Algoport

The Algoport was is powered by twin 5,350 b.h.p. Crossley Pielstick model 10PC 2V MK3 V-10 cylinder single acting, 4 stroke cycle diesel engines built by Crossley Premier Engines Ltd., Manchester, England burning intermediate grade 40 fuel oil. The power was fed to a single controllable pitch propeller giving her a rated service speed of 13.8 m.p.h.. The vessel was equipped with a 1,000 h.p. bow thruster. Nineteen hatches serviced 4 holds where the vessel was capable of carrying 32,000 tons at mid-summer draft. The Algoport’s holds had the cubic capacity to carry 25,443 net tons of coal. Optimized for the gypsum trade, the vessel’s self-unloading equipment consisted of a three-belt gravity fed system feeding a stern mounted loop belt elevator to a 261′ 00″ discharge boom that could be swung 90 degrees to port or starboard. This special slow moving self unloading system had a designed discharge rate of up to 3,750 tons per hour.

After completing sea trials on Georgian Bay in August 1979, the Algoport left Collingwood on her maiden voyage August 27, 1979 sailing in ballast to Calcite, MI for a load of limestone to Spragge, ON. That same year, on December 27 the Algoport had the honor of closing the Welland Canal for the season. The vessel grounded briefly on the Manistee River on August 9, 1980 with little or no damage. In 1981, the Algoport became the first vessel to load potash at Thunder Bay, ON taking on 19,091 tons in 15 hours. The self-unloader is noted to have opened Thunder Bay for the season on March 24, 1984 and again on April 1, 1986. The vessel was then noted to have allided with the sea wall at Grand Haven, MI on April 21, 1986 while inbound with a load of salt.

During the winter of 1991/92, the Algoport’s engines were modified to burn the less expensive residual fuel consisting of a blend of bunker “C”, marine diesel oil and heavy crude at an estimated cost of $1.3 million. Beginning in 1993, the vessel with her self-unloading fleet mates commenced operating under the banner of the newly formed Seaway Self Unloaders, St. Catharines, ON, a pooling arrangement combining the self unloading fleets of Algoma Central Corporation and ULS Corporation (Upper Lakes Shipping). This arrangement was modified in January, 2000 when the bulkers of the two fleets (sailing under the Seaway Bulk Carriers banner) were merged combining all the vessels of both fleets into one operational partnership known as Seaway Marine Transport, St. Catharines, ON. The partnership was further modified in 2004 when Seaway Marine Transport took over the complete operation and management of the Algoma and Upper Lakes domestic self unloading and bulker fleets.

On October 9, 2001, the Algoport was reported aground at Iles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and was refloated the next day with no reported damage. Then on May 6, 2004, the vessel received hull damage while attempting to dock at the stone quarry at Stephenville, NL. Temporary repairs were made prior to loading and after delivering the load to Sept Isles, QC, she proceeded to Les Mechins, QC arriving May 12 for dry-docking to complete permanent repairs including a 5-year survey and inspection. After departing Les Mechins on June 11, the Algoport sailed to Lower Cove, NL to load. Later in 2004, on November 1, the self-unloader lost her port anchor about 650′ from the Grand Entree Wharf at Iles de la Madeleine. While berthing at the Lafarge Cement dock at Clarkson, ON September 8, 2007, the vessel sustained a 2’ x 3″ hole in the lower forepeak tank with ingress of water forward of the bow thruster. After unloading and damage inspection, she proceeded to Hamilton, ON arriving September 10 for repairs, returning to service 2 days later. From late 2007 on into 2009, the Algoport continued to have occasional but persistent issues with the ingress of water in areas of the forepeak and numbers 1 and 2 ballast tanks (as reported by Lloyd’s Marine Investigation Unit November 2007, April 2008, November 2008 and June 2009).

In 2007 Seaway Marine Transport announced that they had entered into agreements to construct two maximum Seaway size self-unloading forebodies and to attach these new forebodies to the refurbished aft ends of the Algoport and Algobay. The forebodies were to be constructed by Chengxi Shipyard Co. Ltd. in Jiangyin, China. The two vessels were expected to be in service by September 2010 and December 2009 respectively, at an expected cost of approximately $125 million. The Algoport remained operational into the 2009 navigation season and the Algobay had last operated in 2002 and remained laid up in Toronto, ON until being towed to Hamilton, ON in 2007 and then on to Montreal, QC where the overseas tow originated May 25, 2008 arriving at Jiangyin, China on September 10, 2008.

On April 3, 2009, the Algoport was drydocked at Seaway Marine & Industrial Inc. (formerly Port Weller Dry Docks) for hull strengthening and other necessary modifications to be completed for the upcoming voyage to China. As fate would have it, the Algoport loaded what would prove to be her final cargo on June 4, 2009 when the vessel arrived at Little Narrows, NS for a load of gypsum destined for Bowmanville, ON. After unloading at Bowmanville on June 10, she proceeded in ballast to Hamilton’s Pier 10-4, arriving there later the same day. New bridge wings were added to meet Panama Canal transit requirements and other final preparations completed for her overseas voyage. On June 27, 2009, the Algoport departed Hamilton sailing under her own power for Balboa, Panama to await her tow to Jiangyin, China. She passed through the Panama Canal on July 19, 2009 anchoring about 8 miles south of Balboa to wait for the tug.

On September 6, 2009 the Algoport broke in half and sank overnight in heavy seas while under tow of tug Pacific Hickory (formerly the Canadian registered Atlantic Hickory, renamed March, 2007). The tow had encountered some rough seas from Tropical Storm Dujuan that had passed near the vessel’s route. The tow was about one week away from her destination when the Algoport sank in approximately 16,400′ of water, location 30° 0′ 0″ N by 130° 0′ 0″ E (East China Sea south of Japan).