Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Go to the fleet galleries section and there is a write-up history on each cement vessel that you have listed. This will also tell you if they were originally cement boats or something else at one time. Hope this helps.

Yup...it seems the cement business has saved any number of old boats from the scrapper. Besides the Challenger (till now) and Alpena there are the Iglehart, the Townsend, the J B Ford, and the C.T.C. No 1. Plus I think the Crapo is still floating around somewhere up in Green Bay. Maybe some of these were cement boats from the beginning. I don't remember.

I agree that it is bitter sweet to see the Alpena doing the work of the St. Marys Challenger. However, I would rather see the Alpena doing any type of work compared to where she could be at today! At least she is out still sailing whereas the Challenger is now being converted to a barge. Also, it could be worse as the Alpena could be either laid-up or in a scrapyard if they didn't have work for her!

Bittersweet to hear of the Alpena doing the Challenger's work.

Here is the photo with the tables turned. By Lou Gerard this past August. The Challenger in the Calumet River. At LaFarge. Filling in for Alpena:

http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbs ... C-0462.jpg

That's correct. These loads would normally be hauled by the Challenger if she wasn't being chopped up.

alpena is currently loading in Charlevoix. I find this to be interesting. is she on charter? knowing the challenger is now done for the season, I would have to think st marys/port city needs an extra hull to carry any of the loads the conquest wouldn't be able to make?