Edgar B. Speer Updates

[deep sea mariner]

Here it is September 8 and the Speer is still in Sturgeon Bay getting upgrades to its engines. I thought the news at first was they expected (GLF) to have the work done about the end of August give or take and the Speer would be returning to service about that time.

It’s worth noting that these days it usually takes major projects like re-powering the Edgar B. Speer longer to complete than the originally-planned or originally-publicized timelines. The “why” of it probably could be explained from a number of different angles having to do with today’s hyper profit margin-oriented, nearly monopolized industrial business & logistics environment.

Anecdotally, I have been a part of almost a dozen “shipyard” -type projects in the maritime industry, from major periodic surveys, to emergency dry dockings for major repairs, to new-build ship construction. Almost every such experience saw the ship-owner's and/or shipyard’s initial timelines prove to be too short. The bigger the project, the larger the difference tended to be between initially estimated completion date and actual completion date. The handful of such experiences I had where the original timeline more or less held were the ones that built a lot of wiggle room into the timeline from the start, and/or were projects that were the smallest/most modest in scope. The biggest such project, a complex, high-value, first-in-class new-build, ended up completing almost a year behind originally declared expectations.

Those sort of “delays" seem fairly normal, across the industry, and I hesitate to even use the word “delay”, since in many cases it was obvious from the start to people in “boots-on-the-ground” positions at the shipyard or on the ship-owner’s new-build team whether an initially declared/publicized timeline coming out of management/executive/PR was realistic or not. It’s only an actual “delay” if the original time estimate was realistic. More often than not, it was more a matter of corporate/management's publicized or initially-planned timelines not matching up with how long it was actually going to take to do the work.

[Denny]

Here it is September 8 and the Speer is still in Sturgeon Bay getting upgrades to its engines. I thought the news at first was they expected (GLF) to have the work done about the end of August give or take and the Speer would be returning to service about that time. Anyone know what’s the latest now on the Speer and when she’s expected to return to service then? TIA.

[Denny]

None of those vessels listed have any scrubbers. Only the ones I have listed in my previous post have them from Interlake. Hope this helps out.

[guest]

Good day,

How about Stewart J. Cort & Dorothy Anne/Pathfinder?
Undauted/ Pere Marquette 41?
...

[Denny]

I don’t believe all of the Interlake ships “got scrubbers!” The Kaye E. Barker and the Herbert C. Jackson don’t as they just got engine upgrades from steam power to diesel power I think years ago? The ones that got scrubbers are the Mesabi Miner, James R. Barker, Paul R. Tregurtha, Lee A. Tregurtha and the Oberstar.

[Guest]

The Interlake ships had scrubbers installed. The Lee A's stack got bump outs on the sides for her scrubbers

[Denny]

I don’t believe she did Bob? With the exception of the American Spirit all the other 1,000 footers built at AmShip have had their stacks enlarged! The Barker and the Miner along with the Tregurtha and now the Speer. I don’t know why they decided to keep the double twin stacks on the American Spirit and not enlarge them as they have on the other AmShip Footers. So, with the Speer getting enlarged stacks now does this mean then she will receive Scrubbers like the other AmShip footers now have installed on them?

[Mn bob]

Did the Edwin h gott have her stacks enlarged when she received new engines? I can’t seem to recall

[Guest]

Denny, i don’t have an answer on the sail date. I was in Sturgeon Bay last week. They did get a five year survey and new paint. Scaffolding is erected around both stacks. They are being widened to accommodate new exhaust components.

Thank you for taking the photo of the Edgar B. Speer so we can all see the widened stack on the starboard side.

[Guest]

Back at the end of Aug

[Denny]

Thanks for the replies on the Speer updates everyone very much appreciate your input, replies and information and thanks also to Pat for providing us with the photo of the Speer as that’s a great photo of her! So, and I’m correct in assuming that the Speer will keep her twin stacks but just have them bigger once the new engines are put into her and the project completed? Will the Speer then get the Scrubber System on her like all of the other AmShip footers have done? A couple questions to add but, both not related to the Speer though sorry to say. Why have all of the AmShip footers gotten the Scrubber System yet none of the BayShip footers so far have received it? Lastly, when the American Spirit had it done to her unlike with the Interlake footers, she did not have “one large stack as she still has the twin stacks on her!” Why then did the American Spirit keep her twin stacks and not get a big one like the Interlake footers I have to ask and ask myself at times. Thank You.

[Guest]

A project this large usually runs into unforeseen problems. Plus demand for the tonnage might not be pressing - perhaps saving money by finishing the work with no overtime.

[Pat]

Denny, i don’t have an answer on the sail date. I was in Sturgeon Bay last week. They did get a five year survey and new paint. Scaffolding is erected around both stacks. They are being widened to accommodate new exhaust components.

[deep sea mariner]

I’m not 100% certain about the 5-year survey, but the Speer was dry-docked at Sturgeon Bay either late spring or early summer 2026 as a part of the re-powering project and it would be a reasonable guess that they also carried out the major periodic survey at that time.

In recent photos posted to social media now that the ship is back in the water again, floating alongside one of Fincanteri’s work/fitout berths, it does appear that the ship received a fresh coat of paint while in drydock.

[Guest]

The Edgar B. Speer had been sailing on an extension for 5-year survey and drydocking, which was due to expire on January 30, 2025. Undoubtedly that has been done, the ABS and US Coast Guard marine surveyors will sign off on the certificates once the engine installation has been completed and everything tested. They will also check that any repairs have been completed to the satisfaction of the marine surveyors.

[Denny]

Anyone know or have any information regarding when the Speer will be out then for this season? They are getting new engines put into them I think this year and was just curious and wondering just when they will have that job done and then be out sailing this season? Also, did the Speer get their 5-year survey & drydocking done as well with a new paint job? Any information is appreciated. Thanks in advance.