Boatnerd Discussion Forum

2350h Sunday, June14/26
Ocean Tower is moored tonight. The tow entered New York Harbor tonight at 2105h. I have no specifics as to how long they will stay. I have no knowledge as to the operating condition of the tug or equipment relating to the tow.Most likely this will be a restocking of necessary onboard living supplies as well as refuelling and any supplies on the technical side of tugboat operation.

0047h EDT Sat. June 13/26
Ocean Tower is proceeding towards her first major stop, NYC on Sunday. Friday was spent navigating the Cape Cod Canal. It provides a shortcut that allows vessels to avoid sailing round the Cape. It is relatively straight, about 17 miles long,some 400 ft wide, and has a depth of about 34 ft. It is maintained and regulated by the ACE. Despite its height; with its boom lowered, the height of the crane/barge is 104 ft. The canal bridge crossings clearances are 135 feet. Cruise and cargo ships sail this route.
The tow looks to be about 70 miles offshore SE of New Bedford, Mass. and will pass Fall River very early today and gradually re enter the Atlantic and on into NYC, Sunday night. She is making 5 kts in rain. Temp is 22 deg.C. Waves are 0.5m.
The Cape Cod Canal was a true revelation to me. It was used last trip enroute to Seattle region.as well Somehow I was not aware of that! Live and learn!
There is a lot of info about the CCC on the web for those of you who might like to know more.

1148h EDT Thurs. June 11/26
Ocean Tower has cleared SW Nova Scotia and is 70-80 miles at sea. Close to entering the Gulf of Maine. They are making 7 kts under overcast skies. The temp is 24C. Winds are almost still at 4 kts. The sea is calm, ripples at 0.7m.
New York arrival is still scheduled for Sunday , June 14.

Thanks for the update. Your reports are greatly appreciated

00:34h EDT Thurs.June 11/26
The Ocean Tower is at sea roughly 60 miles off the SW coast of Nova Scotia coming abreast Cape Sable. Cape Sable is located on mainland NS. It is nowhere near the Sable Islands. Those islands are SE of the mainland at a distance of 300 km at sea. The tow is making 6.7 kts in a relatively calm sea with wavelets in the 1.2 m range. Under cloudy skies the temp is 27 deg. C. Winds are SW 11kts. Navigationally, the arrival in New York is tentatively set for Sunday June 14.
Thanks to Mr. Link for input relating to Canso Canal which the tow used on Tuesday. The clarification was made Canso Canal was closed to shipping in November 2025 when on that tow to Seattle, they had to circumnavigate Cape Breton Island to get into the Atlantic Ocean. A huge extra distance and consumer of time.

Steamboater66 wrote: June 9, 2026, 11:45 am If you followed last Fall trip to Seattle area they went way up and around NS. They ran into horrid weather. Will be interesting to see how long the Canso Canal run takes and if it can be done with no glitches.

The Canso Canal closed last year on November 24th. About a month earlier than normal so that they could do some upgrades/heavy maintenance. So it was not available for passage on the Ocean Tower's last "Big Blue" tow. I suspect that they would have used it in 2025 if it had been open.

1301h EDT June 9/26
Further to my last post re:Canso Canal…
Alamy.com/stock-photo/canso causeway may be accessible for any who might be following the crane tow.

1228h EDT Tues. June 9/26
As I reported earlier this morning; Ocean Tower was in the bay fronting Port Hawkesbury NS. My thoughts were…maybe a weather bail out from the Strait, maybe tug or tow tech issues, or use of Canso Canal.
This is to report the chose the Canso Canal and are in it now at about 4 kts. Google Canso Canal for more on that.
Bottom line is…it will bring them out to the south coast of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean. It will be a slow, tight run
but the canal can accommodate Seaway sized vessels. The big deal is; this will save 100’s of miles and days of sailing up and around the north tip of NS. If you followed last Fall trip to Seattle area they went way up and around NS. They ran into horrid weather. Will be interesting to see how long the Canso Canal run takes and if it can be done with no glitches.

1040h EDT Tues. June 9/26
Ocean Tower has moved off the Northumberland Strait at 5.7 kts into the bay fronting Port Hawkesbury, NS. The temperature is mid teens deg. C.The skies are mixed/changeable. Winds are 4 kts gusting 8. It will be interesting to see what the next few hours will involve.

1240 EDT Tues. June 9/26
Ocean Tower is in the Northumberland Strait just coming abreast Tatamagouche NS about 40 nm at sea this early, early morning.She’s making 7.8 kts in a relatively calm sea for this region…swells are 0.8 m. The temp is 11 C. The wind is WSW and steady at 4 kts.

