LAST .. UPDATED .. February 5, 2012
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Photos of ships in winter lay-up (plus a few "special events" at Bay Shipbuilding over the years) in Sturgeon Bay, WI starting with the 1999-2000 season all the way through the 2011-2012 season PLUS a 2006 & 2008 "surprise"! (click on the "2006 Special" or "2008 Special" links below to see the special events)


NOTE: Some of the 2000-2001 photos were taken by my friend Scott Best. We went to Sturgeon Bay on Feb. 19, 2001 and decided that both of us would use my camera because it had a longer zoom lens. Now, if we had only had a nice blue sky...


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Click on one of the following links to go to that year's gallery:

1999-2000 - 2000-2001 - 2001-2002 - 2002-2003 - 2003-2004 - 2004-2005

2005-2006 - 2006 Special - 2006-2007 - 2007-2008 - 2008 Special - 2008-2009

2009 John Sherwin Update - 2009-2010 - 2010-2011 - May 4, 2011 - May 7, 2011 Annual Shipyard Tour

Aug. 8, 2011 - American Steamhip Lay-Ups - 2011-2012



1999 - 2000:

Partial view of lay-up fleet
Wilfred Sykes ready to go
Close-up of the Sykes' deckhouse "50 yrs. of Smooth Sailing" logo
Calcite II

Myron C. Taylor
Arthur M. Anderson
St. Clair, Edward L. Ryerson and American Mariner
Wide view of the Burns Harbor and Stewart J. Cort (This was my first-ever trip to Sturgeon Bay. I wish I had known of the areas across the bay from which to take photos; I missed some great opportunities on this trip to get some photos that will never again be possible!)


2000 - 2001:

Lay-up fleet
Arthur M. Anderson
Wilfred Sykes and Arthur M. Anderson
Wilfred Sykes
Herbert C. Jackson

Buffalo
American Mariner
Sam Laud
Paul R. Tregurtha
Presque Isle (barge only), Burns Harbor and Paul R. Tregurtha

Joseph L. Block in the graving dock
Edward L. Ryerson


2001 - 2002:

Lay-up fleet
American Mariner (stern)
American Mariner (bow)
John J. Boland
Charles M. Beeghly and Joseph L. Block

Wilfred Sykes
Lee A. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker and Wilfred Sykes
Lee A. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker and Charles M. Beeghly
Sam Laud
Pathfinder

Mesabi Miner and James R. Barker
Mesabi Miner and James R. Barker bows
James R. Barker and Mesabi Miner
Edgar B. Speer in the graving dock (stern)
Edgar B. Speer (bow)

Edgar B. Speer, James R. Barker and Mesabi Miner
Edward L. Ryerson (stern)
Edward L. Ryerson (side)


2002 - 2003:

Lay-up fleet (1)
Lay-up fleet (2)
Joseph L. Block (stern)
Joseph L. Block (bow)
Wilfred Sykes

Wilfred Sykes and Joseph L. Block
Pathfinder (barge only)
Herbert C. Jackson (bow-side)
Herbert C. Jackson (stern-side)
Lee A. Tregurtha and Herbert C. Jackson bows

St. Clair, John J. Boland and Charles M. Beeghly
St. Clair (stern)
John J. Boland
Charles M. Beeghly
Charles M. Beeghly, John J. Boland and St. Clair

Columbia Star
Mesabi Miner, Paul R. Tregurtha and Columbia Star
Dorothy Ann (tug that pushes Pathfinder) in the graving dock
Sam Laud and Dorothy Ann in the graving dock
Sam Laud in the graving dock (stern)
Sam Laud in the graving dock (bow)


2003 - 2004 - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Photos taken on Feb. 13, 2004:

Joseph L. Block (stern) & Wilfred Sykes (bow)
Wilfred Sykes (bow)
Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder (bow)
St. Clair, Philip R. Clarke and Herbert C. Jackson (sterns L to R)
St. Clair (stern)

Philip R. Clarke (stern)
Herbert C. Jackson (stern)
Sam Laud (stern)
Mesabi Miner (stern in graving dock)
Fred A. Busse at its base (bow - Tour Boat)

Fred A. Busse (stern)
USCG Mobile Bay at its base
Selvick Tugs at their base
James R. Barker & Edward L. Ryerson (sterns at old Peterson Bros. Builders dock)
James R. Barker & Edward L. Ryerson (sterns - another view)

Wilfred Sykes (stern) & Joseph L. Block (bow)
Charles M. Beeghly & Lee A. Tregurtha (sterns)
Charles M. Beeghly & Lee A. Tregurtha (bows)
Numerous bows
Arthur M. Anderson, Sam Laud, Herbert C. Jackson, Philip R. Clarke and St. Clair (bows)

Wide view of the same group of ships (bows)
Arthur M. Anderson (bow)
George A. Stinson & Oglebay Norton (bows)
Oglebay Norton (bow)
George A. Stinson (bow)

Mesabi Miner (bow in graving dock)
Mesabi Miner, George A. Stinson & Oglebay Norton (L to R bows)
Wide view of lay-up fleet at Bay Shipbuilding
Edward L. Ryerson & James R. Barker (bows)
Edward L. Ryerson & James R. Barker (bow close-up)

James R. Barker & Edward L. Ryerson (bows - another angle)
James R. Barker & Edward L. Ryerson (bow close-up)

Photos from March 10, 2004 - Note: The 1000-footer, George A. Stinson, has undergone a name-change. The new name is American Spirit:

American Spirit now moved to the outside position on "Footer's Row"
"Footer's Row" - (L to R) Oglebay Norton, Mesabi Miner and American Spirit
Wide View of "Footer's Row" with Herbert C. Jackson in the graving dock at far left
Close-up view of the bows of the ships on "Footer's Row"
Wide view of the lay-up fleet at Bay Ship
Stern view of the Herbert C. Jackson in the graving dock at Bay Ship


2004 - 2005: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Photos taken on Feb. 3, 2005:

The Edward L. Ryerson is rafted to the outside of the Mesabi Miner at the old Peterson Bros. Dock
Close-up of the Edward L. Ryerson
A view of the Mesabi Miner and Edward L. Ryerson from the Michigan Street Bridge
Wilfred Sykes at Bay Shipbuilding (all of the rest of the photos will be of ships at Bay Shipbuilding)
Barge Pathfinder with the tug Dorothy Ann out of the notch and alongside

Adam E. Cornelius
(Left to Right): Herbert C. Jackson, Charles M. Beeghly and Adam E. Cornelius
Cason J. Callaway
The 1000-footer Edwin H. Gott was being moved into the Graving Dock on this morning
Stern view of the Edwin H. Gott being towed into the Graving Dock

Stern view close-up of the Edwin H. Gott
Philip R. Clarke
The Lee A. Tregurtha is rafted to her fleetmate, the Paul R. Tregurtha (the following photos will all be from across the bay)
Another view of the Tregurthas
Bows of fleetmates Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. and Indiana Harbor in "Footers Row"

