James R. Barker (1976 ship)

MV James R. Barker is an American bulk carrier that operates on the upper four North American Great Lakes.[1] Built in 1976 by the American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio, the ship is 1,004 feet (306 m) long, 50 feet (15 m) high and 105 feet (32 m) wide. Like the MV Mesabi Miner, a ship of the same design, it is owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Company[2] and was named for Interlake’s Chairman of the Board, James R. Barker.[3]

MV James R. Barker travels through ice, on the St. Marys River, March 26, 2013.
History
Name	MV James R. Barker
Owner	Interlake Steamship Company
Operator	Interlake Steamship Company
Port of registry	Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Builder	American Ship Building Company
Yard number	905
Laid down	14 October 1974
Launched	29 May 1976
Christened	7 August 1976
Identification	Call sign: WYP8657 IMO number: 7390260 7390260 MMSI number: 366905890
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Lake freighter
Tonnage	14,497 net register tonnage 36,360 GT
Length	1,004 ft (306 m)
Beam	105 ft (32 m)
Depth	50 ft (15 m)
Installed power	2 × MaK 6M43C four-stroke diesel engines, 8,160 HP (6 MW) each at 514 RPM
Propulsion	2 × 5.33 m (17.5 ft) controllable-pitch propeller Bow thruster: 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
Speed	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Capacity	Iron ore: 59,000 long tons (60,000 t) Coal: 63,300 long tons (64,300 t)

The MV James R. Barker is the third vessel of that size to be built. There are fourteen vessels that are restricted to the upper lakes because they are too large to travel through the Welland Canal that connects Lake Erie to the lowest lake, Lake Ontario.

In spite of their size, these two vessels are able to maneuver in harbor without requiring assistance from tugboats.[4]