john sherwin

[Ray]

Did the shaft warp from years of non-use, or did this have something to do with why the Sherwin was originally laid up?

[Jared]

When I was on that river I did not see her prop. I also saw missing portholes and windows on the starboard side. I doubt she will sail again. Ships like the Homer and other newer build straight deckers should have been in long term layup instead of scrapped and how the Sherwin escaped is beyond me.

[Guest]

I've also heard its missing a propeller, and who knows what else. Would take quite a bit of work to get her running.

She is not missing a propeller. I think this rumor got started because her old 1-piece "Steam" prop. was donated to the Great Lakes Maritime Museum in Toledo. As they plan to convert her to a Diesel, this cast 1-piece prop. is useless. I understand that before her conversion was stopped, Interlake had already bought her the type of controllable-pitch prop. necessary for a motorship. She is missing her shaft (which was warped & therefore removed). And before the economic nosedive stopped her conversion, her Boilers, Turbine, and Reduction Gear were removed.

[deanad]

In my humble opinion, Inter Lake knows exactly what they are doing. When the Sherwin went to Bay Ship they had big plans and spent a boat load of money on her removing the old engine and probably asbestos removal. They would also know that since they put the money into her to remove those things she would also need more work such as replacing the plating that was damaged by the lay up in Duluth/Superior etc. Now she sits in Detour for free just waiting for the time to get her new engine and self unloading system. I maybe wrong but I think the Jackson will be converted to a diesel first.

[Ray]

As to why hang on to the Sherwin - see the discussion about the Jones Act. At this point in time a low mileage Jones Act compliant vessel is nothing to sneeze at. It would be hard to replace if/when needed.

[garbear]

I know we've gone around about the Sherwin in the past. The economy hasn't been bad for 33 straight years, so I find it hard to believe the time will ever be right to spend tens of millions of dollars on her. When will this time come? Every day it sits it gets another day older. It will never run again as a straight decker, so it will have to be converted to a self-unloader. I don't know the answer to this one, but what does 33 years of sitting in a lot of cold weather do to the electronics on her? It's not just a matter of converting her to a self-unloader, but it will have to be taken apart, cleaned, and put back together. I'm sure a lot of equipment will have to be replaced. I'd love to see her, plus the Ryerson, run again, but I don't expect to see it happen.

[Guest]

I heard that her hull isn't as sound as you would expect. She spent all those years in Duluth - Superior harbor which has high Tannic acid levels which eats away at the hull that is submerged. They have had issues at the Duluth Port Authority dock with the sheet piling being eaten away.

[LakeWatcher]

Like Chris said, she is on their own property, so no dock fees as she sits. I've also heard its missing a propeller, and who knows what else. Would take quite a bit of work to get her running. The ships is probably worth more sitting there doing nothing than any other way, atleast for the time being.

[Guest]

As the Sherwin was used actively for only 23 years following her 1958 construction, there should be a lot of life left in her hull despite sitting idle for 33 years. Had the economy not bottomed out in 2008, there is every reason to believe that this ship's conversion and repowering would have been completed as planned. I don't believe Interlake will sell the ship for scrapping in any nearby timeframe, although a reduction in coal movements may change this. Despite some reports of corrosion issues discovered during dry docking at Superior before its move from that port, I would tend to believe that hull is in excellent condition for its age. Furthermore, any significant increase in the movement of ore or the removal from service of any of their other 1950s era carriers would place Interlake in the position of either converting and repowering the Sherwin or building a new ship. As there are virtually no idle carriers on the lakes (I don't see ASC selling the Valor or Victory to a competitor), the Sherwin's value may have actually increased within the past few years.
Does anyone have any insight into the logic behind the Sherwin's retention during the 1980s when many of her type went to scrap? Interlake downsized their fleet during that decade by selling off the E. G. Grace, Samuel Mather, and Harry Coulby, while retaining the Sherwin. Furthermore, it subsequently sold the Elton Hoyt 2nd to Lower Lakes Towing in 2003.

[Chris M]

I'm sure they still hope to get her back into service at some time. For now she's tied up on their property, having no more dock fees she could sit for quite awhile.

[bob]

does anybody know if they are ever going to do something with the Sherwin? it has been sitting idle for 30 plus years and almost made it back in service in 2008 until the economy went bad. the ship is in good shape I think but it seems like it would be worth more money for scrap than siitting idle all these years and not using it or selling it. tia