Ships of the Great Lakes-Vimeo

[00:30.000] Hi, I'm Leonard Brown and it's today's journey we're going to take you on board a 1,000 foot [00:56.640] Great Lakes freighter for a seven-day journey that's going to give you an [01:00.040] inside look into one of these mammoth working vessels. We'll also stop at a [01:04.760] number of historical landmarks that have played an important role in the history [01:08.360] of Great Lakes shipping. Our journey started in Duluth Minnesota at the Lake [01:12.640] Superior Visitors Center which is operated by the Detroit District of the [01:16.360] Army Corps of Engineers. If you ever get an opportunity to visit this area I [01:22.880] I would encourage you to stop here because it's one of the best maritime museums on the [01:27.400] Great Lakes. [01:28.780] It features information on the history of the Great Lakes, the shipping activities of [01:32.740] the Twin Ports, as well as the work of the Army Corps of Engineers throughout the region. [01:37.420] You'll also find many models of the different types of ships that sail the Great Lakes, [01:42.260] including an operating steam engine and full-size replicas of ship cabins. [01:46.980] There are plenty of free programs for schools and community groups and you can find the [01:50.980] schedules for many of the ships sailing into Duluth, which is the largest harbor on the [01:55.320] Great Lakes. They ship approximately 45 million tons of cargo from this port annually all [02:01.680] over the world. [02:05.340] Just across the St. Louis Bay on the Wisconsin side of Duluth's Superior Port is the smaller [02:09.760] city of Superior. This is where our film crew met their ship, the Oglebay Norton, now named [02:15.060] the American Integrity. It was being loaded with 60,000 tons of Western coal at the Midwest [02:20.600] energy coal docks. The ship's size when you stand on the bridge looking out is truly impressive. [02:26.120] The ship, in its grandeur size, measures 1,000 feet in length and 105 feet in width. She [02:31.940] was built in 1978 by the Bay Shipbuilding Corporation in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and [02:36.720] named the Lewis Wilson Foy. In 1991 she was renamed the Oglebay Norton and was the flagship [02:43.120] for the Oglebay Norton Corporation. Then in 2006 she was purchased by the American Steamship [02:48.620] company and renamed the American Integrity. [02:53.100] She has two propellers, each one spanning 17 feet in diameter. [02:57.060] They're being driven by four EMD 20 cylinder 3600 horsepower engines, two on each driveshaft. [03:04.900] She has seven cargo holds with 37 hatches covering those holds and is capable of hauling [03:09.940] approximately 80,000 tons of cargo. [03:13.280] This measure of weight is equal to 600 railcars of western coal. [03:20.220] She weighs 62,100 gross tons. [03:23.720] She is capable of reaching speeds of 15 knots or 17 mph on the open water. [03:31.360] She has 8 ballast tanks which hold water plus the 4 peak and the aft peak tanks enabling [03:37.640] the ship to hold 1,290,756 gallons of water. These tanks are only used to carry water, [03:46.960] which help the ship ride better in open water when it's empty or not carrying full loads. [03:52.300] Her fuel tank carries 135,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Now that's a big gas tank. How would [03:58.800] you like to pay that bill at the pump, especially when an average trip burns 75,000 gallons [04:04.040] of fuel. At today's prices, that represents a lot of money. [04:09.800] With our camera crew on board, we're ready to meet the ship's crew. The first person [04:13.760] we'll meet is First Mate John Sarnes, who is second in command of the ship. He'll tell [04:18.860] us about the cargo we're hauling today and the loading process. [04:22.640] Okay, we're loading Western Coal for Silver Bay, Minnesota, and generally it takes about [04:29.280] eight hours to load that. When we finish we'll have about 60,000 net tons of coal [04:34.800] on board. We arrive at the dock basically ready to load. We have all our hatches [04:39.960] off and because time is money of course we're all ready to go. All our [04:46.560] hatches are off and within five or ten minutes we usually start loading and [04:51.080] generally it takes about eight hours. When we finish again within five or ten [04:56.840] minutes of finishing will be departing and heading up towards Silver Bay. [05:01.240] The ship is loaded using a gigantic robotic arm that towers over the ship and has fed [05:06.040] coal through a system of conveyors. [05:08.600] Hundreds of train cars full of coal dump their loads onto the conveyor system. [05:13.160] The robotic arm is controlled with a wireless remote unit that hangs around the operator's [05:17.600] neck and rests against his body. [05:20.240] The operator stands on the deck of the ship near the loading nozzle so he can supervise [05:24.260] the loading process up close. While he's loading the coal, he communicates with the crew and [05:30.140] he watches a series of lights that indicates that the ship is tipping or listing to the [05:34.020] left or to the right. During this loading we're going to try and load the ship and [05:41.900] transfer ballast water with coal without putting any undue stress on the ship. We have lights [05:48.900] at both ends of this ship, they call them trimming lights, and we can tell how even [05:54.820] the vessel is sitting if we have a list of starboard or a list of port. The white light, [06:02.420] there's five lights, so the white one in the middle indicates the vessel's on an even keel. [06:07.260] If we have one red light, it means we have a slight list of port. If we have two red [06:12.200] lights lit, that means the list is more severe to port. Same thing for the starboard. One [06:18.820] one starboard light. One starboard light means there's a slight list of starboard. [06:24.100] Right now we have two red lights which means we have quite a quite a sharp tilt [06:31.540] to the port side. We'll correct that before we leave. Other crew members [06:37.480] monitor the flexing of the ship which is called the hog or sag while at the same [06:41.920] time pumping out ballast water to keep stress off the ship and keep it riding [06:45.900] It's important to monitor the loading stresses that are being put on the ship so it's loaded evenly. [06:50.900] If it's not loaded evenly, the ship could snap in half with disastrous results, [06:54.900] sending the ship and its crew to the bottom of the bay. [06:57.900] This is just a little device, it's sort of a homemade device that we have