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This MCP Boat Blog is presented by Manistee Harbor Tours, operator of the Princess of Manistee, and the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, www.masoncountymihistory.org.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The chemical tanker Prime returned to the Port of Ludington Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, and has been loading calcium chloride at the OxyChem terminal on Pere Marquette Lake.
Prime’s latest visit comes just days after an extended stay in Ludington. The vessel previously arrived Aug. 17 and remained docked at the OxyChem facility until departing Aug. 29.
Mason County Press has been informed that Prime may depart Ludington at about 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4. However, that departure time has not been confirmed.
The tug Sarah Andrie assists Prime with its movements through the Ludington harbor channel and during docking operations. Typically, when Prime is expected to remain at the OxyChem dock for an extended period, Sarah Andrie returns to its home port of Muskegon. However, the Sarah Andrie has remained docked in Ludington, indicating the Prime’s visit may be shorter than before.
Prime has made several trips to Ludington during the 2026 shipping season as part of OxyChem’s marine transportation operations. The vessel took over service previously handled for many years by the OxyChem-owned tug Spartan and barge Spartan II.
The 459-foot Prime was built in 2004 and is registered in Norway. The tanker is being used to transport OxyChem products from Ludington to Canadian customers.
Sarah Andrie is owned and operated by Andrie Inc. of Muskegon. The 106-foot tug was built in 1970 and is powered by engines producing approximately 3,800 horsepower.
Also docked near the OxyChem terminal Thursday was the barge Robert F. Deegan, which transports calcium chloride for OxyChem to destinations around the Great Lakes. The barge is typically paired with the tug Candace Elise, which is presently docked at the former Grand Trunk ferry dock on Muskegon Lake in Muskegon.
The 225-foot-long, 60-foot-wide Robert F. Deegan was built in 1968 by Wyatt Industries in Houston, Texas. The double-hulled tank barge is owned by USS Great Lakes LLC and is operated by Ashton Marine. It is designed to carry liquid chemical and petroleum products.
Candace Elise is owned and operated by Ashton Marine Co. of North Muskegon. The 100-foot-long, 32-foot-wide tug was built in 1981 by Modern Marine Power Inc. in Houma, Louisiana. It is powered by two Caterpillar diesel engines producing a combined 2,600 horsepower.
The tug has operated under several names during its career before being acquired by Ashton Marine and renamed Candace Elise in 2015. A new upper pilothouse was installed in 2023. The tug is regularly paired with Robert F. Deegan for the calcium chloride trade out of Ludington and also performs towing work elsewhere on the Great Lakes.
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