Fate of the Ryerson

[Guest]

It would seem to me that it's a hell of a lot easier to modify some tank vents than it is to put a boom on, dieselize her or put photon torpedoes on her or any of the other crazy ideas people have!! Keeping her as a long term option is one thing but actively being able to make money with her, even for a few months a year, seems a better thing than running up docking and shore power fees!!

[Darryl]

Also, her tank vents are inside the holds.

[Guest]

I was always curious why they never tried the Ryerson in the grain trade. Steinbrenner did it for years and the Canadians still run straight deckers for grain. That would give her maybe 3-4 months of the year employment and usually once these things are running they find other spot loads for them here and there. Plus she has an MSD plant so she's not restricted to having to go to Indiana Harbor every week or two because her sewage holding tank needs to be pumped and they don't want to pay a sucker truck to haul it away!! :)

I believe she lacks the cubic capacity to haul enough grain to make it profitable.

[Guest]

I was always curious why they never tried the Ryerson in the grain trade. Steinbrenner did it for years and the Canadians still run straight deckers for grain. That would give her maybe 3-4 months of the year employment and usually once these things are running they find other spot loads for them here and there. Plus she has an MSD plant so she's not restricted to having to go to Indiana Harbor every week or two because her sewage holding tank needs to be pumped and they don't want to pay a sucker truck to haul it away!! :)

[GuestAgain]

I should add to my post below that in my opinion, her best shot is being converted to a diesel power plant and/or self-unloader. These are both very expensive, but would make her truly competitive with the other lakers. As another commenter stated, perhaps her hold configuration would allow for a nice market (noting what I said about making money in my post below). Last but not least, as much as I'd hate to see it done, there is always the option of her being cut down to an ATB.

[GuestAgain]

All,
I love the Ryerson as much as any of you, and would hate to see her go to the scrapyard. I am also heartened to hear the company explicitly stated that they are saving her for potential future use and that she is not in immediate danger.

However, we have to be objective here. No matter how proud a shipping company is of their assets, at the end of the day they are still a business and aren't going to run them if they don't provide a significant return on investment. Even if a niche market is found where the Ryerson could be viable, it has to be able to make money. Additionally, the Ryerson is not ready to sail; I'm guessing she will need a survey, and re-commissioning of her steam plant, all of which has considerable expense. And on the topic of her steam plant, she only has an EPA exemption until 2025. After that, she will need to be repowered (which costs tens of millions of dollars). Additionally, there are other boats currently tied up (albeit in other fleets) that are more likely to be used due to more modern powerplants and unloading systems.

I know this message is a bit of a downer, but please know I'm not trying to stop the conversation and I'm certainly not anti-Ryerson (I would be ecstatic to see her sail within the next year, I mean just look at the gorgeous profile that Bookworm posted!). I'm simply trying to be a little realistic.

[Bookworm]

A bit off topic but in searching through old photo files today, I came across this one of the Ryerson in lay-up. (2003, at Sturgeon Bay, WI.)

[Darryl]

It was just in the news today. Steel is still being dumped at a high rate into the country. Nothing essentially has been done to change this. The present and the past administrations only give this topic lip service. That's not to say they won't address it. My guess before the ELR leaves the wall, we'd see a couple others that are tied up out first. Hopefully, steel imports could be address the latter half of the year.

[Guest]

What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.

Besides... The Economy in 2009 was abysmal at best. It took 6 years to climb out of that hole.

[Guest]

What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.

The Niche will be similar to the niche that was created for her in Lorain. Previously unconsidered out of the box thinking that was unproven, yet feasible.

The Old girl is tenacious if nothing. Don't underestimate the love for her, and the desire to make her work..

[Guest]

Consider it an educated guess. No one, including the owners have ever given up hope, nor stopped trying to find a niche for her.

I truly believe her Leslies will be singing their way around the lakes next year.

What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.

[Guest]

Consider it an educated guess. No one, including the owners have ever given up hope, nor stopped trying to find a niche for her.

I truly believe her Leslies will be singing their way around the lakes next year.

[Guest]

I don't see the Ryerson with a Boom, But I'll bet she sails within the year.

