A question for Denny

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Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Just saw a few hours ago on the Algonac Ship Camera, the Morro Bay arriving back in Algonac after assisting the tanker Iver Bright while they were downbound on the St. Clair River this morning. Not sure just how long they will be docked in Algonac but at least they’re there for now.
Guest

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Guest »

Mr. Denny, why don't you drive in the wintertime? What do you do for groceries and other necessities?
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Just got done watching the Morro Bay on the Algonac Ship Cam as they departed downbound assisting the tanker Iver Bright as they were coming from Sarnia and headed to Detroit. Was hoping to at least try to make a run up to the river to see the Morro Bay before they departed downbound with the Iver Bright. Believe it or not I have NEVER seen the Morro Bay and photographed her yet and you all have no clues and ideas how badly I wanted to see this one. Needless to say after watching them leave Algonac, I now have just plain given up on ever trying to see the Morro Bay as I guess it is just not ever meant for me to see it period! I live about an hour or so away from the St. Clair River and it's not that easy to just jump and hop in a car and be there within a few minutes. Just not the lucky one anymore when it comes to seeing this stuff. I haven't been out to the river since back in November 2020 and missed not seeing the ice jams on the river last month. Now with both my Dad and Mom gone, I have no one to take and drive me up to the river when it jams up in the Winter months or like now when the CG is out on the river with the Morro Bay and others. Oh well it is what it is as my brother tells me. Life of a boatwatcher and a boatnerd!
Guest

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Guest »

Hello to our good friend Denny. I hope winter is treating you well as you edit photos. Please give us some updates on how the 2020 season went for you. Inquiring minds want to know.
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Ok boatnerds here’s some more information for you as far as my records and record keeping goes as some have asked in the past. A couple of nights back I stayed up half the night to work on my record keeping via my Excel Spreadsheet for doing it. I have a tablet or log book as I like to call it to where I have a few of the companies listed. I check them off one by one whenever I have a particular fleet done like ASC, Interlake or GLF and others. It took me under 3 hours in fact 2 3/4 hours to get what I call the main event if you will list done which includes most of the major U.S. and Canadian fleets. Then, I spent an additional 40 minutes working on salties afterward. So, I started working on the list around I would say 3 A.M. and by 7 A.M. I was beat as you might imagine and so I went back to bed. I have come to a conclusion that I have to get my list somehow started every night between 9-10 p.m. on the main event list if you will as that one takes 3 hours to do give or take. The salties I can generally get done in just under an hour. So again back to the main event list as I call with the U.S. and Canadian firms. It’s a two part list and part two is the easiest as that takes just under an hour for me to do. Plain and simple boatnerds, less boats and ships in a fleet means less time to spend on that firm like CML right now has the Block out only. The fleets that are the most work is Algoma, along with CSL and also Desgagnes and McKeil Marine as those fleets have more vessels thus it takes longer to do. I can say like for McKeil, it takes about 10 minuets to run thru them. However, Algoma and CSL is about 15 so add the two together and then you get 30 minutes plus the 10 minutes on the McKeil fleet and there’s my long work load. It has its ups and its downs and I have my moments not good ones quite often I would say! So now you have an idea hopefully of how much work I spend on it. Very tiring and frustrating at times for me and it sure wears me down!
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Okay everyone here’s another way and method that I sometimes will do on my record keeping. I call it a “Split” which basically refers to and it means just that. In other words take for example last night as always I worked late last nite for nearly 3 hours on the US and Canadian Fleets and I ran out of time to do the Salty part. So, I did a “Split” so that way I could work this morning on the Salties. In only 1.5 hours I was able to get the Salty list done whereas yesterday and last night, that would’ve been far too long and way too much work for me to do all at one time. Granted I hate to do a Split on my lists and record keeping but it is all for the better and best sometimes.
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Watch the boats and go up to the St. Clair River whenever I can and then when I'm not doing that I spend most of my time on the computer working on shipping and boat related things and lists.
Guest

