BoatNerd.Com Discussion Boards

Guest - thanks for the photo. It looks a little out of plumb. Since you saw it first hand, were you able to see any further signs of damage to the light?

The concept is intriguing... maximize cargo capacity by removing all conveying equipment from the holds. Did this also eliminate the sloped holds? Perhaps there is a modern day application for this. Some cement carriers use an auger conveying system. The massive superstructure above the spar deck ha...

What were the limiting factors on the Davis that required an upbound "North" landing, but a "south" tie up? Was it something with the design of the locks itself or a rule for where deckhands could be?

Speaking of the photos from the news section, has anyone else noticed the arrows to advance to the next photo in the deck have disappeared or is it just my browser being difficult?

Another post brought up the point of the change to electric arc furnaces and the impact on the coal and iron ore trades, and by extension shipping. As the corporate execs look at the long-term future of Great Lakes shipping, what factors come in to play? Change in cargo, changes in shipping methods ...

Hosing them off is of little use because there are literally thousands more ready to take their place. One of the challenges of living in the area of the shallow western end of Lake Erie is the shallow waters are perfect breeding grounds for them. You hit the main concern which is the slick they lea...

While I enjoy reminiscing about "the old days" when we had so much camaraderie on the boards, the new boards still provide a ton of information and offer the ability to engage in long term dialogues. Hats off to all of the volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time to keeping this board...

With so few steam powered vessels left on the lakes, are there still stationary engineers sailing and being churned out by the trade schools? I have been looking for licensed stationary engineers for my company and they seem to be getting harder to find.

The news story from a few weeks ago on three vessels being in their namesake ports led to the question of how many current vessels would have a "namesake port". There are several more namesake "rivers" (Maumee, Cuyahoga, etc.)
Does anyone have a list?

Duluth Guest - thanks for your sketch. I wonder how much a ship in heavy seas would squat in the trough of large waves which would of course decrease the depth under hull. You mentioned hydrostatic pressure possibly causing structural damage. Would a decreased depth under hull also increase hydrosta...

Thanks for correcting that River Rat. So would ODOT cover some of the delay costs of is that just the cost of doing business on rivers?

I had a nice front row seat to some master seamanship as the Kom was delayed on the Maumee River by the Cherry Street bridge not being able to open. The pilot and crew, along with the crews of two G-tugs were able to hold her steady in the channel for over an hour despite strong crosswinds and downr...

Interesting question. I cannot speak to freighters or larger vessels. I do notice on my cruiser a much larger buildup of bottom algae and zebra mussels on one side of my boat from sitting with one side facing the sun at the dock. Of course I can just jump in the water with a brush a few times a year...

Great job once again by the entire Boatnerd crew on the April 1st news. This is quickly becoming America's favorite holiday due (in my opinion) to your efforts. Boating on the Maumee River in front the the NGLM will never be the same.

I was trying to get photos of the St. Clair tow out of Toledo. For those that know the area, there really is not a good vantage point. The best scenario was hiking out the peninsula by Cullen Park in Toledo. It started off as a nice mulched path, then turn to gravel, then stone, then rock, then boul...

I remember seeing this chart many years ago in the Soo Locks Visitors Center. The one thing we can say of water levels on the Great Lakes is they are always fluctuating. https://lre-wm.usace.army.mil/ForecastData/GLBasinConditions/LTA-GLWL-Graph.pdf Being a Lake Erie boater, I have been through many...

Great discussion on possible work to the Blough (hopefully!)
This brought up a similar question: Has a vessel ever been shortened to allow it to service more ports? I would assume the Blough's beam and self-unloader arrangement are probably higher limiting factors.

As Guest noted above, the shallowness of the western basin creates challenges in how quickly storms impact the seas. It was also noted above the massive and rapid impacts from seiches. I boat on the Maumee River and western basin... we have had 6' - 8' changes in water levels in hours during and aft...

Nope - not quite for the freighters out there, but a shout out of condolence to all my fellow boaters who have hauled out, power washed the bottoms and winterized the systems.

2021 was a good season!

Ohio Bob
NQFC Carver 32' Montego
"Just Another Grand"

It is that time of year once again. Time to pay tribute to the incredible contribution to society of the internal combustion engine. Count up all of the cylinders in every internal combustion engine in your household to determine your "Cylinder Appreciation Index" (CAI). It your CAI matche...