The first U.S.-flag laker to be built this century was commissioned this week and figures to be completed by mid-2022. The new “river-class” vessel will be built to transit the Great Lakes and service customers in some of the smaller harbors found in the rivers connecting the lakes.
Interlake Steamship working with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to construct new ship
In mid-2022, Interlake Steamship Co. will welcome the first new ship to its fleet since 1981. The Middleburg Heights-based U.S. flag fleet is partnering with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., on construction of the bulk carrier. A news release stated that the ship is “believed to be the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983.” In an email, Interlake president Mark W. Barker said this is the first fully integrated ship the company has built since 1981. It did a tug-barge conversion in 1998. The addition of the new ship will bring Interlake Steamship’s fleet to 10 active vessels, as it will be extending the fleet instead of replacing a ship.
The Interlake Steamship Company and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Partner to Build First Great Lakes Bulk Carrier in Nearly Four Decades
A U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier will be built for the first time in more than 35 years thanks to a historic agreement recently signed between The Interlake Steamship Company and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.