Captain Johnson says the ship is a floating city, "We're our own village, we're self-contained. The space where the boat had to go is 110 feet wide. We had a trip earlier this month in zero visibility through a narrow river channel. A native of Worcester, Mass., Brendan has been a respected member of the maritime industry since graduating from The Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1993 earning a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and an Unlimited Third Mate Open Oceans License and a commission as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. The boat runs 10 months out of the year, often going deep into January, as ice conditions allow. "It does suck not being there for all the good times," said the man they call El Dirty. Bob Thibaudeau early Wednesday morning eased the Paul R. Tregurtha into northern Michigan's Soo Locks slowly, slowly like a driver inching a monster truck into a crowded mall parking space. Prior to his current position with Interlake, Bill was a Senior Director and Business Unit Controller at Cliffs Natural Resources, an international mining and minerals focused company. Perkins is officially the conveyorman on the longest freighter on the Great Lakes, spending hours in the bowels of the ship where the coal is stored. A trip on a freighter will also be raffled off. De Lancey departed Lorain on her maiden voyage on May 10, 1981, sailing in ballast to Silver Bay, Minnesota, to load 55,944 long tons (56,842 t) of iron ore pellets. With CENTURY on her way, she slid up and over to dock for her own offload, and the Captain's last. There's also a mate on site, and a wheelman to steer. That's when you earn your money in the winter time. All rights reserved. His wife, Kathleen (Sissy) Perkins jumped onto the boat this week at the Soo Locks to spend a week with him. The guests have a private area on the ship that you might not expect to see on a freighter. Y]T ZY:. He and the other men and women who work aboard Great Lakes commercial freighters make good money devoting months of every year to these boats. Paul R. Tregurtha, born 1935, was the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Company's Board. She is the reigning "Queen of the Lakes", a title she has held since she entered service in 1981. Follow Jim Schaefer on Twitter at@DetroitReporter and on Facebook at facebook.com/jimschaef . She can carry up to 68,000 gross tons of taconite pellets or 71,000 net tons of coal. Marie. Eric will be posting @ericseals on Twitter and Instagram.They'll be using the hashtag: #FreighterLife. And he likes chatting with them and spreading his love of the lakes. The men and women can work 60 days on and then have 30 days off. 67 0 obj <> endobj four in a bed contestant dies. After receiving his Juris Doctorate from The University of Toledo College of Law, Tom worked for the boutique Cleveland, Ohio admiralty and maritime law firm of Ray, Robinson, Carle & Davies, P.L.L. Paul R Tregurtha departed Duluth early this morning. 0000006958 00000 n Designed by the American Ship Building Company to fulfill two briefs: With the second brief in mind, she was one of the first freighters with full air conditioning, elevators, and luxurious dcor. After 42 years on the Great Lakes, Captain Robert Thibaudeau, or "Captain Bob" as we all call him, Captain of the Paul R Tregurtha from the Interlake Steamship Company, made his final. "My wife says, 'You're done.' Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. On Sunday morning, Perkins was up early as the boat nestled against the dock at a power plant in East China Township to dump half its load of coal for DTE; the other half goes to Monroe today. ", Captain Johnson has worked on the lakes for decades. It was certainly a lot more challenging in the early days. Deckhands pull heavy steel cables to tie up the boat to docks, sweep the decks, paint, and shovel excess coal into the cargo hold during the loading process. Once you start unloading, the ship will rise so we have to counter balance it with ballast to keep the draft straight and keep the boat from bending too much. She is truly an engineering marvel. Now in his 41st season sailing with Interlake, Captain Bob stands at the helm of the longest vessel to ever sail the Great Lakes. Dustin Darby is a First Mate, "There are gates at the bottom of the cargo holds, hydraulic gates, and they put the cargo on to a conveyor system. Paul R Tregurtha, Moran Towing Corp: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets Subscribe Live Now Bloomberg TV+ Business of Sports: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Win with Unpopular. He works in a tunnel where he can see the coal filtering down through the gates like water to an unplugged drain. Thanks for the double salute when you