Footers Row with 2 "footers" (Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. and Indiana Harbor) and a "non-footer" Kaye E. Barker
Close-up of fleetmates Philip R. Clarke (left) and Cason J. Callaway on a hazy day
Bow close-up of the Philip R. Clarke and Cason J. Callaway
Another view of the (left to right) Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., Indiana Harbor and Kaye E. Barker
Close-up of the Kaye E. Barker

Selvick tugs work getting the Edwin H. Gott into the Graving Dock
The 107-year-old tug John M. Selvick helps out with the Edwin H. Gott
Selvick tug Jimmy L works in the ice off the bow of the Edwin H. Gott
Another view of the Edwin H. Gott and the tugs fighthing the ice
A final look at "Footers Row" with (left to right) the Edwin H. Gott (with the tugs in the ice), Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., Indiana Harbor and Kaye E. Barker

Wide view of the Sturgeon Bay Lay-up Fleet
Door County Tour Boat (ex-Chicago Fire Boat) Fred A. Busse in lay-up at Door County Maritime Museum

I went back to Sturgeon Bay on Feb. 26 to get some (better) photos of the 16 ships in lay-up (the Joseph L. Block is finally in winter lay-up after a long season). The Edwin H. Gott is still in the Graving Dock sporting a new coat of paint. I think you will like these photos better than the earlier ones from Feb. 3, as the weather was much better on this trip; it is amazing what a difference a nice blue sky makes :O). Enjoy...

The Joseph L. Block was the last ship to arrive for winter lay-up
The Joseph L. Block is moored next to fleetmate Wilfred Sykes
Close-up of the Wilfred Sykes
The barge Pathfinder and tug Dorothy Ann (out of the notch)
Stern of the Herbert C. Jackson

The stern of the Charles M. Beeghly
Bow view of the Adam E. Cornelius
A view through the fence (from left to right) Herbert C. Jackson, Charles M. Beeghly and Adam E. Cornelius
The Edwin H. Gott (still in the Graving Dock) shows off hits new paint job
Another view of the Edwin H. Gott

(From left to right) Indiana Harbor, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., and Edwin H. Gott
View of the Edwin H. Gott from across the bay
(From left to right) Edwin H. Gott, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., Indiana Harbor and Kaye E. Barker
Same ships ... different view
Close-up of the bows of the Indiana Harbor and Walter J. McCarthy, Jr.

Close-up of the Kaye E. Barker
(lLeft to right) Philip R. Clarke and Cason J. Callaway
The Lee A. Tregurtha is "rafted" to the outside of fleetmate Paul R. Tregurtha
Stern view of the Tregurthas
Bow view of the Joseph L. Block from across the bay

View of the winter lay-up fleet at Bay Shipbuilding
Another view of the Bay Shipbuilding lay-up fleet
The Mesabi Miner (and Edward L. Ryerson) are berthed at the old Peterson Bros. Shipbuilders Dock
Close-up of the Edward L. Ryerson from across the bay
Close-up of the stern of the Mesabi Miner

Close-up of the bow of the Edward L. Ryerson
Edward L. Ryerson and Mesabi Miner


2005 - 2006: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Photos taken on Jan. 18, 2006:

Buffalo (left) and American Republic (right)
Stern Close-up of the American Republic (this ship is made to move as easily astern as it does going forward; hence the rear-facing windows in the deckhouse)
Stern view of the American Republic
A slightly different stern view of the American Republic
Stern view of the Buffalo

Stern view of the Adam E. Cornelius
Close-up of the stern of the Adam E. Cornelius
Bow view of the Lee A. Tregurtha
Wide view of the (L to R) new LaFarge tug/barge "Innovation" (and tug "Samuel de Champlain"), Lee A. Tregurtha, and Adam E. Cornelius
Close-up of the Innovation's tug (out of the notch) and the Lee A. Tregurtha

Wide bow view of the David Z. Norton
Another view of the David Z. Norton
One more view of the David Z. Norton
(L to R) Stewart J. Cort (in the graving dock), St. Clair, and David Z. Norton
Bow view of the St. Clair

Close-up of the newly painted bow of the Stewart J. Cort
Stewart J. Cort (note that it is painted back to about "midship")
(The rest of the photos are from outside the fence at Bay Shipbuilding) American Republic
Bow view of the Buffalo
Bow view of the Adam E. Cornelius

Stern view of the Lee A. Tregurtha
Bow view of the new LaFarge barge "Innovation" with tug "Samuel de Champlain" in background
Close-up of the bow of the Innovation
Stern view of the Stewart J. Cort in the graving dock (note the new paint beginning about midship)

(These photos taken from in front of the Door County Maritime Museum) Wide view of the Selvick Tug fleet, USCG Mobile Bay and the long-term laid-up Edward L. Ryerson
Cameron O (tug)
Sharon M. Selvick (tug)
Susan L and William C. Selvick (tugs)
Mary Page Hannah (tug)

Side view of the deckhouse & stack of the Mary Page Hannah
Stern view of the Mary Page Hannah
USCG Mobile Bay and Edward L. Ryerson
Stern view close-up of the Edward L. Ryerson
Bow view of the tour boat Fred A. Busse
Wide view of the "fleet" near Door County Maritime Museum

I went back to Sturgeon Bay on Jan. 23 to get some more photos. Five more ships had entered winter lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding since I was there just 5 days ago. There are more close-ups of the new LaFarge tug and barge from across the bay of sturgeon Bay. Enjoy...

Bow view of the Wilfred Sykes, which arrived at Bay Ship within the past 5 days (from across the bay)
Close-up of the new LaFarge tug Smauel de Champlain
Stern view of the Samuel de Champlain and the barge Innovation
Stern close-up of the tug and the notch in the new barge
Same view from a different angle

Arthur M. Anderson (outside) and John G. Munson (inside) also arrived in the past 5 days
(L to R) Bow of the Lee A. Tregurtha, stern of the Adam E. Cornelius, and bows of the John G. Munson and Arthur M. Anderson
(L to R) Stewart J. Cort, Paul R. Tregurtha, St. Clair and David Z. Norton
Stewart J. Cort and Paul R. Tregurtha
Close up of the bow of the newly painted (back to its original color?) Stewart J. Cort

Full bow view of the Stewart J. Cort in the graving dock
Stern view of the Wilfred Sykes (from outside the fence at Bay Ship)
The Herbert C. Jackson also arrived in the past 5 days and is moored between the Adam E. Cornelius (not shown) and fleetmate Lee A. Tregurtha
Stern view of the partially painted Stewart J. Cort (note that the bright red paint from Wednesday's photos was just a primer - the new coat of paint (toward the bow) is a much darker brownish-red)
Close-up of the different colors on the Stewart J. Cort (stern part is yet to be primed and painted)

Looking at the stern from about mid-ship with its shuttle boom extended
Rear of the forward deckhouse from about mid-ship

This isn't quite a "Lay-up" scenario, but close: On June 6, Oglebay Norton sold a good part of its fleet to American Steamship Co. The ships were to report to a shipyard where the stack colors would be changed from Oglebay Norton colors to American Steamship colors AND have new names painted on at the same time. Oglebay Norton's American Century (ex-Columbia Star) was at Bay Shipbuilding on June 8 when I made a quick trip over there. Central Marine Logistics/Mittal Steel's Edward L. Ryerson has been moved into the graving dock and APPEARS to be getting ready to go back into operation, and Interlake's Lee A. Tregurtha has been there since this past winter getting new engines and a new coat of paint.

