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It was a huge farce. The four Cliffs boats never moved from layup. Cliffs got them back really quick, before ABS could do something like re-sell them or re-purpose them from contract terms. The idea of the Cliffs Victory carrying shipping containers wasn't going anywhere. Cliffs offered the Cliffs Victory to Toledo for display not to turn the laker into a 3-ring circus and a pie-in-the-sky money making scheme. CCIC was very image conscious.
I'll find my small file on the issue and get back to you next week.

I was just trying to nail down when the actual transfer of these vessels took place as attempting to compile a timeline of their history, one day, in the case of December 31, makes a difference in accuracy. This whole concept really sounded like a pipe dream. If I recall correctly, a old Telescope of mine had a snippet of the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority approving a $9 million in revenue bonds to convert the Cliffs Victory to carry containers, but obviously this never went anywhere either.

There's not a lot of difference between December 31st, 1982 and 1983. So, not sure what is confusing about that. So what specifically do you want to know, I have a file on that that proposal that went to fiasco? The entire idea didn't last long at all.

This may have been asked in a previous post, but I cannot find it in a search. Back in the early 1980s Cleveland Cliffs sold four of their bulk carriers to Craig Maritime and American Bulk Shipping which were to be chartered by Seaway Lines, Inc. to carry containers through the Seaway. Some references (including some by the same publishers/authors) give conflicting dates as to when these transfers took place. Some state December 31, 1982 while others claim 1983. The Cleveland Cliffs account in Greenwood's fleet history series does not even mention these transactions. I was wondering if anyone has any information on this?