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Catherine Desgagnes Halted By Wind

As the Catherine Desgagnes prepared to leave port on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 31, they ran into a little snag ... the wind was a bit too strong for them to turn the ship around prior to their departure. Around 2:30 p.m., the ship began its turn in the Menominee River from alongside the craneship, William H. Donner. The ship is not equipped with a bow-thruster, so the move has to be done solely with the engine and rudder. Once they got about halfway around, the wind was full on their starboard side and, with the ship riding high (thus presenting a large area for it to push against), it stopped the turning ship dead in its tracks. The decision was made to then move the ship back to its "dock" (against the William H. Donner), which took some maneuvering. The ship began the trip back to its dock by itself; then lines were run between the ship and the William H. Donner. Once the lines were secured, the ship was winched in until it was made fast against the Donner. Good teamwork between the men aboard the ship and the men aboard the William H. Donner made this rather difficult move look easier than it really was. The Catherine Desgagnes was finally able to depart after the wind shifted during the night.

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Catherine Desgagnes begins to turn around	Close-up of the ship turning in the harbor	... further around
... and further	... nearly halfway around the wind stops them	From a different angle this is about as far as they got
American flag and Desgagnes house flag fly from the mast	The ship starts to swing back toward the Donner	... back at my original viewing point the ship comes in
A line is passed between the two vessels	The line is hauled aboard the Donner	A heavier line is next
The heavier line is hauled aboard the Donner	The line is rove up taught	The ship is winched in closer to the Donner
Three lines now connect the two vessels	... continuing to winch the ship in toward the Donner	... all tied up for the night
Side view as the operation is completed