Boatnerd Discussion Forum

One time when we rounded Whitefish Point and were headed for Marquette what been forecast as Gale force winds turned into Storm Force from the NNW and we rolled so bad that the anchors would sway out from the pocket on one roll and slam back into the hull and the other roll. It was night time and berthing in the forward end we didn't get much sleep that night between the gut wrenching rolls and the booming of the anchors!

I have seen Coast Guard Buoy Tenders roll 50 degrees plus in the North Atlantic and 40 degrees plus on the lakes. I sailed the Mackinaw for over 10 years and have seen her roll 35 degrees. Mackinaw's hull looks like a football cut length wise-round bottom. The Coast Guard tenders are also round bottom, but the salt water boats have bilge keels which reduse the rolling. The Great Lakes boats don't have the bilge keels which accounts for the rolling.

the Mackinaw (WAGB 83) was out looking for wreckage of the Morrell, on the bottom of lake huron, the week after christmas '66. we took 45 and 47 degree rolls in the swells. (ice breakers are known for rolling horribly) certainly got my attention as a brand new fireman apprentice!

The training ship State of Michigan will do 35degree plus rolls in 8-10ft waves....24hours of that Sucks.

Also the Tug Undaunted and her barge roll bad as well.

I heard a report that one hatch cover actually fell into the cargo hold of the Montrealais at that time as well. I believe the OS had just finished cleaning that hold. I saw pictures of a hatchcover that was bent and hanging over the side. Again this is just hearsay, but I heard they tried to turn around in somewhat choppy seas and got caught in the trough.

The Montrealais lost five of her hatch-covers over the side on October 21, 1993, after departing Burns Harbor, and while the crew was cleaning the hold. I don't know if it was due to the high winds (a strong cold front was sweeping through at the time) or if she was caught in the troughs and was rolling, or a combination of both that caused the hatch-covers to go over the side. The five lost hatch-covers were stacked at the time when the incident happened.

Lakers do roll and how much is depending on a number of factors.
Firstly it would be the weather and the direction of the waves.
How high the waves.
The cargo.

With a cargo of iron ore there would be a large GM (the ship would be stiff and cause rapid rolling. If it had a grain cargo it would be an easier roll. The period would be different too as with ore it would be short (the time to roll from one side back to that side)
Not experienced a heavy roll (large angle) as a prudent mariner would be sheltered and out of the worst weather.

Deep sea if completely different as you often can't get to shelter but suffer it out. Have been on ships that had rapid rolling to 35 degrees and that was a miserable time, especially if it was for an extended period.
Rolling when the weather is fine often happens when there is a swell and the longer the swell the easier the roll.

Sweet water sailing has many advantages!

Looking at the picture of the inclinometer on the Baie St. Paul in today's news photos (1/7/13) got me to wondering about rolls in heavy seas on the great lakes. how much do the lakers roll in heavy seas? I know that it would vary from boat to boat but what is average (the inclinometer on the Baie St. Paul goes up to 55 degrees).

I was watching a youtube video a few days ago where a ship was taking 20-30 degree rolls (in a storm on the ocean) and I just finished reading a book about the Typhoon the caught the Third Fleet in December of 1944. Some of the destroyers were taking 70-80 degree rolls in that.

So to make a long question short how much rolling does a laker do?