These are notes I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Sturgeon Bay, WI: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), originally Manitowoc/Christy Shipbuilding
The Manitowoc Company started out building ships. But they started building cranes because they needed cranes bigger than anything that they could buy. They then moved the shipbuilding operation to Sturgeon Bay because the boats were getting too big to leave their peninsula and maneuver down the river to the lake.
Both Google and Bing have summer images so the bays are rather empty. But Bing did catch the big drydock being used. The Soo Locks are closed January 15 to March. So that is when boats are scheduled for repairs and conversions. This year [2018], Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest boat on the Great Lakes, is arriving to spend the winter here.
In this video, we can see that ice is already forming on the bay. These big boats use a canal to come directly from Lake Michigan. There are three roads crossing the bay, and each has a drawbridge that has to open for the boat. But I'm sure the citizens of the town are more than happy to wait a little bit for a boat to pass considering the jobs that are created by working on those boats.
Having room to store all of the ships that they will work on during the winter months is obviously another reason why they moved here from Manitowoc, WI.
Winter Fleet
[The triangular booms hold a conveyor so that the ship can unload itself.]
The 1154x141 "graving" drydock on the right evidently closes the gate and pumps the water out. The "US Navy certified drydock" on the left probably pumps water in to sink it so that a boat can get in and then it pumps the water back out to float it so that it has a dry work surface.
Mark Ob posted seven photos with the comment: "Bay Shipbuilding's gantry crane shipping and assembly late 1977 and early 1978. B&W images are from local newspapers the color images are from a post by Robert Nuke Thompson." Reuben ZimmerWe loaded it with two cranes on the corner of A and B birth, 4100 ringer in back ground!we had one set up and a boom a week on it.
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S.S. Badger: Lake Michigan Carferry posted FROM THE ARCHIVES: The BADGER was built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin at the Christy Corporation and launched in 1953. Here is a shipyard photo of her under construction at the ship yard. Darrin Pavlik: Christy corp was bought up by manitowoc ship building in 1968. Manitowoc then moved all there shipbuilding to sturgeon bay. They kept making cranes and ice machines in manitowoc. Sometime around 2010 manitowoc sold shipbuilding to Italian company Fincantieri. Jayne Snyder Bennett: I do believe this is a photo of Spartan and Badger under construction. Andy Laurent: Spartan on the left, Badger on the right.
Scott Hagerty posted four photos with the comment: "Sturgeon Bay shipyard."
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Skip Heckel posted eight photos with the comment: "The PAUL R. TREGURTHA entering the Sturgeon Bay shipping canal heading toward Bay Ship and winter layup."
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Some big boats are worked on during the shipping season.
Thomas Savio, Sep 2016, from Google
"The American Courage" in port for upgrades as seen from the Sturgeon Bay Bridge (Michigan Street)
[This is not in the big drydock because the 170-ton gantry crane over that doc is in the background.]
Brian Bassett, Jun 2017, from Google
[A lot of cranes are working. But the two smaller ones in the middle might be working on a second boat in the next doc over.]
Ben Stalvey posted
Checkout these Manitowoc's
[Given the tugboat at the stern of the PAUL R. TREGURTHA, they must still be working on docking it for the winter.]
