MV Kaye E. Barker

MV Kaye E. Barker docked in Marquette, Michigan.
History
United States
Owner	Cleveland Cliffs Steamship Company (1952-1985) Rouge Steel Company (1985–1989) Interlake Steamship Company (1989-present)
Operator	Interlake Steamship Company
Builder	American Ship Building Company
Laid down	as Edward B. Greene
Christened	10 January 1952
Completed	1952
Maiden voyage	29 July 1952
Renamed	1985 (Benson Ford by the Rouge Steel Company) 1989 (Kaye E. Barker by the Interlake Steamship Company)
Identification	IMO Number 5097450 MMSI Number 366904910 Call sign WCF3012
General characteristics
Class and type	AAA-Korea class bulk freighter
Length	767 ft (234 m)
Beam	70 ft (21 m)
Depth	36 ft (11 m)
Propulsion	2 x Rolls-Royce Bergen B32:40L6P 6 cylinder diesel engines
Speed	17 miles per hour (15 kn)
Capacity	25,900 tons

The MV Kaye E. Barker is a self-discharging lake freighter owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Company. She was originally built as the Edward B. Greene, and was later renamed Benson Ford before being sold to Interlake and named the Barker. It primarily hauls taconite pellets, stone, and coal across the North American Great Lakes.

Construction[]

The Barker was constructed in Toledo in 1952 for the Cleveland Cliffs Steamship Company as the Edward B. Greene, one of the eight AAA-Korea class freighters used for ore and coal shipping. The Greene was the first lake freighter to be constructed entirely in drydock.^[1] She was christened on January 10, 1952, with her sea trials beginning on June 18 of the same year. On her maiden voyage, which took place on July 29,^[2] 19,788 tons of iron ore were loaded to be shipped to Toledo from Marquette, Michigan.

Description[]

The Greene was built 647 feet long with a hull depth of 36 feet. It was powered by a 7,700 SHP DeLaval steam turbine and was equipped with 24 hatches.^[3] It measured 11,726 gross tons.^[4]

Service history[]

The Greene hauled taconite pellets from ore docks in Marquette, Michigan, to steel refineries in Detroit. ^[5]

Lengthening and conversion to a self-unloader[]

In the winter of 1975–1976, Fraser Shipyards, Inc. was contracted by Cleveland Cliffs to lengthen the Greene with a 120-foot mid-body section, increasing capacity to almost 27,000 tons. At the same time, six of the other AAA-Korea class freighters were lengthened in the same way. In 1981, the ship was converted to a self-unloading vessel, with the addition of a 250-foot aft-mounted boom.^[6]

Purchase by Rouge Steel Company[]

In 1985, four years after the conversion, the Greene was purchased by Rouge Steel Company, originally a division of Ford Motor Company. Upon the ship's purchase, it was renamed Benson Ford III. Its new route stretched from Marquette to Detroit to supply the Ford plant there.^[7]

Purchase by Interlake Shipping Company[]

The Ford fleet was dissolved in 1989, leading to the Interlake Shipping Company's purchase of all remaining Ford boats. With the purchase, Interlake signed a contract to ship iron ore to the Rouge Steel plant. This created the Lakes Shipping Company, a new division of Interlake.

Service with Interlake[]

Second Renaming[]

With Interlake's purchase of the Benson Ford, the decision was made to rename it to the Kaye E. Barker, after the wife of Interlake's president.^[8]

Repowering[]

In 2012, the Barker was repowered at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her steam turbine was replaced with two 6-cylinder Rolls-Royce diesel engines and other equipment. Along with these upgrades, the Barker also received a replacement rudder and stock.

References[]