Winter Layup Photos

Below are photos of the ROBERT S. PIERSON arriving last Monday, the EDGAR B. SPEER last Wednesday, and Erie's layup fleet, taken today.

---

APALACHEE moves the CLEVELAND ROCKS last Monday.


ROBERT S. PIERSON inbound.


APALACHEE with the PIERSON.


PIERSON gets ready to start to turn to back into the drydock.


Waiting in the bay.


Bow on.


Starting to turn.


Turning.


APALACHEE pushing on the PIERSON.


Another view.


EDGAR B. SPEER inbound on Wednesday.


SPEER inbound.


Stern view inbound.


MANITOU approaching the bow of the SPEER.


Starting to turn.


MANITOU pushing on the SPEER.


Turning.


MANITOU stands by.


With the ROBERT S. PIERSON.


PIERSON in drydock. CLEVELAND ROCKS is behind her.


Backing into the dock.


MANITOWOC in layup. She will be the next drydocking.


MANITOWOC with the KEN BOOTHE SR.


MANITOWOC at the north face of the shipyard.


ROBERT S. PIERSON in drydock. Should be coming out within a couple of weeks.


EDGAR B. SPEER in layup.


SPEER with the APALACHEE.


J.S. St. JOHN, SPEER, PIERSON and MANITOWOC.


LAKES CONTENDER.


KEN BOOTHE SR..


VICTORIAN PRINCESS, another of Donjon's projects, in layup in the East Canal Basin.

PRESQUE ISLE DUE

PRESQUE ISLE should be arriving within the next day for winter layup at the Mountfort Terminal. MANITOWOC is now docked across the north face of Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair, and the CALUMET is due this weekend for layup.

MANITOWOC INBOUND

MANITOWOC is now inbound Erie headed for the shipyard for winter layup.

SPEER ETA

SPEER ETA 1200.

SPEER Getting Underway

EDGAR B. SPEER is currently getting underway from behind Long Point and should arrive sometime within the next three to five hours. MANITOWOC just went into Nanticoke to unload and should arrive tonight.

MANITOWOC, SPEER Due

EDGAR B. SPEER will be arriving Wednesday morning for the Old Ore Dock. Shortly thereafter, MANITOWOC will arrive for the North Pier to moor for several days. Once bits are installed for the MANITOWOC to tie up to, MANITOWOC will move to the West Slip. PRESQUE ISLE will arrive this weekend or early next week.

PIERSON, Barge CLEVELAND ROCKS in drydock

ROBERT S. PIERSON is now in drydock ahead of the CLEVELAND ROCKS. PIERSON will be in drydock for two or three weeks before departing for Sarnia for layup.

PIERSON, ROCKS Drydocked; MANITOWOC Due

MANITOWOC should arrive on Wednesday morning for winter layup; ROBERT S. PIERSON and CLEVELAND ROCKS were both drydocked today.

Photos and a more detailed account will follow.

PIERSON ANCHORS; WILL ARRIVE MONDAY

ROBERT S. PIERSON went to anchor outside Buoys 1 & 2 this afternoon and will not arrive in Erie until tomorrow morning. Donjon will begin flooding the drydock at 0500, the gate will be moved at around 0900 and then the tugs APALACHEE and MANITOU will move the CLEVELAND ROCKS into drydock. The PIERSON will then enter the piers and go stern-first into drydock ahead of the ROCKS.

APALACHEE and MANITOU will remain in Erie the winter to move vessels at the yard. Apparently, CLEVELAND ROCKS will be moved four times this winter to make room for vessels coming to the yard while she is modified to fit her new articulated tug, BRADSHAW MCKEE, which will arrive in Erie to pick up the barge in the spring.

Ironically, CLEVELAND ROCKS is the second barge that has been modified at the shipyard facility in Erie for the BRADSHAW MCKEE. As SUSAN W. HANNAH, the tug's barge MEDUSA CONQUEST was modified at Erie Marine Industries in 1992; that job was botched and ended with Medusa Cement taking the barge to Bay Shipbuilding and suing Erie Marine. This job will no doubt end better.

SPEER DUE

EDGAR B. SPEER will be arriving for layup sometime on Tuesday. The SPEER is due in Conneaut at 2000 on Monday night to unload ore and will proceed to Erie afterwards.

ROBERT S. PIERSON DUE

ROBERT S. PIERSON is due Erie at 1400 today. PIERSON will be drydocked Monday.

LAKES CONTENDER FLOATED!

LAKES CONTENDER, after delays due to weather, was winched stern first in the drydock at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair beginning at 0900 this morning. Around that time the MANITOU moved the tug KEN BOOTHE SR. to the east side of the shipyard in preparation for the move of the LAKES CONTENDER.

At around noon, MANITOU took a stern wire from the barge and began to slowly pull the LAKES CONTENDER from the drydock. After the barge was most of the way out of the drydock, APALACHEE backed into position and took a wire from the bow. The APALACHEE pulled the bow west and the tugs started to move the new barge into the West Slip.

Unfortunately, the move did not go without incident. While inbound the West Slip the barge got away from the tugs and scraped the west pier by the cruise terminal in front of about thirty onlookers, leaving several scrapes on the paint of the barge.

Once the LAKES CONTENDER was secured at 1430 this afternoon the BOOTHE SR. was moved back to the West Slip and moored behind her barge. The drydock gate was then moved into place and the drydock will be pumped out, and the blocks will be reset for next week's arrival of the ROBERT S. PIERSON for drydocking.

When completed in the spring, the KEN BOOTHE SR./LAKES CONTENDER are expected to enter service under a bareboat charter to American Steamship Company.

---

APALACHEE and MANITOU at dock on Friday.


MANITOU pushes the CLEVELAND ROCKS.


Turning to approach the east side of Donjon.


APALACHEE prepares to grab a line.


Into the Old Ore Dock.


1943-built APALACHEE working the CLEVELAND ROCKS.


MANITOU and the BOOTHE on the east side of the shipyard.


Overhead view.


MANITOU approaches the drydock.


Working the lines on the LAKES CONTENDER.


Approaching the West Slip with the new barge.


APALACHEE works hard.


Straightening out.


Getting ready to approach the West Slip.


Inbound the West Slip.


Close up of the LAKES CONTENDER.


APALACHEE poses nicely.


Stern view of the APALACHEE.


LAKES CONTENDER is within three feet of me as it comes near the west side bulkhead.


Scrapes on the new paint.


Bouncing off.


APALACHEE working to straighten the LAKES CONTENDER.


Working to dock the barge.


Another view.


MANITOU moves the drydock gate this afternoon.


BOOTHE SR. and her barge in the late afternoon sunlight.


The barge is 740 feet long and capable of carrying 38,000 tons of cargo.


LAKES CONTENDER in the late afternoon sun.