Sherwin

[Guest]

I've been a member of a number of marine historical organizations over the years, and have been interested in lakers since the mid-70s, so I'm not a recent observer. I gritted my teeth in the 1980s when our favourite ships were dismantled. Many, many jobs were lost to those people who were previosly employed. The John Sherwin has been laid-up for 33 years, so the former sailers of that ship have either moved on to other vessels, retired or passed away. Some people are fans of barge conversions. Fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. For me personally, barge conversions look awful.

[wlbblw]

So in the interest of how the vessel looks, we shouldn't consider the jobs & the continued usage in support of domestic industry a barge conversion represents. So, by that logic, as hobbiests, a 700-foot tug-barge isn't worth seeing & there'd be no point in shooting any photos or enjoying the fun of the hobby watching vessel transits unless it's a ship. Yeah, ok, right, because that makes sense.

[Guest]

Converting a ship to a barge completely destroys its looks. Just have a look at the St. Marys Challenger. Is she the same now as she was before her conversion? No. Her looks have been completely destroyed. I understand the economic needs of such a conversion, but a barging makes a ship something else. Its soul is gone. I'm sorry for being so passionate, but I have a strong emotion when it comes to this subject.

Trust me, the John Sherwin is my absolute favourite laker. And I, more than anyone, would love to see her sail. But chopping the stern off and adding a tug would destroy her looks. It would not be the same ship. Luckily she is owned by a company that has done three successful repowerings, so in all likelyhood she would not be barged. That's if the economic cards come her way.

[wlbblw]

Why would anyone wish a ship would get scrapped instead of continuing to be of use & employment to people by being converted to a barge?

[Guest]

Her cosmetics aren't a problem. A few days in a shipyard would fix that right up.

And she did have her bow thruster removed, but the story is that the repaired one that it was used to replace was put aboard and is her hold. Even if it isn't, that's not a major issue when they're spending millions to reactivate her.

And she'll never be converted to a barge. Interlake after an experiment in the 90's has changed direction and favors the economics of repowering. If they ever have a need for her, it will be a powered vessel for the greatest fuel economy.

[tugboathunter]

Interlake prefers repowering to tug/barges. After the Pathfinder project, they then repowered three steamers instead of converting them to barges as well. If the Sherwin is repowered, they would simply have to drop an engine in and reconfigure the stern cabins just a bit, rather than build a tug, lop off the stern, and build a notch. And they have to add a boom either way. Also, tug/barges are less efficient than powered vessels on long runs, which is why the Pathfinder usually sticks to shorter stone runs. Their reason for planning the Sherwin conversion a few years back was so she could join the Jackson, etc. on the Marquette to Dearborn run, which the Pathfinder rarely does.

[Denny]

I question why Interlake does not decide to try and convert her to a self-unloading barge? It just my thoughts only here everyone but she has been stripped of most everything as far as her prop, bow thruster and other items. From the looks of things, the plan to convert her to a self-unloading powered vessel will never come to be or else they would have done it by now. Yes, I know that the economy tanking was one issue to why it was never done in the first place. In my opinion, why not convert her to a barge and either build a tug at either Sturgeon Bay or in Erie? They could also maybe find a tug from somewhere and see if that would also work. Again, these are only my thoughts and opinions on this only.

[Guest]

The bow thruster engine went to the Herbert C. Jackson in the late 80s, and the rebuilt engine from the Jackson was put in the Sherwin's cargo-hold so that it could be re-installed at a future date. I heard it was a deck-winch that was removed from the Sherwin recently. As for the propeller, it would be of no use in in a diesel repowering because she would need a variable pitch propeller.

I take it that she has no shipkeeper aboard if she has damage to some of her windows. I hope she goes to Port Colborne for scrapping before she is ever converted to a barge.

[NMGL]

The museum that has been referred to is the National Museum of the Great Lakes, located at 1701 Front Street Toledo Ohio. The propeller from the Sherwin is on display in front of the museum.

[middlerouge]

You may be correct on that as I think if memory is correct that it may have been installed on the Jackson or the Kaye E. Barker? Don't recall what ship for certain but, it was one of those two I think it was at one time.

Engine went to the barker, Jackson still has turbine plant and to my knowledge, there are no plans for a diesel conversion.

[tugboat1947]

Sadly would make a heck of a barge better than scrap

[Denny]

You may be correct on that as I think if memory is correct that it may have been installed on the Jackson or the Kaye E. Barker? Don't recall what ship for certain but, it was one of those two I think it was at one time.

[garbear]

If I recall from news reports and reading articles here, I believe the propeller from the Sherwin was shipped to Toledo to be used at the new Great Lakes Museum or whatever it is called now in Toledo. Hope this helps.

Wasn't there also talk that the bow thruster was removed also?

[Bigboat]

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/1 ... oledo.html

[Denny]

If I recall from news reports and reading articles here, I believe the propeller from the Sherwin was shipped to Toledo to be used at the new Great Lakes Museum or whatever it is called now in Toledo. Hope this helps.

[Guest]

I was off Detour Saturday and took a very up close inspection of the Sherwin. She is in rough shape and would take a decent amount of work to fix up. I also noticed that some of her windows are broken up in the Texas/ pilothouse area and that her prop is gone. What happened? I don't see much of a future for her as I once did.

Her prop was removed at Bay Shipbuilding when a project to repower her and convert her to a self unloader was started. This was later stopped due to the economic collapse we are all familiar with.

[Guest]

I was off Detour Saturday and took a very up close inspection of the Sherwin. She is in rough shape and would take a decent amount of work to fix up. I also noticed that some of her windows are broken up in the Texas/ pilothouse area and that her prop is gone. What happened? I don't see much of a future for her as I once did.