made up. [07:02.900] We monitor what we call the hog or the sag of the vessel. [07:07.900] Basically that's how the vessel will bend, sometimes quite severely. [07:13.900] severely. And so we have to be careful not to have too much of a hog or sag in [07:19.700] the vessel. And this is the best way that we have come up with to monitor them. [07:23.860] It's sort of a homemade device that one of the previous captains on here made. [07:28.180] His name was Gus Markakos and so it's picked up the nickname of the [07:32.980] Gusometer because we don't have an official name for it. Basically what we [07:39.820] do is we look through the binoculars, there's a yardstick in midship or in the middle of [07:46.820] the vessel, and then there's an arrow, a fixed arrow, up on the bow. And as the vessel flexes [07:53.980] from a hog to a sag, we can monitor that or keep track of that right here, standing right [08:02.420] here and if the bending motion on the vessel becomes too severe we can stop it before it [08:10.460] does any damage and vessels have been damaged when it becomes excessive. [08:15.700] Of course we don't want that. [08:21.980] The speed at which the ship is loaded is incredible. [08:24.820] A large digital board on the side of the robotic arm indicates a number of things such as the [08:29.740] speed of the loading conveyor belt system and how many tons have already been loaded [08:33.820] onto the ship. The numbers you see flying by on this digital monitor represent approximately [08:39.300] one ton of coal being loaded every second. That's like throwing a Volkswagen bug into [08:44.800] the cargo hold every second. [08:53.580] The cargo holds on a 1,000-foot class lake freighter are huge. To give you an idea of [08:58.980] just how large one of the eight cargo holds are, second make crisp green climb down inside [09:05.100] of one for our cameras to show its size in comparison to a man. The trap door that you [09:10.540] see in the bottom of this hole is just above the self-unloading conveyor system that runs [09:15.540] the entire length of the ship. These doors are opened and closed by a single operator [09:20.860] inside the conveyor tunnel of the ship. They're opened to allow coal to fall by gravity onto [09:26.940] the conveyor system which is just below this door. It's part of the ship's self unloading [09:32.160] technology which was developed on the Great Lakes. We'll show you more about this later [09:37.220] in our show. [09:39.960] But now there's a problem. An electrical panel that powers one of the ballast pumps [09:44.080] has just shorted out and loading has to stop. During the loading and unloading process not [09:49.640] everything always goes as planned. Machinery does have a tendency to break down. Immediately [09:55.280] Chief Engineer Don Bowden and his crew jump into action to fix the problem. [10:00.040] There are other ships coming to the Midwest Energy Dock after our ship departs, and the [10:04.320] captain has a very tight schedule to keep, and so do the Midwest Energy Dock personnel. [10:09.920] Time is money in this industry, and long down times can lead to thousands of dollars in [10:14.060] losses to a company, so it's imperative that the problem be fixed as soon as possible. [10:18.720] Let me see how they're doing here. [10:24.720] Greg, how are you doing now? [10:31.080] While John tries to get a handle on the situation, the ship's engineers are hard at work fixing [10:35.540] the problem. [10:36.800] The ship has its own machine shop and parts rooms that are stocked to fix just about anything [10:41.600] that goes wrong on board. [10:43.600] While you're underway and you're in the middle of the Great Lakes, you just can't [10:46.580] go to your local hardware store and pick up a part. You have to carry at least one of [10:50.860] everything with you to fix it or be able to machine the part yourself. [10:56.460] Okay thanks. Well they're still having problems getting the water out. We'll get going here [11:05.460] in another minute or two. I'm just trying to give them time to get caught up. Usually [11:12.300] this doesn't happen. Usually we can continue loading and continue pumping [11:15.660] ballast and we're out of here. But they had that little problem down there and [11:20.540] we had to stop and so now we're the loading rig is just sitting there idle [11:27.840] while we get caught up on our water. But usually we can keep up on it without [11:31.500] stopping. [11:33.980] How much you're drawing too right on your distance? [11:35.980] Yeah, so we believe we're good to go. [11:39.980] Nothing to smoke in there. [11:44.980] Back on line John. [11:54.980] With the problem fixed, the coal loading can be finished and the crew can now start preparing the ship for departure. [11:59.980] While the coal is being loaded on one end of the ship, [12:02.980] Bozen mate Charles Lindbergh starts putting the hatches back over the cargo holds. [12:06.980] He's using the ship's hatch crane to lift the heavy hatches that are sitting next to the cargo holds back into place. [12:14.980] The hatch crane sits on a track like a train and it runs the full length of the ship's deck. [12:18.980] The hatch crane operator picks up the hatch and moves it into position over the cargo hold where it's lowered into position. [12:25.980] Other crew members then follow the hatch crane and clamp down the hatches securing them into place. [12:55.980] With the coal loading done, the large steel loader is moved down the dock and out of the [13:06.980] way. [13:07.980] The massive loader with its arm retracted towers above the ship like a large steel dragon. [13:16.220] Evening is now approaching and it's time to leave. [13:18.820] The ship's self-unloading arm is swung back into place over the sealed and secure cargo [13:23.460] holds. [13:24.700] The co-loader operator and any other non-crew members now leave the ship. [13:29.520] The ship's four massive engines are started and Captain Patrick Nelson is on the bridge [13:33.900] preparing the ship for departure. [13:36.260] His 15-inch long beard gives him a commanding presence on the bridge of the ship. [13:40.700] The dock lines are pulled and all the crew is on board when Captain Pat moves away from [13:45.100] the dock using the ship's powerful side thrusters and rear propellers. [13:54.700] So [14:24.700] The ship is navigated through various channels using site, advanced navigational GPS, radar [14:40.540] equipment and a navigational buoy system. [14:43.460] WQ 3521, the only one. [14:47.460] We're finally running. [14:49.460] Yeah, Catholic engine didn't hear me, but when I come out, I'm