Fate of the Ryerson

Discussion board focusing on Great Lakes Shipping Question & Answer. From beginner to expert all posts are welcome.
Ray
Posts: 221
Joined: December 7, 2014, 9:33 am

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Ray »

Guest wrote:
Jerry at Duluth wrote:I have watched with interest, the many opinions about the Ryerson over the past weeks. I can assure you all that if and when their is a cargo for this boat, she will come back out. If there is long term business for her, they will repower her and if necessary they will put a boom on her. She was scheduled to get a boom the year after the Sykes but that was cancelled and the Beeghly took her place. The hull is in great condition and even though the repower and boom would cost tens of millions of dollars, that is small in comparison to the cost of a new ship of the same size. Be patient, the Ryerson still has much work to do. I have a rendering of the Ryerson with a stern mounted boom. If I can find it, I will post it for all to see.

Jerry
Seems like a lot of "ifs" to me. I've talked to people in the "know" and they say she'll never run again.
Not sure who your "in the know' people are, "guest", but as I stated earlier the guy who ACTUALLY OWNS THE BOAT publicly disagreed with your position last November.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Jerry at Duluth wrote:I have watched with interest, the many opinions about the Ryerson over the past weeks. I can assure you all that if and when their is a cargo for this boat, she will come back out. If there is long term business for her, they will repower her and if necessary they will put a boom on her. She was scheduled to get a boom the year after the Sykes but that was cancelled and the Beeghly took her place. The hull is in great condition and even though the repower and boom would cost tens of millions of dollars, that is small in comparison to the cost of a new ship of the same size. Be patient, the Ryerson still has much work to do. I have a rendering of the Ryerson with a stern mounted boom. If I can find it, I will post it for all to see.

Jerry
Seems like a lot of "ifs" to me. I've talked to people in the "know" and they say she'll never run again.
badger

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by badger »

scrubbers are for the boiler exhaust they have nothing to do with the boilers
Jerry at Duluth

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Jerry at Duluth »

I have watched with interest, the many opinions about the Ryerson over the past weeks. I can assure you all that if and when their is a cargo for this boat, she will come back out. If there is long term business for her, they will repower her and if necessary they will put a boom on her. She was scheduled to get a boom the year after the Sykes but that was cancelled and the Beeghly took her place. The hull is in great condition and even though the repower and boom would cost tens of millions of dollars, that is small in comparison to the cost of a new ship of the same size. Be patient, the Ryerson still has much work to do. I have a rendering of the Ryerson with a stern mounted boom. If I can find it, I will post it for all to see.

Jerry
GuestAgain

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by GuestAgain »

Putting a boom on her or re-powering her with diesel engines really aren't crazy ideas. Expensive yes, crazy no. She will not legally be able to operate her current steam plant past 2025 without re-powering or other significant investment such as scrubbers (which I'm not even sure are compatible with steam turbines). She is severely limited in what she can carry in her current configuration, and to justify having to re-commission her, inspect her in drydock, insure her, and pay crew, my guess is that it would take an annually re-occurring cargo that runs for more than a few months a year. If there was truly a good profit margin existing for her, I doubt her owners would keep her tied up. That's not to say she isn't worth keeping for the future, and I'd hate to see her scrapped, but we have to be realistic.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

It would seem to me that it's a hell of a lot easier to modify some tank vents than it is to put a boom on, dieselize her or put photon torpedoes on her or any of the other crazy ideas people have!! Keeping her as a long term option is one thing but actively being able to make money with her, even for a few months a year, seems a better thing than running up docking and shore power fees!!
Darryl

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Darryl »

Also, her tank vents are inside the holds.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:I was always curious why they never tried the Ryerson in the grain trade. Steinbrenner did it for years and the Canadians still run straight deckers for grain. That would give her maybe 3-4 months of the year employment and usually once these things are running they find other spot loads for them here and there. Plus she has an MSD plant so she's not restricted to having to go to Indiana Harbor every week or two because her sewage holding tank needs to be pumped and they don't want to pay a sucker truck to haul it away!! :)
I believe she lacks the cubic capacity to haul enough grain to make it profitable.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