Stern view of the newly re-named American Century (ex-Columbia Star) - note the black-red-white AmShip colors on the stack
Bow view of the Edward L. Ryerson in the graving dock
Stern of the Ryerson and bow of the American Century
Stern view of the Lee A. Tregurhta with her stack sitting on the ground alongside
Close-up of her stack being re-painted

Another stern view of the Lee A. Tregurtha
New condos at the old Peterson Bros. Shipbuild Co. dock
Bow view of the Lee A. Tregurtha from across the bay
Close-up of her newly painted bow
Wide view of Bay Shipbuilding with the American Century to the left and the Lee A. Tregurtha to the right

Starboard-side view of the American Century's stern
Stern view of the American Century
A different view of the newly painted bow of the Lee A. Tregurtha
Bow view of the Ryerson and stern view of the American Century from across the bay
Close-up of the Ryerson in the graving dock

Ryerson and American Century from across the bay
One more view of the Lee A. Tregurtha from across the bay

2006 - 2007: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Photos taken on Jan. 2, 2007:

Buffalo - Bow view at Bay Shipbuilding
John J. Boland - Backed in stern-first
Cuyahoga - Stern-first in the graving dock after being re-painted (This ship will not actually winter here)
Cuyahoga - Another stern view in the graving dock
Buffalo - Stern view from across the bay of Sturgeon Bay

John J. Boland - Bow view from across the bay
Reserve - Bow view from across the bay (it is not known at this time if this ship will spend the entire winter here)
Three bows - The bows of the (L to R) Cuyahoga, American Valor and Reserve from across the bay
Three Ships - (L to R) Cuyahoga, American Valor (ex-Armco) and Reserve
Two Bows - The bows of ex-fleetmates American Valor (L) and Reserve (R)

American Valor - Bow view of the ship (Left) with ex-fleetmate Reserve alongside
Cuyahoga - Bow view in the graving dock from across the bay
Cuyahoga - Another bow view of the newly re-painted ship

I went back to Sturgeon Bay on Feb. 10 to get some more photos. The full complement of 15 ships and one tug & barge combo are now in Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Edward L. Ryerson - Stern-first at Bay Shipbuilding
H. Lee White - Bow-first alongside the Ryerson
Buffalo - Next over from the H. Lee White
Arthur M. Anderson & John J. Boland - Next ships beyond the Buffalo
John J. Boland - Stern view at Bay Shipbuilding

Charles M. Beeghly - Next to the John J. Boland
McKee Sons (barge) - Next in line from the Beeghly
Wolverine - Next to the McKee Sons
Wilfred Sykes - On the opposite side of the Michigan Street Bridge near Garland Park
Wilfred Sykes & Joseph L. Block - The Block is moored alongside the Sykes

Joseph L. Block - A view from across the bay (Sykes also visible)
Edward L. Ryerson - Close-up from across the bay
Herbert C. Jackson - At Bay Shipbuilding's "Steel Face Dock"
Herbert C. Jackson - Close-up of the bow
Invincible - The tug that pushes the barge, McKee Sons (also shown)

Wolverine - Bow view from across the bay
Lee A. Tregurtha - Bow view from across the bay and next in line past the Wolverine
(L to R) Reserve, American Valor and Lee A. Tregurtha - Bow view from across the bay (notice that the American Valor is now painted black)
Edgar B. Speer - Bow view (and last in line) next to the graving dock
Paul R. Tregurtha - Newly painted and being towed to its berth alongside the Jackson

5 bows - (L to R) Wolverine, McKee Sons, Charles M. Beeghly, John J. Boland and Arthur M. Anderson
Herbert C. Jackson - Stern view with the Paul R. Tregurtha just edging into the photo
Paul R. Tregurtha - Stern view being towed alongside the Jackson

2007 - 2008: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Also, (BS) means photo taken from the Bay Shipbuilding side of Sturgeon Bay, (AB) means photo taken from across the bay.

Herbert C. Jackson - Stern view on Jan. 24 (BS)
Herbert C. Jackson & Adam E. Cornelius - Stern of the Jackson and bow of the Cornelius (BS)
Adam E. Cornelius - Bow view in a busy yard (BS)
Sam Laud - Bow view (BS)
3 sterns - (L to R) John J. Boland, American Republic and Philip R. Clarke (BS)

John J. Boland - Close-up of the stern (BS)
2 sterns - Close-up of the American Republic and Philip R. Clarke (BS)
Philip R. Clarke - Stern view with the bow of the Paul R. Tregurtha in background (BS)
Arthur M. Anderson - Stern view in a busy yard (BS)
James R. Barker - Stern view in the graving dock looking great with a new coat of paint (BS)

Paul R. Tregurtha - Stern view of the largest ship on the Great Lakes (AB)
Lay-up Fleet - First view of most of the ships (AB)
2 ships - Bow view of the Herbert C. Jackson and stern of the Adam E. Cornelius (AB)
3 ships - (L to R) Edgar B. Speer, Charles M. Beeghly and Kaye E. Barker (AB)
Arthur M. Anderson - Bow view (AB)

Paul R. Tregurtha - Full broadside view (AB)
Lay-up Fleet - Second view of most of the ships (AB)
James R. Barker - Bow view in the graving dock (AB)
2 - 1000-footers - (L to R) James R. Barker and Edgar B. Speer (AB)
Edgar B. Speer - Bow view close-up (AB)

4 ships - (L to R) James R. Barker, Edgar B. Speer, Charles M. Beeghly and Kaye E. Barker (AB)
Lay-up Fleet - Third view of most of the ships (AB)
4 ships - (L to R) James R. Barker, Edgar B. Speer, Charles M. Beeghly and Kaye E. Barker from a different location (AB)
2 ships - Close-up of the Charles M. Beeghly (L) and Kaye E. Barker with deckhouse of the Edgar B. Speer in background (AB)
Paul R. Tregurtha - Bow/port-side view (AB)
Lay-up Fleet - One final look at the ships



Interlake Steamship Co. Resurrects the John Sherwin!
Aug. 18 - 24, 2008

Yes! The John Sherwin appears to be getting ready to go back into service after being laid up since 1980! The 806-ft.-long ship was in Duluth for most of those years simply laid-up. Then, in 2006, the ship was towed first to Milwaukee, WI and finally to Chicago, IL where it was used as a grain storage vessel for the past two years. On Aug. 18, 2008,
The Interlake Steamship Company announced on their website that they were getting ready to put the Sherwin back in service. On Aug. 23, 2008, the Sherwin departed Chicago under tow and arrived at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI on Aug. 24. The photos below are from the 24th, after the tow was completed and the ship docked at Bay Shipbuilding.


