The Prime makes its turn toward dock on Pere Marquette Lake during its April 26, 2026 visit.
This Great Lakes Boat Blog is presented by Hankwitz Heating & Cooling, 609 S. Washington Ave., Ludington; 231-843-2809.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The MV Prime is expected to make its second visit to the Port of Ludington Monday afternoon, where it will dock at the OxyChem Ludington plant along Pere Marquette Lake to pick up another load of calcium chloride.
The presence of the Prime this season appears to be the result of the OxyChem-owned barge Spartan II being laid up in Sturgeon Bay.
The barge is typically paired with the tug Spartan, also owned by OxyChem and operated by Andrie Inc. of Muskegon.
In the fall of 2025, the barge was brought to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. A recent inspection report identified significant structural damage and corrosion on the vessel, including a fracture in the hull and widespread deterioration of steel plating.
The Spartan II barge, left, sits in drydock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. last October. To its right is the Pere Marquette 41 barge.
According to findings from the American Bureau of Shipping, inspectors documented excessive corrosion across multiple areas of the vessel, including exposed sections of the main deck and trunk deck, as well as along both the port and starboard sides of the hull.
More serious damage was identified during a special survey.
Inspectors reported a fracture in the starboard side shell at frame 52, located in the turn of the bilge — a critical structural area where the bottom of the hull curves into the side. Ships are built with numbered transverse frames, similar to ribs, which pinpoint locations longitudinally along the hull.
Additional hull damage included multiple gouged plates on the port side between frames 2 and 5, damage near frame 14 in an area previously repaired, and a dent in the starboard turn of the bilge at frame 32.
The ATB Spartan/Spartan II enters Ludington harbor on June 1, 2025.
The findings remain listed as outstanding, with recommended repairs due by Dec. 29, 2025. The report does not indicate whether the repairs have been completed. However, the tug Spartan is shown on the MarineTraffic app as being moored at the Sturgeon Bay Channel.
The Spartan II barge was built by Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1980. It was called the Hannah 6301 until 2010. It is 407 feet long with a breadth of 60 feet and a depth of 21 feet. It is a double-hulled liquid barge with a full capacity of 10,000 short tons and typically hauls calcium chloride from the Ludington OxyChem plant. It is equipped with three diesel pumps for offloading liquid cargo.
The Spartan tug was built by Burton Shipyard in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1969. It was originally called Lead Horse until 1973, when its name was changed to Gulf Challenger. In 1980, it was rechristened Challenger. From 1993 to 2010, it was called Mark Hannah.
The Spartan is 121 feet long with a width of 31 feet and a depth of 10 feet. It operates on twin screws with 3,200 horsepower.
Both the tug and barge were purchased by Occidental Chemical in 2009, and their names were changed in 2010.
The oil and chemical tanker Prime measures approximately 459 feet in length and 69 feet in width. It has a gross tonnage of 9,910 and a deadweight capacity of about 16,260 short tons.
It was the first ship to visit Ludington harbor this shipping season, arriving April 26, and was assisted in port by the tug Sarah Andrie of Muskegon.
Top-down view of Spartan/Spartan II in Pere Marquette Lake.
The vessel is powered by an engine rated at approximately 11,330 horsepower and is designed to transport refined petroleum products and liquid chemicals. It sails under the Norwegian International Ship Register.
The vessel was built in 2004 at the Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo shipyard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. It was originally constructed for Finnish operator Neste Shipping Oy and entered service under the name Kiisla. It later sailed as CM Prime before taking its current name.
Ownership of the vessel is listed under MES Trade Invest AG, with management handled by OSM Ship Management AS.
Historically, Prime has operated primarily in Northern European waters, including ports in the Baltic and North Sea regions such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, serving as a regional carrier of refined petroleum products and chemicals. Its presence on the Great Lakes appears to be a more recent development.
Prime and Sarah Andrie
The tanker entered the Great Lakes earlier this month via the St. Lawrence Seaway after departing Rotterdam and making a stop in Montreal. Prior to arriving in Ludington, it called at Port Colborne, Ontario.
After leaving Ludington last week, Prime traveled to Loyalist Cove, near Bath, Ontario, about 20 miles west of Kingston. It likely delivered product to INVISTA Canada in Millhaven, which produces calcium chloride.
Prime is scheduled to arrive in port at 4 p.m. Monday. The Sarah Andrie is expected to arrive at 9 a.m. Monday. Prime will likely make several visits to Ludington this season.
Special thanks to Brian Ferguson for assistance with this article.
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