Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Any photos of them lightening the tim s. Dool by clam shells? Christmas is 2 weeks tomorrow

potable is going to be an issue, unless they have a reverse osmosis machine

Steamboater wrote: November 30, 2024, 10:55 am In situations like this and the fact that the Dool is relatively close to shore and sources; what do the owners tend to do to keep the ship supplied with the day to day necessities like food and galley supplies etc?

I doubt they would be running low on much yet, depending of course n when there next resupply was scheduled. But they would generally have enough on board that a modest delay to a resupply would not be a big problem. If they are stuck long enough they will probably get what ever tug (or other boat) they can hire locally to bring some stuff out.

Guest wrote: December 2, 2024, 3:15 am How do they lighter a non-self unloader?

They will need to bring a barge with something capable of reaching in to the hold with a bucket. I now one of the companies was considering bringing one of these: https://www.ecosia.org/images?addon=fir ... herr+lh120 then there would be barges or another ship alongside to transfer the cargo to.

with a crane equipped garage and garage to pit the train into. a slow process but it will succeed. the ideal situation would if been for the ocean tugs to pull her off but that was not to be

How do they lighter a non-self unloader?

What is the bottom like in this area? It looks like the bow was pushed several feet higher out of the water with some images of the vessel's draft before the accident. Do the tugs have to be careful while attempting to free the vessel to prevent any undue twisting stress to the hull?

As the Senneville, this ship suffered some hull damage at Thunder Bay in 1981 and later ran aground in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall Island on August 3, 1983 and was not freed until August 5, 1983 after lightering some cargo. This comes from the book Great Lakes Shipping Log 1980-1989.

She grounded in the 70's with some minor ballast tank damage. Not aware of any other incidents of note, although she's probably had several brief encounters with getting stuck like any Great Lakes freighter has with the dredging deficit that never seems to go away.

That said, except at her stern her bottom all dates to 1996. And her engine is about 10 years even newer than that. She's not really a ship from 1967 at this point. The critical wearing parts of her have been renewed. That's why she, along with the John D. Leitch, are still active members of the fleet and have outlasted the newer 1970's and 1980's additions to the Algoma and Upper Lakes Shipping fleets (along with the Algobay's refurbished stern that lives on as the Radcliffe R. Latimer).

Her future will be decided by a survey of her bottom when she's successfully refloated. With an approximate 30 year lifespan on her mid 1990's rebuilding and with overseas construction economically feasible with the lifting of import tariffs, she's in her twilight years with no chance of a 2nd major renewal project. But I believe that she just had her 5 year survey and a lot of steelwork done a winter or two ago, so I wouldn't count her out yet.

Of course if hundreds of feet of bottom plating require replacement from being stuck on rocks, it's probably not going to end well for her. But she seems to just be stuck in the mud with no signs of damage or water intrusion, with the bottom suction proving difficult for the tugs to overcome. I believe that the next step being planned right now is lightering a portion of her wheat cargo. With any luck she'll be able to wrap the season up with a couple of more trips if the divers don't see any problems.

I believe it was around 2015 that the dool lost power in whitefish bay but don’t think that they grounded but it caused the Roger blough to go around them and this caused the blough to go seriously aground.

Correct me IF I am wrong but, hasn’t the Tim S. Dool had some other serious groundings before in its career as far as I can think of? Don’t recall when they may have happen but it does seem I recall her having a few groundings once or so before. Granted and YES I am well aware of the fact she was widened out to 78 feet a few years ago. Yet with her age at 57 I think that’s if she was built in 1967 I can’t remember for sure but, I know she was just drydocked in Superior at Fraser a few years ago and got repainted then and so she shouldn’t be due for her survey for some time then right? My point I guess would be, is it time then for Algoma to consider building a new ship possibly someday to replace the Dool or do they have enough now with the new Equinox-class ships not to warrant any new builds or replacement for the Dool? Just curious is all on my part.

According to reports Saturday a.m. the Dool remains aground. The tugs from Ocean Group have departed for their home ports.
Is lightering the next option?
It is blowing steady probably 20 kts here in southern Ontario Saturday a.m.
In situations like this and the fact that the Dool is relatively close to shore and sources; what do the owners tend to do to keep the ship supplied with the day to day necessities like food and galley supplies etc?
Things could be tense in terms of crew morale.

I have been following the Tim S Dool grounding in the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg Ontario
I am writing this Friday, November 29 at 2200hLocal time. At the site it is also 2200h.
Last night tugs from Ocean Group were dispatched from Montreal. The intent was to try to move the ship off of the sandy shoal she is resting upon.
Last report was that no success has been achieved. Tim S Dool is still fully grounded this Friday night.
She was downbound from Thunder Bay with roughly 25 000tons of Canadian wheat for transhipment abroad after unloading from the Dool at Quebec City.

Oh. I didn't realize this was a small lake. Coincidently, there is a Barnhart dam very near my home here in eastern PA.

Thanhs for that!

She's grounded in Lake St. Lawrence, the man made lake that was created by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The upriver dam crosses at Iroquois Ontario and I believe the town of Lisbon on the NY side a few miles east of Ogdensburg, and is bypassed by ships via the Iroquois Lock. And downriver by a couple of dams at Cornwall ON/Massena NY which ships bypass by taking Eisenhower Lock and Snell Lock (which are connected by the Wiley Dondero Canal).

The water level in this man-made lake is controlled by the Barnhart Island Control Dam.

I just read about the Dool going aground. They said they attempted to free her by raising the water level 2 feet. How the heck do they do that?