SS John Sherwin to be Converted
Aug. 27, 2008 Press Release from The Interlake Steamship Company website


"Interlake Steamship is pleased to announce that we will be converting the John Sherwin. Work on the Sherwin will begin immediately at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, WI, with an anticipated delivery in the spring of 2010. The scope of work will include reactivation of the vessel, diesel re-powering of the engine room (similar to the Charles M Beeghly re-powering), the installation of an unloading system, slopes and a forward boom. We are excited for the Sherwin to sail in the Interlake Fleet once again."

John Sherwin - Stern view backed in to the dock at Bay Shipbuilding late Sunday morning, Aug. 24
John Sherwin - Stern view close-up
John Purves - The big tug is now a permanent museum ship at Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, WI
Fred A. Busse - The small tour boat heads out into the bay in front of the new bridge, which is only about 800-ft. from the Michigan Street Bridge
2 Luxury Yachts - About 40 - 50 million dollars worth of (probably) Palmer Johnson yachts in the bay as one waits for the Michigan Street Bridge to open for it

Mystery tug - This tug was docked behind the Selvick Tug Base. If anyone can identify this tug, could you please e-mail me? Thanks!
John Purves - Broadside view of the tug
Door County Maritime Museum - A view of the museum building
Museum - Broad view of the Museum, John Purves, and the Selvick Marine Towing Base in Sturgeon Bay
John Sherwin - Scenic bow view of the old ship from across the bay
John Sherwin - Port-side bow view of the ship

John Sherwin - Wide view alongside Bay Shipbuilding's main building
John Sherwin - Wide view of most of the Bay Shipbuilding complex
John Sherwin - Starboard-side bow view of the ship
Petrochem Trader - A newly-built tanker barge sits in the large graving dock at Bay Shipbuilding
John Sherwin - Super-close-up of the ships bow from across the bay
Bay Shipbuilding - Wide view of the entire complex from across the bay




Click Here for an Oct. 16, 2009 UPDATE

on the status of the John Sherwin




2008 - 2009: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship. Also, (BS) means photo taken from the Bay Shipbuilding side of Sturgeon Bay, (AB) means photo taken from across the bay.

I took multiple trips to Sturgeon Bay during 2009. Click on the links below to go to that group of photos:

Trip #1 - Jan. 5 ... Trip #2 - Jan. 16 ... Trip #3 - Mar. 19 ... Trip #4 - Mar. 27

Trip #5 - Apr. 9 ... Trip #6 - June 14 ... Trip #7 - July 12 ... Trip #8 - Aug. 30 ... Trip #9 - Nov. 8

2008 - 2009: January 5, 2009 ... Trip #1

I took a trip over to Sturgeon Bay to photograph 10 vessels already in Winter Lay-Up at Bay Shipbuilding. There were 7 ships, 2 tug.barge units and one tug in the mix. The ships are: Wilfred Sykes, Sam Laud, John Sherwin, Buffalo, Mesabi Miner, American Century and Charles M. Beeghly which is there for an engine replacement, and is currenty in the large graving dock with its stack removed. The tug barges are: Rebecca Lynn/Barge A-410 and Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder. The tug is the Prentiss Brown (former Michaela McAllister), also in the large graving dock along with the Beeghly. Once again, I took photos from both side of the bay of Sturgeon Bay; so, there are bow and stern photos of most vessels. With this many photos, I decided to put them in a slideshow.

NOTE: With the downturn in the economy, Interlake Steamship Company has halted work on the conversion to a self-unloader of the John Sherwin. Hopefully, this will be a short-term set-back for this venerable ship!

Click Here to view the slide slide show. You may then click on the link at the bottom of that page to go to another slideshow from a second trip to Sturgeon Bay on January 16, or To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: January 16, 2009 ... Trip #2

I was back in Sturgeon Bay on January 16 to get more photos of the Lay-Up "fleet" at Bay Shipbuilding. Changes were made since I was last there: The sign at Bay Shipbuilding now reflects the change in ownership from "Manitowoc Marine Group" to the new owner, Italian shipbuilder "Fincantieri", which became final earlier this year. New arrivals (since Jan. 5) for winter lay-up include: Joseph L. Block, Paul R. Tregurtha, Cason J. Callaway and fleetmate, Arthur M. Anderson, which still had smoke coming from the stack when I got over there around 1 p.m. Unfortunately, the Paul R. Tregurtha was sandwiched between the American Century and the Mesabi Miner, while the Arthur M. Anderson was tucked in behind the Joseph L. Block; so, photos of those ships was definitely limited to partial photos. The Cason J. Callaway was docked stern-first in between the John Sherwin and the Buffalo, but a stern photo was (somewhat) available. The Joseph L. Block was the only new arrival completely out in the open. Also, the USCG Mobile Bay, idled much of this winter, showed signs of life with smoke coming from its stack. I am also including my first photo of the new Oregon Street Bridge, which is just 800-ft. from the old Michigan Street Bridge whose lift span is in the upright position for the duration of the winter to allow ship transits.

Click Here to view the slide slide show. You may then click on the link at the bottom of that page to go to the previous slideshow from my last trip to Sturgeon Bay on January 5, or you may go to the slideshow from my trip over there on March 19, or To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: March 19, 2009 ... Trip #3

I was back in Sturgeon Bay on March 19 to get more photos of the Lay-Up "fleet" at Bay Shipbuilding. Changes that were made since the last time I was there include: The Joseph L. Block departed lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding yesterday heading for Escanaba, MI for a load of taconite pellets. The Cason J. Callaway, Buffalo, and Pathfinder (barge) have all received new coats of paint. The American Century is in the process of being re-painted in American Steamship colors (black hull with white superstructure), and is looking good.

Click Here to view the slide slide show. You may then click on the link at the bottom of that page to go to another slideshow from my last trip to Sturgeon Bay on Jan. 16, or you may go to the slideshow from my trip over there on Mar. 27, or To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: March 27, 2009 ... Trip #4

I was back in Sturgeon Bay on March 27. Yesterday, the oldest operating ship on the Great Lakes, St. Mary's Challenger (built 1906), arrived at Bay Shipbuilding under tow from one of the oldest operating tugs on the Great Lakes, John M. Selvick (built 1898). I wish I had been ther to see those two classic vessels working together! The St. Mary's Challenger was towed here for its 5-year survey - all Great Lakes ships are required to undergo a top to bottom inspection every 5 years to get the necessary certification to continue sailing on the Lakes. Dry-docking is required, as the hull is fully inspected along with all other parts of the ship. Often, ships are re-painted at this time, as was the American Century, which has been completely re-painted in AmShip black hull with white superstructure, and has been removed from the graving dock and tied up alongside the dock. The slideshow contains multiple photos of the St. Mary's Challenger from different angles plus other vessel photos as well.

