Oberstar Risks a Dramatic Departure Into the Gales

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Before commenting: Please read the description, as it fully explains the context of the situation and this video’s intention: to honor the sailors and this beautiful vessel. I realize up to this point this has been a subject of debate, this is mostly due to the fact that when I made the video I was anticipating maybe a hundred or so views (lol), mostly from people who know exactly what I meant, so a broader context seemed unnecessary. Now that I’ve had a bit more practice with a larger audience (and since it’s still an ongoing topic of conversation) I decided to revisit this video and clarify, which I hope helps! In the meantime thank you all for watching and your support, I’ve been absolutely blown away by everyone here. Yes even some of the criticism, as it’s helped me out in the long run. At the time of writing, this video has over 460,000 views, which for context is over 5 times the population of the city of Duluth, and larger than the population of any single city in the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis included. That is astonishing and I thank you all, never, EVER expected that, this was just a hobby video I threw together for a few family members and friends lol. I hope you enjoyed!

[@sophiasbear69]

nice video ive lived in las vegas for 26 years now.born and raised in chicago,wisconsin,minnesotta i miss the lakes alot, looks like the vessel may have done this a few times in far worse conditions.... in the 50s 60s and pre fitz disaster,when competition was fierce and encouraged if only for bravado.

[@thomasmint1761]

Yes, and I commend you further. The 6:50 duration is longer than the attention span that the Big 10 can gain with one of their football or basketball games

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@thomasmint1761 thank you!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@sophiasbear69yeah she’s one of the old timers, same era as Fitzgerald

[@judysmith271]

Great video! I love ships and watch tugs, barges and freighters, ferries every chance we get on the west coast. Where is this? Yes I read the description, and I see the word lake in the comments but it's still a puzzle. Who, what, when, where, why and how -- the 5 Ws and an H -- the essentials of any good story. Appreciate the video!

[@sweynforkbeardtraindude]

NOTHING like a classic laker! Especially when she is beating back Mother Nature! Brings back some great memories. Thanks.

[@mtnshelby7059]

Wow, what a great video. These mighty ships are so captivating. Thank you.

[@tmayer0009]

Such a beautiful ship, I love the forward pilot house classics! The workers are getting her prepared for a nasty trip. Love the video, so awesome to watch her going out into the storm!

[@tenfodaddy4351]

Amazing to use the anchor wells as a reference against the opposite sea wall and noticing the Oberstar doesn't ride up or down noticeably whatsoever! The ship fully laden is a beast!!!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Since it’s a talking point and some are very much misunderstanding the purpose of this video… the purpose is to show respect to the ship’s crew and their skill, not to imply danger. Fun and dramatic does not equal dangerous. That was never intended to be implied anywhere in this video, aside from one possible risk (canal depth, explanation in another comment) Nor am I saying anywhere that this is the worst storm we see here (Far from) or any hidden interpretations that border on absurd (lol). This isn’t that sort of video. I understand the reason behind this thinking, trust me I’ve watched and rolled my eyes at KZbin hyperbole as well, and you sort of learn to expect it. What this is, is a fairly impressive (at least for me) display of nature and a historic ship and her crew going head to head and I very much enjoyed filming and seeing this! Nothing more nothing less. I hope everyone enjoys!

[@johnsoper5675]

I was on an oil tanker about 45 years ago. We hit big storm on Superior. I loved watching it climb the waves and dive into the next one. The lake in this video was calm compared to what the storm that was in. A lake freighter is not built to handle a massive storm. I would hope and pray that all lakers would have the sense to seek shelter and wait out the storm.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@johnsoper5675 they’re built for a different kind of storm, but yeah since the Fitzgerald incident they’ve been extremely cautious

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@johnsoper5675 I’m guessing on the east end, somewhere out towards the middle of the lake between Marquette and Whitefish Bay? That’s usually the area that gets it the worst, the area where the wind has the most room over the water to really get it moving, they call it the shipwreck shore.

[@hajemitobek2845]

❤

[@tomaiger]

change the title of the vid and all ok...

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Another wind noise warning for this… just because there was almost nothing I could do about it lol. It was strong enough to literally knock the wind out of you at times (especially on the bridge), was actually a bit hard to breathe when facing directly into it! All things considered I’m very pleased that anything else can be heard at all lol.

