CALUMET and CLEVELAND ROCKS were moved from drydock on Wednesday afternoon as the final of Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair's winter drydockings. Donjon's graving dock was flooded beginning at around noon on Wednesday, and by 1800 the CALUMET was ready to emerge from drydock. At 1830 MANITOU took the bow of the CALUMET and moved the vessel slowly out of drydock. APALACHEE caught a stern line from the CALUMET to act as the brake on the tow.
MANITOU and APALACHEE towed the CALUMET out and anchored the vessel in Presque Isle Bay. After anchoring the CALUMET, MANITOU and APALACHEE headed back into the shipyard to move the CLEVELAND ROCKS out of drydock. MANITOU backed the ROCKS out of drydock before APALACHEE took a line and assisted in turning the ROCKS around. CLEVELAND ROCKS was moved to the south end of the West Slip before CALUMET was moved in behind her.
When those moves were complete, crane barge FARRELL 256 was moved from the Mountfort Terminal to the east side of Donjon's yard. FARREL 256 and J.S. St. JOHN are due to be drydocked on Friday.
MANITOU and APALACHEE departed shortly after the moves were complete; MANITOU headed back to Port Huron and APALACHEE to Buffalo.
CALUMET had been in drydock for about four weeks, and when her paint job is complete is due to sail in a few days. Tentatively the CALUMET is headed to Marblehead to load for Cleveland.
CLEVELAND ROCKS had been in drydock since mid-January for installation of new barge wings to fit her new tug, BRADSHAW M
cKEE. Donjon beat out numerous shipyards around the lakes for this job. At least one bidder, Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland, did not account for putting the ROCKS in drydock. Great Lakes Shipyard does not have the drydock facilities necessary for a barge as large as CLEVELAND ROCKS.
Interestingly, Great Lakes Shipyard is a subsidiary of The Great Lakes Towing Company, which bid on the towing work done by the APALACHEE and MANITOU. Great Lakes Towing bid too high on the work and it went to Malcolm Marine and Zink's Marine Towing, as the independent operators are able to tow much cheaper than Great Lakes Towing, whose profit margins require it to charge more than the independent operators on the Great Lakes.
H. LEE WHITE arrived in Erie this morning at 0930 and docked at the Mountfort Terminal to unload stone. WHITE was followed into port by Luedtke tug KRISTA S, pushing an empty dump scow and crane barge. The tug and barge are anchored northeast of the Old Ore Dock.
WHITE departed at 1800 this afternoon.
Donjon moving the drydock gate Wednesday afternoon.
Unpainted CALUMET in drydock .
MANITOU circles in Erie harbor after leaving her dock.
Bow on.
Another view.
APALACHEE and MANITOU.
MANITOU hooks up to CALUMET as APALACHEE stands by.
MANITOU pulls on the CALUMET.
Hooking up the APALACHEE.
The tow moves into Presque Isle Bay.
APALACHEE acting as the brake.
Stern view of the tow.
APALACHEE.
Another view.
Dropping the CALUMET's anchor.
Anchor hits the water behind the MANITOU.
CALUMET at anchor.
Stern view.
Port side stern view. The port side is partially unpainted.
CLEVELAND ROCKS emerging from the drydock with APALACHEE preparing to start pushing.
Another view. The freshly-painted section is new.
APALACHEE pushing.
Angled for the West Slip.
CLEVELAND ROCKS at dock this morning.
Looking down the center of the slip.
H. LEE WHITE inbound.
Another view.
Stern view.
Docking at the Mountfort Terminal.
KRISTA S. inbound pushing two barges. Note that the barges are slightly askew of each other.
The KRISTA S. and barges are bound for Cleveland, where Luedtke will be dredging the Cuyahoga River.
Close up.
Close up of the KRISTA S.
Stern view.
Stern view of the tow.
WHITE outbound.
Stern view.
