150 tons?

[bob winter]

I was just surfing to see what the current status of the SS Norisle is. For those of you who never heard of her she was a 215' steam powered freight and passenger ship built in 1945 and powered by an engine which has originally been intended to a RCN corvette that never got built due to the end of WWII. She ended her career as a ferry running between the Manitoulin Island and Tobermory.

She was retired in the early 70's and has sat at dock since then. Her condition declined, to the point where she was actually in danger of sinking, and finally a decision was taken to scuttle her as a dive site. This sparked quite an uproar and an organization, Friends of the Norisle, was formed to prevent the scuttling. It appears that the initial clean up has been completed and the next move, once funding is figured out, will be to move her to the Purvis dry dock in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario for the completion of the restoration. The intent is to use her as a cruise boat, I presume operating out of the Manitoulin Island.

One thing the article I was reading mentioned was that her coal bunkers have been emptied and that the coal was sold to a buyer down near Toronto somewhere. According to the article, the quantity sold was 150 tons. I know next to nothing about coal fired steamers but 150 tons seems to me like an awful lot of coal for a 215' boat. Am I out to lunch or is the quantity reasonable?

I presume that the intent is to convert her to oil fired.

[Peerie Maa]

It would depend on her intended range and speed. A similar size vessel:

SS Explorer Technical DetailsBuilt and fitted by Alexander Hall and Company Ltd, Aberdeen, Yard No 747; Riveted Steel Cruiser Stern
Length Overall : 202 Feet
Length Between Perpendiculars: 183ft 6 inches
Beam 32ft 9inches
Loaded Draft forward: 10ft 11"; aft 16ft 7"
Tonnage
Gross: 862
Net : 225
Deadweight 471 Tonnes
Lightship Displacement 915tons
Engine: Built 1955 by ALexander Hall, Engine Number 462; Triple expansion, 3 cylinder, 16.5" + 28.5" +47" * 30"; 1000 indicated Horse Power
Piston Valves on HP cylinder, Slide Valves on IP & LP cylinders
HP cylinder crosshead driven Boiler Feed and two Bilge Pumps
Propeller 10'8" *11'3", 4 Bladed
Speed 12knots
Range 8000miles(approx)
Bunker Capacity - 267tons fuel oil; 34 tons diesel oil

Depending on the quality of the coal, it could have half of the calorific value of heavy fuel oil, so 150 tones would give a range of about 2000miles.

[bob winter]

So I guess 150 tons is likely in the ball park. Thank for that information, Nick.

I wonder how the tow from the Manitoulin to Sault Ste. Marie will go. She must be pretty light at the moment.

[Ron Williamson]

A few weeks ago, we saw Keewatin pass Cove Island, under tow at 5kn.
She was light,but seemed easily managed by one tug,with another standing by.
R

[Nicholas Carey]

1/2 inch anthracite weighs something like 50-60 lbs/cubic foot, depending on how tightly it's packed. 150 tons works out to a cube 18-1/4 feet on a side using the low end of the density spectrum.

[Lew Barrett]

The amount of fuel a large vessel will burn underway is always surprising. Andrew probably has figures for modern vessels, but generally speaking, on larger ships, fuel (oil) is measured by the metric ton. A ship will burn x number of tins a day. A 215 foot coal fired vessel will do the same.

[Captain Intrepid]

The amount of fuel a large vessel will burn underway is always surprising. Andrew probably has figures for modern vessels, but generally speaking, on larger ships, fuel (oil) is measured by the metric ton. A ship will burn x number of tins a day. A 215 foot coal fired vessel will do the same.

The ships I've been all all use cubes, cubic metres. The ones I was on were between 60 and 80 metres and burned about 5-7 cubes of diesel per day at cruising speed.

[Lew Barrett]

The ships I've been all all use cubes, cubic metres. The ones I was on were between 60 and 80 metres and burned about 5-7 cubes of diesel per day at cruising speed.

As may be, but metric tons still remain one of the frequently used and usual (of several conversion standards) measures of the industry.

A couple of references:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_l...unker_fuel_oil

http://www.juddspittler.com/freighte...ngineroom2.htm

http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/68d...7004c458c.aspx


I trust that's enough links to keep you busy, Cap!

[Captain Intrepid]

As may be, but metric tons still remain one of the frequently used and usual (of several conversion standards) measures of the industry.

Oh absolutely. Just offering up another metric and consumption rate for comparison.

[Ron Williamson]

Cubic metres of fuel might convert nicely into Imperial short tons.
IIRC diesel weighs .88kg/litre.
R