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| Loading at Escanaba, MI, Mar.
24, 2007. |
Dick Lund |
Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Burns Harbor
By George Wharton
The keel was laid on April 16, 1979 for this self-unloading bulk freighter
at Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, WI as their hull # 720. The new
"1,000-footer" was launched October 28, 1979 and christened Burns Harbor on
May 24, 1980 for Wilmington Trust, Wilmington, DE (Bethlehem Steel Corp.,
Great Lakes Steamship Div., Cleveland, OH, managers). The new
self-unloader was the tenth "1,000-footer" to enter service on the Great Lakes
and the third to enter service for this fleet. The other two were the
Stewart J. Cort still operating with the fleet and the Lewis Wilson Foy now
sailing as the Oglebay Norton for the Oglebay Norton Marine Services fleet.
The Burns Harbor was named to honor Bethlehem Steel's newest steelmaking
complex at the time of her launch, the complex being located at Burns Harbor,
IN.
Power for the self-unloader comes from 4 GM
Electro-Motive Div. 20-645-E7 3,600 b.h.p. (2,648 kW) two stroke cycle, single acting
V-20 cylinder diesel engines burning marine diesel oil. These engines
were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, La Grange, IL.
The power is fed through Falk reduction gears to 2 controllable pitch
propellers giving her a rated service speed of 18.4 m.p.h. She is equipped
with both bow and stern thrusters. The Burns Harbor's 37 hatches service 7
holds where she is capable of carrying 78,850 tons (80,117 mt) at a
mid-summer draft of 34' 00" (10.36m) and has the cubic capacity to carry
71,000 net tons of coal. Her self-unloading system feeds a 250-foot (76.20m)
stern mounted discharge boom that can be swung 92 degrees to port or starboard
and can unload iron ore pellets at a rate of 9,000 tons (9,145 mt) per
hour. Other capacities include 141.78 tons (144.06 mt) of fresh
water and 446.84 tons (454.02 mt) of fuel oil. The Burns Harbor
displaces 13,534.78 tons (13,752.20 mt) light ship.
While still under construction at the shipyard prior
to her christening, on March 19, 1980 a fire of unknown origin extensively
damaged the staging and conveyor belt. During sea trials on July 24,
1980; the Burns Harbor made an amazing emergency stop in 3,160 feet (963.17m)
while loaded to a draft of approximately 25.5 feet 7.77m). Following sea
trials, the burns Harbor had to briefly lay up due to a lack of cargoes but
sailed September 28, 1980 on her maiden voyage from Sturgeon Bay to Superior, WI
to load a cargo of iron ore pellets for Burns Harbor, IN. The Burns Harbor
set a Great Lakes cargo record on June 21, 1985 when 68,608 tons (69,710
mt) of iron ore was loaded at Escanaba, MI destined for Indiana Harbor, IN.
Another Great Lakes cargo record was set from the Cleveland-Cliffs mine at
Escanaba when on September 5, 1986, a 70,751 ton (71,888 tonne) cargo of iron
ore was loaded on board bound again for Indiana Harbor, IN. A subsequent
cargo record was set by the Burns Harbor in 1996 when she passed through the Soo
carrying 64,435 tons (65,470 mt) of iron ore.
The Burns Harbor sailed for the
International Steel Group - Burns Harbor Inc., Chesterton, IN. following the
acquisition of Bethlehem Steel by the International Steel Group, Cleveland, OH
in the spring of 2003. In the spring of 2005, International Steel Group
was acquired by foreign-owned Mittal Steel. Shortly after, the Burns
Harbor became part of the American Steamship Co. fleet under the ownership
of American Steamship Co.'s parent company GATX Corp. The Burns Harbor's trade routes
remained the intact as the vessel was long-term time-chartered back to Mittal
Steel, being operated and managed by American Steamship Co.
| Overall Dimensions
(metric) |
| Length |
1000' 00"
(304.80m) |
| Beam |
105' 00"
(32.00m) |
| Depth |
56' 00"
(17.07m) |
| Capacity
(mid-summer) |
78,850
tons (80,117 mt)
at a draft of 34' 00" (10.36m) |
| Power (diesel) |
14,400
b.h.p. (10,592 kW) |
Burns Harbor loading at BNSF in Superior WI.
David French |
Passing through the Rock Cut.
Andy LaBorde |
St Marys River.
Andy LaBorde |
Western Lake Erie in 1983. |
Flags flying at the Soo. Lee Rowe |
Bay Ship. Orrin Royce |
Close up. |
Entering graving dock at Bay Ship.
Vic DeLarwelle |
Close up of tug Bay Ship. Vic DeLarwelle |
Passing Detroit June 9, 2000.
Pat Pavlat |
Lay-up, Milwaukee J. Zeirke |
Stack colors, Dec./04. P Zagorac |
Entering Burns International Harbor/Port of Indiana Dec. 13, 2004.
P.
Zagorac |
Head on. P. Zagorac |
Completing the turn. P. Zagorac |
Burns Harbor, IN June, 2005.
Peter Zagorac |
New stack colors, June 05.
Peter Zagorac |
Winter lay-up, Milwaukee, WI Jan 2006.
Paul Espamer |
