ALGOMA STRONGFIELD by JKC27 - FINISHED - 1:200 scale - Equinox class lake freighter

[JKC27]

Here is my second lake freighter in progress. The following is taken from boatnerd.com and gives a brief run down on this new class of bulk carrier. Picture is actually taken along the Detroit River where I live 2 blocks from.

The Algoma Central Corporation has been engaged in an ambitious fleet renewal program. The fleet has ordered five new ships capable of Great Lakes service and will manage two others of this Equinox Class for the Canadian Wheat Board. All are being built overseas in China.

Algoma Equinox is the first of the new Equinox Class of Great Lakes freighters built for the Algoma Central Corporation. It was constructed by Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries Stock Co. of Nantong City, China. The 740 foot long by 78 foot wide gearless bulk carrier was launched on December 24, 2012, and sailed for Canada on October 1, 2013.

This vessel, and its sister-ships, operate with a 45 percent improved energy efficiency and can carry 20 percent more cargo. It also has a much lower fuel consumption with the benefit of a 97 percent removal of sulphur oxide emissions. Highly automated, the ship can operate with as few as 18 sailors.

After crossing the Pacific and passing through the Panama Canal, Algoma Equinox loaded iron ore while inbound at Port Cartier, Quebec. The ship was upbound through the Seaway for the first time on December 3, 2013, and headed to Hamilton to unload at Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco). It then sailed to Superior, and loaded ore for Cliffs Natural Resources in Quebec City.

The ship spent its initial winter in Toronto and then received the top hat in a ceremony at Lock 3, St. Catharines, Ont., as the first ship of the 2014 navigation season to use the Welland Canal. After being part of the battle with late winter ice, Algoma Equinox headed to Lake Superior in convoy and with ice-breaker assistance. But as the ice melted, the ship soon settled in on the Seaway ore and grain trades and will hopefully be a regular trader on the inland seas for many years to come.

Here is the one of her sister ships sailing on the Detroit River and am hoping to come up with a reasonable scale model...

 

[JKC27]

Seeing as I started this and didn't post a log from the start, here is the catch up version.

 

Using solid basswood for the hull.  740ft ship at 1:200 scale makes this about 44" long, and about 4.5" wide.  I have a set of drawings for this ship, that are actually shipyard drawings, but there are no lines drawings, and not sure if they even exist.  This wasn't too much of an issue because it's a pretty simple shape.

 

I had to join 2 pieces of basswood together as I was limited to what size I had available locally, and there are no balsa suppliers anywhere near me that have blocks this big.

 

Superstructure/stern castle is made of balsa, made one deck at a time to allow for walkways, ladder access, etc.  Seems like this has worked good so far.  Because this the latest/greatest modern ship on the lakes, a lot of things like the hatches are super complex, so not sure how I am going to tackle the details to make them look authentic - you can see the pic in the first post what I am talking about, or can browse pics of the ships of this class on www.boatnerd.com, or the company site www.algonet.com

 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by JKC27

[JKC27]

Also have a smaller 1:250 size started, but fittings for the 1:200 are going to be easier to find, and it's close to the 1/16" - 1ft that many like to model at.

 

Here is the progress on the superstructures of both:

 

[JKC27]

Here are more details of my build as it stands.

 

Bulwark at front will be styrene attached to the wood with appropriate openings cut out.

 

No idea how I am going to tackle the complex hatches - close up of the real ones are in this group.  Windows on the bridge deck are going to be a big challenge too, and I posted about this in a different post.

 

[Roger Pellett]

I don’t know anything about Chinese shipbuilding technology, but it’s certainly possible to build a steel ship without a hard copy lines drawing.  The computers in the design offices can communicate directly with computer driven plate burning and frame bending equipment, eliminating the need for patterns.

 

The hatches are a variation of the single plate hatch covers handled by a hatch crane that are currently used on lake vessels.  The American company Interlake (Black stacks with an orange band) is currently building a River Class Lake Vessel at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.  It will be interesting to see if the hatch coamings and clamps that you show will be used on this new vessel or if they are unique to the Equinox Class Boats.

 

Roger

[JKC27]

@Roger Pellett Interlakes new build is coming along. Will look a lot like Algoma's new river class ships...see Algoma Intrepid.

 

The 3 fins on each side of the hatches is different and challenging. There is also piping running along both sides too going thru the fins. Have to decide how much I want to try to include. Hatch crane clips on top probably won't happen....too small at that scale.  Canada Steamship Lines new Trillium class ships don't have hatch combings like Algoma's.

[thibaultron]

For the Bridge windows, perhaps you could glue strips for the mullons to clear plastic, and use the clear part as a structural part of the superstructure.

