Life on the lock

[ExiledInIllinois]

One good thing up north... Lots of ice and snow, but none of these!

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Tells you where my mind is...I read that as "A carnal boat holiday..."

 

 

Too much memory foam!

If you see this boat a rocking... Don't bother knocking!

 

 

English canal boat:

 

The Canadians got it nailed (pun intended) w/their houseboats on the Trent-Severn...

 

A little more room to get jiggy wit it!

 

 

Now... If you want a Chicago carnal boat party... This is the place... In the "Playpen", Lake Michigan, 2015

 

WARNING: May be NSFW!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GejPDTldfLM

Edited March 1, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[Marv's Neighbor]

That is so cool! My son was there last year and rolled his eyes @ me when I asked about the locks on The Rhine. Meh! Son of a lock op! :-(

 

A canal boat holiday in England would be cool... Many old structures built during canal craze in the 19th & 18th centuries... They still have working hardware and windlasses that are centuries old! If that interests you... I can post more links.

 

A quote by Charles Dickens about the Sonning Lock (England, on the River Thames):

 

"The floral tastes of the lock-keeper generally make Sonning Lock very bright and gay."

 

"Is there a spot more lovely than the rest, By art improved, by nature truly blessed? A noble river at its base running, It is a little village known as Sonning." -James Sadler, Sonning lock-keeper (1845-1885)

 

A little close to home would be Ottawa and through the Trent-Severn in Ontario... Some of those structures were built before Portland cement was invented... Built with all cut stone (Brit Sappers & Miners) and still holding up well. Lot of hand operated too, just like in England.

We're holding our fire on any more Europe stuff, till the immigration situation gets sorted out. We were in Cologne Germany about 10 days before all the New Year's eve trouble. The Cologne train station is only about 3-4 blocks from the Rhine River, where the ships moor. Didn't see any problems while we were there, but it got my attention, knowing that we had just left.

[ExiledInIllinois]

We're holding our fire on any more Europe stuff, till the immigration situation gets sorted out. We were in Cologne Germany about 10 days before all the New Year's eve trouble. The Cologne train station is only about 3-4 blocks from the Rhine River, where the ships moor. Didn't see any problems while we were there, but it got my attention, knowing that we had just left.

WOW... My son missed all the trouble last year... Flew into Amsterdam and took a German-Roman Holiday... Saw Roman Germany w/his Latin Class... All before the immigration trouble started. Went trough Köln, had Easter Mass @ cathedral... Ended in Munich where they flew out. The trip is blogged somewhere...

 

Here it is:

 

http://mchsromangermany.blogspot.com/?m=1

 

http://mchsromangermany.blogspot.com/2015/04/and-few-more-that-inexplicably-timed.html?m=1

 

My son is the dude in the blue Patagonia jacket, pic #7... And the Sabres shirt, sitting and eating in pic #12.

 

http://mchsromangermany.blogspot.com/2015/04/now-that-were-backsome-pics.html?m=1

 

Go Sabres!

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8LKWk9u3kVg/VTztuxHi8NI/AAAAAAAABV8/MAKwCvcnsL4/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG

Edited March 1, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[Marv's Neighbor]

I usually wear something with BILLS or SABRES on it when I'm in Europe. I've met a lot of former Buffalonians along the way.

 

Amsterdam is beautiful, but it's mostly built on reclaimed land. The field elevation at the airport is minus 10 feet.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

That's actually pretty cool. Your locks can accomodate panamax size ships? I did not know that very interesting.

[ExiledInIllinois]

That's actually pretty cool. Your locks can accomodate panamax size ships? I did not know that very interesting.

 

 

There's a catch... The terminus of The Seaway is just above us @ Lake Calumet. Just above is 130th street & South Shore RR bridge... Those are the first fixed bridges and have a vertical clearance of: 30.2' & 29.5' above Low Water Datum (LDW, which is 0.00' or 579.48' Mean Sea Level (MSL) respectively.

