[270 laser]

Went for a ride out to Harsen's on sunday and saw a freighter stuck in the ice on the south channel boy was that neat to see the props were turning the water but wasn't going anywhere. They had the coast guard boat come and break up the ice around it so it could continue. Does anybody know when they stop running I heard it was this week but not sure. I know that the ice is really thick out there. even the ferry to the island had a rough time getting back to the main land it had to stop and reverse about 4 times before we made it.

 

[hammer]

I don't think the freighters ever stop. They just keep breaking the ice.

 

[rerun]

I wish you would of had gotten pics of that. I would of loved to see it.

 

[PocketChange]

I was up at the Soo a couple weeks ago and they usually stop operating the locks Jan 15th, but there was a request to extend it to the 25th based on the lake conditions.

Heres a link for some more info, interesting read if your into freighters. Cool pics two stories down

Freighter Reports

(Actually rereading that, I think thats the freighter stuck in the pics that 270 saw)

 

[Storm]

I used to have a friend who worked the ore boats and he used to get home just before Christmas. That was back in the 70's when the winters were harder and longer. They may have extended the season since those days. Those puppies are expensive to have laid up for the winter. They try to keep them working as long as possible.

 

[hammer]

Here it is stuck in the Saint Clair River.

 

[hammer]

Here is the ice cutter Bristol Bay that frees the freighters.

 

[hammer]

Close up.............

 

[MooseKnuckle]

Great pics Hammer!

I thought they might keep freighters moving between Lake Michigan, Huron and Erie through the winter. Just close down ships that travel through locks at the Soo and Ontario??

 

[GaryDebs]

Awesome pics!

I love this stuff!

It is even more amazing hearing it all! Ice popping all over.

 

[Guest]

Agreed, awesome pics and a great link for the freighter info. I don't think I'd make the trip to Harsens since there is the possibility of not getting back for a while, but I think we may need to make a road trip out to the river to see and hear the ice flowing.

 

[rerun]

So what makes a ship a ice cutter? Reinforced hull around the front and larger than large engines? Kinda weird that a large ship like that freighter can get stuck but that little old ice cutter comes out there no problem. You would think that the freighter would have large engines and so much mass moving that no ice could stop it or if it did that the ice would be so great that the ice cutter couldn't get it out.

 

[sidelite]

QUOTE(rerun @ Jan 26 2004, 11:17 PM)So what makes a ship a ice cutter? Reinforced hull around the front and larger than large engines?
Not sure if this applies to the above particular ice breaker but here's a couple tidbits of info:

More often than not, the ship has to "back and ram" to make progress

The cutter will back down between one half and two ship lengths (200-800 feet) through the track cut in the ice behind it… then uses its engines to create as much forward momentum as possible before coming into contact with the ice where it was previously stopped. The momentum of the ship will carry the cutter up higher on the ice, and push it ahead with more force to break through. This process is repeated as many times as is necessary.

The shape of the hull is designed to maximize ice breaking by efficiently combining the forces acting on the ship. Hull shape allows hull to break ice….Thick hull with reinforcement and ribs which are twice the normal thickness of regular ships..

The curve of the ice breaking bow allows it to first ride up on top of the ice, then the bow is levered downward by gravity through the ice like a giant sledgehammer, as the stern is forced upward by the added buoyant forces created there by the bow's upward inclination on the ice. This "one-two" punch brings an incredible amount of the ship's weight to bear on the ice…

Unique features designed to aid in ice breaking. An installed heeling system can rock the ship to prevent getting stuck in the ice…Tanks and pumps can be used to pump water from one side of the boat to the other..

 

[Guest]

Good info. I've also read that many ice breakers will have a compressed air system which allows them to pump air underwater around the hull to lift and break the ice around it.

 

[sidelite]

QUOTE(Bill272 @ Jan 27 2004, 12:08 AM)Good info. I've also read that many ice breakers will have a compressed air system which allows them to pump air underwater around the hull to lift and break the ice around it.
This is true...

A more recent innovation installed on the bay class ice breakers is the "bubbler." The bubbler forces large quantities of low-pressure air through ports along the keel on both sides of the hull. The air rises to the surface, causing an upward flow of water and air that acts as a lubricant between the ship and ice. This action greatly reduces the friction caused by the contact of ice and snow on the hull, enabling the cutter to use less horsepower or break thicker ice than it would be able to without the bubbler.

 

[MrSunbum]

Great pics Hammer! We remember that so well. brrrrrr makes me shiver just looking at it. I want summer!

 

[RED HOT ONE]

Awesome pics.!!!!!!!!!! I love that stuff...

 

[Campari]

Man, how cool! Truly amazing. Hammer those pics are killer!

A bunch of us should go out to Harsens within a month or so and drive out to The Moot. Get some fires going, party it up!!!! Anyone game? We can get the BRB to make it's annual icy appearance. It'll be great!

 

[bobrob]

get the fire started and when its going real good and nice and warm call us

sat at a bar in marine city last year watching them trying to break out a freighter . took a real long time .

 

[270 laser]

There is a place called the turn around on the island that would be perfect it over looks the moot. And there are bon fires there all the time and plenty of parking. Just don't plan on going out there any time soon the ferry is not running the north channel is all iced in heard on the news today.