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JAN + FEB, 1986 Page 5 LAKE WINNIPEG on her maiden voyage on September 23, 1962. Nipigon Transports, owners of the Lake Winnipeg, was originally a joint venture of Hanna Mining and the Cargill Grain Company. It was, in many respects, an ideal situation as their vessels could carry Cargill grain to the St. Lawrence and return with Hanna's ore. Today the ore trade has declined, the Schaefferville mine has closed, more grain moves to saltwater via the Mississippi and in the past two years, the prairie grain harvest was down. During the winter of 1984-1985, Cargill sold their half interest in Nipigon Transports to Hanna. Most of today's cargoes are carried in self- unloaders. This is especially so of ore. These ships are more flexible as to cargo and take far less time to unload. A quicker turn around time means more trips per season and potenti- ally greater profits. Some U.S. ore docks are doing away with their costly shore-based equipment. Lake Winnipeg, a straight-deck bulk carriers, was not worth reconstruction as a self-unloader. Although Lake Winnipeg was listed as being built by the Blytheswood Shipbuilding Com- pany of Glasgow, Scotland in 1962, she was actually the reconstruction of a T-2 tanker. The latter vessel had been built in 1943 at Portland, Oregon as Table Rock (US 244865) and was part of the United States Maritime Commission's construction program. Table Rock was 523 feet, 6 inches in length and 69 feet, 2 inches at the beam. Tonnage was registered at 10,448 gross and 6,308 net. She was powered by a 6,000 horsepower oil-fired steam turbine engine manufactured by General Electric. The vessel served the war effort as a fleet oiler and saw duty in the Pacific. After the war she was among the many vessels sold by the Maritime Commission to private concerns. Table Rock was purchased by Cie Nationale de Navigation in 1948 and operated under the flag of France as Nivose. Her main duty then became the transportation of petroleum to France. Tonnage now became 10,692 gross and 6,143 net while capacity was 16,484 dwt. In time, bigger tankers gradually made T-2's obsolete for long deep sea runs. Some of Nivose's sisterships were lengthened, some scrapped and others converted to new duties. Nivose was sold to Nipigon Transports in 1961 and taken to Glasgow, Scotland. There her old cargo section was removed and scrap- ped while the stern, complete with accom- modations and engine room were retained. Similar reconstruction pojects were carried Photo by George Ayoub