Lee A. Tregurtha - Arrival and Docking for Winter Layup

Here is the Lee A. Tregurtha arriving in the Twin Ports on the morning of January 14, 2021 for winter layup. The Tregurtha was the first of four vessels to layup in Superior, Wisconsin. We first see her as she enters the Duluth shipping canal, giving a celebratory master salute (three long and two short blasts) to the bridge and nearby onlookers. After watching her pass under the Aerial Lift Bridge, I relocated to Rice's Point to watch her come around and pass under the John A. Blatnik highway bridge and make a left turn into Howard's Bay, which leads up to the Fraser shipyard in Superior where the Tregurtha was scheduled to spend layup. I then moved to the opposite side of Howard's Bay to watch the Tregurtha dock, receiving help from the tugs Missouri and North Carolina.

The 88-foot tug Missouri is making her first appearance on this channel. She was built in 1927 and is powered by one Alco 12-251F diesel engine producing 2,250 bhp. Of the tugs stationed in Duluth for the Great Lakes Towing Company, she is the one most often used for ice breaking duties due to her reinforced bow and more powerful engine. Notice how she circles the Tregurtha as she make her way through the ice field leading up to Howard's Bay. The tug North Carolina was helping to assist with docking, using her hull to sweep ice away from the dock wall, clearing a path for the Tregurtha. The 87-foot North Carolina was built in 1952 and is powered by one Cleveland 12-278A diesel engine producing 1,200 bhp.

Winter layup is necessitated on Lake Superior due to the closing of the Soo Locks between January 15 and March 25, when annual maintenance occurs at the locks. Also, this period is typically difficult for shipping as ice builds up in the harbors and often on the lake itself. So far it has been a mild winter on the Lake, but there have been winters where the lake has entirely frozen over, making shipping all but impossible. Layup also provides a chance for crews to go home and visit their families, while any needed maintenance can take place on the ships to ready them for the upcoming season.

This is a longer video than most that I usually post on this channel. For those who only watch for the salutes, you only need to watch for the first minute. But for those who truly love watching shipping action, I hope there is plenty more here for you to enjoy. In particular, the work of the tugboats around the Tregurtha is interesting to watch. Also the heavy propwash from the Tregurtha herself was fascinating. You could hear as the prop hit small chunks of ice. Normally she doesn't produce this much prop wash, but she is sitting higher in the water, due to being empty and having a little less ballast in her tanks. The remaining ballast would be pumped out after she docked, causing her to sit even higher in the water for winter layup. The occasion puffs of black smoke from the Tregurtha come from the diesel engine that powers her bow thruster.

Keen viewers will note the Edward L. Ryerson in the background as she sits in long-term layup. One of the questions I get asked the most on this channel is whether the Ryerson will ever sail again. The pessimist will say "no way" while the optimist will say "if the economy demands her return." Only time will tell...

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