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. The Free Press spent a week aboard the boat ending Sunday, chronicling freighter life, watching how the men and women aboard earn their living. One reason is that he thinks they made the right choice. He has served as Chairman of Mormac Marine Group, Inc., since 1998. Prior to joining Interlake, he sailed aboard numerous vessels in the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and trans-Atlantic trades. A handful of area fundraisers offertrips on the freighter, including the United Way of St. Clair County. In November 2016, he assumed his current management role. Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130 Paul R Tregurtha departed Duluth early this morning. And she can hit hard, with things like fog and thunder storms in the summer, and thick ice in the winter. Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo 61K views 1 year ago SARNIA 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,. Eric Seals will be posting @ericseals on Twitter and Instagram . Those are duties he must do. Brendan is also the Chairman of Board of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Foundation, where he has served as an Officer and Trustee since 1999. This enabled salvage experts to successfully raise the ship's bow by filling stern voids which reduced the amount of forward weight on the rocks, and hence refloat the vessel. 02 victoria warehouse manchester. Paul R. Tregurtha, Vice-Chairman Since joining forces with James R. Barker to purchase and reinvigorate The Interlake Steamship Company in 1987, Mr. Tregurtha has actively served as Vice Chairman. She has an elevator and quite luxurious guest accommodations. He works in a tunnel where he can see the coal filtering down through the gates like water to an unplugged drain. She is truly a workhorse out on the water. %PDF-1.3 % Tom Moore, 49, a second cook, as they call them, hops from boat to boat wherever relief help is needed. Marie. 0000002601 00000 n "It's calming and awesome, you're almost lost for words," Linda Kempf said. She then established a lower lakes record by loading 50,239 long tons (51,045t) net tons of coal from Ashtabula to Consumers Power, becoming the largest cargo loaded on the lower Great Lakes. I was only out here for a day, so I can't imagine how cool it would be to be out here for several days for the raffle trip. The Kempfs won the trip in an auction benefiting the March of Dimes this past winter. Don't miss the boat! Marie. He worked his way up through the officer ranks, and has at one time or another piloted each of Interlake's working ships. There's also a mate on site, and a wheelman to steer. Though they may be sporting suits and ties now, many have worked their way up the ships ladder so to speak, earning degrees from maritime colleges, U.S. Coast Guard licenses and sailing aboard vessels. The coal gets there through gates that are opened at the bottom of the cargo hatches, which are above where he works. Phil joined Interlake in 2004 as a Fleet Engineer and was later promoted to Fleet Superintendent. 7300 Engle Road He did it himself, blocking out the sunlight with cardboard and duct tape. The others live in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts. Built for approximately $60 million, she became a flagship for the Interlake fleet. The Great Ship of the Great Lakes moves quietly and efficiently through the water. I thought how cool would that be to work on one. Before taking the helm as Interlakes President in April 2007, Mark held various appointments of ascending leadership moving from Fleet Engineer to Vice President and Treasurer. His wife, Kathleen (Sissy) Perkins jumped onto the boat this week at the Soo Locks to spend a week with him. They all have specific jobs, but it's a jack-of-all-trades environment. It's truly a mountain of coal. 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. He lives out of his suitcase in case he gets a call to report to a port. He has twin stepsons, who also work on Great Lakes freighters. A recognized expert and industry leader in marine transportation, Mr. Barker has skillfully steered The Interlake Steamship Company as its Chairman since taking the company private in 1987. now, winter shore leave is over. It is the biggest ship sailing the lakes today. These things also affect a captain's sleep. As the Free Press rides along with the captain and crew of the Paul R. Tregurtha this week, Thibaudeau talked about his 12 years as a permanent captain aboard Great Lakes vessels. A slight man with a scruffy beard, he may be the filthiest crew member aboard the 1,013-foot Paul R.. Jan A.A. van Lier, president of the firm's ocean bulk transport. Have a great retirement Captain Bob. He's been working in the galley for more than 25 years, "That's the hardest part of the job. Here in the kitchen, we're the heart, so we help keep it all together. On the Tregurtha, his job included baking cookies every day. We also have sweet potatoes and a rice medley. Its 1,013.5-foot length dwarfs the Renaissance Center's cylindrical tower that looms over downtown Detroit. four in a bed contestant dies. Discover the vessel's particulars, including capacity, machinery, photos and ownership. A lot of people can't cut it, but to me it's much more than just a paycheck. "They're home having a good time and you're just here.''