Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Guest wrote: September 28, 2024, 5:00 pm

Denny wrote: September 28, 2024, 1:55 pm Still in Duluth at the Port Terminal as of 2:45 p.m. ET on September 28. Will they have to find a way to offload that cargo first into another vessel before they can continue on and get the necessary repairs needed to their unloading boom? I would think the Block’s owners would want to use another vessel or some type of ways or system to remove that cargo from the Block then have them sail empty to a shipyard or repair facility to get repairs to their boom at that point. Basically my point to all this scuttlebut is this, I would think this would have to be costing the Block big time delays and $ waiting to get its boom repaired not to mention its owners and customers also. Correct me if I’m wrong here but, in the shipping business “Isn’t the saying that time is money?” If that’s true, then the Block along with their owners and customers surely are not making much money right now with these delays and repairs to their unloading boom. Just my thoughts only on this then.

Given that the damage appears to be limited to the unloading boom and since such repairs are unlikely to require a dry docking I would say the cargo will remain aboard until repairs are completed. I could be wrong but I would guess that rather than conduct some seemingly unnecessary, and costly, unloading of the Block's cargo by crane equipment it would be far easier for another ship to load a replacement cargo and deliver it to the customer. However, that is not to say some type of temporary chute system could be installed if the boom were to be removed that would allow the vessel's onboard unloading to discharge the cargo similar to what was done when the George A. Stinson lost its boom in the early 1980s. It does not sound like the Block has any topside or hull damage from this incident so it appears that the damage is limited to the boom the extent of which will determine the level of repairs up to and possibly replacement if there is any serious twisting of the structure. Thus far from the photos I have seen online it appears to be localized damage but that is subjective without the results of an actual survey.

Your comment about "time is money" in the shipping industry is true, but that same philosophy applies to nearly every business venture and is certainly not unique to the shipping industry. That being said, it is without doubt a prime business goal to keep any operating ship actively engaged in the movement of cargo.

Has anyone heard of any impact this accident has had on the loading of ships at Duluth?

Denny wrote: September 28, 2024, 1:55 pm Still in Duluth at the Port Terminal as of 2:45 p.m. ET on September 28. Will they have to find a way to offload that cargo first into another vessel before they can continue on and get the necessary repairs needed to their unloading boom? I would think the Block’s owners would want to use another vessel or some type of ways or system to remove that cargo from the Block then have them sail empty to a shipyard or repair facility to get repairs to their boom at that point. Basically my point to all this scuttlebut is this, I would think this would have to be costing the Block big time delays and $ waiting to get its boom repaired not to mention its owners and customers also. Correct me if I’m wrong here but, in the shipping business “Isn’t the saying that time is money?” If that’s true, then the Block along with their owners and customers surely are not making much money right now with these delays and repairs to their unloading boom. Just my thoughts only on this then.