Agawa Canyon/2002



Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Agawa Canyon

By George Wharton

This medium sized Great Lakes self-unloading bulk carrier was built at a reported cost of $8.6 million by Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON and was launched August 27, 1970 as the Agawa Canyon for Algoma Central Corp., Sault Ste. Marie, ON. She was initially powered by 4 Fairbanks Morse 10 cylinder diesel engines and 2 Caterpillar V-12 cylinder diesel engines all connected to a central gear box driving a controllable pitch propeller giving her a combined 8,064 horsepower and a rated service speed of 18 knots.

The Agawa Canyon suffered a serious engine room explosion shortly after her launch killing one person and injuring 7 others. She had new engines installed in 1975; her power now consisting of 4 Fairbanks Morse model 38D 8 1/8 10 cylinder diesel engines giving her a combined 6,680 horsepower and a new rated service speed of 12 knots. She is equipped with a 600 horsepower bow thruster.

Her 17 hatches feed into 4 holds where she can carry 20,625 tons at maximum Seaway draft of 26 feet and is capable of carrying 23,400 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 28 feet 10 inches. The Agawa Canyon's self-unloading equipment consists of a 3 belt gravity system with 2 cleated steel chord belt elevators feeding a forward mounted 250 foot discharge boom that can be swung 105 degrees to port or starboard discharging at a rate of 3810 tons per hour.

The Agawa Canyon currently sails under the management of Seaway Self Unloaders (partnership of Algoma Central and Upper Lakes Group). She, as with her S.S.U. fleetmates, is equipped with a DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) precision navigation system. Her cargo could consist of coal/coke, aggregates, slag, iron ore/oxides, salt, fertilizers, grain products, gypsum, quartzite, or sand. She is also noted to have carried cement clinker and alfalfa pellets. Like her similar sized fleetmates Algorail and Algoway, the Agawa Canyon's smaller size allows her access to smaller ports that may not be as accessible to larger vessels.

Prior to the beginning of the 1999 season, the Agawa Canyon received a major refit at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catherines, ON. The 1999 season has seen the Agawa Canyon a regular visitor to the port of Goderich, ON picking up loads of salt destine for various Great Lakes ports.

Her versatility and flexibility should insure her future on the Great Lakes well into the new millenium.

Overall dimensions

Length: 647'00"

Beam: 72'00"

Depth: 40'00"

Capacity (tons): 23,400