This ship was built at Collingwood, Ont., and launched on July 12, 1973 as the H.M. GRIFFITH. It left in late October to load iron ore at Thunder Bay for the Steel Company of Canada plant at Hamilton.
The 730 foot long by 75 foot wide freighter was registered at 22,722 gross tons. Although ore and coal have been the predominant cargoes over the years, the H.M. GRIFFITH set a record for corn of l,073,000 bushels from Chicago to Montreal in November 1973 and a corn record of 1,045,000 out of Toledo on December 4, l984.

There have been several “firsts” over the years including Welland Canal openings for each of 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1994. This was the first to refuel at the Champion Fuel Terminal (since closed) at Port Weller in 1980 and the first to unload into a hopper at the Robin Hood Elevator, Port Colborne, Ont., in August 1987.

On December 24, 1999 the H.M. Griffith entered Port Weller Dry Docks for conversion. She was the second of three new buildings in Canada Steamship Lines’ $100-million hull-replacement program. In the conversion the vessel received a new bow and cargo section, with new dimensions of 740 feet long by 78 feet at the beam. She was rechristened on March 29, 2000 and renamed Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin.

The building the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin required more than 6,000 tons of steel. In this unique shipbuilding project, an entirely new hull was constructed, and joined to the engine-room portion of the H.M. Griffith. The M.V. Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin is only the second ship to be built to the St. Lawrence Seaway’s new maximum-size allowances, and features the most up-to-date self-unloading system available.

The vessel’s self-unloading equipment is a twin-belt gravity system with a loop-belt elevator. It will unload at a rate of 6,000 short tons per hour. The principal dimensions of the Rt. Hon. Paul J Martin are: Overall length 740-feet, Beam 78-feet, Depth molded 48-feet, Draught 9 29.6-feet, Deadweight 35,560 tonnes, Horse power 9,000 BHP, Cargo capacity 40,207 cubic meters, Unloading capacity 6,000 short tons per hour.

The Rt. Hon. Paul J Martin carries a compliment of 24, consisting of 18 crew and 6 officers.

The Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin was repowered in 2013 with new diesel engines. She grounded in the St. Lawrence Seaway above the Iroquois Lock on October 6, 2019, being freed on October 11. The following winter, she was drydocked for repairs at Port Weller Drydocks.

The Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin remains active in the ore, coal, stone, grain, and salt trades.

Written by Skip Gillham, updated by Brendan Falkowski