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Guest »

Mr. Denny,

What is it that you do for a living?
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Thanks as I appreciate the comments. As far as hiring an assistant goes, you're darn right I do and I've been saying and hoping to find one for years except I just can't seem to find the "perfect one" just yet! Maybe if I keep looking I'll get lucky but right now though we first gotta to get rid of this darn virus thing first before I go out and start hiring any assistants. Oh BTW, that Salty stuff I talked about earlier you can tack on another two more hours on that one today as well with what I had first got done and finished earlier.
E J B

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by E J B »

Holy smokes Denny..... you need to hire an assistant !

Well, good on you for doing it. We all appreciate it.
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Okay EJB and everyone else that had a question about my records that I keep for myself anyway. Right now as I type this post now I just completed over 2.5 hours of work so far today on it and if you want to ask if I am finished with it so far? The answer is absolutely and positively No as I still have more work to do and about I would say at least another hour or so to go to work on my record keeping for today. Besides some of the U.S. and Canadian fleets I keep a record and log of, I also do all of the Saltwater Vessels or salties that enter the Great Lakes/Seaway system. So now you can all see just how much work this is for me and as I've been telling you also how it just drains my energy level completely and why at times I just stop and take long durations and breaks from it as you have to at some point otherwise you kill yourself IMO doing it for that long!
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

To EJB and others, when I due my information and records I keep and do it in an Excel Spreadsheet type of a file setup. After my Mom passed away in 2017, I asked my brother if he could help me do a spreadsheet for me and he did it and it made a huge difference! Prior to 2017 I used to believe it or not type it all in a Word Perfect file which took forever and ever to do. Now thanks to Excel it makes it easier. The big problem I run into is the time consumption of my record keeping. It takes me more than 2-3 hours and more everyday and time I do it and like I said earlier, it just drains my energy level completely. It’s amazing after I sit and stare at the screen all that time, just how the heck I can still see? I’m sure that you and others will understand after sitting for so long that when I get up and move around I can barely walk then. I enjoy what I do as far as keeping records for myself but it does have its prices to pay though in the end. Other than boatnerd thanks to them and volunteers here, where else can a person find such information? Hope this helps.
E J B

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by E J B »

Appreciate it.

I haven’t checked out Montreal’s sight. After I saw you and others discussing it I never even bothered. Just get my updates from here. Thanks to you and all the volunteers....
Denny

Re: A question for Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Hi EJB and to answer your question, I have tried to keep records as far as where the ships load and unload at is all I do. As far as the tonnage, I don’t do that one since I can’t get that information publicly from any source and I don’t consider that a high priority issue for me anyway. Just the cargo and where they load and unload at is my main primary focus. However, many should know and realize it certainly does have its advantages, disadvantages and challenges as it definitely is NOT easy trying to keep up with it. Many times it’s been very frustrating to say the least when I miss the information and I’ve missed tons of it. I spend hours upon hours on it everyday to the point it just drains my energy. What really makes it challenging is the Marine Traffic website only keeps their information for 24 hours then they remove parts of it. This really bothers the heck out of me and gets me so upset that I just scream and cuss up a storm whenever I’m working on the information. I’m so very happy and glad to see the expanded Port Reports on boatnerd and the many volunteers as that always helps in case I may miss something. With the many changes throughout the years on Marine Traffic, I’m not a big and huge fan of them nor am I one for the Montreal website after the changes they’ve made. Check out Montreal yourself and you’ll see what I mean. Hope this answers your questions. Sorry for a long post.
E J B

A question for Denny

Unread post by E J B »

Denny, I know you follow the boats closely and over the years I have heard —or read—“ let me check my records”

So my question is ..... what kind of records do you keep ??
Fleet cargo and destination ?? Destination and tonnage ??

Genuinely curious because you generally have the answer .....

Thanks for all you do.....miss your adventures by the way.
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