Click Here to view the slide slide show. You may then click on the link at the bottom of that page to go to another slideshow from my last trip to Sturgeon Bay on March 19, or you may go to the slideshow from my trip over there on April 9, or To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: April 9, 2009 ... Trip #5

I was back in Sturgeon Bay (again) on April 9 to see what was happening, as some of the ships had departed. Along with the Joseph L. Block, which had left back on March 18, the Wilfred Sykes, Mesabi Miner and Paul R. Tregurtha have also departed their winter lay-up berths. The St. Mary's Challenger, after spending two weeks in the graving dock for its 5-yr. certification inspection, has been rafted to the American Century. That, in itself, is quite a scene - the 552-ft.-long, 103-yr. old ship and the 1000-ft.-long, 28-yr.-old ship next to each other makes quite a contrast! Also, the Arthur M. Anderson has been moved alongside its fleetmate, Philip R. Clarke, both of which are rumored to be spending at least the first part of the year on the inactive list due to the present economy. The Sam Laud has been moved alongside the (barge) Pathfinder, which now has its tug, Dorothy Ann, in the "notch". Finally, the Cason J. Callaway had its engines running and smoke rising from its smokestack, as it is scheduled to depart sometime soon.

Click Here to view the slide slide show. You may then click on the link at the bottom of that page to go to another slideshow from my last trip to Sturgeon Bay on March 27, or To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: June 14, 2009 ... Trip #6

I was back in Sturgeon Bay (again) on June 14 to check out the action at Bay Shipbuilding. There were 11 vessels visible in the yard or at its docks, which included 7 ships, 2 new-build tanker barges (under construction), Great Lakes Maritime Academy training vessel,
State of Michigan, in for (presumably) its 5-year-survey, and a tug, Corpus Christi, (which will presumably be paired with one of the new tanker barges).

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".


2008 - 2009: July 12, 2009 ... Trip #7

With 11 vessels at Bay Shipbuilding at this time of year, it was time to go over for a look-see on a gorgeous, blue-sky Sunday afternoon. The shipyard is pretty full; which is scary, because usually at this time of year it would be all but empty.

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

2008 - 2009: Aug. 30, 2009 ... Trip #8

Another great blue-sky day enticed me to run over to Sturgeon Bay again. Another 1000-footer, American Integrity, has joined the line-up of laid-up vessels at Bay Shipbuilding; that makes three of those behemoths sitting idle. I also shot some photos of some Coast Guard vessels, the Selvick Tug base, Door County Maritime Museum vessel, John Purves, and a new-build tanker barge, "DBL 185" which is currently under construction at Bay Shipbuilding. There are also three other photos that are not included in the slideshow - one of the new condos where the old Peterson Bros. Shipbuilding Co. used to be and two photos of Sherwood Point Lighthouse (see below).

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

Condos - Buildings and a marina now take up the area where once the old Peterson Bros. (Shipbuilding) Inc. (PBI) once stood.
Sherwood Point Lighthouse - Wide view of the old lighthouse from the road outside the grounds, which are government Property (Keep Out).
Sherwood Point Lighthouse - Close-up of the lighthouse buildings
DBL 185 - Larger photo of the stern of the barge in the graving dock
DBL 185 - Larger photo of the bow of the barge from across the bay

Arthur M. Anderson - Departed its year-long lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding late in the morning of Sept. 24. Shown here off Menominee, MI (about 10 miles out - photo was shot at 18X Optical Zoom and then cropped to bring the image closer)




Oct. 16, 2009 Update

Is This the End For the John Sherwin

Sadly, the John Sherwin was towed from Bay Shipbuilding this afternoon by the Selvick tug, Mary Page Hannah. The tow is heading for the Interlake Steamship Dock in DeTour, MI, where the ship will return to "long-term lay-up" status. The embattled old steamship has certainly logged some miles in the past few years. After being laid-up in Duluth in 1981, the ship was towed to Milwaukee, WI in Sept. 2006 to pick up a load of grain for storage in the vessel. It was then towed to Chicago with the grain load and remained there until Aug. 2008 when it was towed up to Bay Shipbuilding for conversion to a self-unloader and replacement of its steam engine with a new diesel engine. Work began immediately; but, when the U.S. economy tanked in October, work was stopped and the ship was laid-up again. With the move today, could this be the end of this grand old ship? Or, will Interlake be content to leave it in lay-up until (perhaps) it may be called into use again one day? Only time will tell. Good luck old friend!!

John Sherwin tow - The tug is not visible on a slightly hazy day off Menominee, MI around mid-afternoon
John Sherwin tow - About 10-12 miles off Menominee North Pier Lighthouse (foreground)
John Sherwin tow - A better look at the tow (tug, Mary Page Hannah, visible) approaching Chambers Island a little later in the day
John Sherwin tow - Close-up (from 4-5 miles away) of the old ship




2008 - 2009: Nov. 8, 2009 ... Trip #9

The only two ships still here from my last trip to Bay Shipbuilding are the Buffalo and Philip R. Clarke, neither of which has sailed in 2009. The Paul R. Tregurtha, the Great Lakes largest vessel, arrived within the last 24 hours. It is at Bay Shipbuilding for re-powering, having its engines replaced, effectively ending its 2009 shipping season.

Buffalo & Philip R. Clarke - Still docked where they have been all year
Philip R. Clarke - Stern view at its lay-up dock
Buffalo - Stern view at its lay-up dock
Paul R. Tregurtha - Wide bow-view alongside the large graving dock at Bay Shipbuilding
Paul R. Tregurtha - Close-up




2009 - 2010: - Note: (bow) or (stern) means the position from which the photo was taken, not simply the bow or stern of the ship.

TRIP #1 - Jan. 8

Manistee - Stern view of the newly painted ship from outside the fence at Bay Shipbuilding
Wilfred Sykes - Stern view at Bay Ship
Buffalo - Has not moved from this spot in over a year (Tug, Michigan, alongside)
Michigan - Tug which is paired with the barge, Great Lakes
Great Lakes - Tanker barge laid-up between the Michigan Street and Oregon Street Bridges

John Purves - Museum tug at Door County Maritime Museum Dock
Great Lakes Fleet + 1 - (L to R) Bows of the Philip R. Clarke, American Courage, Cason J. Callaway and Arthur M. Anderson (stern view) from across the bay
Arthur M. Anderson - Stern view close-up
Arthur M. Anderson - Port-side close-up on a hazy morning
4 Ships - (L to R) Cason J. Callaway, Manistee, Wilfred Sykes and Arthur M. Anderson

3 Ships - (L to R) Paul R. Tregurtha, Philip R. Clarke and American Courage
Wilfred Sykes - Bow view close-up
2 Ships - Bow views of the Cason J. Callaway and the Manistee
Manistee - Wide port-side view from across the bay
Arthur M. Anderson - Wide port-side view

Big Red - Lighthouse and pier on Lake Michigan marks the north entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal
Big Red - Close-up of the lighthouse
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal - This fixture marks the south side of the canal
John M. Selvick - On icebreaking duty for the soon-to-arrive American Spirit
John M. Selvick - Heads back into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal to continue to move ice

American Spirit - Approaches from the south, even though they came through the Straits of Mackinac (north) during the night (earlier in the morning, the wind was really blowing and visibility on Lake Michigan was maybe a half-mile; perhaps that was why they by-passed Sturgeon Bay initially and came around with a more favorable wind. I got down to Sturgeon Bay around 9 a.m. thinking I would arrive about the time as the American Spirit - I was only off by 4 hours!!)
John M. Selvick - Heads out to assist the American Spirit (background)
Jimmy L - Another tug follows

