As you know, I do this blog because it’s fun. I’ve met a lot of great people, and recently, with the evolution of so-called “social media” have become friends with some hunks of steel aka ships. Well, although I “befriend” a ship, it’s more accurate to say . . . the crew of the ship. And I’m overjoyed to learn of others’ routines, lives, and journeys . . . as offered by FB. Here’s a foto recently posted by the crew of Algolake, a Great Lakes bulker. This post I dedicate to the crew of Algolake, my FB friends. To hear the vessel, click here for youtube of her leaving Duluth. The foto below was taken FROM Algolake.
And, I take a lot of fotos. The first two below I took in the St. Lawrence Seaway in July 2008. Algoport entered the port, and then
moved downbound for its next load. At the time, I recall looking up more info on the vessel, learning that it was built in Collingwood, Ontario, in 1979, and then ran only one foto, seen in this post. Imagine my surprise then, when a few days ago, because of my FB friendship with Algolake, I ran into info about Algoport sinking in the East China Sea, while under tow by Pacific Hickory, for a new “forebody.” Here a youtube slideshow with more info on the demise of Algoport, now gathering marine encrustation (?) 16,000 ‘ below the surface, a wreck no wreck diver will ever see.
Another story: in March 2010 I took these fotos of USS Sanctuary in Baltimore harbor. She served as a hospital ship during WW2 and the Vietnam War. Yesterday, a friend mentioned in passing that this vessel
was on its way . . or already arrived in Brownsville, TX
for recycling. A little hunting leads me to believe her demise/rebirth . . . will involve ESCO, a dismantler or recycler. Foto 7 here leads me to think at least part of the tow was performed by Allie B. Also back in March 2009, I gallivanted up to Massachusetts to see Allie B leave on a fairly long tow to Romania. Some posts on that can be found here, here, and elsewhere.
Ships, like everything else, have lives. Lots of folks, like me, are fascinated by the “end” of the life of various ships. Some sink. Some get reefed and then some of those “reefs” dived upon. Some get recycled. Others get scrapped or broken. If, like me, you’re interested in these things and have the chance to see Park Bong Nam’s documentary “Iron Crows,” by all means . . . go.
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on this interest many of us share on the end of ships . . . breaking, recycling, wreck diving, wrecks in general, . . . and the eerie beauty of rusting derelict ghost vessels.
Algolake . . fair winds, interesting ports! And keep the great fotos coming.
tugster: a waterblog 
3 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 17, 2011 at 11:20 pm
PaulB
The Capt. H.A. Downing, a tanker that I worked on when I was sailing on deep-draft ships, went to scrap just last week. The thought has been somewhat depressing.
Also, I loved the pictures from the Goliath crane tow- wish I had known you were in the area then- I live on the waterfront of Weymouth, and my family had a nice view of the tow heading north to Hull Gut.
September 18, 2011 at 10:42 am
Joe Herbert
You know, of course, that most of these “Bulkers” have a weak midships structure, relying on internal cargo and stowage to save the cost of steel, often a single hull keel and frame aft of say frame 35 or 40. Cheap structure is, in my opinion why so many of them have gone with all hands and little or no warning in the wild seas.
September 18, 2011 at 3:58 pm
JED
There’s a sense of helplessness to a ‘dead’ ship. I rode my first Navy ship into Graving Dock One at Charleston Naval Shipyard back 88′. It felt MOST unnatural. The Pilothouse, usually abuzz with activity was strangely laid back and quiet. No one had any responsibilities therefore nothing to worry about. Odd in the life of a warship, NO responsibilities and no hum of engines. I pilot ‘dead’ ships routinely these days and it always strikes me when the hum of machinery is absent.
The Destroyermen – J.A. Donahue
…For they leap kerplunk into a cozy bunk
That quivers and bucks and jumps.
They hear the sound of the seas that pound
On the half inch plates of steel
And they close their eyes to the lullabies
Of the creaking sides and keel.
They’re a lusty crowd that’s vastly proud
Of the slim grey craft they drive
Of the roaring flues and the humming screws
Which make her a thing alive.
They love the lunge of her surging plunge
And the murk of her smokescreen too.
As they sail the seas in their dungarees
A grey destroyer’s crew.