[@freedomforever6718]

The wind noise added to the actual drama of the day giving us a sense of the ship's crew earning their keep in that storm. Great video. Thanks.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@freedomforever6718 lol I personally agree, without it you loose a lot of the sense of how it felt to be there and just how powerful it was. But a previous video from a different storm had many complaints even though “gale” was in the title so figured I’d give a more direct heads up lol

[@daffyduck9901]

That's not a gale that's just a breezy day 😂 Buttercup

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@daffyduck9901 Gale Warnings have a very specific definition, from 39mph to 54mph. Wind at the time was 40-45mph continuous with gusts over 50. Very much a gale lol, about as solid in that range as you can get. Any stronger and it wouldn’t be a gale, it would be a severe storm warning. The term “Gale” is occasionally just used in culture to loosely cover the entire spectrum of storms, mostly because of pop culture and stories, the Edmund Fitzgerald song for example, it sounds more dramatic, but it has that very specific meaning in the real world.

[@sgtooby]

I was underage at 15 years old when a friend of my parents got me in the International Seafarers Union in Montreal, I spent a few seasons up and down the seaway on a few of these ships as a deck hand, taught me a lot, straight whiskey for one dangerous work another... Imagine those swells in November with all surfaces covered in ice! I don't notice anything different 50 years later, good paint job on this one,,, one of the deckhand jobs they would dangle us over the side to chip the rust and paint while under full steam, more fun than dangerous that one, breaking the blocks of ore from the conveyor belts while dangling in the hole was a little more. Oh to be 15 again!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Very cool! Always considered working on a laker but I have depressive episodes every now and then, probably wouldn’t be a great situation on a ship lol. Which vessel? Guessing one that’s not around anymore since the Canadian fleet is shorter lived due to more salt cargos.

[@andreasgroeller1083]

Wow. A fantastic Video. Thank you so much Jonathan. ❤️👍👍😍

[@TOTALCAMARO]

She’s strong her attitude is “Bring it on” you’re not going to stop me. I’ve been around too many years, I’m a veteran on these lakes. Her anchor openings are getting washed out lol Great video thank you for going down there and sharing this. Stay safe and warm 😊

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol, I always think Oberstar has a bit of a determined or grouchy look when she’s facing right at you (love that btw) so can completely believe the ship is saying that 😂

[@TOTALCAMARO]

@@jonathanellsworth21 I agree with you lol And I might be crazy but to me the anchor openings do look like eyes 👀 to me on all the ships. It gives them a personality. That’s just me lol

[@hoodlum1107]

I'm curious as to why the anchor openings are so low down, on ocean going ships they are much higher.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@hoodlum1107the whole ship is really, really low in the water here, there’s actually about 30 feet of hull below those openings. That’s why I was very surprised they left in these conditions! Plus she’s over 70 years old, designs have changed a lot over time.

[@hoodlum1107]

@@jonathanellsworth21 ah, that explains it, thanks

[@debbiejarus1723]

Wonderful video! I so admire these boats and those that sale upon them.

[@dmorgan28]

What power in those waters and winds. And the ship powering thru them. Awesome! Cool video 👍❤️

[@tonycobb3306]

I spent a season on that vessel back in 93-94 when she was the MV Charles M Beeghly. What memories!!

[@israelswearingen8219]

Are there places to eat or sleep?

[@tonycobb3306]

Yes, they have a galley with cooks, and rooms for every member of the crew. I believe we had a total crew of 15 to 18 men.

[@MikeAmerica219]

Did you see big waves ?How big was your ship? How big the waves have to be to make the ship move around a lot ?

[@billkramer2994]

Grt video w only nature's sounds! The "Big Fella" pounding out to do big boys jobs in Big weather with nary a miniscule ship movement!

[@centexan]

Wow. Those are some pretty hefty swells for the canal. Of course, that's a pretty hefty freighter!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

When the piers are flooding you know it’s a good storm

[@davidshaw5979]

It is hard for me to comprehend from this side of the world that this is a Lake and not the open sea, very dramatic and it reminded me of the song by Gordon Lightfoot, the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and how ferocious inland water ways can be.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

This canal was the place the Edmund Fitzgerald departed from on that voyage, every departure we sort of keep that in the backs of our mind! If I may ask where do you hail from?

