Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Have any boats that were self unloaders ever been converted to barges that did not use a belt to unload?

Most scrap steel is unloaded with cranes. Those slopes in the Blough cost alot of cargo capacity. You could tear them out but that would cost a fortune. There are ton of barges in the Gulf or river systems that could be bought for a song. And put into service tomorrow.

Scrap steel is now and has been delivered to all the EAF mini mills for over 40 yrs by truck and rail. The majority of it will be delivered in the same fashion to Algoma unless they intend to use the new bricks from Cliffs. The Blough as a dead barge would be extremely slow and non economical. It’s finished except for a future trip to scrap. Same as the Sherwin,valo and yes the ryerson at some point plus ctc1. They are all dead boats and will remain dead.

An icebreaker..... no I highly doubt that but here's a thought. Not that long ago and I think it just may have been before the Blough fire Algoma was rumoured to be looking at the Ryerson to haul scrap. Algoma is moving to twin electric arc furnaces very very soon and will need a considerable amount of scrap steel to feed those two furnaces. They a re rumoured to be pushing towards 4 million tonnes of steel produced annually. I would seriously doubt either Purvis Marine or Mckeil have enough size and or capacity to fulfill that need. Since world industry needs to be seen in a positive environmental light no one will want to have 1000 semis hauling scrap from across god knows how far. Rail is too slow so by water is the answer. Maybe Purvis, Mckeil, or someone else is thinking this very same thing. Strip out the unloading gear and power plants and convert her to a barge, that along with other similar assets could result in one large tug having 2-3 barges (Ryerson and Valor among others are still available for use - even the Sherwin!!) to move back and forth to Algoma. Maybe it's VanEnkvort or Lower Lakes.... Just a thought but someone is gonna be after that haul.

My original post certainly opened up some interesting responses, as expected. When I heard from from someone that was in the know, that CN was even considering how the Blough could still be an asset other for the scrape is quite astonishing! Still interesting.
Consider how many times Interlake Steamship made preparations to fit out the Sherwin only to not get the contact signed for hauling the product, think this barely scatch's that surface. Enjoy the ride, and have fun.

Blough as an icebreaker? Don’t wish to rain on your parade but pigs would fly before the likelihood of that. Interesting thought but …. Yeah… nope. She’s going to sit where she is until her death trip to the scrap yard.

The Roger Blough has a very blunt bow, and would need to have an icebreaking bow installed. Icebreakers don't have a flat bottom like the Blough, they have a more rounded bottom.

While the Roger Blough had a reputation as a good ice boat, it was because of the hull strengthening and the extra plate steel that enabled her to bull her way through ice. But there were a couple of instances where the Blough had issues in ice. First was in mid-January when the USCG asked the captain of the Roger Blough if she could make her was down through the Livingstone Channel and help the Benson Ford that had been trapped in slush ice for several days. Instead the Blough was nearly pushed out of the channel - nearly grounding ashore, stern first. It was only the use of the polar-class icebreaker Westwind that saved the Blough from being badly damaged.

The second situation was trapped outside the harbor of Conneaut, Ohio for 10 days after she became trapped in an icefield where the ice extended to the lake bottom in the area. The USCG Westwind was unable to break her out and had to resort bringing supplies from Conneaut to the Blough until the winds shifted.

The other issue is that the Blough would be a single-mission vessel and that means there would always be a threat by the USCG to retire her during times of budget cuts. This was the issue that the first Mackinaw had throughout the 1980s, with constant threats for retirement. It was only through the efforts of industry and Congress that she was saved.

The Blough will probably never haul product again. Cost to return her to service the lack of loads at present don't make it feasible.
However if it wasn't for all of the current spending cuts within the government. Converting her into a Coast Guard Ice breaker makes sense.
They have talk of building a new breaker for the lakes. Her 2" hull plating at the bow, her width and all engines are good. She has both bow and stern thrusters.
She would have more power then anything on either side of the boarder. Cost would be a 10th the cost of new to convert her.
Reduce her down to about 350 feet, rebuild her crew cabins and galley. I believe that she could do the work of at least 2 of the 140 Bay Class vessels.
Any thoughts?

If Algoma survives the Steel Tariffs, they are starting the Arc furnace next month.
There will be far less demand for products that the Blough would be able deliver.
If the 25% tariff applies to scrap steel, the Blough may not be heading to Port Colborne.

