Bay Shipbuilding Company

Bay Shipbuilding Company is a commercial shipyard and dry-dock operator located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, on the Lake Michigan side of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. Its business has historically combined new-vessel construction with repair, conversion, and dry-docking work for Great Lakes shipping operators and other U.S. maritime customers. The yard is particularly associated with lake freighters, tank barges, articulated tug-and-barge units, offshore support vessels, ferries, tugs, dredges, and other specialized commercial and government vessels. The modern Bay Shipbuilding Company was formed in 1968 after The Manitowoc Company acquired and consolidated the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. In 1970, Manitowoc also acquired the adjacent Christy Corporation yard, bringing two long-established Sturgeon Bay shipbuilding properties under the Bay Shipbuilding name. The site’s industrial history reaches back to 1918 and includes predecessor operations known as Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding, Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding, and Christy Corporation. These predecessor yards built fishing vessels, ferries, towboats, tugs, naval auxiliaries, landing ships, submarine chasers, tankers, and other government and commercial craft. Bay Shipbuilding experienced a major expansion during the 1970s, when Great Lakes fleet operators modernized their vessels. The company built approximately 30 ships for the lake fleet during that decade and became capable of constructing large self-unloading ore carriers. Its output included 1,000-foot-class lake freighters of roughly 40,000 tons, several of which were delivered between the late 1970s and 1981. Employment rose sharply during this period, reaching nearly 2,000 workers by the end of 1978. When the large Great Lakes newbuilding market weakened, the yard diversified into ocean-going and salt-water shipbuilding. In the mid-1980s it constructed three container ships for Sea-Land Service. These vessels were built in the United States for the Alaska–Puget Sound trade, where the Jones Act required eligible domestic construction. After completing the ships, Bay Shipbuilding announced in 1988 that it would stop pursuing new shipbuilding because of weak domestic demand and the broader decline of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The yard continued to undertake smaller construction projects and maritime repair work, including a ferry, tugs, a dredge, and a large tank barge during the 1990s. During the 2000s, Bay Shipbuilding returned to a broader new-construction role, producing double-hull tank barges designed to meet the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requirements, as well as articulated tug-and-barge systems and offshore support vessels. The Manitowoc Company sold its marine business, including Bay Shipbuilding, to Fincantieri Marine Group effective December 31, 2008. Under Fincantieri ownership, the facility received capital improvements that included a floating dry dock and computer-aided manufacturing equipment as part of a reported $26 million expansion program. The yard’s return to large-laker construction was symbolized by the MV Mark W. Barker. Launched in 2021 and floated from the graving dock in July 2022, the 639-foot River-class freighter was the first lake freighter built by the yard since 1987 and the first new laker launched by a U.S. shipyard in approximately four decades. It entered regular service in July 2022 and was formally christened in Cleveland in September of that year. Bay Shipbuilding also continues to provide repair and dry-dock services to the Great Lakes fleet, making it an important maintenance location as well as a newbuilding facility.