[@vonbuzz9009]

Superior is as dangerious or worse than being at sea ,, the waves dont act like sea waves ,,, and the anniversary of the Edmond Fitsgerald is less than a month away,, when the winds of November come early,,,

[@Timmerson-y1]

It's often referred to as an inland sea.

[@heinzkerger9594]

I had exactly the same thoughts as you, also remembering the song of Gordon Lightfoot. Nature is crazy somehow. Heinz, 64, Germany

[@salmanskippy]

She's mighty and graceful. Thanks for sharing.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

No problem! Thanks for watching!

[@birddogsforever9135]

Had a bird's eye view of this from my office window downtown - I was hoping someone captured from the piers! There were a couple large waves that washed over the deck once they were a mile or so out. Impressive to watch.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Darn, I missed that! That’s impressive to catch, usually this sort of thing is far out of sight lol

[@mortyrosenstein4211]

So odd seeing the bridge forward design from older vessels. Like looking back into a Time Machine. They stopped using these on longer vessels ages ago for a variety of reasons, one to stop the bridge from getting smashed by rogue wave or heavy seas. I guess not much chance for 60 foot rogue wave in Great Lakes. And the seas are different too. Much shorter period and shallower troughs. I have spent plenty of time in 5-10 meter swells in the pacific, it’s routine. Long period swell makes it easy to handle. I’m betting 5-10 meter freshwater chop is far more abusive than 5-10 meter ocean swell. At least they don’t have to deal with corrosion like ocean going vessels do. Must be nice to be deck on a freshwater boat.

[@susanbelida6981]

❤Nice job...be safe..thank you sir!!

[@johnlundgren5085]

And let me just say that I love being out in the Big waves on Lake Michigan and over the years I've seen some very big waves, back in the 80's I was racing on a Sailboat from Michigan City to Chicago and the waves were around 25 feet and higher and we got back to Chicago in less than 4 hours it was an Awesome ride?.

[@scuffco1868]

With continuous world dinner dump in the world, this truly makes me proud to be in the USA 🇺🇸..Thanks to crew & John for being on board..Be cool & be safe

[@mooseantler]

And remember to vote TRUMP in 2024!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@mooseantler no politics here for either side if you could please! Wanting to keep the comments drama free lol

[@MJS_1990]

That's so cool. Wish I had got to see this when I lived up north. This was really awesome, thanks for sharing

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Glad you enjoyed! Can always come back and see them! (Can’t guarantee the storm though!)

[@nicksaur4330]

Can anyone who feels the same articulate the romanticism around the old boats of the Great Lakes??

[@scottsparks5214]

Nope. Im a boater that's lived on Lake Erie my whole life. And I'm still mesmerized every time I see one. I don't think the build new ones. They are all 60 to 70 years old

[@roconnor01]

Fabulous images. As a Brit, I love that these classic vessels have such a long lifespan, due to the fact that they operate in fresh water.Cheers from the UK.🇬🇧

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Long ways from the lakes! Glad you’re here :) yeah they can last a long time if treated right, always really cool to see!

[@roconnor01]

I've recently retired, having spent my entire career working in the shipping industry in Liverpool.I have a passion for ships of all kinds. I guess I picked it up from my Grandfather and Father who both served in the navy and then the merchant service. Interesting point, my grandfather served on the Olympic,Titanic's sister ship !

[@tomtalker2000]

I think that is one of THE LONGEST ships i've ever seen. Just massive and it plowed through like it was butter.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

She’s massive for sure! 806ft long, 75ft wide. That low deck definitely emphasizes that. She’s still over 200ft shorter than the largest ones we see here though!

[@shawncosmos5431]

In my early life we use to get a ‘weekly reader’ at school. Like a kid newspaper type of thing with stories from around the country. I was in third grade when one came highlighting Lake Superior and all the Great Lakes. Been fascinated by them ever since….