going to be headed towards Silver Bay. [14:54.460] So, if it's alright with you to listen, we'll work finally. [14:58.460] If it's fine, that'll be fine. Thank you. [15:01.460] Okay, thank you. [15:03.460] Even though it looks like we don't have any place that restricts us necessarily other [15:14.560] than land, we do have a buoy system on the Great Lakes as any other waterway. [15:21.400] So the buoys will mark where we can go or can't go or whatever, they tell us different [15:24.640] things. [15:26.440] So the edges of the channels are usually marked with red and green buoys. [15:30.360] and the buoy system is set up so that when you're returning from the sea it's always [15:34.200] red to right returning. So that means when we're coming in from the sea we keep all the [15:39.520] red buoys on the right hand side. Mid ship? Good. That means the green buoys will be on [15:45.720] the left. Because we're now at the furthest most point that we can come on the Great Lakes [15:50.080] and we're going back towards the sea, now the buoys will be different. There'll be, [15:54.800] the red buoys will be on the left or the port side and the others will be on the right. [16:00.120] buoy that's up ahead over here on the right is a red and white striped buoy [16:03.480] that's a junction buoy which means we can or a fairway we can pass on either side of it [16:09.540] just separates it's like the center line in a road separates the traffic if [16:13.860] there happens to be more than one bus. As we sail out to Lake Superior we pass [16:19.200] under the famous Duluth aerial lift bridge which was originally built 1905 [16:23.820] and upgraded in 1929 to 1930 to its current lifting design. It raises and [16:30.460] lowers allowing vessels to pass underneath and is one of two such [16:33.620] bridges ever constructed in the United States. We then passed the Marine Museum [16:39.220] in the Canal Park where our journey first started. The museum, the adjacent [16:43.740] park, and the break wall are great places to ship watch since many vessels coming [16:48.380] into Duluth pass through here. Our ship towers over the people waving and other [16:53.420] vessels coming into the area. [17:13.260] When two ships are the same company or two captains which know each other are in port [17:17.640] and one's leaving, it's customary for the leaving ship to blow their whistle and for [17:22.120] the other ship to then reply. There are also a set of whistle signals for [17:26.400] maneuvering the ship. If a ship leaves port and is going astern, maritime law [17:31.400] calls for three short blasts telling the other vessels what they're doing. As the [17:39.240] sun sets we leave Duluth in the distance and settle in for the six-hour ride to [17:44.120] Silver Bay in Lake County Minnesota. This gives us time for Captain Pat to give us [17:48.920] a tour of the ship's bridge and his captain's quarters. [17:53.200] Good morning and welcome aboard the motor vessel Ogabay-Norton. [17:56.060] I'm Captain Pat Nelson and we're going to give you a little tour of the potted house [18:00.120] today and the different controls that I use while I'm maneuvering around the locks and [18:04.360] the docks just so that when I'm touching them you're aware of what I'm actually doing or [18:09.120] using at the time. [18:10.900] These here are my main engine controls. [18:12.880] These operate the engines. [18:14.480] I have two separate engine rooms and two separate shafts so I can split those. [18:18.680] I can go full ahead or full of stern, or I can go ahead on one engine and a stern on [18:23.800] the other, or vice versa, which makes it very nice for maneuvering. [18:28.880] Also for maneuvering, I have the bow and stern thruster, which basically the bow and the [18:33.360] stern thruster allow me to take and physically push the ship sideways. [18:37.920] So if I take and use the two controls, this is the bow thruster, this is the stern thruster, [18:43.260] and I can use the two controls simultaneously to push the boat to the starboard, or I can [18:47.880] use them to push the boat to the port. Or I can take and split those the same as I could [18:52.440] the engines, push one to the port, one to the starboard which allows the vessel to spin [18:56.720] very quickly. These are controls or gauges to show how much amperage is being applied [19:03.120] to the thrusters. These are RPM controls. I have map tech out here so that I can see [19:10.000] charting while we're maneuvering. I have the rudder angle indicators out here so that when [19:15.520] I give the wheelsman a command that he can take and apply the rudder and then I can verify [19:21.840] what he's doing. [19:22.840] These are just readouts, telephones. [19:26.400] This here is a swing meter that allows me to see the vessel turn. [19:32.040] It will start to show the vessel turning before you can even visibly see it. [19:35.720] We also have phthalometer readings out here and a digital gyro compass reading. [19:42.400] So let's take a look over in the center of the puddle house and see the controls over [19:45.920] there. [19:48.080] This is an engine order telegraph or a Chadburn which we communicate with the engine room. [19:53.640] If I lose my main direct control to the engines, I can physically give them a visual signal [19:59.480] down there. [20:00.480] It rings a bell down there and tells them what to do. [20:04.000] Here's my whistle controls. [20:05.000] I have a fore and after whistle. [20:07.040] This is the actual switch that blows the whistle. [20:11.680] These are my main engine controls. [20:14.160] Right now these are in operation so I can't move those. [20:16.960] We're going full speed ahead out in the lake. [20:19.780] This is an alternate rudder helm control that I can use in the front window. [20:26.060] These are my rudder angle indicators and a swing meter. [20:29.200] We're going to take a look over here. [20:32.180] This is our North Star system which is hooked to the global positioning satellites. [20:36.360] It gives us our position out on the lake. [20:39.440] These are the bow thruster controls and the stern thruster control panels to turn them [20:44.560] on and off. [20:45.560] These are the actual controls that work the thrusters. [20:48.680] So when you see me doing this, that's the same as what you saw on the wing where I can [20:52.520] thrust the ship bodily sideways from port to starboard. [20:57.160] Okay, let's go around and take a look at the steering mechanisms that we have here for [21:01.820] steering this big ship, okay? [21:04.640] Okay, we're going to take a look at what steers this big