How Self-Unloading Works on a Laker | Algoma Buffalo Cargo System Explained

A question I get asked a lot: how does the cargo actually get off the ship? On a self-unloading bulk carrier like the Algoma Buffalo, the answer is an engineering system that moves more than 4,000 tonnes of salt per hour — roughly 3,000 family cars worth of weight — past your hand every 60 minutes. No cranes. No forklifts. Just gravity, belts, and a 630ft ship that has to stay perfectly flat or it becomes a very expensive seesaw. In this video I walk you through every step: from loading in Goderich, through the V-shaped cargo hold, the tunnel system beneath the ship, the incline, the gooseneck, and out the end of the boom — where thousands of tonnes of ice-melting salt cascades onto the dock to turn every car in the province into a pile of brown lace. By next Tuesday. ───────────────────────────── 0:00 Introduction 0:21 Loading in Goderich 0:42 The V-Shape & Gravity 1:32 Pneumatic Vibrators 2:47 The Tunnel Belt 5:26 The Transfer Funnel 5:57 The Incline Room 6:27 The Boom Hood 6:46 End of the Boom 8:18 Sign Off ───────────────────────────── 📺 Subscribe:    / @lcaptaintjl   🛒 Merch: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/XmarksCa... 💬 Join as a Member for early access to every video — link above #AlgomaBuffalo #SelfUnloader #HowItWorks #GreatLakes #CaptainTJ #BulkCarrier #GreatLakesShipping #MaritimeEducation #ShipExplained #Laker