I was always curious why they never tried the Ryerson in the grain trade. Steinbrenner did it for years and the Canadians still run straight deckers for grain. That would give her maybe 3-4 months of the year employment and usually once these things are running they find other spot loads for them here and there. Plus she has an MSD plant so she's not restricted to having to go to Indiana Harbor every week or two because her sewage holding tank needs to be pumped and they don't want to pay a sucker truck to haul it away!! :)
GuestAgain

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by GuestAgain »

I should add to my post below that in my opinion, her best shot is being converted to a diesel power plant and/or self-unloader. These are both very expensive, but would make her truly competitive with the other lakers. As another commenter stated, perhaps her hold configuration would allow for a nice market (noting what I said about making money in my post below). Last but not least, as much as I'd hate to see it done, there is always the option of her being cut down to an ATB.
GuestAgain

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by GuestAgain »

All,
I love the Ryerson as much as any of you, and would hate to see her go to the scrapyard. I am also heartened to hear the company explicitly stated that they are saving her for potential future use and that she is not in immediate danger.

However, we have to be objective here. No matter how proud a shipping company is of their assets, at the end of the day they are still a business and aren't going to run them if they don't provide a significant return on investment. Even if a niche market is found where the Ryerson could be viable, it has to be able to make money. Additionally, the Ryerson is not ready to sail; I'm guessing she will need a survey, and re-commissioning of her steam plant, all of which has considerable expense. And on the topic of her steam plant, she only has an EPA exemption until 2025. After that, she will need to be repowered (which costs tens of millions of dollars). Additionally, there are other boats currently tied up (albeit in other fleets) that are more likely to be used due to more modern powerplants and unloading systems.

I know this message is a bit of a downer, but please know I'm not trying to stop the conversation and I'm certainly not anti-Ryerson (I would be ecstatic to see her sail within the next year, I mean just look at the gorgeous profile that Bookworm posted!). I'm simply trying to be a little realistic.
Bookworm

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Bookworm »

A bit off topic but in searching through old photo files today, I came across this one of the Ryerson in lay-up. (2003, at Sturgeon Bay, WI.)
Attachments
Ryerson (2003).jpg
Darryl

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Darryl »

It was just in the news today. Steel is still being dumped at a high rate into the country. Nothing essentially has been done to change this. The present and the past administrations only give this topic lip service. That's not to say they won't address it. My guess before the ELR leaves the wall, we'd see a couple others that are tied up out first. Hopefully, steel imports could be address the latter half of the year.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.
Besides... The Economy in 2009 was abysmal at best. It took 6 years to climb out of that hole.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote: What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.
The Niche will be similar to the niche that was created for her in Lorain. Previously unconsidered out of the box thinking that was unproven, yet feasible.

The Old girl is tenacious if nothing. Don't underestimate the love for her, and the desire to make her work..
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:Consider it an educated guess. No one, including the owners have ever given up hope, nor stopped trying to find a niche for her.

I truly believe her Leslies will be singing their way around the lakes next year.
What's her niche? Probably that market has been there since 2009. Nothing has changed.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Consider it an educated guess. No one, including the owners have ever given up hope, nor stopped trying to find a niche for her.

I truly believe her Leslies will be singing their way around the lakes next year.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:I don't see the Ryerson with a Boom, But I'll bet she sails within the year.
What makes you think she'll sail in a year when she hasn't sailed since 2009? To me this would have been the year with all the Minnesota pellets going down the Seaway.
Guest

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by Guest »

I don't see the Ryerson with a Boom, But I'll bet she sails within the year.
A J

Re: Fate of the Ryerson

Unread post by A J »

If/when the Ryerson ever gets a self-unloader, hope the boom is mounted behind the wheelhouse like the Munson. Not only more functional as opposed to mounted aft, but also keep the nice lines of the aft deckhouse. The conveyor housing could be low profile like the Munson as well.
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