Philip R. Clarke - Watch Some Lake Pirates Make Noise and Throw Rocks

Here is the steamship Philip R. Clarke arriving in the Twin Port of Duluth and Superior on the evening of August 20, 2024. She was coming in with a load of limestone from Calcite, Michigan to discharge at the Graymont dock in Superior. But first we get to watch as she arrives through the Duluth shipping canal, blasting out a master salute (three long and two short blasts) for the tourists gathered along the piers. The Aerial Lift Bridge got in on the act, blowing a master salute in response. After passing under the bridge, the Clarke swung her stern around and made her way across the harbor to the Superior side, where we see her pulling up to the Graymont dock and begin the unloading process, as she "throws rocks" from her self-unloading boom onto the large pile at Graymont.

Note the Jolly Roger flying above the Clarke's pilot house. This is a fixture I've been seeing off and on on the Clarke ever since starting to make shipping videos ten years ago. I don't know if this is something her captain has chosen to display or if it's an overall symbol for her "pirate" crew. Regardless, the Clarke's crew clearly knows how to have a good time and are happy to put on a show as they arrive through the canal. As summer starts to wind down and crowds along the piers slowly start to dwindle, the Clarke will still reliably entertain... whether they see 200 people on the piers or just 20 people.

This was my first capture of the Clarke for the shipping season. She got a late start, as her services weren't needed for the early part of the season. But as the limestone trade picked up steam, she was brought into service, as she is ideal for hauling stone in the upbound direction and carrying taconite in the downbound direction on the lakes... much like her fleet mates Arthur M. Anderson and John G. Munson often do. While the Clarke did visit Duluth a couple of times before this particular visit, this was the first visit that coincided with one of my trips to Duluth. As such, I wanted to showcase a little more of her arrival... following her to the dock and watching her unload. As fun as it is to see the ships come in through the canal, it's even more fascinating to watch them go to work at the dock... doing what they were designed to do!

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 original 7,700 shp Westinghouse Steam Turbine. 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.
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