From: Dick Wicklund
Location: Burton, Michigan
email:
Remote Name: 68.62.105.175
Date: 01.31.08
Time: 02:02:29 PM
From my limited observation, the Great Lakes type self-unloaders are more unique to the Lakes, with this system rarely found on the oceans. The huge number and types of ships on the oceans is mind boggling. We focus on the Lakes, but this is a very narrow and limited view of shipping in comparison to what sails the seas. So it maybe surprising that many of the largest ships that carry the same types of cargoes as on the Lakes are not self-unloading but bulk carriers unlaoded with huge shore side cranes. I recently saw a picture of several ships lined up at docks in Europe that would dwarf our thousand footers, under huge gantry cranes being unloaded with buckets. I thought the view looked like the way ships used to be unloaded on the Lakes in places like Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, and Gary in the early 1900's. My question is, is the Lakes type self-unloading system limited to the size of the ship, when ocean going ore carriers measure over 1100 ft. long and over 175 ft. wide?
[_borders/search_aftr.htm]