Paul E., not Paul R. Martin

CSL has two ships with the name Paul Martin. The one that visits Halifax from time to time is the  Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin named for the former Prime Minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006, Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (b.1938). Prior to that he was the owner of CSL, but divested his interest to his three sons under public pressure.


The ship named for him was built in 2012 at Chengxi Shipyard, Jiangyin City and is a Trillium class vessel, but of the deep sea version. (There is also a Great Lakes version). It is a self unloading bulk carrier of 43,691 grt, 71,406 dwt and was built to then Panamax dimensions.

Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin arrived in Halifax this morning to load gypsum, its second visit this month. The ship is owned by CSL Americas , one of several offshore divisions of CSL Group.


The other CSL ship is named for Paul Joseph James Martin (b.1903, d. 1992) the father of Paul E. Martin, and a long time Canadian politician. The ship named for him is called Rt.Hon. Paul J. Martin and was built in 1973 at Collingwood, ON as H.M.Griffith a 22,775 grt self-unloader to maximum Seaway dimensions of 730' x 75'. It was named for an executive of the Steel Company of Canada (Stelco) a long time client of CSL.

H.M.Griffith downbound in the Interpool between the Eisenhower and Snell Locks in the US section of the St.Lawrence Seaway. The stretch of water is known officially as the Wiley-Dondero Ship Canal.

 At 75' wide the ship was already a tight squeeze in the 80' wide Seaway Locks

In 2000 the ship was rebuilt at Port Weller Dry Docks with a new bow and cargo section to take advantage of revised Seaway maximum dimensions, emerging with a measurement of  739-07" x 77'-11" and 23,989 grt. Its Seaway-draft cargo capacity is 37,694 tonnes. At that time it was renamed  Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin.

 With the new width, the ship has a lot more scrapes on the hull. The ship is upbound in ballast.

In 2013 its original Manchester-built Pielstick engine was removed and replaced with a new generation MaK/ Caterpillar. The ship is confined to the Great Lakes and St.Lawrence and portions of the Gulf St.Lawrence, and cannot venture out to sea. It is owned CSL Group Inc and operates in the domestic fleet, still known in most circles as Canada Steamship Lines..

The ship's extra width was faired into the existing stern section's plating and is barely noticeable.

Have the two ships ever met? That is a question I cannot answer. The logical place for that to happen would be in Sydney, NS, where both could deliver cargoes of coal.

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