 

So here's the catch:

 

We are standard (old) Panamax dimensions BUT below those bridges, the project depth of the river goes from about 26' feet deep to a 9' deep canal project depth. That 9' is maintained all the way south 327.0 miles through the Illinois Waterway till it meets the Mississippi @ Grafton, Illinois. SO, that makes us shallow draft, ships can't pass vertically below those bridges AND they draft too deep. Also, there is a huge bend in the river heading south. NOW... According to old plans, they did have plans for a turning basin below the lock, turning basin #6... See attachments, where those marinas are now. 5 turning basins are above us on the Calumet River out to The Lake @ Calumet Harbor. Ships and other vessels use these basins to turn around in while navigating the tight and restricted channel/River/Canal.

 

So yes... They built us to Panamax specs, but left the lock shallow draft... Not sure what they originally intended, ships to go below us? But, then the draft issue? Our lock was built in 1960 and tacked on to Congressional Seaway appropriations (while they were building the Seaway in 1959). A modern "back door" to global waterborne shipping was created for Chicago by doing this. Chicago's international port is @ Lake Calumet, almost some 20 miles from downtown Chicago Harbor and the other lock there. Our lock replaced the old lock @ Blue Island and they also widened the Sag Channel to 400' wide to accommodate Gulf bound shipping... BUT:

 

Everything has to be transferred (break bulk) @ Lake Calumet (or somewhere in the Great Lakes) onto barges that can slide under the fixed bridges south of 130th street and South Shore RR. Vertical clearance on the whole Illinois Waterway is ABOVE Joliet, Illinois is at Lemont, Illinois, that clearance is 19.1' feet @ normal pool stage (about -2.00 or 577.48' MSL). Barge traffic can navigate the 9' draft that is the maintained project depth. That bridge is @ river mile marker 300.6... About 26 miles south of us.

 

Not sure why they went with Panamax dimensions (1000' long x 110' wide)... BUT it is perfectly tailored to the bending of the river... That is, the bend below us tends to limit the size of tows under 1000' long and 108' wide. Most of the time towboats are pushing up to 6 or 8 jumbo barges. With the towboat, that can make them anywhere from 700' to 950' by 70' wide.

 

I hope I was clear and that I explained things well and didn't miss anything.

 

Here is the river chart of the area just below Lake Calumet and the Bridge schedule to get a visual:

 

(You may have to save and zoom in, had to get under 200kb limit)

 

 

Here are public links to better and clearer charts:

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation.aspx

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/NavigationCharts/IllinoisWaterway.aspx

 

Chart #119:

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Portals/48/docs/Nav/NavigationCharts/ILW/CHART_119.pdf

 

Navigate both ways to see rest of waterway... Bound water resistant sets can be ordered.

Here is the Lake Cal plate (#120):

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Portals/48/docs/Nav/NavigationCharts/ILW/CHART_120.pdf

 

Cal River plate (#121):

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Portals/48/docs/Nav/NavigationCharts/ILW/CHART_121.pdf

 

Cal Harbor plate (#122):

 

http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Portals/48/docs/Nav/NavigationCharts/ILW/CHART_122.pdf

Edited March 2, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[ExiledInIllinois]

Hey DtKA... I was thinking about what you said... I guess I was using the term: "Panamax" loosely. Like I explained, our width and length fit the specs but not draft and air draft.

 

We are right @ the terminus of Seaway though... So I am not sure why they decided to build the structure "half Panamax"... Were they planning on expanding Seaway some day and get ships right below us? Hence the old plans for Turning Basin #6... ??? Also, when we were built, those two bridges weren't there... There was a "turntable" bridge or some kind of mid-river abuttment of some sort I think shown in some rare old photos.

 

Then... That would have just left draft to dig deeper and figure out. Who knows what they were planning in 1959 by building our odd dimensions... Were they looking @ wateryway expansion? Our dimensions are unlike any other lock in the country... Heck, I think we are the only 1000' x 110' lock chamber in the country... Were they thinking about getting 1,000' Lakers just below us... Then why not build 1200' and give a little extra room...???

 

Food for thought?

