Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I recall loading there on the Sloan, Taylor and Calcite 2nd. We would load for 12-14 hours around 12-14,000 nt. Chain falls and block and tackle were needed to pull those 2 snouts outboard to trim and pack it in. We would unload in the Rouge river at US Gypsum on S Side ode river. Unloads would take between 24-36 hours. Anyone could go down and shovel, pick and rattle chains for overtime. Dock guys would take a shuttle work boat out to the rigs and give us rides to shore. The roundtrip for each bucket took :45. Really a dinosaur system.

Bottom is rock(Gypsum) The formation rises as it goes out into the lake.

I know that the Diamond Alkali loaded there in August of '74

Who and when was the last boat to load at Alabaster and where was the Gypson unloaded at? I remember as a kid in the late 90s and into the early 2000s always seeing the Richard Reiss loading there. What other boats loaded there?
Not to far away is Port Gypson and last I heard Asc boats loaded there still. How do they load the boats there? Besides Asc do anyother boat companys load there? Thanks for any information.
Dan

You'd think it would have been cheaper to dredge a channel so the ships could get closer to shore instead of building that cable system, unless the lake bottom in that location is all rock.

yhere once was a similiar ship loader in st george newfoundland that was used to load gypsum into ships such as the wheatking and conveyor ex cape breton miner i beieve the whole operation is now closed up

The attached are photos from my files, obtained from various unknown sources.

As I understand, the cables failed and the whole system was abandoned shortly afterwards. The rest of the gypsum is now shipped by rail or truck.

The bases of the structures are visible on Google earth, but just.

I remember seeing freighters there all the time when i was camping as a kid in tawas. How long would it take to load like that?

Hi Wally,

It was in Lake Huron:

http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbs ... bs_786.htm

HI! I am looking for some information on an unloading system that I think was in Lake Erie. I think it was to load alabaster into ships offshore.It looked like a ski chair lift and now the pedestals are used for wind turbines.Please post any pictures if possible. I was telling a friend in the ship repair game and he said in 58 years of sailing he had never heard of it . Thanx Wally