I figured that since I have some time this evening, I'll answer a few of the questions I receive as comments either on here or from my readers via email.
Q: Is shipping biodiesel by water efficient?
A: Honestly, I don't know much about the specifics of it. But I'd imagine that it must be, since Lake Erie Biofuels has done it once before and is making plans to do so again within the next month or so. As far as how much money they're making, I really couldn't give you a good answer without making something up off the top of my head, and I really don't want to do that.
Q: Are there any restrictions on pleasure boaters now that the commercial shipping season is in full swing?
A: No, but your safety is your own responsibility, and for most people should be common sense. If you're out in a 16' boat and see a 730', fully loaded freighter coming at you, who do you think has the right-of-way? Not you, that's for sure. Any vessel with restricted manoueverability has the right-of-way, meaning that other traffic should yield to it. That's commercial traffic ranging from 1000' long freighters to Lakeshore Towing's tug FLATTOP pushing a barge. Anything engaged in making money generally has the right-of-way. Generally, give the bigger vessel room to manouever. Vessels under sail have the right-of-way over powered vessels, but that doesn't mean that a ship has to yield to your sailboat. Although I will say that what seems like common sense to me, and to most of my readers, doesn't necessarily apply to some of the pleasure boaters I've seen. Some don't yield for anything, and put their own safety in peril when they don't.
Q: Where do you get information on vessel arrivals and departures, and what's going on around the harbor?
A: A variety of sources are responsible for arrival and departure information, including several websites and also the AIS computers that ships over 300 GT are required to carry. This information is freely available to anyone with a receiver capable of picking it up. And yes, those are perfectly legal. As far as harborfront happenings, I'm fortunate enough to have great sources from Lakeshore Towing and Erie Shipbuilding. Thanks guys.
Tomorrow I hope to start posting video from the happenings of the past couple of weeks.
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