Oberstar Risks a Dramatic Departure Into the Gales

Jonathan Ellsworth
Jonathan Ellsworth
691,626
0
Published 2023-10-13
It’s one thing to encounter a storm with 8-10ft waves and 50mph winds on the open water. There it doesn’t matter so much if the ship is blown sideways a bit by the wind or if the ship rises and falls in large waves. You have almost endless room to compensate and correct things, and assuming nothing unexpected happens, you’re generally alright, even if the waves are coming close or even going over the railing. Next to shore is another story, and in a tight canal only a couple hundred feet wide and only a few spare inches between the hull and the bottom, there’s no room for error. Aside from the waves, currents are also a major factor. Throwing a large vessel against the natural water movement in a confined space where it can already change and move unpredictably can be a major challenge. Add in the fact that you’re sailing a nearly 70 year old vintage ship measuring 806ft long, 75ft wide and is extremely low in the water (30ft depth in a canal that’s also about 30ft deep) filled with 31,000 tons of iron ore and it becomes a whole different ball game.

And yet the crew of the Oberstar makes it look downright easy. Most ships, even the largest and most modern ones stay out of the canal during high winds and waves, usually they wait for calmer conditions to shoot the gap. The lakers, unlike many vessels, usually err on the side of caution following the Edmund Fitzgerald incident, so nobody was expecting them to leave. The most common topic of conversation on the piers, even among the diehard boat watchers was “this crew is crazy, very risky move!” (Thus the title) Had she rolled or dipped into the waves at all she would most likely have scraped the bottom of the canal. They knew what they were doing, her weight kept her stable and showed off the age-old drama of ship vs nature; far, far closer than what is usually seen. While in the canal the waves nearly broke over her railing near her mid section, and a mile or two offshore they were high enough to roll over her deck on a couple occasions (I’d stopped filming by that point unfortunately). Not an unusual occurrence for sailors, but for those on land it’s an incredibly rare sight that usually happens far out over the horizon.

Not certain why they didn’t wait, they would have had a smoother ride and probably would have arrived on the other side of the lake at about the same time due to slower speeds and detours around the worst of the storm, but they did make it safely to their destination in Ohio without much incident, and got to show off some of their skill in dramatic fashion! Safe sailing to the crew, and we all enjoyed the show!

10/13/23
All Comments (21)
  • @jonathanellsworth21
    Before commenting: Please read the description, as it fully explains the context of the situation and this video’s intention: to honor the sailors and this beautiful vessel. I realize up to this point this has been a subject of debate, this is mostly due to the fact that when I made the video I was anticipating maybe a hundred or so views (lol), mostly from people who know exactly what I meant, so a broader context seemed unnecessary. Now that I’ve had a bit more practice with a larger audience (and since it’s still an ongoing topic of conversation) I decided to revisit this video and clarify, which I hope helps! In the meantime thank you all for watching and your support, I’ve been absolutely blown away by everyone here. Yes even some of the criticism, as it’s helped me out in the long run. At the time of writing, this video has over 460,000 views, which for context is over 5 times the population of the city of Duluth, and larger than the population of any single city in the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis included. That is astonishing and I thank you all, never, EVER expected that, this was just a hobby video I threw together for a few family members and friends lol. I hope you enjoyed!
  • @sweynforkbeardtraindude
    NOTHING like a classic laker! Especially when she is beating back Mother Nature! Brings back some great memories. Thanks.
  • @mtnshelby7059
    Wow, what a great video. These mighty ships are so captivating. Thank you.
  • @tonycobb3306
    I spent a season on that vessel back in 93-94 when she was the MV Charles M Beeghly. What memories!!
  • @tenfodaddy4351
    Amazing to use the anchor wells as a reference against the opposite sea wall and noticing the Oberstar doesn't ride up or down noticeably whatsoever! The ship fully laden is a beast!!!
  • @tmayer0009
    Such a beautiful ship, I love the forward pilot house classics! The workers are getting her prepared for a nasty trip. Love the video, so awesome to watch her going out into the storm!
  • @salmanskippy
    She's mighty and graceful. Thanks for sharing.
  • @debbiejarus1723
    Wonderful video! I so admire these boats and those that sale upon them.
  • @dmorgan28
    What power in those waters and winds. And the ship powering thru them. Awesome! Cool video 👍❤️
  • @sgtooby
    I was underage at 15 years old when a friend of my parents got me in the International Seafarers Union in Montreal, I spent a few seasons up and down the seaway on a few of these ships as a deck hand, taught me a lot, straight whiskey for one dangerous work another... Imagine those swells in November with all surfaces covered in ice! I don't notice anything different 50 years later, good paint job on this one,,, one of the deckhand jobs they would dangle us over the side to chip the rust and paint while under full steam, more fun than dangerous that one, breaking the blocks of ore from the conveyor belts while dangling in the hole was a little more. Oh to be 15 again!
  • @TOTALCAMARO
    She’s strong her attitude is “Bring it on” you’re not going to stop me. I’ve been around too many years, I’m a veteran on these lakes. Her anchor openings are getting washed out lol Great video thank you for going down there and sharing this. Stay safe and warm 😊
  • @Mjs_1990
    That's so cool. Wish I had got to see this when I lived up north. This was really awesome, thanks for sharing
  • @scuffco1868
    With continuous world dinner dump in the world, this truly makes me proud to be in the USA 🇺🇸..Thanks to crew & John for being on board..Be cool & be safe
  • @KristinaBenoit
    Every time they go out, I hope to see them return safely.
  • @shawncosmos5431
    In my early life we use to get a ‘weekly reader’ at school. Like a kid newspaper type of thing with stories from around the country. I was in third grade when one came highlighting Lake Superior and all the Great Lakes. Been fascinated by them ever since….
  • @caveweta
    The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down, of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee……. Watching this video had me humming that gloomy desolate song…..and remembering those poor sailors on the Edmund Fitzgerald