Boatnerd Discussion Forum

[quote="hausen"]Before that the last of the rash of conversions carried out between 1981-1983 was the Reserve (now James J. Kuber) - she went in for conversion at Bay Shipbuilding during the spring of 1982. The work was probably complete late in '82 or early in '83 but due to low demand for cargo haulage she didn't return to service until the fall of '83.

Thanks Hausen. I was interested in the last ship converted that remained a ship, so I guess that would be the Reserve. Ironic that the last converted was first to lose its status as a ship.

J.L. Mauthe/Pathfinder was converted to a self-unloader over the winter of 1996/97 at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon, Bay, WI - the work was concurrent with her conversion from a powered steamer to an articulated barge.

Before that: The Joseph H. Thompson was converted starting sometime during the late 1980s or 1990; she entered service as a self-unloader in 1991. That work was also concurrent with her conversion from a powered steamer to a barge, which if I'm not mistaken took place at several small yards / docks on Lake Michigan over the span of a few years. Not sure when or where the self-unloader work was done specifically.

Before that the last of the rash of conversions carried out between 1981-1983 was the Reserve (now James J. Kuber) - she went in for conversion at Bay Shipbuilding during the spring of 1982. The work was probably complete late in '82 or early in '83 but due to low demand for cargo haulage she didn't return to service until the fall of '83.

Although not for general bulk trades, Leon Fraser was converted to the self-unloading dry powdered cement carrier Alpena at Fraser Shipyard in Superior, WI from 1989 - '91.

What ship was the last U.S. Laker to be converted from a straight-decker to a self-unloader? When was the conversion made, and what shipyard did it?