TALL SHIPS ERIE KICKS OFF

Tall Ships Erie opened with a bang, or rather, with several of them, on Thursday evening as the U.S. Brig NIAGARA led a parade of six ships into Erie harbor amid thousands of spectators ashore and afloat.

Preparations for the day began Thursday morning when the tall ships LYNX, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, ROALD AMUNDSEN and UNICORN went to anchor north of the Erie Pierhead light, off of Beach 11 on Presque Isle State Park. This anchorage, popular with weekend pleasure boaters, is never utilized by anything other than recreational craft. At noon, the NIAGARA headed out from its berth behind the Erie Maritime Museum and proceeded outbound to meet up with the other vessels outside of Erie harbor.

While the tall ships were cruising the lake to await the start of the parade, members of the Erie Power Squadron and Commodore Perry Yacht Club, along with local law enforcement agencies, were meeting with Parade Marshall Captain Wesley Herssenn at the Maritime Museum. The Power Squardron and Commodore Perry Yacht Club were serving as escort vessels for each of the tall ships. These vessels got underway at about 1545 hours and headed out to the lake, where the Parade Marshall, operating from a helicopter provided by the Pennsylvania State Police, called the parade to order at 1615 hours. The parade was inbound the channel at 1715, and by 1830 the NIAGARA, having led the UNICORN, BOUNTY, LYNX, ROALD AMUNDSEN and PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II through the channel, was docking at East Dobbin's Landing.

The day concluded with a VIP reception at the Erie Maritime Museum and a party for the crew on top of Dobbin's Landing.

Tall Ships Erie runs through Sunday. The final two vessels, PLAYFAIR and PATHFINDER, should arrive Saturday night.

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The Parade Marshall addresses the crowd at the Erie Maritime Museum during the meeting for the escort vessels.


ANGEL ADRIJA, a 26' Bayliner, is to be the port side escort of the second vessel in the parade, the STV UNICORN. This is the vessel the Erie Shipping News will be riding along on.


State Police helicopter.


The ROALD AMUNDSEN heads outbound to prepare to fall into line.


A moment later, the AMUNDSEN passes us again.


J.S. ST. JOHN passes by on its way outbound.


Parade of Sail begins.


U.S. Brig NIAGARA leads the parade.


STV UNICORN, crewed entirely by women, is the vessel we will be escorting, and ANGEL ADRIJA falls into position.


ANGEL ADRIJA's owner watches the BOUNTY as she manouevers the vessel into position.


HMS BOUNTY was used in Marlon Brando's film Mutiny on the Bounty.


Close up of the UNICORN. Most of the vessel's crew wore strange hats.


Pennsylvania State Police boat passes us near the channel.


BOUNTY.


PA Fish and Boat Commission stops to warn a boater away from the parade route.


Crowd on the South Pier.


NIAGARA, as viewed from the North Pier.


Stern view.


UNICORN and BOUNTY.


UNICORN.


ANGEL ADRIJA escorts the UNICORN.


Stern view of the UNICORN.


BOUNTY.


Stern view.


LYNX.


Stern view.


ANGEL ADRIJA passes the Mountfort Terminal, where employees of Erie Sand & Gravel have gathered.


ROALD AMUNDSEN.


Stern view.


PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II.


Stern view.


47241 in Erie harbor.


UNICORN in the bay.


Customs and Border Protection Safeboat 382907 in Presque Isle Bay.


25573 near Dobbin's Landing.


NIAGARA docks.


PA Fish and Boat Commission in Presque Isle Bay.


One more look at the UNICORN. As soon as UNICORN docks, ANGEL ADRIJA's job will be done.

Good Samaritan, Coast Guard, Lakeshore Fire and Rescue Save Four from Lake; BOLAND Photos

As first reported on the Erie Shipping News's Twitter account at 1040 hours Friday, a boater fishing in 70 feet of water off of Elk Creek called Coast Guard Station Erie and reported a 25 foot vessel sinking in a position of 42' 08.817 North, 080' 18.500 West with four persons on board. The four men went into the water when their boat capsized shortly thereafter. The good samaritan managed to pull all of the men out of Lake Erie and headed for Walnut Creek Boat Access, where emergency medical technicians were being sent. The vessel rendezvoused with Lakeshore Fire and Rescue Vessel 509 off of Walnut Creek and transfered the victims to 509 at 1116 hours. Of the four victims, one was showing signs of hypothermia and was taken to shore and quickly transferred to EMS and taken to St. Vincent Medical Center for treatment.

At that time Lakeshore Towing's towboat ENDURANCE and USCG 25573 headed for the swamped vessel. Neither managed to arrive before the boat sank. The vessel is a total loss in about 70 feet of water.

New York State's environmental research vessel ARGO spent last night at Wolverine Marina.

Below are photos of the JOHN J. BOLAND, J.S. St. JOHN and ARGO. Video of the St. JOHN is also below, and I will post the BOLAND video tomorrow.

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J.S. St. JOHN outbound at 1830 hours Thursday with the BOLAND in the background.


Another view.


Stern view.


BOLAND lifts its lifeboat after conducting a fire and boat drill.


1945 hours, turning after unloading.


In the channel.


Outbound.


Close up, departing in ballast for Toledo.


Stern view.


ARGO at Wolverine Marina this morning.

CLIPPER LOYALTY DEPARTS; USCG, LAKESHORE TOWING PARTICIPATE IN WATER RESCUE OFF ERIE

Lakeshore Towing's towboats ENDURANCE and TITAN pulled the oil-containment boom from around the CLIPPER LOYALTY at 0830 this morning, and the LOYALTY departed the Mountfort Terminal and Erie at 1030 bound for Quebec City. In addition to the biodiesel taken aboard at Erie, the LOYALTY is loaded with a partial cargo of nonene from Sarnia, Ontario.

At 0915 this morning, a 26-foot Bayliner called Coast Guard Station Erie and reported that they had picked up a swimmer in the water a mile off of Gull Point. At the time, waves on Lake Erie were reported to be cresting at five to seven feet, with an occasional eight foot wave. The swimmer reported that his 20-foot ski boat had capsized and the three other people aboard the vessel were clinging to the overturned wreckage. The four had launched from East Avenue and were out for a day of fishing on a lake not suited for fishing.

Station Erie launched a major search effort with both of the station's vessels, 47241 and 25573, along with Lakeshore Towing's towboat ENDURANCE, that lasted for almost an hour before the two Coast Guard vessels rescued the other three, alive but tired and suffering from various injuries, and transfered them to waiting EMS at Beach 11. Two of the four persons were wearing personal floatation devices, and the other two were not. Two were treated for mild hypothermia, one of the vessel's occupants was treated for diabetic shock, and at least one needed stitches after being hit in the face when a wave knocked the vessel's bimini top off and hit him in the face.

Lakeshore Towing's ENDURANCE took the vessel in tow to Lampe Marina, where it was righted and pumped out before being returned to East Avenue.

This is the third salvage job Lakeshore has performed in the past two weeks. On Monday, July 27 the company's tug DON HENRY, stationed in Conneaut to perform dredging work, put a fire out on a boat that had exploded and injured two people. Yesterday, DON HENRY and barge 401 were pressed into service to salvage a 23-foot Lund fishing boat that ran up onto the Conneaut breakwall while on autopilot, injuring five occupants of the vessel. The excavator on barge 401 was fitted with slings and the vessel was lifted off and carried to the boat launch in Conneaut harbor.

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Towboat TITAN departs after assisting in removing the oil-containment boom around the CLIPPER LOYALTY.


Towboat ENDURANCE exits the channel at a high rate of speed to begin searching for the capsized vessel.


CLIPPER LOYALTY departs the Mountfort Terminal.


Lining up for the channel.


CLIPPER LOYALTY in the channel.


Stern view.


Another view.


Passing 47241. Note the group of onlookers watching the EMS on Beach 11.


25573 returning to Station Erie.