arrived yesterday, both the Captain's Salute and the Master Salute--and lots of cheers from the onlookers when the Canal Park Museum narrator told them you were retiring. It's a Great Lakes Freighter boat and you see it has really big lines. In addition, he has been Chairman of Moran Towing Corp. since 1994 and Chief Executive Officer since 1998. Depending on their seniority, the crew works an average of 6-8 months a year. Mr. Barker has served on various Boards of Directors, including the boards of GTE (1976-2000), Verizon (2000-2007) and Brinks (2000-2007). Have a great retirement Captain Bob. They all have specific jobs, but it's a jack-of-all-trades environment. Twenty-nine crew members died. Mark Barker is President of The Interlake Steamship Company, the largest privately held shipping company on the Great Lakes. ", The menu while we were on board was impressive,"We're serving prime rib, sea scallops in butter Parmesan sauce and a chicken Parmesan breast. Captains make $160,000 to $200,000, according to Glenn Kolke, marine personnel manager for Interlake. 7300 Engle Road Tom Moore, 49, a second cook, as they call them, hops from boat to boat wherever relief help is needed. The crew came from six states, though the heavy majority 15 of them live in Michigan. He pilots from high above the stern, in a rectangular room filled with banks of computers, radar equipment, communications equipment and electronic mapping screens. Her unloading system and 260-foot boom empty her five cargo holds in about eight hours. We don't have a meal plan per say. He generally works 60 days, then takes off for 30. Burgett and his wife, Lynn, boarded the 1,000-footer Tuesday in St. Clair with friends Bob and Linda Kempf,Janet Knust and Rick Sheffield. 105.0' 17,120 At 1013.5 feet, Interlake's flagship M/V Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest ship on the Great Lakes. It's dark down where Perkins works on the belt, and he uses a flashlight to watch rollers that move the belt along. She arrived back in Lorain on May 16, 1981. Michigan Republicans gather at the Nuthouse before picking party chair. She arrived back in Lorain on May 16, 1981. "Everybody I've talked to has said it's a trip of a lifetime and I have to agree with that," the Fort Gratiot man said from aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha Thursday. She's been putting up with this for 30 years.". [5], Last edited on 18 December 2022, at 12:01, "1,000-foot coal freighter stuck in St. Marys River", "Salvage Experts Refloat Grounded Vessel in St. Marys River", "1,000-foot Laker Stuck near Bayfront Park", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MV_Paul_R._Tregurtha&oldid=1128108016, August 7, 1982: 63,007 long tons (64,018t) load at. All rights reserved. "I have talked to people who have been on this trip and I guess it's like anything else, until you actually experience it, it's unbelievable.". Main: 440-260-6900 There are workshops filled with tools all over the boat, some with wrenches as big as a human head. He plans to join his wife in Muskegon, where they live on a houseboat. . "Bottom line is you're not going to get along with everybody. [4], During the afternoon of September 20, 2014, she was involved in an incident in Duluth, Minnesota, when she ran aground just off the Bayfront Festival Park in the Duluth Harbor Basin, just west of the Aerial Lift Bridge. Awesome Inc. theme. Fax: 440-260-6945. He's Chris Perkins, for those of you not on the boat. A lot of people can't cut it, but to me it's much more than just a paycheck. He just took the helm of the Tregurtha last October. The 308 meter long, 69172 dwt bulk freighter Paul R. Tregurtha went aground on St. Mary's River near Neebish Island.. Our management team has a deep institutional knowledge of Great Lakes vessel safety, ship operations, marine engineering and maintenance and collectively more than 300 years of experience in the shipping industry. After 42 years on the Great Lakes, Captain Robert Thibaudeau, or \"Captain Bob\" as we all call him, Captain of the Paul R Tregurtha from the Interlake Steamship Company, made his final transit down the St Clair River at Port Huron and beyond to St Clair where he spun the ship around one last time, docked at DTE Energy and then packed up and called it a careerI have had the pleasure of knowing Captain since 2016 as a result of my Photography and he was gracious enough to agree to do an Interview with me before he ended his career. Anna Kolin from the museum says the trip is priceless,"I had a chance to spend a day on the Tregurtha with the 13abc crew and it was absolutely amazing. There aren't too many waves, but come October and November then it gets nasty. Eric Seals will be posting @ericseals on Twitter and Instagram . It drops onto the