747 is nice, but try to pilot 39,000 tonnes

[loomex]

This past weekend, I took the family on a spur of the monent trip. We drove 225 miles to Massena, NY. This is the location of the Eisenhower Lock*
It is one thing to land a 747 on a runway, but to pilot a 39,000 ton ship into a lock that is about 10 feet by 4 feet bigger that your ship is impresive. On this day he had to get the ship in with a driving rain and winds gusting up to 40kts (There was a very intense storm cell over us)
Here is the web site that was on the side of the ship,
(The  Atlantic Erie) we saw; http://www.csl.ca/

* The Eisenhower lock is on the St Lawreance Seaway. That is the route ships take to get from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

[Ivan]

That ship has ground-corrected GPS, bow and side screws, and a good 'Pilot' trained for that special passage.
Furhtermore, it's so big that this 40Kts wind has little influence on it in such a short distance.

The tilting caused by making corners at moderate speeds is a lot more problematic than getting it into some locks at walking speed.

[Rifleman]

Seeing your posted URL, which you recorded from the hull of that lake freighter, immediately reminded me of my youth.......my father was an inspector for the Cdn Govt and it was his job to inspect the CSL ships all around the Southern Ontario ports....also did some other testing of PFD's in Peterborough annually so we were treated as kids to view the lift-locks in operation.....quite interesting........

[Woodlouse2002]

Its certainly differant aint it.

The shipping pilots are amazing men and were more so earlier in the century...

Just do a search for Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters in google and you'll see...

Also search about the norweigen pilots too... They were incredible men.

[loomex]

That ship has ground-corrected GPS, bow and side screws, and a good 'Pilot' trained for that special passage.
Furhtermore, it's so big that this 40Kts wind has little influence on it in such a short distance.

The tilting caused by making corners at moderate speeds is a lot more problematic than getting it into some locks at walking speed.

Gez, you just took the whole WOW, COOL AWESOME factor out of it
Actualy I know about the special systems on the ship because that was part of the tour. It was just the size of this thing that blew me away

[Ivan]

Gez, you just took the whole WOW, COOL AWESOME factor out of it

The ocean-going mammoth tankers in rotterdam are larger, and have to cope with traffic, shallows, wind, current and narrow passages. They don't want to spend money for digging out a whole channel if the boat fits in the middle with room to overtake it.

[Smoke2much]

My dad was 7th Engineer on the Queen Mary and docking used to be LOADS more difficult without the modern engine control systems that they have ie direct throttle on the bridge, no engine room telegraph.

Imagine trying to reverse park a 15,000 ton car by giving verbal commands to separate people using each of the separate controls whilst you are standing on the roof.

Also whilst I agree that the various factors mentioned ie wind speed and swell will have little influence on a 39,000 ton ship moving at walking speed remember that  momentum=mass*velocity.  That great slab of a thing would stop for no-one!!!

Will