Photo Collection

[Ray]

Any idea why the unloading boom on the J. Burton Ayers is elevated like that? Seems like a really odd position for the boom while underway.

[garbear]

Here are a couple more photos

[garbear]

Thanks, garbear, for the picture. You actually do look like George Clooney.

I knew I wasn't wrong. Just saw this today. If anyone had heard me laughing they'd have thought I was crazy. Made my day!!

[garbear]

Back when USS and other American companies began to run down the Seaway, they had to use pilots. However, on the early trips they usually carried extra officers. Once an individual completed six transits of the Seaway, he/she qualified for an "extension of route" on their license. With this license extension, they no longer needed pilots.

I know our Captain and 2nd Mate had their Seaway endorsements, but our 1st and 3rd at that time didn't, so they brought on mates that had the endorsements. I know we took on pilots on that trip also.

[Russ]

Back when USS and other American companies began to run down the Seaway, they had to use pilots. However, on the early trips they usually carried extra officers. Once an individual completed six transits of the Seaway, he/she qualified for an "extension of route" on their license. With this license extension, they no longer needed pilots.

[Guest]

Great pictures and story Garbear to bad you got payed off in Montreal a month there for a young man would have been pretty enjoyable!

[garbear]

Garbear just checked into this thread and wanted to thank you sincerely for sharing your photos. Yu have some tremendous history and I enjoy seeing and also reading your experiences from the past in older posts and threads. Happy 4th Garbear!!

Rob Wolcott

Thanks for the kind words, Rob. I hadn't looked at most of my photos in probably 15 yrs. They sat in my ex-wife's basement. Finally called my son and he brought them over. It's been fun going thru my albums.
I'm on album #3 with about 18 to go. I'll try to post some of my better photos from time to time. See how it goes. Happy 4th to you Rob.

[Darryl]

Wow. The pictures of the keeling are real telling about what happen when they hit a rock bottom. That's pretty amazing. I presume the Blough's keel from Gros Cap Reef looked kind of like that.

Back on the Clarke, one would think that a Seaway pilot had to be aboard, but maybe the captain had obtained pilotage.

[Rob W]

Garbear just checked into this thread and wanted to thank you sincerely for sharing your photos. Yu have some tremendous history and I enjoy seeing and also reading your experiences from the past in older posts and threads. Happy 4th Garbear!!

Rob Wolcott

[garbear]

2 more from the vault.

[Paul A]

Love the Bicentennial livery snaps! Thanks for sharing all your photos garbear.

[garbear]

A couple patriotic photos heading into the 4th

[garbear]

A few more photos from Montreal.

[garbear]

A few more photos from Montreal.

[garbear]

Anyone have any info on the Clarke grounding near Clayton, NY that resulted in the visit to the Montreal floating dry dock?

It happened about 6 a.m. I was still sleeping and all of the sudden the boat started shaking and came to an abrupt stop. At first I thought we were making a lock, but I got up and went outside and she had a pronounced port list. I was told the mate on watch had the wheelsman go on the wrong side of a buoy. The captain was just getting up to the pilothouse and he supposedly said-"Mate, what are you doing?" He actually had called the mate by his first name, but I'm not using his name. By the time the captain saw what was going on, it was too late to do anything. When I went to work we spent our whole 4 hours taking off manhole covers in the tunnel so the 3rd mate could go into the tanks to see how much damage. I know a least one time the mate said there was no bottom left so he could put his foot into the St. Lawrence. Once we got going we got to Montreal, unloaded our corn and then went into the shipyard. This was 1972 and they estimated the damage at between $900,000-$1,000,000. Boat was at Canadian Vickers for about a month. The only deck crew they kept was the bosun, a watchman and a wheelsman. The rest of us they sent home. After we got back we went to Port Cartier to load ore that we took to Gary. It was near Clayton, NY where the grounding happened and it was only like 4 days before the Homer had her collision with the saltie in the Detroit River. Pretty much the whole port bottom was damaged.

http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/001266

[William Lafferty]

Anyone have any info on the Clarke grounding near Clayton, NY that resulted in the visit to the Montreal floating dry dock?

The Clarke grounded on Chapman Shoal on 1 October 1972 while loaded with corn, suffering extensive bottom damage.

[Guest]

Anyone have any info on the Clarke grounding near Clayton, NY that resulted in the visit to the Montreal floating dry dock?

I have not be able to find much on this incident but the book Twilight of the Great Lakes Steamer mentions the Clarke striking obstruction near the Snell Lock on October 1, 1972 that required extensive repairs at Montreal in that book's narrative of the vessel's Seaway operation prior to it 1974 lengthening. The Toronto Marine Historical Society's Scanner and GLMI's Telescope both agree with this account. I believe Clayton N.Y. is quite a distance from the Snell Lock so maybe this is a different accident.

[Guest in Toledo]

Thanks, garbear, for the picture. You actually do look like George Clooney.

[Fritz]

Anyone have any info on the Clarke grounding near Clayton, NY that resulted in the visit to the Montreal floating dry dock?

[hugh3]

The photo of the Clarke in the North Slip - if you were to look out over the steering pole you would see H.F. Mary's world famous bar!