Скачать или смотреть Philip R. Clarke - From Lake Superior to the Unloading Dock

NOTE: For the month of March, I will be uploading footage I recorded during the 2022-2023 shipping season but haven't previously posted. Early in the shipping season, I made the decision to reserve some video clips so we would all have something to enjoy during the off-season while we wait for ships to return to action. If you haven't seen it already, I recently posted my video showing the highlights of the 2022-2023 shipping season. It can be viewed here:    • 37 Massive Great Lakes Freighters - Big St...  

Here is the steamship Philip R. Clarke arriving in Duluth, Minnesota in the early morning hours of October 3, 2022. She was bringing in a load of limestone to discharge at the C. Reiss Terminal in West Duluth. This longer-than-usual video attempts to cover much of the journey from Lake Superior to the dock, starting with the Clarke’s passage through the Duluth shipping canal, moving under the Aerial Lift Bridge. After making her way over to Rice’s Point, we see the Clarke emerge behind the old Interstate Bridge (now a fishing pier) and pass under the John A. Blatnik bridge. Finally I moved to the Wisconsin side, opposite of Grassy Point, to watch the Clarke pass under the Richard I. Bong bridge and through the opening of the railroad swing bridge. The Clarke made a final sharp turn to starboard to dock at C. Reiss and begin the unloading process.

One reason I wanted to capture as much of the journey as possible is because the C. Reiss Terminal will eventually be moving to the Wisconsin side of the harbor (near SMET and Hallett 8)… perhaps as early as July 2023. Once that happens, we are unlikely to see the lake boats make the trip over to Grassy Point any more, ending a long history of shipping at the far west portion of the harbor. Any opportunity to document these visits is a chance to record a little bit of history before it’s gone forever.

The 767-foot Philip R. Clarke is one of eight AAA class steamers built in the early 1950s... and one of only three still active today that haven't been converted to barges (though another two are in layup and could potentially return to service someday). She was built at the American Ship Building Company, launched in November 1951 and commissioned in May 1952. She is still powered by her 7,700 shp Westinghouse Steam Turbine, making her one of only four active lakers still powered by steam... with the others being the Alpena, Wilfred Sykes, and Arthur M. Anderson. She was originally 647 feet long, but was lengthened to 767-feet over the 1974-1975 winter layup. A bow thruster was added in 1966, with a stern thruster later added in 1988. A self-unloading system was added in 1982 which allows her to unload her cargo without the need of shore-side equipment. Her current cargo capacity is 25,300 tons.