Burns harbor

[Guest]

I have never worked on a commercial vessel, but I can tell you the water fluctuations are a big deal. I take my fishing boat out on Lake Erie 10-15 times a year. I tried last November on a day with a heavy west wind. Typically, I have 2-3 feet of water under the boat on the way through the channel in Monroe (Sterling State Park). However, with the heavy west wind there was so little water that I couldn’t make it. On the way out I hit bottom, got stuck, then was able to back out and return to the dock to call it a season. Long story short, the water levels can fluctuate greatly in a relatively short period of time.

[Guest]

Water depths can change drastically this time of year with wind patterns, currents temp fluctuations.if you’ve never sailed the lakes you wouldn’t be aware of such issues and the problems they bring.in 38 yrs several vessels I worked on grounded
At the dock or short of a dock even though we were at correct draft for that particular time. Nature changes violently and quickly. Understand that very often there is only 1-3 ft of water under the keels of these ships.

[Duluth guest]

How outdated are the depth charts that the captain or mate did not know how deep it was?

The water levels at harbors on the extreme ends of a large lake fluctuate with variations in atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, etc. A few inches of change at just the right or wrong time can make a big difference. Burns Harbor was being loaded during one of the biggest water level swings of the year so far at Duluth-Superior. A sustained long period of easterly winds pushed a lot of water into the western end of Lake Superior, raising water levels significantly above the month's average, then those winds slacked and blew from the west instead, causing a big drop in lake levels.

One can set the date range on the water level plotting tool for the Duluth Harbor water level gauge, linked here: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/water ... id=9099064

The plot date range can be set for up to 30 days or so. To get an idea of what Burns Harbor was contending with, set the date range from sometime in early March up through around March 30th, when Burns Harbor lightered to H Lee White and finally got clear. Note that Burns Harbor was likely loading at BNSF from around 10am on March 24th through sometime in the evening of March 25th or into March 26th, but then the ship stayed put at the dock waiting out winds and waves on the open lake until trying to leave late on the 26th or on the morning of the 27th only to find themselves loaded onto the bottom.

[Scott]

How outdated are the depth charts that the captain or mate did not know how deep it was?

[Kymosobbie]

here is the channel depth

[Guest]

Apparently she's overloaded, and is waiting on the H. Lee White, in order off-load the excess.

[Guest]

They are aground. Lightering into H. Lee White

[Mn bob]

What is taking so long to load the burns harbor at the bnsf dock in superior? They have been there at least 4 days now. Waiting on weather or is there a problem with the dock?