James R. Barker (1976 ship)

For the businessman and namesake of the ship, see James R. Barker (businessman).

MV James R. Barker travels through ice, on the St. Marys River, March 26, 2013.
History
NameMV James R. Barker
OwnerInterlake Steamship Company
OperatorInterlake Steamship Company
Port of registry Wilmington, Delaware
BuilderAmerican Ship Building Company
Yard number905
Laid down14 October 1974
Launched29 May 1976
Christened7 August 1976
Identification
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeLake freighter
Tonnage
Length1,004 ft (306 m)
Beam105 ft (32 m)
Depth50 ft (15 m)
Installed power2 × MaK 6M43C four-stroke diesel engines, 8,160 HP (6 MW) each at 514 RPM
Propulsion
Speed15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Capacity
  • Iron ore: 59,000 long tons (60,000 t)
  • Coal: 63,300 long tons (64,300 t)

MV James R. Barker is an American bulk carrier that operates on the upper four North American Great Lakes.[1] Built in 1976 by the American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio, the ship is 1,004 feet (306 m) long, 50 feet (15 m) high and 105 feet (32 m) wide. Like the MV Mesabi Miner, a ship of the same design, it is owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Company[2] and was named for Interlake’s Chairman of the Board, James R. Barker.[3]

The MV James R. Barker is the third vessel of that size to be built. There are fourteen vessels that are restricted to the upper lakes because they are too large to travel through the Welland Canal that connects Lake Erie to the lowest lake, Lake Ontario.

In spite of their size, these two vessels are able to maneuver in harbor without requiring assistance from tugboats.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- James R. Barker". Boatnerd. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  2. ^ Raymond A. Bawal (2011). Superships of the Great Lakes: Thousand-foot Ships on the Great Lakes. Inland Expressions. pp. 27–32, 35, 42–46, 70. ISBN 9780981815749. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  3. ^ "M/V James R. Barker". The Interlake Steamship Company.
  4. ^ Alex Roland; W. Jeffrey Bolster; Alexander Keyssar (2008). The Way of the Ship: America's Maritime History Reenvisoned, 1600-2000. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 367–370. ISBN 9780470136003. Retrieved March 14, 2016.