Mackinaw

[Guest]

If that is truly the case with all the $$$ spent to build the new Mackinaw. And she is not much more then a glorified bouy tender and doesn't come close to doing the job that she was supposed to be designed for...

[Jay S]

Guest, Apples and oranges. Night nav on rivers you have radar, GPS, ATON, etc. Icebreaking is by feel, you have to see pressure ridges, ice thickess and in general "read the ice" no type of lights can give you as much range of sight that you need. Radar is of ne help in reading the ice. As far a 15 people on the bridge you have been looking at pictures of pubic tour cruises.. I have always broken ice with an Officer of the Deck (OOD), helmsman and lookout. You seem to have some bigger issues with the USCG.

[Laker Mate]

Most of the sailors on the commercial fleet believe the modern USCG and especially the Mackinaw are a joke. With crews 3 times the size of ours running comparatively simple boats only around 200 feet long they can't even operate when it gets dark out. When we get stuck we all hope that the Canadians will come instead! The Bay Class Tugs are okay, but not the same as having a true heavy icebreaker. Mackinaw is incapable of breaking a wide enough track for even the smallest freighters; and the Alder and Hollyhock aren't much use beyond setting bouys. No one in the commerical fleet can comprehend their unwillingness to operate at night. On an 800 foot tug-barge with 10,000 HP we will transit the rivers at night with only 1 man in the wheelhouse (a mate) and 4 people awake on the whole boat! The USCG can't do it with 15 people in the wheelhouse alone! Building another bouy tender like the Mackinaw would be useless; and even if they built a proper icebreaker they wouldn't know how to use it.

They have lost the knowledge base needed to conduct these kinds of ice breaking operations without excessive delays.

[Guest]

Most of the sailors on the commercial fleet believe the modern USCG and especially the Mackinaw are a joke. With crews 3 times the size of ours running comparatively simple boats only around 200 feet long they can't even operate when it gets dark out. When we get stuck we all hope that the Canadians will come instead! The Bay Class Tugs are okay, but not the same as having a true heavy icebreaker. Mackinaw is incapable of breaking a wide enough track for even the smallest freighters; and the Alder and Hollyhock aren't much use beyond setting bouys. No one in the commerical fleet can comprehend their unwillingness to operate at night. On an 800 foot tug-barge with 10,000 HP we will transit the rivers at night with only 1 man in the wheelhouse (a mate) and 4 people awake on the whole boat! The USCG can't do it with 15 people in the wheelhouse alone! Building another bouy tender like the Mackinaw would be useless; and even if they built a proper icebreaker they wouldn't know how to use it.

[Guest]

What a shame.................once again you have a need for a powerful ice breaker to assist the Anderson in the ice of the Straits and the Mackinac sits snuggly in her harbor out of commission a few miles away! What purpose does she serve for all the money spent to build her?

[Firemedic026]

She may have suffered a casualty from ice breaking requiring her to go to "Charlie" status while they make repairs. If they suffered a azipod or plant issue they would certainly would return to cheboygan for repairs or ship yard if need be

[drydock]

Wouldn't you do the maintenance in the summer time? And if she is in for repairs brought on by this last fall and winter, I would think that is she was ready to go into the fall season she should be able to survive the 3 to 4 months prior to now?

[Guest 5464]

Why isthe "Mighty Mac II" sitting in Cheboygen and not out helping the stuck ships? Is there a problem with her?

From several posts down on this thread: News Page of this site has been following the saga on Lake Erie. Mackinaw is likely down for maintenance that must be done before the new season starts. Just like the freighters they do need some down time for maintenance.

The other icebreakers are expected to cover for her.

[THM]

Why isthe "Mighty Mac II" sitting in Cheboygen and not out helping the stuck ships? Is there a problem with her?

[cpfan]

The Griffon is in mid Lake Erie, apparently undergoing repairs.

The big icebreakers can't come up the Seaway and Welland Canal until they open, so end of March at earliest.

I wonder if the big icebreakers will be available this year because there are ice issues in the Gulf of St Lawrence too.
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2 ... ck-of-it/1

Steve

[Guest]

News Page of this site has been following the saga on Lake Erie. Mackinaw is likely down for maintenance that must be done before the new season starts. Just like the freighters they do need some down time for maintenance.

The other icebreakers are expected to cover for her.

From the looks of the ice it wont be an easy start, hopefully the Canadians are bringing in one of their large icebreakers to get the new season moving once the Seaway opens.

Looks like many of the docks stocked up so there wont be the rush to get out and go nowhere like last spring.

Did anyone ever total up the cost of time lost sitting in ice last spring?

[Guest]

Good question. Why is the Mac sitting in Cheboygan? Where is the Griffon? Is Bristol Bay also stuck in the ice?

[Huronview]

With so many boats standing still in the ice is there a reason why the Mackinaw has been in Cheboygan without moving? I was also wondering if she might come down to assist the Anderson or if any of the large Canadian breakers could get down from the St Lawrence to help? How long can they just let the Anderson sit? Thanks