[@wendyphillips5002]

Great video of waves off lake superior. You don''t see waves off the lake like that all the time. Thanks for showing us these images of the fall in Duluth area. I grew up near lake Michigan. Now living on and near the Pacific ocean coast line these waves and swell are small compared to the pacific. I take my kayak out into waves and swell like many times in the Pacific. The kayak just rides up and down the big swell. The waves just wash over the deck.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Ocean waves are bigger for sure! They move differently, more rolling from what I understand, the waves on the lakes are more steep, so they can apply more force with a smaller swell. Or so I’m told, obviously haven’t tested it personally. Although I have been on a cruise ship in a tropical storm, possibly a Cat. 1 Hurricane by the time we were getting out of it, in the Atlantic! Absolutely loved that surprisingly, would love to do it again lol. (I’m nuts)

[@jamesgoens3531]

@@jonathanellsworth21 just came across your video. That’s one long ship and I’m sure you can feel it flexing in heavy seas. I guess I’m nuts too. Heading back to Seattle from Alaska, our cruise ship hit right at hurricane force winds and 7 meter seas. I was impressed with the stabilizers and how they controlled the roll, not so much the pitch though. Got some neat video of it too. This was a much better ride than what I experienced as a deckhand on supply boats in the Gulf while in college way back when. 😂

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@jamesgoens3531glad I’m not the only one! Love seeing ships pound through waves, big or small, never ceases to impress

[@caveweta]

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down, of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee……. Watching this video had me humming that gloomy desolate song…..and remembering those poor sailors on the Edmund Fitzgerald

[@evolveausevolveaus]

Same here

[@hulkhoganstights6596]

Weird

[@Southwest_923WR]

1 also, and I would venture to say over 2/3 viewes felt the same.

[@kimjongun2946]

Wow what a freak

[@InfiniteTrouble-gu9xd]

u know it's true...and, those lost 29souls... what's that dude thinking...75'

[@michaelnotigan7796]

There's alot of drama going on with the great ship meeting those storm swells. You captured the conditions and what it must have felt like being out there filming this; perfectly!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Thank you!

[@daffyduck9901]

Those weren't big swells by stretch of the imagination

[@michaelnotigan7796]

They're a good indication of what's going on further out on the lake, Captain Nemo.@@daffyduck9901

[@daffyduck9901]

@@jonathanellsworth21 it's a day off

[@scottbruns5142]

12 days past the video, the crossing created no news. Watching it leave has me wondering what size of wave it may have encountered. I love that vintage of boat. They filled Great Lakes when I was young.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Not surprising that there was no news, they encounter this and worse waves all the time out on the open lake, the only unusual thing here was they shot the canal in it (which usually they avoid in waves) and they were close to shore enough for everyone to see it. The crews are most likely completely desensitized to it, and for most people as long as the ship doesn’t sink, once they’re out of sight they’re out of mind as well. But they did make it no problem, in fact they’re back here in port today, and the gale warnings are back in effect! Wonder if they’ll have a round 2?

[@topgeardel]

Great video. You really captured those intimidating waves. I wouldn't feel safe on the pier or the ship the way they looked. But, as they say, "No guts, no glory"

[@gowdsake7103]

Intimidating? Really

[@MrPerry61]

The Captain has faith in his ship and his crew.

[@kimjongun2946]

What?

[@bryantburns3664]

​@kimjongun2946 Is u stupid? Is u dumb?

[@runninggirl2765]

I would be terrified to be on a ship with weather like this-even though I am truly fascinated by it. Takes a special person to live the life of a Great Lakes Sailor.

[@canlib]

Don't be terrified

[@runninggirl2765]

Thanks1 Your comment made me smile! Have a great day. @@canlib

[@gowdsake7103]

It's a little bit windy sheesh you must be a bot

[@robertmorris8997]

"Dang that water's cold." "Yeah, and it's deep too."

[@SiTengoTiempo]

Risky indeed to navigate out into that water! Greetings from the other terminus of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ontario. Cheers!

[@ESHANABROOK]

Heavily laden that ship is not having an issue with the chop.

[@mikepech6822]

No problem for Oberstar. Will get into the open water and hammer the throttle and get onto plane and just skip across the tops of those waves.

[@jeffjohnsisland5551]

On a plane?

