By Chris Winters

The JAMES R. BARKER’s Steward Jodi Bouchard checks on breakfast in the ship’s galley, upbound on Lake Superior, July 2017.

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The JAMES R. BARKER was built in 1976 at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Shipbuilding Co. for Pickands Mather & Co. of Cleveland, a subsidiary of Moore McCormack.    The 1,000 foot steel self-unloader was named in honor of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Moore McCormack Resources, Inc.

Her self-unloading system includes three cargo hold belts and a 250-foot boom, and is capable of discharging a cargo in about eight hours.   She has always been part of the Interlake Steamship fleet.

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Chris Winters is a Trustee of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, a well-known author and has been a photojournalist for over 25 years.  He and his cameras have enjoyed a privileged glimpse into the lives of merchant mariners aboard some of the Great Lakes best-known and best-loved vessels.