1905                                  George W. Perkins                                  1981

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Superior WI by Superior Shipbuilding Co., Hull 512
Launched June 26, 1905
With Elbert H. Gary, William E. Corey and Henry C. Frick longest vessel on the Great Lakes (until J. Pierpont Morgan and Henry H. Rogers of 1906 — superseded Augustus B. Wolvin of 1904)

569’ LOA, 549’ LBP, 56’ beam, 31’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1800 IHP

Enrolled at Marquette MI July 3, 1905 (#1)
558.2 x 56.0 x 26.5, 6406 GT, 4922 NT     US 202166     to:
Superior Shipbuilding Co.

Reenrolled at Duluth MN July 8, 1905 (#2) to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, Harry Coulby, Mgr. (home port Duluth MN)

Entered service July 1905

Rebuilt 1943 at Conneaut OH.  Hatches to 24’ centers with hatch crane.
Remeasured to 556.2 x 56.2 x 26.5, 6553 GT, 5452 NT

Fleet reincorporated 1949 in Delaware (home port to Wilmington DE)

Fleet merged  July 1951 into parent United States Steel Corporation (home port to New York NY)

Sold 1964 to Redwood Enterprises Ltd., Hamilton ON, Westdale Shipping Ltd., Mgr. (home port to Hamilton Bermuda) and renamed Westdale  (2)
Enrolled British at 556.8 x 56.2 x 26.3, 7584 GT, 5440 NT     Br 317133

Enrollment transferred to Canada 1966     Can 317133     (home port to Hamilton ON)

Transferred 1969 to International Cruising Co.

Transferred 1971 to Reoch Transports Ltd.

Boilers converted to oil firing 1973

Transferred 1976 to Dale Transports Ltd.

Sold 1977 to Pierson Steamships Ltd. (the Soo River Co.), Mississauga ON, Westdale Shipping Ltd., Mgr. and renamed H. C. Heimbecker.

Suffered cracked boiler late Oct 1981 downbound with grain for Owen Sound ON.  Continued voyage, unloaded cargo at Owen Sound and cleared Oct 29 for Ashtabula OH (stopping at Goderich ON to send ashore the body of a crew member who died aboard ship).  Traded to Triad Salvage Co., Ashtabula for str. Maxine, which they had just acquired at auction.  Scrapped at Ashtabula.

IMO 5129136

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Dec 1981 (#222)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember II p. 263

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