Nickelena delivers barge from shipyard to Ludington

Nickelena departs Ludington Sunday afternoon.

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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

LUDINGTON — The tug Nickelena delivered the tank barge Robert F. Deegan to the OxyChem dock on Pere Marquette Lake Sunday afternoon, Nov. 1, just one day after helping return the historic USS Silversides submarine to Muskegon following a major restoration project in Wisconsin.

The Robert F. Deegan had been at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., where it underwent its five-year U.S. Coast Guard inspection, which including dry-docking. The barge appeared to have received a fresh coat of paint during its time at the shipyard, although the full extent of the work performed has not been confirmed.

Records from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) show that the barge’s classification and international load line certificates were renewed Friday, Oct. 30.

Both certificates are valid through Aug. 20, 2031, with the barge’s next scheduled drydocking survey also due in August 2031.

The Robert F. Deegan is a frequent visitor to Ludington, transporting calcium chloride produced at the OxyChem plant on Pere Marquette Lake to customers throughout the Great Lakes region.

Built in 1968 by Wyatt Industries in Houston, Texas, the barge is owned by USS Great Lakes LLC of New York and operated by Ashton Marine Co. of North Muskegon. The barge is 60 feet wide and has a registered gross tonnage of 2,424.

According to ABS, the vessel is classified as an acid tank barge with unrestricted service. Its cargo tanks are reinforced for high-density cargoes.

The Robert F. Deegan is normally paired with the tug Candace Elise, a 100-foot vessel owned and operated by Ashton Marine.

Nickelena with the barge Robert F. Deegan

A former Navy tug

The Nickelena, operated by Basic Towing, Inc. of Escanaba, was built in 1973 by Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wis. The 109-foot tug began its career with the United States Navy as Chetek (YTB-827), a Natick-class harbor tug.

The tug was placed in service Dec. 8, 1973, and assigned to the Navy’s 5th Naval District at Norfolk, Va.

Following its naval service, the tug was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1996. It was subsequently renamed Koziol in 2000 and later served the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation before being acquired by Basic Marine of Escanaba and renamed Nickelena.

The tug is powered by a single 2,000-horsepower Fairbanks Morse diesel engine. In 2010, it was modified with an elevated pilothouse, providing improved visibility for towing and barge operations.

Second cross-lake delivery in a weekend

Sunday’s arrival marked the Nickelena’s second delivery across Lake Michigan from Sturgeon Bay to a Michigan port in three days.

On Friday, Oct. 30, the Nickelena and its companion tug Erika Kobasic departed Sturgeon Bay towing the USS Silversides (SS-236), a World War II submarine that had spent more than three months undergoing a $3.5 million preservation project at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.

The submarine arrived back in Muskegon Saturday morning, Oct. 31, completing its first journey away from its longtime museum berth since 2001.

Silversides had been at the Wisconsin shipyard since July for extensive hull preservation and structural repairs. The project included replacing deteriorated steel, cleaning ballast tanks and applying protective coatings intended to preserve the submarine for another 15 to 20 years.

The Nickelena has an unusual mechanical connection to the submarine. Its Fairbanks Morse diesel engine was produced by the same manufacturer that supplied the engines powering Silversides during its operating career.

The two tugboats also have military histories. While Nickelena served the Navy, Erika Kobasic was built in 1939 and originally served as a United States Coast Guard cutter during World War II.

Silversides, commissioned in December 1941, completed 14 war patrols in the Pacific and was credited with sinking 23 Japanese vessels during the war. It has been a museum ship in Muskegon since 1987.

After delivering the Robert F. Deegan to the OxyChem dock Sunday afternoon, the Nickelena departed Ludington Harbor a short time later, returning to Sturgeon Bay and concluding another cross-lake towing assignment.
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