# Great Lakes Roger Blough Aground in Whitefish Bay since May 27, 2016



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

Great Lakes Roger Blough Aground in Whitefish Bay since May 27, 2016

http://duluthshippingnews.com/

Quote

The Roger Blough ran aground Friday, May 27, 2016 in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior. Information and pictures below, courtesy of US Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They are ordered from first to most recent.

Unquote

Attached

160529-G-ZZ999-001.jpg (168.0 KB) 
160529-G-ZZ999-002.jpg (144.3 KB) 
2623117.jpg (182.4 KB) 
2623788.jpg (159.9 KB) 
2623796.jpg (168.0 KB)

Greg Hayden
Vista, CA USA


----------



## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

To lighten her will be some task as her unloading boom is located at the stern and as is was built to discharge into hoppers moves only horizontally.
Believe from latest reports that there is hull damage.
I don't know the reason this happened as that boat must have transited that section hundreds of times and is not a difficult section.


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

Reports are that two smaller company vessels are en-route to lighten the Blough by discharging its iron ore cargo. The report said these vessels will be able to fit underneath the Blough's unloading boom.

Greg Hayden


----------



## litz (Aug 20, 2012)

Reportedly, one of the vessels to be used for the lightening operation is the Arthur M Anderson (of Edmund Fitzgerald fame).


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

http://duluthshippingnews.com/

Quote

... the Cason J. Callaway arrived Duluth at 11:25 this morning with limestone. Twenty five minutes later, she passes by the two vessels at the Port Terminal on her way to discharge her cargo at the C. Reiss Dock before moving over to the CN dock to load iron ore pellets.

Unquote

I had read somewhere -- Boatnerd? -- that both the Calloway and Anderson were being considered but according to Duluth Shipping News -- quoted above -- the Calloway will load an iron ore cargo. 

For giggles Google Roger Blough and be prepared for an amazing number of hits.

For instance:

<http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2836722/UPDATE-8-M-V-Roger-Blough-aground-in-Lake-Superior>

Quote

Lightering operations are scheduled to begin by Friday, June 3, with the motor vessel Philip R. Clarke identified as the receiving vessel.

Unquote

Attached three USCG photos from GCaptain

GCaptain-160527-G-ZZ999-003.jpg (230.6 KB) 
GCaptain-160527-G-ZZ999-004.jpg (200.4 KB) 
GCaptain-160530-G-VH840-062.jpg (176.2 KB)

Greg


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

I ran across a pair of pictures attached:

Roger_blough_16x9.jpg (201.2 KB) 
Boatnerd-11-rblough-3-2-11-el.jpg (77.0 KB)

This was prompted by the USCG air stern view picture: I can see only one lifeboat on the starboard side? The 2011 Boatnerd Blough stern view with the boom out shows a port lifeboat?

Greg


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

*Saturday June 4, 2016*

The Blough was lightened into the Philip R Clarke today. Once floating moved to a sheltered bay using her own engines and a pair of tugs.

Attached USCG pictures via GCaptain

160602-G-ZZ999-001-E.jpg (74.8 KB) 
160603-G-ZZ999-001-E.jpg (50.5 KB) 
160603-G-ZZ999-002-E.jpg (130.4 KB) 
160603-G-ZZ999-003-E.jpg (139.1 KB) 
2634412E.jpg (128.6 KB)

Greg


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Thanks for the commentary Greg. Always interesting to get such snippets (this one probably more than a snippet around the Great Lakes).


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

*June 6, 2016 Duluth News Tribune*

Duluth News Tribune

<http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4048800-blough-operations-continue-lake-superior>

Quote

While nearing an end, the saga of the Roger Blough continued Monday when it anchored outside the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., as it continued to transload its cargo of iron ore pellets after its grounding in May, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.

The Blough was continuing to unload pellets onto the Arthur M. Anderson — joining the Philip R. Clarke as the second sister ship in the Great Lakes Fleet to meet the vessel and take on iron ore.