ship. [21:08.800] Okay right here we have an alarm panel on the steering system that tells us if we have any [21:13.520] trouble or problems. We once again have rudder angle indicators for the man to be able to see [21:19.040] what rudder has been applied. This is the actual gyro compass that the vessel is steering on right [21:24.320] now. When we're in the lake it will track itself, it'll come up to a turn or a haul and make its own [21:30.560] haul by itself. We don't necessarily have to have a man here anymore. This is the wheel that actually [21:35.440] It turns the rudders or moves the rudders. [21:38.640] It works just like your steering wheel. [21:41.200] You just take and turn it to the left if you want to make a left-hand turn and turn it [21:44.640] to the right if you want to make a right-hand turn. [21:46.760] Okay, we're going to take a look at, we have a watch system aboard the boat where people [21:51.600] stand four hours on and eight hours off. [21:54.320] That means that they stand either the 12 to 4 watch, the 4 to 8 watch, or the 8 to 12 [21:59.200] watch. [22:00.200] Those people that are around that don't have a watch on them at the time, they can tell [22:04.160] the time because we have a bell system. The even hours are even number bells or [22:09.600] the hours are even number bells, the half hours are odd number bells. So if it [22:13.920] happens to be two o'clock in the afternoon we'd ring four bells. Such as [22:20.160] that. Okay let's go back and take a look at our chart room. [22:28.960] Okay we're gonna take a look at our chart room area or where we do the [22:32.960] navigation. This area here we keep all of our different charts for the different waterways [22:38.040] that we traverse. Right now we're on Lake Superior so we have the Lake Superior chart [22:42.240] out. And these work just like your road map would that you would have in your car. We [22:47.760] take our position off the Global Positioning Satellite System where we can transfer it [22:53.960] onto the chart so we can see exactly where we're at. We have in the drawers here all [22:58.280] the different charts for the different lakes or harbors or rivers that we traverse. Over [23:02.760] Over here we have our computer system that we keep our payroll on and other paperwork [23:07.680] type stuff. [23:09.280] We also have a copy machine, fax machine that we take care of sending things back and forth [23:19.000] to our office. [23:20.000] Okay, let's go down and take a look at my room. [23:22.440] We'll see where I live. [23:25.760] Okay. [23:27.320] We just made a commute from my work to home down one flight of stairs. [23:31.600] I only have one flight of stairs to go in case of emergency I have to get up there very [23:35.200] quickly. [23:36.200] This is my office area. [23:38.200] This is where I do my clerical work. [23:41.320] It's also part of my room where I can come down and relax. [23:45.560] As you can see, I enjoy Red Wings fans. [23:49.880] I enjoy watching them and also some other sports. [23:53.520] And this area here is my sleeping quarters. [23:56.640] This is also a place where I can come and relax a little bit, take a little time off, [24:03.640] just basically a bedroom area. [24:05.760] I have the larger room on the vessel because I'm the top position, I guess is why. [24:11.680] It's also where I can watch some TV. [24:13.280] I also have an Xbox and if any of the kids are aware of it, I'm a good halo player if [24:18.960] they ever want to come and catch a game of halo. [24:22.400] Anyways that's about the tour of the ship. [24:24.480] I hope you enjoy your day aboard the Vuffel and have a good time. [24:34.200] The ship's crew has settled down for the journey to Silver Bay as the sun drops below the horizon. [24:39.780] In the ship's kitchen, the steward Calvin Stethom Sr. and second cook Douglas Smith [24:45.260] have a hungry crew to feed. [24:47.900] Food is an important moral booster for the people who serve on Great Lakes vessels. [24:52.060] long separations from family, odd working hours, and manual labor make it a difficult [24:56.100] job that's not for everyone. [24:58.820] One way the shipping companies help their crews cope with the difficult environment [25:02.260] is through food. [25:04.140] During our seven day journey, the crew enjoyed steak, shrimp cocktail, beef wellington, omelets, [25:09.140] salads, and a variety of vegetables, fruits, and desserts. [25:12.820] A good steward is a definite plus for any crew serving aboard a Great Lakes freighter. [25:20.060] It's now 12.30 a.m. and the crew is pulling into Silver Bay. [25:24.140] The captain's visibility is almost nothing due to a thick fog that's rolled in off the [25:28.740] lake. [25:30.060] Captain Pat is navigating the ship to the unloading dock using the ship's global positioning [25:34.340] satellite system. [25:36.240] At the same time, the ship's hatch crane is used to remove the cargo hold covers, getting [25:41.180] the ship ready to unload. [25:49.780] Once we have docked the ships large unloading boom is squaring out over the side and the [25:53.920] unloading begins. [25:56.020] In the bottom of the ship lies the self unloading conveyor system. [25:59.520] Its a dark, dirty, loud and scary place and this is where we meet one of the crew operating [26:05.520] the controls that unload the ship. [26:09.160] I am Mike Garza. [26:12.500] They just had me do everything all the dirty work and we are down here in the tunnels at [26:16.880] bottom of the boat, it runs the entire length of the boat, and there's a conveyor belt that [26:23.520] spans the entire length of the boat, and when everything is running, the cargo comes down [26:34.640] and out the gate and into the belt, which we regulate at certain points that, [26:42.080] you know, they want us to do it up forward or back aft or wherever. [26:46.880] and we just try and get rid of it as quick as we can so we can go to sleep and get some food. [26:56.400] The unloading process is assisted by a number of lights which indicate the flow rate of the [27:01.040] cargo on the belt. A green light indicates the optimal rate to run the system. A yellow light [27:06.960] indicates the system is not running at its prime rate and a red light means too much product is [27:12.400] being placed on the belt and the system is overloaded. [27:18.880] Let's look how a modern self unloading system works. [27:27.360] When a ship arrives at port, the boom conveyor is swung out to the side of the ship and over [27:32.160] the dock. [27:34.800] A ship's cargo holds are separated by a series of bulkheads. [27:39.580] A