Post by ferryfast admin on Nov 7, 2007 19:45:36 GMT -5
Winds halt ships
Low water levels stop freighters in their tracks
By MOLLY MONTAG
Times Herald
Captains of several freighters were expected to have their ships on the move today after being forced to drop anchor Monday when high winds caused low water in southern Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.
The Canadian Coast Guard in Sarnia reported six freighters were anchored near buoys 11 and 12, about 10 miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. The freighters were: St. Clair, Roger Blough, American Fortitude, Canadian Navigator, Edward L. Ryerson and the CSL Laurentien.
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Another freighter, the Buffalo, was anchored at Recourse Point near Algonac. Rich Pollman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oakland County's White Lake Township, said strong south and southwest winds that reached between 30 and 35 miles per hour Monday pushed water from southern Lake Huron to the north, causing the water level to drop near Port Huron and rise in other parts of the lake. The St. Clair River water level was affected by the same wind, causing it to have a low water level that stranded the freighters.
Pollman said the water level offshore of Fort Gratiot dropped as much as 24 inches below normal Monday. By noon Tuesday, the level had risen to about 4 inches below normal.
The normal lake level, which is called zero datum, offshore of Fort Gratiot is 577.2 feet. The National Weather Service does not collect water-level data for the St. Clair River, Pollman said.
While the wind was not expected to die down Tuesday night, Pollman expected a shift in direction, causing the lake and river levels to return to normal.
While water levels changing with wind patterns is a common phenomenon, Pollman said it has not always affected the shipping industry. In the 1980s, Pollman said high
1980s, Pollman said high winds could cause coastal flooding.
"The issue of course is that the Great Lakes are at low levels historically, so when the wind pushes away the water we get into these low water situations where we have issues with the ships," he said.
Al Davies, director of operations for Seaway Marine Transport in St. Catherines, Ontario, said low water levels in the Great Lakes due to high winds are a common problem in November. The company owns 34 ships, including the Canadian Navigator.
Davies estimated between eight and 10 of his ships were anchored throughout the Great Lakes on Tuesday because of low water levels caused by high winds. Ships carrying cargo require deeper water than those on which the freight has been delivered, making conditions such as these risky for travel.
"It's a little too close to the bottom for us to transit," he said.
Contact Molly Montag at (810) 989-6275 or mmontag@gannett.com.