Speaking of Interlake, they just built the first new great lakes ship built on the lakes since 1983.
https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-co/2021/10/29/first-new-great-lakes-freighter-built-lakes-38-years-launches-fincantieri-bay-shipbuilding-sturgeon/6193598001/
I wonder if any boats were built outside the great lakes for lakes service since 1983?
MidlandMike Speaking of Interlake, they just built the first new great lakes ship built on the lakes since 1983.
Only on the US side. Canada's now scrapped Paterson/Pineglen was the last before this.
https://boatnerd.com/pineglen-2/
And if we include ATB's, large US flagged freighters have been built in more recent years on the Great Lakes. The Erie Trader in 2012 and the Michigan Trader in 2020 are 740' x 78' self-unloading barges pushed by tugs.
https://boatnerd.com/erie-trader/
https://boatnerd.com/michigan-trader/
MidlandMike I wonder if any boats were built outside the great lakes for lakes service since 1983?
Algoma Central and Canada Steamship Lines are so far into their fleet renewal programs that most of their fleets are less than 15 years old. But they've sadly been built overseas.
To illustrate, CSL operates with 13 vessels on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Of those, 6 are new vessels known as the "Trillium Class" that entered service betwee 2013 and 2015 (With a 7th designed for serving the Mines Seleine salt mine in the Magdalen Islands being constructed now).
Four of the remainder were forebody replacements, utilizing the refurbished stern of 1970's era CSL freighters mated with a brand new cargo section and bow. These four Port Weller built forebodies from the late 90's and early 2000's marked the end of Canadian Great Lakes construction, with import duties lifted a few years later.
Only the Atlantic Huron (Ballast tanks and such replaced circa 2000, widening her from 75' to 78' and the reason why she's still with the living), Frontenac, Oakglen, and Spruceglen remain for older vessels (With the latter pair just seasonal grain boats these days).
Algoma Central's transformation has been even more dramatic. Only one Great Lakes vessel that they entered the 2000's with remains in service. And only two from Upper Lakes Shipping remain active, a fleet that Algoma acquired in the early 2010's.
Leo_AmesFour of the remainder were forebody replacements, utilizing the refurbished stern of 1970's era CSL freighters mated with a brand new cargo section and bow. These four Port Weller built forebodies from the late 90's and early 2000's marked the end of Canadian Great Lakes construction, with import duties lifted a few years later.
Why were the boats cargo sections replaced? Were they reconfigured to self-unloading?
They were constructed as self-unloaders, but were getting pretty ripe. Lots of salt cargos and lots of salt water shortened the lifespan of their original forebodies and left them a mess after 25 years of service.
All four were built to coastal (Nova Scotia) class standards that allowed them to leave the St. Lawrence Seaway and serve in the Atlantic around the eastern coast of Canada. So not only did they suffer from salt loads, but their ballast tanks regularly were receiving salt water.
A common duty for them would've been for five of CSL's Nova Scotia class self-unloaders to meet a giant ocean going bulk carrier in deep water off the coast and unload their coal loads into the holds of the saltie. Paid well, but took a toll on the ships.
My count of active CSL ships was off by two ships. Went off Boatnerd.com's fleet gallery page when counting, forgetting that they're in the process of migrating over to a new site and not all the ship pages are present just yet. Missed the CSL Niagara (One of those 4 forebody replacements) and the CSL Tadoussac (One of two traditional lakers remaining in the fleet, her life extended by a major rebuild to her mid section).
I'm starting to think that the 600-800ft segment on the Great Lakes is the way of the future. DTE will be shutting down their St Clair power plant. It, Belle River and Monroe keep 2-3 of ASC's 1000ft boats busy. With the reduction in steel production in the region, I don't know if the GLF needs all their 1000fters. The smaller boats are much more versatile, hauling coal, limestone and stone to smaller ports when needed.
BackshopI'm starting to think that the 600-800ft segment on the Great Lakes is the way of the future. DTE will be shutting down their St Clair power plant. It, Belle River and Monroe keep 2-3 of ASC's 1000ft boats busy. With the reduction in steel production in the region, I don't know if the GLF needs all their 1000fters. The smaller boats are much more versatile, hauling coal, limestone and stone to smaller ports when needed.