modern self-unloader typically has two sets of openings aligned on the port and starboard [27:44.380] side of the ship. [27:46.160] The flow of the ship's cargo is controlled by the actuation of a gate. [27:50.180] Each of these gates are controlled by a hydraulic actuator and the cargo is discharged by gravity [27:55.440] through the base. [27:56.620] A conveyor belt passes under each gate that controls the flow of the product to the conveyor. [28:01.900] The discharge rate can be controlled by adjusting the belt's speed. [28:05.780] cell phone loaders can start and stop the belt with the gate open or closed. [28:10.160] Material then flows on the conveyor to the stern of the vessel to a smaller set [28:14.660] of transfer conveyors that direct the flow to the center of the ship. It then [28:21.620] goes to the C-loop elevator that consists of inner and outer belt loops. [28:26.660] Material at the bottom has been sandwiched in between the two belts and [28:30.500] carried to the upper deck of the ship and dropped onto the conveyor broom. The [28:35.240] cargo is then carried to the end of the boom and discharged onto the dock or [28:39.600] where the customer is requested. Our ship only has a single belt in the center of [28:44.480] the ship going the full length to a sea loop conveyor system at the stern. The [28:50.040] same gravity-fed concept to the belt and the sandwiching of the material by a [28:53.840] sea loop elevator is the same. Coal has a tendency to stick to the cargo holds so [29:00.880] To keep the coal flowing, crews at the top on the main deck use hoses to spray the coal [29:05.840] down with water so that it flows through the chutes at the bottom of the holes. [29:11.000] The loading continues through the night and by daybreak we can see the progress that's [29:15.360] been made. [29:19.720] When the unloading is done, the large conveyor boom is put away, the hatches are put back [29:24.640] on and secured, the dock lines are pulled and we're off back and route to Duluth, Minnesota. [29:30.720] time to pick up taconite iron ore. On the journey back Don Bowden, chief engineer, [29:36.200] gave us a tour of the engine room. Hi my name is Don Bowden, I'm the chief engineer [29:42.200] on the motor vessel Oglemane On and we are now in the engine room control [29:46.040] station and in front of me here are the controls for the main engine. Okay we're [29:51.720] now in the lower engine room on the port side and these are the actual engines [29:56.600] right here, there are two of them on each side, they are EMD 20 cylinder 645 and with [30:05.360] an engine horsepower of 3600 each. All right here is the main propeller shaft, [30:13.240] it's connected to the propellers in the back which have four blades on it, 17 feet in diameter. [30:20.320] They rotate in always the same direction, this way inboard, and the way the ship is [30:28.520] maneuvered is by pitching the blades for a head or a stern, so the direction is always [30:35.000] constant. [30:36.000] Alright, with that we'll go up and take a look at the power plant of the ship where [30:39.560] we get our electricity. [30:41.560] Okay, this is the main generator here, we have two of these on board, this is where [30:47.480] we get our electricity, we're running our lights and all the other auxiliary equipment, [30:53.280] 800 KW, and there are two of these on board. With that we'll go look at one of our main [30:59.780] ballast pumps. Alright, this is the main ballast line, this is where we get our lake water [31:08.780] from, and this is connected to the main ballast pump. There are four of these on board, two [31:14.160] on each side and each pump is capable of pumping out 16,000 gallons per minute. [31:21.320] On a typical ballasting we have over 10 and a half million gallons of water on board, [31:26.520] so that's a lot of water to be put back over the side. [31:30.200] With that we'll go up and take a look at the steering gears. [31:33.840] All right, we're now in the Ford steering gear room and these two cylinders are the [31:41.380] rams that turn the rudder, which is 17 and a half feet tall. [31:48.860] As the wheel is turning the pilot house, [31:51.740] these rams will move in and out and turn the rudder. [31:57.300] And that completes our tour of the engine room. [31:59.340] It's now 5pm on day 3 of our journey and Captain Pat Nelson is pulling back into Duluth, [32:23.780] Minnesota where we'll be picking up a load of taconite for delivery to the steel mills [32:28.260] at Indiana Harbor, Indiana. But before we can do that, we have to stop at the Murphy [32:33.600] Oil Terminal for fuel and supplies. Once again, we pass the Maritime Museum and are welcomed [32:40.040] back by excited onlookers. As we pass under the aerial lift bridge, Captain Pat blows [32:45.800] the ship's whistle, saying hello to the lift bridge operator who replies with his own set [32:50.880] of whistles. [33:18.260] Shortly after we arrive at the refueling dock, crew members disembark [33:22.260] off the side of the ship to tie the ship to the docks. [33:26.260] Meanwhile, on the fantail of the ship, Calvin the ship's steward is cooking supper and getting [33:49.220] ready to receive more supplies. [33:52.380] Back at the fuel pump, the chief engineer and a few other crew members are hooking up [33:56.060] the fuel line to take on 40,000 gallons of fuel. [33:59.860] With the fuel pump distributing 1,000 gallons a minute, it'll take about 40 minutes for [34:04.020] this job to be completed. [34:05.900] Meanwhile, the aroma of steaks cooking on the fantail is wafting over the ship, getting [34:10.820] everyone hungry. [34:11.820] The number we get out of a grosser, we got two or three challenges, but most of them [34:19.500] mine from Eloise Marine up in Superior. The truck bagged up to the fantail of the ship, [34:25.420] that's where we're at now, the fantail of the ship, and we put it in the basket in a few minutes, [34:31.100] you'll see a comerboard, matter of fact the grocery comerboard now. [34:35.500] So I'm gonna have to slow up here a little bit. [34:49.500] Okay, Pete love the dead can is bringing the groceries in now so we we have full operation [34:58.860] here. [35:02.180] After supper's been served the ship moves to the Burlington North Santa Fe Taconite [35:06.020] facility to be loaded with Taconite iron ore pellets. [35:09.640] The ship docks next to silos filled with Taconite and then a set of loading conveyors extends [35:14.540] from the silos and begins loading the ship. [35:19.260] is a low-grade iron ore that looks like flit rock. It contains less than 30% iron ore and [35:25.180] at