Freighter Sam Laud makes early morning stop in Ludington

Sam Laud makes its way into the Ludington channel with the Badger and Spartan in the background.

This MCP Shipping Report is presented by Great Lakes Boat Blog by Rob Alway. Please consider subscribing to www.greatlakesboatblog.com for an exclusive page about the story of the maritime industry past and present. 

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

LUDINGTON — The MV Sam Laud arrived in Ludington about 4 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, to unload a portion of its cargo of stone aggregate at Rieth-Riley Construction’s Great Lakes Materials terminal on Pere Marquette Lake.

The 634-foot Great Lakes freighter had loaded at the Drummond Island Quarry in northern Lake Huron. After lightering its cargo in Ludington, the vessel departed about 8:30 a.m., bound for St. Joseph, where it was scheduled to deliver the remainder of its load.

The Drummond Island quarry, located in Chippewa County in the eastern Upper Peninsula, is operated by Carmeuse Lime & Stone. The quarry produces dolomitic limestone, which is shipped by Great Lakes freighters for use in construction, steel production, agriculture and other industries.

The Sam Laud is a diesel-powered, self-unloading bulk carrier built in 1975 by Bay Shipbuilding Co. in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The vessel was launched Nov. 19, 1974, and entered service April 29, 1975, making its maiden voyage to Escanaba to load iron ore for Indiana Harbor, Ind.

The ship was constructed for American Steamship Co. of Buffalo, N.Y., at a cost of approximately $13.3 million. It was the fourth of 10 self-unloading freighters built for the company during a major fleet modernization program in the 1970s.

At a time when Great Lakes shipping companies were constructing increasingly large vessels, including 1,000-foot freighters, the Sam Laud was designed as a more versatile carrier capable of navigating smaller harbors and restricted waterways. It was among a group of vessels built to serve ports that larger freighters could not easily access.

The Sam Laud measures 634 feet, 10 inches in overall length, with a beam of 68 feet and a hull depth of 40 feet. It has a cargo capacity of approximately 24,300 tons and is equipped with a 250-foot self-unloading conveyor boom. The system allows the vessel to discharge cargo directly onto shore without requiring dockside cranes or other unloading equipment.

It is powered by two General Motors Electro-Motive diesel engines producing a combined 7,200 horsepower. It is also equipped with bow and stern thrusters to assist with maneuvering in confined waterways.

The Sam Laud was named in honor of Samuel Laud, a former president and chairman of the board of GATX Corporation, which acquired American Steamship Co. in 1973. Laud began his career with GATX in 1916 as a shop painter and riveter, eventually becoming president in 1945 and chairman in 1956. He died in 1963. His widow, Edna Laud, christened the vessel on April 15, 1975.

The ship’s early history included a grounding near Sturgeon Bay on June 28, 1975, while carrying coal from Chicago to Green Bay. Approximately 6,000 tons of coal were transferred to the freighter Nicolet before the Sam Laud was freed. The vessel underwent extensive repairs at Bay Shipbuilding before returning to service that August.

Throughout its career, the Sam Laud has carried iron ore pellets, coal, limestone, gypsum and other bulk commodities to ports throughout the Great Lakes. The vessel has retained its original name since entering service more than 50 years ago.

The Sam Laud is owned and operated by Grand River Navigation Co. of Traverse City, part of Mainstay Maritime of Williamsville, N.Y. Mainstay was previously known as Rand Logistics Inc. and also owns American Steamship Co.

Sunday’s visit was not the vessel’s first Ludington stop this year. On June 12, the Sam Laud delivered aggregate, also to Great Lakes Materials.

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