One of many photos of boats laid up for the 2018 winter season posted by Ben Stalvey
[Note the ice fisher on the bay.] Dennis DeBrulerI went back to look at the pictures of it the Paul R. Tregurtha going through town to confirm that normally most of the "redder red" at the bottom is under water. How did they raise it to expose the bow thruster? Is it just a matter of emptying all of the ballast tanks? Will it have to be moved to the big dry dock sometime this Winter? If so, how thick does the ice get?https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571720269792245/permalink/1823959771234959/ Ben StalveyYes I do believe it will be moved into the dry dock. Getting scrubbers installed. Must have emptied out the ballast water. Ben StalveyIce is already 18 inch thick in Green Bay WI..So anywhere from 10 to 18 inches. Dennis DeBrulerBen Stalvey For those of us who are trying to learn about boats as well as cranes, what are scrubbers? Chicago's water department can break 18", so that isn't too bad. But they will have to break a lot of ice to make room to move those boats around. Dennis DeBrulerI know that Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest boat on the Great Lakes. Ben StalveyDennis DeBruler a subber is installed in a stack to help filter out the black diesel smoke into the environment. Coal PowerPlant are also required to install scrubbers as well. To keep particals out of the air. Dennis DeBrulerBen Stalvey Thanks. I wonder what Tier of diesel exhaust control they are going for. Tier IV requirements really hurt Navistar Trucks and EMD Locomotives. I was thinking of things like maybe automatic scrubbers of the cargo bays. But I imagine they just hose down the coal dust in this case. Ben StalveyDennis DeBruler very true I build snow removal equipment for runaways so I know exactly what you are taking about. With them Navistar to. Now between a Cat motor and a cummins it's a $6,000 price difference. Dennis DeBrulerWhich is more expensive? Cat or Cummins? I assume your engines use DEF. The big railroads don't want to use DEF in the locomotives. Do Lakers use multiple V16 engines like those in locomotives, tugs, oil platforms and mining trucks? Or do they use marine diesels that are about as big as a house? Ben StalveyCat is more expensive you are right they use DEF. Ben StalveyDennis DeBruler the Paul Tregurtha is the largest ships on the great lakes it is powered by 2 Colt-Pielstick model 16PC2-3V-400 V-16 cylinder, four stroke, single acting diesel engines each rated at 8,560 b.h.p. built by Fairbanks Morse Engine. Dennis DeBrulerBen Stalvey It's good to hear that Fairbanks Morse is still in business. They tried their opposed piston engine in locomotives. The OP worked great in submarines, not so much in locomotives. Ben StalveyDennis DeBruler oh yes they use Fairbanks Morse in the new LCS combat ships. Dennis DeBrulerBen Stalvey What town (country?) is their plant in? Ben StalveyDennis DeBruler Beloit WI USA. Ben Stalveyhttps://www.facebook.com/FairbanksMorseEngine
Since the Mesabi Miner was the last boat back at "The Barn," Gerry posted extra pictures of what is at the shipyard. Gerry GrzybAll you could want to know about the Mesabi Miner, with lotsa pix. It is the 4th of the 13 "footers" built, so we have the first (Cort) latest (Tregurtha) and 4th. BTW, all are over 35 years old. Great Lakes may have brutal winters, but at least no corroding saltwater! http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/mesabi.htm Jan Van De CarrHow long will they be here? We may not be up again until late February. Gerry GrzybSince the most common cargo is taconite, the opening of the Soo locks is the key. I've seen. March 25 given as the date. Carin RoyHow many total ships at wintering in SB? Gerry GrzybI think there are 11 lakers, including 1 barge/tug combo--from memory, Cort, Tregurtha, Mesabi Miner, Callaway, Blough, Block, Sykes, Munson, Am. Courage, Kuber/Victory, and Pierson! Carin RoyGerry Grzyb thanks! What is the max capacity? Gerry GrzybThe berths are full, and two boats are out on the face, perpendicular to the berthed boats. I don't know if they can put any more out there. Somebody from Bayship should know.
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Mesabi Miner passes Cason Callaway, Wilfred Sykes, and Joseph Block prior to taking its berth
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The Mesabi Miner backs into Berth 15 next to fellow footer Stewart Cort. Next to its stacks you can see the bridge of the Paul Tregurtha in graving dock. Big Paul will also share Berth 15 when done, and the Cort will go into the graving dock. As you can see, you can walk out across the ice to the point where the lane was created
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To the east we see John Munson, Robert Pierson, tug Victory and the associated barge James Kuber, Roger Blough, and Cason Callaway...and an ice fishing shack
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The Paul Tregurtha, already Queen of the Lakes, here in graving dock to become a clean mean queen with new scrubbers
e Selvick tug Jimmy L is pushing hard on the Stewart Cort to keep it in its place as the Mesabi Miner is nearly in its place
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Joseph Block, Wilfred Sykes, Roger Blough, and American Courage at Bayship
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Victory, Callaway, and Blough in the distance, Kuber and Pierson closer to us
Best Aerial Images & More posted (source) three photos with the comment: "Some of the layup fleet docked at Bayship in Sturgeon Bay, WI for winter layup and repair work at the yard. Photos taken 2/15/18."