one time was thought to be worthless. However, in 1912, the American scientist Edward W. [35:31.140] Davis conducted experiments on the rock knowing that there would be a need for it someday. [35:36.540] For over 40 years he worked producing the pelletizing method to upgrade the ore. He [35:41.540] crushed the ore to a flour-like consistency and then removed all the non-iron material. [35:47.220] He then formed the remaining iron particles into 3-8 inch balls and fired harden them [35:52.100] for shipment to steel mills around the Great Lakes. [35:55.580] The actual commercialization didn't begin until April 8, 1956 when the first commercial [36:01.200] shipment of taconite left from the first commercial taconite plant in Silver Bay, Minnesota. [36:06.220] This ushered in the extensive use of sulfon loaders on the Great Lakes. [36:10.340] Straight decks were either converted to sulfon loaders, sold to Canadian shipping companies, [36:14.780] or went to the wall for eventual scrapping. [36:17.380] Trainship Taconite some 60 miles northwest [36:20.340] from the Minnesota-Massabi Iron Range [36:22.420] to the Burlington North Santa Fe facility. [36:25.200] When it arrives at the unloading facility, [36:27.060] a positioning system is used to position the train cars [36:30.140] over a hopper with a conveyor belt underneath. [36:33.340] Crank arms then extend out [36:34.940] to turn the train cars on loading crank, [36:37.060] then dump the Taconite pellets. [36:39.500] Each train car is 35 feet in length [36:42.640] and holds about 100 tons of taconite. [36:45.940] A typical train is about 180 cars long [36:49.120] and carries 18,500 tons of taconite. [36:52.980] It will take four trains totaling 720 cars [36:56.460] to load the American Integrity. [37:07.280] The ship is loaded all through the night. [37:09.400] In the morning Calvin is making breakfast while the deck hands are putting on the hatches and preparing the ship to leave. [37:20.400] And then we're off. [37:26.400] As we pass by the lighthouse at the end of the channel and into Lake Superior, the Stuart J. Court comes into sight and Captain Pat gives her a hello salute. [37:39.400] Besides being the first thousand footer on the Great Lakes, she [38:09.360] She's also the only thousand footer that has its bridge and crew quarters on the bow [38:13.420] of the ship. [38:15.200] As her crew waves goodbye and wishes us a safe journey, we head out to open waters. [38:37.400] Now the real journey starts. [38:39.620] Our cargo needs to get to the ISG Steel Mill in Indiana Harbor, Indiana which is 844 miles [38:45.660] away. [38:46.820] It will take us about 3 and a half days to get there from our current position. [38:51.360] We will sail across Lake Superior to the Sorelox, down the St. Mary's River to the top part [38:57.560] of Lake Huron, then down Lake Michigan where we hit a storm and had to turn closer to shore, [39:03.700] then onto Indiana Harbor. [39:05.700] The journey did give us time to enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way. [39:10.180] It's truly stunning to witness the amount of cargo that these ships can carry. [39:14.380] It gives us a real perspective of the important role the Great Lakes shipping industry plays [39:18.860] in the economic engine of our nation and the world. [39:22.260] If this industry were ever lost, the economy of the entire world would be affected. [40:03.700] Our journey across Lake Superior takes us past the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the [40:08.160] 80 mile stretch of Michigan shoreline known as the Graveyard of Ships. [40:13.200] More vessels have been lost in this area than any other part of the lake including the famed [40:17.720] Edmund Fitzgerald. [40:21.600] The Edmund Fitzgerald was christened among a large enthusiastic crowd on June 7, 1958. [40:27.560] At the time she was the largest freighter sailing on the Great Lakes. [40:31.380] On September 24, 1958, under Captain Bert Lambert, she set a new record for the largest [40:37.060] load carried by any vessel through the Sioux Locks. [40:40.900] At 8.30 a.m. November 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, loaded with tachonite pallets [40:47.460] at the Burlington Oradox in Superior, Wisconsin, set sail on Lake Superior en route to Zug [40:53.380] Island on the Detroit River to deliver her load. [40:56.740] Unknown to her crew, she's about to sail into history. [41:01.020] At 2.39 p.m. the National Weather Service issues gale warnings for the area and Captain [41:05.860] Jesse Cooper on the Arthur M. Anderson spots the Edmund Fitzgerald approximately 15 miles [41:11.420] ahead and radios her captain, Ernest McSorley. [41:18.060] At 4.30 p.m. on November 10, 1975 the Edmund Fitzgerald found herself in hurricane force [41:24.100] winds battling monster waves crashing over her decks. [41:28.140] The waves beat the ship mercilessly, knocking out her two radar systems. [41:32.820] The Edmund Fitzgerald struggled toward the safety of the Lighthouse Beacon and the Bay [41:36.780] at Whitefish Point. [41:38.740] Then suddenly the Lighthouse Light and the radio navigational station clicked off, leaving [41:44.640] the Edmund Fitzgerald to fend for herself. [41:47.600] At approximately 7.15 pm, the 729 foot Orf freighter and her crew of 29 were never heard [41:54.100] from again. [41:55.560] She was lost 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point in Canadian waters. [42:00.560] I asked him, I was making out with his father. [42:05.560] He said he lost those lifts and he had a lift and he said he was holding his own. [42:09.560] The last time I talked with him he said he was holding his own and that's the last time I lost contact after that. [42:16.560] We have the, uh, is that the right possibility that you could, uh, come up, move back there, and do any dirt change? [42:28.560] Oh, God, I don't know. [42:31.560] Um, this city out there is tremendously large, so if you're on me, do it like kids, but I'm not going to be making any time. [42:41.560] I'll be looking at eight to three miles an hour going back out that way. [42:45.560] This is the control of Roger. [42:49.560] Well, yes, we'll have to make a decision as to what he would be at. [42:53.560] Uh-huh. [42:55.560] Sorry, that sounds good. [42:57.560] Probably one of the only busloads we've got, I think, is to get to the school. [43:02.560] We're going to try to contact the football waterbustle. [43:05.560] We'll see if they can possibly come back also. [43:11.560] Captain Cooper, reluctantly but bravely, sails his ship, the Arthur M. Anderson, from the [43:17.360] safety of