1240h EDT Mon.. June 8/26
The tow is making time this run! They are abreast Tracadie NB sailing at about 8 kts. Seas are running SE at 1.3m. The temp is in the 12-15 deg. C zone. The breeezes are SE 4 kts gusting to 8.

Steamboater66 wrote: June 7, 2026, 11:53 pm 0038h EDT Mon. June 8/26
That means they have spent the day passing Canada’s easternmost mainland coast; the Gaspe Peninsula.

A little correction: The Gape is not the eastern part of Mainland Canada, that is in Labrador. Not even the Most eastern in Quebec as the North shore extends quite a bit further.

0038h EDT Mon. June 8/26
Ocean Tower is abreast Cap d’Espoir of the Gaspe peninsula. That means they have spent the day passing Canada’s easternmost mainland coast; the Gaspe Peninsula.
They are making great speed; 8.8kts through 1.3 m waves…relatively calm seas for this region. Part of the speed is likely due to a wind jolt out of the N at 8 kts gusting to 18! A push from behind during those gusts.
Cloudy skies are prevailing. The temperature is 10 C. Looks like today will bring more rain.

0038h EDT Mon. June 8/26
Ocean Tower is abreast Cap d’Espoir of the Gaspe peninsula. That means they have spent the day passing Canada’s easternmost mainland coast; the Gaspe Peninsula.
They are making great speed; 8.8kts through 1.3 m waves…relatively calm seas for this region. Part of the speed is likely due to a wind jolt out of the N at 8 kts gusting to 18! A push from behind during those gusts.
Cloudy skies are prevailing. The temperature is 10 C. Looks like today will bring more rain.

1241h EDT Sun. June7/26
Following up on last post…Ocean Tower seems to be churning off the miles. Despite dodgy conditions last night; they've put almost 100 miles behind her. Just now they are roughly 40 miles off the Gaspe Peninsula just starting on the curve SE into the Cabot Strait. They are making strong speed at 8.8 kts in relatively calm water with a swell of 0.8m from the E.
The skies are clearing for their afternoon. Winds are ESE at 7-8kts gusting to 13. Temperature is 13 deg. C. This metro info is based on data from the airport at Baie Comeau. Located roughly 120 miles behind the tow; BC is the only reliable English language source my weather provider had full info for. Also, this is a very sparsely populated area of widely spread communities.

2238h EDT Sat. June 6/26
Ocean Tower is working hard tonight. She is 40 miles E of Rimouski sailing under cloudy skies and rain. They are making 5.6 kts into both E wind and seas.
The wind is blowing 5 kts gusting 10-15. The temperature is 10-2 deg. C.
Guest Paul A…thank you for your compliment!

They have dropped off the river pilot at les escoumins and are now traveling on the south shore of the st lawrence river. Likily go between PEI and NB and thru the canso canal on cape breton island

1030 CDT 6/6 shows at 40*24'N, 69*3'W near Rimouski on Marine Traffic.
Hope it shows up again Steamboater66, I enjoy your posts.

Seamboaer66 wrote: June 5, 2026, 11:40 pm 1223EDT Fri. June 5/26
Sometime today the ais map on Boatnerd no longer showed the position icon for the Ocean Tower tug-crane tow.
I have gone back a few times. It is not there. This is surprising and disappointing! I was able to follow the whole
trip to Puget Sound on our map here. Such positional info is basic to researching these updates.
Today they’d be somewhere NE of Montreal. On that basis I can say the temp is 13 deg.C. The winds will rise tomorrow a.m. to 15 kts. It is possible by mid afternoon that gusts to30 in rain and thunderstorms will be likely.

You understand that position information for AIS is sent by VHF and is only 12.5 Watts and completely dependent on base stations picking up said signal.. Other AIS sights will get information from satellite and for that you have to pay.

1223EDT Fri. June 5/26
Sometime today the ais map on Boatnerd no longer showed the position icon for the Ocean Tower tug-crane tow.
I have gone back a few times. It is not there. This is surprising and disappointing! I was able to follow the whole
trip to Puget Sound on our map here. Such positional info is basic to researching these updates.
Today they’d be somewhere NE of Montreal. On that basis I can say the temp is 13 deg.C. The winds will rise tomorrow a.m. to 15 kts. It is possible by mid afternoon that gusts to30 in rain and thunderstorms will be likely.