MV American Courage

MV American Courage is a diesel-powered lake freighter owned and operated by Grand River Navigation. This vessel was built in 1979 at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and included self-unloading technology.

American Courage
History
Name	American Courage
Builder	Bay Shipbuilding Company[1]
Yard number	722[1][2]
Launched	16 November 1978 [3]
Identification	Call sign: WDD2879 IMO number: 7634226
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Lake freighter
Tonnage	11,688 GT[1] 8,105 NT[1]
Length	634 ft 10 in (193 m) (overall)[4] 615 ft (187 m)[1]
Beam	68.1 ft (20.8 m)[1]
Draft	27 ft 11.875 in (8.53123 m) (midsummer draft)[4] 38 ft (12 m) (hull depth)[1]
Propulsion	two 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) diesel engines, 7,000 shp (5,200 kW)[4]

The ship is 635 feet (194 m) long and 68 feet (21 m) wide, with a carrying capacity of 24,300 gross tonnage (GT) at midsummer draft. The vessel carries a variety of cargoes including limestone, coal or iron ore.^[4]

History

The ship was built for Oglebay Norton Corporation in 1979 and named Fred R. White, Jr. for the company's former vice president and director. As Fred R. White, Jr., the vessel made its first voyage in May 1979 to on-load iron ore at Escanaba, Michigan. American Steamship Company acquired American Courage in 2006.^[4] On December 17, 2015 the end of the shipping season, American Courage was put into long term layup. The vessel re-entered service on April 12, 2019. On November 7, 2023, the ship ran aground on the St. Clair River.^[5] She was refloated later that same day. ^[6]