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Entrance - with (L to R) American Spirit, John M. Selvick and Jimmy L beyond
American Spirit - Close-up with the John M. Selvick alongside and Big Red in foreground
American Spirit - Same photo as before, but the Jimmy L has joined the group
American Spirit - Finally lined up and heading into the Ship Canal past Big Red
American Spirit - Bow view close-up entering the Ship Canal

American Spirit - Between the north and south pierheads
American Spirit - Note the two guys on the south pier - that had to be cold!!
American Spirit - Scenic view with the John M. Selvick astern
American Spirit - Coming out of the west end of the canal preparing to line up for the Bay Bridge
Jimmy L - Well ahead of the ship, breaking ice between the Bay Bridge and Oregon Street Bridge

American Spirit - Heading through the Highway 54/57 Bay Bridge
American Spirit - Wide view coming through the Bay Bridge
American Spirit - HERE is the photo I came down hoping to take!! Heading through both the Oregon Street Bridge (background) and Michigan Street Bridge at the same time! The two bridges are just 800-ft. apart and the ship is 1004-ft. long!!
American Spirit - Continuing to move through the bridges
American Spirit - Further through the Michigan Street Bridge

John M. Selvick - Follows behind the American Spirit as they head for Bay Shipbuilding
Sharon M. Selvick - This small tug trails the John M. Selvick
Susan L - ... and this big tug follows them all (the tug, Jimmy L, is already in front of Bay Ship)
American Spirit - Stern view heading toward Bay Shipbuilding
American Spirit - Port-side bow-view in front of Bay Shipbuilding as the sky continues to brighten
3 Ships - An afternoon look at the Paul R. Tregurtha, Philip R. Clarke and American Courage ends this trip

TRIP #2 - Jan. 15

American Spirit - (From across the bay) bow view in the large graving dock
2 Ships - American Spirit in the graving dock with the Paul R. Tregurtha alongside (outside the graving dock)
Lay-up Fleet - A view of the laid-up ships from across the bay west of the graving dock
CSL Laurentian - Yes, that is a Canada Steamships Lines ship at Bay Shipbuilding for winter lay-up!!
2 Ships - Manistee (L) and CSL Laurentian

3 Ships - (L to R) CSL Laurentian, Herbert C. Jackson and Wilfred Sykes
CSL Laurentian - From a slightly different vantage point
Arthur M. Anderson - Full side view
Arthur M. Anderson - Full bow/port-side view from Bullhead Point
Great Lakes - Bow/starboard side view of the tanker-barge from the Oregon Street Bridge

USCG Mobile Bay - Back from icebreaking duty in the Lower St. Mary's River (around DeTour, MI)
Roen Salvage Base - A view from the Oregon Street Bridge
Herbert C. Jackson - Stern view from Bay Shipbuilding area
CSL Laurentian - Stern view
2 Ships - Stern view of the Herbert C. Jackson and CSL Laurentian

TRIP #3 - Feb. 12

I was back in Sturgeon Bay on Feb. 12 to photograph the entire Winter Lay-Up Fleet at Bay Shipbuilding. Four more ships have entered lay-up since I was last over there on Jan. 15: The Joseph L. Block, H. Lee White, Edwin H. Gott and Mesabi Miner have joined the Manistee, Wilfred Sykes, Michigan (tug), Great Lakes (barge), Philip R. Clarke, Cason J. Callaway, Arthur M. Anderson, Paul R. Tregurtha, American Courage, American Spirit, Herbert C. Jackson and CSL Laurentien in Sturgeon Bay for the winter. The photo tour will start from across the bay down across from the large graving dock and move counter-clockwise around the bay ending up at the graving dock on the Bay Shipbuilding side of the bay. The barge, Great Lakes, is moored between the Oregon Street Bridge and the Michigan Street Bridge (which is still closed to vehicular traffic).

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".


TRIP #4 - Mar. 21

24 Photos of ships in Winter Lay-Up at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI from a trip over there on March 21, 2010. Since I was last over there on Feb. 10, the Joseph L. Block, Herbert C. Jackson, Arthur M. Anderson and Edwin H. Gott have departed, heading back to work early this year! The photo-journey will begin at the graving dock on the Bay Shipbuilding side of Sturgeon Bay and rotate clockwise ending up at the resort across the bay from the graving dock.

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".


A little bonus was found on the trip back home. The seasonal waterfall (this falls usually flows only in the Spring when the winter "run-off" is in full flow. I stopped here last Fall and the waterfall was completely dry); however, today Wequiock Falls, was in good flow. The falls are just off HWY 57 a couple blocks north of where HWY 54 intersects with HWY 57.

Wequiock Falls - A view from the south side of the falls
Wequiock Falls - South side close-up
Wequiock Falls - Looking east from a viewing area to the west of the falls
Wequiock Falls - Close-up looking east
Wequiock Falls - Going down some stone steps gives you this view looking east
Wequiock Falls - Wide view of the small gorge looking east from the west lower viewing area

TRIP #5 - Apr. 18

21 photos (plus one "stock photo") of ships at Bay Shipbuilding for repairs, or still in winter lay-up. The main reason for the trip was to get photos of the newly arrived, damaged ship, Saginaw. The 4 linked photos below the slideshow link show 4 different views of the damage to the unloading system of the Saginaw. The first photo is also included in the slideshow; I forgot to put the other 3 in the slideshow.

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show of photos. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

Saginaw - Full bow-port-side view with the damaged self-unloading boom
Saginaw - Close-up of the mangled self-unloading system
Saginaw - Close-up of the first broken end of the boom
Saginaw - Close-up of the broken "tip" of the boom

2010 - 2011:

Trip #1 - Jan. 31:

30 photos of 14 ships at Bay Shipbuilding in winter lay-up on Jan. 31, 2011. The main reason for today's trip, especially on a snowy gray day, was to see the Canada Steamship Lines ship come out of the large graving dock at Bay Shipbuilding sporting a brand new red & white paint scheme. 13 other ships are also in the yard.

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show of photos. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

Trip #2 - Feb. 8:

27 photos of 14 ships, including 5 ships 1000-ft.-long or longer, at Bay Shipbuilding in winter lay-up on Feb. 8, 2011. It was a beautiful blue-sky day today, although it was very cold (wind chill was about -10 (F). I hope you like these photos better than the ones from a week ago; blue skies really do make a much nicer backdrop than gray skies, as the colors of the ships really stand out. Normally I would have put these in a slideshow; but, I thought that the photos were good enough that you might enjoy the larger size photos. The photos will take us on a counter-clockwise trip around the bay of Sturgeon Bay beginning "below" the graving dock from across the bay all the way around to the graving dock on the Bay Shipbuilding side of the bay.

