1953                                Richard M. Marshall                                   1986

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Bay City MI by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Hull 424
Launched Jan 29, 1953

644’ LOA, 628’10” LBP, 67’ beam, 35’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, oil-fired boilers, steam turbine engine, 5000 SHP

Enrolled at Wilmington DE
629.6 x 67.0 x 30.3, 10606 GT, 8083 NT     US 265808     to:
Great Lakes Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Wilmington DE)

Entered service Aug 5, 1953 clearing Cleveland OH light for Duluth MN

Sold 1957 to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Cleveland OH, Wilson Marine Transit Co., Mgr. and renamed Joseph S. Wood.

Sold 1966 to Ford Motor Co., Dearborn MI and renamed John Dykstra  (1).

Renamed Benson Ford  (2) 1982

Laid up at Dearborn MI Dec 16, 1984 and did not operate again

Renamed US 265808 1985 to free up former name for use on another vessel of the fleet.

Sold for scrap 1986 to Erwin Robinson Co. and towed to Nicholson Dock & Terminal Co., Ecorse MI.  Resold to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON and then to Brazilian shipbreakers.  Cleared Quebec QC Aug 11, 1987 with str T. W. Robinson towed by Polish tug Jantar.  Tow arrived Recife Brazil Sept 22, 1987.

IMO 5175953

See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember III p. 137

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