Here is the Lee A. Tregurtha seen arriving in the Twin Ports on January 13, 2022 for winter layup. The video starts with her arrival in the Duluth shipping canal and passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge, blowing a celebratory master salute (three long and two shorts blasts) to signify the end of her season. After passing through the shipping canal, we meet up with her again at Rice's Point, where she is assisted by the tugboats Missouri and Edward H. with ice breaking and maneuvering. After passing under the John A. Blatnik bridge, she makes the sharp left turn into Howard's Bay which leads up to the Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin. The video ends with the Tregurtha coming in to dock at Fraser, with the tugboats helping to sweep ice from the dock and provide pressure to keep her against the dock while she is tied up and secured.
The entire sequence was a couple of hours from start to finish, but I have reduced it down to 17 minutes of highlights. That's still a long video by my usual standards, but I figured some of my fellow "boatnerds" out there would enjoy the extra coverage. For those who simply want to see her pass through the shipping canal and salute, you only need to watch the first few minutes... though I personally think the interesting part starts at Rice's Point. Those who watch that far will be rewarded with a second salute from the Tregurtha!
I also added some radio traffic between the Lee A. Tregurtha and the tugboats. It's not the full coverage of radio traffic, but enough to get a good flavor of the communications between vessels. Also, the radio traffic isn't necessarily perfectly synced with the footage, but I've tried to put the radio transmissions in the corresponding portions of the video where it occurred.
I captured a similar view of the Tregurtha's arrival for layup in January 2021 as well. If you haven't already seen that video, you can view it here: • Lee A. Tregurtha - Arr...
The Lee A. Tregurtha has a long history, serving various roles under various names over the years. Launched in 1942, she went into service as an oiler for the U.S. Navy under the name USS Chiwawa. In March 1943, she was part of a convoy of 45 ships, including destroyers and merchant ships, that was attacked by 17 German U-Boats. Five ships in the convoy were sunk. The USS Chiwawa was awarded a Battle Star for her actions, something she still wears on her pilot house today. After the war, she continued to serve as an oil tanker in private hands until she was purchased by Cleveland Cliffs in 1960 and converted to a lake carrier named the Walter A. Sterling, with a new mid-body section that expanded her length from 501 feet to 726 feet. Another lengthening occurred in 1976, giving her the current length of 826 feet. Another retrofit in 1978 converted her into a self-unloader. She can currently carry 29,360 tons of cargo in her five cargo holds which are accessed by 24 hatches. She was acquired by Interlake Steamship in 1989 and converted from steam in 2006 to be powered by two Rolls Royce Bergen B32-40L6P medium speed 6 cylinder 4,020 b.h.p. (3,000 KW) diesel engines burning heavy fuel oil. While many miss her old steam whistle, the conversion to diesel will hopefully ensure she has many more years left of service on the Great Lakes.
The 88-foot tugboat Missouri was built in 1927 at the American Shipbuilding Company of Lorain, Ohio, originally named the Rogers City and working for U.S. Steel’s Michigan Limestone Corporation. After a few changes of name and ownership, she was purchased by the Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, Ohio in 1990, when she obtained her current name. Her original steam powerplant was replaced by a 1 Alco 12-251F diesel engine in 1981, providing 2,250 bhp (brake horsepower). She is stationed in Duluth most of the year, but is typically most active in winter months undertaking ice breaking activities.
The 103-foot tugboat Edward H. was launched in 1970 as the YTB-809 (Agawam) for the United States Navy. She was delivered to the Navy on July 28th, 1971 where she was allocated to the 5th Naval District at Norfolk, Virginia. On November 13th, 2002, she was transferred to Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for reuse and or conversion. That same year she was acquired by Maineport Towboats Incorporated of Belfast, Maine, where she was renamed as the Fort Point. In 2017 she was acquired by Heritage Marine and given her current name. She is powered by a single, Fairbanks Morse 38D8-1/8 diesel engine rated at 2,000 horsepower. She is also outfitted with a stern thruster, powered by a single Detroit Diesel 12-V92TA diesel engine rated at 720 horsepower.
31 янв 2022
