Burns Harbor - Old Rusty Returns to Superior

Here is another visit by the Burns Harbor to Superior, Wisconsin, this time occurring on September 17, 2021. She was scheduled to load iron ore from the Burlington Northern dock, after the Michipicoten and Frontenac were done loading. (Note: You'll get to see both of those ships if you stay tuned to this channel!) After spending a little time at anchorage, the Burns Harbor decided to enter Superior and dock for a while at Elevator M in Superior, taking up position near her fleet mate the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. who was getting some repairs done at the Lakehead Pipeline dock. As she made her way in, the Burns Harbor gave us a friendly captain's salute, consisting of one long and two short blasts. (As a side note, I'm occasionally lectured by some armchair experts how that isn't a captain's salute. I guess the captains of the Great Lakes carriers have been getting it wrong for decades!) After making her way in the entry, the Burns Harbor turned right and headed towards the Elevator M dock.

The Burns Harbor definitely has one of the more "rusty" looking paint jobs on lakes. While there may be some genuine rust on her hull in places, most of what you're seeing is oxidized iron ore dust that has been washed off her deck and deposited on the sides of the ship. This can be seen as vertical streaking down the sides of the hull. Also note how the rust seems to start just behind the bow, where the water on deck is able to run down her sides... with the front of her bow still relatively clean. I know that some find this rust color to be unattractive, but I view it as a “patina” that indicates she's a hard-working vessel. These ships have very little time for visits to the beauty parlor, as they're almost always on the move. Repainting usually can only occur during winter layup, when the ships are dry-docked for their five-year inspections.

The 1000-foot Burns Harbor was launched in 1979 and made her maiden voyage in 1980, making her the tenth of the thirteen 1000-footers to enter service. She is powered by four GM Electro-Motive 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. Her cargo capacity is 80,900 tons, held in seven cargo holds that are accessed by 37 deck hatches. Her 250-foot self-unloading boom can discharge up to 9000 tons of iron ore an hour.

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