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Page 65 GREAT LAKES & SEAWAY NEWS • WINDOC damaged accomodations - August 18, 2001 At 8:53 P.M. the captain sounded several blasts of the whistle to indicate danger and called Seaway Control about the lowering bridge. He then reversed her engines and ordered everyone out of the wheelhouse. The WINDOC collided with the bridge span and then drifted down the canal about 800 meters where she went aground. The bridge operator had not been scheduled to work that day and was at home when a call came asking if he would work an overtime shift. He had taken medication for a back injury in the morning and had some wine with lunch. He had arrived at bridge #11 at 6:20 P.M. and had lifted the bridge three times for the ALGOCAPE, JOHN B. AIRD and two Yachts before the WINDOC arrived. At 9:03 P.M. the captain of the WINDOC called Seaway Control on a portable radio and reported the vessel was on fire. The Thorold fire trucks arrived on the East Side of the Canal at 9:05 P.M., however the WINDOC then began to drift toward the West Side of the Canal and they had to reroute to the other side arriving at 9:20 P.M.. Due to a lack of common radio frequencies the fire department communication was established by shouting across the canal to the captain of the WINDOC. All crewmen were accounted for and were safe, as they evacuated the vessel a hand held radio was transferred to the fire department for communications. The fire department fought the fire from shore until 1:45 A.M. the next morning when they boarded the vessel to coordinate firefighting efforts. The fire was declared out at 4:30 P.M. on August 12. Damage to the ship was extensive - the wheelhouse, main mast, engine room vents and stack were destroyed. The incinerator fuel tank located in the stack casing ruptured spilling fuel into the engine room and onto the boat deck. The accommodation area on various decks was destroyed by the fire. The engine room and engine were damaged by the fire, heat and water. Her Starboard No. 1 ballast tank suffered a fracture. The aft bulkhead and bilge floors were distorted and tom adrift. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss. No damage was done to her cargo. Bridge #11 sustained structural damage to the center span. There was also damage to the extremities of the span due to lateral movement at the time of the collision. Repairs to the bridge took place with it in the open position to allow ship traffic to move on the Welland Canal. The bridge was reopened to vehicular traffic on November 16, 2001. At the time of the accident the weather conditions were - it was approaching twilight, visibility was good, there was no precipitation and winds were light. The speed of the current was less than one knot in a northerly direction. The vertical lift span has a clearance height of 36.5 meters above the water in the raised position. It takes between 1.5 and 2 minutes to lower the bridge to the seated position. The WINDOC's wheelhouse is 18.6 meters above the water. It should have taken between 49 and 65 seconds before the bridge came in contact with the vessel after it started lowering. With the vessel traveling at five knots, its bow would have been under or just clear of the bridge when it started to lower. The vessel's bridge structure would have been visible to the bridge operator through the south window. Photo by Jim Morris