Ocean Tower is back…

[Steamboater66]

2355hj EDTnSunday June 21/26
On a course of 224 deg. Ocean Tower continues the south to the Panama Canal. Seas are calm with any waves being in the 0.6- 0.8m ,range. Under clouds they are making 7.1 kts. The temp. is 26C. Winds areSE gusting 9 kts.
Waves are running from the SW.

[Steamboater66]

1127h EDT Sunday June 21/26
Ocean Tower is roughly 60 nm at sea east of Cape Hatteras Light. They are running at 6.1 kts into a SE breeze at 12kts gusting 14. Seas are relatively calm at 0.8 m out of the SW. Skies are a sun-cloud mix.

[Steamboater66]

0020h EDT Sunday, June 21/26
Ocean Tower continues her voyage on a generally southward heading. On this cloudy night she is about 30 nm
at sea off Currituck Beach Light VA. This is located on a very narrow lengthy spit of land for which I cannot find a name. The water is quite calm with wavelets out of the S of around 0.40 m. They are making 6.5 kts. Air temp is 23-25C. Winds are S at 8kts gusting 14. Marine traffic is very sparse in this area tonight.

[Steamboater]

1235h Sat. June 20/26
The blue crane p-82 and Ocean Tower are on a 208 deg. course at 7.1 kts. Passed Cape May over night.They are about 60 nm at sea off the Virginia coast. My land reference for weather is Richmond Va. Temperature is just near 30 C. Wind is W at 7 kts gusting 11. Skies are broken Sun-cloud. The sea is running E-W at 0.5m. Looks like a calm sailing day so far.

[Steamboater66]

2302h EDT Friday June 19/26
Thanks algowest for your acknowledgement from 0744 h this morning…,
At this time the tow is cruising at 7.1 kts on a 204 heading. The sea is calm ,with 0.6 m wave level. As I posted this noon, they were passing Sandy Hook NY. Now they are about 55 nm at sea approaching Cape May, near the mouth of Delaware Bay. The sailing distance Sandy Hook to Cape May is about 110 nm. Temp is 23C. Wind is WNW at 11 kts gusting 15-17 kts. Wavelets are running out of the SE. The sky is clear. Nice night cruise with hundreds of tons following closely astern.

[Stramboater66]

1052h EDT Friday June 19/26
Ocean Tower is departing NYC as I write. She has passed Sandy Hook, approaching Coney Isand in mid channel seaward bound at 6.5 kts.

[algowest]

Reading your description of Cape Cod Canal reminded me of JW Shelley (former Algocen).
She transited Cape Cod Canal (yes, a laker transit of CCC!) back on Aug. 31, 2008, on her way back from NY/NJ refit to Great Lakes for her new owners.

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.

[Steamboater66]

1015h EDT Thurs. June 18/26
Ocean Tower is underway this morning. They appear to be heading outbound on the Hudson River approaching Brooklyn at 8.5 knots.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Steamboaater66]

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.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Guest]

Thanks for the update. Your reports are greatly appreciated

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Mr Link]

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.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Guest]

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.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Steamboater66]

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.

[Guest]

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.