[Roger Pellett]

Now that you point it out I see the piping and small rods.  I wonder if this might be some sort of hydraulic hatch clamping system.  Assuming that this would work reliably it would certainly reduce labor each time the vessel loads and unloads.

 

Edited August 27, 2021 by Roger Pellett

[JKC27]

Not sure really - I am curious though.  I don't know if Interlake's new build has all that piping.  CSL's new ships also have the piping, but not the big exaggerated fins on hatching combings.  I am going to ask around and see if I can get info on why they were designed like that.

[FlyingFish]

Interesting build! I'm intrigued by the shape of the bow - surely this shape creates enormous water resistance? Or maybe that's an advantage if you want to slow down quickly... 

Getting something like this from China must be quite a 'drag'?

[JKC27]

Most new ships on the Great Lakes are round at the front.

 

Here is a good info page on this class of ship.

 

https://www.algonet.com/business-units/domestic-dry-bulk/equinox-class/explore-the-equinox-class/#equinox-class-modal-4

[Roger Pellett]

Ships on the Great Lakes have traditionally been designed around the unique navigation restrictions that they encounter;  the dimensions of the locks into Lake Superior, those around Niagara Falls, or those in the St. Lawrence River. There are also a number of “River Class vessels that are smaller to negotiate sharp curves such as those found in the Cuyahoga River at Cleveland.  Distances are also relatively short compared to those sailed by ocean going vessels.  The entire Seaway system from Duluth to salt water is only about 1500 miles.

 

The cargos carried by these “boats” as they are called locally are bulk:  iron ore, coal, limestone, and grain.  The metric by which they are judged is the amount of cargo delivered during the 10 month shipping season.  Economic analysis indicates that this happens using ships able to float huge cargos that can be loaded and unloaded quickly.  A 1000 ft ore carrier can be loaded in less than four hours.  Unloading Times are Similar.  Sacrificing cargo capacity to increase hull speed is not considered to be an economically smart trade off.

 

This very full, rounded bow hull form has been tank tested and found to be surprisingly economical at design speeds.  For analysis, hull resistance is separated into two components: frictional and wave making.  Frictional resistance is proportional to wetted area and velocity squared.  Wave making resistance increases in more or less cubic fashion with velocity but the determining factor is something called the speed length ratio equal to velocity divided by the square root of waterline length.  Dimensional restrictions found on the Lakes require long, narrow, hulls so speed length ratios are low.

 

What is surprising about this design is that it is “gearless.”  All active vessels in the US fleet are equipped with self unloading gear that has allowed scrapping of shoreside unloading equipment.  These self unloaders permit very rapid turnaround at the unloading ports to maximize cargo hauled during the shipping season.

 

Roger

 

 

[Ian_Grant]

On 8/26/2021 at 4:03 PM, JKC27 said:

 

No idea how I am going to tackle the complex hatches - close up of the real ones are in this group.  Windows on the bridge deck are going to be a big challenge too, and I posted about this in a different post.

 

Roger, for those hatches I'd be sorely tempted to get some 3D printed parts especially as there are so many of them and the eye would be drawn to any differences between them. You could draw them with all the flanges and gussets in TinkerCAD, which is free and can be learned in a day for such simple shapes. With your .stl file on a memory stick, you could get them printed at any 3D CAD shop assuming you don't have a printer.

[realworkingsailor]

The Algoma boats use a “Macgregor” style quick acting cleat, along with square section rubber seals (similar in cross section to a 2x4) running in a U channel under the lip of the hatch cover. These seals mate with a compression bar set on the hatch coaming. Very similar to the arrangement found on deep sea ships with hydraulic hatches. This allows for fewer clamps per hatch cover (labour saving!), but does require a more rigid structure.

 

 All the CSL new builds retained the now 70 year old system of Kestner clamps and small seals on the hatches. The seals are simply a 3/4” wide by 1” deep strip of rubber, keyhole shaped in cross section, held in a narrow groove in the underside of the hatch cover, these seals mate only to the flat top of the hatch coaming. This system is structurally lighter, and allows for more flexing, but requires more clamps per hatch (about 33% more), hence more labour intensive.

 

In the current corporate drive to control costs (read cut crews), I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why CSL didn’t really do any (major) innovation on the deck arrangement on their ships. Technically, they are well designed ships, efficient engines and cargo handling equipment, but they’re trying to run a 70 year old style deck with less than 25% of the crew (as compared to when the Kestner clamp was the latest and greatest….. circa 1947).
 

Andy

 

[JKC27]

@realworkingsailor Thanks for the info Andy. Surprised the new CSL builds went old style plus more hatches too on the Trillium ships.  I'm sure the cargoes are similar between CSL and Algoma so the likely doesn't play into the design.

 

What ship are you on?

