Messages

61

Shipping News and information / Re: Algonova (trouble with rudder)

« on: January 02, 2011, 05:06:09 AM »

Thanks Mr. Trucker!  My knowledge of ships is obviously out of date as I was thinking of cables turning the rudder.  I am a true landlubber!

62

Shipping News and information / Re: Algonova (trouble with rudder)

« on: January 02, 2011, 02:56:25 AM »

Hi Steve

can you or anyone else tell me what a rudder pump is and does?  Thanks

Been trying to find your photos of winter shipping in Quebec City and I have not seen any!

Best wishes for the new year.

Dave

63

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: Great Lakes (Tugs & Workboats)

« on: January 01, 2011, 04:19:06 PM »

Thanks very much for creating this separate category for our Great Lakes tugs, etc.  I will try to make good use of it!

64

Shipping News and information / Re: Ship's crew poisoned on the Great Lakes

« on: December 30, 2010, 07:16:07 PM »

I am not chemist (I did get tear gassed a few times in my illustrious but short military duty!)but according to a report on www.boatnerd.com, the Great Lakes shipping site, phosphorous pellets were used to fumigate the corn and somehow the pellets became moist and thus started giving off phosphine gas that somehow got into the ship's ventilation system and thus poisoned the crew.  From reading the reports, which are far from conclusive it is not clear how the gas got into the ventilation system.  Almost sounds like a Hollywood movie.

65

Shipping News and information / Ship's crew poisoned on the Great Lakes

« on: December 29, 2010, 04:16:49 PM »

There have been several unusual events effecting shipping on the Great Lakes this December as this month has been unusually cold.  There have been several instances of ships being stuck in the ice on the connectors between the lakes, a few groundings and so on.  The strangest incidence was the poisoning on the crew of the Hermann Schoenig.  Carrying 19,000 tons of corn destined for Algeria, the ship anchored off Port Colborne, Ontario and radioed for help for the sick crew, a few dozen Chinese citizens.  Taken to a nearby hospital, at first their illness was a mystery.  Eventually it was determined that phosphine gas seeped from the hold into the living quarters of the ship, inflicting a potentially fatal illness on the crew.  The gas came from an anti rodent treatment of the corn. After the crew's health improved the ship was allowed to continue down the lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, stopping at Montreal.  During this voyage the windows in the accommodation section were open.  With temperatures well below freezing, the crew did not have winter clothing and it was difficult for them to stay warm.  In Montreal the crew was examined for a second time at a hospital and were given warm clothing as well as Christmas presents. The incident is still under investigation by Canadian officials.  Certainly this is one of the stranger incidents to happen on the Great Lakes in some years.  Published reports indicate had the ship not sought assistance when it did, fatalities could have occurred with continued exposure to the gas.  The Pilots, required of all salt water ships transiting the Great Lakes, were the ones to sound the alarm.

66

Shipping News and information / Re: Beluga Endurance (bringing 8 freightliner locos to the uk)

« on: December 24, 2010, 03:25:35 AM »

I do not know the number of locomotives in the ship but they are GE Class 70 built by General Electric Transportation at their huge factory on the east side of Erie, Pa.  The locomotives were loaded in the hold with no protective covering and were painted in blue and yellow with "Freightliner" stenciled on the sides.  The ship's cranes performed the loading as there are no cranes at the Erie dock-- it is a very small port that serves mostly the occasional Great Lake bulker with stone, salt and such.  Recently the port has begun exporting biodiesel fuel. It is a no-brainer for export locomotives during the Great Lakes shipping season as the port is just a few miles from the GE factory.

The locomotives traveled to the port on very large flatcars.

Bottom line is that the locomotives are in the holds and will not be visible until they are unlaoded.  Not an optimal time for crossing with lots of ice in the Great Lakes (see www.boatnerd.com for photos of ice jams, etc) and St Lawrence Seaway and the stormy North Atlantic.

67

Shipping News and information / Re: M

« on: December 18, 2010, 04:40:48 AM »

Does anyone have names for the 3 ships?  Thanks.

68

Shipping News and information / Another Great Lakes bulker scrapped

« on: November 12, 2010, 02:38:07 PM »

The Great Lakes bulker Algoisle, 5417820, built in 1963 and owned by Algoma Central arrived in Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping on November 11, 2010.
Currently the Canadian Leader, 6719330, built in 1967 and owned by Upper Lakes is currently in tow downbound on the St. Lawrence Seaway for eventual scrapping. Age and economy is finally catching up to several of our venerable Great Lakes ships.

