Mesabi Miner is home for experienced Great Lakes captain
GREAT LAKES—Captain Paul Berger Jr., of the Interlake Steamship Company, said he is “at home” this shipping season aboard the M/V Mesabi Miner—an iron ore freighter dedicated to the Men and Women of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range.
In 2022 Berger captained the 639 foot M/V Mark W. Barker—the newest ship in the Interlake Steamship Company Fleet during its inaugural season.
“It’s a nice ship,” Berger said, but that he prefers the Mesabi Miner, a 1,004 foot freighter that he’d captained for four and a half years prior to last year.
Berger, of Ohio, started with the Interlake Steamship Company in 1997 and has captained in one form or another since 1985.
The Mesabi Miner has always been part of the Interlake Fleet and was built by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain Ohio, and christened in 1977. Its name is the original name given to the ship, according to information on the company’s website.
On June 8 the Mesabi Miner with its 29-person crew aboard pulled into the Duluth Harbor at 5:30 a.m. on its way to the CN Docks in Duluth to pick up a load of iron ore, and was met with onlookers as it pulled into the harbor that morning, Berger said.
As the Mesabi Miner made its way through the canal, Berger sounded off a salute consisting of one long and two short toots of the horn, which he said is typical unless it’s in the middle of the night when he refrains from blowing the signal.
In the case of master salute in honor of someone, or a special occasion, “it’s three long and two shorts,” Berger said.
Berger provided the Mesabi Tribune a behind-the-scenes look at the Mesabi Miner that day, with sunny skies overhead and little to no wind.
The tour started with a climb up a ladder on the exterior of the ship to an area on deck where the ore was being loaded into the cargo hold.
Berger noted that the hatches are each 6 feet tall are spaced 6 feet apart. The odd number hatches are loaded first, and “once they’re full, there are about 40,000 tons,” Berger explained, adding then the ship is turned around, and the odd numbered hatches are loaded and will hold about 18,000 tons.
While walking on the deck of the ship, Berger said he captained the Mesabi Miner since 2017 consistently up until last year, and had also captained its sister ship the James R. Barker. Even though the two ships were designed to be identical, he said they handle differently.
Once the Mesabi Miner is full of ore, Berger said it holds roughly 55,000 long tons, or 62,000 short tons of ore.
The Mesabi Miner also carries coal on occasion, Berger said.
Berger pointed out the lines for the self-unloading system on the Mesabi Miner that includes a 265-foot boom, and three conveyor belts that run the entire length of the ship.
“It’s an ingenious design, and works well” Berger said.
Prior to this current system, Berger said chains and buckets were used for unloading.
“It’s a vast improvement,” he said.
Berger noted there is one maintenance engineer dedicated to the loading system, ensuring that there are no rollers clanking, or other issues.
Should there be a problem, he said other deckhands are available to help the engineer change rollers and perform other maintenance.
Berger said he and his crew take pride in their ship, and there’s typically daily maintenance they perform. They are also in the process of freshening up the deck with a new coat of paint, a project that is in its second year due to the size of the vessel.
The seasoned captain downplayed the skill and attention to detail required to maneuver the 1,004 foot ship, while giving a tour of the wheelhouse.
“It’s just like operating a 22 foot fishing boat,” Berger said as he showed the controls he uses to steer the ship.
The Mesabi Miner is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, but when it comes to navigation, Berger prefers “old school” paper maps when charting out a course. The new paper maps continue to be updated with stickers issued for each update, and a meticulous record keeping system that documents each change made in a bound book.
In the massive control room in the center of the ship, Berger showed where five engineers, the Chief, First Assistant, a second assistant and two third assistants operate the controls. The First Assistant is a day worker, he noted.
The control room engineers start up the engine, and get the propeller running until the captain gives his signal that he is ready, Berger explained.
Once he’s ready, the captain gives the signal and with a push of a button, takes over in the wheelhouse.
Berger talked about the importance of water levels in the ship. While still filling with cargo, the ship retains water so it’s not sitting too high at the loading dock, he explained.
At a check of the controls during the tour, the ship had 12 feet of water.
While traveling empty Berger said the Mesabi Miner typically has 40 feet of ballast water in each of its 18 tanks, and it travels at about 105 RPM’s.
With a lighter ballast, he said the speed would increase, but there tends to be rattling and vibration, which can cause things to break. With 40 feet of ballast water in the tanks, it also conserves fuel, which in turn saves on costs at roughly 12,000 gallons of fuel per day on a 380-mile run, he noted.
Berger said the safety and health of his crew are essential.
The open bow lifeboat currently on the deck, he said, is being replaced with 40-person capacity fast rescue boat, which is enclosed providing essential protection from the elements in rough seas, and only requires one person to launch.
“It’s a much better system,” Berger said as he told how every moment counts in an emergency situation, especially in the icy, fresh water Great Lakes.
In the cold weather the crew de-ices the deck, scattering sand that is mixed with some water and then also salt, Berger said.
A workout space on the ship, complete with a treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine, etc. is set up in a space originally designed as a visitor’s lounge, and offers the crew an area to work out with a view of the outside weather.