Indiana Harbor - Starting on the opposite side of the bay, the 1000-ft.-long ship is in the large graving dock
Footers Row - (L to R) Indiana Harbor (1000-ft.), fleetmate Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. (1000-ft.) and Edwin H. Gott (1004-ft.) (all 3 ships were originally built by Bay Shipbuilding0
Winter Lay-up Fleet - Bay Shipbuilding is hosting 14 ships this winter
Footers Row plus 1 - Viewed from a different location, we see that Canada Steamship Lines' (CSL) newly repainted Pineglen is rafted to the Edwin H. Gott (Indiana Harbor and Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. also visible)
Pineglen - This ship was black & white until this winter; red & white are the traditional colors of the CSL fleet

2 Ships - The Pineglen is rafted outside Great Lakes Fleet's Edwin H. Gott, which received new engines at Bay Shipbuilding this winter
Pineglen - Port side bow-view from a slightly different position
3 Ships - (L to R) Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., Edwin H. Gott, and Pineglen
Saginaw - One of Lower Lakes Towing LTD's vessels is back at Bay Shipbuilding this winter
3 Ships - (L to R) Saginaw, Wilfred Sykes, and Arthur M. Anderson

2 "Footers" - Fleetmates Paul R. Tregurtha (1013-ft. 6-in. {furthest}) and Mesabi Miner (1004-ft.)
Lay-up Fleet - 8 of the 14 ships are visible from this vantage point
2 Ships - Bow-on view of the Saginaw (L) and Wilfred Sykes (R)
2 Ships - John J. Boland (L) and Joseph L. Block (R)
2 Ships - Edwin H. Gott (R) and Pineglen (R) from further up the bay

2 "Footers" - Port-side stern-view of the Mesabi Mine and Paul R. Tregurtha
New build - Bay Shipbuilding's new-built floating dry-dock
2 "Footers" - stern view of the Mesabi miner and Paul R. Tregurtha
2 Ships - Joseph L. Block and John J. Boland as viewed from the Bay Shipbuilding side of the bay
American Courage - Has been laid-up at Bay Shipbuilding for almost 2 years now

2 Ships - Stern view of the Herbert C. Jackson (L) and Philip R. Clarke (R)
Philip R. Clarke - Stern view of the 767-ft.-long Great Lakes Fleet ship
Arthur M. Anderson - Stern view of another 767-ft.-long Great Lakes Fleet ship (this is the ship that followed the ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald across Lake Superior in a vicious gale on Nov. 10, 1975; and, once they had reached safe anchorage was asked by the U.S. Coast Guard to turn around and go back out into that gale to search for possible survivors from the Fitzgerald. They went back out, but, of course, sadly found no one).
Wilfred Sykes - Stern view of the Inland Steel ship (managed by Central Marine Logistics)
3 "Footers" - Stern view (partially obstructed) of the (L to R) Edwin H. Gott, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., and Indiana Harbor

Indian Harbor - Stern view in the large graving dock at Bay Shipbuilding
Old Engines - These two engines were recently removed from the Edwin H. Gott.

Trip #3 - May 4:

33 photos of Bay Shipbuilding on a gorgeous, blue-sky day - The American Courage was due to come out of the large graving dock today in its new coat of black & white, the colors of its owner, American Steamship Company (ASC). By the time I arrived, the ship was laready out of the graving dock; however, the barge, McKeeSons, was just being towed into the graving dock. Also at the yard were the John J. Boland, St. Clair, Invincible - the tug that pushes the barge, McKee Sons - and the barge, A-390. At bottom of this section are some select (larger) photos of the ships (photos in the slideshow are a bit small).

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show of photos. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

American Courage - Bow view of the freshly painted ship from across the bay
2 Tugs - Bay Ship and Jacquelyn Nicole lead the stern of the barge, McKee Sons, toward graving dock
William C. Selvick - The tug controls the bow of the McKee Sons as the barge is turned on its way to the graving dock
Cameron O - The smaller tug joins the William C. Selvick at the bow of the barge
2 Tugs - Bay Ship and Jacqueline Nicole lead the barge into the graving dock

McKee Sons - Bow view in the graving dock with American Courage outside the dock
McKee Sons - In the graving dock with the American Courage in the foreground
American Courage - Bow view of the freshly painted ship
St. Clair - Bow view of the ship with the tug, Invincible (pushes the McKee Sons barge), in foreground
John J. Boland - Stern view of the ship (partial view of barge, A-310, to the right of the ship)
John J. Boland - Bow-view from outside fence at Bay Shipbuilding

Trip #4 - May 7 - Annual Shipyard Tour:

30 photos from the 2011 Shipyard Tour in Sturgeon Bay. On Saturday, the Rotary Club Of Sturgeon Bay sponsored the event which is held each year around this time. Temperatures were great this year! (In past years, the weather has not always cooperated). At the bottom of this section are some select (larger) photos of some of the ships in the yard (the photos in the slideshow are just too small).

Click Here to read the story and view the slide slide show of photos. To return to this page from within the slide show - hit the UP-facing arrow (when viewing any individual photo) to go back to the thumbnails page and then click on "Return to Sturgeon Bay Lay-Ups" page".

4 American Steamship ships - (L to R) - American Courage (partial), American Spirit, St. Clair (partially visible between American Spirit & John J. Boland), and John J. Boland (from across the bay)
American Spirit - Stern view from across the bay
American Courage - Stern view of the freshly painted ship (from within the yard)
McKee Sons - Stern view of the barge in the graving dock (yard)

Invincible - Bow view of the tug that pushes the barge, McKee Sons (yard)
St. Clair - Stern view (yard)
John J. Boland - Bow view from outside the yard's fence with barge, A-310 (tug, Barbara Andrie in notch) alongside
St. Clair - Stern view (outside fence)
McKee Sons - Stern view of the barge in the graving dock (outside fence)

Yacht #1 - Palmer Johnson new-build aluminum yacht
Yacht #2 - Palmer Johnson new-build aluminum yacht ready for primer and paint
Yacht #3 - Palmer Johnson new-build aluminum yacht

Trip #5 - August 8 - American Steamship Mid-summer Lay-Up:

American Steamship suffered a strike on August 1 when the company's collective bargaining agreement with American Maritime Officers (AMO) ran out. The strike affects licensed engineering and deck officers plus stewards involving all 13 of American Steamship's vessels. Their ships were ordered to lay-up docks around the Great Lakes. 5 of them ended up at Bay Shipbuilding. The ships were the Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., American Integrity, American Century, H. Lee White, and St. Clair. Even though the strike was settled on Aug. 5, the five ships remained at Bay Shipbuilding on Aug. 8 as the company continued to recall (or hire) new crews. Also at the shipyard was the tug & barge, Michigan/Great Lakes (reason unknown).