The industrial history of Bay Shipbuilding’s Sturgeon Bay site extends back to the early twentieth century. Among its predecessors were Universal Shipbuilding Company and Sturgeon Bay Dry Dock Company, which merged in 1926 to form Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Before the Second World War, the yard built fishing vessels, towboats, and ferries. During the war it produced small Army retrieval and supply vessels, along with numerous tugs. After the war, it continued to build ferries, tugboats, towboats, yachts, and fishing vessels, including a series of Mississippi River towboats and New England fishing trawlers. A second major lineage came through Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding and its successor, Christy Corporation. During the Second World War, the Leathem D. Smith yard constructed cargo ships, submarine chasers, Tacoma-class frigates, net-laying vessels, water tankers, and other government craft. It reached a wartime workforce of approximately 5,000 people and averaged a substantial delivery rate. In the postwar period, Christy built notable commercial and naval vessels, including the ferries SS Spartan and SS Badger, Terrebonne Parish-class tank landing ships, landing craft, research vessels, an oceanographic survey ship, and Coast Guard cutters. The Manitowoc Company acquired Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in 1968 and established Bay Shipbuilding Company. Manitowoc acquired the adjacent Christy Corporation yard in 1970 and merged the operations into the Bay Shipbuilding complex. The company initially invested in acquiring the two yards and then made a much larger improvement program in the early 1970s. The expansion coincided with a strong Great Lakes fleet modernization cycle. Bay Shipbuilding built roughly 30 lake vessels during the 1970s, including large self-unloading ore carriers. By the late 1970s the yard employed close to 2,000 workers, and several 1,000-foot, approximately 40,000-ton freighters were delivered from 1977 through 1981. The downturn in Great Lakes freighter construction forced a strategic shift. Employment fell substantially by the mid-1980s, and Bay Shipbuilding sought work in the U.S. salt-water market. In 1984 it obtained a contract from Sea-Land Service for three container ships valued at approximately $180 million. The ships were intended for a domestic trade route covered by the Jones Act, which required construction in the United States. After their completion, the company announced in March 1988 that it would cease new shipbuilding because domestic orders were insufficient and the U.S. shipbuilding sector was in decline. The facility nevertheless remained involved in smaller vessel construction and repair. Projects in the 1990s included a ferry, two tugs, a dredge, and the large tank barge Seneca, later renamed DBL 140. In the twenty-first century, Bay Shipbuilding broadened its commercial portfolio. It built double-hull tank barges designed around Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requirements and later constructed articulated tug-and-barge units and offshore support vessels. The Manitowoc Company sold its marine business to Fincantieri Marine Group at the end of 2008. Fincantieri subsequently supported facility modernization, including a floating dry dock and computer-aided manufacturing equipment within a reported capital expansion program. Large-laker construction returned with the MV Mark W. Barker. The 639-foot vessel was launched in 2021 and floated from the graving dock on July 1, 2022. It was the first lake freighter built at the yard since 1987 and was described as the first new laker launched by a U.S. shipyard in about 40 years. The vessel entered service in July and was christened in Cleveland in September. Alongside new construction, Bay Shipbuilding remains associated with maintenance and dry-docking for the Great Lakes fleet. A significant 2021 incident occurred when the laid-up MV Roger Blough caught fire at the facility; no injuries were reported, although the ship suffered major damage.

1. 2022MV Mark W. Barker enters service

   The freighter was floated from the graving dock in July, entered regular service later that month, and was christened in Cleveland in September.

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2. 2021MV Mark W. Barker is launched

   The launch of the 639-foot freighter marked the yard’s return to large lake-freighter construction after a long hiatus.

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3. 2008Marine business is sold to Fincantieri

   The Manitowoc Company sold its marine business, including Bay Shipbuilding, to Fincantieri Marine Group effective December 31.

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4. 1988New shipbuilding is suspended

   After completing the Sea-Land ships, Bay Shipbuilding announced that it would stop new shipbuilding amid weak domestic demand and an industry downturn.

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5. 1984Sea-Land container-ship contract

   The yard won a contract to build three U.S.-built container ships for Sea-Land Service for a domestic Alaska–Puget Sound route.

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6. 1977Large lake-freighter deliveries begin

   Bay Shipbuilding began delivering a series of very large self-unloading Great Lakes ore carriers, with deliveries continuing into 1981.

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7. 1970Christy Corporation yard is acquired

   The Manitowoc Company acquired the adjacent Christy Corporation yard and incorporated it into the Bay Shipbuilding complex.

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8. 1968Bay Shipbuilding Company is established

   The Manitowoc Company acquired Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company and renamed the operation Bay Shipbuilding Company.

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9. 1926Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company is formed

   Universal Shipbuilding Company and Sturgeon Bay Dry Dock Company merged to create a predecessor of Bay Shipbuilding.

