St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

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Duluth Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Duluth Guest »

So did each company alter the base design to suit their needs more appropriately or were the Gott and Burns Harbor always planned to be a little different than the rest of the "Bay Footers"? I was always under the impression that USS GLF altered the design of the Gott to better cater to the Two Harbors - Gary runs and to specifically haul taconite.
boatsnot

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974 photo

Unread post by boatsnot »

Keel laying of the ST. Clair with out fan fair.
Denny

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Denny »

Okay I just checked out my Digital Photos and can cofirm it now with 100% accuracy that indeed the St. Clair had the blue during the 2006 season however, in 2007 she had the blue removed and it was all white at that point. As I mentioned in my earlier post on the McCarthy, she had the blue painted out during the 2016 season in either late Spring or early Summer. I think she had it removed in June 2016 sometime if my memory serves my right on this one? Hope that all of this information has helped you out. A little bit off subject here but, the Burns Harbor remember also had her paint as well removed a few years ago just below the pilothouse as far as where the boom and pilothouse meet. Not sure what season it was when that happned as I recall seeing her in 2005 at least that year still in Bethlehem colors in August but, she had the ASC stacks on her then since she was just purchased by them sometime in 2006. Again, hope that all of this information I provided has helped out.
Denny

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Denny »

The McCarthy had the blue removed just last season sometime in either late Spring or early Summer. Not sure when the St. Clair had it done possibly during the 2007 or 2008 season as I will have to do more research from my digital photos to find out more on it.
Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Guest »

mccollochd wrote:
And, finally, does the St Clair still have the blue nose on the unloader system? Does the McCarthy still have a blue nose??

Neither have the blue paint any more.
Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Guest »

Bay Shipbuilding, at the time of constructing the St. Clair could only build a ship of her size because they had limited space at their construction berth. There was no drydock available at Sturgeon Bay for construction of a thousand footer in 1974-1975. It only became available in 1976.

BTW, in a correction to my earlier post, the fifth thousand footer that ASC ordered, became the Edwin H. Gott after ASC sold the build option to US Steel and not the Buffalo.
Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Guest »

American Steamship actually ordered five thousand footers for the Detroit Edison coal trade in 1973, But when the 1974 recession hit, it hard and Detroit Edison had to stretch out capital construction costs for the then building Belle River thermal power plant over several several additional years than had been initially planned. As a result, two of the options ASC had went to Bethlehem Steel in early 1974, while the fifth option became the Buffalo.

ASC was planning on a second 770x92 sister to the St. Clair, but it was of course, never built.
mccollochd
Posts: 23
Joined: March 12, 2010, 2:34 pm

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by mccollochd »

Interesting discussion on the St. Clair. Agree the St. Clair is a good-looking boat, but not sure I would call it the "best" looking.

Another slightly off-topic .... Perhaps this has been discussed before, but what was the rationale for building the St. Clair at 770x92? The Blough was out, why not build St. Clair to 850x105? You would assume that the lead time on ordering/building a boat is several years, so the first 1000-footers were already operating before the order was placed and ASC would already have had orders in to build two 1000-footers in the next two years (Belle River/McCarthy and Indiana Harbor). If St. Clair was to be primarily a coal hauler and cargo hold volume was critical, why did they not order a third 1000-footer?

Also, why only one propeller?

And, finally, does the St Clair still have the blue nose on the unloader system? Does the McCarthy still have a blue nose??
JFB
Posts: 64
Joined: April 25, 2010, 3:28 pm

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by JFB »

Another good source on US shipyards and the boats and ships built in them is;

http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/
Denny

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Denny »

Don't forget as well that an excellent source I'm sure in finding out the answer to when the St. Clair's keel was laid at one time ASC a few years ago published a book with the history of their company and I'm sure they have something on when her keel was laid. If memory serves me correctly, at the time of her launching she was at that time anyway the largest vessel ever side launched at 770 feet in length! The 1,000 footers built at BayShip in the mid-70s per their history in the fleet gallery on boatnerd, some of the forward sections were only 660 feet in length probably because the drydock at that time did not have the room for an entire 1,000 foot long vessel thus they had to be built in special sections and then eventually joined together to create today's 1,000 footer that you see. Hope all of this helps out!
Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Guest »

wormster1 wrote:The St. Clair, Hull 714, The best looking boat on the lakes.
Absolutely the most beautiful laker ever built.
That's an interesting choice and I completely respect that everyone has a different idea of what defines beauty. Can you describe what it is about the St. Clair's appearance that you like so much. Thanks !
Guest

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Guest »

Hmmm... I have an aerial of Bayship from summer of 1974 and I can see what I believe is the SAM LAUD nearing completion and to the north of it another hull being raised. I thought perhaps it was the St. Clair, but that cannot be. Perhaps another boat, a barge or dredge or something along those lines was being put together at the time. I'll need to do more research...
Jim1000

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Jim1000 »

Thanks!
wormster1

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by wormster1 »

The St. Clair, Hull 714, The best looking boat on the lakes.
Absolutely the most beautiful laker ever built.
amherst1

Re: St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by amherst1 »

St. Clair keel was layed 12/10/1974.
Jim1000

St. Clair Keel Laying in 1974

Unread post by Jim1000 »

I've been trying- and failing- to find the keel-laying date of the "St. Clair" at Bayship in 1974. Anyone happen to have this in his/her archives and be willing to share it with me? Thanks!
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