Whitefish Bay and into the stormy seas in search of survivors, but to no avail. [43:24.280] To this day controversy still swirls around what really caused the sinking of the Edmund [43:28.920] Fitzgerald. Her secrets may never really be known, and she now rests 530 feet below the [43:35.580] waters of Lake Superior. Many poems, stories and songs have been written about the Witch [43:41.620] of November and the storms that have claimed thousands of ships throughout the course of [43:45.800] maritime history on the Great Lakes. Unknown to our crew, we will have an opportunity to [43:51.420] meet the witch on Lake Michigan in just a few more days. [43:58.420] As we come closer to Sault Ste. Marie and the Sioux Locks, we pass another graveyard [44:02.500] of sorts, and we witness another sad fate of many of the old ladies of the Great Lakes. [44:08.740] Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there's so much wear that refitting [44:13.540] and repair becomes uneconomical. In some cases, larger, more efficient ships have replaced [44:19.860] their older, smaller sisters and they're sold for scrap recycling. The once great ships [44:25.480] of the lakes see the same furnace of the ore that they once hauled. They're dropped into [44:30.900] the flaming furnaces only to be recycled into other valuable products. [44:39.940] In the distance the Sioux Locks are coming into sight. [44:43.100] The Sioux Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. [44:47.300] In an average year 10,000 ships will pass through our gates making these spots a very [44:52.620] viable structure to the economy. [44:55.820] The locks bypass the rapids of the St. Mary's River where the water falls 21 feet from [45:00.680] Lake Superior to the St. Mary's Canal. There are four locks on the US side of the [45:07.040] Sioux and one lock on the Canadian side of the Sioux. The Saban lock, built in 1919, [45:13.200] is the smallest and currently under caretaker status and is no longer used. [45:21.040] The next is the Davis lock, built in 1914 and then the MacArthur lock, built in 1943. [45:28.160] The last and largest is the Poe Lock, which was rebuilt in 1968 after the St. Lawrence [45:34.040] Seaway was opened. [45:35.280] It's the largest lock and the only lock capable of handling the thousand foot vessels [45:40.720] and this is the lock that we'll be using. [45:49.440] As we approach the lock, two deckhands are lowered off the side to help guide the ship [45:54.040] in. [46:00.700] Now things get interesting. [46:02.820] Our ship is 105 feet wide and the lock we're using is only 110 feet wide so it's going [46:09.460] to be a tight fit and there's no room for mistakes. [46:16.480] As we enter the lock, deck hands communicate with Captain Pat via radio as he squeezes [46:21.560] us into position. [46:47.920] Let's look at an animation to show you how this is going to work. [46:51.060] As a boat locks in from Lake Superior, the gate behind it is closed. [46:55.680] Once the gate is closed, a valve is open to let the Lake Superior water already in the [47:00.040] lock flow out to the lower level of the St. Mary's Canal. [47:04.720] When the water is dropped to the lower level, the lock gate at the south end is opened and [47:09.640] the boat proceeds out of the lock and into the St. Mary's Canal. [47:14.440] The north gate remains closed holding back the waters of Lake Superior. [47:19.640] Now it's our turn. Once we're in the lock, the gate behind us is closed. [47:33.280] Now a valve is opened and the water level goes down, lowering our vessel to the St. [47:37.760] Mary's Canal level. The system can work both ways, allowing for two-way traffic through [47:43.360] the lock. While the water is being let out of the lock, third mate Chris Green and a [47:51.840] helper go to get the mail. There are two places ships can get their mail on the [47:56.440] Great Lakes, here at the Sioux Locks or in Detroit where it's delivered by the JW [48:01.720] Scott Mailboat. Here at the Sioux Locks they go and get the mail at this small [48:06.660] unmanned post office building. Each ship that uses this service has a mailbox [48:11.500] here and a key to open it and get their mail. It's then taken back to the ship [48:16.540] and passed out to the crew members. They also take mail off the ship that needs [48:21.300] to go out and place it in the mailbox for pickup by a postal worker. [48:32.220] Back at the Sioux Locks our ship has been lowered and the gates at the south [48:36.660] into the locks are opened. [48:38.720] Captain Pat moves us forward as tourists who come from around the world watch us pass through. [48:44.960] They're rewarded with a great view from the visitors' platform which sits right next to [48:48.960] the MacArthur Lock. [48:50.560] It's through these locks that 92% of the iron ore produced in the United States passes on [48:55.960] its way to the steel mills on the southern Great Lakes. [49:06.660] As we leave the busy Sioux locks, the situation begins to look complicated. [49:19.660] There's another ship directly in front of ours waiting for us to clear so they can come [49:24.260] into the lock upbound. [49:26.340] It's going to be close, but Captain Pat's not worried because he knows he can use the [49:30.760] ship's powerful bow thruster to maneuver us around the other vessel. [49:41.800] The front bow thruster is located inside a tunnel that runs through the bow of the ship [49:46.140] and is powerful enough to push the ship sideways. [49:50.360] As I bite my nails, Captain Pat confidently moves his mammoth vessel around the other [49:55.400] I'm going to go to the next one. [50:25.400] Now that we're clear, it's smooth sailing down the St. Mary's River, on her way to the [50:44.760] top of Lake Huron. [50:46.480] It will be approximately 8 more hours until we reach the Mackinac Bridge and cross over [50:51.120] to Lake Michigan. [50:52.880] So our crew settles in to get some well deserved rest and some supper, which tonight is Beef [50:58.120] Wellington. [50:59.120] This is for the cheese. [51:02.120] Cheese. [51:03.120] Beef Wellington for the cheese. [51:06.120] I accept. [51:07.120] Thank you sir. [51:08.120] Thank you sir. [51:09.120] Thank you sir, thank you sir. [51:23.560] As the crew settles in for the evening, Captain Pat and his wheelsmen remain on the bridge [51:27.700] and guide the ship down the St. Mary's River through the early morning hours. [51:33.080] At 5 a.m. we pass Mackinac Island and can see Fort Mackinac sitting 150 feet on top [51:39.500] of the island's limestone cliffs. [51:42.240] The fort was built by the British between 1780 and 1781 