Sewell Avery

[Guest]

I have seen photographs of the Sewell Avery in place as a dock at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario with its forward cabins intact and in place. The book Great Lakes Shipping Log 1980-89 indicates that the proposed removal of the forward cabins for preservation at the Lake Superior University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan failed due to cost concerns.

[William Lafferty]

Sewell Avery left Superior 3 May 1987 in tow of Avenger IV, arriving at McLean's facility west of the Algoma Steel plant the next day assisted by Dakota. On 26 June 1987 approximately 30000 tons of slag from the Algoma plant began being poured into its hull. The vessel's superstructure was intermittently cut down afterwards. The pilothouse was supposed to be donated to Lake Superior State College but I think that was never consummated. I don't know for certain if engine and boilers were removed, but I would think given pollution standards then it would have been cheaper to remove the power plant rather than mediating it before sinking, plus the scrap value. The first vessel to use the dock was Nanticoke, 14 September 1987. Here is the vessel after its arrival at the Canadian Soo.

[Guest]

Was the Sewell Avery stripped of all engine room machinery prior to or after being sunk as a dock face? How much of the interior of the vessel had to be filled to sink it for its current use? Were ballast tanks filled with dirt/cement? Just fascinated by the old vessels around the lakes being used as breakwalls and docks.