Edited March 2, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[ExiledInIllinois]

They just had to deal with this @ Chicago Harbor Lock (Downtown Lock):

 

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160314/downtown/man-crashed-car-through-gates-of-chicago-harbor-lock-police-say

 

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/man-in-custody-after-driving-through-chicago-harbor-lock-fence/

 

 

Years ago back in the 1990's... We had a drunk crash the gate and drive on the lock wall... We caught up to him, one of us drove his car back to the access road, locked the gate and sent him on his merry way!

Edited March 14, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[Bullpen]

They just had to deal with this @ Chicago Harbor Lock (Downtown Lock):

 

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160314/downtown/man-crashed-car-through-gates-of-chicago-harbor-lock-police-say

 

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/man-in-custody-after-driving-through-chicago-harbor-lock-fence/

 

 

Years ago back in the 1990's... We had a drunk crash the gate and drive on the lock wall... We caught up to him, one of us drove his car back to the access road, locked the gate and sent him on his merry way!

I pretty much only lurk on this thread, but keep the posts coming. Some really interesting stuff. Much more interesting than me editing poorly written articles by college students. Thanks!!!

[ExiledInIllinois]

Long time no talkie...

 

Here's something I have not seen since 1997... Going on almost a whopping 19 years now. High water on Lake Michigan! Lake Michigan is up almost +4 feet from the previous decade, +2 feet from zero gage (579.48' MSL). Again, zero gage is neither high nor low water, we use 579.48' feet mean sea level (MSL) as zero gage. IGLD (International Great Lakes Datum) zero gage=578.18'). Right now we are at roughly +2.20'. Remember, lower pool (canal/river) is always set @, by law, to -2.00 to -3.00' BELOW zero gage as per USC 33 C.F.R. $ 207.425 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/207.425). That is now @ -2.69' (current rain events and the need to suppress the river) giving us a total of 4.89'... Which is the "head" or difference in how much the lock goes up or down water wise.

 

Here's what roughly that 4' looks like in a "fast fill" of the pit (lock chamber). This roughly is 3.5 million gallons of water being diverted. Side note: we can move the lock gates against the pressure of this head because the lock gates are "sector gates." Notice that they are not normal miter gates. On a normal lock miter gate, the pressure of the head would keep the gates closed where they are mitered and the strain on the equipment would be too great until water on both sides equalized out through the use of some sort of valve, gate (slide or butterfly) or culvert valve, etc... Our sector gates are like giant "pie" slices, with the curve of the sector gate facing towards the pressure of the head. Also, sector gates won't force open if the head reverses and the river goes the other way (ie: river gets higher than The Lake). It is that curved & wide sector design that distributes the pressure of the water exhibited on the gate.

 

Here she is in operation with about 4-5' of water against it as the pit floods rather fast:

 

 

More to follow... If I can keep these public vids (which is open to all eyes anyway) under the radar. Again, you can follow lockages almost real-time @:

 

www.CorpsLocks.com

 

Or world shipping (not affiliated w/) @ www.MarineTraffic.com

[ExiledInIllinois]

Compare the upper pool, Lake elevation w/what I just posted and when I locked this USCG Zodiac (on emerg run) downbound in 2014:

 

In the 2014 video, the pit was down and the gates opened just as they were above in the most recent video I posted a few minutes ago. Notice the lines (steel rub rails) embedded in the lockwall. Today, he would be jumping that wave and their outboards possibly cavitating through the wash of water.

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

If anybody wants to watch (the almost the whole) southbound, downbound lock process of a commercial towboat pushing tankers... It's here, in parts. From this past weekend.

 

Cue the elevator music, back to watching paint dry... 6400 tons of benzene & naphtha (2:14) if anybody is curious.

 

Part 1: From day shift, late night lock transits you can't see much on video. What the hell is happening on channel 16 @ 1:45 or so, I don't know. I think somebody is giving a piss poor radio check on Marine 16? The first minute of video is the sound of the culvert valves being lowered. Flash filling the chamber could make the hard on the barges. The less turbulence the better in this situation.