and was held by the British [51:47.780] until they relinquished it to the United States in 1796. [51:52.200] But that didn't last long. [51:53.940] It was here at this fort that the first shots in the War of 1812 were fired. [51:59.900] Assisted by local Native Americans, the British attacked the fort being held by a small garrison [52:04.740] of approximately 60 men under the command of Lieutenant Porter Hanks. [52:09.780] Fearing he and his men would be outnumbered and would be massacred, he surrendered without [52:13.940] a fight. [52:15.500] The fort is now a historical site and museum and has a rich history along with this entire [52:20.620] region. [52:23.740] Not far from the fort we can see the famous Grand Hotel, which was constructed in the [52:28.460] late 19th century and advertises that it has the world's largest porch. The hotel [52:34.580] has a rich history on an island that has banned the use of cars and where the [52:38.940] primary transportation is still the horse and carriage for the bike. It has [52:43.900] also hosted five US presidents and as the location Thomas Edison's phonograph [52:48.660] was first demonstrated to the public. Mark Twain also enjoyed stopping here [52:54.260] during his speaking tours in the Midwest. The entire island is a romantic and [52:59.660] beautiful place worth visiting if you ever get the opportunity. After passing [53:04.660] Mackinac Island, the Mackinac Bridge comes into sight. The Mackinac Bridge is [53:09.560] the third longest suspension bridge in the world and the largest suspension [53:14.080] bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It's 26,372 feet in length and we're gonna [53:21.020] pass right under it. [53:31.040] As morning approaches, Calvin has made another great breakfast for the crew, but the weather [53:36.180] outside is beginning to get bad. [53:39.020] As we sail on through the day and into the late afternoon, gale warnings are broadcast [53:43.740] by the National Weather Service and it seems like the witch of the lakes has come calling. [53:49.860] on the Great Lakes can be extremely powerful and produce heavy seas with high waves that [53:55.020] can swallow small craft and ships whole. [53:58.460] Even a large thousand foot vessel like ours can be put in danger if the conditions are [54:02.540] right. [54:03.540] Here is some video that was taken aboard our ship as well as other vessels to give you [54:07.680] a little taste of what it could be like aboard a ship in Gale Force Winds. [54:37.680] As the evening progresses, the wind and the waves pick up. [55:07.640] and Captain Pat Nelson decides to take action. [55:11.360] Good evening. [55:12.460] This is Friday evening. [55:13.420] It's about 8.30 at night. [55:14.760] A little bit earlier this evening, [55:16.080] we started to pick up some wind. [55:18.200] It's now blowing about 50 mile an hour. [55:20.160] We do have gale warnings on Lake Michigan now. [55:22.160] It's towards the end of our trip here. [55:24.480] And so we have altered course. [55:26.200] We're heading directly into the wind. [55:28.520] Sometimes the wind is gusting up to 60 mile an hour, [55:30.880] which they put gale warnings up on the lake now. [55:33.440] And it just means that we're gonna have [55:36.560] a little bit of sea that you're going to see on the camera. [55:39.840] And just to keep the ship from working [55:41.960] and to make sure that the vessel stays safe, [55:44.160] we're headed over towards a little bit closer to shore [55:46.960] so that we get a better ride, and that the ship doesn't [55:50.240] work too much. [55:51.120] We have to watch that to make sure that the ship does not [55:54.560] work excessively because there is [55:56.480] a danger or possibility that we could break the ship in two [55:59.000] if we're not extremely careful with that. [56:01.760] So that's what we're doing. [56:02.800] We're heading directly into the wind now [56:05.460] and headed over towards the west side of Lake Michigan, [56:09.200] over towards Milwaukee. [56:10.940] And we'll get a little closer to the shore, [56:12.700] then we'll head on down south again [56:14.400] towards our destination at Indiana Harbor. [56:17.780] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] [56:22.740] Captain Pat has taken our ship along the coast, [56:25.380] and by 6 a.m. of the following day, [56:27.980] we've sailed through the storm [56:29.380] and we have arrived safely in Gary, Indiana [56:31.660] to deliver our load of tachonite to the steel mill. [56:35.460] Captain Pat once again brings his ship into port under the cover of darkness and uses his computer navigation system to guide him into the dock. [56:44.460] As the sun comes up, the unloading process has begun and our seven day journey on board the ship has come to an end. [56:52.460] If you're ever out on the Great Lakes looking for the American integrity, you'll find she's looking a little different nowadays. [57:00.460] nowadays. She recently received a new coat of paint and is now sporting the colors of [57:05.100] her owner, the American Steamship Company, which is black and white. [57:10.060] The Great Lakes have a rich maritime history that's strong and continues today. We hope [57:14.860] you've enjoyed this adventure and feel the curiosity you may have had about Great Lakes [57:19.020] ships and the life aboard them. We also hope you've gained a better understanding of the [57:23.540] vital and important role Great Lakes shipping plays in the U.S. and world economy. [57:30.460] I just forgot what I was going to say. [57:42.460] Sorry about that. [57:43.460] I did it better the first time. [57:45.460] And I work on the Oglebay Norton and well I guess I'm not going to use it. [57:53.460] We're going to do a shaft RPM of 115. [57:57.460] We're going to walk around the other side now. [58:01.460] I don't know if that's good or not. [58:04.460] Alright. [58:06.460] Ahhhh! [58:09.460] How we going on this little bit? [58:11.460] to get more information about shipping on the Great Lakes, [58:16.460] teacher classroom resources, Calvin Steffen's recipe for beef wellington, [58:21.460] or to order the 90 minute director's cut of this program on DVD, [58:26.460] visit www.shipsofthegreatlakes.com. [58:31.460] The DVD gives you additional footage that covers the history of Duluth, Minnesota, [58:36.460] The DVD gives you additional footage that covers the history of Duluth, Minnesota, Coast Guard [58:41.820] operations on the Great Lakes, a tour of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, the history [58:46.420] of the Motor Vessel's Stuart J. Court, and much more.