ROGER BLOUGH is something of an iconic laker, being popular among ships photos fans, and being a part of Great Lakes shipping history. Her IMO number is 7222138 and MMSI number is 366972030. She was a frequent sight on the Saginaw River, often juxtaposed against speedboats and various sailing vessels during regular Tall Ships celebrations in Bay City. Read more The Maritime Executive. This is the seventh generation of the original Shipwatcher News newsletter started in 2014. Sign up for our Daily Electronic Newspaper! Northern Waters Smokehaus plans move to former Amazing Grace Cafe. [5], The Roger Blough assisted in the search for SSEdmund Fitzgerald. The vessel left Sturgeon Bay with the assistance of tug boats. Thankfully, there were no injuries and the fire was contained to just the one ship, Fincantieri Marine Group spokesman Eric Dent wrote the News Tribune from Washington, D.C., calling it premature to speculate on the Bloughs future operational availability.. Firefighters arrived within four minutes but struggled to access the vessel due to smoke and intense heat. The Blough suffered a major engine room fire on June 24, 1971, resulting in the destruction of the aft section of the ship and the deaths of four shipyard workers. You have to be smart about what youre doing in an extremely confined area where you have very little to look at and understand.. They are organized by fleet owner/operator. Marie, Ont. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. [12], In December of 1965, Blough purchased a plot of land in town of Hawley and gifted the funds needed to create a new building for the Hawley Public Library. [12], Bough maintained a residence in the Mellon-U.S. Steel Building in Pittsburgh, PA as well as an apartment on Park Avenue in Manhattan. According to the National Transportation Safety Board's August 17, 2022, incident report[16] "the probable cause of the engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough was likely the repeated removal and reinstallation of the furnaces burner that led to the failure of its mounting coupling, resulting in the operating burner dropping to the bottom of its enclosure and fracturing its fuel supply line, which allowed diesel fuel to ignite. Repairs cost about $4.5 Million, and the incident was blamed on the Second Mates failure to navigate. The U.S. Coast Guard captain of the port, Sault Ste. On February 1, 2021, a fire broke out onboard the Roger Blough while she was in winter layup at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The ship has sailed under a Canadian flag for the last 20-some years. The Mississagi nearly collided with a Port Huron seawall in 2004. Vessels owned by U.S. Oil, operated by Andrie, Inc. Built in two sections. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Edit- Also nice cats 50th anniversary of Roger Blough fire The ships future is very unclear (as of November 2021), however there are possible indications, including visible repair efforts to the vessels aft section, that the ship is salvageable and the funds needed for repair work ($20 million) are available, barring no additional complications. Steel self-unloading Great Lakes bulk freighter. NTSB recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard and ABS should develop standards for furnace installations in line with the NFPA guidelines. PCG's Visayas branch dispatched the patrol vessel BRP Malamawi, which arrived at the scene at 2330 Copyright 2023 The Maritime Executive, LLC. It takes a while to cool the steel enough so you dont get reignition and to operate within it. She also was quickly added to the winter navigation fleet, and it was noted that on January 11, 1973, she struck the stern of her fleetmate Philip R. Clarke while in an ice convoy in the Straits of Mackinaw. Mar 1, 2023 9:01 PM by Steel.'" Pp. The Mississagi was built for $2.2 million at the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge for the U.S. Maritime Commission under a war supply chain program and launched on Dec. 23, 1942. The Roger Blough is another biggie. National Transportation Safety Board investigators were unable to determine with certainty what caused the fire, which started in an engine room workshop. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. On October 27, 2022, the MV Roger Blough departed Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay under tow, destined for Conneaut, OH, for long term layup. Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping Online. List of people on the cover of Time magazine (1950s), "Edwin H. Gott, 78, Is Dead; U.S. Steel's Retired Chairman", "Roger M. Blough, 81, Dies. Welcome to the online home of Freighters Newsletter, the bi-monthly publication of Shipwatcher News. The Roger Blough was one of the few ships which are left who went out in search of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The keel was laid for the Bloughs bow section on September 3, 1968, and was launched on December 21, 1968. On Feb. 1, 2021, the Roger Blough was moored in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in winter layup. All Right Reserved. 