by Jared » February 7, 2022, 7:45 pm
As I mentioned in another thread, the Blough had her engines oiled up and covered in plastic which should rule out immediate disposal, but in terms of her usefulness and capacity I have doubts that she will be needed anytime in the future.
Remember that with exception to the new Barker and the Algoma boats that the lakers in service now are beyond their lifespans and are in their sixth or seventh decade of service. A lot of these boats (Maumee, Ojibway, Missagi, Burton, etc) have been rode hard and put away wet. We know that eventually these boats will and must meet their end. As stated before on several threads now, the ideas of the repowering, lengthening, rebuilding, barging, and whatever else has been mentioned is all moot if the hull is no good. Intense fires change the makeup of the steel which is a deal breaker, the changing of the economic situation, and the lack of cargos will put an end to the Blough.
There is no economical way to convert her to carry "packaged" goods like windmill blades or towers. She can't carry LNG or oil, she isn't designed for grain, stone, or salt. She can carry ore down and coal up. Cargoes that are in danger of being irrelevant in this economy and new world. We will see the first footers go to scrap before this decade is done. We will see the classics gone with two decades. The Sherwin, Ryerson, Valor, and McKee Sons (along with the Spencer) have sat at the wall during a period of remarkable economic growth and a upsurge in cargo demand. That is not a good sign of the times ahead for the lakes.
As I mentioned in another thread, the Blough had her engines oiled up and covered in plastic which should rule out immediate disposal, but in terms of her usefulness and capacity I have doubts that she will be needed anytime in the future.
Remember that with exception to the new Barker and the Algoma boats that the lakers in service now are beyond their lifespans and are in their sixth or seventh decade of service. A lot of these boats (Maumee, Ojibway, Missagi, Burton, etc) have been rode hard and put away wet. We know that eventually these boats will and must meet their end. As stated before on several threads now, the ideas of the repowering, lengthening, rebuilding, barging, and whatever else has been mentioned is all moot if the hull is no good. Intense fires change the makeup of the steel which is a deal breaker, the changing of the economic situation, and the lack of cargos will put an end to the Blough.
There is no economical way to convert her to carry "packaged" goods like windmill blades or towers. She can't carry LNG or oil, she isn't designed for grain, stone, or salt. She can carry ore down and coal up. Cargoes that are in danger of being irrelevant in this economy and new world. We will see the first footers go to scrap before this decade is done. We will see the classics gone with two decades. The Sherwin, Ryerson, Valor, and McKee Sons (along with the Spencer) have sat at the wall during a period of remarkable economic growth and a upsurge in cargo demand. That is not a good sign of the times ahead for the lakes.