nolatom
Contributor
Reportedly, video of a cruise ship passing over a diver in the St. Clair River:
Watch: Freighter Passes Over Diver - Crazy! – gCaptain
Watch: Freighter Passes Over Diver - Crazy! – gCaptain
Well okay, this was kinda scary..
- Thread starter nolatom
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Stoo
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Bob DBF
Contributor
The channel is the center where it it is dredged or deepest, the lane extends out. As long as a vessel stays out of any restricted areas it is free to go as the captain sees fit. Rounding a corner is not a big deal unless the captain screws the pooch, and the bottom is more shallow than he thinks. Something to consider in your dive plan. Did the divers use a float and flag, not that it would have necessarily changed things.
Bob
Bob
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GreggS
Contributor
Concerning the cruise ship video...What special kind of stupid do you need to be to swim around the prop of a docked or anchored ship that is subject to start at any time? Just...wow!
Correction to my post:
It appears to have been a freighter in St Clair river (single-screw)
But a cruise ship (twin-screw) in the second video, "man versus propellor". Note the comment apparently made by that diver--or buddy from that 1991 occurrence, which is worth remembering, quote:
“I shot this back in 1991 under the M/S Seaward which was tied to the pier in Cozumel. We had run aground a couple of weeks earlier in Miami so we thought we’d investigate the damage. We choose to do it in Cozumel because of the ease at which we could swim to the ship and we made the assumption that if the ship was tied up the bridge wouldn’t turn on the props. We were wrong.”
Unquote. Scary.
It appears to have been a freighter in St Clair river (single-screw)
But a cruise ship (twin-screw) in the second video, "man versus propellor". Note the comment apparently made by that diver--or buddy from that 1991 occurrence, which is worth remembering, quote:
“I shot this back in 1991 under the M/S Seaward which was tied to the pier in Cozumel. We had run aground a couple of weeks earlier in Miami so we thought we’d investigate the damage. We choose to do it in Cozumel because of the ease at which we could swim to the ship and we made the assumption that if the ship was tied up the bridge wouldn’t turn on the props. We were wrong.”
Unquote. Scary.
maj2
Contributor
I have done many dives in the St Clair River over the years, and it is not really that unusual to have freighters going overhead or at least nearby. However, I do not recall there ever being that little clearance! Then again, I was usually hugging the bottom while the freighters went by and was not really looking up!
Some of the dives were around Pt Lambton and were always hugging the bottom looking for bottles, plates, etc. The others were diving a couple wrecks under the bridge in Sarnia, Ontario. These dives are treated as overhead environments, and not for the novice-- especially near the shipping channel. For Canadian citizens, the exit is perpendicularly to the left of the current. For American divers, exit is to the right. Otherwise, you will exit the water in a different country without your passport! Basically... always to exit on the same side of the river as you entered.
It is definitely an interesting feeling having one of those big lake freighters nearby or overhead. You can feel the sound from the engines vibrating right through you. I used to think that the feeling of having all of my internal organs vibrating to the sound of the engine was pretty cool, but haven't done those dives in years now. The video was cool, but I seem to recall the sound being a lot louder, and of course, my guts didn't vibrate. Just not the same...
I do not recall using a float on those dives either. The current really rips through there, and handling a float or flag would be challenging. Current is apparently 3.5 kts to 6.0 kts at the surface according to Lake St Clair. Current at the bottom is generally less. A float would probably be a good way to get dragged a ways downriver.
Depths on my St Clair River dives look to have been anywhere from 40ft well away from the shipping channel, and up to 60ft closer to the channel. Even away from the shipping channel, there is a ton of recreational boat traffic. One of the larger lake freighters (MV American Integrity - Wikipedia) is 1000ft long and draws about 35ft in midsummer. That is the kind of clearance that I seem to recall. The single screw freighter in the video should be a smaller ship (all the 1000 footers I know are twin screw) and would not likely draw as much.
The shipping lane in the St Clair River, Lake St Clair and Detroit River is well marked with many bouys. I do not recall ever seeing a lake freighter not stay within the buoys (recreational boats are a different story). The only time I recall seeing one NOT follow a marked channel was in the 80s between Midland and Penetanguishene in Georgian Bay. That one promptly ran aground and took the better part of 24 hours of flooding various compartments and shifting ballast to the rear to get itself off the rock.
Some of the dives were around Pt Lambton and were always hugging the bottom looking for bottles, plates, etc. The others were diving a couple wrecks under the bridge in Sarnia, Ontario. These dives are treated as overhead environments, and not for the novice-- especially near the shipping channel. For Canadian citizens, the exit is perpendicularly to the left of the current. For American divers, exit is to the right. Otherwise, you will exit the water in a different country without your passport! Basically... always to exit on the same side of the river as you entered.
It is definitely an interesting feeling having one of those big lake freighters nearby or overhead. You can feel the sound from the engines vibrating right through you. I used to think that the feeling of having all of my internal organs vibrating to the sound of the engine was pretty cool, but haven't done those dives in years now. The video was cool, but I seem to recall the sound being a lot louder, and of course, my guts didn't vibrate. Just not the same...
I do not recall using a float on those dives either. The current really rips through there, and handling a float or flag would be challenging. Current is apparently 3.5 kts to 6.0 kts at the surface according to Lake St Clair. Current at the bottom is generally less. A float would probably be a good way to get dragged a ways downriver.
Depths on my St Clair River dives look to have been anywhere from 40ft well away from the shipping channel, and up to 60ft closer to the channel. Even away from the shipping channel, there is a ton of recreational boat traffic. One of the larger lake freighters (MV American Integrity - Wikipedia) is 1000ft long and draws about 35ft in midsummer. That is the kind of clearance that I seem to recall. The single screw freighter in the video should be a smaller ship (all the 1000 footers I know are twin screw) and would not likely draw as much.
The shipping lane in the St Clair River, Lake St Clair and Detroit River is well marked with many bouys. I do not recall ever seeing a lake freighter not stay within the buoys (recreational boats are a different story). The only time I recall seeing one NOT follow a marked channel was in the 80s between Midland and Penetanguishene in Georgian Bay. That one promptly ran aground and took the better part of 24 hours of flooding various compartments and shifting ballast to the rear to get itself off the rock.
Pinecube
Contributor
A bit more info and a link to the full video in the thread below.
Here is a near miss.
Diving in a shipping lane means not towing a float with you. Supposidly ships (in Ontario) are supposed to 'stop' for diver's floats or (D)SMBs, although I can't speak to whether or not that actually happens in reality. I've personally never seen it but I have heard stories of people getting hit with some very heavy fines for sending DSMBs up in a shipping channel causing a ship to 'stop'.
P.S. I use the word 'stop' very loosely.
Here is a near miss.
Diving in a shipping lane means not towing a float with you. Supposidly ships (in Ontario) are supposed to 'stop' for diver's floats or (D)SMBs, although I can't speak to whether or not that actually happens in reality. I've personally never seen it but I have heard stories of people getting hit with some very heavy fines for sending DSMBs up in a shipping channel causing a ship to 'stop'.
P.S. I use the word 'stop' very loosely.
maj2
Contributor
Great thread link, Pinecube! Thanks!
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