[@Deeznutz69-w5l]

@@jeffjohnsisland5551it’s a term used when boats skip across the top of the water easily because of hydrodynamic lift

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Ships rarely come and go through the canal in high waves, so it was incredibly cool to see one face off with nature at such close range. Plus the waves themselves were fun to watch. Yes these ships often face far worse conditions, however usually this sort of thing happens far out of sight on open waters, not 50 feet from your face with the waves coming at you in person, so this was extremely fun to see, especially with a classic, 1950s vintage ship showing off a little of what she’s made of. The only risk I was concerned about is the canal is dredged to 30ft deep. As you can see by the hull markings on the ship, her bottom is at that same depth. Any rolling could have potentially lead to her scraping the bottom (which is partly why ships rarely use the canal in waves) but her crew is very good and she sailed out straight and steady! She’s also very low in the water so waves started rolling over her after reaching open water, so I hear, so they had a rough trip! Always respect the lakes, even a small taste of it is very impressive.

[@AVOWIRENEWS]

Wow, "Oberstar Risks a Dramatic Departure Into the Gales" sounds like an intense and exciting title! It brings to mind a thrilling adventure, perhaps at sea, where braving the elements is both challenging and exhilarating. The courage and determination needed to face such powerful gales are truly admirable. It's amazing to think about the incredible stories and experiences that come from such daring ventures. Stay safe and keep embracing the adventure! 🌊💨🚢✨

[@ellenhalpern1882]

Great video, thanks

[@peterrollinson-lorimer]

She certainly is low in the water. Luckily the water level seems high as well.

[@dougall1687]

Yeh, once out of the canal she immediately headed east into the lee of the Wisconsin shore rather than taking the direct route. Given how low in the water she was, a good decision!

[@novadoug]

great video . located Cleve. Oh. I know first hand how rough these waters can be. the negative comments have probably never been on the water let alone rough. Let haters be haters. keep posting thank you

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol I suspect the negative comments have never seen the water except for videos of tsunamis and category 5 hurricanes 😂 Don’t worry, I’m having fun with this, and to be fair to some of them, I didn’t have the video set up for a massive audience at first, made it mostly for a couple dozen friends and family members who knew what I was talking about, so it was missing a lot of context that I’ve added in since. The number of interested people has been very much a welcome surprise! Thanks for watching!

[@loricharpentier1654]

These are brave sailors that sail Lake Superior!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Very brave!

[@KristinaBenoit]

Every time they go out, I hope to see them return safely.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Same!

[@karaDee2363]

The ship is not moving up and down at all despite the large waves, which tells me that's one very heavy ship

[@jonathanellsworth21]

According to the information I can find, the ship weighs roughly 16,200 tons, with carrying capacity of 31,000 tons of cargo. Assuming she’s carrying a full load here (which it certainly looks like) that puts her at a grand total of 47,200 tons, or 94,400,000 lbs. (can add metric conversions if anyone wants)

[@miguelsalami]

Looks like another Great Lakes Legend to me ⚓

[@oldrustycars]

That windy, and a tripod on top of the wall? I wonder how many cameras and phones are on the bottom of the canal?

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

I was wondering about myself. Kinda chancey doing that lol

[@jonathanellsworth21]

A lot of phones lost here lol. Most from people sticking their phones over the side to get a clear picture of the ship and then the horn goes off and they jump. Seen it many times, I’ll warn people as often as I can.

[@jimmcintosh9045]

The waves weren't far off the top if the wall either!

[@bertradmacher2623]

I would like to see how much that hull flexes will under way

[@carlerickson74]

That guy in the foreground is trusting that dumb little tripod waaay too much! Lol one gust and that iPhone is in Davy Jones locker quick as a flash! Lol

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol you probably don’t want to see the people who lean over the rail and extend their phone out at full reach to get a clear picture over the water… right before the horn goes off…

[@guodzillakaiju5683]

"concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when she left fully-loaded for Cleveland. And later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind she'd been feelin'?"

[@markweigel3301]

😎🇺🇸🏴‍☠️🧜”And So Rang The Bell Of The Edmund Fitzgerald…”

[@afridgetoofar1818]

“Sundown you better take care”

[@josephinebennington7247]

Do the people who live at the bow ever meet or socialise with the people who live at the stern?

[@roboftherock]

Probably not - chiefs and indians, etc?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Oh yes, actually not sure the back of the ship has very many cabins, I think most are up in the bow, potentially even below the waterline! The back mostly houses the engines, unloading equipment, galley, dining room and various other things like air conditioners etc. I imagine some people live back there, like an emergency crew for the engines but they’ll definitely socialize with the people in the front, because if they want to eat, then they have to either go back or someone has to bring it up! Part of the reason this design is no longer built, it wasn’t all that user friendly in some day-to-day life circumstances!

