A GREAT LAKES SAILOR
Alan DeFrain - Part 2
by Janis Stein

Join in the continuation as Alan DeFrain reflects on sailing the Great Lakes during the 1980s while he worked aboard Cleveland Tanker’s boats.

Alan found the testing to be intense, taking almost a full week to complete. When he had written for his mate’s license granting him pilotage on the Great Lakes, much of the test was in essay format compared to today’s multiple choice. The testing required a great deal of studying and memorization. For instance, when Alan wrote for the St. Lawrence River, he had to know over 700 lights; the characteristic of each light; the color; the number of flashes; and whether it was a buoy or a light. Likewise, a sailor had to know the location of shoals and the courses. He also had to make sure he knew the route thoroughly – especially the St. Lawrence River, which was completely different than anything on the lakes or locks.

The common license of the day showed Duluth-Gary-Buffalo. In other words, if a sailor acquired a license showing Duluth, he was covered for Lake Superior. If the license read Duluth-Gary, the sailor had gained pilotage for Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. If Buffalo was added, a sailor had earned pilotage for four of the Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie and its tributary waters. A sailor needed to write separate tests for each of the rivers he might traverse, including the St. Mary’s River, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River.

After Alan completed his testing, his license read: Duluth-Gary-Buffalo-Cape Vincent-Montreal. Alan had succeed in gaining pilotage on all the Great Lakes, their tributary waters, the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence River from Cape Vincent to Montreal. Among the sailors working on the lakes, Alan’s license was a rarity.

Meanwhile, the steel industry sank right along with the economy, and life on the lakes had deteriorated. Many companies tied their boats to the wall and, since it was the heyday of the 1000-footers, several of these smaller freighters would sail no more. In an effort to stay above water, U.S. Steel needed to downsize, pink slipping a number of sailors and, because he lacked substantial seniority, Alan went right along with them.

In 1982, Alan found himself shore side, contemplating the future. Life on the lakes now seemed grim at best, so Alan decided to apply to the University of South Florida with a goal of penetrating the computer industry. He had now been out of college for almost a decade. At the last minute, Alan decided going back to school wasn’t the answer and, since architecture was one of those professions that continuously grew and evolved, his original field of choice wasn’t an option either. In the end, Alan worked at odd jobs until Cleveland Tankers recruited him in 1983, a company he would remain with for the next 22 years. For Alan, it was back to the lakes.

Cleveland Tankers’ boats hauled mainly oil and fuel, and in 1983, work in the oil industry was spotty. When work was scarce, the crew would be forced to lay up the boat intermittently. Because the tankers were powered by diesel, laying up the boat could be achieved swiftly. Within a few hours’ time, all the sailors would be sent home.

By the late 1980s, the economy rebounded and Alan had secured a bit of seniority, allowing him to work every season going forward as either a First, Second or Third Mate. Despite the demands and the stress, Alan grew to love the tankers. Time in port was much greater than the self-unloaders, allowing the sailors time to explore on shore the cities of Montreal, Sarnia and Toronto, as well as other Canadian and American ports.

Canadian ports showed great hospitality. Some sailors removed their bicycles from the tanker’s storage area, while others took to the streets on foot, either walking or jogging. Others rented a car if enough time warranted an excursion. Alan enjoyed visiting these many new ports. From going into Bay City to traveling down the Seaway to sailing over Lake Ontario, Alan never tired of the adventure.

Alan worked aboard all three of Cleveland’s tankers: the M/V Gemini, the M/V Saturn and the M/V Jupiter. Measuring 420 feet in length, the M/V Gemini had the capability of hauling over 2 million gallons of fuel. The M/V Gemini could also carry multiple cargoes at the same time.

Because of the draft, however, the Gemini was sometimes incapable of carrying a full load – and that was when the lake water had been high, plying her way across the Great Lakes at a speed of 15 ½ miles per hour. Because of today’s low lake levels, some of the boats are carrying a shorter cargo; the boats can make it across the lake with a full load, but because of the shallow bays and harbors, they can’t make it through the rivers.

The M/V Gemini had been built to operate with a crew of 19. The M/V Gemini often carried chemicals as well as various fuel oils and clean fuel products, etc. The M/V Gemini also hauled JP-4 for the United States government, transporting the fuel to Wurtsmith Air Force Base and to Sawyer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The M/V Gemini would unload at a tank farm in Escanaba.

After delivering a shipment, the cargo tanks had to be cleaned until they were spotless, for the M/V Gemini changed cargos continuously. Because of the nature of the products hauled, the M/V Gemini would have to travel to a facility that would take the wash. Though small in amount, the wash had to be disposed of properly.

Be sure to look for the continuation in next month’s issue when Alan jumps into the Saginaw River when the Jupiter explodes.

© 2008 Stein Expressions, LLC