Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Steamboater66 wrote: June 7, 2026, 11:53 pm 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.

0038h EDT Mon. June 8/26
Ocean Tower is abreast Cap d’Espoir of the Gaspe peninsula. That means they have spent the day passing Canada’s easternmost mainland coast; the Gaspe Peninsula.
They are making great speed; 8.8kts through 1.3 m waves…relatively calm seas for this region. Part of the speed is likely due to a wind jolt out of the N at 8 kts gusting to 18! A push from behind during those gusts.
Cloudy skies are prevailing. The temperature is 10 C. Looks like today will bring more rain.

0038h EDT Mon. June 8/26
Ocean Tower is abreast Cap d’Espoir of the Gaspe peninsula. That means they have spent the day passing Canada’s easternmost mainland coast; the Gaspe Peninsula.
They are making great speed; 8.8kts through 1.3 m waves…relatively calm seas for this region. Part of the speed is likely due to a wind jolt out of the N at 8 kts gusting to 18! A push from behind during those gusts.
Cloudy skies are prevailing. The temperature is 10 C. Looks like today will bring more rain.

1241h EDT Sun. June7/26
Following up on last post…Ocean Tower seems to be churning off the miles. Despite dodgy conditions last night; they've put almost 100 miles behind her. Just now they are roughly 40 miles off the Gaspe Peninsula just starting on the curve SE into the Cabot Strait. They are making strong speed at 8.8 kts in relatively calm water with a swell of 0.8m from the E.
The skies are clearing for their afternoon. Winds are ESE at 7-8kts gusting to 13. Temperature is 13 deg. C. This metro info is based on data from the airport at Baie Comeau. Located roughly 120 miles behind the tow; BC is the only reliable English language source my weather provider had full info for. Also, this is a very sparsely populated area of widely spread communities.

2238h EDT Sat. June 6/26
Ocean Tower is working hard tonight. She is 40 miles E of Rimouski sailing under cloudy skies and rain. They are making 5.6 kts into both E wind and seas.
The wind is blowing 5 kts gusting 10-15. The temperature is 10-2 deg. C.
Guest Paul A…thank you for your compliment!

They have dropped off the river pilot at les escoumins and are now traveling on the south shore of the st lawrence river. Likily go between PEI and NB and thru the canso canal on cape breton island

1030 CDT 6/6 shows at 40*24'N, 69*3'W near Rimouski on Marine Traffic.
Hope it shows up again Steamboater66, I enjoy your posts.

Seamboaer66 wrote: June 5, 2026, 11:40 pm 1223EDT Fri. June 5/26
Sometime today the ais map on Boatnerd no longer showed the position icon for the Ocean Tower tug-crane tow.
I have gone back a few times. It is not there. This is surprising and disappointing! I was able to follow the whole
trip to Puget Sound on our map here. Such positional info is basic to researching these updates.
Today they’d be somewhere NE of Montreal. On that basis I can say the temp is 13 deg.C. The winds will rise tomorrow a.m. to 15 kts. It is possible by mid afternoon that gusts to30 in rain and thunderstorms will be likely.

You understand that position information for AIS is sent by VHF and is only 12.5 Watts and completely dependent on base stations picking up said signal.. Other AIS sights will get information from satellite and for that you have to pay.

1223EDT Fri. June 5/26
Sometime today the ais map on Boatnerd no longer showed the position icon for the Ocean Tower tug-crane tow.
I have gone back a few times. It is not there. This is surprising and disappointing! I was able to follow the whole
trip to Puget Sound on our map here. Such positional info is basic to researching these updates.
Today they’d be somewhere NE of Montreal. On that basis I can say the temp is 13 deg.C. The winds will rise tomorrow a.m. to 15 kts. It is possible by mid afternoon that gusts to30 in rain and thunderstorms will be likely.

1157hEDT Thurs. June 4/26
Ocean Tower and barge have one last set of locks to negotiate at Cote St. Catherine which is immediately south of Montreal. At that point they will be at sea level for the run out to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean, likely by Monday of next week, all things being equal weather wise and equipment wise.
In Montreal Friday morning is dawning at 16 deg.C .Breezes are out of the west and light at 16 kts. Ocean Tower is making 6-7 knots as they approach the locks.
I must thank Guest from early morning, Wed. June 3 for the appreciative comment about these posts.

2358h EDT Wed. June 3/26
Ocean Tower is in the St. Lawrence River west of Brockville ON approaching the narrows there.
She is making 7.7 knots. The temperature in the 16-18 deg.C range. Wind is out of the SW at about 6 kts with gusts to 11-12 kts. The water s calm. Of interest; the ais map is showing the name Jarret M. When I clicked the icon for the vessel details; the pop up details were all about Ocean Tower! Hmmmm…strange. Must be a nice night on the river!

2358h EDT Wed. June 3/26
Ocean Tower is in the St. Lawrence River west of Brockville ON approaching the narrows there.
She is making 7.7 knots. The temperature in the 16-18 deg.C range. Wind is out of the SW at about 6 kts with gusts to 11-12 kts. The water s calm. Of interest; the ais map is showing the name Jarret M. When I clicked the icon for the vessel details; the pop up details were all about Ocean Tower! Hmmmm…strange. Must be a nice night on the river!

We’d. June 3/26 1508h EDT
Canal transit at Welland completed Tuesday night. TODAY BY 0900 h the tow was in US waters south off of Toronto.
The lake is calm so good speed of nearly 8 kts is going to ,put them abreast Rochester NY in the next hour.
Skies are clear. Direct sun has temps running 26-28c.
The breeze isSW blowing 5 kts, gusting .7-9 kts. Ocean Tower is running solo with the barge. Jarret M helped in the canal but has gone elsewhere as of mid morning.

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!