I suspect you're right.
Interlake seems to be of similar thought as well, when one reads between the lines. Not only with the Mark W. Barker, but with what investment they've put into their three bought-new footers (They also operate the Cort under charter).
Only the newest and largest of the three, the Paul R. Tregurtha, has had her aging Colt-Pielstick engines replaced with modern power plants. The other two are still on their original and increasingly problematic diesels, 10+ years after the Tregurtha was repowered.
While this provided precious spare parts for the other two (Especially spare crankshafts, which have a several months long lead time if one breaks), one can't help but wonder if they saw the trend and didn't think it made long-term financial sense to proceed with such a major refit of all three.
Maybe with Cleveland Cliffs changing from a mining company to an integrated steel producer, they'll buy some ships. Cliffs Victory 2...I can dream...
Backshop Maybe with Cleveland Cliffs changing from a mining company to an integrated steel producer, they'll buy some ships. Cliffs Victory 2...I can dream...
CSSHEGEWISCH Backshop Maybe with Cleveland Cliffs changing from a mining company to an integrated steel producer, they'll buy some ships. Cliffs Victory 2...I can dream... Ship purchases are not likely, boat purchases are something that may be under consideration.
I may be heading down to the Ford Rouge plant in awhile. The Wilfred Sykes is in town and it hardly ever makes it over to this area. It isn't exactly a spring chicken, either. I've never seen it.
ETA--I had a few errands to run and didn't check my AIS tracker and it had left and was almost at Zug Island, so I didn't chase. There'll be a next time...I hope. To bring this back to railroading, I did see a real rarity at the CN (DT&I)Rouge Yard--an ex EJ&E SD38-2 #656, still in orange.
I have pictures of 'the J' 660, also in orange, in the ex-Southern Forrest Yard, just west of Buntyn, last year...
Sounds like Interlake is exploring repowering her.
https://boatnerd.com/boatnerd-news-april-23/
Leo_Ames Sounds like Interlake is exploring repowering her. https://boatnerd.com/boatnerd-news-april-23/
Are there any ships powered by LNG, other than LNG tankers?
They also mentioned diesel fuel. Would that be used to fire the boiler? I think I heard that bunker C is less available these days.
When I was in the US Navy, the ship boilers were powered by JP5 fuel which the emergency diesel generators ran on and the fork lifts and other vehicles used to move aircraft around as well as the aircraft themselves- various USMC helicopters and Harrier jump jets.
I drove by the Ford Rouge plant yesterday and noticed that the two Cleveland Cliffs/AK blast furnaces didn't appear to be operating. I've also noticed that the four Interlake boats that normally do the Marquette-Dearborn shuttle appear to be mainly hauling stone and coal for other customers. They were the Kaye Barker, Lee Tregurtha, Oberstar and Herbert Jackson. They weren't on it fulltime but kinda rotated through it.
ETA- There was a story in the Detnews today about the explosives dogs employed by the Badger. I didn't know about them.
Meet Hans and Greta, the S.S. Badger’s new explosive detection K9s - mlive.com
One can see the downturn as well with the Lee A. Tregurtha still at the wall at Fraser in Superior. I'm confident she'll sail this season, but typically she'd of already been out at this point of the season.
That said, at least she's not endangered. She's in excellent condition after her mid 2000's modernization and repowering, leaving her with a secure future. But her size works against her a bit at times like this. She's too small to directly compete with the footers and at the same time she's too big for other customers serviced by the smaller ships in the fleet.
And where the lengthened and repowered steamers in the fleet are concerned, she's outclassed in capacity by the Oberstar while lacking some of the flexibility for accessing the tighter confines around the lakes that the somewhat smaller size of the Barker allows her to reach.
Edit: She should depart Frasier Shipyard on June 1st. :)
As long as the John Sherwin is still tied up at Detour, I think the rest of the Interlake fleet is safe.
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