"Sailing" May 2005
photos taken with kodak digital camera
So the day FINALLY came..:o) I picked up Anders in Nanticoke around 6:30 pm on May 11th and brought him out to dinner
at "The ol' Fisherville Resturant" in Fisherville, Ontario. He had his "usual" Hotter than Hot Chicken wings , me, I broke down and ate a cheeseburger..:o) We went back home for the evening and waited for his call, giving him notice that the ship was close to being done unloading.
The phone rang at 7:00am the next morning so we packed up the car and headed down to the dock. Parked the car in the lot and went to the security office to ask someone to give us a ride down to the ship. Wasn't long before we were aboard and I was "moving in" to Anders "space" hee hee. Poor guy had to give up a few drawers for me...ahhhhhh :o)
By 9:30am we were away from the dock at Nanticoke and on our way to Conneaut, Ohio. There was a pretty good wind blowing making the Captain guy wonder how much luck he'd have getting in through the piers there. Although I've noticed he never seems to worry about it. It was windy and coming from the northeast which was a nasty direction for the piers in Conneaut but he said he'd just see what it looked like when we got there.
Nanticoke Hydro Plant from out on Lake Erie.
The Misabi Miner was at the Stelco Dock heading out the same time we were. And to the same unloading dock, Conneaut. The race was on!!!
I always have to take pictures of the "sparkling water"
Its just so very pretty! Some good sized waves were sparkling too! There is the Miner coming up fast!
Okay this was KIND of funny..we were up in the wheelhouse and at one point I was watching the Miner out the window. I went down to grab something downstairs came back up and was trying to find her again to the Port side when the AB (Tom) asked me. "What are you looking for?" I told him..the Miner. He pointed out that it was over to the starboard side..They all thought it was funny. I hadn't noticed the ship had changed course so the Miner was on the other side now. Geezzzz...:o)
Tricias husband Tom was on this ship, although I didn't know it at the time!
Yep the waves were building up pretty good. Love those Waves!!
Looking out the window
We got to Conneaut by 3:30 pm that afternoon. Just a hop, skip and a jump across the Lake. Anders basically just has time to get all his paperwork done and then hes being called for his notice before the piers. The wind was still howling like crazy. The Miner was going to beat us over there but Ontario Hydro wanted us to load first since it would take so long to load the Miner. I think 24 hours? I think the "coolbeans" normally takes around 12. So Anders was getting wind readings from the mate up in the wheelhouse and setting up to head into the piers since it was too windy to back in like he usally does. But after a bit he told me to come over to look at the computer screen on the console which showed me just how much the wind and the seas were pushing the ship. Setting, when the ship is supposed to be going forward but is basically going sideways. So not a good idea to try to get in, hoping the wind will die down soon. Anders called the Captain on the Miner and told him what he had found when he tried to get in, so the Captain said he'ld give it a shot. He found the same results. Anders found a us a nice spot to Anchor but the Miner got new orders to go to Superior instead.
Another spectacular sunset on the Lake.
Around 9:30pm, I went up to the wheelhouse with Anders as he was going to try to get in again.
Picked up the anchor but wasn't long before we were back in the same spot anchored again. The winds were blowing 26 knots NE, which wasn't good. So he left orders to call him if the winds died down with the mate in the wheelhouse. The darn phone rang around 12:30am. Went up to the wheelhouse but the wind was still gusting pretty high so he didn't even pick up the anchor. But 3:30 am the phone rang again. I remember now just how very much I love that thing....NOT!!! But this time the wind had died down and about an hour later we were secured at the loading dock in Conneaut. We slept til around 9am when the phone rang that immigration was here to see me. I have to be cleared everytime I go into the country. By the time these trips were over I was on first name basis with the agent..ha ha It as a beautiful day outside so we decided to go out and go for a walk.
I took some crackers from the ship in hopes of feeding ducks but ended up feeding mostly seagulls.
Thats okay I think they are cute anyway...:o)
Of course THEN we found some ducks... If you look in the distance you can see that the folks in Conneaut
can sure tell when there is a ship loading at the dock! You can see that stack from quite a ways!
Cute couple..:o)
Always have loved that ladder.....................
Back on the ship.
By 9:30pm we were ready to leave Conneaut to head back across the lake again to Nanticoke. Weather was much better
than when we came in! We got to bed around 11pm. Then the phone rang..2:30am to let Anders know we were 45 minutes from Long Point. He likes getting up then to hear the traffic. So up to the Wheelhouse again to see the 12-4 crew. We got to Nanticoke at 5:00am. Once we got there I got a ride to my car to go home and check on my cats. When I got back to the ship we went to take a nap. We slept til 11:30..why did we get up?
Anders sleep pattern...so we went down for some lunch then once Anders was done with his paperwork we hung around the ship til 8:30pm ( what did we do? Play Nascar on Play station! go #15!) . We were now on our way to Ashtabula, Ohio.
The Canadian Transport was unloading at the East dock at Nanticoke,
although it was rather hard to see her!! Kinda weird heading out into a channel when you can't see anything.
Anders was watching the radar pretty closely thats for sure. The fog horn was blasting too...love that thing!
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKK!!