69

Shipping News and information / Re: Carnival Splendor adrift off Mexico with 4,500 passengers and crew

« on: November 10, 2010, 03:55:29 AM »

News reports on www.yahoo.com late Tuesday night, Nov 9, indicate a change in plans with Carnival deciding to attempt to tow the disabled vessel directly to San Diego, with a preliminary ETA of Thursday night.  As of Tuesday afternoon 50,000 pounds of food had been flown to the USS Ronald Reagan then lifted by helicopter to the cruise ship.  Passengers now have a choice of either canned crab or SPAM.  Which would you chose?  The food is necessary due to no electricity for the refrigeration units aboard ship.
     There is a photo album on www.yahoo.com showing the airlifting of supplies, both to the Reagan and to the cruise ship.
     I wonder what the situation would have been like if the Reagan had not been in the vicinity and diverted to the site.  Or if this breakdown occurred in the open ocean far from land.

70

Shipping News and information / Carnival Splendor adrift off Mexico with 4,500 passengers and crew

« on: November 09, 2010, 05:15:01 PM »

The Associated Press as reported on www.yahoo.com is reporting that Carnival's Carnival Splendor had a fire in the engine room and is adrift about 200 miles south of San Diego, Calif. The fire was put out without injury to passengers and crew but the ship had no air conditioning, hot water or telephone service.  Auxiliary power allowed cold running water and toilets to function by Monday night. Bottled water and cold food are available to passengers. Two Mexican seagoing tugs are to tow the ship to the port of Ensenada -- they are not expected to reach the ship until midday Tuesday then begin a very slow tow with an ETA at Ensenada of 8pm PST Wednesday.  The plan is to bus the passengers from Ensenada, Mexico to San Diego, Calif. (that is going to require one hell of a lot of buses plus problems at the border crossing.  Then the ship will be towed to Long Beach, California for repairs.  The ship is carrying 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members.
    The U.S. Navy's Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has been diverted to the location of the cruise ship. About 70,000 pounds of supplies including bread, utensils, cups, milk, canned food and other items will be flown to the Reagan and then transferred to the cruise ship by helicopter.
    As an editorial comment once again the US Navy comes to the rescue of a civilian misadventure.  Another chapter in a long saga of cruise ship fires, diseases, and whatever.  It would be fun to watch this whole operation though!  Maybe one of our shipspotters is about the cruise ship!

71

Shipping News and information / Re: Shipspotting Rotterdam, 31 Oct and 1 Nov

« on: November 02, 2010, 08:45:44 PM »

Super video.  Fred, when do you find the time to work?

72

Shipping News and information / Re: US Navy sinks British veteran Falklands ship

« on: November 02, 2010, 08:42:21 PM »

Didn't the fledgling U.S. Navy sink some other English ships in the mid 1700's?

Sad to see her go -- I saw her in 2007 at the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel Highway (the location of a naval battle in 1776) and posted a few of her on this site.  These days it is always sad to hear of the end of a ship one has photographed.

Thanks for the notice.

73

Shipping News and information / Two Great Lakes Bulkers near Aliaga for scrapping

« on: November 02, 2010, 08:33:58 PM »

Two venerable Great Lakes bulkers, the Canadian Prospector (5426663) and Algoisle (5417820) are in tow in the Mediterranean and will arrive at Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping in a matter of a few days. Both ships are well documented on Shipspotting.  Sad to see them go as they just do not build them like these ships anymore.  Great Lakes bulkers have long lives due to their fresh water habitat but age and the downturn in the economy did them in.  Both were Canadian flagged with Canadian Prospector sailing for Upper Lakes and Algoisle part of the Algoma Central fleet.   

74

Shipping News and information / Re: Belt-unloaders

« on: June 13, 2010, 05:16:56 PM »

Most of the Great Lakes bulkers are self unloaders with conveyor belt unloading systems and you can find hundreds of photos of them in the Great Lakes bulker category, to include some photos of the ships unloading.  If you wish to find photos of closer shots of the conveyor booms contact me at [email protected] and I can send you some.
    The Great Lakes shipping web site www.boatnerd.com has an extensive photo archive which may be of use and also in the book section or another section there is a reference to a book that is dedicated to only self unloading systems.

75

Trip reports / Re: spotting is an (almost) lethal hobby

« on: May 15, 2010, 02:27:32 AM »

That guy was just plain lucky - his head must have been in a cloud of nostalgia with that steam loco.  If he was an experienced train photographer he should have known that a train might be coming on the other tracks.  I have photographed thousands of trains and get close to the tracks but not that close. Wow!  Great photography -- nice steam loco.  Those things move a lot faster than ships! :-D
Jtaship wrote:
Clean pants required !!
Also for me please., This must be 100 % lucky man, i dont photograph underwater when i see this sign on a ship "Beware Of Propeller"

Have a nice weekend.

Jesper
      [/quote]