The way it use to be.

[Guest]

The Badger uses her anchor almost every time she ties up in Ludville , unless things have changed since I was on it. The art is not completely dead yet.

[A J]

Thanks Capt. Metz, wasn't aware that the anchors were used for handling the boat, very intriguing concept and explanation. Getting the most out of what you got!


Alex

[GLGKen]

Several years ago, I got to watch the Badger dock at Manitowoc multiple times during that season.
Fantastic watching the skill the crew had using the anchor in conjunction with slowing her down, and turning, to back into the carferry slip.
My hats off to all the crews making it look easy!

[captrmetz]

Well you use your anchors for so many different reasons if you do not have a bow thruster or twin screws kort nozzle to work with. Several times coming into Burns Harbor with a strong North wind I had to half speed to line up the piers then ring up full speed to get her inside the piers once the stern is inside I had to go full astern and drop the stern anchor to slow her down,and drop the port anchor to turn the bow toward the dock after I picked up the stern anchor. At shell oil dock for fuel at Sarnia with the wind pushing the ship toward the dock once I got about 100 ft from the dock I let go my port anchor and keep letting out the anchor chain till i was up against the dock. When refueled put the rudder hard to starboard go slow a head and heave in on the anchor to bring the bow away from the dock and the stern pick up the anchor and continual up the river. For turning or stopping the anchor is the most important piece of equipment aboard a ship.

[hugh3]

Using an anchor for ship handling is determined by a number of factors: what is the final outcome - docking, turning around, etc. conditions - wind and from what direction, depth of water, amount of chain used, planning and experience.....

[Darryl]

Captain, great to hear from you once again. Will you explain to us how you used the anchors for shiphandling?

Thanks,

Alex

In addition to Capt. Metz's answer there is a great book hopefully, and probably, still available through Boatnerd by Capt. Ray McGrath with a number of diagrams in it that explains how he used anchors all the time to maneuver all the 600 foot boats he was master on.

[Lakercapt]

The first laker I sailed was underpowered and provision had to be made and thought about how to approach a berth etc. Going under the Blue Water Bridge at Sarnia the C/E called and told me he had to shut down one boiler. I must have taken about an hour to get up to buoys7 & 8 causing traffic to be delayed and my ears to be ringing.
The anchor was shiney with all the times I had to use it and an art the is lost now with powerful thrusters bow and stern, good brake too!!

[A J]

Captain, great to hear from you once again. Will you explain to us how you used the anchors for shiphandling?

Thanks,

Alex

[capt r metz]

Thank you for your very kind words. I usually don't write stories in the summer time but last summer the wife and I took the M/V Ranger III to Isle Royale and back. The captain of the Ranger was notified that there was a Capt. Metz and his wife aboard. The captain extended a captains courtesy to another captain to visit the pilot house, which I did. He was a young man and he showed me around all the navigation equipment they have aboard. I was amazed at the things they have today to navigate a ship. I thought to myself, how could anyone go wrong, but they still do.
Then the captain asked me how it was done back in my day. I answered that I never had a ship equipped with a bow thruster when I sailed. A skipper had to know what his ship could and could not do. In boat maneuvering all I had to work with was the engine and the anchors which I think is a lost art today because of bow thrusters and twin screws.
The captain and mates listened to my stories intensely and the only word the captain said to me was 'very primitive'. The captain told me the only time I lowered my anchor is each spring for a U.S. Coast Guard inspection. I answered back that I had the shiniest anchors on the Great Lakes.

[Odysseus]

@captrmetz

First of all, thank you for all you have shared and continue to share here of the adventures you had as a laker captain. I've thoroughly enjoyed every story you've offered, and apologize if I haven't remarked as much in each of your offerings.

My hope for you is that will be offered as an excursion: a guest on one of these modern boats. 1000 footer or maybe just something newer: either way, just to see how they handle, the new gear they use, and of course, just for the joy of the ride.

I hope you can have this. I would give my eye teeth for that.

[west end Dave]

As a boy, I would deliver groceries to the boats refueling at the Sterling Fuel dock in Windsor . Fresh steaks, pork chops, ground beef etc. All very high quality cuts !
No real concern for discounts or lesser quality items.
My have times changed .

[RCRVRP]

Great to hear from you again, I love your stories.

Between you and Laker Captain I have learned a lot about the real life on the lakes and sea.