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Jeff Rueckert posted four photos with the comment: "Sturgeon Bay Ship Yard Today [Jan 18, 2018]."
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Mark Ob posted two photos with the comment: "Bay Shipbuilding 6000 series crane. Edwin H Gott under construction in the graving dock 1978- B&W image Wisconsin Maritime Museum Collection. Color Image Robert Nuke Thompson."
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Ben Stalvey posted two photos with the comment: "Here is another picture of a unique Manitowoc 4100 Ringer that was at the Sturgeon Bay Shipyard." Doug KearneyBack when they were building the graving dock ~ the heyday of the yard. Pretty cool!
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Jesse Leight commented on Ben's posting
This showed up at the yard the other day.... Weeks Marine.... Has a 32 cable main block......
Ty Kraase posted, cropped
3900W,(far left) 777 (middle), 2250 (far right), 3900B (behind 2250) and a 4100 High Cab (behind 777 and 2250) servicing great lakes freighters that are in for winter lay up to get repaired. (Not pictured 200ton over head Gantry crane and a 888)
[No one mentioned it was this ship yard, but the reference to the 200t gantry crane implies it. The comments contain more photos of the crane on this site.]
So only 2 of the 13 footers are not parked here for the winter.
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Danny Thompson shared Barry BeaubienA lot bigger than the Valley Camp or the Meteor. Interlake Steamship Company post A peek inside one of seven cargo holds on our James R. Barker undergoing significant winter work at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. Can you see the shipyard crew working on steel plate replacement in cargo hold No. 7 as part of our steel renewal program? Deb Burfeind BartelsAwesome picture! The crew look like little ants inside there! Gerald Sopkothey are taking out the ones i worked on when it was built at Amship Lorain Richard GrayThis is looking fore and aft? How many hold belts? Benjamin FeinmanRichard Gray On the slope looking forward it seems. 3 belts on the Miner and JR Barker. Matthew BassettRichard Gray it slopes up toward the camera so I’d say looking forward from the last hold as the belts come up toward the transfer area. There appear to be 3 rows of razorbacks, so 3 belts. Just speculation, but I’d lay a wager on it. Mike Delaney3 belts. On our first trip to Indiana harbor the Oiler/gatemen plugged one of the belts. Spent 20 hours shoveling out the hopper and shoveling off most of one of the belts and then after starting shoveling the ore back onto the belt. I remember the mate saying something about a belt mnotor tripping out and I thought God please don't let it be a plug and yes it was. J.C. ChallengerShe was very thin last time I was aboard, many years of cargo grinding on that steel.
The problem was much less pronounced until she switched to ore being her primary cargo. The same tonnage being 58-60K centered over the gates instead of spread out over a wider surface area as with coal.
That much weight centered over the gates causes the chutes to cone when loaded and combing to hang up on the gates, sticking them shut while unloading.
This is a much needed and worthy repair campaign replacing her steel, and will mean many more years of service.
The tragedy is the Miner was completed one year apart using the same materials and both ships are due at once. Gary KrohnJ.C. Challenger What gage steel is used? J.C. ChallengerGary, Best I can tell it’s 5/8ths thick originally.
Many of the gates have been replaced and the company is executing a realistic plan of 20+ gates per winter in addition to a few throughout the season where operations allow.
The worst have been done first but eventually all will be new. The Conveyorman and I knocked out 20 of them ourselves for winterwork at the end of the 2017 season. [Boatnerd: general, winter layup]
This is not a good way to start the 2019 Shipping season! It had a fire in the bow before it got to the lake. I guess if you have to have a fire, this is the place to do it because there was a 29' US Coast Guard vessel stationed there that helped put out the fire.
