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. It’s already made eight deliveries.

Maiden Voyage Underway for the First U.S.-flagged Great Lakes Bulk Carrier in Nearly 40 years

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Nearly three years after the first cut of steel for the first Great Lakes freighter in nearly 40 years, the 639-foot M/V Mark W. Barker embarked on her maiden voyage today from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. “This is a monumental day for our company and the US flag fleet as our much-anticipated freighter departs on her first voyage in what will be a long life of service on the Great Lakes,” says Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and namesake of the vessel – the company’s first new build since 1981. “The construction of this vessel, which was made from …

Freighter Ship Launched at Bayshipbuilding

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It’s been almost four decades since a new bulk carrier ship joined the Great Lakes fleet, a hiatus broken last Thursday after workers opened the valves to flood the dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay to launch the Mark W. Barker. “This is a huge milestone for all of us to be able to put the boat in the water for the first time,” said the vessel’s namesake, Mark Barker, president of Interlake Steamship, which commissioned and owns the ship. The 639-foot-long, 75-foot-wide bulk freighter received full maritime honors Oct. 28, including a large crowd, speeches and …

Launch of the First U.S.-flagged Great Lakes Bulk Carrier in Nearly 40 years

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Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and The Interlake Steamship Company hosted a launch ceremony today, marking the latest milestone for the new 639-foot M/V Mark W. Barker. The first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly 40 years, the M/V Mark W. Barker – while still under construction – was “launched” or otherwise floated in the water in the large drydock at the Sturgeon Bay shipyard. A formal maritime tradition, a launching ceremony honors the first time a boat is transferred from land to water. The public event is a way of celebrating and blessing the …

Interlake Maritime Services LOG, Summer 2021

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Welcome to the first edition of the Interlake Maritime Services LOG, our new company-wide newsletter.  The Interlake LOG was first published in the 1930s, originally as a safety newsletter. It has evolved over the years to include not only notable happenings in our fleet but also stories about those who power our company and the Great Lakes shipping industry.  We hope you enjoy this publication!  The Summer 2021 Interlake LOG

Boarding a freighter in the Soo Locks to deliver 5 doses of COVID vaccine

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SAULT STE. MARIE—In hard hats and safety vests, the two women shimmy up aluminum boarding ladders onto a converted World War II tanker. The rumble of the ship’s 8,040-horsepower engine makes conversation near-impossible on this blue sky morning. But public health workers Charity Zimmerman, a nurse, and Jill Schaefer, a clerk, know the drill on these steel giants that travel through the Soo Locks, the iconic commercial squeeze point between lakes Huron and Superior.