End of the Line for the St. Mary's Challenger

[Saturnalia]

Last trip ending today for St. Marys Challenger

11/11 - St. Marys Challenger is expected to arrive under her own steam sometime today at Bay Shipbuilding Co. at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., to be converted to a barge. She made her final run up Lake Michigan Sunday.

Fittingly, her final passage from the Calumet River as a self-powered vessel was delayed by a malfunctioning bridge. When the vessel was known as Medusa Challenger, Chicago auto traffic was often delayed as she passed through malfunctioning bridges. At 5 p.m. Sunday, the St. Marys Challenger was approaching Lake Michigan after a delay waiting for the Nickel Plate Bridge near Torrence Avenue to open. The bridge was stuck in the down position.

The Challenger departed her unloading dock on the Calumet River at noon CST Sunday. The historic steamer made one stop in the Calumet at 106th Street to drop off cargo gear before proceeding out of the river on its voyage to Sturgeon Bay. The St. Marys Challenger arrived at the South Chicago Terminal in Lake Calumet shortly before midnight Friday.

Supposedly no firm announcement, but conversion is expected. Ship has been sailing for 107 years. Certainly the end of an era if she is converted.

[Firemedic Mike]

Integrated Tug/Barge seems to be pretty common in the Great Lakes cement industry. G.L. Olstrander/Integrity and the Samuel de Champlain/Innovation working for Lafarge North America are prime examples. I have a feeling the Challenger will wind up the same way.

[CAT345C]

Last trip ending today for St. Marys Challenger

11/11 - St. Marys Challenger is expected to arrive under her own steam sometime today at Bay Shipbuilding Co. at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., to be converted to a barge. She made her final run up Lake Michigan Sunday.

Fittingly, her final passage from the Calumet River as a self-powered vessel was delayed by a malfunctioning bridge. When the vessel was known as Medusa Challenger, Chicago auto traffic was often delayed as she passed through malfunctioning bridges. At 5 p.m. Sunday, the St. Marys Challenger was approaching Lake Michigan after a delay waiting for the Nickel Plate Bridge near Torrence Avenue to open. The bridge was stuck in the down position.

The Challenger departed her unloading dock on the Calumet River at noon CST Sunday. The historic steamer made one stop in the Calumet at 106th Street to drop off cargo gear before proceeding out of the river on its voyage to Sturgeon Bay. The St. Marys Challenger arrived at the South Chicago Terminal in Lake Calumet shortly before midnight Friday.

Supposedly no firm announcement, but conversion is expected. Ship has been sailing for 107 years. Certainly the end of an era if she is converted.

Mark the calender...it takes over 2 months for facebook news to make it here...

[GLC 392]

I have known about this being it's last year as a steamer since the beginning of the shipping season, at first it was still up in the air whether it was going to be dieselized or cut up into a barge it was made public a few weeks ago. It is heading to Bay ship to be made into a barge now. The crew only found out due to Bay ship putting it out in their up coming projects. I have spent a lot of time chasing her on my off days this year, including all 3 trips it made to Grand Haven, 2 Chicago trips and 2 Charlevoix. It is truly sad to see this happen to her as it is a major piece of history! She is currently in the channel outside of Sturgeon Bay WI. Here are a lot of my photos of her from this year minus one of the Charlevoix trips, the afternoon I spent on her, and a couple times off of Ludington.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92158122@N ... 472079344/

[EWRice]

Anybody know if the EM Ford is still running? That one was older and from what I had read, in far better shape than ships half her age.

[Standard Railfan]

Anybody know if the EM Ford is still running? That one was older and from what I had read, in far better shape than ships half her age.

Scrapped at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario c.2009. http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/emford.htm

[MagnumForce]

While it's sad indeed, there are several early 20th century Lake Boats of similar design that are preserved, the Valley Camp at the Sault and the Schoonmaker at Toledo both come to mind.

Amazing that the Challenger has made it through 107 shipping seasons relatively as built and now how many more as a integrated barge. A testament to American Engineering.

[kneemeister]

Boatnerd.com reports that the Pilot house and Funnel are already removed, so Bay is not waisting any time on this conversion. Now how long until the last of the Steam Turbine ships are all gone too.

[kneemeister]

While it's sad indeed, there are several early 20th century Lake Boats of similar design that are preserved, the Valley Camp at the Sault and the Schoonmaker at Toledo both come to mind.

Amazing that the Challenger has made it through 107 shipping seasons relatively as built and now how many more as a integrated barge. A testament to American Engineering.

....I wonder how long Whitfish Bay, or the rest of the new Chinese built ships of CSL and Algoma will last? But the longevity is also a result of never being in a salt water environment. Salties all seem to be rust buckets after 25 years or so.