Winter Storage Cargo

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience Guest 999. I enjoy learning about ship life from a Mariner's point of view.

I was just a lucky boatnerd who got called when an ACR office worker was in a tizzy, as the shipkeeper who was supposed to take the boat had to cancel at the last minute. I am a millwright by trade, never sailed. A fellow millwright who also sailed had suggested I express interest in shipkeeper.

[guest]

In the days before the St. Laurence Seaway opened, 1959, storage grain was a very common thing for the last trip of the season. Because there were no large locks beneath Lake Ontario, most grain was shipped through Buffalo or other lower lake ports to the East Coast. Both the railroads & the lake shipping companies made a lot of money with that trade. Cleaning up for grain on the old straight deckers almost became a ritual that the season was coming to an end. Wire brushes, hosing down & then chaff to dry the bottom of the holds. Some times it was the insurance rates connected with a certain date that ended the season. In Buffalo in this era it was not unusual to have several grain loaded vessels anchored in the harbor for the winter. They would be brought in to be unloaded as the dock and storage space became available. Hanna, Tomlinson & Midland Steamship were other companies who had these storage grain cargoes. Flax seed was taken to Cleveland, Sherwin Williams, as a storage cargo also.
MIke

[Bookworm]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience Guest 999. I enjoy learning about ship life from a Mariner's point of view.

[Guest 999]

Vessels in Winter layup are normally in a de-ballasted condition or light ship. The ship keeper sounds the ballast tanks daily for any leakage into them.

I still have my Excel spreadsheet in my email of my seven weeks as Algosteel's shipkeeper in early 2016 in Toronto layup. Ballast tank readings, bilge water depth, weather conditions. I was a regular 'Davy Jones'.
:-D

[badger]

in toronto canadin lakers use to have winter layup cargos of raw surgar. loaded from saltwater ships in montreal and unloaded in the winter, as needed from the lakes, which were moved to the sugar plant by tugssssssssss. in 1977 the sir james dunn was bound for montreal with wheat. it was a really cold decenber. the dunn was low pwered {2,300 HP skinner engine. it was decided to turn around and layup in kingston at the elevator. in the spring we left for montreal' the cargo was unloaded at the elevator, in pristine condition.

[Guest]

At one time, Winter storage cargoes were a valuable service offered by ship owners/operators, as many times the grain elevators were full from the Fall harvest and storage was needed by the elevator operators. The vessel operators charges a fee for the storage of the grain onboard their ships. But the hatch-covers had to be properly secured and made waterproof so no moisture would get to the cargo. The cargoes are also insured.

Interlake Steamship Oglebay Norton and Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company would use their older straight-deckers for Winter storage cargoes.

The Canadian lake fleets often use their straight-deckers for Winter storage of grain and occasionally iron ore pellets. Winter storage of cargoes onboard vessels provides revenue in the Winter, when most fleets are laidup.

Vessels in Winter layup are normally in a de-ballasted condition or light ship. The ship keeper sounds the ballast tanks daily for any leakage into them.

[Guest]

And a related question. Who owns the cargo on the winter storing boat? The shipper or the buyer?

[Guest]

Over the last few weeks, I have seen several references in the "Today in Great Lakes History" to ships in port with a 'winter storage cargo of grain.' Does that mean exactly what it reads? Is the ship used for storage of grain during its winter lay up? Is the grain still useable in the spring? Does the grain provide needed ballast? Thanks for any help.