Caroline McKee was constructed in 1972 by Main Iron Works at Houma, Louisiana, as their Hull #273. She was named David P. Guidry upon completion, and delivered to her new owners, American Offshore of Galliano, Louisiana, in early 1973. She is 122’02’’ long, 34’06’’ wide, and 12’07’’ deep, and powered by a pair of Alco 16-251E diesel engines, providing 5120 BHP.

David P. Guidry was sold to an unknown buyer in 1981, and was renamed Thunder. She was sold again in 1990 to Gulfcoast Transit Co., a subsidiary of Tampa Electric. She was sent to a shipyard for a refit, and a new elevated pilothouse and Bludworth ATB coupler system were installed. She was renamed Sharon DeHart, and paired with the bulk carrier barge Doris Guenther. The pair operated on the Gulf of Mexico, loading coal at ports near the mouth of the Mississippi River to Tampa Electric’s power plants in Tampa, Florida. The Gulfcoast Transit division was dissolved in 2002, and management of the fleet was transferred to Tampa Electric’s TECO shipping division.

Sharon DeHart was sold in 2013 to U.S. United Ocean Services of Tampa, Florida, and renamed Coastal 303. Her barge was included in the sale, being renamed Alabama Enterprise. The pair operated together briefly for United Ocean Services before they were laid up later in 2013. Her barge was scrapped shortly after they were laid up. Coastal 303 was sold again in 2018 to Dawn Marine Services of Gretna, Louisiana, who renamed her Southern Dawn. She never sailed under this name.

In early 2019, Southern Dawn was acquired by Port City Marine Services of Muskegon, Michigan, who had her sailed to the Bollinger Algiers Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana, for a major refit to prepare her for Great Lakes service. While in the yard, her exterior fittings were repaired, engines rebuilt and refurbished, and her interior and exterior were reconditioned. She was renamed Caroline McKee, after the wife of the late Bradshaw McKee, former president of Sand Products Corporation, parent company of Port City Marine Services. She departed the shipyard in New Orleans in early July 2020, passing through the St. Lawrence Seaway and Welland Canal before calling at South Chicago, Illinois, on July 23. After a quick stop at Chicago, she headed to Muskegon, Michigan, for a small ceremony to celebrate her arrival on July 26, 2020. Caroline McKee was paired with the barge Commander at the beginning of the 2021 season.

Written by Brendan Falkowski

Commander started her life quite different than how she appears today. She was originally built in 1957 by Todd Shipyards Corp. of Houston, TX, as Hull #180. She was built as the M-211 for Brown & Root of Baton Rouge, LA, as a B-Hull barge, and was 300’ long, 60’ wide, and 18’06’’ deep with a capacity of 3,453 tons. She was delivered to her owners in July 1957. Two years later, she was widened and converted into a pipe-laying barge by Avondale Marine Ways of Avondale, LA, and was used primarily in pipe laying operations off of the coast of Venezuela and the U.S. Southeast coast.

M-211 was sold to Canonie Transportation of Muskegon, MI, in 1981, and renamed Virginia. She was used in dredging and pipe laying work off of the coast of eastern Florida and Virginia. In 1988, she was sold again to the Port of Port Royal, SC, for use as a container storage vessel, and renamed C-11.

Kellstone Inc. of Sandusky, OH, purchased the C-11 in 1992, and had her taken to Toledo Shipyard in Toledo, OH, to be converted to a self-unloading bulk carrier. She was lengthened by 50’ and converted into a self-unloader. This brought her up to 350’ long, 71’ wide, and 27’ deep, with a capacity of 10,200 tons. Her hold was divided into 18 individual holds, with two pneumatically-operated conveyor belts running beneath her hold to a stern-located incline transfer belt. This belt brought her cargo to another incline belt at deck level on her starboard side, feeding a 166’06’’ unloading boom. C-11 was renamed Kellstone I and paired with the tugboat Frank Palladino Jr. The pair entered service in 1993, primarily delivering stone mined at Kelleys Island in Lake Erie to docks at Cleveland, OH.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck in October 1994 when Kellstone I / Frank Palladino Jr. ran over a fishing boat near Kelleys Island. Two teenage boys, who were on the fishing boat, were killed in the incident. In 1999, Kellstone I was paired with the newly-constructed tug James Paladino. Kellstone I and James Paladino were sold to Laken Shipping of Cleveland, OH, in 2004, and were renamed Cleveland Rocks and Cleveland, respectively. Sadly, history repeated itself in September 2007, when Cleveland Rocks / Cleveland ran over another small boat near Kelleys Island, this time killing three men onboard the pleasure craft. The tug and barge were laid up in late 2009 and listed for sale.

Cleveland Rocks was purchased by Michigan-Ohio Barge LLC of Muskegon, MI, a subsidiary of Sand Products Corp., in 2011. The barge was taken to Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair at Erie, PA for minor modifications prior to entering service in 2012. While at the shipyard, her notch was lengthened by 40’ and modified to accommodate a Bludworth ATB coupler. She was paired with the tug Bradshaw McKee, and the pair departed the shipyard in May 2012. After operating in the aggregate trades for the season, Cleveland Rocks and Bradshaw McKee were laid up at the Mart Dock in Muskegon, MI on December 1, 2012. Bradshaw McKee departed layup in early 2014 to operate with the recently-converted barge St. Marys Challenger.

Cleveland Rocks was towed out of Muskegon on April 16, 2017, being pushed by her old tug Bradshaw McKee, to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. She was taken to the shipyard for conversion to a self-unloading cement carrier. The project took 21 months to complete, resulting in a complete reconstruction of the hull, designed by Bay Engineering and Port City Marine Services management. Her original bow was cut off, and a new, longer one, was constructed, lengthening the vessel to 495’ long. Her cargo holds were rebuilt, and a cement unloading system was installed. A single belt running the length of the cargo hold was installed, leading to a forward mounted bucket elevator and optional Fuller-Kenyon cement pump system. The bucket elevator feeds to an airslide boom on the deck. A trunk deck was constructed over her old spar deck, allowing for more cargo volume capacity. After the conversion, she is able to carry 13,453 tons of powdered cement. She was renamed Commander, and delivered to Port City Marine Services on January 23, 2019. For the time being she was paired with the tug Bradshaw McKee, and entered service almost immediately after delivery.

Commander is primarily used in the transport of powdered cement from the St. Marys Cement plant in Charlevoix, MI, to St. Marys Terminals in Ferrysburg, MI, Milwaukee, WI, and South Chicago, IL, with occasional visits to ports such as Manitowoc. Commander was paired with the tug Caroline McKee beginning at the start of the 2021 season.

Written by Brendan Falkowski