" Sea Stories" Silent Night
Re: " Sea Stories" Silent Night
Thanks for the stories Cap! I really enjoy them. My wife as well.
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captrmetz
Re: " Sea Stories" Silent Night
In the spring shipping company's agreed to haul so many cargoes for that year with the grain people. That is why some ships run late in the season and then the last cargo is usually a storage cargo and will be off loaded some time during the winter.
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RCRVRP
Re: " Sea Stories" Silent Night
Very nice, thank you.
A question. Why do boats take on a load when they know it will be sitting undelivered all winter? I presume someone paid for the load when it was put on the boat, why would they want to have that money tied up all winter?
A question. Why do boats take on a load when they know it will be sitting undelivered all winter? I presume someone paid for the load when it was put on the boat, why would they want to have that money tied up all winter?
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Don_Detloff
- Posts: 136
- Joined: December 6, 2014, 5:37 pm
- Location: Fair Haven, MI
Re: " Sea Stories" Silent Night
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year, Capt.
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captrmetz
" Sea Stories" Silent Night
Silent Night
I received reports from our office that Georgian Bay was completely covered over with ice. The only vessel moving there was the John E. F. Misener, which was a few hours ahead of us, also heading for Midland, Ontario. If we could find and follow her track, we would have a better chance of not getting stuck in the ice.
We did pick up her track and played follow-the-leader. I knew if we got stuck out there, the ship would stay right where she was until the spring. But the day was bright with blue sky from horizon to horizon. The track was visible, and we plowed through the broken ice.
Off in the distance, I saw four deer running across the ice. I did not want them to plunge through the broken ice of the track and not be able to climb back out, so I blew a long blast from our ships whistle. The deer were within about 20 feet of falling in, when they spread their front legs and put on the
brakes. Their long ears came out in front of their faces as they slid to a complete stop. They heard that old steam whistle blowing. They sniffed the air, turned around, and headed back to shore. It was a good day.
We arrived at Midland, and the John Misener was unloading at the same elevator where we were to unload. There was no room at the dock for us to tie up to wait, so we stopped the ship just out from the elevator and let her freeze in the ice. After the Misener discharged her cargo, then we would move under the unloading leg. Until then, we were frozen in.
On December 25, 1980, frozen solid in the ice 100 feet out from shore, the crew of the H. C. Heimbecker celebrated Christmas. The galley staff prepared a wonderful feast. We had prime rib, roast duck, and all the delicious trimmings that went along, plus an assortment of cakes and candies. Of course, most of the crew would rather have been celebrating Christmas with their loved ones at home, but such was not the case. After dinner, the crew left the galley and went to their cabins to read or watch TV. The men on watch went back to the pilot house or engine room to finish standing their watch. The Chief and I sat for a while talking about the years that went by where we never made it home for Christmas and we just went along with it, this was our job, a way of life but a few of the younger crew members were very homesick. I do believe that if the ship would have been tied up to the dock a few of the deck hands would have quit and gone home. I said good night to the chief and thanked the galley crew for an excellent dinner and started up the deck to my cabin. The snow had stop falling and I could here the fresh snow crackling under my feet as I walked up the steel deck. I could smell the pure cold air and I could smell the smoke from the wood burning fireplaces from the houses on shore, the smoke slowing raising into the quiet air from the chimneys. It was a beautiful night so I walked up to the bow and looked at all the pretty twinkling Christmas lights that most of the homes were displaying. A good feeling came over me on how lucky I was to be out here this Christmas night, a Silent Night on a ship that was iced in a half mile from shore and so far from home and family. I would savor this night and the feelings and smells I had about being there knowing it will come to an end someday and I will always think back on this Silent Night Christmas 1980. And when Christmas rolls around each year, yes I was right, I do think of this night.
The Misener finished unloading the next day. The crew moved their ship to the end of the wall and secured it for the winter. The crew was paid off, and they all went home. On the 28th of December, we were unloaded, and tied up alongside of the Misener. After laying up the ship for the winter, I paid the crew off, except for the engineers, who still had some work
to finish quieting the steam plant for the winter. Everybody happily went home for a well-deserved rest and to spend what was left of Christmas with their families.
I received reports from our office that Georgian Bay was completely covered over with ice. The only vessel moving there was the John E. F. Misener, which was a few hours ahead of us, also heading for Midland, Ontario. If we could find and follow her track, we would have a better chance of not getting stuck in the ice.
We did pick up her track and played follow-the-leader. I knew if we got stuck out there, the ship would stay right where she was until the spring. But the day was bright with blue sky from horizon to horizon. The track was visible, and we plowed through the broken ice.
Off in the distance, I saw four deer running across the ice. I did not want them to plunge through the broken ice of the track and not be able to climb back out, so I blew a long blast from our ships whistle. The deer were within about 20 feet of falling in, when they spread their front legs and put on the
brakes. Their long ears came out in front of their faces as they slid to a complete stop. They heard that old steam whistle blowing. They sniffed the air, turned around, and headed back to shore. It was a good day.
We arrived at Midland, and the John Misener was unloading at the same elevator where we were to unload. There was no room at the dock for us to tie up to wait, so we stopped the ship just out from the elevator and let her freeze in the ice. After the Misener discharged her cargo, then we would move under the unloading leg. Until then, we were frozen in.
On December 25, 1980, frozen solid in the ice 100 feet out from shore, the crew of the H. C. Heimbecker celebrated Christmas. The galley staff prepared a wonderful feast. We had prime rib, roast duck, and all the delicious trimmings that went along, plus an assortment of cakes and candies. Of course, most of the crew would rather have been celebrating Christmas with their loved ones at home, but such was not the case. After dinner, the crew left the galley and went to their cabins to read or watch TV. The men on watch went back to the pilot house or engine room to finish standing their watch. The Chief and I sat for a while talking about the years that went by where we never made it home for Christmas and we just went along with it, this was our job, a way of life but a few of the younger crew members were very homesick. I do believe that if the ship would have been tied up to the dock a few of the deck hands would have quit and gone home. I said good night to the chief and thanked the galley crew for an excellent dinner and started up the deck to my cabin. The snow had stop falling and I could here the fresh snow crackling under my feet as I walked up the steel deck. I could smell the pure cold air and I could smell the smoke from the wood burning fireplaces from the houses on shore, the smoke slowing raising into the quiet air from the chimneys. It was a beautiful night so I walked up to the bow and looked at all the pretty twinkling Christmas lights that most of the homes were displaying. A good feeling came over me on how lucky I was to be out here this Christmas night, a Silent Night on a ship that was iced in a half mile from shore and so far from home and family. I would savor this night and the feelings and smells I had about being there knowing it will come to an end someday and I will always think back on this Silent Night Christmas 1980. And when Christmas rolls around each year, yes I was right, I do think of this night.
The Misener finished unloading the next day. The crew moved their ship to the end of the wall and secured it for the winter. The crew was paid off, and they all went home. On the 28th of December, we were unloaded, and tied up alongside of the Misener. After laying up the ship for the winter, I paid the crew off, except for the engineers, who still had some work
to finish quieting the steam plant for the winter. Everybody happily went home for a well-deserved rest and to spend what was left of Christmas with their families.
- Attachments
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- H.C. Heinbecker tied up for the winter.
- 062_Heimbecker-12-80-CDM-3-sm.jpg (15.95 KiB) Viewed 3303 times
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- Where we spent Christmas 1980
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- Following the ice path