MMMSI's Plans:
President & Owner Mr. Brian R. McCaughrin, at 46 years of age Founded McCaughrin Maritime Marine Systems, Inc., (MMMSI), and Established it on January 26, 1996 in Lansing, Michigan and Transferred to Wayne, Michigan on April 12, 1996 as a private enterprise with the specific ideas of developing a unique way of transporting specialized cargoes inside containers within hours to the customers by using the latest technologically advanced vessels for the marketplace. Mr. McCaughrin knowing fair well that the banking community would have me jumping through all kind of hoops in order to get the money I needed to start McCaughrin Maritime. Looking at All of My Options I decide to invest $500.00 in myself instead of The Banks. Mr. McCaughrin’s Plan was to make the Midwest Region the "Global Trading Center of the World" by utilizing Lower Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway &, In the Off-Season Seaway is closed, Use the Port of Baltimore, Maryland and Use CSX Rail to bring in the Containers to Customers. MMMSI New Trade was between Baltic State Ports of St. Petersburg, Russia, & 2 Ports, One in Montreal, Quebec, and Secondly, Port of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. MMMSI Plans were two trips per month. Cost is very competitive, and MMMSI was offering "One Stop Shopping Door to Door Service for 1 Price".
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Our Beginning
By June 1, 1996, MMMSI had close to 15 different contracts to bid on for the movement of different size cargoes around the Great Lakes and also to Europe. McCaughrin was looking for second hand equipment and cargo containers on the lakes, but none was available so McCaughrin went to the ocean brokers for vessels. McCaughrin was able to work out a limited time charter contract for a ship of 173.50 meters in length, based on the type of cargo being delivered. The company: Baltic Lines of St. Petersburg, Russia was setting sail with the MV.Tostongov a Lo/Ro multi-purpose bulk /container vessel, to Montreal, Quebec, We used this vessel for 60 days on charter. By September 30, 1996, Baltic Lines Limited was broke overnight arresting ship and holding cargoes for weeks, and putting McCaughrin on the beach.
January 1, 1997, McCaughrin decided to make a more conscious effort to re-group his company and wait a year before launching the name: "McCaughrin" again in global competition. McCaughrin began to look at different size vessel that could compare to what the Lo/Ro multi-purpose ship he had on charter, but to no success. These movement of specialize heavy lift cargoes from the Great Lakes was too big for truck, and were instead put on rails and taken to the U.S. East Coast to bigger ships. Only ships McCaughrin needed was Lo/Ro multi-purpose vessel, and at the time: Baltic Lines Company, were only company to have them, and was looking to buy, but with over 200 vessels tied up all over Europe, Russia, and Canada, the timing was off. The advantage of these type of ships were the ship has a ramp on its starboard stern, and heavy lift cranes on the main deck and could carry 553/20' containers beside motorized vehicles, but could not fit into the seaway yet! McCaughrin saw this ship of the future. With different holds that could be divided up into more cargo holds, and carrying still different specialize cargoes was a bargain
MMMSI was successful in finding another owner with 2 Lo/Ro multi-purpose vessel called: Lima, and Montreal both 173.50 meter ship with #17,850 ton carrying capacity. The Seaway Authority accepted it on September 21, 1997, a year before its scheduled acceptance. The MV. Lima is owned by InterOrient Navigation Company Limited of Limmsol, Cyprus. McCaughrin began negotiations of getting MV. Lima and MV. Montreal into position in time for the specification to be met by the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority.
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Owners gave MMMSI the green light on November 1997. MMMSI hired Canadian firm: Mount Royal / Walsh, Inc., of Montreal, Quebec Canada to confirm ship specifications. McCaughrin, Seaway Authority Officials, and private inspectors went on board while the vessel was being unloaded in Montreal and spent nearly 8 hours measuring every piece of equipment that was critical to the fitting into the Seaway Lock.
On February 28, 1998, owners of Inter Orient Navigations Company Limited broke off all negotiations with MMMSI officials. The time charter of the MV.Montreal and the MV.Lima was awarded to a competing carrier the next day, when word leaked out that Mr. McCaughrin was starting a New Service from the Baltic to the Great Lakes. Again, for the 2nd time in less than a year, MMMSI had to cancel it's start up date.
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March 1, 1998, 3rd time a charmer: The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority sent MMMSI owners a fax on a New Carrier coming into the Seaway with plans of a more advanced multi-purpose ship design that would fit into the Seaway without excessive modification. This Netherlands firm, who has over 150 years in global maritime shipping, was marketing the Great Lakes area for a specific niche operation with smaller vessels then what other companies were bringing in. This company called: Wagenborg Shipping B.V. of Delfzijl, Netherlands was sailing there newest vessel, MV.Markborg 132 meters vessel with carrying capacity of #9,000 tons deadweight and carrying capacity of total of 603 / 20' containers.
On April 2, 1998 a deal was struck with between Wagenborg and MMMSI. McCaughrin and Officials fully inspected this vessel when it arrived May 2, 1998 at Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company in River Rouge, Michigan. Wagenborg Shipping Limited B.V. Struck a deal with MMMSI for the usage of two multi-purpose vessel in the 132 meter range for the following shipping season. Wagenborg was building 10 New Vessels of the same specifications as the MV.Markborg.
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