Yep, we got called at 2:30am again....I was starting to see a trend going here. 6 miles from Ashtabula Piers.
Anders backed the ship in and we went to bed! YAWN!!!!!!! But what happened at 7:30??? The darn phone!
Immigration to see Donna, so we went downstairs and had breakfast with him. After Anders did a bit of
paperwork he and I played Nascar racing again. But I lost big time...only because I kept falling asleep!!!
The yacht club here in Ashtabula was having a sailboat race. There was a pretty good chop out on the lake from the 20 Knot winds, the sailboat with that black sail was really fast! It was fun to watch. The picture below shows them
just getting ready putting up theirs sails and discussing stradegy I'm sure...:o)
Pretty empty marina so far!
Heres that same train I saw parked here last winter! Hmmm makes me wonder, you
park a car and you dock a ship...what DO you do with a train? Guess I better ask our
friend Joey, the Train Enginneer!
( Updated info from Joeys wife Lisa, you park a car, dock a ship and tie up or yard a train...although her comment
was...."don't ask me WHAT they tie it up with" ) ha ha
Ooops forgot what ship this is. Its waiting for us to get out of the way though.
Thats ALOT of coal!! What a GREAT view from the wheelhouse. I love being up there.
We finally went down to take a nap around 10:00am and slept til 3:00, Anders is hoping that will hold us til Nanticoke.
We went up to the wheelhouse again around 4:00 as this is the place where Anders has to use the
blow thruster to get the ship off the dock so they can finish trimming the ship.
First mate Chesley checking the drafts.
Anders pulling her off the dock.
Working hard.....hmmmm :o)
Picture below shows a whole family of geese..very cute!
We headed back out on the lake again around 5:30, there were some really huge thunderstorms to the West,
we also heard there were tornado warnings on Long Point, Ontario!! Thats too close to home!! Yikes!
The lightening was really amazing , what a great show lighting up the whole sky!
And that Ship, yep its the Lee A. Tregurtha pulling up anchoring getting ready to enter the piers as soon as
we are out and out of his way.
When we got to Nanticoke at 3:00am...yep another morning with the 12-4 guys in the wheelhouse!
The Columbia Star was already at the West Dock unloading ( Very hard to take a picture of her!), this time we were at the East Dock and when we left we had no idea where we were going! Now THAT was a first!!
I thought this was kinda funny. Actually Anders and I spent a bit of time in the wheelhouse watching the
guys work on the coal pile, taking the coal from one spot to another then spraying it , they were a very
busy bunch! So busy they actually have TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON THE COAL PILE!! crazy! :o)
The coal yard guys said they indeed get a big storm winds clocked as high ash 87 miles per hour! wow!
There got the whole ship in one picture this time!
We left Nanticoke around 9am it was a beautiful sunny day. Headed out to clean up the ship
and before the day was over found out we'ld be heading to Conneaut again.
The Algoeast heading back into Nanticoke, they were actually there before us but Hydro asked them to
leave so the Algolake could unload we were quick this time!
Chief Engineer Peter Stanley and another one of the guys working on the unloading boom.
Approaching Conneaut Piers, 2:00pm , when Anders was turning the
ship in the harbor I looked over at the Marina and saw a guy down on the
pier holding up a sign.
Once we got closer I could make out the word "ahoy", and soon after I see it said "AHOY DONNA" very cool! Anders got a good laugh over that as well as some of the other guys..:o) I still am not sure who it was although I know Tom had one at his house too! Thanks!!!
By this time I was so tired from not sleeping for more that 3 hours at a time , it was crazy. We were both looking forward to
a trip to Lake Superior just so we could sleep!! We took a nap til around 6pm but then got called because Immigration
was here to see me again. We stayed up til 2am when the ship headed back out on the lake to Nanticoke yet again.
This time we got to sleep til 6am when Anders got called at Long Point. We arrived in Nanticoke at 8am and I just said "NIGHT" to Anders and was out like a light! For some reason we got up at 12:30 though...why? heck if I know..must be that sleep pattern thing again!
We left Nanticoke around 4:30 that afternoon. This white duck has been on this "thing" everytime we've left the East Dock,
I think he lives there. Very cute! Also there is a nesting Goose on one of the "dolphins" it was pretty funny when we came in. The deckhands who catch the lines coming in have to be really careful because she goes right after them!
She didn't pick the best place to lay her eggs, Anders says there is one there every year though so
I am assuming its her "spot"
We arrived in Conneaut again around 10pm that night the Barker was at the loading dock so Anders docked the Ship
at the Stone dock to give the Barker plenty of room to back out in the morning ,
we got to bed at 11:00 and the dang phone rang at 12:30, guess who??? Yep Immigration!!
We went back to bed and the phone rang again at 4:30, the Barker was heading out.
Anders could shift the ship up to the loading dock after the Barker was away.
Ended up that we left the stone dock with the Barker following behind.
Okay , so at times like this I don't complain that I'm up at 5 in the morning....
Or this ....
Picture looks kinda weird...if you didn't know what was going on you'ld think there was going to be
a bad traffic jam in the piers...:o) But the Barker was backing out and we were heading back in.