I thought the same thing Bob. Nanticoke but I was more inclined to say the Soo and Algoma Steel. Think about this. The Blough could end up doing constant ore shuttle runs back and forth from Algoma at the Soo to any one of the Lake Superior ore ports then. Providing of course that Algoma can accommodate and handle the Blough’s shuttle unloading system at that point then! So, before anyone says anything against me and my comments here it was just a neat idea that I thought about then. You never know though and until they tow her away to the cutters torch, I too “Am Not giving up on her and the ship just yet!” She’s been a favorite of mine for years and YES I know her odd size and carrying capacity don’t warrant her in competition with the footers but still, she can carry much more tonnage than the smaller lakers can. The only thing, with her shuttle unloader it may become an issue with her as far as how long it takes her to unload? When she was active and sailing, I don’t know how it took to unload her in Gary and in Conneaut?

What canadien port could handle the blough? NANTICOKE,Ontario?

The Bloughs hull plating was compromised in the fire. Repair costs are estimated to be 25 million us$ at the least. She is done. Will make a good amount of scrap steel destined for some blast furnace.

Don't give up the ship yet. The owner of the ship is Canadian National. There is one Canadian Port that could handle her unloading system. Seeing the Canadian fleet has all seaway size vessels. You all can fill in the blanks. Something I think is being looked into.

I grew up in Duluth in the 70's to 80's. There was always laid up US Steel boats in the harbor back then. I worked a job in the early to mid 80's which was at the former Hallet 7 dock. There were 4 USS boats laid up there, 6 over by the MP&L dock and 4 by Hallet 5 dock. One by one, the port crew came by and stripped everything of value from them. You could see them hauling off pots, pans, dishes, tools, etc. Once stripped, a tug crew would show up a few weeks later and tow it away for scrap. As much as I would like to see the Blough sail again, I don't see it happening.

Hey Bob I hear ya buddy loud and clear on your comments here about the sad day to come when they tow the Roger Blough or “The Jolly Roger” as I like to call her to scrap someday. Like you she has always been one of my top favorites and although she was supposed to have entered service in 1971 but was delayed a year due to the fire then, both her and I have a few things in common. She entered service in 1972 the year I was born and her maiden voyage was just a few weeks before I was born! I’ve seen her many times both on the St. Clair River and the Soo and photographed her many times then at each location. I will sadly miss those beautiful horns of her and the salutes she would often give. Since she entered service in 1972 the year I was born, every 5 years I would make “A Happy Birthday Roger Blough sign” for her beginning with their 20th Anniversary. Anyway, I would often get her to see me with the sign and get a beautiful and great salute 🫡 with the sign both on the St. Clair River and at the Soo. I. only saw her once on the river in her last year of service before her unfortunate fire in lay up and I’m so thankful 🙏 and glad I got to see her then. I have many great and wonderful memories of the Roger Blough or the Jolly Roger and I’ll always treasure them and never forget them. Indeed my friend it will be a sad day when she leaves us as another classic leaves us. As you said enjoy the classics while we can as they isn’t too many of them left! Unfortunately for me though, I missed both the Clarke and Anderson respectively on the river in January 2025 on their last and final runs of the seasons. I sincerely hope and pray 🙏 that these two classics and beauties aren’t done just yet because, I want to see them sail again one more time and see each of them again sailing someday. You take care of yourself Bob my friend and be well and stay safe also. The 2025 season will soon begin and I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait for it to start up!

I’m sure the blough has no future which is very unfortunate as she has always been one of my all time favorites. It will be a very sad day when they tow her across the lake to the cutters torch. It’s a shame that there is no one that could afford the repairs and find cargo to haul. Been a lot of classic ships that have met there end of life expectancies and gone to scrap. It’s a different time now with the style of ships that are in use other than the few classics that are left sailing. Just have to enjoy and get pictures of the ones that are left.

She would have gotten the trim line painted before departing as a dead ship tow down to Conneaut, its the only way for crews on the tug to tell if she is listing or pitching from water ingress. Regardless, there really isn't much of a future for the Blough, she and the St. Clair were very similarly sized boats which made sense at the time of their construction but now served as their biggest impediment later on. Too big for the small boat trades, too small for the footer trades. The Blough was designed for ore which is why she worked so much more than the Clair which was designed for coal, but in the end they are/were both unprofitable to run in both the big and small boat trades.

Conspicuous by their absences are the missing radar antennas.

Attaches is my image of the Roger Blough at the long term lay-up dock in Conneaut, Ohio on Nov. 2022. Note the white paint marking on the bow near the water line.

Weren’t the tow marks painted on prior to her tow from Sturgeon Bay to Conneaut?

I am fairly sure that paint line isn’t new.

Photos on social media of the Blough with tow marks painted on the bow. Waiting for the ice to clear to tow her to the scrapyard?