MV American Century

250px American Century passing the Saint Marys Falls Hydropower Plant
History
US
Name:	MV American Century
Builder:	Bay Shipbuilding Company
Yard number:	726
Launched:	1981
Identification:	Call sign: WDD2876 IMO number: 7923196
Status:	In service as of 2015
General characteristics
Class & type:	Lake freighter
Tonnage:	35,923 gross tonnage 33,534 net tonnage
Length:	1,000 feet (305 m) (overall) 988.8 feet (301 m)
Beam:	105 ft (32 m)
Draft:	34.75 ft (10.59 m) (Midsummer Draft) 56.7 ft (17.3 m) (hull depth)
Propulsion:	four 3500 HP General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) diesel engines, 14,000 SHP

M/V American Century is a very large diesel-powered Lake freighter owned and operated by the American Steamship Company. This vessel was built in 1981 at Bay Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and included self-unloading technology.

The ship is 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 105 feet (32 m) wide, with a carrying capacity of 80,900 Gross Tons (at midsummer draft), either coal or iron ore.

History

The ship was built for Oglebay Norton Corporation in 1981 and named Columbia Star. The name Columbia was selected for the brig Columbia that sailed through the St. Mary's Falls Canal carrying the first load of iron ore shipped through the canal. Star was commonly used by Oglebay Norton. American Century made its first voyage in May 1981 to on-load iron ore in Silver Bay, Minnesota. American Steamship Company acquired American Century in 2006.