UpNorthLive (Sturgeon Bay Fire Department) $20 million in damages from freighter fire in Wisconsin shipyard [Fire started on Feb 1, 2021. The fire included the unloading conveyor tunnel.] (It is 848' long. [GreenBayPressGazette])
Steve Miller posted two photos with the comment: "I have it on good authority that they are meeting this week at Sturgeon Bay to discuss the disposition of the BLOUGH. Included in that discussion will be conversion to long boom."
Steve Miller: It’s probably a necessary evil but it will dramatically change her look and not for the better in my opinion.
Maxwell Crosby: Considering the 1,000 footers are slowly running out of work as power plants and such close down that would further restrict her.
Cut her to about 740 feet and you can enter most smaller ports with her.
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Skip Heckel posted the Mesabi Miner and Roger Blough leaving March 26, 2018, about a week after I saw my first robin in Downers Grove, IL.
Ben StalveyBen and 4 others manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Manitowoc Crane Enthusiasts. Because the above yard Manitowoc ex shipyard in Sturgeon Bay WI has the biggest overhead crane on the Great Lakes. They always have a ton of work. For winter lay up. Manitowoc Shipbuilding had a yard in Cleveland Ohio, Sturgeon Bay WI, Marinette WI and Manitowoc WI. Marinette WI builds the LCS combat ships for the US navy. Bay Ship constructs new tugs and barges. Plus services all the other ships on the Great Lakes. (source)
Information about building the M/V Mark W. Barker has been moved to here.
The 2019 annual tour:
Bev Shaw posted ten photos with the comment:
Lance Zabrowski is at Bay Shipbuilding, Fincantieri Group. Sturgeon Bay, WI, United States ·
Bay Shipbuilding tour-the actual size is hard to describe-and pictures don't capture the massive machinery used to make these ships. Tours were given mainly by retirees with 30-40 years of service in the yard-great time, beautiful day, learned a lot, saw some awesome behind-the-scenes places that I can usually only see from outside the fence.
1 Bow Thruster Brian FergusonThat's a baby bow thruster. Somewhere on Boatnerd there's a picture of 3-4 people in one of the Bay Ship 1000 footers.
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Assembly/welding/burning (cutting) of sheet steel for hulls, huge! The light gray section to the right is part of the side of the hull you will see in my other pictures, and the section to the left on the floor is the bottom of the hull. This is the final assembly stage, next they will be put into the yard by the graving dock for final assembly/welding.
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Large two sided robotic welders for making 2 layer sections of the sides of ship. You can see the 4 welders on the right side of the gantry
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Graving dock with tug boat in for modifications that mates with a barge they are also making which you can see in the background
7 Graving dock (dry dock) 1,154 ft. x 140 ft., one of two this size in the USA. Takes 5 hours to fill with water when they are ready to send the ship out into the bay. You can see the ship sections stacked off to the right, they will be lifted into place with various cranes and assembled/welded to the other sections, one of which is on the floor of the graving dock. When the ship is completed, the structure is filled with water and the ship is floated out the back.
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Big Blue Gantry crane, 170 ton lifting capability-Made by Manitowoc Crane. They are replacing this one in the near future.
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Shipyard layout
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Indoor storage/sail loft
I assume the photo below is a contemporary photo to advertise the tour. The bridge on the bow means that these are old freighters. They have already been upgraded to have bow thrusters. I'm still amazed to see how high these freighters ride when their ballast tanks are empty. I've noticed that this is how they are stored for the winter. It reduces the amount of hull plating that is subjected to ice pressure when the bay freezes. And they don't have to worry about being top heavy and capsized by waves because they are in a protected bay.
Ben Stalvey posted
Manitowoc really did build everything. including special application cranes for specific jobs. Such as this elevated cab 4100 ringer for Bay Shipbuilding
This crane was used prior before Bay Shipbuilding got the light blue massive gantry crane.
Ben commented on his post
This shot here is not my picture I am posting now. It's of the 4100 ringer putting up the gantry. Ben StalveyManitowoc 4500 far left, 4100 ringer, 4100 and 6000W.Ben StalveyRobert Nuke Thompson picture here is the info on it he supplied for us now This was 1978. L->R: Custom 4500 VICON 4100 Ringer w/ 40 foot tower Manitowoc 4000W Manitowoc 4100W "Mini-Tower" Manitowoc 6000W
Bill Pohlmann posted five photos with the comment:
In Sturgeon Bay, WI, these Manitowocs are working around the clock to prepare the "Winter Fleet" at Bay Shipbuilding for the 2020 shipping season on the Great Lakes.
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safe_image for Winter Work on the Great Lakes(Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding), 2020
"Lakers’ self-unloading capability is unique, and the equipment requires maintenance to ensure the vessels can continue to unload up to 75,000 tons of cargo in less than 12 hours, one of the reasons why U.S.-flag Lakers are the most efficient mode of dry-bulk cargo transportation in the world....Major shipyards are located in Duluth, Superior and Sturgeon Bay, Wis. as well as Erie, Penn., with other work being done in Toledo and Ashtabula, Ohio; Ludington, Mich.; Detroit and Milwaukee."
(Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding), 2020 via Winter Work
(Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding), 2020 via Winter Work
Nick Johnson posted five photos with the comment: "Roger Blough, John J. Boland, and Wilfred Sykes in temporary layup and Michigan Trader nearing completion in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Photos taken 9/1/20."
Starter Marine Towing posted four photos without any comments. Fortunately, I noticed the "St. Marys Challenger" lettering and the blue gantry in this shipyard. It looks like it is getting some much needed TLC (Tender Loving Care).
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Robert Younk posted Here's an Oldie. ...anyone care to take a stab at this one ? !!!; Brad Schrowang: Sturgeon bay shipyard, worked there years ago. Ben Stalvey: Year after year the talk about replacing it. but still to this day is still really the life line of the shipyard... Luke Mueller: Ben Stalvey we are getting ready replace main hoist winch's with ones from a MLC 650. [The consensus of the comments seems to be a 200 ton capacity. That strikes me as rather small for a 21st Century shipyard.]
Jared Brandl added four comments on Robert's post.
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Jim Brown commented on Robert's post Robert Nuke Thompson: I took that picture in 1978 when they were assembling it on-site. The right-hand end of the bridge is being held up by a Manitowoc 6000; the other end is held by a 4100 ringer. A 4500 and a 4000 are holding up the left legs; the right legs are held by Bay Ship's 4100 high-cab. Pierre Lacoste: Unusual setup on the Ringer, like a short tower and the boom-mast on top.
Brian Wiegand added four comments on Robert's post.
1 Manitowoc "Goliath" 200ton gantry crane at Bay Shipbuilding.
We just shared a post that the SS Badger is on its way to the Sturgeon Bay ship yard. Here's a cool shot of that ship being built (second from left).
The photo shows the Badger being built in the shipyard of the Christy Corporation in Sturgeon Bay as seen on Jan. 3, 1952. The photo taken by Herb Reynolds points west and shows the turntable once used to turn locomotives around at the end of the Ahnapee and Western Railroad line.
The car ferry Spartan, at the left, was launched the next day. The car ferry Badger is shown being built to the right of the Spartan. In 1970, Christy Corporation became part of Bay Shipbuilding, which still operates on the site today as a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group. Photo submitted by Gary Soule.
Roy Aiken: That's my dad's photo. He loved being a photographer. Always glad to see his work. Mary Reynolds
Destination Door county posted In the icy days of winter, work at the shipyard heats up heats up with the arrival of the winter fleet. Each January the giants of the Great Lakes arrive for maintenance, with ships of 500 to more than 1,000 feet making their way through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal and through the city's three bridges to dock at the shipyard for winter layup. Exact arrival dates and times are up to the whims of Mother Nature, as ice cover, storms and waves all factor into shipping schedules. However, DoorCounty Maritime Museum posts best estimates on their website. Most ships arrive in January and head back out to the lakes in April.