What makes you think she'll sail in a year when she hasn't sailed since 2009? To me this would have been the year with all the Minnesota pellets going down the Seaway.

[Guest]

I don't see the Ryerson with a Boom, But I'll bet she sails within the year.

[A J]

If/when the Ryerson ever gets a self-unloader, hope the boom is mounted behind the wheelhouse like the Munson. Not only more functional as opposed to mounted aft, but also keep the nice lines of the aft deckhouse. The conveyor housing could be low profile like the Munson as well.

[Tom]

You are right Ray, he said that day it was safe right in the spot it is parked and he was saving it for future use. He also said it would be hard to convert to self un loader because of some center ballast tanks.

[Paul A]

Only my opinion, I think they're waiting to see what arc furnace ready products will be furnished in the near future. They will be dense cubic cargos that can be unloaded with magnets. Again, just my thoughts formed from what's been reported over the last few years.

Paul, forgive my naivete, but what do you mean by cubic cargoes?

I thought that the material that would be transported from Minnesota to the new HBI plant in Toledo was going to be Direct Reduced Pellets, like those already produced at Northshore Mining. See the following article: http://www.wdio.com/TWIM/dri-cliffs-min ... o/4514241/

Thus, to take advantage of the new DR pellet cargoes moving to Ohio, the Reyerson would probably still need to be converted to a self-unloader.

I was thinking of a cubically dense cargo like the steel nuggets from the iron range that have been discussed in the news for the past few years.

[Duluthian]

Only my opinion, I think they're waiting to see what arc furnace ready products will be furnished in the near future. They will be dense cubic cargos that can be unloaded with magnets. Again, just my thoughts formed from what's been reported over the last few years.

Paul, forgive my naivete, but what do you mean by cubic cargoes?

I thought that the material that would be transported from Minnesota to the new HBI plant in Toledo was going to be Direct Reduced Pellets, like those already produced at Northshore Mining. See the following article: http://www.wdio.com/TWIM/dri-cliffs-min ... o/4514241/

Thus, to take advantage of the new DR pellet cargoes moving to Ohio, the Reyerson would probably still need to be converted to a self-unloader.

[Guest]

One factor I have not seen mentioned here yet is the possibility of using this ship if there is future growth in the export ore market. A vast majority of U.S. flagged capacity on the lakes is represented by ships too large to transit the Welland Canal and Seaway locks and as such the Ryerson is optimized for such a trade. Over longer voyages, the lack of self-unloading gear is less of a detriment than it is in the Lake Superior to lower lakes trading patterns. The changing coal trade will also likely result in American shipping companies taking a more aggressive approach to Seaway trading in the future.

In addition, by all accounts the Ryerson is in excellent mechanical condition with far less use on its structural components in comparison to other ships in the U.S. fleet. Several years ago, the St. Marys Challenger was the focus of much attention when it reached 100 years of service. I would not be surprised to see many of the ships built during the postwar shipbuilding boom from 1949 to 1960 currently in existence to also achieve that milestone.

It looks like to me that Algoma and CSL both have a good handle on the export ore trade. I don't see it growing to the point where they can't handle the tonnage. Especially with Algoma having new boats arriving soon. 3 boats, 1 Algoma and 2 CSL, left the Twin Ports and Two Harbors yesterday bound for Quebec with ore.

[Guest]

One factor I have not seen mentioned here yet is the possibility of using this ship if there is future growth in the export ore market. A vast majority of U.S. flagged capacity on the lakes is represented by ships too large to transit the Welland Canal and Seaway locks and as such the Ryerson is optimized for such a trade. Over longer voyages, the lack of self-unloading gear is less of a detriment than it is in the Lake Superior to lower lakes trading patterns. The changing coal trade will also likely result in American shipping companies taking a more aggressive approach to Seaway trading in the future.

In addition, by all accounts the Ryerson is in excellent mechanical condition with far less use on its structural components in comparison to other ships in the U.S. fleet. Several years ago, the St. Marys Challenger was the focus of much attention when it reached 100 years of service. I would not be surprised to see many of the ships built during the postwar shipbuilding boom from 1949 to 1960 currently in existence to also achieve that milestone.