American Steamship (ASC) ships - Three 1000-footers, (L to R) Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., American Integrity, and American Century
3 Bows - (L to R) Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., American Integrity, and American Century
American Century - The ship sits high in the water as the ballast has been pumped out (not sure why)
ASC ships - (L to R) H. Lee White and St. Clair
ASC Bows - (L to R) H. Lee White and St. Clair close-ups

Fred A. Busse - The Door County Tour Boat passes the three 1000-footers
ASC ships - Wide view of all 5 ships
ASC footers - (L to R) Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., American Integrity and American Century from a different vantage point ...
ASC footers - ... and another location
ASC ships - (L to R) H. Lee White and St. Clair from a different vantage point

American Century - Wide view sitting high in the water
ASC ships - Wide view of the footers (only Am. Century showing), H. Lee White and St. Clair from a different location
Harbor Lady - Another tour boat passes the St. Clair heading toward the bay of Green Bay
Harbor Lady - Close-up passing the bow of the St. Clair
Michigan/Great Lakes - Tug & barge that carries fuel around the Great Lakes (not sure if it is in lay-up status, or in for repairs)
Michigan - Close-up of the tug that pushes the barge, Great Lakes

2011 - 2012:

Trip #1 - January 27 - Winter Lay-Up:

There are currently 10 ships at Bay Shipbuilding. At least two more are expected to arrive sometime in February. With the mild winter and not much ice, ships are still running ore out of Escanaba, Michigan. The Stewart J. Cort has a new coat of paint and the Lee A. Tregurtha is currently being painted. The Kaye E. Barker is scheduled to receive new engines this winter. The Chicago excursion boat, Mystic Blue, is also wintering in Sturgeon Bay.

I began photographing the fleet at Beach Harbor Resort, which gives a good view of a ship in the graving dock. I then followed N. Duluth Ave. back toward town with a couple stops at vantage points between the resort and Bullhead Point. Next I followed the road back into town and stopped at a waterfront park, Appleby's, Door County Maritime Museum, and the Oregon Street Bridge to photograph the Selvick tug base and the USCG Mobile Bat at its base. Following the road out toward the highway, I stopped at a marina near Roen Salvage where the Carla Anne Selvick, a tug built in 1908 and whose future is in jeopardy, is currently docked. Finally I arrived at Bay Shipbuilding to get a few close-up photos of 3 of the ships in the yard.

Along with a desire to photograph the ships, I also had a new digital camera to try out for the first time. I recently bought a Fuji FinePix S4000 camera featuring 30X Optical Zoom and 14 mega-pixels of resolution. I took along my older Fuji FinePix (S8000fd) so that I could compare the quality of the photos from each camera. To do so, I took photos of each scene with both cameras from the same angle. The new S4000 did a great job, but not a whole lot better than the S8000fd EXCEPT for the 30X Optical Zoom (the S8000fd features 18X). However, the S4000 has a ton of manual features that should produce some amazing photos. I can't wait to play around with those settings to see what this camera can really do!!

Lay-Up Fleet - (L to R) Lee A. Tregurtha, Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker, Stewart J. Cort, Philip R. Clarke, American Mariner, St. Clair, Kaye E. Barker, Arthur M. Anderson (inside) and Cason J. Callaway rafted together
4 Ships - (L to R) Lee A. Tregurtha (in the graving dock), Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker and Stewart J. Cort
Lee A. Tregurtha - In the large graving dock receiving a new coat of paint
Paul R. Tregurtha - Tied up outside the graving dock
4 Ships (from a different vantage point) - (L to R) Lee A. Tregurtha, Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker and Stewart J. Cort

Stewart J. Cort - Close-up of the newly painted 1000-footer - note the dual bow-thrusters near the water line
5 Vessels - (L to R) Mystic Blue, Philip R. Clarke, American Mariner, St. Clair and Kaye E. Barker
Footer's Row - (L to R) Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker and Stewart J. Cort
Philip R. Clarke - Bow-view close-up
2 Ships - Arthur M. Anderson with the Cason J. Callaway rafted outside

Stewart J. Cort - Broadside bow-view from Bullhead Point
2 Ships - Full "bow-on" view of the Philip R. Clarke and American Mariner
St. Clair - Broadside bow-view of the 770-ft.-long by 92-ft. wide ship
Kaye E. Barker - Obstructed bow-view (the best I could find)
2 Ships - Stern view of the Cason J. Callaway rafted outside the Arthur M. Anderson

John Purves - Broadside view of the tug that is now a full-time museum at Door County Museum
Selvick Tug Base - Jimmy L in front of the Mary Page Hannah and the Mary E. Hannah with its new, raised pilothouse
Selvick Tug Base - Wide view of the (partial) Selvick Tug fleet with the Jacquelyn Nicole, William C. Selvick and Susan L in front of the previous 3 tugs
Superior Explorer - Small vessel on the dock at Selvick
USCG Mobile Bay - At its dock with its barge, CGB 12002

Carla Anne Selvick - Awaiting its fate at a Roen Salvage Company dock
Kaye E. Barker - Stern-view close-up at Bay Shipbuilding
St. Clair - Stern-view close-up at Bay Shipbuilding
Lee A. Tregurtha - (Obstructed) stern-view in the graving dock receiving a new coat of paint
Hatch Crane - The old hatch crane off the Lee A. Tregurtha on the ground at Bay Shipbuilding
Lee A. Tregurtha - A view from behind the bow of the ship with its new Marine Travelift hatch crane aboard



Trip #2 - February 5:

There are now 12 ships at Bay Shipbuilding, with the Wilfred Sykes and the Joseph L. Block having arrived last week. The weather called for cloudy skies, clearing to mostly sunny. Well, they were right, the sky was turning blue when we got back to Green Bay around 2 p.m., and was cloudless when I got back to Menominee (MI) around 4:30 p.m; however, the sky was a cloudy gray while we were in Sturgeon Bay. :O( - One more vessel, the Great Lakes Trader, is due in within the next couple weeks; they are still carrying ore out of Escanaba, MI.

St. Clair - In the large graving dock, receiving a new coat of paint, as seen from across the bay of Sturgeon Bay
Paul R. Tregurtha - Bow-view from across the bay
Lay-Up Fleet - Wide view of all the ships at Bay Shipbuilding
Footers Row - (L to R) Interlake Steamship fleetmates Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker and Stewart J. Cort
Deckhouses Galore - (L to R clockwise) Philip R. Clarke, (bow of American Mariner), Lee A. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker, Wilfred Sykes. Joseph L. Block, Arthur M. Anderson, and Cason J. Callaway

Footers Row - Same 3 ships as before from a different vantage point
2 Fleetmates - Broadside view of the Arthur M. Anderson and Cason J. Callaway
Footers Row - Same 3 ships as seen from Bullhead Point
3 Vessels - (L to R) Mystic Blue (Chicago excursion boat), Philip R. Clarke and American Mariner
4 Bows - (L to R) Lee A. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker, Arthur M. Anderson and Cason J. Callaway

Fleetmates - Wilfred Sykes (stern) and Joseph L. Block
American Mariner - Bow/broadside view from across the bay
Fleetmates - Joseph L. Block and Wilfred Sykes from the Bay Shipbuilding side of the bay
Wilfred Sykes - Bow/port-broadside view
Fleetmates - Joseph L. Block and Wilfred Sykes from the "Sykes side"

St. Clair - Stern-view in the graving dock getting a fresh coat of paint
4 Sterns - (L to R) Stewart J. Cort (only stack visible), James R. Barker, Paul R. Tregurtha and St. Clair
Fleetmates - Stern view of the Kaye E. Barker (L) and the newly painted Lee A. Tregurtha (oh, for a blue sky day!)
Lee A. Tregurtha - Stern/starboard-side view