(1944) 1961                             Northern Venture                          1999 (20                                  

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Portland OR by Kaiser Co. Inc., Hull 80
Launched July 15, 1944
Built as Class T2-SE-A1 tanker Verendrye for U. S. Maritime Commission during World War II.  Registered at 504.0 x 68.2 x 39.2, 10448 GT, 6301 NT, US 246224.  523’6” LOA, 503’ LBP, 68’2” beam, 39’2” depth.  Sold 1946 to Edenfield Tankers Ltd., Newcastle England and renamed Edenfield (Br 169218).  Sold 1960 to owners below. 

Converted to Great Lakes bulk freighter at Hamburg Germany by Schlieker-Werft with the addition of a new forward section forward of the machinery spaces.  Renamed Northern Venture 1961 and sailed to St. Catharines ON, where she was prepared for lake service by Port Weller Dry Docks Ltd..

730’ LOA, 712’5” LBP, 75’ beam, 39’3” depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, oil-fired boilers, steam turbine engine, 6000 SHP

Enrolled at
713.5 x 75.3 x 34.5, 16628 GT, 12964 NT     Can 169218     to:
Northern Shipping (Bahamas), Toronto ON, Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Mgr. (home port to Toronto ON)

Entered Great Lakes service July 15, 1961.  Up Welland Canal July 15, 1961.

Transferred 1975 to Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. 

Rebuilt 1983 at St. Catharines ON by Port Weller Dry Docks combining the forward section of this vessel, minus her forward cabins, and the stern section of the ocean package freighter M.V. Cabot (Can 323003).  After section of Northern Venture and forward section of Cabot scrapped at Port Maitland ON.

Renamed Canadian Explorer 1984 (Can 323003), the Official Number of the former vessel with the surviving power plant).

Remeasured to 714’ and 16353 GT, 13487 NT

Reentered service Nov 2, 1983.

Management transferred 1990 to Seaway Bulk Carriers, St. Catharines ON, a vessel operation and management joint venture of Algoma Central Railway and ULS Corporation to operate their straight deck vessels, ULS Corporation, Mgr.

Rebuilt 1998 at St. Catharines ON by Port Weller Dry Docks combining the stern section of this vessel with the forward section and self-unloading equipment of the str. Hamilton Transfer.  Stern section of Hamilton Transfer scrapped. Forward section including cargo spaces sold 1999 to Les Elevateurs des Trois Rivieres, Trois Rivieres QC for use as a grain storage barge at Trois Rivieres and left the Great Lakes.

Transferred 2002 to Services Maritimes Laviolette and renamed Barge Laviolette (Can 815366).

(See my vessel history for J. H. Hillman Jr. – my index 4314 – for information on the subsequent history of this vessel as Canadian Transfer.)

IMO 5257567 as Northern Venture
     6514869 as Canadian Explorer

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