Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Deck crew will go home after 1-2 days. They will collect life buoys from on deck, immersion suits and life preservers from cabins, and other items set aside from inspections by third parties over the winter.

The Engine crew will take 7-10 days for lay up of the machinery in cold lay up status. Cooling water is drained, coolers are cleaned, pumps which cannot be serviced during sailing are overhauled. Engine and generator work may be done, or this may be a separate project done by the crew and/or third party contractors. A ship can also be laid up warm, where cooling water is not drained and all machinery is kept ready to run. In both cases, the ship will be on shore power. If laid up warm, there will be some crew living on board full time all winter. This is an option when major maintenance is planned which will take an extended period, or if the lay up period will be so short it is not worth it to drain all systems. The cooling water is treated with chemicals, which cost money to replace when draining and re-filling. There is a higher chance of problems like leaks when draining water, either from systems expanding/contracting or plugs forgotten to be installed, etc.

Crew transportation to their homes is generally paid for. Some crew will rent a car, others will fly. Some will take a bus (not a common option). The company may also organize a van if there are multiple crew living in the same area.

The forward end puts out the lines and stores non-used equipment, lights, etc. The after end takes apart and or repairs all equipment as if it will not be used for many years and sometimes it's not.

The Victory-Maumee laid up here in Buffalo on Jan. 11th. I was down there a couple days ago & saw a few guys still on board. They were up on top of the upper house of the tug & fixing something on the mainmast.
Another couple times I was aboard a few different boats here, the engine room crew was always hard at work tearing apart stuff down below & at it all winter long.

I left the Lakes back in the 70's and transportation to and from the boat was bus fare from post office in your home town to post office where boat is/was.

I sailed 1979-85 and worked entirely in the engine room. Back then, on the steamships, the deck crew usually departed one to two days after tying up at the dock. The engine room crew stayed for approximately 30 days laying-up the engine room and performing maintenance. We would take the equipment, engines (turbine, reciprocating) and boilers apart and prepare for a "cold" lay-up during the winter and did not want anything to freeze and get damaged.
Our travel home was paid for by the company which for me was ASC or Erie Sand Steamship.

I was wondering when a ships crew leaves for home after docking for winter layup? Is there still a bit of work to be done before they can leave or do they hit the bricks immediately after docking? For those far away from home, does the company pay air fare?