The NTSB report on the Roger Blough fire and disaster

This video is a basic version of the recently released NTSB report on the probable cause of the Feb.1, 2021 fire that swept through the aft end of the bulk carrier Roger Blough. The narration is a thumbnail of the reading of the report.
If you are not familiar with the Roger Blough fire you should first watch my initial video from Feb. 2021: • FIRE aboard the Great ...
Also I strongly advise that everyone download the full report and read it as well. It can be found here: www.ntsb.gov/i...

[@jeffreygraf3358]

Having read the NTSB report on the Blough, I believe their findings and recommendations are sound. Amazing that small omissions and errors led to an estimated 100 million in damages. I work in the fire containment industry. The cost of a thermally activated fuel line shutoff is minimal to say the least.

[@authorwes]

Same thing in aviation (as you know). The company went to the expense of installing that emergency notification system just for this protracted lay-up... and the one guy they left aboard was not on the notification list. Seen that stuff far to often.

[@ThePossumfan]

agreed.

[@aaronerickson7222]

As sad as it is that the Blough is out of commission, I'm glad the Phillip R. Clark gets its chance to sail. Might be a chance that the Callaway can get back out on the lakes again, too. The AMA and John G. Munson have also been very busy. It's great to see the old lakers busy again.

[@authorwes]

Agreed

[@tuxedotservo]

I've seen in a few places that the Calloway needs some serious metal work before she'd pass inspection. I have a feeling she's in the same situation at the Blough - waiting on CN to sell the fleet, and the new owners to deternmine what to do with them.

[@northstarstatepolitics1652]

This is sad. I initially thought they'd repair it, but after hearing the cost of the damage, and also how bad the economy is getting, I'm doubtful the Blough will ever set sail under its own power again.

[@andystenz1335]

Very sad indeed. I was a cadet on the Blough in the spring of 1991, in the engine program. Helped fit the boat out for the season, while she was tied up in Milwaukee. Great engineers to learn from. They sent me crawling all over the place in that lower engine room.

[@TNS17]

It ain’t getting scrapped

[@_Corndawgg]

They’ll hoist the sails

[@HoshizakiYoshimasa]

Chinese steel US government and corporate dependence on cheap Chinese labor has absolutely devastated rust belt USA. And the way US votes doesn't seem to be an encouraging sign that things will improve. As a Taiwanese who wants US to be strong and loves the Great Lakes fleet. This is concerning

[@Niftynorm1]

This hits home to me as many years ago I worked at the restaurant that burned to the ground one night due to delayed ignition of an oil burner. I did heating and cooling for many years and this kind of surprises me that there wasn't a more robust mounting system on that, not to mention an automatic fuel line shut off. But I don't know the regulations so who knows.

[@Delta_NWAB747fan]

I hope the Blough will sail again, what a beautiful and historic lake boat! It always pains me when classic lakers are scrapped. My favorite was the Ernest R. Breech (Ojibway) and that is currently in Port Colborne for scrapping. I'd hate to see another one go so soon. Thanks for the updated NTSB information! As mentioned, at least the Clarke is sailing again!

[@Duckfarmer27]

Interesting piece Wes. A good example - easily understood - of complex system failure i.e. lining up the holes in the cheese slices. And like most analyses in aviation incidents and other complex system failure the old human error crops up. Any incident like this is sad and bad on many levels.

[@oldsrocket8841]

The Roger Blough now sits in a real nice layup spot in Conneaut about a half mile from where I live. Theres a nice overlook area where folks can come to see her. I was there yesterday for a half hour or so. She'll get alot of attention here in Conneaut.

[@authorwes]

Super!

[@tomsisk6811]

After reading your post I took a ride by to pay my respects this morning...sad to see what's become of the boats and their ports. I remember Conneaut as a bustling metropolis in its day...

[@andrewostrelczuk406]

Do you know Sir if Roger Blough is still alive or has it been scrapped? I’m curious about what has happened in this last year or so!

[@oldsrocket8841]

@@andrewostrelczuk406 It's still sitting in Conneaut harbor.

[@tuxedotservo]

Status Update: The Blough was towed within the last few days to Conneaut for storage layup. Probably will stay there until CN sells the fleet.

