56-Year-Old Ship Gets New Engine

With the end of shipping season fast approaching, Fraser Shipyards has begun a project to put a new diesel engine on the Herbert C. Jackson.
The project will bring dozens of jobs to the Twin Ports during the shipping off season.
“We’re doing two jobs – one is the normal winter work. The other is a repowering project. We’re taking out an old engine from 1959 and replacing it with a newer engine that will reduce the carbon footprint and reduce particulate matter,” said Fraser president and COO James Farkas.
The 690-foot Herbert C. Jackson typically carries nearly 25,000 tons of iron ore between Marquette, Michigan, and Detroit.
As the ship itself ages, efforts to keep it modern continue.
Workers will essentially gut the entire propulsion system, replacing it with a new diesel propulsion system through the off-season months.
The crew for the project consists mostly of existing Fraser employees, but it will require the additional work of at least 80 new crew members.
“We’re working with a local technical college to make sure we have a skill set available as well. It’s just a big [project]. 80 additional jobs, in addition to what we might have for our traditional winter work. So we think that’s big for the community,” Farkas said.
Work began on the new propulsion system three weeks ago.
Those at Fraser Shipyards expect the project to be complete sometime in May or June.
The Great Lakes shipping season officially closes this Friday; it will resume following lay-up in March.
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