Equinox-class freighter

The Equinox class is a series of related bulk carriers operated by Canadian shipping company Algoma Central for service on the Great Lakes.

The Equinox 740 is named after their 740-foot (226 m) length, the maximum that clears the dimensions of the locks in the Welland Canal and Saint Lawrence River.

[2] Elements such as a more modern main engine and a newer hull design gave an estimated 45% increase in energy efficiency compared to Algoma Central's then-current fleet, and the first exhaust scrubber system installed on a Great Lakes freighter was installed to allow the ships to burn fuel oil while meeting sulfur dioxide emissions regulations.

[2] Algoma Central ordered six of the ships, two gearless vessels that require shore facilities to discharge cargo and four self-unloaders, from the Chinese Nantong Mingde shipyard at a cost of CA$300 million.

[1] In October 2018, Algoma Central canceled the orders at Uljanik, citing severe delays in their construction as the shipyard faced major financial difficulties.

[6] They are identical in most other characteristics to Equinox 740 vessels, particularly the Croatian-built ones with which they share the unloading boom-forward design, although the shorter length gives them a lower cargo capacity, with a deadweight tonnage of 24,900.

[1] The first ship in the class, named Algoma Innovator, was delivered in December 2017, though she was not scheduled to depart the shipyard until February 2018 in order to avoid the most severe weather in the North Atlantic on her delivery voyage.