Stuck in Lock 8 - Jessica B

Having waited up in Port Robsinson for the Jessica B to make her way along the Welland Canal, i decided to head to Port Colborne and meet her along the way.
Upon arrival, she was still in Lock 8 like we was an hour earlier as seen on Marine Traffic.
After an hour of waiting I slowly realized the Ship had an issue.
A Blallast issue. The crew were heard reporting the draught was 8.4meters, which led me to believe she may of got stuck in the lock.
Here is what i captured on camera and edited down to 20 minutes instead of the 3.5 hours that i was there for.

[@carolynhurlburt3054]

Very informative & interesting. Keep up the good work.

[@bigtone718]

Good professional crew, they did a great job tying the big boy down!

[@erictieman7425]

As a master mariner for 32 years. Slack ballast tanks. Free surface moment. It' s a nightmare.

[@John-dm2ik]

The ship has a port list. It may be over the canal draft limit on the port side. If that is the case they will have to shift the cargo. That could mean bringing special equipment, and could delay the ships a few days.

[@bandck8752]

That was so interesting, I liked that u had a scanner to keep the viewers informed on some of the ships radio traffic. Very enjoyable

[@NigelHay]

Bringing out my marine radio was a last minute thing. It helped build a picture of what was going on by listening to them all chatting

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

The scanner told the story. Glad you could translate that.

[@rogerprout5574]

You see here an example of prop walk at 11 minutes or so. They are trying to get the stern to the dock but when he engages reverse the stern moves to port as a result of the prop walk to port. This is why the ship hit the bridge at Baltimore. When the power went off the pilot freaked and ordered reverse. that swung the stern to port and the momentum took the ships bow to starboard and into the bridge.

[@NigelHay]

That is an interesting observation. Makes sense.

[@rpk5568]

I've wondered with the Dali if not dropping the anchor would have had a different outcome. But I don't know from the video when that was done.

[@rogerprout5574]

@@rpk5568 No. The other thing to is if the ship had hit the base a little further down the ship where the sides of the ship are vertical it would have been fine. The bow flare down to the bow bulb allowed the ships pulpit to overhang and hit the bridge structure.

[@gingerbread6614]

Thank you. We love the ships.

[@irenes.2807]

Good thing it gets properly fixed and maintained. We don't want an incident like the bridge strike in Baltimore or the ship wedged sideways in the canal and backing things up!

[@russell-di8js]

For me this is only the 2nd vid of yours that I've seen but I wanted to say how enjoyable I find them. I'm not a very "tech y" person so enjoy the way you give the interesting & main facts without over doing it. The HD quality film & realistic sound ie no unnecessary music or talk for talks sake is great for these days & much appreciated. I think you can tell you've got a convert on your hands. so thanks a lot mate, keep doing what you obviously enjoy & I'll be watching sat on the Nth Wales coast, bye.

[@NigelHay]

Thanks very much for your reply. The problem with drone video there is no audio and if there was, it would be a humming drone. So I try to voice over drone shots or use music. Sometime though I can get audio of the boat off my other camera and match it up

[@russell-di8js]

@@NigelHay Whatever your doing, your doing it well. Thanks.

[@woodstock1159]

first time here---- interesting subject and nice equipme nt thanks

[@jean-pierredeclemy7032]

Looking at the ensign the wind on the stern is quite fresh. That is why they tied the stern up first. It always amazes me that compared to the diameter of the lines that I use on my sailing boat this is like mooring with sewing cotton.

[@aryanchikte-mz1yx]

Yeah this man knows many things about our ship😅...even he is also on channel 15🤣😉it was a good Vlog...thanx for shooting me in your video...🤣🤣😉

[@NigelHay]

I'm glad you found the video and most importantly, I am glad you are finally on your way to Italy.

[@josephcooksley3219]

Yes gotter be Shipshape and Bristol fashion before hitting the North Atlanic just as well no Uboats about ... Bouyancy issues between Fresh Water and Salt Water ... They must of Looked at the Wrong Conversion Chart ... I Was near Niagra Canal years ago and Seeing large Sea Going Ships moving along was Quite an eye opener ...😮

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

This was amazing. The ship looked like it was dragging the bottom and moved forward in jerks. Very interesting

[@jaxxx40]

I remember jumpin off the Jacknife bridge,the tower beside it,the old wooden docks with square holes,being able to travel both sides of the canal into Dain City and Port Robinson riding trails.

[@dlcarbonneau3750]

That was fascinating.

[@rpk5568]

Looking at them trying get the stern closer to the right, with the current flow, steer to to the right and let the current push the ship in that direction? And why are they tying up anyways. Put the anchor back on?

[@PHPJN7]

Interesting her port anchor is missing, without that she is not adhering to the Class rules and actually could be found unseaworthy. Her last Port State inspection in Trois Riviere was also not a great succes with 18 non conformities and a detention 07-05-2023

[@kathyk8148]

She lost the anchor in Lake Superior when leaving Duluth.

[@ThamesShips]

Excellent and interesting video. 👍

[@michaelhayes4179]

Saw her in Duluth 2 weeks ago

[@paulbowler2760]

It seems a bit strange, The ship is downbound (as they say) and to me it looks to be empty. I suspect she travelled all the way, loaded, up to Duluth or Superior, discharged her cargo and started her return journey empty. If I am right, how did she manage to traverse the Welland Canal loaded? I assume she would have a draught of at least 2-3 metres more loaded than empty! Anyway thanks for the video - it brings back happy memories of my previous visits there.

