Cruise ships avoid Montreal during the winter

It's been proven !

A newly constructed USN ship, made in Buffalo of all places is now stuck in ice in Montreal awaiting the spring thaw.

Apparently, the Little Rock miscalculated that leaving Buffalo in December was not a really great idea.

More geography lessons ahead for the Navy perhaps ?

What the...?!

The Coast Guard will save the Navy by sending one of their Ice Breakers [emoji12]

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Well, lets get a little actual perspective here. The ship was built in Wisconsin, and only commissioned into the Navy 16 December in Buffalo. The unusual cold snap that the entire East Coast felt in late December caused unusual ice to form, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. The Seaway closed for the season on January 11. There was also apparently a lack of tugs needed to take the ship through the Seaway, due to breakdowns. The Seaway will not reopen until the ice clears, typically in March, so no shipping is happening between Montreal and the sea during the winter, and never does.

So, instead of wintering over in Buffalo, they are in Montreal - due to unexpected early hard freeze accompanied by shortage of tugs.

Geography?

So, instead of wintering over in Buffalo, they are in Montreal - due to unexpected early hard freeze accompanied by shortage of tugs.

 

Geography?

Well, not sure how much "working up" was needed, she was accepted after trials in September. The decision to commission her in Buffalo was made so that she could be commissioned next to her namesake, the CA Little Rock (first time this has happened). So, not sure how much was just poor timing, or how much was poor planning, and I don't know how far in advance they need to schedule these commissionings, to know whether she could have left earlier.

Anyway, she made it through the Welland Canal locks, transited Lake Ontario and the one set of locks on the upper St. Lawrence, but could not transit the 4 sets of locks in the Montreal area, on her way to home port of Jacksonville.

A bulk carrier got stuck in one of the locks due to build up of ice on the lock walls, and was freed only a few days before the Seaway closed, and blocked passage for at least 4 other vessels. The "season" was supposed to end on NYE, but was delayed in order to resolve these and other issues.

Well, it sounds like they are leaning a lot of lessons.

USS Little Rock (LCS-9), a Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS). Those sailors will be speaking French by the time they get to their home base at Mayport/Jacksonville, FL ;)

Those sailors likely will be thrilled to get o the warmth of Florida. Bless them all and keep them safe.

Pardon me but not quite sure what this has to do with cruise ships and Montreal since no mainline cruise ships can go to where the Little Rock is. The maximum beam is 78 feet (Even Seabourn is wider than that). Shipping from Montreal continues almost all year but not at all above the city.

Roy

Being stuck in Montreal does not sound like too hard duty to me.

Being stuck in Montreal does not sound like too hard duty to me.

If you could have spent much of the winter in Jacksonville, Montreal does not look that great.

For warmth, I would rather be in Jacksonville. For everything else, Montreal. Hands down.

For warmth, I would rather be in Jacksonville. For everything else, Montreal. Hands down.

Agree 100% ;)

For warmth, I would rather be in Jacksonville. For everything else, Montreal. Hands down.

Agreed - but mid-January through February does warrant consideration of alternatives.