Federal Biscay Entrapment in Snell Lock

[Judie]

Freed.

[guest]

pulled free of lock 12:24 today

[Guest]

Looks like a towing/icebreaking job for USCGC MACKINAW (WAGB-83)

[Guest]

The Seaway makes no guarantees of downbound passages for
"wintering" vessels, which are vessels not in the Lakes by December 9. In this case, that's the Billiesborg and Mitiq. I suspect that if they do damage to the lock chamber they're going to have bigger problems than a stuck ship.

[Guest]

As for the possibility of leaving the Federal Biscay in the lock over the winter, isn't that likely to damage the ship and possibly the lock?

Isn't the Snell lock normally "dewatered" over the winter (like most of the others) to minimize the amount of water capable of freezing and expanding? That involves closing the upstream gates and opening the downstream ones, which can't be done given the present circumstances.

The Snell Lock used to have covers (kind of like hatch covers) that could be installed in the winter but they seem to have disappeared around 2016. The companion Eisenhower Lock still has its piles of covers stacked nearby, but I don't know how often the get used, if at all, any more.

[Guest]

At this point they need to resign themselves to these ships spending the winter in the system and figure out how to avoid this again.

Agree! And let the law suits begin.

[Guest]

At this point they need to resign themselves to these ships spending the winter in the system and figure out how to avoid this again.

[edm]

Have they tried lots and lots of dish soap ?

[Guest]

This site is reporting Friday afternoon (Jan 5) that Federal Biscay may have broken her propeller while attempting to back out of the lock:

https://twitter.com/theshipwatcher

[Guest]

Besides potential hull damage to the Federal Biscay, there is also a real likelihood of damage to the concrete in the Snell Lock.

[Guest]

In the mid-1970s demonstration attempts were done at the Poe Lock to look at the removal of the ice collar in the lock and along the mitre gates.

They used a chemical polymer coating on the lock walls, along with using a coal, using high-pressure steam lance and tracked excavators.

Anyways, you can read about it in this document from the USACE.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... R4qlicO43a

[rh]

For every attempt to free her ice is broken up around her. Every time this is done it drives big pieces of ice down deeper carrying with it extreme cold to the depths.
Every failed attempt makes the situation worse!
They will soon have it frozen to the bottom.

I suspect that may be the case already. Is it possible ice was dragged into the lock below the hull when the ship entered and it built up on the lock sill? If so it would be "aground" on the ice buildup as well as wedged on the sides.

A very bad situation in any event. As I mentioned in another thread I am concerned about damage to the lock gates from brute force attempts to free the ship that would make the situation worse.

[rh]

Last evening AIS showed the tug Ocean Tundra operating around the lower wall at Snell. I see it is at the Beauharnois upper wall now. It apparently made a run up to Snell and back to break ice to keep the channel open.

[RCRVRP]

Who pays for the tugs brought to free the ship?

[Guest]

Looking at the pictures, it appears that the Biscay is partially into the lock, which means that the upper gates are open and the lower gates are closed so I don't see how a tug in the river below the lower gates would be of any use.

Regards, John

[Guest]

A couple of people have managed to snap pictures from a distance:

http://www.wwnytv.com/story/37193802/st ... way-system

http://www.wwnytv.com/story/37181174/tu ... k-in-locks

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recollect seeing built-in drum winches on the St Lawrence or Welland locks, which might be helpful in cases like this.

The Erie Canal has a drum winch at each end of every lock that can be used to "sling" an unpowered barge or broken down boat out. Most hadn't been used for years, but they all got a workout recently during the Genesee beer tank move (summer 2017). Maybe things like this wouldn't work in the deeper St Lawrence/Welland locks though.

[Guest]

I was thinking steam to melt both the lock wall and ship sides

[Denny]

I believe starting on Sunday we start to gradually warm up and finally get out of this deep freeze! If they don’t have her out by Sunday, with some luck and changes to the weather pattern that could help them. Time will tell and guess we will have to wait and see. All I know and can say is lots of lessons to be learned from this ordeal! I can’t even begin to imagine what the cost of all this is and the hours spent as well?

[Dwrozeboom]

They brought trucks with boilers (from Montreal, I imagine) to melt the ice. The ship is halfway into the lock. Starting Friday we will have 3 days of frigid water so hopefully they get it out soon.
I also thought maybe they could install warm water piping around the locks near the water level like the radiant heat people often install in their basements.

[Ray]

Why don't they have bubbler systems in the locks? Fairly low-tech and old school solution to keep ice from forming. Could help flush brash ice out of the lock as well.