Dirk S. VanEnkevort & Michigan Trader is First Vessel to Transit Soo Locks for 2026 Season
By GLSR Staff |
The Michigan Trader is the first vessel to transit the Soo Locks to open the 2026 navigation season. Together with tug Dirk S. VanEnkevort, the pair represents the most modern ice-capable ATB fleet operating on the Great Lakes.
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, built the Michigan Trader in 2020. The barge is 740 feet long and 75 feet wide. She made her maiden voyage with the Dirk S. VanEnkevort on November 20, 2020.
The Dirk S. VanEnkevort was originally named the Joseph H. Thompson Jr. The tug was built in 1990 before undergoing a refit at Donjon Shipbuilding in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2020. The Michigan Trader and Dirk S. VanEnkevort are operated by VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc.
The Poe Lock officially opened to marine traffic on March 24.
Feature photo: Michigan Trader in 2024
St. Lawrence Seaway Cargo Traffic Rises 3.5% Through September
Cargo traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway increased 3.5% year over year through September 2026, reaching 24.941 million metric tons, according to year-to-date figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management... Read More
Stelco Layoffs to Affect 350 Workers at Hamilton Works
Stelco is expected to idle its cold-rolled and coated finishing operations at Hamilton Works beginning Oct. 9, resulting in layoffs affecting about 350 unionized workers in Hamilton and up to 500... Read More