Boatnerd Discussion Forum

MDM: If you look at the specs for the Canadian ships on the CCG website, the Griffon and Risley both have actual Arctic Ice classifications, much more than 'some degree of icebreaking capability'. The fact that damage is happening to the ships is testiment to the fact that this ice year (which started back in December) has been brutal and running machinery at 100+% for months will take a toll on everything - machinery and crew included. I say 100+% because the engines will run at 100% indefinately, but the introduction of ice into the propellers causes shock loads which the engines then have to go into an overload condition to clear the ice.

The CCG have two icebreaker/buoy tenders permanently assigned to the great lakes. CCGS Griffon and CCGS Samuel Risley.

It looks like the Canadians are breaking their vessels almost as fast as the United States Coast Guard in early spring ice operations. This is their medium ice breaking class vessel and is never going to see the Great Lakes. The Canadian Coast Guard has No vessels currently assigned to the Lakes classed as ice breakers. Some (2 at most) vessels are, like all of the USCG vessels on the Lakes, classed as multi-role vessels with some degree of ice breaking capability.

Absolutely fascinating information. Thank you to Mr. Link and to Mac Mackay.

One link leads to another and then another.. Following these links has just cost me a couple of hours gentlemen. Shame on you.

By the looks of it the old Mackinaw, at 10,000 hp, would've just squeezed onto that world list. I wonder whether her wide shallow hull would've been seaworthy out on the oceans.

Here is a link to a chart by the US Coast Guard of the world's major icebreakers. They define major as over 10,000 brake horsepower so the [b]Mackinaw[/b], at 9119 bhp, isn't large enough to be on the list.

[url]http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg552/docs/20130718%20Major%20Icebreaker%20Chart.pdf[/url]

As Mac Mackay posted, the [b]CGS Louis S. St-Laurent[/b] is too wide for the Seaway and both she and [b]CCGS Terry Fox[/b] exceed Seaway draft limitations.

On the U.S. side, the only vessel listed that could make it into the Great Lakes is the [b]Nathaniel B. Palmer[/b], which is privately owned but chartered to the US National Science Foundation.

Yes he Pierre Radisson got a very sold bump on the stern east of Anticosti Island on or about March 14. It depressed the flight deck a couple of feet over the stern and warped some of the rails at the very stern.
From what I understand it was all above the waterline, and no repairs will be made until after the end of the season.
I have not been able to identify the other ship.

The Canadian Coast Guard's web site gives bare details on the icebreaker fleet, ranking them in terms of power at:
www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/CCG-icebreakers

They also show length and draft of each ship, but not width. CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is too wide for the Seaway and both she and CCGS Terry Fox exceed Seaway draft limitations.

Curious that the Radisson has a hull shape more reminiscent of the old Mackinaw (1) than any recent boats.

I'd be interested in somebody providing a hierarchical list of the most capable ice breakers in both the Canadian & US Coast Guards combined...maybe including those not on the lakes. I'm guessing the Radisson would be near the top of the list?

I thought I read on the News Page, that the Canadians will be bringing in yet another icebreaker and that it will be heading to the upper Great Lakes region and area. The one mentioned I heard of was the Des Groseilliers similar I guess to the Pierre Radisson. This icebreaker the Des Groseilliers like the Radisson has been here before in the Great Lakes breaking ice but, it has many years ago since they last were here.

My guess is the Radisson will head all the way to either the Straits or Lakes Superior as it did in 1996.

Not sure I'd call it a "big" bang, but the upper deck outside the helicopter garage looks damaged.
http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbsb/images-14-1/4-pierre-25-03-14-rb.jpg

BTW watching AIS this morning, @05:50, Pierre Radisson was outside the Port Weller piers leading Algoma Equinox. @07:08, Radisson had passed through Lock 1.

I note a comment in the News that says "CCGS Pierre Radisson will break out the Welland Canal, where ice is reported to be piled as deep as 12-14 feet at the mouth of the canal." Unfortunately this doesn't say if it is Port Weller or Port Colborne. Since Radisson appears to have passed the Port Weller end easily, I guess it is headed to Port Colborne to clear ice before the CSL ships depart. That makes sense as Lake Erie is frozen over and Lake Ontario isn't.

Steve

Looks like she has a big bang on her fantail?