The barge Ashtabula and tug Defiance offload road salt at the Port of Ogdensburg

OGDENSBURG -- The barge Ashtabula, accompanied by the tug Defiance, arrived at the Port of Ogdensburg early Sunday morning delivering 23,500 tons of road salt.

That salt will be used throughout the North Country’s counties, municipalities, and private firms to help ensure safe winter driving conditions for travelers.

The two ships, owned by Lower Lakes Towing/Grand River Navigation, are specifically designed to operate together as a self-unloading bulk carrier.

“We are delighted to welcome the tug Defiance and barge Ashtabula to the Port of Ogdensburg.” said Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade Davis. “It was a truly spectacular site to see the US-flagged duo arrive in the Port in the dark of night fully illuminated”.

The barge was launched on April 22, 1982 by Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin while the tug was constructed by the Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin one day after the barge was launched, on April 23, 1982. The tug is equipped with a second elevated pilot house and is powered by two 20 cylinder engines which produce a total of 7200 horsepower.

Oversight of the authority is provided through the work of the authority’s board of directors including Chairman Samuel J. LaMacchia, Douglas W. Loffler, Ramona A. Breen, Steven J. Barlow, Gavin M. Regan and the Davis.

The authority’s was founded to manage the bridge and port infrastructure and commerce park and to with the private sector to create jobs and investment.