American Ship Building Company News

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently spoke with Mark Barker, president of The Interlake Steamship Company, who has sent its fourth vessel — its second 1,000-footer — to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. After seriously pursuing the possibility of converting its ships to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) several years ago, U.S. based Great Lakes shipper The Interlake Steamship Company found that the region’s LNG infrastructure was simply not present to support such conversions.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Interlake Steamship Company vessel M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar will be christened at Duluth, Minn. Mr. Oberstar and his wife Jean, the Sponsor of the ship, will be on hand for the christening. Due to Homeland Security regulations, only invited guests will be allowed access to the vessel for tours beginning at 9 am, followed by a press conference at 9:30 am and the christening ceremony at 10:30 am. The general public wishing to view the ceremony can get a birdseye view from the Canal Park side of the blue pedestrian bridge.

In his 47-year Congressional career, former Congressman Jim Oberstar has received many honors. But few are as big – literally – as the announcement that The Interlake Steamship Company will rename and rechristen one of its massive ships the MV Hon. James L. Oberstar this spring. The vessel will sail from layup in March as the MV Hon. James L. Oberstar, and will be rechristened in a ceremony at Duluth later this spring. The ship stretches longer than two-and-a-half football fields – 805 ft to be exact – with a beam of 75 ft and a current carrying capacity of 31,000 gross tons.