[realworkingsailor]

5 minutes ago, JKC27 said:

@realworkingsailor Thanks for the info Andy. Surprised the new CSL builds went old style plus more hatches too on the Trillium ships.  I'm sure the cargoes are similar between CSL and Algoma so the likely doesn't play into the design.

 

What ship are you on?

Bulkers need bigger hatches (hence fewer) in order to accommodate shore unloading equipment, as opposed to SULs. If you look at the CSL St. Laurent or the CSL Welland, you’ll see a similar number of hatches to the Equinoxes. 
 

Sadly I’m not on any ships anymore (except as a passenger), was forced to give it up because of my eyesight (more specifically, lack thereof). 

 

Andy

[Roger Pellett]

Is the ore coming from Quebec pelletized like that shipped on Lake Superior, or unrefined “natural” ore?  If it’s unrefined that might account for the lack of self unloading equipment.

[realworkingsailor]

1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

Is the ore coming from Quebec pelletized like that shipped on Lake Superior, or unrefined “natural” ore?  If it’s unrefined that might account for the lack of self unloading equipment.

Most of the ore I’ve seen heading up the lakes out of Port Cartier, Pointe Noire and Sept Iles was pellets. Those mines also ship concentrate ore, but mostly for overseas markets. The concentrate ore can be finicky for SULs, depending on moisture content, but I did get out to the CSL Spirit, when it was involved in the transshipment operation out of Pt Noire, and it seemed to run alright through the gear, no hang ups and not much mess in the tunnel.

 

Algoma holds pretty tight to their contract with Dofasco, who still have cranes at Hamilton, so for them SUL equipment isn’t entirely critical. I wonder if the yard they signed with initially in China hadn’t run into financial difficulties if we’d be seeing more Equinox 740’ SULs by now.

 

Andy

[JKC27]

I think a lot of the gearless (flatbacks) also do the grain runs from Thunder Bay to Quebec as well. My customer through work who does electrical parts mostly for Algoma was telling me how much value the grain runs especially after harvest are to the companies. Think about it....they go full from TB to Quebec and empty back to TB. You wouldnt see a truck do return trip empty.

[druxey]

I wonder if  a master hatch model can be made, molded and then repetitive units cast. Could save a lot of work!

[Roger Pellett]

It shouldn’t be a difficult casting job as you can work from one flat surface. If there is deck camber it could be added to the mating surface of the casting later.

[JKC27]

Been really tinkering with the hatches, and think I've come up a set of 17 for this finally.  Will add pictures when I get a chance.

 

One thing I have really been pondering is to start the stern castle structure over again using .040" styrene, instead of painted balsa.  I picked up 2 sheet yesterday from a local shop.  See posts 3 and 4.  Where I am with this now looks OK, but I think using styrene will make it look much better, plus I can cut out the windows somehow too.  The balsa is so soft when it is in strips like this.  I'd still have to do it one deck at a time, but if you look at a close up of the real ship, it does have those "lines" separating the decks....

 

[realworkingsailor]

If I may suggest, when building with styrene, consider building in layers. Start with a 0.010” or 0.015” outer layer, and work inwards. The thinner stock will make cutting easier and more accurate, the subsequent heavier layers only require more general window openings. 
 

Have a look to see how I built my CPR coach:

Andy

[mikegr]

Styrene also has smoother skin than balsa. It looks more natural if used for steel made ships.

[JKC27]

Haven't worked on this in a while but had time to toy with the hatches. My wife suggested I leave one open so looks pretty good i think. Took way longer than i thought, but once fine tuned should be good. Picked a superbcom0lex ship for my first big build! 

 

Also thank you to @henrythestaffy for help with my nav deck. Needs to be painted but looks great.

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Looking good!

[JKC27]

Got the hull painted while I wait for fittings and continue tinkering with the hatches. I also am going to start testing a theory for my windows for the accomdations, etc. Nav deck windows look good but still some fine tuning.

 

I did prime everything first but wow does the dark blue paint take a lot coats. As you can see this also needs some final touch ups.

 

Next up I think I will either work on making the appropriate holes for part that will form bulwark.  Possibly continue working on David for free fall lifeboat.  This information is easily available aside from knowing exactly which one this ship is using.

 

Oh the joys of building something different!

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by JKC27
Added text and pictures

[JKC27]

Holiday break is great for progress on projects like this......

 

Each hatch consisting of 21 pieces each is painted and roughly placed.  I think I'm OK with my windows - they are vinyl decals cut to size but still something inthink I can do better with considering this is my second build I've attempted.   Have the position of the hatch crane rails laid out. Building the hatch crane should be interesting as I don't have drawings for that.

 

I am overall pretty happy so far.

 

[mtaylor]

Looking great.  She's a monster model for sure.

[JKC27]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:54 PM, mtaylor said:

Looking great.  She's a monster model for sure.

About 44 inches long