Great lake boats, a good video

[ArlyA]

On my way to Hancock this week the lift bridge was up and the tug Missouri was passing through town. I should add that tugs are slow and using our shipping canal will take off many miles off there trip.

 

[ArlyA]

Breaking News
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Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society discovers Barge 129, nearly 120 years after accident​

292-foot Whaleback vessel - Barge 129(Great Lakes Shipwreck Society)
By TV6 News Team
Published: Oct. 12, 2022 at 6:26 AM EDT|Updated: 6 hours ago
WHITEFISH POINT, Mich. (WLUC) - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) is proud to announce the discovery of the 292-foot Whaleback vessel, Barge 129. Barge 129 was found in Lake Superior, 35 miles off Vermilion Point in 650 feet of water.
Barge 129 was found along with 8 other wrecks in 2021 by the GLSHS in partnership with Marine Sonic Technology using Side Scan Sonar. Side Scan Sonar - Marine Sonic Technology
Barge 129 sank on October 13th, 1902. 120 years ago, near the day of this press release. Barge 129 was in tow of the steamer Maunaloa, downbound with a load of iron ore when they ran into a powerful October storm. The heavy seas strained, and eventually snapped the towline connecting the two ships. Barge 129 was then at the mercy of the storm. Maunaloa turned around in an attempt to reconnect the towline, but the wind and waves slammed the two ships together, with Maunaloa’s port side anchor ripping into Barge 129′s starboard side. As the barge began to sink, Captain Josiah Bailey and his crew moved quickly and struggled to launch their lifeboat. The crew of Maunaloa stood by and eventually helped the Barge 129 crew onto their ship...just as the whaleback dove to the bottom of Lake Superior.
GLSHS Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel Jr. reflected on the discovery. “I’ve looked for this ship for so long because it was a Whaleback. I was pretty excited. I couldn’t wait to get the cameras on it”. When the Shipwreck Society put their ROV down on the wreck site this past summer, they were surprised by the devastation of the ship. “It’s totally destroyed on the bottom. It’s nowhere near intact. It’s at least 4 to 5 big pieces and thousands of little pieces. It’s just disintegrated,” Ertel said.
GLSHS says it is proud of the discovery. “Shipwreck hunters have been looking for that for a long time,” said Corey Adkins, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society communications/content director. “That’s been one of the ones everybody’s wanted to find for a long time just because it’s one of the last Whalebacks that hadn’t been discovered. So, when we discovered it, it was a proud moment for us.”
“The whalebacks were pretty unusual ships,” stated Shipwreck Society Executive Director Bruce Lynn. “When we had the ROV on it, you could clearly see the distinctive bow with a part of the towline still in place…that was an incredible moment!

 

[ArlyA]

We have some wind happening here so boats are on the north shore but the Algoma Innovator is heading our way with a "boat load" of road salt.

Marine watch

 

[ArlyA]

All the boats are off the lake, or hugging the north shore today
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Gale Warnings for Great Lakes, waves up to 24 feet during early winter storm​

• Published: Oct. 17, 2022, 8:46 a.m.

Gale Warnings on the Great Lakes are part of this early week winter storm forecast. Image courtesy of the National Weather Service. The Gale Warnings are shown in pink and the Storm Warning area is in purple.
By

• Tanda Gmiter | tgmiter@mlive.com

An early winter storm pushing into the Upper Peninsula Monday and Tuesday could lay down more than 18 inches of snow across some areas there, and a few inches of snow in the Lower Peninsula - but it’s also going to be packing a punch with high winds. This has spawned warnings of storm-force winds and gales across Lake Superior and portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior is in line to get the most punishing winds out of this storm system. Waves up to 24 feet have been forecast for some areas along the U.P. coast, with beach erosion and flooding of low-lying areas possible, according to the National Weather Service office in Marquette.


Here are the latest NWS forecast highlights for the U.P. area encompassing the waters off Marquette, Munising and Grand Marais:

• A Storm Warning will stay in effect through 4 p.m. Tuesday, then step down to a Gale Warning until 5 a.m. Wednesday.
• North winds up to 46 mph could spark gusts up to 63 mph
• Waves building up to 24 feet during the Storm Warning timeframe. Dropping to 17 to 22 feet during the Gale Warning period.

“Very strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility,” NWS meteorologists in Marquette wrote in the warning notes. “Mariners should remain in port, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions.”

Aside from a few freighters near the Soo Locks early today, most other Lake Superior ship traffic looked to be hugging the coasts. Want to watch the ship traffic from afar? Check an app or website like Marine Traffic.


Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have gale-force winds forecast as well. Lake Huron will likely see its biggest winds and waves across the top third of the lake, NWS said. Lake Michigan will see rougher conditions. The Gale Warning for open waters of Lake Michigan will remain in effect until 2 a.m. Wednesday.


Gale-force winds of more than 50 mph are forecast, and waves could reach up to 16 feet.


Read more about our early winter storm here:


Snow coming to Lower Michigan; Here’s what you need to know


Winter Storm Warning, up to 18 inches of snow for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

 

[MossRoad]

24' waves on a lake... brutal!

 

[MossRoad]

They're predicting 20'+ along SE coast of Lake Michigan as well.

Here's a pretty cool animation site that we use if we want to go up to the lake to watch the waves crash over the lighthouses. Enjoy!

WaveWatch III graphics

Information from NOAA-GLERL

www.glerl.noaa.gov

 

[jjeff]

Well the cruise industry on the great lakes seems to be doing pretty good, according to my local news. 2022 a record year for Great Lakes cruise industry

 

[5030]

Amy and I are considering a freshwater cruise next year. I think it would be fun.

 

[5030]

I see even Lake Erie is having big waves, not as big but it's not as windy down here. If we were into about 30 days from now, the Lake Erie snow machine would be dumping big time on Buffalo.

 

[MossRoad]

Wife and I were in Tunica, Mississippi and Nashville a couple weeks ago. The river is D.O.W.N.!!! low. Sandbars everywhere. I read a story about a cruise ship were people paid something like $12-15K for a two week cruise from New Orleans to St. Paul, MN. They didn't make it out of Arkansas, stopping 150 miles south of Memphis.

Ahh, here it is.

Cruise Canceled Due to Low Water Levels

The new Viking Mississippi has had to cancel her current sailing and future cruises may be in Jeopardy due to drought and low water levels.

www.cruisehive.com