Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Someone mentioned that postwar Lakers have Electric Winches. I'm not sure if you include the Str. Middletown (American Victory in Scrapper's language), being a 1961 T-3 Conversion, but she defiinitely had steam winches. I have an excellent photo of the forward winches clearly showing this, but unfortunately I'm not computer-savvy enough to send this in. Perhaps some more knowledgable Boatnerd can tell me how to enter a 3'x5' photo into my files, so I can send it in.

Thanks everyone for the informative replies and recollections. Makes me wonder how many lakers with steam winches are left now...

I remember warming up winches by turning over slowly and bleeding condensate from them. clank clank.

It was also nice to lean up against the steam cylinder during long watches shifting up and down the dock while loading.

You know I think the Joe Thompson of '52 had steam winches. I clearly remember the hiss of the steam and smell of the grease. I also have a fond memory of old steam winches "warming up" that is out of gear. There would be that chug, chug, clank, clank. Oh, the good old days! Mike

Saginaw, like other post-war Lakers, has electric winches but requires steam to heat the heavy fuel that the main engine burns. This is in addition to other duties such as quarters heating. The steam system includes an economizer salvaged from the Comeaudoc. It makes steam from the hot main engine exhaust gas.

yes

I believe that many of the repowered steamers retained (or were fitted with) a steam boiler to operate various steam powered equipment such as their winches.

This bring up another question. How were the steam powered freighters heated? Was it by hot water/steam from the boilers?

Great photos by John MacKay of the Saginaw in Owen Sound for today's News Photo Gallery. Did the Saginaw retain a steam boiler after her conversion to diesel? Just wondered based on the white steam plume coming from her stack.