Roger Blough future

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

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by guest »

cant really fit another hull at the scrap yard in port colborne, probably going to happen in the spring of 2023. there is even still a part {stern} of the townsend to be cut up
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Jared »

Mn bob wrote: October 3, 2022, 10:30 am So the blough is for sure about 99 percent done and going to scrap or is nobody sure on that yet?
Nobody is sure. The fact that they hauled away the Ojibway and Manistee with the Crapo not much further along shows that GLF is hesitating to let it go.
Mn bob

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Mn bob »

So the blough is for sure about 99 percent done and going to scrap or is nobody sure on that yet?
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

Don't forget the cost of environmental abatement. The setup at Port Colborne where they guarantee a ship owner that items such as asbestos, oils, paints are properly disposed of without future liability to the vessel owner costs a lot of money.

Asbestos was removed from the Roger Blough's engine room before the NTSB did their investigation, Don't forget oil residue and various oil/fuels in the tanks, and in the nether areas of the ship from firefighting. And the fire would have created new toxins with the burning/burning of various plastics, paints, etc.

Scrap value of a vessel is based on price per light ton. I doubt a vessel owner sending a ship to Port Colborne would get even half of the maximum pricing mentioned earlier. Highest prices per light ton for a ship is paid in the Sub-Continent -(i.e., Pakistan, India and Bangladesh).

https://www.go-shipping.net/demolition-market
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

Scrap steel prices have fallen almost 50% since the high in March. (High of $640 per ton on March 1 to $363 today)

Of course the boats prop and electric motors are still worth a bit but I'm sure the scrap yard is also paying way more for it's consumables (those torches burn alot of fuel) and their labor costs.

I think they missed the boat by not selling this spring. Plus think of the costs to keep her tied up.
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

Approximately how much is the Blough worth scrap price?
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

I believe the major issue with the Dorothy Ann and pathfinder is the z drives, they even had plans to convert her to a conventional cpp system a few years ago. The Pathfinder had slopes added to fix the unloading troubles which is surprising they went back to that setup on the MWB. They must really believe there is a future hauling something other than break bulk cargo. I believe VTB did look at the Blough in spring but there hasn’t been any talk since.
Mn bob

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Mn bob »

The blough has had some hard luck in her career starting with the engine room fire when she was being built then running hard aground outside of the soo in 2015/16 and now this engine room fire during layup. It’s been one of my all time favorite ships and I have my fingers crossed that they will repair her and she will sail again but I think with the economy the way it is and the limited ports she can serve it will be her demise. Seems such a tragedy to send a ship like this to the scrap yard when it doesn’t have as much use on the hull as ships the same age do due to her sitting at the wall for several years during her career.
guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by guest »

i doubt if interlakes is really interested ina tug and barge operation. from what i gather they arent extremely pleased with the dorothy ann/pathfiner so i dont think they will go that route again. on the other hand perhaps VTB could be interested' your right about interlakes large tug, a lot of money sitting in ludington doing nothing.
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

The engines were not damaged in the fire and are in a long term preserved condition. The wiring and unloading system have extensive damage along with structural issues in the forward end of the engine room due to the heat. I feel the only way she would return is with a conventional boom and a tug pushing. Didn’t Interlake purchase a large tug recently? They also seem to be the only company that would take on an investment that large. Could they cut off the pilot house and put a forward boom on her?
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Jon Paul »

I still believe unless the aft end damage is too extensive to repair or replace that the Blough will not go for scrap. Over the next 5 years I think we will see some attrition in the fleets as older more heavily used boats i.e. Galloway and others head to the scrap yard.
As I mentioned before, even rebuilding the stern with new high efficiency engines, a reworked unloading system and deck boom would be far cheaper than building new or converting another boat.
I could easily see the Blough filling a role like the American Spirit is playing with hauling limestone and pellets and would be easier to load due to its 42' depth compared to AS at 50'.
Having spent a large part of its service life at the wall due to its limited unloading ports, the Blough is relatively new in terms of mileage and wear and tare when compared to other boats of its era. Its excellent ice breaking capabilities also add value and with a deck boom its versatility would make it a valuable asset for hauling a variety if cargoes.
I think she would look might fine in CML colors too
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

guest wrote: September 19, 2022, 9:23 pm when brian mentioned "gentlemens club" i wondered what he was refering to
I now realize that when I wrote "gentlemen's club", it has a different meaning than I was thinking. My sincerest apologiest for the confusion.

As the link I provided showed, the Harbor Club was at first an informal monthly lunch meeting at the Elk Club. Later, it was formalized and the members would meet at different locations.

Again, my apologiest for the confusion.

Brian
guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by guest »

when brian mentioned "gentlemens club" i wondered what he was refering to
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Jared »

I had a friend at the shipyard who's currently on the coast. When he left 2 months ago, GLF had not made a decision. And he said in his surprising experience with the Anderson, that you won't know what the decision is until a few weeks out with a call to Port Colburn. The engines were oiled and wrapped when he left the yard. Absolutely no work has been done on the Calloway.
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

Were the engines damaged in the fire and if not, will they be salvaged for reuse?
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

The Harbor Club is a gentlemen's club in Duluth that holds monthly meetings for those in the maritime industry.

Here's a link to the archives held at University of Wisconsin-Superior and gives an overview.

https://library.uwsuper.edu/harborclub/historicalnote

Brian
guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by guest »

the blough will end up being scrapped in port colborne and the steel "chunks" will end up in the steel furnace in nanticoke and eventually in your next new north american bulit car!
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

jerry at duluth wrote: September 17, 2022, 11:06 am It was announced at harbor club at duluth, that the calloway has been sold and the blough has been sold for scrap. i do not believe that the final story of the blough has been written.
What is the Harbor Club? Who made the announcement?
Guest

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by Guest »

What do you believe will happen to the Blough?

Where is the Calloway going? Any word on how much she was sold for?

jerry at duluth wrote: September 17, 2022, 11:06 am It was announced at harbor club at duluth, that the calloway has been sold and the blough has been sold for scrap. i do not believe that the final story of the blough has been written.
jerry at duluth

Re: Roger Blough future

Unread post by jerry at duluth »

It was announced at harbor club at duluth, that the calloway has been sold and the blough has been sold for scrap. i do not believe that the final story of the blough has been written.
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