American Century - A Steel Giant Slips Into the Night

Here is the American Century departing Duluth, Minnesota after 3am on June 26, 2022. She had just picked up low sulfur coal from the Midwest Energy Terminal on the Superior side of the harbor and was scheduled to deliver her load to Michigan power plants at both St. Clair and Monroe. Her departure came just after the Federal Delta arrived (seen in a previous video). The Delta was on her way to occupy the dock that the Century had just vacated. The two ships met in the harbor (out of sight from my position) as they exchanged places.

The American Century departed quietly into the night, choosing not to salute to keep the peace in the neighborhood. (Some well-lubricated visitors across the canal were somewhat less concerned about keeping the peace!) The Century doesn't have a lot of running lights, so she didn't light up the canal very much with her passage. Her hull formed an imposing wall of inky blackness... not clearly visible, but noticeable for the light she blocked out from the opposite side of the canal as she slid out onto Lake Superior.

The 1000-foot American Century was launched under the name Columbia Star in November 1980, making her the twelfth of thirteen 1000-footers built for Great Lakes trade. She originally sailed for Oglebay Norton. In June 2006, she was sold to American Steamship Company and obtained her current name at that time. She is powered with four V-20 cylinder 3,560 horsepower G.M. diesel engines and has a cargo capacity of 78,850 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 34 feet. Cargo is stored in seven holds that are accessed by 34 hatches on deck. Her 260-foot self-unloading boom can discharge up to 10,000 tons per hour.

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