[@johnwilcox4078]

That oil burner looks familiar to any HVAC service technician who works on them, common equipment that burns #2 fuel oil for residential installations. What is astonishing is how a small furnace only used to heat parts of the ship during layup could bring down a mighty vessel such as the Rodger Blough and cause $100 million in damages! My guess is the heating contractor they called in and who last touched it will be blamed, fairly or unfairly.

[@alaricdogface]

Its astonishing that the number 2 keeper wasn't on the list. And since CN plans to sell the Great Lakes Fleet I doubt they will be very interested in repairing the Roger Blough. She has been and will be missed.

[@authorwes]

That was No. 7 in the NTSB's list of findings as well... it would have amazed me, but I've seen that sort of stuff in so many NTSB reports in aviation, that it simply goes with the accident chain.

[@phillipgarrow2297]

I've been a welder for many years at a military contractor I wonder if all the heat from the fire shocked the steel and made it brittle

[@authorwes]

VERY good point

[@chuckg6039]

Wonder if they could cut off the stern and attach a new aft section? Keep the rest of the ship.

[@eileenirwin2778]

Another great video and a great shirt. Thanks for sharing. 💚

[@dansweet6793]

The Roger Blough is beautiful I hope and Pray she continues her Mighty career.

[@billmcmanus5421]

thanks for the update Wes, is there something wrong with the Cort this year?

[@authorwes]

Not that I know of

[@tuxedotservo]

They just brought the Cort out in late September. She had been laid up due to lack of cargoes, but between the Presque Isle being out of commission until very recently (which brought the Philip R. Clarke out of layup) and perhaps late-season demand, the Cort is back out there.

[@billmcmanus5421]

@@tuxedotservo thank you for the info.

[@sse_weston4138]

When you say the economy is in the sewer, are you referring to nationwide or specifically with regards to lake shipping?

[@larrykeenan598]

All you have to do is look around. Everyone is taking a hit. The entire economy of the US is definitely in the sewer.

[@sse_weston4138]

@@larrykeenan598 then I certainly have privileged family members. I and my dad have been struggling though, largely still dealing with ramifications from the pandemic. I guess its to be expected, pandemics are the heaviest hitters to an economy

[@tuxedotservo]

With the Great Lakes Fleet up for sale, my guess is that the current owners (Canadian National) will just wait, and let whomever the new owners are make the final call. The initial damage estimate was something like $20M. At $100M... I don't see them fixing her. That is a massive investment on a 50 yo hull, in a time when the Stewart J. Cort was in layup until very recently due to lack of cargoes. Uck... this sucks.

[@authorwes]

Agreed

[@mellissadalby1402]

Thanks for posting this.

[@authorwes]

You're welcome

[@chriskortan1530]

No one seems to have the cost of the new Mark W Baker since Interlake is a private company. $100 million for rebuild seems a lot to swallow for a 50 year old ship. The Canadian companies buy new foreign ships for a lot less. Even though they're public, they too are cagey about the actual costs. I found a range of vague estimates from $35 mil, $50 mil to 9 ships for about a billion. Other ship sites estimate the cost of a US built ship (Jones Act compliant) to be 3X the cost. It looks like, unless the high estimate is right, it would make more sense to build new.

[@chickenpancake1614]

You should add sheer to a model ship if your still making them and if it isn’t too difficult.

[@garymckee448]

I seems to me that a more secure mounting or a stand for the burner to be mounted on should have been in place.

[@andrewostrelczuk406]

Wes now approaching April 1st 2024 do you know if there’s any further information on this Great Lakes Freighter? Many seasons of my Early Life childhood and later years I Spent in the Presque Isle Area(zip 49777) seeing it’s familiar lines as it rounded Up or down bound Presque Isle harbor North / South Albany Point or North Bay, was always one of my favorite memories!

[@authorwes]

Not yet

[@markhoffman7972]

Roger Blough was recently towed to Conneaut. Does this mean that it will be repaired or scrapped?

[@authorwes]

No one knows at this time. There's just a lot of social media guessing going around.

