06/16/2026
The James L Oberstar making their 3rd appearance in the Twin Ports this May 5. Arriving with the wind and the clouds at 13:24 on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Ironically, this time last season they had the same amount of arrivals. The Oberstar was arriving with a cargo of Limestone for the Hallett 5 dock up river, right next to the CN dock. They tied up at the Hallett 5 dock at 14:20, stayed there for the next 11.4 hours, departing May 05 at 01:45. The Oberstar sailed down the Estuary, passing under the Aerial lift bridge at 02:38, capping their stay in port at 13.2 hour. They departed light, heading to Marquette MI to load ore for Indiana Harbor. If you ever wondered how long it takes to get from Duluth to Marquette via the Hon James L Oberstar, the answer is 18 hours, 16 minutes.
The HONORABLE JAMES L. OBERSTAR was built as the Shenango II in 1959 by the American Shipbuilding Company of Lorain, Ohio. She measures 806 feet in length, 75 feet in width, and 37 feet in depth. She is powered by two 4,100hp 6-cylinder Bergen Rolls-Royce diesel engines which give her a top speed of 15 knots, or about 17mph. She is also equipped with bow and stern thrusters to aid her maneuverability in port. The OBERSTAR has 24 hatches on her deck which open into 5 cargo holds located below deck; each hatch covering measures 48 by 11 feet. She has a maximum carrying capacity of 31,000 tons. Above her deck is a 250 foot self-unloading boom which allows her to unload her own cargo at a rate of 6,000 tons per hour without the aid of shore side equipment. The HONORABLE JAMES L. OBERSTAR is currently owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Company of Middleburg Heights, Ohio The OBERSTAR is named in honor of a former US Representative from Minnesota who promoted the Great Lakes shipping industry. Originally operated by the Shenango Furnace Company, and sporting a emerald-green paint-job, she was bought by Interlake Steamship in 1967. To keep her modern and efficient, she was lengthened by 96 feet in 1972, converted to a self-unloader in 1981 by Fraser Shipyards here in Superior, and upgraded from steam to diesel engines in 2008 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. She was christened with her current name here in Duluth in 2011. The historic Interlake Steamship Company was founded in 1913 by the massive mining and steel producing Pickands Mather & Company, which began operating ships in 1883. The fleet was sold into private hands in 1987 and currently operates 9 ships and 1 integrated tug-barge unit on the Great Lakes. The OBERSTAR has 24 hatches on her deck which open into 5 cargo holds located below deck; each hatch covering measures 48 by 11 feet. She has a maximum carrying capacity of 31,000 tons. Above her deck is a 250 foot self-unloading boom which allows her to unload her own cargo at a rate of 6,000 tons per hour without the aid of shore side equipment. The HONORABLE JAMES L. OBERSTAR is currently owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Company of Middleburg Heights, Ohio The historic Interlake Steamship Company was founded in 1913 by the massive mining and steel producing Pickands Mather & Company, which began operating ships in 1883. The fleet was sold into private hands in 1987 and currently operates 9 ships and 1 integrated tug-barge unit on the Great Lakes. The OBERSTAR is named in honor of a former US Representative from Minnesota who promoted the Great Lakes shipping industry. Originally operated by the Shenango Furnace Company, and sporting a emerald-green paint-job, she was bought by Interlake Steamship in 1967. To keep her modern and efficient, she was lengthened by 96 feet in 1972, converted to a self-unloader in 1981 by Fraser Shipyards here in Superior, and upgraded from steam to diesel engines in 2008 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. She was christened with her current name here in Duluth in 2011.
Ship Information
IMO5322518
MMSI366904890
Year Built1959
CountryUnited States
Call SignWL3108
Length806'
Width75'
