http://www.shipsmonthly.com • Summer 2018 • 39
Great Lakers
separate the iron ore-producing
areas of Lake Superior from the
steelmaking centres on lakes
Michigan, Huron and Erie, can
accommodate larger vessels than
the other locks of the system, the
captive ore and coal carriers will
often carry much larger loads
than visiting overseas ships.
The ore carriers, in fact,
can load cargoes of nearly
75,000 tonnes to a draught of
30ft, while overseas ships, or
‘salties’, departing the Lakes
through the lock system will
be restricted to cargoes of
about 27,000 tonnes on a
draught of 26ft, levels that
can vary between channels
and ports as well as between
seasons because of fresh water
fl ow. Many of the outbound
bulkers will top off their loads
to a deeper draught at ports
along the St Lawrence River,
such as Montreal, before
proceeding to the open ocean.
the ‘lAKers’
Some of the oldest active
commercial vessels in the
world can be found on the
Great Lakes, although their
numbers are declining. Even
before World War I, more
than 30 million tons of iron
ore was being transported
annually across Lake Superior,
and a great many of what
would be termed ‘Lakers’
were built during this period.
Because of the unique
navigating conditions on the
Lakes, these ships were long
and slender, their pilothouses
mounted well forward and
their engines located aft. This
design still dominates on the
Lakes today, although the
development of conveyer-belt
self-unloading systems, led by
the retrofi t of the 1888-built
steamer Hennepin in 1902,
has seen the installation of
conveyor systems and rotatable
booms on most Lakes ships,
along with aft-positioned
superstructures.
The self-discharging bulk
carrier has become the key to
modern dry bulk cargo handlingon the Great Lakes, with
commodities such as ore pellets,
coal, limestone, aggregates and
salt easily handled by the gravity-
fed systems. In addition,
onshore requirements for
most of these commodities
are minimal, requiring only an
open area for stockpiling.
Because of this, a large
number of elderly Lakers have
gained a new lease of life with
the addition of self-unloading
gear. This sees hopper-type holds
created in the ships which feed
cargo by gravity to a conveyor
system mounted on the tank
top, with a second system liftingthe cargo to the discharge
boom. Although a vessel’s
overall cargo capacity is reduced
with this type of installation,
the speed of discharge easily
makes up the difference in
quick turn-around time.
In addition to self-
unloading equipment, several
older Lakers have also been
expanded in capacity through
the addition of new mid- and
fore-bodies. An example of
this type of conversion was the
creation of Canada Steamship
Lines’ CSL Niagara from the
stern section of the 1972-built
J. W. McGiffi n in 1999. The A stern view of the ATB combination Victory (tug) and James L. Kuber
(barge), discloses the latter’s hull shape, once the 1953-built bulk carrier
Reserve but cut down for barge usage in 2008. Scott BeSt The 20,789gt Federal Bering, seen transiting the Saint-Lambert Lock, is one of six similar Seaways ships built by
Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding for Canada’s Fednav during 2015. gilleS Savoie Completed in 1952, and retro-fitted with a self-discharging conveyor boom
in 1982, the 25,300dwt Philip R. Clarke can discharge her seven cargo holds at
a rate of 6,700 tons per hour. DaviD Ruff