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10. 1918Origins of the Sturgeon Bay shipyard complex

    The shipyard site’s documented industrial history begins, forming the foundation for the later Bay Shipbuilding operation.

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A U.S. commercial shipyard combining Great Lakes vessel construction with specialized vessel repair, conversion, and dry-dock capabilities.

• Lake freightersGreat Lakes commercial vessels1977

  Bay Shipbuilding became a significant builder of Great Lakes bulk carriers during the 1970s and early 1980s. Its output included large self-unloading ore carriers of approximately 1,000 feet and 40,000 tons. After a long pause in this segment, the yard returned to laker construction with the River-class MV Mark W. Barker.

• MV Mark W. BarkerRiver-class lake freighter2021

  The 639-foot MV Mark W. Barker was launched in 2021 and became the first lake freighter constructed at Bay Shipbuilding since 1987. It was floated from the graving dock in July 2022, entered regular service that month, and received a formal christening in Cleveland in September.

• OPA 90-compliant double-hull tank bargesTank barges

  The yard has constructed double-hull tank barges designed to comply with the oil-spill prevention requirements associated with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. These vessels form part of Bay Shipbuilding’s post-2000 commercial vessel portfolio.

• Articulated tug-and-barge unitsIntegrated tug-and-barge systems

  Bay Shipbuilding has built articulated tug-and-barge combinations for commercial transportation. These systems are designed to operate as an integrated unit while retaining the operational characteristics of a tug and its connected barge.

• Offshore support vesselsSpecialized commercial vessels

  The company has also constructed offshore support vessels, extending its work beyond Great Lakes bulk carriers and into specialized support tonnage for maritime and offshore customers.

• Ship repair and dry-dock servicesMaritime services

  Repair, maintenance, conversion, and dry-docking are core capabilities of the Sturgeon Bay facility. The yard serves the Great Lakes fleet and operates infrastructure that includes a graving dock and, following later modernization, a floating dry dock.

• 2021Return to large-laker constructionProduct launch

  Bay Shipbuilding had not completed a lake freighter over 20,000 tons since 1987.

  What changed. The yard launched the 639-foot MV Mark W. Barker.

  Aftermath. The vessel entered service in 2022 and demonstrated the facility’s renewed ability to build large Great Lakes freighters.

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• 2008Sale of the marine business to FincantieriM&A

  The Manitowoc Company reorganized its portfolio and sold its marine business, which included Bay Shipbuilding.

  What changed. Fincantieri Marine Group acquired the marine business effective December 31, 2008.

  Aftermath. Bay Shipbuilding became part of Fincantieri’s U.S. marine group and later received facility and manufacturing improvements.

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• 1988Withdrawal from new shipbuildingStrategy

  After the completion of three Sea-Land container ships, the yard faced weak domestic orders and a broad decline in U.S. shipbuilding.

  What changed. Bay Shipbuilding announced that it would cease new shipbuilding and focus more heavily on repair, dry-dock work, and smaller vessel projects.

  Aftermath. The yard continued maritime work and later re-entered selected commercial newbuilding markets, including tank barges, articulated tug-and-barge units, offshore support vessels, and eventually a large lake freighter.

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• 2022MV Mark W. Barker floated from the graving dock and enters service

  The new River-class freighter was floated from the graving dock on July 1 and entered regular service on July 27. Its formal christening took place in Cleveland on September 1.

  Product launch
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• 2021MV Roger Blough catches fire while laid up at Bay Shipbuilding

  The Great Lakes vessel MV Roger Blough caught fire while in winter layup at Bay Shipbuilding. No injuries were reported, but the vessel sustained substantial damage; published estimates varied widely.

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• 2021Bay Shipbuilding launches MV Mark W. Barker

  The yard launched the 639-foot MV Mark W. Barker, marking its return to large lake-freighter construction after a decades-long gap.

  Product launchProduct generation
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1. Bay Shipbuilding Company
2. Bay Shipbuilding Company official website
3. Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin