Behind-the-scenes on Canada's biggest Great Lakes passenger ship

[@debestcanadian]

She's an icon for Manitoulin and the Bruce Peninsula. Ridden on her many times but never have had the opportunity to see all these forbidden areas. Thank you.

[@timhowell4701]

I worked on her back in 76 in the engine room, it had different main engines (only 2) and generators then, Kerry and I grew up together, good job with the tour.

[@happilyham6769]

I have lived one block away from the Chi-Cheemaun for half her life. When she's in port I see her almost every day.

[@DavidBrown-ye5xv]

Every summer when the bow door closed it sounded like vacation.

[@MrRunner]

Well fine and dandy. It's big and Canadian. I've travelled on this several times for motorcycle touring in N.Ontario. Honestly, every time I turned up, I get the impression the staff were doing me a favour. 1hr wait, pulled over to sign a waiver, perfunctory hand waving to put us in the hold, tether ropes that have seen better days (saw one crew throw a rope in front of a biker and walk off) I use my own starps now, only three sailings a day, they actually charge for parking ! I could go on. The last time coming back we went via Sudbury.

[@JohnnyFive-rn3xk]

So many trips during the 80's.

[@iancanuckistan2244]

That was a great tour. Nothing held back.

[@baloneybrain55]

G'chi jiimaan is the wording that was simplified to chi-cheemaun.

[@fv1291]

Very interesting. Hello from California!

[@mileswalton2485]

Hello Warren. You may find this an odd reaction to your video, but it nearly brought me to tears. You see, my father, Michael Walton, was the chief engineer onboard the Chi-Cheemaun for about 12 years. I suspect Kerry would have known him well. I only ever made one trip on the ship and that was for my father’s “retirement”. After leaving Chi-Cheemaun he would go on to sail on the Jiimaan and work for the Coast Guard spending 6 months a year on the Mackenzie river. He finally did retire at the age of 80. We lost him in June of 2021 but his legacy lives on in the ships that are still plying the waters thanks to his incredible skills and technical expertise. Thank you for this wonderful video. Keep up the great work you’re doing.

[@WarrenTheReporter]

What a touching comment, thank you Miles! I'm very happy you got to relive some memories through this video. Your father sounds like he was quite the man, another one of the many incredible figures in Great Lakes maritime history. Thank you for sharing your story and for watching!

[@mastermariner1991]

After fifty years, it is still a useful ship. Thanks for the tour Kerry, parts of the ship I have never seen.

[@flynorthproductions]

That was a great tour, so cool to see the inner workings. Really liked seeing the crew quarters, I didn't realize crew stayed on board. Fascinating insight, Warren. Well done! 👍👍

[@cindywheeler6771]

Rode on her back in 1986. Glad to see she is still going strong.

[@bobstuart2638]

In '76, I rode her on my first bike tour. After the first crossing she returned to Tobermory and stove in her bow doors. They were welded closed at Collingwood just in time for my vacation not to be extended. The return passage was even rougher, but from the safe-harbour direction. I stood as far back and up as I could, and still got spray. I went to the bow on the car deck to get a snack, and the cars were rising and falling many inches. Another 10% and we could have had some serious shifting, I estimated. The ferry to Newfoundland does not leave harbour until all the cars are chained down.

[@VE3AOR]

very cool thank you for sharing

[@georgehaeh4856]

Her predecessor is? was a museum ship in Sault Ste Marie. The tour was interesting and we did a crossing on her. The Chi Chemaun is a Major upgrade. Then there's the BC ferries where they load two lanes on two decks simultaneously.

[@etmccaus]

Always happy to see a new Video from Warren - and on one of my favorite topics, no less? Awesome. Hope to ride Chi-Cheemaun one of these days...

[@capreol48]

Drove by the Chi-cheemaun many times as it was being built at the Collingwood Shipyards. I wasn’t aware a second vessel had been started.

[@kbjerke]

Hard to believe she's that old. I was on one of her early voyages to Manitoulin. Wow. I recall the wooden crate she replaced!

[@brustar5152]

Oh boy, does that resonate with me! I remember that old girl also with it's side loading doors. used to take a long time to load the few vehicles it could carry. Made that crossing many times to Manitoulin on my old Triumph Bonneville.

[@rbesfe]

This is absolutely amazing, I love learning about the inner workings of everyday workhorses. Manitoulin is on my list of places to visit so now I know how I'm getting there! Another great video Warren

[@WarrenTheReporter]

Thank you! I'm the same way, the whole reason I got into journalism was to have a legitimate excuse to ask for behind-the-scenes access to places, and through this channel I'm finally getting to do it more!

