Great Lakes Shipping - Unrelenting Ice

[Redbone]

To those that may be interested or live near the Great Lakes, the shipping season has kicked off rather slowly due to heavy ice. On Lake Superior ice is ~12' thick in the windrows and is generally 4'-6' in all areas. Three icebreakers were able to break through and skirt along the Canadian shoreline to make it from Sault Ste Marie, MI. to Duluth, MN., it was a tough 3 day run and shown here arriving in Duluth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36j-cRPJiAw

The plan was to have the Mackinaw lead 3 freighters loaded with Iron Ore back across lake Superior, though the locks in Sault Ste Marie, then down river into either lake Huron or lake Michigan depending on their destination. The two smaller ice breakers were to stay behind and work on the ice in the various harbors, specifically the Thunder Bay, ON. harbor, to free them for freighters to be able to get into them to load.
Around the top of lake Superior things got a little hectic, one of freighters took some ice damage and had to turn around for repairs. One of the ice smaller icebreakers broke it's rudder and was disabled so the other small icebreaker had to tow it back to Duluth for repairs. Meanwhile the Mackinaw abandoned the convoy with the two remaining freighters and returned to Thunder Bay harbor to break up the ice in the it's harbor. A day and a half later the Mackinaw is back leading the convoy but now is facing some of the toughest ice (See satellite pics below) getting to/ through Whitefish Bay. One of the sailors on the Calloway (Ore freighter) has been send updates with pictures to his Facebook page so I picked off a few to post here.
Sat Pics:

If you look close at the second picture (above) he drew an arrow of where they are trying to go. There is a faint showing of where the icebreakers traveled through last week.
Facebook Pics:

 

[Redbone]

Here are some new pictures from today taken from the freighter Carson Calloway:

 

[Lew L]

Is this more about the ''''global '''''''''warming I've been hearing about. It's been snowing lightly but regularly in the mountians just above me. Almost 160 " of snow on the east side of Lake Tahoe ( this is the side that dosent get so much).

Lew

 

[dannymax]

Looks like the same ice breaker a buddy of mine fimed a few days ago in the locks near Massena, NY.

Gotta be wicked noisy on board one of them....ey? :ummm:

 

[Tex85]

Still haven't seen any of that winter stuff down here thankfully. Was out riding to and from work + a little extra since it was such a beautiful day.

Cool freighter shots, they might want to try using those boats on water next time. Might help the whole convoy make it

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[marsmax85]

All I see is a honey sun tanning her sweet bosoms !!

 

[Redbone]

The Mackinaw you see here is a replacement for the original Mackinaw that served the Great Lakes since being commissioned during WWII. Check out it's powerplants! SIX 10 cylinder diesel engines!
Museum site: http://www.mightymac.org/mackinawmaritimemuseum.htm

The new Mackinaw (Commisioned in 2005) is smaller and a little more versatile in her duties: http://www.mightymac.org/newmackinaw.htm
Check out the rear prop pods that can rotate 360°! http://www.mightymac.org/mackinawlaunch1.htm

 

[Redbone]

If you would like to track the Great Lakes and St Lawrence seaway shipping traffic (who wouldn't !:confused2 go here. Or here for a more global view!

 

[dannymax]

Those prop pods fascinate me......that's some serious HP to throw a couple 90° bends in....and rotate at the same time!

 

[Redbone]

Those prop pods fascinate me......that's some serious HP to throw a couple 90° bends in....and rotate at the same time!

The bow has a thruster prop to aid in maneuvering and ice "flushing". Look at the videos of the prop pods in action; also look at the "Character" section to see what she is capable of doing in ice.
The new girl has... how does that song go...."She's got the power!".unk: