Tim S. Dool - See the Oldest "Straight-Decker" Still in Service

Here is the Tim S. Dool departing Duluth, Minnesota in the morning hours of June 27, 2024. She had just completed loading taconite pellets at the Canadian National dock in West Duluth. We see her at the beginning of the video shortly after leaving the dock and making her way under the John A. Blatnik bridge at Rice's Point. We then catch up with her again at Canal Park, watching her making the turn for Lake Superior and passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge. Her eventual destination would be Hamilton, Ontario. Despite the captain telling the bridge operator they would be back in a couple of weeks, a return visit has still not occurred for the Dool.
The Dool is the oldest "straight-decker" still in service on the Great Lakes. While that term generally is applied to classic style lake carriers with the pilot house in the front and no self-unloading equipment, it can also be applied to any lake carrier with no self-unloading equipment to clutter up the cargo deck. Indeed, the Dool is a bit of a hybrid... old enough to be built without self-unloading equipment, but also the second lake carrier to be built with her pilot house and all accommodations at the aft end of the vessel. (Her previous fleet mate Silver Isle was the first laker with that design.) Of course, there are several vessels in the American fleets that were originally straight-deckers, but all of them still in service have been converted to self-unloaders. (If the Edward L. Ryerson ever returns to service in her current configuration, she will be the older true straight-decker in service.)
The Dool is a rare visitor to the Twin Ports. We might see her once or twice on a given year, but some years will pass with no visits at all. She is more commonly seen making the trip to Thunder Bay to load grain. She is currently the oldest vessel still in service with the Algoma Central fleet, as her fleet mate John D. Leitch (launched the same year as the Dool) is apparently now retired. Unfortunately, as Algoma continues to modernize their fleet with Equinox Class vessels, the Dool may meet the scrapper's torch before too long. When that does happen, I will be sad to see her go. Her lines are much more elegant, with her pointed hull looking more like a giant canoe... especially in comparison to the blunt-nosed modern freighters currently in fashion today. Now is definitely the time to catch these older ships while some are still in service. Time is rapidly running out to see them!
The 730-foot Tim S. Dool was launched in October 1967 at the Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, originally sailing under the name Senneville for the Mohawk Transportation Company. She was acquired in 1994 by Algoma Central, at which time she received the name Algoville. In 2008 she received her current name, given in honor upon the retirement of Algoma Central's president and CEO Tim S. Dool. She was originally 75 feet in width, but was widened a further three feet in 1996 to take advantage of the wider seaway passage. Her cargo capacity is 31,054 tons. As a "gearless" bulk carrier, she does not have any self-unloading equipment on board, relying instead of shore-based unloading equipment. She is currently powered by a medium speed MaK model 8M43C inline 8-cylinder 10,730 b.h.p. diesel engine built in 2007 by MaK, Rostock, Germany. She also has a 1,000 horsepower bow thruster to aid her maneuverability in port.
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