ROY A JODREY C318689

Table of Contents

1999 Photos NTD CC
Historical Photos

Self Unloader Freighter

N44 19 8560 W75 56 0530

The Roy A. Jodrey, registered under the Canadian flag with the official number 318689, was a propeller vessel with a remarkable history. Built in 1965 by the Canadian Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Collingwood, Ontario, it was the first self-unloading bulk freighter constructed for Algoma and Hudson Bay Railway Company. With dimensions of 623.16 feet in length, 72.16 feet in width, and 38.42 feet in depth, the vessel had a gross tonnage of 16154.00 tons and a steel hull.

The construction of the Roy A. Jodrey followed the traditional design used by Great Lakes freighters at the time. Divided into three major sections, the vessel had a bow section responsible for navigation, steering, and propulsion. The stern section housed the main diesel engines, electrical generators, ballast pumps, and other controls. The mid-body section, the core of the ship, contained the cargo hold, a self-unloading tunnel, and ballast tanks.

However, a design flaw in the ballast tanks became the ship’s Achilles heel. The forward side ballast tanks were unable to connect to the bow bulkhead, leaving only a single ½” steel plate to prevent water from flooding the hold and tunnel. On November 21, 1974, disaster struck. As the Roy A. Jodrey approached Pullman Shoal near Alexandria Bay, New York, it drifted off course and collided with the shoal, breaching the forward ballast tank and ripping open the unloading tunnel.

Realizing the imminent danger, the captain promptly alerted the crew and initiated a beaching maneuver next to the U.S. Coast Station on Wellesley Island. However, the ship continued to take on water, overwhelming the ballast pumps and flooding the engine room. In the early hours of November 21, 1974, the vessel slipped from its foothold and sank to the river bottom, creating a tremor and causing a power blackout at the Coast Guard station.

Salvage attempts proved unsuccessful and were deemed too costly and dangerous. In February 1975, Algoma Central declared the ship unsalvageable. Tragically, during salvage operations in June 1975, a diver encountered equipment troubles and went missing, his body never recovered. Further salvage efforts were abandoned, and on October 7, 1975, the Roy A. Jodrey was officially removed from the shipping registry. The vessel’s sinking marked the end of its eventful journey and left a lasting memory of the challenges and risks associated with maritime operations.