According to the article, the barge is to provide LNG as the fuel for ocean-going ships along the East Coast. Since it will operate in USA waters, the Jones Act requires that it be built by a shipyard in the USA. At first, I thought that this meant that the dry dock couldn't be used to service Lakers during the Winter layup season. Then I realized that they have to cut a lot of metal and assemble modules before they need the dry dock. So this should provide drydock work for the Summer months.
Apr 2023. It looks like one of the freighters didn't get done before shipping season started. When they schedule a build project, they have to be careful that enough will be done by the end of the shipping season so that they can float out of the dry dock during the winter layover work.
Dore County Drone posted four photos with the comment: "Todays Flight, LNG Bunkering Barges Fincantieri Bay ShipBuilding Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. Also a Video on LNG Barges.
1 of 4 photos posted by Door County Drone Tonights Flight, Heavy Lift Vessel "Happy River" With a Load of LNG Tanks for the LNG Bunkering Barge Next to Her. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The tanks on their way to the shipyard.
Ashley Sohre posted In Sturgeon Bay. Amy Lesnjak: While on the shipyard tour a few weeks ago we were told the tanks were being shipped from Spain. [So the price differential of steel fabrication between the US and offshore is large enough to pay the shipping costs.]
Salties don't have bow thrusters, let alone stern thrusters, so they need assistance by tugboats. This shows that there are two tanks in the hull in addition to the two on the deck. And they must have big pumps to deal with rain storms because there is a big opening in the deck. And I noticed the small pilothouse on the bow . I presume that is used when a big load blocks the view from the regular pilothouse.
1 of 7 photos posted by Ben Ziemendorf The Happy River arriving in Sturgeon Bay this [May 23, 2023] morning.
1 of 4 photos posted by Door County Drone Tonights Flight, Today 2 LNG Tanks were Loaded on the LNG Bunkering Barge From the "Happy River" Heavy Lift Vessel at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. 2 More to Go!!
1 of 4 photos posted by Door County Drone One More Time, Heavy Lift Vessel "Happy River" Unloads Last of LNG Tanks on the LNG Bunkering Barge. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Looks Like 4 Tanks But the Way They Were Built it Looks Like They May Only be 2????
2 of 5 photos posted by Door Country Drone with the comment: "Wilfred Sykes in for Propeller Repair. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin."
a James Leow: Chewed up a bit!
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Oct 18, 2023: Door County Drone posted five photos with the comment: "Stewart J. Cort "Stubby" in for a Repair and a Couple of Update Photos of the New LNG Bunkering Barge. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin."
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1 of 6 photos posted by Door County Drone Winter Fleet 2024 Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Tim Smith: Neat to see the Burns Harbor next to a sister Bayship footer. The difference in the superstructure height is pronounced.
3:30 video @ 2:48 The salty Happy River entering Sturgeon Bay
Apr 25, 2024:
Interlake Steamship Company posted Our M/V Stewart J. Cort is back in the water again as the dry dock is flooded at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding this evening. Mychel Mazza: What does M/V stand for?????
Interlake Steamship Company: Mychel Mazza motor vessel! [As opposed to SS, which means steamship. (other prefixes)]
James Torgeson shared The former Bethlehem Steel Great Lakes flagship and the first 1000' lake freighter, the Stewart J. Cort, is floated from a drydock [in Sturgeon Bay] after needed work and USCG inspection. She's now owned by MassMutual, but sails for the Interlake Steamship Company. (Note that the wide angle lens used for the photograph has distorted the ship's proportions!)
Shaun Connelly: I see that ship all the time at Cliffs burns harbor.
James Torgeson: Shaun Connelly That's her only destination, and the one she was built to serve!
Gary Cihlar posted 12 photos with the comment:
A few photos of Bay Ship Yard on May, 30-2024, by land and drone.
A peek into the graving dry dock, Iron Master Barge in one of the floating dry docks, and the Herbert C. Jackson in for repairs.
It's a great interesting tour. You are also allowed to take pictures. Which is rare in a shipyard
Manitowoc 4500 far left, 4100 ringer, 4100 and 6000W.Ben Stalvey
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