[@NigelHay]

There is a video of her entering Duluth, she was very high and definitely empty.

[@NigelHay]

Full of Wheat heading to Italy

[@SteamCrane]

The Ditch was built many years ago, to dimensions including draft that are obsolete in the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the St. Lawrence Seaway, built much later, is also built to small dimensions, meaning that even moderate size modern ships can't even get to Lake Ontario.

[@NigelHay]

I saw that. Sitting very high

[@foreverspring]

I just stumbled upon your video (I saw the one you did of my favourite ship the Arthur M. Anderson heading into Buffalo). I remember seeing videos of the Jessica B when she was in Duluth a little while ago, so it was a bit of a surprise to see her here presumably stuck in a canal. I have NO idea how canals work (despite my efforts to grasp the operation) so my question here was will she not be in the way of other ships leaving Lock 8? And why are the locks so narrow? The width of these cause havoc with a paint job. I only discovered Duluth and the comings and goings of Great Lake freighters just before Christmas when I was doing a search for the Anderson (and now I'm totally enchanted). I just have to figure out the locks and how they work vis a vis as in this case here. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@thepubliceye]

She looks quite shallow, Does the lock need to be dredged out?

[@carolr9747]

Very interesting.

[@herbeuvalalex2136]

jessica b.... every time this boat comes to Canada it has a problem... supposedly it had been repaired and inspected in Istanbul last winter...

[@NigelHay]

Inspected? Istanbul? i thought that was one of the places they send ships to die?

[@richardbause2453]

​@@NigelHay They just give it a Turkey drumstick send-off 😮😂

[@DaleRunningbear]

😂 that's why it's junk

[@peternewman958]

So does the ship power its own way thru the lock and not be towed etc.

[@John-dm2ik]

Correct - own power.

[@NigelHay]

Own power and most with a local pilot. (Not sure If all ships use a pilot as I often don't see the pilot coming off some many ships in Port Colborne)

[@SteamCrane]

I wonder whether the crew did a video of the anchor chain running out and bitter ending?

[@NigelHay]

Someone posted either on this video here or on a FB group explaining how not was lost

[@WeazelJaguar]

Why would she run back home empty? And where is her Port anchor?

[@NigelHay]

She's full, wheat someone said. As for the anchor, someone stated it was lost up in Lake Huron. Not a good visit I guess

[@WeazelJaguar]

Thanks! Glad to hear much needed grain is making it over seas!

[@aryanchikte-mz1yx]

She is not empty

[@drdoolittle5724]

@@NigelHay Wheat would make sense because of the pasta factories near Savona, but spare a thought for us poor consumers considering what other products travel in that ship???????????

[@benherstad]

@@NigelHay anchor lost in Lake Superior, broke off the Monday morning as they were heaving up to come into port to load the wheat, it's just outside the lift bridge in the lake

[@jamesdean780]

Is the water level of Laker Erie too low? She is sitting high in the water when you compare to the lakers. Just looked it up Maximum draft allowable is 8.2 meters. She is low.

[@NigelHay]

Lake levels are lower on the Great Lakes over all but Lake Erie is still quite a bit away from the normal levels

[@donnlass]

She's halfway across now, doing well. 😊 1:00

[@55VickyV]

I’m wondering how many the orange life boat on the stern can hold?

[@jeffjohnsisland5551]

It can hold the number of people onboard. 😀. I have seen smaller lifeboats that can hold 18, larger ones 55 people.

[@55VickyV]

@@jeffjohnsisland5551 Wow! That’s a lot of people for such a small boat. However, it looks a lot safer than older style open lifeboats. Thanks for answering my question.

[@stephenknight-m4y]

Is the commentator originally English? Thought I detected a Northern accent there!

[@NigelHay]

some call me the Manc Pasty, Manchester lad but i grew up in Cornwall. accent changes depending which family member i talk too

[@stephenknight-m4y]

@@NigelHay I knew you were a Manc , takes one to know one. I like your films and have subscribed. From a fellow Manc now living in Wales 🤓

[@SteamCrane]

7:00 + 8:36 - Bow thruster, no stern thruster.

[@NigelHay]

Responses like this help me learn. I know a lot about Aviation from my years plane spotting, but ships are rather new to me.

[@jeremywentworth1833]

I'm a northerner , that is definitely a Yorkshire accent infact I'd say West Yorkshire .

[@NigelHay]

Sadly wrong, but not to far away, East Lancashire, East Manchester

[@jeremywentworth1833]

Mrs has relatives in Ramsbottom that's East Lancashire I think , your accent is so strong I regularly use to go Manchester I worked for Bombardier & use to go to Tram facility CMF metrolink.

[@kimberleytui179]

You sound so much like Jawtooth train vlogger.

[@ludwigr.reindl4146]

A classic Salty.

[@stephenknight-m4y]

Should have used his side thrusters!

[@John-dm2ik]

Not all ships have them.

[@benherstad]

There's a symbol painted on the hull, to show if equipped with thruster. It's a circle with the "plus sign" or "X" in it. Jessica has a bow thruster, and you can see the symbol up front on the bow, under the name. She doesn't have one at stern. Now you know.

[@stephenknight-m4y]

@@benherstad thanks Ben. I did know about the symbol and couldn’t see one at the stern, hence my comment!

[@RobertGodfrey-ef9gb]

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