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M A R I N E NEWS 2. Back in the au t u m n of 1990, wh e n the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, plant of the Al go ma Steel C o r p o r a t i o n was shut d ow n as a result of labour problems, it was s u g g e s t e d that the firm's mar ine di vi s i o n might well be clo sed and its single vessel, the c r a n e s h i p Y A N K C A N U C K (II) sold. When the strike was set tle d du r i n g November, Y AN KC ANU CK, w h i c h had been pla ced in lay-up, was r ea c t i v a t e d and made sev er al trips down to Win ds or wi th steel products before the close of na vi ga ti on . Over the win ter months, muc h has been said about the fi n a n c i a l p r e d i c a m e n t of A l g o m a Steel and the efforts of the company, its workers, and var io us levels of go ve r n m e n t to wo r k out a solut io n w h i c h wo ul d save the co mp an y and the ec o n o m y of the Soo area. Obviously, one of A l g o m a 's most p r e s s i n g needs is to divest itself of u ne co n o m i c operat io ns , and it w o u l d seem that this has spel led the end for the ma ri ne division. We u n d e r s t a n d that, as we go to press wit h this issue, steps are being taken to fin al iz e the sale of Y A N K C A N U C K to J. W. Purvis Marine Ltd., of the Ca n a d i a n Soo, w h i c h will operate the "Yank" in mu ch the same trade as before, carrying Algoma's products. (Last year, even wi th YANKCANUCK running, there was en ou gh steel to be c ar ri ed that Purvis used the barge CHIEF W A W A T A M on the run from the Soo to W i n d s o r . ) YANKCA NU CK , 3 0 6 . 4 x 4 9 . 1 x 2 3 . 5, 3280 Gross and 1898 Net, was built in 1963 as Hull 178 of C o l l i n g w o o d S h i py ar ds Ltd. Powe red by an 8 -c yl in de r Coop erBesse me r di es el engine, the ship was built for Y a n k c a n u c k Ste am sh ip s Ltd., of Sault Ste. Marie, of w h i c h Capt. Frank Man zz ut ti was ma na g i n g owner. The m o t o r s h i p was d e s i g n e d to carry Al go m a Steel's products, and it was about 1972 that the Al g o m a Steel C o r p o r a t i o n took over the ves se l' s o w n er sh ip and re pl ac ed the cr os s e d flags on her funnel wit h the "flaming 'A'". We are pl ea se d that the sale to Purvis will keep Y A N K C A N U C K active on the lakes. Last issue, we m e n t i o n e d re ports to the effect that the package fr ei ght er WOODLAND, (a) FR E N C H RIVER (81), (b) J E N S E N STAR (86), had been sold for of f-l ak es use after lying idle during 1990 at Montreal. The vessel de pa rt ed M on tr e a l on J a n u a r y 22nd, bound for Becancour, and on the 25th sailed for Saint John, New Brunswick. The new owner has been ide nt if ie d as the In t e r n a t i o n a l Cap it al Eq u i p m e nt C o m p a n y of Canada, and a report from Lloyd's i n d i c a t e d that the ship wo uld be renamed (d) WOO DL AN DS (note the 'S') u nd er the Bahamian flag at the end of January. Ano th er report, u n c o n f i r m e d as yet, suggests that the ship is now under the re gi st ry of St. Vincent & Grenadines. With wo r k p r o c e e d i n g well at Fraser Sh ip ya rd s on the co nv e r s i o n of LEON FRASE R to the c e m e n t - c a r r i e r A L P E N A for New Ma na g e m e n t Ent er pr is e Inc., a s ub si d i a r y of Inland Lakes M a n a g e m e n t Inc., there comes word that Fraser has p u r c h a s e d ano th er idle lake steamer for a similar conversion. This time, the ve ss el i n v ol ve d is re por te d to be the 9376-ton, 1927-b uil t L. E. BLOCK which, after her r e t i r e m e n t by the Inland Steel Company, has been owned by a d e v e l o p e r h o pi n g to make use of her as part of a harb our r ed ev e l o p m e n t scheme at Escanaba, Michigan. The ship was re po rte d to have su st ai ne d st ru c t u r a l da mage whilst ser vi ng as a cement storage hull at South Ch ic a g o some years ago. There is no word yet on whet her the BLOCK will re main a steamer or w h e t h e r she may be red uc ed to a barge for the cement trade. Speak in g of the Fraser shipyard, we sh ould m en ti on that it will be that facil it y which, later this year, r e f u rb is he s the lo ng -i dl e s e l f - u n l o a d i n g steamer JO H N J. BOLAND (III) for a r e a c t i v a t i o n later in 1991 by the A me r i c a n S t e a m s h i p Company, of Buffalo. We have r e c e i v e d a report that the E n e r c h e m Tr ans por t Inc. tanker EN ER C H E M AVANCE, (a) AR S E N E SIMARD (78), (b) GASPE TR AN SP OR T (86), rece ntl y has been "fla gged-out" to Bahamas registry. The AVA NCE was in win ter lay-up at M on tr ea l from D e c em be r 28th to J a n ua ry 26th, but then went back into active service.