belt, which then whisks it up out of the ship, through a boom stretched to a silo on land. My hat goes off to the old time captains . Since assuming the leadership role of Chief Financial Officer in the fall of 2014, Bill has brought his extensive financial acumen to The Interlake Steamship Company. now, winter shore leave is over. The crew of the Paul R. Tregurtha had to pull a 360-degree maneuver on Friday morning when they learned the aerial lift bridge in Duluth, Minn., that they'd planned to go under had. %PDF-1.3 % Aboard each boat, the work generally is split among deckhands, cooks and engine room workers. A graduate of SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Engineering and an Unlimited Third Assistant Engineer License, Mark holds an MBA from the Case Western Reserve Universitys Weatherhead School of Management. And she can hit hard, with things like fog and thunder storms in the summer, and thick ice in the winter. 0 The coal gets there through gates that are opened at the bottom of the cargo hatches, which are above where he works. The guests have three staterooms on the same floor as the captain on the ship, along with a larger community room with picture windows giving them a view of the ship and waterways. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Science from the Maine Maritime Academy and also served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. It can slow you down quite a bit. She was married on her husband's ship, the Paul R. Tregurtha. In November 2016, he assumed his current management role. After sailing with Interlake Steamship Company for over 40 years, Captain Bob Thibaudeau commands the Queen of the Lakes, the 1,013 foot long PAUL R. TREGURTHA, one last time down the St. Clair River for the DTE/St. Her unloading system and 260-foot boom empty her five cargo holds in about eight hours. Once the Great Lakes freighter was tucked safely inside the lock, the gates shut behind it, an influx of water raised it 20 feet, and she was on her way into Lake Superior. Have a great retirement Captain Bob. [1], She was the subject of a television program in the first season of Discovery Channel Canada's series Mighty Ships. Instead, there is satellite TV in every room. His other responsibilities as captain include managing the crew of 23, planning out schedules, projects and maintenance, and sometimes acting as sheriff and counselor, de-escalating any on-board issues. For dessert, there's a cake called chocolate insanity. During his six years at Cliffs, he was responsible for financial oversight of the North American Coal business unit as well as various non-business unit projects that included oil & gas, South American iron ore, Iron Nuggets, renewaFUEL, mergers & acquisitions, and union negotiations. 2019 The Interlake Steamship Company. For more information, click the "The National Museum of the Great Lakes" or "Interlake Steamship Company on Facebook" link on this page. He's just 57, but Thibaudeau already has 36 years on these waters, evident in the silver hair that sweeps back from his face. It's a lifestyle. It's a story you'll only see here. "This is the ship that everyone would like to sail," Thibaudeau said, noting not just the Tregurtha's crown as "Queen of the Lakes" due to its length, but also because he likes hosting 20 sets of passengers each year. It's minimum wage; $8 an hour is all you're gonna get," Perkins said. She holds a number of cargo records:[1], On termination of the Republic Steel contract, on May 23, 1990, she was rechristened MV Paul R. Tregurtha at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, named in honor of the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Co. On May 3, 2002, her only captain died in his cabin, Captain Mitch Hallin, aged 55. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. with distinction, from Harvard Business School. In the winter, they live in Ocala, Fla. One of the most important parts of the ship is the galley. Our travels took us by beautiful waterfront homes, through downtown Detroit. Paul Smith is the Chief Cook. July 20, 1983: broke the Lorain port record delivering 61,846 long tons (62,838t) of iron ore pellets from Escanaba. In open water, there's an autopilot, but someone always has to be on watch. We also have sweet potatoes and a rice medley. "But if I wasn't out here doing what I'm doing, they wouldn't have the good times.". I hope you all still enjoy the interview anywayFair winds and following seas to Captain Bob we will all miss you on the Lakes very much, but wish you the best in the years ahead while you begin this new chapter of your life. De Lancey, named in honor of Republic Steel's chairman who participated in the launch. AUTOS. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The black stuff dumps into the silo like a rocky waterfall. She also has a dog. On completion, the forward section was towed to their yard in Lorain, Ohio where it was mated with the stern portion. Coming up with new ideas, different things every day. for nearly fifteen years, first as an associate and then as a full partner. Interlake hired him right out of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, which he entered in 1976, the year after the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior during a gale. There are 36 cargo hold hatches on the Tregurtha, and the iron lids weigh more than a ton. ", In addition to bad weather, the ship's can also be affected by what;s in the lake. ", The Second Cook is Denise Hanrahan. "They actually assign to the guests a porter, an individual who looks after us, keeps us advised She's constanly bringing us plates of goodies," Randy Burgett said Thursday from the ship. Loading 43,000 net tons in Conneaut, Ohio, both United States and Canadian Coast Guard services provided ice breaking assistance so that the voyage was completed without any delays. There's Nater and her cat. The Paul R. Tregurtha is known as the "Queen of the Lakes." This is the final trip for Captain Bob Thibaudeau, senior-most captain in his 42nd season sailing with Interlake. "Nater In The Wheelhouse." Nater lives on a boat and it is one of a kind. They'll be using the hashtag: #FreighterLife. At more than three football fields long, not only is the ship's size impressive, but so is her workload. On another boat, the cook who dubbed Perkins "El Dirty" would hand him garbage bags to line his chair before he sat down to eat. Freighters are a big part of our local history and economy. US Coast Guard Documentation and Licensing. "I've lived here all my 60-plus years and watched plenty of boat traffic come and go, but I had no idea what was truly involved in keeping a vessel like this running," he said. 0000005509 00000 n He has twin stepsons, who also work on Great Lakes freighters. 0000000991 00000 n Mates substitute in around the clock and often pilot the ship, but they call him when needed. After Free Press journalists disembark his boat this weekend, Thibaudeau is due a long vacation. As Interlakes Vice President of Engineering, Phil oversees all of the day-to-day engineering processes for the fleet and the associated fleet maintenance, repairs and upgrades, dry-docking, as well as regulatory compliance, engineering budgets and general oversight of engineering personnel both aboard ship and shore side. "Everybody I've talked to has said it's a trip of a lifetime and I . We're just like a big family on a boat.". Staff writer Jim Schaefer and staff photographer Eric Seals invite you to share their journey aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes. That system moves through the ship and out onto the boom . Arriving into Port Huron on, suitably, the 4th of July, it appeared that nearly every seaworthy vessel in the area, likely already planning a nice holiday boat cruise, made its way out on to the river to escort the Captain in, and occurring on Independence Day made the spectacle even more impressive. The Tregurtha is one of nine ships owned by Interlake Steamship, the largest privately held fleet on the Great Lakes. An hour later downriver, after countless salutes to friends along the way, TREGURTHA reached the DTE St. Clair power plant for the final time with Bob at the helm. If something busts, he may have to shut down the line, losing precious time. He has served as Chairman of Mormac Marine Group, Inc., since 1998. hb```%,@% @cF&>nT. Captain Johnson says life on the lakes is not for everyone, but most of the people on board the PRT have been sailing for a long time, "Everybody has a vital role whether you are a deckhand, an engineer, cook,mates, we're a big team. His previous roles with the company include vice president of Industrial Relations and Government Affairs, Director of Human Resources & Industrial Relations and Director of Marine Personnel. De Lancey, she was the last of the thirteen "thousand footers" to enter service on the Great Lakes, and was also the last Great Lakes vessel built at the American Ship Building Company yard in Lorain, Ohio. We often carry passengers and guests, so we like to step our menu up a notch a lot. She has an elevator and quite luxurious guest accommodations. He's a hulking man, fond of blue coveralls unzipped to the center of his chest because he works where it's hot. Silo like a big family on a freighter when needed visibility through a narrow river.! 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The Nuthouse before picking party chair Chairman of Moran Towing Corp. since 1994 and Chief Executive Officer 1998!
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