[@trtrvdcv]

Love how you said there is hardly any oil left after it filters from the bilge pump and its so clean it can be pumped right back into the lake. I'd like to think that no oil at all would be the standard for pumping bilge water back into a lake

[@WarrenTheReporter]

Valid point! That was the way I wrote it in the script so it didn't get too bogged down and technical. I've just reviewed my interview files, and Kerry told me the ship's oil-water separator system gets it down to at least 5 parts per million. That's the legal limit for ships in Canada's inland waters, per federal law. In the ocean, ships are allowed to discharge wastewater up to 15 parts per million, so three times higher. Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@SailorGerry]

The standard allowed for pumping treated oily water going back in the lake is 1 ppm - yes, an amazing 1 part per million.

[@brustar5152]

@@SailorGerry And still far better than hundreds of the old 2 stoke outboard motors still running around on our various lakes and rivers. Following one of those in heavy fog is super easy, just keep your eyes on the green & blue sheen floating on the surface.

[@bobbates7343]

Building the second ferry which was an exact copy of the first one then leaving it to sit and not be looked after until finally years ago it was taken away as scrap. That is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard of a government doing

[@brentbell9543]

That is SOP for government

[@shaner8090]

There was never a second ferry built, the Chi-Cheemaun was the only of her "class" built.

[@thebigmacd]

​​​​​@@shaner8090the MS Nindawayma was her sister ship, built in 1974 and sailed the same route from 1989 to 1992. So yes, there were two ferries of the same class built, they just had different career tracks. Nindamaywa went through many names. Simple Google search has the entire history and photos showing they are the sane class.

[@shaner8090]

@thebigmacd the Nidawayma was in no way her sistership. The Nindawayma was built in Spain, and had 3 sister ships of her own. In order to be a sistership (as per definition) she'd have to be built off of same or similar plans of the Chi-Cheemaun. Which she wasn't. This can be clearly displayed in size and capacity. The Nidawayma was of the following dimensions 333'x56'16' and a passenger capacity of 800. While the Chi-Cheemaun measured 364'x64'x13' and a passenger capacity of ~650. Since the vessels aren't even the same size, that's evidence enough that the ships aren't sister. As the shipyard at the time (Collingwood) would have rights over the plans to this ship (since they built it), it would make no sense for them to give the copies to a shipyard in Spain to build four more ships, when they could have built it themselves. In short, as they were fleet mates, and similar ships, they were in no way sisterships! I hope this clears up some confusion!

[@brustar5152]

"One of" is correct but definitely not the stupidest. I offer: Full refit of HMCS Bonaventure costing millions only to sell it for scrap the same year. Cancellation of the Avro Arrow after developing cutting edge fly by wire tech and low aspect wings to allow Mach two and some flight with minimum buffeting. Then of course the latest nonsense of various software contracts costing millions and ending up being useless - Arrive Can anyone?

[@kbjerke]

I didn't know that she was used in the off seasons!! Thanks, Warren!

[@WarrenTheReporter]

Only for upgrades and maintenance for the summer months, but there's certainly people aboard working hard during the winters!

[@kbjerke]

@@WarrenTheReporter Ah. No winter cruises? LOL Thanks for clearing that up. She is a lovely od ship, for sure!

[@kevincgrabb]

Ehhhh, I'm coming back to Ontario for vacation from South Korea with my new Korean family. We're gonna take the boat to my parent's house on the island next month! This is so cool, thanks.

[@johnnyeppelseed]

Filmed in Snowin’ Sound!! ❤️

[@WarrenTheReporter]

Just before visiting your folks!

[@scruffscruffeton986]

Elephant's butt.

[@colinmorgan7771]

Hope she comes back to Barrie

[@trtrvdcv]

I hooked into a massive salmon when this boat was docked in Owensound and she ran for this ship and when it went underneath it caught something and my line snapped. I did get a good look at it before it took off and Likely a trophy sized salmon for Georgian Bay.

[@dw-bn5ex]

Not sure she's the biggest passenger ship on the lakes anymore. Always enjoy the crossing a fine ship.

[@Hudson-1947]

Cars are getting too big? They are half the size of cars in the 70's.

[@dbailey62]

Crossovers? SUV's?

[@brustar5152]

Tall is the operative word you're looking for. Both beneath that mezzanine and to the deckhead above it. Banking on enough Honda Civics to line up beneath it and then drop it down to load more Honda Civics up the ramp to the Mezzanine just isn't going to cut it anymore. Perhaps when everyone is driving Teslas or some such they'll bring that design feature back in a newer boat.

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

🫡

[@flynorthproductions]

That was a great tour, so cool to see the inner workings. Really liked seeing the crew quarters, I didn't realize crew stayed on board. Fascinating insight, Warren. Well done! 👍👍

[@WarrenTheReporter]

Thank you Daryl! I was quite amazed to learn that people lived and worked on board.