I don't generally do two tanker posts in a row but when I heard the 426'
ALGOCANADA was transiting through Iroquois Lock yesterday afternoon, well I just had to drop my yard work tools and be there to salute her through. The
ALGOCANADA is no ordinary tanker, she's a hero, or rather, a
heroine in boat terms. When you're snapping shots with a daytime high yesterday of 29C (or 84F), you are not really giving much thought about the past winter, the
WORST ONE IN 35 YEARS!! Every lake and river west of the Niagara was jammed with
ICE and according to the US Coast Guard, this winter's
ICE season will be one for the record books, producing the thickest and most expansive
ICE coverage the Great Lakes has experienced since 1979. What's almost as remarkable is that apparently the Great Lakes region has 5 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and
ICE, while up here in Ottawa we only have 2 seasons: Winter and
Construction!!
Meanwhile, when Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was running low on fuel oil last winter, who came to the rescue?
What is the ALGOCANADA,
Alex? Correct Answer! Too bad it wasn't a Daily Double, eh. c);-b
Yup, while escorted by
USCGC KATMAI BAY, it took eight days for the
ALGOCANADA to transit the ice clogged St. Mary's River, a journey that in normal conditions would have been completed in about 12 hours. Twice the escort had to be stopped to allow the
KATMAI BAY (
http://carlzboats.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ice-breaking-tug-uscgc-katmai-bay-wtgb_6.html), to return to her homeport in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to refuel. Way to
al-GO CANADA!! (Sorry) And Thank You
USCGC KATMAI BAY!! The much needed cargo could not have arrived without your assistance.
But just as this past winter was very long and
COLD, COLD, COLD, yesterday was unseasonably
HOT, HOT, HOT especially for poor TannerDog who would rather
PLAY, PLAY, PLAY fetch :>b. Instead like the good boat dog he is, he patiently sat in the shade while the Turkish built
ALGOCANADA gingerly inched her way along the lock. Launched in 2008, the Algoma Tankers of St. Catharines, Ontario, owned
ALGOCANADA was fully loaded and bound for Halifax. Okay Tanner,
let's play ball!! And....
al-GO CANADA, GO!! Sorry, It couldn't be helped. Again, Sorry. c);-b
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