 

 

 

In RealTime now... 02:17, two tows passing below lock: www.MarineTraffic.com

 

 

 

 

This is the tow being lowered:

 

 

Was a wind event as you can hear... North wind pushing down the fetch of The Lake. A stiff north wind will also drive upper pool up substantially, piling the water on the north end of the lock & dam. The structure acts as a "guard lock" isolating the wild elevation fluctuations of the lake from the canal/river. This keep the canal/river elevation somewhat static.

 

No emptying valves on lower end, just have to crack the lower gates and ease the chamber and vessels in it down. Tows you have to use extra caution so as to not let the water out too fast and snap lines or pull the barges apart.

Edited May 10, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[ExiledInIllinois]

Parting or snapping a lock line by letting the water out too fast could kill a deckhand:

 

http://www.moschettalawfirm.com/barge-accidents/189/

 

 

So far this is the best I can find... On internet, about parting lines. A 2" lock line, parted can knock one out of their boots:

 

Watch the demonstration in this classic Navy training video:

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

This is what it sounds like when a 2" lock line is really "hollering" trying to hold a 10,000 ton set of barges still as the pit is being filled. Before it goes, it will sound really nasty! That is when you move away!!! From March of 2014:

 

 

 

You can see the deckhand step away at an angle. I will position myself on the wall away, sometimes placing the golf cart in between and moving away when the thing starts "screaming." That is from my fat azz days when I used the electric cart more. You can really hear me huffing and puffing, down right scary! I think I get more scared hearing me when I was fat than being scared of that line snapping and going off as a gun! LoL!

 

With that being said as we speak. Stepping out on the esplanade any moment now to catch line for a 6 barge tow... Will help the deckhand check (slow down by line) 700', 9600 ton tow down and help them get a bow and stern line before closing the gates and raising the vessel up. Also assist on the wall in case deckhand slips between barges and wall into the drink... Can explain what to do when that (hopefully never) event happens!

[ExiledInIllinois]

Sort of a busy night tonight... This from the lockage a few moments ago. Catching line, you can hear it holler helping that tow to stop. Not a big "check down"... But putting some strain on that 2" line. The deckhand will usually grab a 2 part or 4 part.

 

1 part = spliced eye around pin (bollard, timberhead, etc...). Sort of dangerous, spliced eye can give & part @ eye splice.

 

2 part = eye on cavel (on vessel) and one wrap around on wall.

 

4 part= two wraps on wall pin.

 

And so on...

 

This deckhand grabs a 4 part:

 

 

Notice him loop it twice before he throws it? All in one motion, not a "green" deckhand. Side note: If the tow gets away from the wall say because of wind... I can throw him a heaving line. A heaving line is a smaller rope that I throw to him. He ties to that and I heave his line in.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Here is what I was talking about earlier... The body crush blocks. These would get thrown into the water between the vessel and the lock wall in the unfortunate event there was an overboard situation. As many as possible would get tossed in... Hopefully that would save the person from getting crushed between vessel and wall.

 

I used them once in 25 years and not to save a human... But a family of mallards. LMAO... The body blocks have never been used for a human @ this lock, and we would like to keep it that way!

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

I haven't revived this thread in a while.

 

Here is an interesting tow configuration we had recently. Two towboats with 54' wide tows fitting into the 110' wide lock. Pretty tight fit, leaves 2' feet of room, which isn't much wiggle room when the pilot is wrangling their tow around.

 

108' wide, tankers:

 

 

 

If the deckhand slips between tows/barges or the wall... They are surely a goner if the body blocks aren't tossed in the water. SEE: post before this post. Body (crush) blocks are 14" cubes. Which leads me to think they may not even work because that 10" between 14" and 24" (left in the chamber) may be "eaten up" on the sides of the other vessel, barges, and lockwall. ??

Edited August 15, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[ExiledInIllinois]

[ExiledInIllinois]

Hopefully... Deckhand slipping wouldn't even fit. But, probably just enough room for arms and legs to get crushed. The vulnerable time would be when they were moving in or out of the lock, positioning and securing the lines.