Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Discussion board focusing on Great Lakes Shipping Question & Answer. From beginner to expert all posts are welcome.
Syd BC

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Syd BC »

Use to climb the chains then take a turn around your foot so you could stand and use a shovel Gypsum was always a problem Used pick axes and sleigh hammers Once they put plastic in the holds the chains were gone except for a set at each end of the holds so you could get over to the other belt(s)
garbear

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by garbear »

Jon Paul wrote:
Guest wrote:Sounds dangerous.

Any videos of this being done?
It was dangerous but with the right precautions including the mate on the spar deck with the kill switch it was manageable. I personally felt that as a deckhand shifting cables at a gravity dock like DMIR, Presque Isle etc was more dangerous.
Continously hauling a cable while walking on pellets on a narrow dock and slipping between the boat and dock or a cable breaking under tension was a greater risk.



You're 100% correct on the cable pulling. Took a lot of chances that I never should have taken. One of my favorites was pulling the stern cable all the way across the outer end of the dock to put it on the button that was on the other side of the dock. This was as the boat was being shifted astern. With the stern hanging over the end of the dock you had one helluva pull. Always by yourself.
Guest

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

The company I worked for it was a Hard No for anyone to work in the cargo hold with the belts running. Deckhands / AB / Mates had lockout tag out padlocks for the breakers. Watcher / lookout on deck whenever someone was in the cargo hold no matter what, one lookout per hold that had anyone in it, both self unloader and straight decker. Also, anyone in the hold had walkie talkie communication with the deck lookout and unloading control room.
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Jon Paul »

Guest wrote:Sounds dangerous.

Any videos of this being done?
It was dangerous but with the right precautions including the mate on the spar deck with the kill switch it was manageable. I personally felt that as a deckhand shifting cables at a gravity dock like DMIR, Presque Isle etc was more dangerous.
Continously hauling a cable while walking on pellets on a narrow dock and slipping between the boat and dock or a cable breaking under tension was a greater risk.
Guest

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

Sounds dangerous.

Any videos of this being done?
Guest

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

Is this practice still done, or is it frowned upon by OSHA?
MarcE
Posts: 94
Joined: January 27, 2018, 8:47 pm

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by MarcE »

Shaking the chains was a little bit of a workout. You climb down deep into the cargo hold and start shaking the unwanted cargo out. Using the chain you swing sideways to the next chain. Lots of fun.
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Jon Paul »

Chains have been used in the cargo holds of self unloaders long before the footers came around. Coal was usually the culprit that would hang up and necessitate us deck apes to go swing on the chains and get it flowing.
Guest

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:When the Columbia Star came out in 1981 there were pictures of it having chains in its cargo hold reportedly to loosen clumps of iron ore pellets. Did this work? Were any other ships so equipped?
The chains are used for Surveys and cargo hold cleaning. I have swung on them many times.
Guest

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

Attached is an image of the photo in the July-August 1981 edition of GLMI's Telescope journal that prompted this question.
Attachments
786hyfr.jpg
geysir
Posts: 89
Joined: July 8, 2013, 2:29 pm

Re: Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by geysir »

Guest wrote:When the Columbia Star came out in 1981 there were pictures of it having chains in its cargo hold reportedly to loosen clumps of iron ore pellets. Did this work? Were any other ships so equipped?
I assume you mean the chains that connect high up the side and lay on the slope of the cargo hold.

I don't recall chains being used on the Star when I was on it. Normally, the deck crew would use a water hose from on deck to blast away any remaining taconite and clean the hold.

A number of self unloaders had chains in the cargo holds. Basically, these are safety chains which you grab so you can run up and down the slopes of the cargo hold and knock loose any stuck cargo using your hands and boots. It is quite a workout to run up and down and swing over to the next chain. I ran the chains just once on the Hutchinson.
Guest

Thousand Footer Cargo Holds

Unread post by Guest »

When the Columbia Star came out in 1981 there were pictures of it having chains in its cargo hold reportedly to loosen clumps of iron ore pellets. Did this work? Were any other ships so equipped?
Post Reply