MV Saginaw

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Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

Yeah they sure were good for that. At least 4+ days to buffalo gave you a break and some scenery but the SIU contract pay scale was less. I crewed a couple rebuilds with one piece hatches and oil fired instead of coal. Sure didn’t miss the daily rinse down of all the coal dust. Just all memories now.
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote: January 24, 2023, 5:06 pm Second that John Paul. Was on couple Steinbrenner boats. the old Seedhouse and Merle McCurdy. Old canvas tarps. When loaded grain it was double tarps. At least they use vinyl tarps now. Some easier but when frozen n iced still difficult. Our crews worked well but a Few trips of being frozen stiff cured me😂. Went back to the Huron fleet and stayed until quit sailing.
Thank you for sharing! The Steinbrenner boats were the real deal in steamboating. Ore, coal and grains and the hard work weeded out the lazy ones especially with 35 telescoping hatches
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

Second that John Paul. Was on couple Steinbrenner boats. the old Seedhouse and Merle McCurdy. Old canvas tarps. When loaded grain it was double tarps. At least they use vinyl tarps now. Some easier but when frozen n iced still difficult. Our crews worked well but a Few trips of being frozen stiff cured me😂. Went back to the Huron fleet and stayed until quit sailing.
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Jon Paul »

guest wrote: January 23, 2023, 4:04 am is the saginaw the only vessel operating with telescoping hatches? being built in the 50a one would think american steamship would of opted for a hatch crane and steel hatch covers.whats that old but true saying "theres bo one more lazier than a sailor, but theres no one more greedier than a ship owner"
Obviously the person responsible for that old saying never worked the deck of a hatch farm (30+ telescoping hatches) during tarp season. They also never worked during the winter months when everything on deck takes 2-3 times as long with snow and frozen spray all over the hatch crane and hatches. The crews I worked with were determined and dedicated workers and part of a team.
ML123

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by ML123 »

There are tarps on the Saginaw, some new, some old. Theyre there. I put on/took off many a time over many a year and let me say this, it's not a job for the faint hearted!
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

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It’s the only one I can think of. The mc kee sons still has them as well as her original style boom with cables. Probably never run again. Guess the Mc Kee family is waiting for high scrap prices. 1959 Adam e Cornelius operated with same equip Until the end as the tug barge operation. The Munson still has old style cable operated boom but I think one piece hatches now. Apparently the Saginaws current systems still work well as she’s been a big workhorse since being sold Canadian n given diesel power. Good testament of quality American engineering and build for that class of lakers built in the 50s. Tarps are a major pain in the |! Move hatch to hatch while loading / unloading . On the AMS vessels I sailed we stored a few below deck or in dunnage room but most were put ashore storage for summer.
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

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Guest wrote: January 22, 2023, 10:35 am Guessing Canada Coast Guard does not require tarps? Though would think insurance underwriters would require it!
If in fact the Canadian Coast Guard does not require tarps, how would this be looked at in terms of a Canadian flagged vessel operating in US waters?
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

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Jon Paul wrote: January 22, 2023, 9:00 am Interesting to note in the photo of the Saginaw leaving Superior entry and into the open lake with no tarps on??
That is quite interesting, especially in regards to there appearing to be no activity in the photo of the crew being in the process of using the tarps. I don't even see where they would be stored as I thought they were usually left rolled up at the middle of the hatch cover leafs. Have the hatches been modified to no longer require tarping during the fall and winter seasons or time of rough weather?

For retrospect, I have attached a few images of the Saginaw from the early 1990s when it was sailing as the John J. Boland in which the hatch cover tarps in question are visible.
Entering Green Bay Wisconsin November 11 1992
Entering Green Bay Wisconsin November 11 1992
Underway in 1993
Underway in 1993
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Jon Paul »

Guest wrote: January 22, 2023, 10:49 pm If I’m not mistaken I believe the Steinbrenner still had the original wooden hatch covers from when built in 1901?. Maybe someone can elaborate. Cyprus? Not sure. Sept15 to may15 was CG regs when I sailed .
The Cyprus sank off Deer Park MI on Oct 11, 1907 on only its 2nd trip after being launched when its untarped telescoping hatches allowed boarding seas to flood the cargo holds and it capsized.
The Henry Steinbrenner according to several sources had 12 telescoping hatch covers also untarped when they encountered a Gale just south of Isle Royale in May of 1953. According to crew that survived, the untarped hatch covers not only failed to keep water out but eventually the last 3 hatches failed completely and the HS was overwhelmed and sank.
guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by guest »

is the saginaw the only vessel operating with telescoping hatches? being built in the 50a one would think american steamship would of opted for a hatch crane and steel hatch covers.whats that old but true saying "theres bo one more lazier than a sailor, but theres no one more greedier than a ship owner"
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

If I’m not mistaken I believe the Steinbrenner still had the original wooden hatch covers from when built in 1901?. Maybe someone can elaborate. Cyprus? Not sure. Sept15 to may15 was CG regs when I sailed .
hayhugh
Posts: 48
Joined: March 4, 2011, 7:54 am

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by hayhugh »

Always hated to be on a "Hatch Farm" (more then 30 hatches) this time of the year. Battens, strong backs, and wedges - gave a deck hand a workout...
guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by guest »

Shipwatcher1 wrote: January 22, 2023, 12:19 pm Why would they? Aren't the tarps only for grain?
Saginaw has telescoping hatch covers which are not watertight without tarps. The Henry Steinbrenner and Cyprus were lost on Lake Superior with these style of hatches and no tarps during the stormy parts of the season. I know from experience in the past on the US side that telescoping hatch covers were required to be taped from a certain date in the fall till a certain date in the Spring. I remember being on the Samuel Mather and in early October and having to drag out the tarps and inspecting them before they were mandatory when loaded.
...and this is Jon Paul and for some reason I can't post under my username right now lol
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

Still has the old original telescoping style hatches. Tarps were always used on any such ships I crewed from middle sept. To middle May regardless of type of cargo🤷🏼‍♂️
Shipwatcher1
Posts: 489
Joined: April 19, 2011, 4:01 pm

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Shipwatcher1 »

Why would they? Aren't the tarps only for grain?
Guest

Re: MV Saginaw

Unread post by Guest »

Guessing Canada Coast Guard does not require tarps? Though would think insurance underwriters would require it!
Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

MV Saginaw

Unread post by Jon Paul »

Interesting to note in the photo of the Saginaw leaving Superior entry and into the open lake with no tarps on??
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