Boatnerd Discussion Forum

The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland and the entrance to Manistee will make you pucker up.

I had a newspaper clipping from the Michigan St. Bridge collapse of 1959 and it claims that lake captains of the day regarded the Ohio St. turn on the Buffalo River as one of the toughest to make. There is river current, wind, a lift bridge, a tight channel, and a 45 degree bend with a blind sightline to deal with there and since the time the article was written, the ships that go up there are even bigger.

-B in B

i would have to suggest the American Narrows between rock island and deer island in the St Lawrence river. several miles of very narrow water with many rocks right at the edge of the channel. add in a fast current, very confusing lighting [many buoys and lots of other sources ], heavy small craft traffic, and speed restrictions that make down bound traffic operate with very little steerage. the whole section is littered with the bones of ships that didn't make it.

I'd like to know the 'toughest' and the most 'dangerous' passage on the Great Lakes with regard to 'boat handling' and navigation ability of a 'Laker'. How would you rate the 'Rock Cut' -or- downbound passage ( very little steerage ) under the Port Huron bridge ?