Petka was constructed in 1987 by 3 Maj Brodogradiliste d.d. Shipyard of Rijeka, Croatia, as an ocean-going bulk carrier. She was constructed to maximum Seaway dimensions at 729’ long, 75’09’’ wide, and 48’05’’ deep, and was fitted with 3 large deck cranes. She could carry up to 34,380 tons at a mid-summer draft of 33’10’’. She is powered by a single 15,419 BHP Sulzer 6RTA62 diesel engine. Petka was constructed for Jugolinija, the state-operated shipping line of Yugoslavia. She entered service in 1987.
After the fall of the USSR in 1991, Jugolinija reorganized as a private firm, also changing their name to Croatia Lines in February of 1992. The fleet was repainted with royal blue hulls.
On June 12, 1995, the Petka scraped the bottom of the Welland Canal, tearing several holes in the bottom of her hull. She was repaired and later floated off of the bottom. Permanent repairs were completed at Montreal in late July.
In August of 2000, Petka was sold to Viken Shipping, being renamed Sandviken. She continued on ocean and Great Lakes trade routes.
On April 6, 2008, Algoma Central Corporation purchased Sandviken from Viken Shipping. Sandviken was renamed Algoma Spirit. She remained dedicated on ocean trade routes until October 2009, when her large deck cranes were removed in Europe, and she was reflagged Canadian in October of 2010.
The Algoma Spirit was laid up in late 2020 in Montreal, QC, to be retired. She was sold for scrapping in the spring of 2021, and was towed out of Montreal on August 2, 2021 by the tug V. B. Hispania, bound for the scrapyard in Aliaga, Turkey.
Written by Brendan Falkowski
| Ship Particulars | |
| Length | 729′ 00″ (222.2m) |
| Beam | 75′ 09″ (23.09m) |
| Depth | 48′ 08″ (14.83m) |
| Midsummer Draft | 33′ 10″ (10.31m) |
| Capacity | 35,542 tons |
| Engine Power | 15,499 bhp diesel |
| Previous Names | |
| Petka | 1986 – 2000 |
| Sandviken | 2000 – 2008 |
| Algoma Spirit | 2008 – 2021 |