The Federal Polaris was built in Japan in 1985. Here she is departing Duluth, making the turn toward the Lift Bridge on Friday night, April 16, 2010. Unlike many salt water ships that come to Duluth, she has kept the same name, so far, throughout her life on the high seas. She is 600 feet long and painted bright red, typical colors of Fednav boats, her owner. This is her 14th trip here since 1997.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks to everyone for the explanations!
Mike
Boston, MA
Sorry Guys; i had 2 computers down and have been tied up loading operating systems and installing new hard drives; i am mostly back now
The four cream-colored vertical posts spanning the centerline above her main deck are cargo handling cranes. They swivel on a turntable about halfway up the height of the post. Just above the swivel point is the hinge where the boom/jib (stowed horizontally in the picture) is connected. A control cab is mounted above the swivel point and boom hinge. The cranes can be equipped with a number of different arrangements of cables, hooks, lifting bars, or clamshell buckets to allow the vessel to load or unload itself in ports where dockside cargo handling equipment is unavailable.
The Federal Polaris is generally considered a dry bulk freighter or bulker. Some bulkers have cranes, some do not. If a bulker has cranes it’s typically called a geared bulker. If it does not, it’s referred to as a gearless bulker. Pretty much all of the oceangoing bulkers that visit Duluth-Superior are geared.
Hey Mike,
Ken must be busy somewhere. My captain friend says those structures are King posts and they are used to unload the ship’s cargo.
Jill
Mountain Brook, Alabama
Some ships have their own onboard cranes for handling bulk cargo. Most usually use the port cranes for loading this type of cargo but could use their own if necessary.
Mike:
I believe those are cranes to assist in loading and unloading bulk cargo. Ken, correct me if I am wrong.
Paul
Galveston Island, Tx
I could be wrong, but I believe they are cranes.
They are cranes in their rest position.
Ken, what are those structures mid-ship??