[@josephinebennington7247]

@@jonathanellsworth21 My post was initially tongue in cheek…but I’m grateful for the extra info. The bow-sprit looks an odd unnecessary addition too.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@josephinebennington7247 it’s the steering pole! Since the bridge is so far forward and it’s hard to see the bow, it can be hard to tell exactly which direction is directly forward, so they put that there as an easy marker

[@josephinebennington7247]

@@jonathanellsworth21 Easy marker = easy answer! Well, well, well…Glad I asked.

[@marcomcdowell8861]

Always something interesting going on around The Great Lakes.

[@Peter-zg3em]

i know it gets a lot worse but for now she's in great shape. those lake ships are badass. one day we'll look back, and we may be gone and it may be our kids and grandkids doing it, and talk about how brave those guys who used to go out on the great lakes were to move freight. we won't have sailors forever.

[@wmjlambert]

My Father was a River Bridge operator, near the now gone Republic Steel in Buffalo. The Great Lakes are not to be trifled with, unforgiving and especially ferocious in Spring, and especially Fall. We had a very nice cabin cruiser at times in peril.

[@Buce-ku9vx]

Easy going against the waves. True skill bringing her in.

[@richardhunt304]

Great video,I'm sure they all know what they are doing !

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Absolutely, the video isn’t to doubt them, it’s to show them off!

[@marktibbetts3799]

That ship is sooo long that as the stern is just passing the end of the breakwater,the bow is getting ready to dock on the other side of the lake.

[@rezzer7918]

Gotta LOVE those Interlake Behemoths!

[@falcondragonslayer]

I’d love to see a ship go out in this kind of weather. It just looks so cool, seeing the waves break over the bow. The closest I’ve gotten to seeing this in person is the Philip R. Clarke arriving last October. The waves weren’t quite as large as they were here, but they were big. Unfortunately, the Clarke was coming in at that time, so she was moving with the water instead of against it, so the waves didn’t break over the bow

[@HenryFrederick]

What a sight to behold: So majestic!

[@johnsoper5675]

It's not the crew's decision to head into the gale force winds. It's the captain and probably under the orders of the company.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Most likely the Captain’s. James R Barker, owned by the same company, was also supposed to come through that day and load immediately after Oberstar but they didn’t. Granted she’s a much taller ship and the thousand footers notoriously hate the turn into and out of the harbor through the bridge.

[@justinjwolf]

I like that you can see the flexing of the hull.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Not something often seen within sight of shore that’s for sure!

[@Kristy-x1t]

I rewound that to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks. How does the vessel do that? Does the mid point of the ship have extra steel or is it like a earthquake proof building where flexors are used? I've never been near or on open water, but I do appreciate ships🙂. TY

[@mairwaugus5203]

No wonder the Fitz snapped in half

[@ronaldvanbeekveld8398]

Nice day for a boat ride 😎

[@jonathanellsworth21]

As long as it’s big enough 😂 absolutely! Sounds fun actually

[@Leo-qm6ue]

The length of that ship you think it would snap in half in heavy seas.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Tip of the iceberg, you’re only seeing about a quarter of the ship, the rest is underwater

[@Fritzsche-ki6gv]

In the ocean it would

[@joycecylkowski6213]

Have pics of this west side of superior the morning after Fitzgerald sank. Memory seared into my brain.

[@magnuswalker7957]

I'm sure that this beautiful ship has experienced worse than this little swell

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Oh yes definitely! Was more worried they’d hit bottom. Fully loaded like this they have 30 feet of hull under the water, the canal depth is 30ft. If the waves rocked them at all they could’ve hit.

[@mack8488]

@@jonathanellsworth21 if its both 30 feet they are scraping the bottom already ( seems unlikely)

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@mack8488 I invite you to do some research then :)

[@mack8488]

@@jonathanellsworth21 30 minus 30 seems to be zero?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@mack8488 pretty darn close, I think you’d be surprised once you dig into this how often ships fit through spaces that are mere inches larger then themselves

[@dmschell]

Was there in Duluth about 10 years ago and ate with Karen Ellsworth and three. They were very sweet to me.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

110 years ago eh? 😁 (fixed lol) And that’s very cool! Nice to know there’s more Ellsworths in town!

