A GREAT LAKES SAILOR
Alan DeFrain - Part 6
by Janis Stein

Join in the continuation as present-day sailor Alan DeFrain recalls his days sailing aboard the M/V Manistee.

While most sailors in the industry work 60 straight days followed by 30 days off, flexibility plays an important role. Some sailors want more time and are often allowed to do so. The officers and crew generally follow the guidelines and work for four weeks, followed by two weeks shore side. In 2007, Alan worked 28 days on and 28 days off, though the company generally sticks to the guidelines to better manage rotations. Sometimes sailors are required to move from boat to boat should someone quit or to fill a vacant position. Many of the unlicensed crew hail from the Rogers City area in Michigan or from the area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio, while many of today’s officers hail from around the Great Lakes.

Alan, working as a Second Mate aboard these small self-unloaders, relishes the minimal paperwork compared to the mountains of paper necessary aboard the tankers. The First Mate manages the crew and monitors the loading/unloading as well as submitting a daily report. As Second Mate, Alan completes a report required by the Army Corps of Engineers. Each time the M/V Manistee enters and leaves port, a trip sheet is logged, listing the commodity, the quantity and the arrival and departure times. Also documented are the time the M/V Manistee checks her speed, the time she enters the break wall, the time she starts acquiring her load and the time her load is complete. Likewise, Alan documents any delays, whether they were caused by the vessel, the dock, traffic or any number of outside factors.

The M/V Manistee measures 620 feet by 60 feet, and at mid-summer draft, she hauls a little over 16,000 gross tons. A typical day for the M/V Manistee might include garnering a load of stone in Marblehead, Ohio. After unloading her cargo in Cleveland, the M/V Manistee might switch over to the salt dock for a load of salt. Many times the salt loaded in Cleveland is delivered to ports in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Burns Harbor and Chicago. The cargo of salt is eventually used to combat icy roads in the northern states. While much of the salt originates from Goderich, Canada, the loads of sand hauled by the self-unloaders originates from sand mines in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

While some boats on the lakes are still operated in part by steam, most have converted to diesel. The M/V Manistee boasts one diesel engine and, just like a car, it turns on and off. Slow compared to her counterparts, the M/V Manistee is however, fuel efficient, and travels about 12.5 miles per hour whether loaded or light. Speeding across the lake is never a priority – remaining efficient holds more weight.

The M/V Manistee sails with 18 crewmembers aboard. Gone are the entry-level positions in the engine room and in the galley. Along with the captain, three mates and four able-bodied seamen are required. The cook manages the galley alone, and the chief relies on three engineers to ensure the ship runs smoothly. The only entry-level positions available on the M/V Manistee are those working on deck and in the tunnel, the tunnel being the area where the conveyor belts run, located underneath the cargo hold.

During the majority of the season, the self-unloaders associated with Grand River Navigation sail the waters of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. A couple of times each year, though, the M/V Manistee makes her way to Lake Superior, taking a load of salt up and returning with a cargo of iron ore. In 2007, the M/V Manistee made a few trips to a Lake Ontario port.

Since the tankers had sailed year-round, for Alan, winter lay-ups on the self-unloaders are a nice change of pace. At the end of the season, the M/V Manistee lays up during the December-January timeframe, depending on whether any winter maintenance work is scheduled to keep her in peak condition. For the most part, Mother Nature controls any lay-up decisions. Eventually, everything stops because the weather turns cold. The stone docks can’t load the stone because it freezes, and the Soo Locks typically close in mid-January halting the transport of iron ore.

During his decades of work on the Great Lakes, Alan witnessed more than one horrendous storm. Sailing loses a bit of its nostalgic charm when a sailor sees an article pull loose from the wall and watches it fly across the room. Monstrous waves, too, have a way of reminding a sailor the power of the Great Lakes. Since the tragedy of the Fitzgerald, captains are a good deal more cautious, and the age of the heavy weather captains has gone by the wayside.

Be sure to look for this column next month and learn how current sailors embrace the technology of the day, some opting to buy their own satellite box so they can enjoy satellite television.

© 2008 Stein Expressions, LLC