Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., a subsidiary of Upper Lakes Group
Inc. has announced that it and its unrelated partner Seaway
Marine Transport have entered into an agreement with Chengxi
Shipyard in China for the construction of an aft end that will be
joined with the completed second coastal forebody built and
presently positioned at the same shipyard. The contracted
delivery date of the vessel is 31 January 2011. The vessel will be
crewed by Upper Lakes and bareboat chartered to Seaway
Marine Transport for service beginning in the 2011 shipping
season.
The completed self-unloader will be named the Canadian
Mariner in honour of all the sailors who have contributed to
Upper Lakes Shipping’s storied success on the waters of the
Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and Eastern Seaboard. The
company’s former gearless bulker of the same name served the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway proudly first as the
Newbrunswicker when built in 1963 and then as the Canadian
Mariner when purchased by Upper Lakes in 1972 until her
retirement in 2007.
Along with its recently delivered coastal fleet mate, the
Algobay, the ‘new’ Canadian Mariner leads the way to the renewal
of Seaway Marine Transport’s dry bulk fleet. The vessel will be
fitted with a 7,200kW MAN B&W Tier I emissions-compliant
engine and built to full Seaway size.
The vessel will also accommodate other equipment and
systems that will enable her to be the most environmentally
friendly vessel on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and,
with the help of design partners, Deltamarin, will represent one
of the most modern, safe and efficient vessels operating under
Canadian Flag.
Upper Lakes Shipping and SMT reach agreement with Chengxi Shipyard