[@JJMHigner]

Sorry to hear and see this. I love your channel thank you very much for helping to explain this situation. Also happy veterans and Remembrance Day!

[@authorwes]

Same to you!

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Very good, very interesting, well presented - Thanks ! ! ! 🙂😎👍

[@authorwes]

Thank you too

[@vernwallen4246]

Fire is one of the worst things that could happen aboard ship.⚓⚓⚓

[@chuckg6039]

What about a sinking?

[@vernwallen4246]

@@chuckg6039 That is also one of the things.⚓⚓⚓

[@TheTrainChasingPoet1999]

Hey, Wes. Did you know that the Blough was one of the rescue ships of the Edmund Fitzgerald? According to the story, her crew found one of the Fitz's lifeboats.

[@tomganze7548]

Very sad blough was my favorite laker

[@guskuratlejr9228]

Do any of these freighters still run under stram power? If they do are they steam turbine engines or actual piston steam engines? Appreciate your videos we love these old freighters ovdr here im Delaware

[@johnstudd4245]

Any actual steam ships on the lakes are turbines.

[@guskuratlejr9228]

@@johnstudd4245 thanks for the info

[@markg.4246]

Very nice presentation sir.

[@authorwes]

Many many thanks

[@Siren851]

Extremely disheartening. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this earlier.. Well, almost time for lay-up again, but it doesn't seem like one season is enough time to effect repairs, if indeed such repairs are economically feasible.

[@authorwes]

We'll just have to wait and see. FYI- You're one of my long-time subscribers! Thank you!!!

[@chuck4031]

Fire at her beginning and now possibly causing her ending.

[@anexpertateverything4816]

Well I read. Sounds like the furnace install company saved $12 on a burner firomatic and $13 on the pedestal for the burner. Good job cheap HVAC company! You’re $25 richer minus lawyer fees to follow. Hard to say how many companies the owners got bids from. Would be interesting to see if they went with cheapest company possible.

[@authorwes]

Good point, but the larger point is item 7 on the NTSB list. The boat's owners invested in a great alarm system for the extended layup... but no one put the that No.2 shipkeeper on the list of contacts. "For want of a nail..." as they say.

[@oceansoul3694]

@@authorwes this is so sad!

[@thomasvennekens4137]

100 million dollars ? thats the total cost of a ship the size as the ever ace ?

[@adriannegrillo8394]

Thank you very much. I feel that reading the findings helps understand how it could've happened. I am a a true believer in because I wasn't there I won't make any comment other than its truly very very sad.

[@authorwes]

Happy this was helpful.

[@gettingold59]

I sure hate seeing these classic ships leaving our lakes. Seems like missing a good friend

[@authorwes]

I agree

[@B.A.S.Drydock]

As a guy that has attempted to fix things before calling a repair specialist, I get the idea to try to solve the issue. Especially when it may seem as an easy fix. That being said and hindsight is 20/15. When dealing with someone else's property and a vessel worth 100's of millions of dollars. Always call a repair man first or your boss. Better to ask forgiveness for the repair bill then have to explain why your actions "MAY" have contributed in destroying their ship! I am betting someone lost thier job over this one! If not a couple of someone's! Sad chain of events. Trying to do your job and inadvertently contribute to the cause of a fire. Even though the NTSB doesn't lay blame on anyone, I guarantee the company did.

[@authorwes]

Good points

[@TOTALCAMARO]

I was hoping to get the pleasure of seeing her in person but I guess that won’t happen. She is beautiful and unique. I miss not seeing her. 😢

[@rarleyposting5546]

Knowing Great Lakes fleet, she will probably sail under her own power after a repair. She is a massive ship and to scrap her would cost a fortune.

[@fishtug2420]

The fire caused more then 3x her building cost. Scrapping her would actually earn them more money

[@northstarstatepolitics1652]

Cutting it up would make more sense sadly, because it is an insurance write-off due to the damage cost compared to the ships value.

[@tuxedotservo]

@@fishtug2420 though that building cost is from the early 1970's. Even still ... $100M is a lot to swallow.