[Guest]

You made many great points of how things changed over your long career on the lakes. I have bought your books and continue reread your stories.

What I find just as amazing was the long transition from steam to diesel boats. Even today steam lingers on, on the lakes. The lake boats sailed for 50 years and more. A remarkable feat.

In contrast many railroads dieselized over a course of a few years with steam mostly gone by 1957 and dead by 1960 across North America.
The old lake boats were doomed by the never ending down turn in great lake shipping and the development of 1000 footers. I wish you well . Hope you get your trip.

[Rob W]

Capt Metz,

What we have now in terms of technology, is at the point that someone in their mid-30's like me is surprised at the info we now have at our fingertips.

Great read cap!

Rob W

[Darryl]

Amen, Cap! I sailed from 1972 through 1975. Then I came back and sailed off and on these past 20 years since 1997 when they needed extra sailors in the busier years. Two completely different eras. I feel fortunate to have sailed those earlier times. There was pride in the shipping companies, pride in the job. Officers on some lines still wore uniforms. Those that wanted to move ahead, could do so easily. Card games abound on the upbound voyage when light. There was little obvious "homesteading," and "running off," back then from my experiences. In 1980 when they made the plans for offshoring manufacturing, they really put in motion a series of changes that have reached fruition these days.

[captrmetz]

Today, April 27, 1964, I started my sailing career 53 years ago as a Ordinary Seamen aboard the S/S Thomas Wilson. I am in my 80s now and retired in 1999. There are not to many of us old guys around anymore.

The newer captains of today have no idea the way it was in the 1960s with their 1000 ft ships with accommodations aft and powerful diesel engines. They will never experience sailing a ship built at the turn of the century and only 500 to 620 feet long and 35 telescope sliding hatches with tarps held down by strong backs and batten boards with clamps and tarps frozen with ice and snow. A coal steam engine that the speed was only 8 knts and spewing fly ash all over the deck.. Never get the thrill in a gale with the pilot house forward and the bow hitting a high wave head on and to feel the bow go down in the trough and have the stern come out of the water with the prop shaking the whole ship and the engineer cutting the speed down then when the stern settled down give her full steam ahead and the bow coming up and through a wall of water over the pilot house and freezing all the window with ice and had to put a small heater in the front window so the old man could see out. No tunnels to walk through to get fwd & aft to get to the galley, instead there was a wire cable strung up from the pilot house to the after cabins and a hook up to the cable for the man who wanted to go aft and back fwd. so in a sea he would not get washed off the deck. The galley served fine food and no store bought bread all home made bread, rolls, pie and steak that was 1 1/2 thick. The wheelsmen had to stand and steer by hand and if the wheel was brass his hands would smell of brass. The wheelsmen had to steer by a compass point not a degree. The skipper had a old RCA radar and only used it in fog but was not very good, it took several minutes to make one complete sweep and by that time the target had disappeared until the next sweep. The use of RDF found the ship position and remember the " Cock Hat" ?

Then in later years we got Omega, Decca, Loran -C and now GPS. Weather forecast was announced twice daily at 0700 and 1900 hrs. on AM radios now it is FM, from WMI Lorain and WAS Duluth. I remember Audrey from WAS she was on for years.Now we get weather 24 hours a day and more accurate. And they used to display red pennants and lights for warnings. The buoys were Red & Black, the fog single was 3 distinct blasts from the ship's whistle now it is only one blast. Seamen used to wear cork life jackets, Splicing wire, Use a Polaris, Set up a taffrail Log on the stern for the ship's speed, Maneuvering boards and plastic try angles to plot the true course and speed of ships on radar.

At the Soo Locks we used all four locks and sometimes the Canadian Lock. We had calling in points all along the St. Mary's River and the skipper use to blow the whistle for the lock master and he would single back what lock to use by flashing a series of amber lights. Many times we had to reduce our speed or anchor because of all the traffic. Once in the lock vendors with bikes use to come along side of the ship selling papers, tobacco and candy but not any more. We always had to display the yellow flag with a black dot or inspection flag before we entered the lock. I used to climb up the fwd or aft mast to change the light bulbs and in freezing weather climb up the rear ladder on the pilot house to chip away ice so the scanner would rotate, now they do not do things we had to do. No bow thrusters or twin screws to handle a ship - it was anchors and ship handing.

I am glad to have sailed the way we used to it but I would not mind going for a trip on a 1000 footer and see all the new things they have today.