Near Miss in Port Huron

[DayDreamer41]

unless they really were trying to sail to Lake Huron and thought they could get to the East faster than they could.

They were completing the Lexington to PHYC race on Sunday, they raced to Lexington on Saturday.

I believe they were attempting to get toward the Canadian side to get out of the way of the laker, they are just past the Bluewater bridge and winds in that area get swirly, out on the lake on Sunday that would have been a close hulled tack. The channel markers are apparent later in the video, the laker could have easily held its course and stayed on the US side of the channel which runs right up to the US shore. When the video pans out you can see how much bend is in the river at that point and it appears the freighter was clearly in the upbound lane of the channel which makes we wonder if there was a down bound laker no shown coming in from the lake and the Cuyahga was moving to the starboard to allow clearance.

 

[Marmalade]

Thanks for the additional info... I'm fairly familiar with the area, but I'll admit it's hard to tell exactly the exact headings based on the video.

I guess I can buy they were trying to clear the laker by heading East... I just don't know why you would head that way if you're racing to the Black River.

We used to come to PHYC for the Labor Day Leukemia Cup and Friendship races... and still was there for Mac this year... was always told hug the Sarnia Casino on the way North, Thomas Edison Inn on the way South... I can't imagine bailing towards Canada to miss a freighter... plenty of room on the waterfront in front of the hotel/river walk, isn't there?

Anyway, thanks for the scoop! Glad everyone is safe.

 

[DayDreamer41]

@DayDreamer41 - trying to understand your post... Intrepid is up-river from the Black River... if racing back to PHYC, there would be no reason for pointing at the Canadian shore at the beginning of the video, would there?

Not trying to argue, just trying to understand. They showed turning west/south they were able to move quiet quickly... which would have then been towards the Black River.

I do agree the camera zoom and angle make it hard to tell completely, I just can't see how they were going anyway but towards Lake Huron based on the beginning of the video.

Are you local to PHYC, any chance to get the full story?

I was on the race committee at the start of this race in Lexington and I know that Intrepid crossed the start line and based on how the freighters turn at that point in the river it appears to me they were trying to navigate out of the channel by heading East (the markers closest to them). Downstream of the bridge with winds are difficult for about a 1/4 mile, what you had on the lake is not what you get just down stream of the bridge, especially when the winds come from the NE.
These apparent close calls happen often in the area, myself I have never challenged a laker. There is a comment below the video by someone who was on Intrepid stating they had trouble getting the engine started, which makes alot of sense based on the proximities.
Will have to talk to the captain next time I am at the club to see what really happened

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

You need to have your head on a swivel for like the "laker" there is a BC Ferry at every turn heading for Stu.

There is a smaller ferry which goes between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove, Bowen Island, about a 20 min. crossing.

I swear, every time I cross its route it comes charging out of either Snug or Horseshoe bay like a miniature bull dog:

I've been doing this for 20+ years and it requires evasive action every time. I think they've got me labelled on AIS. The first captain to hit me wins a kewpy doll.

 

[BlowMeAway]

If you look closely at the port bow of the Cuyahoga, just above red line, you will see twelve (12) of these decals:

View attachment 197649

LMAO, That’s funnier than the latest funny Friday contributions.

 

[jon hansen]

spent the season of 81' on that ship. if you look at the sailboat, forget the way it is pointing, it is moving over the ground from left to right. the ship turned hard to go under the sailboat, away from it's movement. good job by the captain. the sailboat would have seen that ship coming for a good deal of time.
and yes, sailing around huge bridges is dangerous. flucky winds.

 

[jon hansen]

so who has the right of way?

 

[dlochner]

so who has the right of way?

No one. One boat is the stand on vessel and one is the burdened vessel.

And then there is the gross tonnage rule.

 

[Tally Ho]

Maybe the yacht club should end the race on the lake instead of a busy shipping channel.

The crew of the Catalina are lucky to be alive I think.

It looked like strong current was against them, and it looked like they were sailing up wind at first (hence not making any way as they tried to pass in front of the freighter.

Very scary looking for sure.

Greg

 

[DArcy]

so who has the right of way?

The big guy. Any argument in the moment would not end well for the little guy.

Having a sailing race in that river is insane at best.

I had a front row seat to a similar situation that did not end nearly as well on Sydney Harbour. A sailboat tried to cut in front of the Manly ferry but the ferry blocked the wind from the sailboat which stopped it right in front of the ferry. The ferry tried to stop but hit the sailboat and the sailboat sank in seconds. The people managed to jump clear a few seconds before impact and survived. The sailboat was in a race and must have either completely misjudged the crossing speed or just thought they were stand on since they were under sail. The problem is the ferries in Sydney harbour are always the stand on vessel and fly the shapes to support that. I learned a lesson that day, stay well clear of anyone that big regardless of how right you think you are.