[@sittinandthinkin]

She's riding low will full holds. Going out like that is easier than coming in riding high empty.

[@ThatCreditGuy1]

Here’s to a safe voyage.

[@jamesburroughs4709]

Wish there was video of the rest of the voyage!!!

[@rono108]

Great video. Thanks for posting. Hi from Canada.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Thank you!

[@alanchandler254]

Didn't realise that this was on a "lake" gets pretty rough and that is a large freighter, good luck and safe journeys to everyone that works on them.

[@roboftherock]

The blunt bow of Oberstar and the leading flagpole remind me of a narwhal. I get the impression that a unprepared spectator could end up being seriously drenched behind the canal wall. I liked the cutaway from the bridge walkway. I hadn't thought about it before, but each of those hoist cables must set up its own eddy currents upsetting the flow of air over the adjacent ones. They did move quite vigorously in the wind. Apart from the gale force winds, it looked like a reasonably good day.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol yep! The guy with the tripod took a pretty good wave at one point, unfortunately I didn’t catch it on the video 😂 hopefully his phone was ok! Glad you enjoyed!

[@benishborogove2692]

I've been told the "leading flagpole" is called an aiming spar and was used to line up the ship in tight spaces. Modern lakers don't have them anymore.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@benishborogove2692 steering pole! Yes, to expand on that, because the bridge was located so far forward on the hull, they had trouble telling exactly what direction straight forward was, so the pole was added as an easy reference. Now days the bridge is set further back so it’s not really necessary. However there is a bow mast that serves a similar purpose, and many modern ships have steering poles on the rear (usually doubling as a flag pole) especially the river size lakers such as Great Republic because they have to go down extremely tight rivers in reverse and they have the same issue.

[@robertmawby3021]

Always remember, the sea is only there to be flown over!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol 😂 Well since this isn’t a sea, then we should have no trouble 😂

[@robertmawby3021]

@@jonathanellsworth21 It’s wet, deep and rough, so that’s close enough for me.!

[@loricharpentier1654]

Wonder what it's like out on the lake? Be safe guys and God speed.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Very different life I imagine

[@dodgeguyz]

I’ve seen storms in the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. They have nothing on the Great Lakes when the storms roll in!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

I’ve been in and both and they can both get really bad for sure, in very different ways!

[@Fritzsche-ki6gv]

Nothing on them? Not taking anything out of the Great Lakes, but saying the oceans have nothing on…a lake…is kinda stretching it…

[@jimlepeu577]

If you like ships driving into waves check out Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Smaller ships coming out into Atlantic rollers. You can feel sea-sick in your chair lol. The waves weren’t even big enuf to make yr ship pitch or roll

[@mrburns444]

Isn't S de C an inland city?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

I’m guessing it’s a different city? The one you said is landlocked lol. Sounds interesting though!

[@T.T.T.H]

Great footage, and that vessel is huge!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Thank you! 806ft!

[@CanadianGrenadian]

Awesome, thanks

[@lrq7927]

Love the lakes and the Lakers!

[@markweigel3301]

😎🇺🇸🏴‍☠️🧜🥷You Keep The Great Lakes, I’ll Take The Ocean Instead !!!

[@ocean8248]

Port of which city ??

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Duluth, Minnesota, USA. The most inland port city on Earth!

[@OliverMoore1973]

How long is the damn thing!!😱

[@jonathanellsworth21]

806ft

[@livenhfree]

Crazy. Impressive. But also brings to mind the Edmund Fitzgerald (may the 29 rest in peace).

[@seawench555]

Thanks for sharing Jon, how long is she?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

806ft

[@duluthdogwalker5652]

So the question is: is this really worth the risk, and should it be the decision of the captain alone? It seems to me that if there were any kind of incident that it could greatly impact the harbor, the bridge, and the entire economy of Duluth.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@duluthdogwalker5652 As long as there’s no strict “No Sail” order, then it’s captain’s and company’s decision. I’d recommend keeping an eye on her tonight, she’s back in port, loading iron ore same as here and weather conditions are again deteriorating. Might get interesting!

