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MV Benson Ford was a lake freighter built for hauling raw material to Ford Motor Company's River Rouge manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Michigan. She was named for Benson Ford Sr., grandson of the late Henry Ford.
 MV Benson Ford in the Duluth Ship Canal in July 1978
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Owner | Ford Motor Company/Rouge Steel Company (1924–1981)
Frank J. Sullivan Jr (1982-1999) Bryan Kasper (1999-Present) |
| Operator | Ford Motor Company |
| Port of registry |  Detroit, Michigan |
| Builder | Great Lakes Engineering Works |
| Laid down | as Benson Ford |
| Christened | 1924 April 26 |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Maiden voyage | 1924 August 2 |
| Out of service | December 1981 |
| Renamed | MV John Dykstra II, later MV Frank J. Sullivan |
| Identification | USCG ID: 223909 *IMO number: 5041554 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1986 by Marine Salvage Ltd. in Port Colborne, Ontario |
| Notes | The forward cabin and pilothouse of MV Benson Ford was converted into a private island residence in 1986 which is now located on a cliff on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 612 ft (187 m) |
| Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Depth | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Propulsion | 1x Sun-Doxford 4 cylinder opposed piston diesel engine |
| Speed | 12.7 miles per hour (11.0 kn) |
| Capacity | 15,000 tons |
History
editDesign and construction
editMV Benson Ford was constructed in 1924 at Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan, for the Ford Motor Company,[1] as one of two “state-of-the-art” bulk carriers[2] that were ordered by Henry Ford to transport raw materials such as coal and iron ore, the sister ship was MV Henry Ford II, which was built by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio.[1] Rather than being powered by coal fired steam propulsion engines like most ships of the day were, the two Ford ships were had 3350 horsepower Sun Doxford diesel propulsion engines and electrically powered systems.[3] They also had luxurious passenger accommodations for Henry Ford and his guests.
In order to be an efficient carrier in the ore and coal trades, MV Benson Ford was constructed with large box holds.[1]
Retirement, scrap, and current day
edit
The first MV Benson Ford was decommissioned, and out of service in December 1981, it was later renamed the Dykstra and then the Frank J. Sullivan. Frank J. Sullivan Jr. purchased this vessel and renamed it to honor his father who served in the Great Lakes shipping industry his entire life. Sullivan, Jr. had intentions of renovating the ship and adding it to his lake fleet, but this soon proved to be uneconomical he decided to preserve it and turn it into an island retreat. It was most recently purchased by the Kasper family of Sandusky, Ohio and is their private island retreat.[4]
References
edit
- ^ a b c "Benson Ford {1}". Shipwatcher News Great Lakes Ships. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
- ^ Historical Society Staff, Detroit Marine (1994). Great Lakes Ships We Remember III. Freshwater Press. p. 134. ISBN 9780912514505.
- ^ Taylor, Cory (February 3, 2020). "The Ford Fleet". The Henry Ford. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Exclusive Access Inside the Historic Benson Ford Ship House". Explorationamerica.com. October 8, 2016.