Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I'm curious as to why the float down is considered such a dangerous activity, why the coast guard discourages it. I'm sure alcohol is involved in most of the mishaps, but is there some inherent danger? I'm almost afraid to ask this, but is it just pure idiocy and lunacy at play here?

From an ...

It looks like they're letting the vessel traffic resume. They're a bunch of vessels exiting the St. Mary's River system on AIS as I type this at 0425 Saturday morning.

I feel bad though for the people that bought tickets for the Boatnerd Detroit River Cruise. The grounding will screw up their ...

Back to the question...

A few years ago the PRT went sideways in the Rock Cut. It screwed things up for a bit, but shipping went forward after the matter was resolved, the area surveyed. Traffic was able to move again. Now if the Poe when down like the Mac went down last year for how long was that ...

So, I don't understand why the St. Mary's River is closed when the ship is not in the channel, thus not obstructing navigation.

Best guess is wake concerns from passing vessels, regardless of their speed, and how that may impact the "impact" Calumet has suffered. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun ...

Should RL declare bankruptcy and eventually go under, what vessels would be viable for purchase by other companies?

Several of RL vessels are US made, but have been flagged Canadian, which if I remember right means they are no longer able to sail US according to Jones Act. If that is true, what ...

I mean no offense to your question, but I do wonder why you want to find the pellets under water? The last time I was In Marquette, and visited the currently used dock in the upper harbor, you can find pellets under the rail tressel that goes to the dock.

FWIW, you can find pellets on the tracks ...

It seems to me that most vessels, regardless of size, seem to be loaded by the weight of the fuel. From the conversations I've had with guys who work on the boats or have fueled the boats, it's always about how many tons of fuel they take, not the gallons.

Maximum capacity might be a different ...

To my knowledge, there hasn't been an official report issued of the grounding and the extent of the damage to the vessel. Nor has there been official report detailing the cause of the grounding or detailing blame.

That said, I have been privy to some details which I will not share on here ...

@captrmetz

First of all, thank you for all you have shared and continue to share here of the adventures you had as a laker captain. I've thoroughly enjoyed every story you've offered, and apologize if I haven't remarked as much in each of your offerings.

My hope for you is that will be offered as ...

If the strike does happen, could this mean some of the boats that are laid up will come out to fill any gaps in trade for customers seeking product?

My initial thought was Escanaba. But with the closing of that dock, I'm not so sure. Maybe so in honor of that? Maybe not, for other reasons.

Marinette and Maumee make sense. If I was a betting man, I would place my chips on those two.

FWIW, it seems to me that Algoma has less regard for the cosmetic value of their vessels than just about any other fleet on the lakes, US flagged or otherwise. Personally I wonder if this might lead to greater deterioration of their vessels and shorter life spans, especially if they are traveling so ...

There seems like a lot of things to consider with all that has been offered in this thread so far. Let's start with the Davis Lock.

That lock can accommodate anything up to 75 feet wide. The problem is the sills are only 23 feet deep. So it could only handle upbound traffic, nothing loaded down ...

What would the Ryerson haul for a backhaul cargo?

I think the bigger questions are these:

1. The Ryerson 5 year survey. It' probably due. Does the cost for that outweigh the benefit of bringing her out?

2. What's in it for ArcelorMittal? Essentially, they own the Ryerson in one way or another ...

As of this morning, 9am CST, the Cort is 22 nautical miles out and the Clarke is 33. Cort is moving at 8 Knts. and the Clarke at 13. The Clarke has the Mackinaw and Morro Bay as escorts. Cort has the Mobile Bay.

If you do the math, Clarke beats the Cort by 15 minutes at current rates of travel ...

It would probably be a lot cheaper to develop infrastructure to facilitate loading at a Lake Michigan port.


I hear your thoughts and respect that. However... As I know it, there is only one true loading port on Lake Michigan for ore, and that is Escanaba. No port for coal.

I'm sure there's been ...

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing this with everyone.

Bumping to the top, just in case others are considering going.

Captain. Thank you so very much for the experiences you've shared in all the stories you've offer over the years. I know you will be taking a break from offering these during the regular sailing season while you enjoy time at your cabin. Please understand I've thoroughly enjoyed everything you've ...

I would be interested to see statistics on how often ATB Tug/Barge combos seek shelter vs. powered vessels on the Great Lakes. Great Lakes vessels only, not salties. And please exclude the stats from the ITB Presque Isle. I don't think that vessel count since it isn't an ATB.