[@nadeemmustafa6450]

BEAUTIFUL VIDEO 👌👌🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰 BEST WISHES FROM PAKISTAN

[@jonathanellsworth21]

That’s a long way from the lakes! Glad to have you here!

[@_PJW_]

Very nice! Looks like typical Dutch weather.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol depends on the day I suppose 😜

[@_PJW_]

@@jonathanellsworth21 Tru dat. Every day ending on 'day'. 🤣

[@1glopz]

Spookey? ship reminds me of The Edmond Fitzgerald rip

[@jonathanellsworth21]

As it should! Basically the the same ship, just built a couple years earlier with a lot of modifications over the years. All said, this design was and is incredibly successful and safe, of the hundreds of ships that were built for the lakes since the 1930s only one has sunk on the lakes, and you definitely know the story there.

[@MiBones]

Do you know of any specific reason that the captain set off in this weather? I can understand complications in the canal, but how bad would it be on Superior proper?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

I don’t think it was too terrible on the lake itself but it’s very hard to tell from shore. I do know the only other ship sailing on the open part of the lake at the time was a saltie (Isadora) which tend to care less about weather than lakers, they can ride much deeper if they want to for extra stability. All the other ships were either sheltered behind islands or skirting the outside edge along the whole northern shoreline. It did calm down later in the evening

[@MiBones]

@@jonathanellsworth21 Interesting about the salties. Thanks for the info.

[@tuxedotservo]

Superior wasn't too bad - Lake Michigan had more of the wave action - 10-13 feet with the occasional 16 footer when last I looked at the Gale Warning. I'd assume Lake Huron was perhaps similar, though by the time they would've gotten to the Soo and started down Huron the gale was blowing itself out.

[@MiBones]

@@tuxedotservo Thanks. That helps to put it in perspective.

[@tommcadam9897]

And...ships don't make money when they're at anchor.

[@anaa2054]

Great departure

[@gewglesux]

I heard the first"1 long 2 short". assuming it came from the boat... where did the 2nd volley come from? another ship or from port somewhere?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

From the lift bridge! The captain salutes the bridge master, and the bridge master salutes the captain back. On occasion the ships will salute the crowds separately as well

[@gewglesux]

Thanks for the. reply.I had an idea. but i wasn't sure.@@jonathanellsworth21

[@crazyDIYguy]

I live in Buffalo and unfortunately I wasn't around when the massive freighters routinely steamed through to Bethlehem steel, etc. It sucks i don't see them nowadays.😐

[@Medionxtr]

A ship that old still in use....

[@Caninedriver]

You call THIS "gales"? It gets MUCH worse...this is totally doable and we look to this as fun when kayaking!!!!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Oh yeah, it does get worse but ships rarely use it in any worse! In fact all the arrivals scheduled for the day all bailed on it

[@charlesharper2357]

Not even any whitecaps...I'd say 25 knots...not gale force.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@charlesharper2357 45-50mph steady with higher gusts, gale warnings were out at the time

[@charlesharper2357]

@@jonathanellsworth21 I'm a commercial fisherman...when the wind hits 35 knots there will be whitecaps offshore. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@charlesharper2357 there were some white caps, mostly further out from shore which the usual. Honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the canal, even in the massive storms last year. That would be really bad lol. I’m guessing you’re on the ocean since there’s no big commercial fishing operations on the Lakes… this isn’t the ocean, it behaves quite differently from salt water, wave dynamics especially.

[@russoley8995]

A ship its size would thing nothing of 6 ' waves, as you see it was having no problem

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Nope! Very impressive indeed. My one worry at the time was the draft markers on the hull indicated she was down about 30ft under the water, and the canal is dredged usually right around that same 30ft mark, more or less. She had to have been very close to scraping, not much room to roll in the waves at all, usually they don’t fill quite that full in these circumstances. Fortunately they seemed to have gotten it exactly correct, all the more impressive. She was rock steady.

[@richardhall916]

We didn't, rather couldn't wait , we had a week turnaround , Cleveland and back

[@jonathanellsworth21]

You were on her? If so thank you very much! Probably seems normal to you, but what you guys do is amazing, and it inspires people around the world!

[@ДОРОГАМОЯЖИЗНЬ-ъ7ж]

Сколько метров его длинна?

[@9_19Ming]

I love this bulk carrier💙💙💙