A detailed damage assessment will be conducted once the iron ore is completely off-loaded from the Blough, the Coast Guard news release said. Results from the assessment will determine the extent of repairs and mode of transit to its final destination.

Unquote

This article says that the Blough will undergo repairs at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., on the shore of Lake Michigan. 

Attached 

DNT-Blough E.jpg (151.9 KB)

Greg


----------



## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Quite an operation as the unloading boom is unusual and not like normal selfunloaders. Glad it was successful.
Still don't understand why she was so far off course that they must have done hundreds of times.


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

Two more USCG pictures attached

USCG-RBlough1.jpg (81.9 KB) 
USCG-RBlough2.jpg (74.4 KB)

Greg


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

*Tuesday June 7, 2016 Duluth News Tribune*

Tuesday June 7, 2016 Duluth News Tribune

<http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4049725-cargo-completely-removed-freighter-roger-blough>

Attached: USCG-via-DNT-2640362.jpg (142.8 KB) 

Quote

Authorities say the Roger Blough's iron ore has been successfully offloaded and is headed to its destination.

The offloading of the cargo from the freighter was completed around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced.

The Blough had picked up a load of iron ore in Duluth before it ran aground May 27 near Gros Cap Reefs in Whitefish Bay, about 10 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., in eastern Lake Superior.

The Blough's cargo was offloaded onto the Philip R. Clarke and the Arthur M. Anderson, which have now departed from Waiska Bay to deliver the iron ore.

The 858-foot Blough had been freed from the lake floor Saturday morning after lightering part of its load onto the Clarke. The Coast Guard announced Saturday morning that the freighter was traveling under its own power before anchoring farther east in Waiska Bay. The bay anchorage area remains closed to all vessels not part of the operation.

A detailed damage assessment of the Blough will be conducted once there are favorable weather conditions, according to the Coast Guard. The assessment results are expected to determine the extent of the repairs and the mode of transit to the Blough's final destination.

A National Transportation Safety Board representative has been on scene to assist the Coast Guard in determining the cause of the grounding.

Canadian National Railway, owner of the Blough, contracts with Keystone Shipping Co. to operate its lake freighters. Keystone told the News Tribune last week it was conducting its own internal investigation into the cause of the grounding.

Unquote

If she is going to Lake Michigan she will have to lock down at the Soo? 
But the Soo webcams have been down for days.

Another Duluth News Tribune Maritime story today:

<http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4049644-crews-battle-fire-aboard-freighter-superior>

Attached: DNT-23feb16_1335.jpg (154.4 KB)

Quote

Fire crews spent more than an hour Tuesday extinguishing a fire on a freighter at Fraser Shipyards.

The Superior Fire Department reported that it responded to a fire on the Herbert C. Jackson in the shipyard at 1 Clough Ave., at 1:16 p.m. The 690-foot lake freighter was in a dry dock undergoing renovations at the time.

Fire crews arrived to find dark smoke coming from several areas of the aft end of the Jackson. It took crews more than an hour and half get the fire under control and extinguished due to poor visibility, extremely high heat and difficult access to the area of the fire's origin, according to the Superior Fire Department. All workers were out of the boat by the time firefighters arrived. Fire crews left the scene at 4:16 p.m.

The fire department reports that welding and torch work being done in the area was likely the cause of the fire.

The Superior Fire Department responded with three engines, a heavy rescue vehicle and a total of nine fighters. Lake Assault Boats, located at the shipyards, provided water supply. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to ensure that there were no environmental runoff issues.

Unquote

Greg


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

<http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2839686/>

Attached: AndersonDepartsBlough.jpg (109.4 KB)

June 7, 2016 USCG picture of the Anderson leaving the Blough, note Anderson deck crew placing a hatch cover. 

Greg


----------



## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

Attached: 20160611-RogerBlough-hcam4.jpg (41.5 KB)

Roger Blough accompanied by a tug just after locking down at the Soo locks today Saturday June 11, 2016

Greg


----------



## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Just returned from a 10 day cruise of the Great Lakes I missed the whole thing.


----------

