John D. Leitch - Ship Blown Sideways by the Wind!

If you are interested in supporting this channel to keep new videos coming, I gratefully accept tips and donations. They are used solely towards my travel expenses and equipment purchases. Click the following link if interested in helping out: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/1long... Note: No AI-generated content is used for these videos. Everything you see and hear has been recorded on location specifically for this channel. No shortcuts were taken! ____________________ Here is the John D. Leitch arriving in Superior, Wisconsin on the afternoon of May 5, 2026. She had previously arrived in Duluth on May 3 to take on fuel at the Cenovus dock before then anchoring outside of the Superior to wait her turn to load at the Burlington Northern dock. She made an attempt to come into Superior on May 4, but aborted that attempt due to the wind and the current. This was her second attempt, which was successful. The Leitch was scheduled to load taconite pellets for delivery to Hamilton, Ontario. Note that the Leitch is being pushed sideways by the wind and the current as she approaches the Superior entry. There was a good five minutes where I just watched her move sideways, with her bow pointed straight in my direction. I hope this is conveyed somewhat by my footage, but it was something I had never seen before! I overheard the Leitch's captain tell Chip on the Missouri that the Leitch is not easy to handle in the wind. Fortunately, once the Leitch got in position to enter the canal, they were able to kick her stern around and make a safe entry. It was nice to get some up-close shots of the Missouri in action as she maintained some pressure on the Leitch's stern. While it appears that the Leitch could have made the arrival without the Missouri, she was there to provide insurance just in case the wind picked up intensity. As I often try to do, I got some shots as the Leitch approached the BN5 dock, so we could watch a crew member ride the bosun's chair down to the dock. Most ships will send 2-3 crew members down to the dock to handle the lines until the ship is securely docked. Then a ladder is extended, so other crew members can get off and on the ship. The 730-foot John D. Leitch was built in 1967 as the Canadian Century, originally sailing for the Upper Lakes Group. At the time she was built, the Leitch had one of the largest capacities for a self-unloading ship. Her squared-off hull shape was designed to maximize her capacity, reducing the amount of unused space in her cargo holds. A new cargo section was built in 2002 that widened the Leitch to 78 feet, giving her a new maximum cargo capacity of 34,100 tons in her single, giant cargo bay. At the time, she was renamed the John D. Leitch in honor of Upper Lakes Fleet chairman. When the Upper Lakes Fleet was sold to Algoma Central in 2011, they decided to retain the name. The Leitch is powered by a single Burmeister & Wain 5-cylinder diesel engine providing 7,500 bhp which drives a single, controllable-pitch propeller, giving her a top speed of 16.1 mph. A 1,000 hp bow thruster helps her to maneuver in port without the aid of tugboat assistance in most circumstances. The 88-foot tugboat Missouri was launched in 1927 as the Rogers City. After several changes of owners and names, she was purchased by the Great Lakes Towing Company in 1990 and renamed the Missouri, joining their fleet of tugs named after states. She had previously been converted from steam to diesel in 1981 and is currently powered by a 1 Alco 12-251F diesel engine producing 2,250 bhp. While she can sometimes be seen assisting ships with maneuvering and docking, she is more often seen in winter months with icebreaking operations.