188. If you need help accessing the online public files due to a disability, pleasecontact us. Roger Blough Tribute (1972-2022) Lake Freighter Salutes & More. Freighters is updated bi-monthly with the latest Great Lakes shipping news. MV Roger Blough, an iron ore bulk carrier vessel built for U.S. Steel in 1968-72 and used starting in 1972 in Great Lakes service to transport taconite pellets from Lake Superior to ports on Lake Erie and Lake Michigan, was named in his honor. The Roger Blough was constructed over the course of three years for the United States Steel Corporations Marine Division. Ironton was a 1,250 dwt "consort" barge built in 1873. Shes a unique ship, Dietman said. A public-private research team has located an exceptional and rare find on the bottom of Lake Huron: the wreck of a 190-foot sailing vessel with all three of its original masts still upright and standing. Stern section: keel laid Dec 29, 1969 in dry dock; bow section joined with stern section July 25, 1970 and vessel completed in dry dock. Tim Kowols. SAULT STE. Flames burned a third of the ore boat at the Bloughs aft end, affecting living quarters, the kitchen, or galley, and down into the engine room, Dietman said. Those details and others were pulled. 2023 WBDK/WRKU/WRLU/WSBW, New Radio, Inc. Bridging the Gap with Stoneman-Schopf Agency. He was 81. On February 1, firefighters worked to put out a fire aboard the MV Roger Blough. Oil dripped onto a lightbulb, causing . The Roger Blough, shown leaving Duluth in the summer of 2019 and heading out into Lake Superior. The bulker St. Clair caught fire in February 2019 in the Port of Toledo, Ohio, and burned for nearly 36 hours. The shipbuilding company said it was awaiting the results of the investigations. Fast forward a half-century, when fire consumed Blough once again. The ship was among just a few launched before 1950 still plying the lakes. Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 90. Roger M. Blough, who in 1962 locked horns with President Kennedy over a price increase by the United States Steel Corporation, died Tuesday at the family home in Hawley, Pa. After construction on the Poe Lock began, officials at United States Steel Corporation looked to Marine Consultants & Designers of Cleveland to design a new freighter that took advantage of the increase in size limitations. 213-215, 217-220, 269-270. A frequent visitor to the Twin Ports, the Roger Blough is a de facto resident of the port of Duluth-Superior, given its inclusion in the Great Lakes Fleet of ore boats, a nine-vessel roster operated by Key Lakes Inc., of Duluth, and owned Canadian National Railway. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that furnace burners have a fire-activated quick-closing valve - but the NFPA standard does not yet extend to vessels. The bulk carrier was docked at . Her delivery was delayed when a major fire broke out in her engine room in June 1971 . The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. MARIE, ON The freighter Mississagi made its final voyage this week up Lake Huron to a scrapyard in Canada, where shell be cut up and recycled after a 78-year career hauling bulk cargo around the Great Lakes. What they found was a boat on fire that was sandwiched by others. Title: Microsoft Word - ^N63 Freighters May-June 2022 Author: brend Created Date: 7/6/2022 11:29:10 AM It was not clear at press time if the ship would be repaired. Built in 1972, the MV Roger Blough is a 858-foot Great Lakes freighter that has had a history of near misses and tragedy. Workers at Bay Shipbuilding reported the fire at 0138 after noticing thick black smoke rising from the stack. The final Canadian laker to be built in the traditional style was the Algosoo of 1974. Anybody whos part of a ship-board fire knows that youre basically turning on an oven to 1,000 to 1,200 degrees and crawling into it, Dietman said. Scrap metal can be turned into anything, he said. It is sepculated that the cause was a high intensity lightbulb that ignited leaking fuel from a faulty hose seal. This was worse than that one, Dietman said. by Devendorf, John F.Great Lakes Bulk Carriers, 1869-1985. Tunnels added to stern section for better water flow to propeller. Mar 1, 2023 8:15 PM by And at that point we knew we had a belt fire, Dietman said, referring to the thick rubber conveyor belt. Roger Blough was tied up between Interlake Steamship Co.s James R. Barker and American Steamship Co.s American Mariner. Sturgeon Bay isnt a transient port, like Duluth-Superior, with cargoes sailing in and out. They attempted entry but it was so thick they had to back out.. There was no repair work happening on the ship when the fire started, according to Todd Thayse, vice president and general manager at Bay Shipbuilding. Keystone Shipping Co., based outside Philadelphia, operates the vessel. The cargo-unloading conveyor. From $8.95 Photo Great Lake Freighter Roger Blough -9296. Others include the Alpena, launched in 1942; the Cuyahoga, launched in 1943; the Lee A. Tregurtha, launched in 1942; and the Wilfred Sykes, launched in 1949. The vessel ROGER BLOUGH (IMO: 7222138 ) is a Self Discharging Bulk Carrier built in 1972 (50 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Unknown. N.d. Accessed 17 April 2020. The Maritime Executive. Dietman wouldnt speculate on when the Blough would sail again. She punctured her hull and flooded her forward ballast tanks. The fire completely destroyed the engine room, and ended up killing four yard workers who were checking a tank below the engine room. Self-discharging bulk carrier ROGER BLOUGH caught fire on Feb 1 in Wisconsin shipyard, Sturgeon Bay, Lake Michigan, USA, where the ship was docked for a winter lay-up. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vessel Histories of Sterling P. Berry. Plus, Get the latest updates for Local Sports, Obituaries and more delivered to your inbox! And shes definitely a favorite of mine.. Listed below is the current fleet of Great Lakes ships. on Friday, Oct. 8 and arrived at the Purvis Marine Scrapyard in Sault Ste. She was renamed for the Mississagi Strait in northern Lake Huron after being sold in 2001 to Lower Lakes Towing of Port Dover, Ont. Roger Blough. [13] Starting off on June 11, 2016, the Roger Blough was escorted by the tug Candace Elise to Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs.[14]. Though Blough has no sister ship, it shares a pilothouse trait with the Fitzgerald; both appear to be topped with what looks like the bill of a cap. The ship master and "an observing captain" entered the pilothouse of the Roger Blough seven minutes before she ran aground on May 27, 2016. Some time ago I asked each American to consider what he would do for his country and I asked the steel companies. Smoke could be seen on our. Roger Blough transiting down St. Mary's River. As a young freighter, the Roger Blough, in 1975, returned from its path to search for the sunken Edmund Fitzgerald on the eastern end of Lake Superior. By Tanda Gmiter of mlive.com - July 9, 2020 The bow section was not built to the full designed width of 105 initially, as the graving dock at AmShips Lorain yard was not wide enough. Pp. Self-discharging bulk carrier ROGER BLOUGH, IMO 7222138, dwt 47280, built 1972, flag USA, manager KEYSTONE SHIPPING CO. Post navigation. Marine Historical Society of Detroit, 1996. "U.S. Coast Guard responding to grounded freighter in Whitefish Bay", "MV Roger Blough Aground in Lake Superior", "Lightering Operations begin on Motor Vessel Roger Blough in Lake Superior, Update 9", "Motor vessel Roger Blough safely anchored in Waiska Bay, Update 11", "Lightering operations complete on motor vessel Roger Blough, Update 13", "Roger Blough enroute to Sturgeon Bay for Repairs, Update 14", "Roger Blough starts on fire in Sturgeon Bay, Update 15 they spotted the smoke from a sky cam at around 3 AM", "Engine Room Fire aboard Bulk Carrier Roger Blough (MIR-22/19)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MV_Roger_Blough&oldid=1118548263, Shuttle Boom type Self-Unloading dry bulk carrier, This page was last edited on 27 October 2022, at 16:36. [11] The vessel was refloated off the reef at 10:45 AM, June 4, and anchored at Waiska Bay for further evaluation or repairs. Roger Blough towed to Conneaut Are forward accommodations rising back to the top of ship design trends? [11], Blough was married to Helen Decker Blough. In 1972, the group merged with March Group and the Labor Law Study Group (LLSG) to form Business Roundtable. She had been anchored . Following the Feb. 1 fire, Dietman described Roger Bloughs interior spaces as filthy, nasty and dirty from soot and fire, with serious fire damage below deck. 620-foot freighter cruises past Bay City tall ships, Mississagi re-floated after grounding near De Tour, Scrapyard in the sky awaits 111-year-old freighter, New Soo Lock gets $480M in presidents 2022 budget, Wreck of the Contest re-emerges from Lake Michigan, Deep in Lake Michigan, divers find ship lost in 1899, 17 miles to safety: Numbers tell story of the Fitzgerald, Diver recalls record scuba descent to Edmund Fitzgerald, Why the Fitzgerald tragedy sticks with us. [6] President Kennedy believed that this price increase violated an unwritten agreement that he had brokered between the industry and the United Steel Workers union, and called a press conference in response, held on April 11, 1962. Roger Blough. [14] [15] See also [ edit] Cook County Community Center log 4H building, Mitch Koslow told the Minnesota Star Tribune, whose Facebook page is a go-to spot for Great Lakes freighter enthusiasts. He hoped the Blough would get back there. Marie. Bala Cynwyd, PA (February 1, 2021) - At approximately 0130 today, a fire broke out on the motor vessel Roger Blough. Everyone in different parts of the Great Lakes has their different favorites. He estimated total damage to the ship at more than $20 million. The Maritime Executive, Published The smoke-filled air on board the vessel cleared enough for officials and investigators to walk through by lunchtime Monday, some 11 hours after the shipyard first reported the fire at 1:38 a.m. All rights reserved (About Us). U.S. Coast Guard Vessels, engaged in icebreaking, aids to navigation, search and rescue, and border security operations on the Great Lakes. The 858-foot-long, self-unloading freighter was supposed to launch in July 1971, but an engine room fire that . There are no regulations regarding winter layup procedures for commercial vessels operating in the Great Lakes, the report said. The ship, operated by Keystone Shipping, was docked at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding for winter. One . Key Lakes did not respond to inquiries about what it might have planned for the ship. We determined that the probable cause of the engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough was likely the repeated removal and reinstallation of the furnace's burner that led to the failure of its mounting coupling, resulting in the operating burner dropping to the bottom of its enclosure and fracturing its fuel supply line, which allowed The Maritime Executive. Welcome the digital homeport of Shipwatcher News Great Lakes Ships, a resource loaded with tons of information on Great Lakes ships both past and present. Roger Blough damaged in Wisconsin fire New Soo Lock gets $480M in president's 2022 budget Wreck of the Contest re-emerges from Lake Michigan Deep in Lake Michigan, divers find ship lost in 1899. Launched amid World War II, the 620-foot ship would have been eligible to collect social security checks about 15 years ago were it a person. Whenever there is a serious fire aboard a vessel, there is always a long . 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