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Thunder on the Mohawk

06/23/2007 — General Maritime

  

We can now wrap up this very entertaining as well as interesting "Travals with tug Restless" Capt ROLAND Schultz. I would like to take this oppertonity to thank Capt Roland for these articales over the cold winter months. We have had a lot of comments about his jurnals, Roland has a flare for keeping us entertained, as well as informed on some of the diffeculties in doing the Loop. The pictures where great and made you want to be there. We are hoping to meet with capt Schultz at one of our events this summer, and hear more stories of his trip.

Below is the last entery of Travals with Tug Restless titled "THUNDER ON  THE MOHAWK".

Thanks for your continued interest.

Capt Bob tugfest.net

 

From Capt Schultz's Jurnals.

 

Exiting Lock #45 at Port Severn, brings an end to the Trent Severn Waterway, and immediately presents you with a, “Bass Ackwards,” arrangement of buoys,

whose colors have changed sides of the channel yet again, to defy the reasoning of even Nathan Bowitich. As a result of strong currents here, the initial half dozen buoys duck and weave, as if being targets in an arcade. Further down stream, those standing watch, appear to be underway, leaning with the current, and trailing a wake astern, nearly sufficient to violate speed regulations.

There is a pronounced good feeling, of being back upon the Sweet Water Sea, at this point. One can now identify with the likes of such greats as: “Champlain, LaSalle, Marquette, and the Lake Carrier’s Association!” (no disrespect intended) Backwater shallows, such as Mobile Bay, Florida’s Intracoastal, and rivers having uncharted buoys as a result of constant shoaling are a thing of the past.

Before officially being able to claim status upon Georgian Bay however, a number of irregular, zigzag channels need to be put astern. Buoys ahead are spaced irregularly; close to distant, directly opposite to staggered, and in some cases; singularly.

At the Northwest end of Green Island, the channel does a hard 90-degree turn to port, at buoy C-31 for alignment to a short narrow channel but 200 yards in length. It appears as a man made cut, whose spoil has been dumped on either side to form two small islands. Its transit offers no options, but to be centered, and pointed towards the opposite end.

Entering this ditch, I am already certain of the outcome that is about follow. Glancing down at the depth indicator, the bottom begins it’s shelving of: 3.4’, 2.1’, 1.6’, 0.9’, 0.5’, and lastly a symbol of …[- -], which essentially is its method of telling me - “Standby, You’ll be FEELING something directly!”

With my forward speed being less than that of a walk, and the bottom having been officially located by: “Ops Testing,” I punched thru it on momentum alone, to open a deep-water passage for the next boat. The guaranteed five-foot deep channel, having expired only two miles astern at the Severn lock.


Having spent the night at Penetanguishene, I’m under way at daybreak May 23rd, for the long haul up Georgian Bay to Killarney. Like driving into your backyard after an extended absence, I feel I’m home.

Abeam Perry Sound, near noon, my circumnavigation was now complete, having left from here in late August. I would now reflect upon a conversation that I had with a stranger, last October.

Some three or four days south of Chicago during the infancy of my cruise, I was securing for the evening at a marina on the Illinois River. A gentleman standing on the dock looking at my boat, observed the hailing port on the transom, and asked: “Is that the same McGregor Bay, as the one up in the North Channel?”

“ Yes,” I replied. “I have an Island up there.”

“Doing the Loop?” he further inquired.

“Yes, I am.”

“In that case, you’ve already seen the best part of the Loop!” he stated.

Seven months, one hundred and seven locks, and approximately six thousand miles later, I came to realize that he was indeed correct.

It was now time for refit, and to put things ship shape in preparation for the, “Great Tug Boat Race,” at the Soo.

 

Capt Bob |12:32 EST |Comments (0)

 

 

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