The S.T. Crapo downbound through Port Huron on her final journey (Port Huron live cam) 9/26/22
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Only the second bulk cement carrier built from the keel up, the S.T. Crapo was built as hull # 256 in 1927 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, MI. The vessel was launched and christened July 7, 1927 for the Huron Transportation Co., division of Huron Portland Cement Co., Detroit, MI, becoming the first carrier to date to be launched with her boilers lit and the second self-unloader of her type ever built. The first bulk cement carrier to be constructed from the keel up was the John W. Boardman (renamed Lewis G. Harriman in 1965) built for the same owners in 1923. The S.T. Crapo was named in honor of Mr. Stanford Tappan Crapo, co-founder with Mr. J.B. Ford of the Huron Portland Cement Co. in 1907. Mr. Crapo served as the company’s secretary until his death on January 26, 1939. The S.T. Crapo sailed as the fleet’s flagship from her launch date through until 1965 when the J.A.W. Iglehart entered service assuming the title.
The S.T. Crapo was powered by a yard-built, triple expansion 3 cylinder 1,800 i.h.p. (1,343 KW) steam engine with 3 coal-fired Scotch boilers with a heating surface of 3,790 sq. ft. (352 sq. m.). Her boilers were converted from coal to oil during the 1994/95 winter lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI. At the time of her conversion, the venerable carrier was the last hand-fired coal burner on the Great Lakes. The S.T. Crapo’s unloading system is of an earlier design with 4 tunnel conveyors but no airslides and can unload up to 500 tons (508 mt) per hour. The vessel is capable of carrying up to 8,900 tons (9,043 mt) of bulk cement products at a mid-summer draft of 21′ 08 1/4″ (6.61m), the cargo being contained in 6 compartments. A bow thruster was added during the winter lay-up of 1963/64 at Cleveland, OH by G & W Welding Co.
For many years, the S.T. Crapo was a perennial season opener for many Great Lakes ports with cargoes of cement products from Alpena, MI. As an example, at the beginning of the 1970 season, the vessel left her lay-up berth at Ecorse, MI on March 15, opened Alpena, MI on March 17, opened Detroit on March 19, then Cleveland on March 26 and finally opening the Straits of Mackinac on March 29. Of note, the cement carrier lost the use of her rudder about 6 miles west of Gull Island on March 30, 1974. Tugs John M. Selvick and Lauren Castle cam to the stricken vessel’s aid. Then, on June 29, 1980 while off Ludington, MI, a steam line burst seriously burning a crewmember.
Throughout her tenure on the Lakes, the S.T. Crapo has remained with the same fleet even though there had been several parent company, fleet and vessel ownership changes. The year 1996 was perhaps the most traumatic in the venerable steamer’s history. With the entry into service of the new articulated tug/cement barge Jacklyn M (now G.L. Ostrander)/Integrity that year with different owners and management, the S.T. Crapo was removed from active service on September 4, 1996 and docked at the Lafarge facilities at Green Bay, WI for use as a stationary cement storage barge.
The vessel was temporarily returned to “active” service in 2005 when, on October 13, the “G” tug Ohio towed the vessel to Alpena, MI to pick up a load of cement for return to Green Bay. The loaded vessel was returned to her berth at Green Bay on October 29. The trip was the result of the Inland Lakes active steamer Alpena being temporarily removed from service for repairs. Today, the old cement carrier is owned by Chrysler Capitol Corp., c/o and bareboat chartered to Inland Lakes Management Inc., Alpena, MI under a contract of affreightment with Lafarge North America Corp., Herndon, VA for continued use as a cement storage barge and transfer vessel.
In August 2022, it was announced the vessel had been sold to Marine Recycling Corp., Port Colborne, ON, for scrapping. She was towed by tugs Molly M 1 and Manitou.
Written by George Wharton
Overall Dimensions (metric)
Length 402′ 06″ (122.68m)
Beam 60′ 03″ (18.36m)
Depth 29′ 00″ (8.84m)
Capacity (mid-summer) 8,900 tons (9,043 mt)
at a draft of 21′ 08.25″ (6.61 m)
Power (steam) 1,800 i.h.p. (1,343 KW)
It's wonderful that you were able to get a video of her. It's just so very sad it's the end of the line for her.
The video is off of the Port Huron live cam.
It's a wonderful video just the same. Thanks for pointing that out though.
Would have been great to see her turned into a museum. A veteran of the Great Lakes for 95 years. Thank you for your years of service ❤😢
Yes, she would have been a cool museum and the first cement boat to become one but in the company’s eyes money talks….
@@GreatLakesStateProductions6708 I know your right about the money unfortunately
@@TOTALCAMARO yes I think they get a couple million to scrap it, in their mind a lot better than basically donating her to a museum
@@GreatLakesStateProductions6708 that is so sad and a shame.
@@TOTALCAMARO yes, i, drawing a picture of the crapo for a tutorial. I might make a you tube short of the drawing.
This is sad .respects to all that shared her life.
Yes it is, it was her crew that keep her around for almost 100 years
10:00 That's two things that have been scrapped now, the S. T. Crapo, and the historic Pere Marquette Bascule bridge.
Many things have been scraped these past 2 years
❤
So sad to see such a great old ship on the way to the scrap yard!
It is…. She was supposed to be a museum ship but obviously plans changed 😢
looks like Alpena, only in bad shape
Yeah it dose, she isn’t in terrible shape just aged. Probably could still be used if they had too.