Stewart J. Cort

[Bob]

What is going on with the cort? Once again she’s hugging the north shore and going 6.2 knots,very odd as there’s no weather and all the other ships are in the middle of the lake.

[guest]

my guess is that there is a problem of some sort aboard that the coast guard or possibly the office has required them to stay within a certain distance from shore and use a reduced speed. Most likely problem would be a mechanical but who knows.

[Guest]

With all this extra time, I sure hope the load is maxed out to get the best possible return in revenue.

[Denny]

I see too from their AIS on Marine Traffic's website that they are not due to arrive in Burns Harbor until June 24 which is 5 days from their departure from Superior! Very odd and strange as like I said in a previous post "A normal voyage from the time they depart from Burns Harbor to Superior is 3 days give or take and the same when they depart Superior to Burns Harbor." So definitely there is something different here going on with them as to why it would take longer to get from Burns Harbor to Superior and back again!

[JohnH]

The Cort departed BNSF #5 this morning and she's still running checked down.

I see that the Cort is running close along the North Shore at 6.2 knots. Maybe it is doing a little sight-seeing!

[Guest]

This could be a case in which the head office is having the Cort run at reduced speed to decrease the number of voyages made over a particular period of time. This would circumvent the need to lay the ship up for a short period due to uncertain demand and offset some of the expenses associated with the layup and reactivation process. I'm assuming that this is something that would be determined by the accounting department by analyzing fixed and variable costs of its operation in comparison to the expense reductions of its being idled. If demand does not pick up, I would assume the Cort will likely have a shortened season. As a further note, isn't the Cort leased to Interlake rather than owned? If so, could this have some bearing on contractual agreements of the lease and seasonal tonnage hauling commitments?

[Mr Link]

There were photos posted here several years ago of a crew swimming off their boat in Lake Erie. But I think they were waiting for a dock at Marblehead or Kellys Island.

[johnfrombrighton]

This isn't specific to the Cort. But would there ever be a case - when the lake is really calm - where a ship would put the engines/propellers in neutral & just drift?

Also. Watching the Pt Huron cam & the Mississagi unloading. The St Clair R looks beautiful. Are there any cases where a captain has shut down a ship in the lake - when the water is warm - and let the crew go swimming over the side???? Like lifeboat drill??

[garbear]

The Cort departed BNSF #5 this morning and she's still running checked down.

[Guest]

Going to anchor isn't a simple process and there have been many instances in which ships will either proceed on their voyages at a reduced speed or slowly sail around in circles off a port entrance to avoid anchoring.

[tugboat]

Still makes no sense to go the North Shore of Superior way out of your way adding miles to the trip when weather was Southerly. Why not just go to anchor outside Duluth?

[Guest]

I can understand running at a slower speed to save on fuel, if she wasn't yet ready to take on another load. But why take the longer, scenic route? Why not just take the more direct path and sit on the hook for a while, saving even more fuel?

I noticed she was traveling around 6.6 kts for most of her journey, but then increased to 13.4 kts during the last hour or so... which also seemed odd. It's as if she suddenly decided she was in a hurry. She wasn't waiting for any vessels to vacate the BN5 dock, as the Algoma Guardian had left about 12 hours earlier.

[hausen]

Could be this, guys: they are running out of loads to carry. Consequently they may be operating on half power on the upbound trip. I experienced it that way before.

Seems the likeliest explanation. Company & crew might be operating her at a sweet spot intersection of slow speed, lower fuel consumption, and the amount of iron ore pellets she'll need to end up carrying this season. If recall is correct, this is not the first voyage she's slow-belled on in recent weeks.

[garbear]

I was watching the Speer arrive Duluth on the canal cam and you could see the Cort cut across from the North Shore to the Superior side. There was a lot of smoke coming from her stack. She was several miles out, but a pretty noticeable smoke stream.

[Bob]

I also noticed the cort taking an unusual route in northern Lake Michigan like it was weather related. It took them a long time to get through the straights and then I noticed they were way up by Thunder Bay coming down the north shore of Lake Superior. And like you said Denny it’s taken them two days longer on their trip from burns harbor to superior. Doesn’t seem to be a backlog of ships loading in superior so I to wonder what’s up with their strange route up here.

[Darryl]

Could be this, guys: they are running out of loads to carry. Consequently they may be operating on half power on the upbound trip. I experienced it that way before.

[Denny]

Don't know garbear but, I find it even more strange that after they unloaded in Burns Harbor a few days back that normally it would take them maybe 3 days give or take to get up to Superior but, this time it's taken them around 5 days or so give or take? I don't know what their issues are as to why so long getting back up to the dock in Superior? Traffic ahead of them or something else then?

[garbear]

Noticed the Cort heading down the North Shore doing 6.6 knots. Any idea as to what is going on? Weather isn't an issue.