BISCAYNE BAY Departs

USCGC BISCAYNE BAY got underway from Dobbin's Landing this morning at 0600 and departed eastbound on Lake Erie. BISCAYNE BAY locked downbound through the Welland Canal this afternoon and is currently eastbound on Lake Ontario.

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BISCAYNE BAY departing Dobbin's Landing at 0553 hours this morning. The BISCAYNE BAY is blowing her whistle as she begins to back away - note the white whistle light on the mast.


Outbound.


Stern view.


Sun rising above the clouds on what turned out to be a sunny morning.


J.S. St. JOHN following BISCAYNE BAY outbound


Stern view.

USCGC BISCAYNE BAY Stops in Port

The U.S. Coast Guard's 140-foot long icebreaking tug BISCAYNE BAY, WTGB-104, arrived in Erie at 2130 on Tuesday and anchored in Presque Isle Bay. This afternoon, the tug moved to the west side of Dobbin's Landing.

BISCAYNE BAY is one of nine "Bay class" Coast Guard cutters constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and one of five stationed on the Great Lakes. BISCAYNE BAY is stationed in St. Ignace, Michigan and is nicknamed "Sentinel of the Straits," due to her homeport's location in the Straits of Mackinac.

It is unknown how long the BISCAYNE BAY will be in port.

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BISCAYNE BAY at dock.


Overhead view.


Close up.

Ice continues to pose problems on Lake Erie

Ice on the eastern end of Lake Erie is continuing to give commercial shipping problems, and is an ongoing headache for both the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards. Overnight, two ships, the CANADIAN ENTERPRISE, bound for Conneaut, Ohio to load coal, and the CEDARGLEN, bound for Ashtabula to unload titanium slag, became stuck in ice off of Erie. Both vessels remained there throughout the night, requiring the assistance of U.S. Coast Guard cutter NEAH BAY to get underway this morning.

Yesterday, the Rt. Hon. PAUL J. MARTIN became stuck off of Long Point and required assistance from NEAH BAY all the way to Ashtabula.

Although this year's ice cover on Lake Erie is worse than normal, the conditions are nothing in comparison to Lake Superior, where the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter SAMUEL RISLEY and U.S. cutters MACKINAW, BISCAYNE BAY, and KATMAI BAY, along with private tug companies, are struggling to keep the St. Mary's River and Soo Locks open to commercial traffic, and keep ships moving through windrows of ice reported to be up to six feet thick in places.