[@RFKFANTS67]

Hello Guys Could anyone tell me if the Roger Blough has sisters? And what year they were built 1972? Beautiful ships ! Roger Blough is one of my 3 favorite Laker's The other two being One of the oldest girls out there, the Alpena. And my favorite tender is Arthur M Anderson. "John"

[@authorwes]

Blough was one of a kind.

[@RFKFANTS67]

Yup very sad end. So what happens to her Captain and crew are they all broken up and sent to different ships within the company? Or does the Captain and crew stay together and get another ship? Just curious.@@authorwes

[@visionplayer10]

I really hope they get her going again…. She is a beautiful soul…. It is an amazing looking ship!

[@authorwes]

Ditto

[@tomcook5813]

Hello Wes!

[@authorwes]

Hello there!

[@MLJFireDragon747]

You’d think the guy on the boat would be the first one notified.

[@authorwes]

Yep!!

[@papabits5721]

Great video

[@authorwes]

Thanks!

[@ajbaumgart4774]

This is really sad wonder if the company that owns the blough will take donations from people who want to help to get this ship sailing again I'm sure I'm not the only one who would hate to see this hero ship go to the scrap yard we need to keep it alive after what it did to try to rescue the Fitzgerald rescue and search party during that storm the blough was one of many vessels that went out we need to keep it going just sad that this happened to begin with sucks cause I loved the Roger blough

[@leonnorris294]

That sad a great ship of the lakes caught fire. It's too bad it will cost over a million dollars to get her fixed. She'll be dormant until the day she sails again or she's get scrapped. May she rest in peace.

[@authorwes]

Well said

[@BigLisaFan]

What is going to happen to the boat?

[@ShortArmOfGod]

Scrapped.

[@Adamu98]

@@ShortArmOfGod nothing happened to it yet. But there are signs of initial repairs.

[@RioJudy]

SCRAP. It’s considered a total loss.

[@RioJudy]

@@Adamu98 that’s a lie and I know who started it here on the Internet on YT. No repairs. She’s a total loss. They may want parts of her but they will scrap her.

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Hmmm 🤔

[@fuzzybutkus8970]

Though you were handling a submarine sandwich. Looked good.

[@TeamDaenzer]

My hopes for her and the Callaway returning to service are very low, i bet thwy will go to Coleborn or Duluth and get scrapped

[@fishtug2420]

After the whole JB Ford fiasco im pretty sure Azcon is gonna stay away from ships, especially ships that big

[@gordonthayer5335]

A view from the recliner. Therefore are always suspicious. I've seen too many restaurants and out her building suddenly catch on fire when they loose money. Some were even in the early process of being remodeled. A spark from a welder or loose fuel lines. The German luxerly liner in N.Y. Harbor during the war was thought t.o be a welder's spark. I hope it was a real accident. She was my favorite boat and that of many others.

[@TSM8088]

Damages in excess of $100,000,000.00 ?? No way. Not unless the ship was a total loss and half the port facility burnt down. The vessel itself isn't worth anywhere near that amount.

[@authorwes]

That is what the NTSB report states. I'm not making this stuff up.

[@_Corndawgg]

Everything in that rear area is warped and damaged. Everything back there has to be replaced. Dry dock fees, worker’s pay, replacement parts and newly fabricated parts/ steel plates would cost a pretty penny. 100M is not too far fetched as the St Clair would have also cost a lot of money to repair.

[@davidtucker3729]

that"s what we call an accident. Shame if that big girl goes to her end over this.

[@RioJudy]

The NTSB REPORT on the fire is everywhere and public. Read it directly to avoid personal and unqualified opinions.

[@anexpertateverything4816]

Umm isn’t that what he said to do?

[@authorwes]

Yeah... I even listed the URL... perhaps someone didn't actually view the entire video before commenting.

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

I find unqualified opinions amusing... 😎👍

[@MainMezzer]

It’s official she’s going to the scrapyard

[@authorwes]

No... it is NOT "official"

[@kevinhoffman8214]

how can the economy be in the sewer ? the "news" said it is great !

[@authorwes]

I needed that laugh today! Thank you!!

[@guyordorff8355]

At least it was laid up were they could still get help

[@authorwes]

Indeed