0Filling the ERNEST LAPOINTE’s hold
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You are standing at the foot of the cargo derrick. This mast is similar to a crane.
Using the windlass, goods are hoisted onto the deck or lowered into the ship’s hold to be stowed.
The ERNEST LAPOINTE’s hold is off limits, but this is what it looks like.
All the objects in the hold have been left there since the icebreaker was decommissioned more than 40 years ago!
Cargo
Cargo aboard depended on the work that the ERNEST LAPOINTE had to do.
For instance, in the fall the icebreaker carried buoys that had been removed from the St. Lawrence River for winter.
Would you like to see a windlass in operation?
In this video clip, you can see that they are using two windlasses. This is because the ship has a two derricks, called a “union purchase system,” like the one on this diagram:
The ERNEST LAPOINTE’s cargo derrick is operated as shown on the following diagram, but with only one winch.
