Farr, Merton E.

1920                                  Merton E. Farr                                  1970

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Wyandotte MI by Detroit Shipbuilding Co., Hull 287
Launched Sept 11, 1920
Built on speculation for the account of American Ship Building Co., parent company of Detroit Shipbuilding Co., from surplus materials left over after the World War I shipbuilding program ended and to provide continuing employment for the employees of the shipyard.
Sold July 28, 1920 (while still under construction) to operator below.

600’ LOA, 580’ LBP, 60’ beam, 32’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 2300 IHP

Enrolled at Detroit MI Nov 5, 1920 (Temp #9)
587.1 x 60.0 x 27.8, 8349 GT, 6387 NT     US 220683     to:
Zenith Steamship Co., Duluth MN, G. A. Tomlinson, Mgr. (home port Duluth MN)

Entered service 1920

Transferred 1928 to Consolidated Steamship Co. (home port to Cleveland OH)

Home port to Wilmington DE 1932

Tomlinson fleets merged 1954 into Tomlinson Fleet Corporation, Cleveland OH

Laid up 1963 and 1964 seasons at Buffalo NY

Chartered for 1965 season to Gartland Steamship Co., Chicago IL

Sold 1965 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON

Resold 1966 to Scott Misener Steamships Ltd., Port Colborne ON (home port to Port Colborne ON) and renamed Nixon Berry.
Boilers converted to oil firing
Enrolled Canadian at 587.1 x 60.1 x 28.2, 9474 GT, 6965 NT     Can 194835

Laid up at the end of the 1967 season at Port McNicoll ON and did not operate again

Sold for scrap 1970 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON.  Resold to Italian shipbreakers.  Cleared Quebec QC May 30, 1970 with str. Portadoc towed by German tug Rotesand.  Tow arrived at Vado Italy July 1, 1970

IMO 5233212

 

2003

3 thoughts on “Farr, Merton E.

  1. I and a freiend of mine were hired as a deckhands on the Merton E. Farr Steamship for two month’s of our summer vacation in 1944. We were 16 years old’. We made six or seven trips from Lacawawana N.Y. to Duluth Min. with powered coal from Pensilvania. We unloaded in Duluth. we loaded iron ore and went back to Lacawana,with a 10 min.stop in Detroit for the Bum-boat.

  2. My dad sailed on the Merton E. Farr in the early 60s. Captain Japinen I believe. Anyone remember being on there with Bernie Mika? He would love to hear from you.

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