. Paul R. Tregurtha, born 1935, was the Vice Chairman of Interlake Steamship Company's Board. Phil Moore is Vice President of Engineering at The Interlake Steamship Company, the largest privately held shipping company on the Great Lakes. 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. When they are on board, they work seven days a week. And they are proud of their ability to succeed. Time lapse as freighter goes through Soo Locks, Time lapse video as Capt. Search. Cheers and congrats from those of us who have had the great opportunity to watch your comings and goings here on Dennis' wonderful duluthharborcam website, and on our occasional trips to Duluth/Superior. after dropping off a load of coal. 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. Mr. Barker received a B.A. There's a way for you to win a ride on board a Great Lakes freighter. The raffle is September 30th. It's minimum wage; $8 an hour is all you're gonna get," Perkins said. A trip on a freighter will also be raffled off. Following graduation from SUNY Maritime College with a BS in Marine Transportation Management and an Unlimited Third Mate Open Oceans License, Tom sailed as an officer aboard merchant vessels before attending law school. Perkins, 33, comes from the tiny town of Hillman in Michigan's northeastern lower peninsula. Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. Occasionally, a movie is shown in the crew dining room. UTC. 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. 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. . During the period from 1971-88, Moore McCormack grew from $50 million to more than $800 million in revenues. 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. Paul R Tregurtha departed Duluth early this morning.This is the final trip for Captain Bob Thibaudeau, senior-most captain in his 42nd season sailing with In. Built in two parts, her keel was laid down on July 12, 1979, at the American Ship Building Company yard in Toledo, Ohio. The Paul R. Tregurtha is known as the "Queen of the Lakes." Capt. "But if I wasn't out here doing what I'm doing, they wouldn't have the good times.". Aboard each boat, the work generally is split among deckhands, cooks and engine room workers. Prior to the purchase of this group of companies, Mr. Tregurtha was Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Moore McCormack Resources Inc., a natural resources and marine transportation company. Fair winds and following seas Grammie Pat, Roberts, Wisconsin, Have a safe trip captin bob of MV paul r thergertha have a nice shipping seasen bye captin bob!!!. These are the shipping lanes and channels dredged throughout the rivers and shallow areas of the Great Lakes water system. Crew members come and go, especially during vacation season. He also jams a pair of sweatpants under the door to cut that light. 7300 Engle Road He also thinks the work in the Great Lakes shipping industry is well worth it. And the boat's width that 105 feet leaves just a tiny buffer zone on each side. Freighter life does have challenges, though, and when there are normal, everyday disagreements, there is no escape. ", And it's not just cargo the crew takes care of, there are often VIP passengers on board. The Tregurtha, which can haul 70,000 tons of coal, is a floating business, and customers like DTE Energy want the boat to make haste. 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. Our trip took us through the St. Clair River, to Lake St. Clair, then through the Detroit River and finally into the western basin of Lake Erie. "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. Bill graduated from The Ohio State University in 1992 with a BSBA in accounting. [1] Launched as MV William J. Fax: 440-260-6945. I love it, it's not a job to me. Contact Jim Schaefer: 313-223-4542 or jschaefer@freepress.com. Depending on their seniority, the crew works an average of 6-8 months a year. AUTOS. Before joining Moore McCormack, Mr. Barker was Executive Vice President of Temple, Barker & Sloane, Inc., a management consulting firm that he co-founded in 1969. Of all the duties of a Great Lakes captain, this is the one Thibaudeau likes most, gingerly driving a monster ship through a spider's web of tight, restricted areas on the Great Lakes. The Paul R. Tregurtha is the crown jewel of her fleet, and she makes a lot of trips through our area. 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