Hon. James L. Oberstar - Demonstrating Why Lake Boats (Usually) Don't Need Tugs

[@BL-jt3qt]

The invention of Thrusters certainly changed how ships could manuever. Your vantage points for this video were excellent at catching the undocking. Thanks for your time and efforts. 👍

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you! There aren’t many docks that offer the public this vantage point. 🙂

[@aldo5428]

Good looking boat, powerful and purposeful yet elegant you’ve captured her to a”T”, those last three shots of her departing past the lighthouse, awesome, just love Great Lakes shipping 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧…

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you! 🙂

[@cris_261]

Thanks for including the radio chatter concerning the Oberstar's departure from Graymont Dock. And the side views of the Oberstar recalled your video of Michipicotin's "full speed ahead" departure. Here's hoping Michipicotin will be repaired and returned to service. 🙏

[@1Long2Short]

I’m also hoping that the Michipicoten is repaired and returns to service. She will likely be making the trip from Thunder Bay to Superior soon, possibly even in the next day or two. They are likely just waiting for calm lake conditions along the route.

[@lxndr3299]

You tell such good stories with your videos. Thanks.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! I appreciate you saying that. 🙂

[@user-AZ-phil]

I don't care where you see them. In port, on the lakes, in a lock. Lakers are so graceful. Thanks for this fascinating video of the Hon James L Oberstar getting underway and departing the Duluth Superior harbor.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks for watching!

[@ellenhalpern1882]

Fascinating, I didn't know a thing about thrusters. I appreciate the info you give. Great video

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Ellen! 🙂

[@ashleycarlson8229]

i love the oberstar!😊

[@runeshadow]

Smooth sailing 🙂

[@samuelcollins1331]

Fabulous up close video of the debarkation of an Old Schooler! I am familiar with the thrusters used on Cruise Ships. They can spin a ship around 180* in their own length!! They can also be used to hold the ship hard against the dock while the various lines are made fast to the bollards in case of opposing winds.

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you Samuel!

[@Paws4thot]

Good to see a vessel that can and does turn in a canting basin without the use of several tugs and springer lines.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

It looks like the thrusters were in the dock ! I came to the description to find out if that was the case but they are in the boat it seems.

[@darrengladstone3159]

I motored my 38' sailboat past a ship like this in St Joe. To drop their lines they engaged bow thruster towards the pier. That wash threw my 17,000 lb boat sideways like a bath toy. And I was probably 50' away at the start.

[@gregmctevia5087]

That was amazing. The head on view of the departure was great. Thrusters move a lot of water. We see them at work often as we are avid ocean cruisers. They can make a 10 story, 1,000 foot cruise ship handle like a Honda Civic.

[@1Long2Short]

Good to know, as I drive a Civic! 😁

[@gregmctevia5087]

@@1Long2Short So do I. 😁👍

[@danielmorris3687]

I don't think I've seen such a good video of the crew throwing off the lines and pulling up the ladder before this. And from 2:05 on seeing both the bow thruster and the prop working in unison as she pushes away from the dock is a damn good piece of business. 👍 edit: i forgot Obie had a stern thruster also. Thats what we're seeing at the rear when she's leaving the dock

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! I wish I could capture more videos showing this kind of thing, but it usually happens where the public can’t see it. Glad I could bring this footage for people to see. 🙂

[@johnkingery403]

Love the old school lakers. Don't think there are many left.

[@1Long2Short]

About a dozen currently in service!

[@jeff9104]

Nice catch, I don't know anything about these "Lakers" other than what you put in the description (thank-you) but do they all have front and rear thrusters ?

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! Most have bow thrusters, but it’s more common to have both bow and stern thrusters on the lake boats.

[@GaiaPrime1643]

I tried to sail with interlake, I lasted only 4 days before my body nearly gave out and it made me realize I was a safety hazard. Those bow thrusters are EXTREMELY loud and make a TON of vibration. On my last day, we pulled into dearborn, Mi, the massive diesel engine that powers the bow thrusters woke me up and that was my 3am for 330am call, lol. My room was on the port side, specifically the 2 portholes just above the word "JAMES" was part of my room. Super humid and cold in there, the heater never worked, too. It was nice while it lasted but I need to work out more if I really wanna double down on being a sailor. Food is amazing.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks for sharing that! I always suspected that sleeping might be a challenge on some of those boats. 🥱

[@GaiaPrime1643]

​@1Long2Short In calm conditions, you can barely tell that you're moving! 16 mph feels like sitting at a stoplight. If you sit very still, even the tiniest waves have an impact on the ship, it causes a tiny bit of a shake. The water breaking around the bow sounds exactly like someone using a pressure washer in a room nearby.

[@markdavert3063]

You should have filed a complaint about the heater not working. And tell the Union Stewart.

[@markdavert3063]

You should have filed a complaint about the heater not working and tell your Union steward.

[@jeffrosen8237]

Thats pretty cool! One question I have is that when they are under way do they have a way of blocking those thrusters so as to eliminate drag?

[@1Long2Short]

To my knowledge, no. At least not the ones I’ve seen. They usually have a screen to prevent the thruster from ingesting any objects. 🙂

[@jeffrosen8237]

@@1Long2Short thank you. Just something I have thought about.

[@markofbrick]

I see them all the time in Marquette at the ore docks loading up! You'd know better than I would - is there decent footage out there already of them at Marquette?

[@1Long2Short]

I haven’t seen a lot of footage from Marquette. I hope to get over there someday to see it for myself. I’ll post whatever footage I can get! 🙂

[@DarkRumAgain]

I wonder if the engineering staff have their accommodations at the stern?

[@1Long2Short]

On the classic lakers with both forward and aft accommodations, engine room crew and cooks tend to stay in the stern. Officers and deckhands tend to stay in the bow. Of course, this isn’t set in stone so there may be exceptions. 🙂

[@HowardHolmes-nq9mx]

Where was this taken?

[@1Long2Short]

Details provided in the video description.

[@Multheman02]

Helps when theres little to no wind and little to no current.

[@1Long2Short]

It’s somewhat rare when the wind and the current necessitate tug assistance in the Twin Ports. I remember one such day last year. But as my video title stated, they usually don’t need the assistance.

[@markcardwell]

Cool, thank you

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks for watching!

[@holgerlafrenz2895]

I thought commercial vessels are required to sound their horn as they leave the dock.

[@1Long2Short]

I think that requirement no longer applies. The ships now make security calls on the radio informing other traffic when they are departing… like what you hear in this video.

[@rottenroads1982]

The Hon. James L. Oberstar: “Oh Please, I am not just the James L. Oberstar, I am the Honorable James L. Oberstar. You have to say the full thing.”

[@1Long2Short]

Then there’s the “Right Honorable Paul J. Martin.” 😄

[@gregmctevia5087]

@@1Long2ShortThen there’s the right honorable 1Long, 2Short, Esquire.🤭🤭🤭

[@treeandaturd]

couldn’t see any body on the bridge, perhaps she’s driverless.