Once loaded with ore in Duluth, it takes the Mesabi Miner roughly 2.5 days on a route across Lake Superior, a section of Lake Michigan, onto the St. Mary’s River on its way to the Indiana Harbor steel making facility in East Chicago, Indiana.
Berger said he pays close attention to the wind conditions when determining whether to ship out.
“If it’s under 25, I don’t worry,” Berger said, adding if wind conditions are mid to upper 30 miles per hour sustained, he waits for more favorable conditions before departing.
Captain Paul Berger is an Ohio native and graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime academy.
Prior to being hired to the Interlake Steamship Company in 1997, he has captained in one form or another since 1985 and began his shipping career on the ferry boats servicing Lake Erie.
Inspired by his uncle who was a ferry captain and wheelman for Bethlehem Steel, Berger spent time on the ferry boats with his uncle.
“He pretty much got me involved in it, got the passion going for it,” Berger said in an earlier interview. “I was actually steering the ferries by the time I was five years old and making the dock with him by the time I was 10.”
A highlight of Berger’s career was when on a trip into Sandusky, Ohio, his uncle was able to witness him captaining the Herbert C. Jackson from the city pier.
Coast Guard warns smaller boats to steer clear of big ships on Detroit River
(WXYZ) — During the warmer weather, the Detroit River transforms into the go-to spot for fishermen, recreational vessels, the usual freighters, and cruise ships resulting in a lot of traffic. That may sound good, but it comes with a huge challenge because everyone is fighting to use the same small body of water safely and freely.
The Detroit River only runs 28 miles long and serves as the international border between Canada and the United States. It is also one of the busiest waterways in the world.
From freighters to cruise ships and little fishing boats, many vessels that maneuver on the river for the most part tend to be between 0.5 and 2 miles wide.
“But with the summertime coming up, obviously, the boating public is a lot heavier now. And so we are trying to get out there, educate and keep everyone safe,” said U.S. Coast Guard’s Senior Chief Casey McDonugh.
McDonugh says one of the biggest concerns is when fishermen and recreational boats come too close to bigger ships.
This fishing season, the U.S. Coast Guard addressed 400 marine alerts that include vessels coming in close proximity to each other. This time last year, that number was 46.
Captain George Haynes has been navigating these waters for 37 years, and says there have been times he has come across several heart stopping close calls. Over the years, he says it’s only gotten worse.
“Everybody has the right to enjoy the waterways. Big ships can only navigate in certain parts of the channel cause they are loaded deep, and they can’t maneuver as well. So recreational boaters, as much as they want to enjoy it they still have to move,” Captain Haynes said.
He added that people should be aware of where they are.
“If you are inside the channel, that boat can only safely navigate inside the channel. So if you hear the 5 short blasts … obviously, that’s them telling you we need you to move,” said Captain Haynes.
To identify the channel is simple. Along the Detroit River, you will see red and green buoys and anytime you are operating between the buoys that means you are inside the channel.
“Another thing they can do is never converge on the path of a vessel. We may be watching them, that makes us nervous because we don’t know if they are paying attention to us, especially at night,” said Captain Haynes.
But since every story has two sides, we met up with a proud Detroiter, Captain Eric Zwierzchowski, also known as Captain Z, who has been fishing in these waters for over 35 years. An art he learned from his dad.
“In the Springtime, you get a walleye migration of an estimated of about 11 million. It’s their spawning habitat and that is why everyone from around the country comes here. That makes matters worse,” Captain Zwierzchowski said.
Captain Zwierzchowski says fishermen unfamiliar with the area may need more knowledge or experience to operate on the river.
“The way it always works for me is, I catch a fish as the freighter is coming closer and closer, so I’m doing a couple of things, I cant get to my motor right away, I got to bring up 3 lines, if there are multiple people there are multiple lines, so it’s not exactly easy, but again I see both sides of the story,” he said.
But then again, why be in their path in the first place?
“Well, that’s where the fish are. As for the law, big vessels like freighters, cruise and naval ships have the right of way. And obstructing their paths may result in fines,” said Captain Zwierzchowski.
Now remember, safety comes first, and the best way to be safe is to be aware of all the rules and regulations. So anytime you come to the river make sure you learn all the dos and don’ts.
How healthy is Lake Ontario? EPA wants to know more
NIAGARA COUNTY (WIVB) — We’ve seen it look blue, green, brown and all sorts of colors in between. But what’s going on below the surface? The United States and Canada are working together to protect Lake Ontario and learn more about the potential threats it faces.
As part of the 2023 Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been utilizing two research vessels as to collect data on the lake, in order to properly address issues of nutrient pollution, chemical contaminants, habitats and invasive species.
“Our action to collect this data on Lake Ontario will help us identify the most pressing challenges and opportunities and further support our efforts to protect and restore this great lake for current and future generations,” Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said.
The two vessels, Lake Guardian and Lake Explorer II, are being funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).
“Since 2010, the multi-agency GLRI has provided funding to 16 federal organizations to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward achieving long-term goals,” the GLRI’s website says.
According to the binational State of the Great Lakes 2022 Report, things haven’t been looking bad, with the immense body of water being assessed as “fair” and “unchanging to improving.”
