Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Steamboater 66 at it again! Enjoy your coverage of the voyage and looking forward to more

0105h EDT We’d. June3/26
Ocean Tower, crane p82 barge, and assist tug Jarret M have almost completed their Welland canal transit.
They are at the wall north of lock 1 in the lead feeding from L Ontario. We shall have to wait and see whether they venture out or wait for daybreak. It seems like the L Erie crossing was a slog into the NE breeze. It’s been a LONG day for the crew.

1210h Tuesday. June 2/26
The Ocean Tower is still in L Erie. Almost 30 hours! Estimate they are 40-60 miles off Port Colborne.
Conditions are calm. Sunny no clouds. Temps are running 17-19C and the water is calm. The wind is blowing 4-5 knots and gusting to 9.Tug Jarret M has departed. I suspect they will tie up overnight in Port Colborne and transit Welland Canal in the daylight Wednesday.

1734h Mon. June2/26
Just looked at Ocean Tower/crane progress today since 0939h. SLOW would be gone key word.
Shore reference….they're coming abreast Wheatley ON in the next hour or so. At 0930h they were off Harrow.
Land straight line driving distance is about 45 miles. Okay! Gonna be a LONGGG run,!
Remember, L Erie is just under 180 miles long fromDetroit R light to Buffalo. From the light to Welland Canal at Port Colborne would be about 170ish. NE breeze on Erie is blowing 7-11 knots…they’re..e sailing into it!
Side story…tug Jarret M has been wth OT since last night at Detroit. Was thinking OT might be having an issue. I bet it’s the breeze.

1247h Mon. June1/26
As of my previous update and a look on ais 0930 today; it appears the tow overnighted moored south of the Ambassador Bridge/Detroit. 0930 today were passing Belle Isle. Under sunny, clear skies the tow is mid L Erie abreast of Harrow ON. Ocean Tower is making 7-8 knots in calm water. Temp is 18-20 C.Since Detroit, the Canadian tug Jarret M is following just astern OT. No communication from either tug. Trust all is OK with Ocean Tower. Three years ago, I think it was, Jarret M assisted on tow of Crane P 70 as the “ braking” tug on the run down the St. Clair River. I think the lead tug was Sarah Dann on that tow to Maine.

2225h Sun. May 31/26
Ocean Tower and crane tow p82 downbound cleared the BlueWater bridges at about 1345h this afternoon. Everything in its place, very shipshape as I expected it would be. Only signs of life aboard were a few shadowy figures in the lower pilot house windows and the fact that they were moving at something a little less than 10 knots. Not a soul on deck.
Position at 2200h was some distance south of the Ambassador Bridge and north of the Old Rouge River Channel at 0.0 knots and along the wall just aft of the Iver Bright. Perhaps dinner/ break time after a long day sail from just north of Alpena.

1255h Sun. May 31/26
Big blue crane is about 20-30 min. above the BW bridge coming down off L Huron.
Great day for a view of the tow at the Port Huron cam. It’s gonna be crowded!

It is 2155h Sat. May 30/26
Ocean Tower is in L Huron downbound roughly abreast Alpena. The tow is making 7-8 kts in calm water.
Sunday looks like it will be a fine day. Temps will range from 8 C to 17-18C by afternoon. The wind will be NW 8-16 kts and the water calm. Port Huron will likely be crowded as the tow comes off L Huron into the St. Clair River. Great viewing spot!

1045 EST Sat. May 30/26
At 1040h the Ocean Tower and p82 passed under the Mackinac bridge enroute into Lake Huron.

0845 EST May 29/26
There is a small at nbc 26.com/crane p82 this morning. A small picture and story the departure to Hawaii.

0004h Friday Mayo 29/26
Well, good to hear from guest that it’s in the Manitowoc Herald. Being at some distance and trying to pinpoint departure for the Pearl Harbor tow via this forum has been sketchy. I followed and posted updates pretty much from start to finish on the November start and run round to Seattle.
Hope to be able to cover this one as well. That was a good post today. Time to bunk down; the excitement is coming.

Blue crane still here. Local paper says going out at 7 in the morning5/29/26. workers are putting a banner on it around the support support boxes for the boom. Do not know why but they have taken off the boom cable support frame work and its lock down frame work looks like it is now on the barge deck. Will see if it goes in the morning. Hope it gets tracked on its travel like the last one Thanks for doing that.

5/27/26 noon. Went by the crane and saw the boom is lowered down and locked in place . The upper cable structure is lowered down on the barge deck and people are locking it down. The heavy moving supplies are being loaded on trucks and leaving the dock area. Talk around town is that is leaving Manitowoc on Thursday but do not know that for sure. Keep watching the boat tracker .

0105h EST Wed. May 27/26
Was scanning the Ocean Tower/BIG Blue section of the forum again.
Mr. Link, I checked out your forwarded link. Although different than my NBC26.com/cranep82; yours took me to the same video I referenced finding back on Monday. Nice to hear Fromm you.
Guest Tuesday…nice post again. Lots of details such as the part about “ big cranes being used to lift parts or BIG Blue aboard the barge!

Tuesday after noon. Went by the crane loading area and saw that the barge has been turned around and the last of the 8 tie down tubes is being installed. A person on a man lift was working near the cable end of the boom. 3 shipping containers with the boom tie down frame is in place . Thinking that once boom is lowered on to its lock down that the upper cable structure can start to be taken down and locked down. 2 big Manitowoc cranes are being used for moving the parts on the barge. I thought that the barge was shorter than the last one but there is plenty of length for the boom to nest on. Will try to keep tract of the goings on .

Correct link (hopefully): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKXWdoa8GI

If by chance the link doesn't work, the video is currently on NBC 26's YouTube page, and does not appear to be on their website.

The video doesn't appear. Check the address please.

2136h EST Mon. May 25/26
Just read Guest’s report on what he saw when he went by the Kone yard earlier this evening. That was a really good description. Between his description and photos from the November transit one can get a pretty good idea of what is going on. Thank you!
In my earlier post this afternoon about the video came across I’ve realized I left out in the web address I put forward.
It should be …nbc26.com/ crane p82.That should open a news video about what’s going on and departure for you.

Went by the crane works tonight and see that the crane is now on the barge. One of the 4 upper tie down rods are on 3 more to go plus the 4 lower tie down rods. The upper structure is still in place. The barge looks shorter than the last one the boom will hang out over the end of the barge. Will try to check on the load tomorrow.

1516h EDT Mon.. May 25/26
Answered my own questions!!
Two days ago posted questions around the recent return of Ocean Tower to Manitowoc and a big crane tow.I asked others with access to the Kone Crane or harbor at Manitowoc on the forum and into this thread to send in whatever they might see going on in prep for this upcoming tow.
I found the answer this afternoon…
Get on your “googler” and search…NBC36.com/crane.