by Jon Paul » May 8, 2021, 9:20 am
On April 8, 1980 the Courtney Burton tried to enter the Duluth Ship Canal. For days a strong east wind had packed brash ice into the far western end of Lake Superior and during mid day as the Burton worked their way through the ice they became stuck about half a ships length inside the pier heads. G tugs Vermont and Rhode Island were dispatched to help. They too became stuck and were unable to assist. The captain on the Burton decided to try to back out of the canal but heavy rolling waves from the east pushed the stern of the Burton to the north and at one point the Burton became perpendicular to the piers. Rolling at times as much as 30 degrees. Capt Sam Ring was able to slowly get some headway once clear of the canal and avoided being t-boned on the end of the piers and made their way back to open lake and anchor.
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On April 8, 1980 the Courtney Burton tried to enter the Duluth Ship Canal. For days a strong east wind had packed brash ice into the far western end of Lake Superior and during mid day as the Burton worked their way through the ice they became stuck about half a ships length inside the pier heads. G tugs Vermont and Rhode Island were dispatched to help. They too became stuck and were unable to assist. The captain on the Burton decided to try to back out of the canal but heavy rolling waves from the east pushed the stern of the Burton to the north and at one point the Burton became perpendicular to the piers. Rolling at times as much as 30 degrees. Capt Sam Ring was able to slowly get some headway once clear of the canal and avoided being t-boned on the end of the piers and made their way back to open lake and anchor.
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