 

[kappykaplan]

stay well clear of anyone that big regardless of how right you think you are

 

[DayDreamer41]

@Tally Ho the river is a mile wide with most of that width being able to support navigation for lakers, timing the crossing when tacking across the river is essential as is awareness of traffic, lakers are not the only vessels to be wary of, there are a multitude of stinkers moving at high speed as well and you have to assume that none of them understand the rules of right a way.
I am certain that the captain of Intrepid discovering his engine would not start puckered up a bunch, I certainly would not want to be sitting in the path of a laker bearing down on me, in fact a couple of weeks ago we had a river race where we were pinned on the Canadian side as there were (2) lakers inbound and (1) upbound leaving us no passage across, we could only go up river (strong South wind) until they all passed. There is plenty of room one just has to be cautious.
A statement from an individual who was on the Intrepid
"I was on that boat the Freighter was heading toward the American side, so we were heading to the Canadian side. He turned at the last min right at us. The wind was clocking around and we couldn’t get the motor started!"

 

[Tally Ho]

@Tally Ho the river is a mile wide with most of that width being able to support navigation for lakers, timing the crossing when tacking across the river is essential as is awareness of traffic, lakers are not the only vessels to be wary of, there are a multitude of stinkers moving at high speed as well and you have to assume that none of them understand the rules of right a way.
I am certain that the captain of Intrepid discovering his engine would not start puckered up a bunch, I certainly would not want to be sitting in the path of a laker bearing down on me, in fact a couple of weeks ago we had a river race where we were pinned on the Canadian side as there were (2) lakers inbound and (1) upbound leaving us no passage across, we could only go up river (strong South wind) until they all passed. There is plenty of room one just has to be cautious.
A statement from an individual who was on the Intrepid
"I was on that boat the Freighter was heading toward the American side, so we were heading to the Canadian side. He turned at the last min right at us. The wind was clocking around and we couldn’t get the motor started!"

Glad I sail on the very south end of Lake Michigan…really wide and lots of room…and not much traffic.

Greg

 

[JohnShannon]

LMAO, That’s funnier than the latest funny Friday contributions.

Made me look

 

[DayDreamer41]

@Tally Ho Yep been there done that to, the South end of Huron is nice, especially when the Canadian side opens up again, but I do like all those fine places to stop on the West coast of Michigan that is for certain.

 

[Tally Ho]

@Tally Ho Yep been there done that to, the South end of Huron is nice, especially when the Canadian side opens up again, but I do like all those fine places to stop on the West coast of Michigan that is for certain.

You seem to know the area very well….if I had a boat in LaSalle, MI and wanted to her to Lake Michigan, how much current is on the St Clair River, though the Lake and out to Lake Huron?

Any locks or anything on the St Claire?

Greg

 

[DayDreamer41]

You seem to know the area very well….if I had a boat in LaSalle, MI and wanted to her to Lake Michigan, how much current is on the St Clair River, though the Lake and out to Lake Huron?

Any locks or anything on the St Claire?

Greg

The average current on the Detroit and St Clair rivers is between 4-5 kts with the area under the Ambassador and Blue Water bridges between 5-6 kts. I have done (2) boat deliveries from the Lake Huron region down to Toledo Beach and the wife and I went down that way last year for a weeks tour, but cut it short as all the islands in Lake Erie had severe Covid warning, so we decided to head back home after a couple of nights at Toledo beach. The area on the Detroit River at downtown Detroit is worth seeing from the water.
The Livingston Channel at the head of Lake Erie is quite amazing, its a man made channel that all the down bound freighter travel through, the channel was carved in the rock and walls are straight down, just seems odd traveling so close to shore, but don't make that passage on a weekend day, the power yachts are absolutely beligerent!!!
Last year the wife and I motor sailed back from Toledo beach to Port Huron which took about 17 hrs, we had a fantastic South wind all day which was almost perfect for our destination, talk about freighters running dark and silent we had one sneak up on us about 2 AM, he put his spot light on us from about 1/2 ml back, sure woke me up in a hurry (not that I was asleep).
The passage from your location to the far end of Lake Erie is free of locks, so no worries there.

 

[Tally Ho]

The average current on the Detroit and St Clair rivers is between 4-5 kts with the area under the Ambassador and Blue Water bridges between 5-6 kts. I have done (2) boat deliveries from the Lake Huron region down to Toledo Beach and the wife and I went down that way last year for a weeks tour, but cut it short as all the islands in Lake Erie had severe Covid warning, so we decided to head back home after a couple of nights at Toledo beach. The area on the Detroit River at downtown Detroit is worth seeing from the water.
The Livingston Channel at the head of Lake Erie is quite amazing, its a man made channel that all the down bound freighter travel through, the channel was carved in the rock and walls are straight down, just seems odd traveling so close to shore, but don't make that passage on a weekend day, the power yachts are absolutely beligerent!!!
Last year the wife and I motor sailed back from Toledo beach to Port Huron which took about 17 hrs, we had a fantastic South wind all day which was almost perfect for our destination, talk about freighters running dark and silent we had one sneak up on us about 2 AM, he put his spot light on us from about 1/2 ml back, sure woke me up in a hurry (not that I was asleep).
The passage from your location to the far end of Lake Erie is free of locks, so no worries there.

Good review…thanks.

Saw a boat I like on YachtWorld…in LaSalle…dreaming about the trip that would be to deliver it to Chicago area by water!

Greg

 

[DayDreamer41]

Good review…thanks.

Saw a boat I like on YachtWorld…in LaSalle…dreaming about the trip that would be to deliver it to Chicago area by water!

Greg

Its a very nice trip, take your time and stop and smell the roses as they say, especially if the Canadian side ever opens up fully

 

[capta]

"Stupid is as stupid does."