Presque Isle

This ship is Presque Isle heading into Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie in the summer of 1992 (I think). When Presque Isle was under the control of Litton Industries, the hull was black; since her lease (then sale) to the Steel Fleet, she's been red. This certainly looks like a transition paint job.

The odd paint plainly shows why this is no ordinary Laker. The red hull's a very large barge, and the black paint defines the tug which propels the barge. Litton had a notion that they could reduce the operational costs by creating a barge/tug combination which could be staffed according to Coast Guard regulations governing such combination vessels. That didn't work out for Litton--the two are apparently too closely integrated to be a convincing combination--but the model's worked for owners who've converted existing hulls to similar configurations.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When we were at the Soo last summer it looked someone seemed to be building condos where I took this picture. Good place to live, but it won't help the view....

Camera: Chinon Genesis III