1949 Hochelaga 1993
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Collingwood ON by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Hull 144
Launched Aug 4, 1949
First new bulk freighter to be built for Great Lakes service after World War II
639’6” LOA, 623’ LBP, 67’ beam, 35’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, Skinner Unaflow engine, 3600 IHP
Enrolled at Montreal QC
623.2 x 67.2 x 30.4, 11997 GT, 8268 NT Can 190479 to:
Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal QC (home port Montreal QC)
Entered service Oct 27, 1949
Converted to self-unloader and boilers converted to oil firing 1964 at Port Arthur ON by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co.
Remeasured to 12616 GT, 8718 NT
Lost her self-unloading boom on April 22, 1980 in a wind storm while unloading stone at Windsor ON. Sailed for the rest of her season as a straight deck grain carrier. New boom installed winter 1980-1981 at Thunder Bay ON by Port Arthur Shipyard.
Laid up Dec 21, 1981 at Cardinal ON and did not operate again. Towed 1982 to Kingston ON and 1987 to Toronto ON. In the later years of her layup her equipment was gradually removed for installation on other vessels.
Sold for scrap 1993 to Colombian shipbreakers. Towed Oct 1993 to Cartagena Colombia by Panamanian tug Pamar Salvor.
IMO 5151907
4901
Thanks for this data. Just came across a photo of the 1949 launching, attended by my dad, who had worked at Collingwood shipyards as a boy in the 1920’s.
I remember seeing her at the grain elevator in Kingston across from Lake Ontario Park in 1981.
Why don’t you try asking your question on boatnerd.com? Might be someone out there who is willing to provide something.
Its not a question. Its a comment. Read it again.
My apologies, sir.
I was responding to another reply and sent it to you instead by mistake.
Thanks for the correction. Without it the person who really asked it would never have received my answer.
I saw it launched when I was 6 years old. My uncle had worked in the shipyard that built it.
I worked on the Hochelaga just after she lost her Boom in 1980 , we layed up in Thunder Bay at the end of the season and a new Boom installed over the winter, i finished working on her until her last year of her sailing , layup in Cardinal Ontario, i love that ship
Was in a collision with the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1970. I remember my father going to court in Detroit cause he worked on the Hoch at the time. Wish I had asked him more questions about that but I was pretty young at that time. And who knew at the time that the Fitz would become a part of great lakes history.