Grande Mariner to Visit Port of Duluth-Superior
The Grande Mariner, a 183-ft., 100-passenger U.S. cruise vessel, is scheduled to make her third visit to the Port of Duluth-Superior on July 22. The vessel is scheduled to arrive at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) dock at approximately noon on Thursday, where it will be greeted by a welcoming ceremony that will include the Duluth Community Band. The Grande Mariner, which called at Duluth twice last year, is visiting the Port this month as part of a “Lake Superior Grande Tour” offered by American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL). The Port of Duluth-Superior will be used as a debarkation/embarkation point for the cruise vessel, which is scheduled to depart at noon on July 25 with new passengers. This tour for the vessel commences in Chicago, Ill., and ends in Warren, R.I.
Contracts
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has signed a contract to build two, 250-ft., double hull, jumbo coastwise service, single rake hopper barges for Tide Leasing, LLC, Birmingham, Ala. Construction has begun on the first barge and building of the second vessel will begin in August. Both are scheduled for delivery in November 2000. Overall, each barge will be 250 ft. in length, with a 52.5-ft. beam and 14-ft. depth and 11.5 ft. maximum draft. They will be built with .75-in. steel at the hopper bottoms and .625-in. steel at the hopper sides plus .5-in. T-1 liner plates on the bottom and upper sides of the hopper. Each will be able to carry up to 3,000 metric tons of coal and will operate out of Santa Marta, Colombia. Shearer and Associates, Inc., Metairie, La.
