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The MCP Boat Blog is presented by the Mason County Historical Society and its Port of Ludington Maritime Museum.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The 630-foot MV Manitowoc arrived at the Port of Ludington about noon Monday, Oct. 12, making its second visit to the port during the 2026 Great Lakes shipping season.
The self-unloading freighter proceeded to the Great Lakes Materials terminal, operated by Rieth-Riley Construction on Pere Marquette Lake, where it delivers construction aggregate used for road building and other projects.
The Manitowoc last visited Ludington on May 16, when it also delivered a load of road aggregate to Great Lakes Materials.
In previous shipping seasons, the Manitowoc has made more frequent visits to Ludington. However, this year the vessel has spent much of its time operating on Lake Huron and Lake Erie.
The Manitowoc is a River Class bulk carrier measuring 630 feet long and 70 feet wide, with a depth of 37 feet. The vessel is equipped with a 260-foot unloading boom capable of discharging cargo at a rate of up to 5,000 tons per hour.
Built in 1973 by American Shipbuilding Co. in Lorain, Ohio, the vessel was originally named the Paul Thayer. It was renamed the Earl W. Oglebay in 1995 and the Earl W. in 2007.
The vessel received its current name in 2008 when it was acquired by Grand River Navigation Co., now part of Mainstay Maritime, based in Williamsville, N.Y.
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