Canadian Miner

[Guest]

Has anybody been out to the site since the heavy weather of late last week? I heard on the Weather Channel there were high winds in the Maritimes.

[Matt Koch]

Anodes are used but they only do so much. Zinc anodes are best for salt water, magnesium anodes are best for fresh water. Which one to choose on a ship routinely going back and forth? Remember by world standards the Canadian lakers going to scrap are old, worn out vessels. Only compared to the US lake fleet do they not seem so old.

Anodes are used to prevent galvanic corrosion, not rusting. The zinc / magnesium is a less noble metal than steel and are thus disolved first.

Matt

[hausen]

Dramatic photo, thanks for posting.

[Guest]

Another pic. Looks like it was taken early on in the event. Only one hatch cover is missing.

[boatbuddy]

Anodes are used but they only do so much. Zinc anodes are best for salt water, magnesium anodes are best for fresh water. Which one to choose on a ship routinely going back and forth? Remember by world standards the Canadian lakers going to scrap are old, worn out vessels. Only compared to the US lake fleet do they not seem so old.

[LeoA]

Why not use sacrificial anodes (I think that's the right name) like naval vessels and some museum ships use?

[boatbuddy]

The most common trips for the 730 straight deckers was grain usually loaded on Lake Superior but also on Lake Michigan and Lake Erie and unloaded at a lower St. Lawrence port. The upper St. Lawrence is fresh water. It gets salty below Quebec City. After the grain was unloaded they would proceed to load ore at Port Cartier or Sept Isles, salt water ports on the lower St. Lawrence. If they didn't load ore they would fill the ballast tanks with salt water.

In addition the constant wear and tear of passing through the 15 locks and sliding the walls of the Welland Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway takes a toll on the hulls. Its a wonder that Montrealais, Quebecois and Algoma Provider are still in this trade after almost 50 years.

The cargo holds are painted when new. Most ballast tanks have a coating to resist corrosion but as vessels age and become less profitable less is spent on maintenance.

[winchester]

Also, don't the Canadian carriers have shorter lifespans than the Americans due to occasionally running into salt water further up the St.Lawerance?

[Randy S]

Yes, rust in the hold is common. With cargos continually pounding on the steel, it would be nearly impossible to maintain a rust-proof finish. *If* paint were to be applied to the inside of the ballast tanks, it would take constant maintenance to keep it up. Just a single imperfection would allow corrosion to start and then the entire coating would be compromised.

[wnyguest]

Question for those who manned these vessels, is the rust down in the hold area below deck typical on these lake boats? Or do so owners do a better job than others maintaining their boats?
I should think for what one of these boats cost to build, a few extra dollars for some paint below deck, inside the ballast tanks, and in the bottom area would have gone a long way to extending the service life of the vessel.
Seems like from the top of the ballast tanks up, the boat wasn't in too bad a condition. Engines can be replaced, didn't Interlake just repower an older hull recently? Don't recall the name right off, but I wonder how that boat looks below decks?

[Guest]

In the 5th picture in Fireman12's post it looks like there is an open hatch in the cargo hold with twisted metal bars hanging out of it. What was that for?

If you at the picture below, the one where the kayaker is inside the hold, you'll see up in the far left side of the picture there is a opening from the tunnel into the hold, right at the top of the ladder on the bulkhead. That is what you're asking about with all the twisted metal bars. The one you are asking about has been bent and destroyed by the seas. It used to be a landing coming out of the tunnel opening.

[fireman12]

That was the ladder to access the cargo hold for cleaning , maintenance , and at times welding , as sometimes the unloading was a bit too heavy and the clamshell buckets would cause a crack in the tank top or sides steel plate .

[Chris]

In the 5th picture in Fireman12's post it looks like there is an open hatch in the cargo hold with twisted metal bars hanging out of it. What was that for?

[fireman12]

Exactly why the warning was put out for people to stay away from the wreck . I don`t know if the pilot ladder / life boat ladder was put there by the cleanup team , or if it was an attempt to see what could still be accessed from outside .

[Guest]

I sure wouldn't want to be inside that boat if any kind of wave rocks it. There sure isn't much holding the hatch cover on above this kayaker.

[Guest]

beavercliffe hall and lawrencecliffe hall were sisters I believe. Beaver was scrapped at the soo (as Quedoc) and if memory serves the Lawrence was scrapped at alang as Canadian Venture

Neither was a sister.

[jacques]

beavercliffe hall and lawrencecliffe hall were sisters I believe. Beaver was scrapped at the soo (as Quedoc) and if memory serves the Lawrence was scrapped at alang as Canadian Venture

[ashland69]

Does the Canadian Miner have any sister ships and if so what shape are they in?

The closest are probably the Montrealais and Quebecois and there's been brief discussion on this website regarding their conditions. To date, I personally have heard nothing pro or con about either vessel.

[hayhugh2]

Does the Canadian Miner have any sister ships and if so what shape are they in?

[fireman12]

The steel around the ballast tanks looks pretty thin , yet these `60s era lakers stayed together this long . Surprised more don`t head to the bottom on the way over , on the last tow . I think if the Miner had run into any weather , she could have been a candidate .

If the storm surge is big enough , the bow section has a better chance of being swept out to sea , with the forepeak the floatation tank . Provided the cofferdam bulkheads hold up . The aft end is heavier , with the small aft peak and ER tanks the only floation , and the cofferdam in # 6 hold is already breached , so I`ll guess if the stern gets taken out , it won`t go too far .