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on photo to see
full-screen
view.
CCGC
Thunder Cape just after being lowered into the water in Hamilton.
Martin
Jacques,
who
will be the navigation officer.
Stephane
Belanger is our engineer.
The
electronic technicians were busy to the end installing and
troubleshooting all the gizmoes on board.
I was fortunate to be selected to deliver the CCGC Thunder Cape to Thunder Bay from Hamilton, Ontario. The trip took 9 days and included 4 of the Great lakes and the Welland canal, Detroit & St Clair rivers, Soo locks and the Keweenaw waterway.
The cutter has no facilities on board so we had to stop each night for food and accomodations.
Thunder
Cape had just come out of an upgrade refit. This young man is the
project engineer for the upgrade. As you can see, these 47 foot boats
don't have much room.
We
brought the Thunder Cape to Heddle Marine drydock in Hamilton to
load charts, foul-weather clothing and safety gear from the CCGS Simcoe.
In this photo you can see the Simcoe props at the bottom right. This gives you an idea how small a 47 foot cutter is.
The
Welland canal was busy and we were held in several of the locks. One
lock-master gave us a tour of the operation while we waited. In this
view you can see a water level gauge, camera monitors and the
computer display.
Despite
the antiquity of the canal the locks are all run using software.
This shows the software that is used to control the locks.
Thunder
Cape in the lock.
The
sail boat that transitted with us.
We
gave each other tours of our respective boats.
Stay
behind the yellow line.
Still
waiting.
Stephane
and his paperwork. Notice the table is really a bench and the seat
is a toolbox. Chart storage is just behind Stephane.
Lake
Erie was nearly flat. It was hot, muggy and sunny. Martin enjoyed
this work tremendously.
A
view of the flying bridge conning position. Sounder, radar,
electronic chart, radio, autopilot, engine displays and more all
located near-at-hand.
Wake
at 25 knots. The boat produces a much smaller wake at full speed
than it does at 10 knots.
Looking
up to the flying bridge from the inside.
An
Algoma ship eastbound in the Point Pelee area.
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on photo to see
full-screen
view.
Stephane
checks out a navigator's life. Secretly, he is hoping to drive.
We
took some of the CCGC Sora's crew for a ride up the Detroit river,
and towed their FRC with us so they could return to Amherstburg.
Martin
shows Jeff how the Thunder works.
Builders
plate and crest.
Looking
into the bridge from the flying bridge.
When
there are more than 3 people on board there is a lack of standing room.
Dredge
on the Detroit river.
Someone
else delivering a boat.
Pintail
working cargo in Detroit.
Our
wake at 8 knots. It's difficult to find a low speed that will not do this.
Light
on the Detroit river.
Algoway
feeds the fire-breathing dragon.
Workers
on the Ambassador bridge. Under it, too.
Still
haven't found the right speed for wake management. There is someone
in this boat!
The
Fantasy downbound.
Do
the owners drive this or do they hire someone? Cause if they hire someone....
John
G Munson downbound in the St Clair.
The
pointy end.
The
blunt end.
Algomarine
down in the St Clair.
Kaye
E Barker on her way down the St Clair.
Edwin
H Gott down.
Cape
Lambton in Sarnia. Some of the tall-ships arrived during the night.
That
takes us to Sarnia.
For
the rest of the trip to Thunder Bay, including the Keweenaw waterway,
Click
Here.