IMMEDIATE RELEASE             October 17, 2002

Duluth, Minn., U.S.A.— Two ships registered in Mediterranean Island nations but named for Lake Superior will meet within the next few days---on Lake Superior.

The Cypriot-flag Lake Superior arrived in the Port of Duluth-Superior at about 8:30 p.m. yesterday (Oct. 16) while the Maltese-flag Lake Superior is due Sunday (Oct. 20). The Duluth Seaway Port Authority said both are scheduled to load grain for Europe.

Based on records kept by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, Duluth, these are the first two commercial ships named “Lake Superior,” but 32 commercial vessels since 1818 have been named “Superior.” There is, however, a Corps of Engineers Tug Lake Superior stationed in Duluth-Superior.

The Lake Superior registered in Cyprus is at Superior’s Cenex-Harvest States grain facility for about 20,000 metric tons of soybeans and flax destined for Europe. It is scheduled to depart at about 8 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 18).
Operated by Olaf Brodin, Sweden, this Lake Superior traveled from Chiba, Japan, to Hamilton, Ont., with steel product before arriving here. Built in 1982 at an English shipyard, the vessel was christened the Broompark, became the Millenium Raptor in 1999, was renamed Cardinal earlier this year and then in June became the Lake Superior. Local agent for the vessel is Duluth’s Guthrie-Hubner, Inc.

The first commercial ship to be named Lake Superior is due Sunday (Oct. 20) at Duluth’s AGP Grain Limited for about 25,000 metric tons of spring wheat for Rotterdam. The Marshall Island-flag vessel traveled from Bremen, Germany, to Detroit where it will discharge steel product prior to traveling here.

Fednav International Ltd., Montreal, owned the ship (then known as the Federal Thames) until 1995, when Bay Ocean Management Co., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., bought the vessel and renamed it in honor of the world’s largest freshwater lake. Fednav continues to operate the vessel on a charter arrangement. Local agent for the vessel is Duluth’s Fedmar International.

Under any name, each of the Lake Superiors have been frequent Lake Superior callers.
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