From KJBR6 - July 25, 2019

The ship that was behind the Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank is scheduled to leave the Twin Ports after being refurbished for more than two years.

The Anderson, built in 1952, was behind the Fitzgerald the night she sank with 29 people on board, and helped search for survivors in a November gale.

“She’s been one of the venerable vessels of the Great Lakes Shipping industry” says Jayson Hron, Director of Communication and Marketing for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

After undergoing over 2 years of maintenance,

Hron says “Anytime a ship gets to be to that age, you know beyond 50-60 years of age there are a lot of repairs and a lot of updates that are necessary,”

She is ready to set her sights on Lake Superior once again.

“What really pulled her back into service was a change in the market conditions so she was deemed to be able to be profitable at the current market conditions for iron ore and steel demand,” Hron says.

The proud iron ore ship is eager to return to action, and the ports are anxiously awaiting her arrival.

According to Hron “She’ll be going to take on iron ore as soon as she is ready from fraser ship yards and continue to bring iron ore down to the lower great lakes as she has for 67 years now,”

After some say they thought they’d never see her sail again,

“You really can’t tell the story of the Great Lakes without at least a Chapter on the Arthur M Anderson.”

A proud return to action for one of the most storied ships on our Great Lakes.

S. S. Arthur M Anderson departed from the Lift Bridge tonight at approximately 7:50 pm, on her way to Two Harbors to load up on Iron Ore.