CAPE VINCENT, New York (WWNY) – The St. Lawrence Seaway\u2019s expected closure on Monday has been delayed as freighters remain anchored in a river that is freezing over.<\/p>\n
Seven ships are sitting in the river near Clayton where they have been anchored for days. The water here, at the start of the seaway, has become a parking lot for ships waiting to go downbound to Montreal.<\/p>\n
As cold days and colder nights continue, the St. Lawrence River is icing up around the anchored vessels. The ice is slowing up traffic in the river, which is wider in this section than other areas toward Massena and Montreal.<\/p>\n
Ice problems affect locks along seaway<\/p>\n
Ice is also creating problems at various locks along the way. A cold December has prevented the seaway from closing on schedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe date that was selected just happens to come against some harsh winter weather that was unprecedented,\u201d said Michael Folsom of the social media group Seaway Ship Watchers. \u201cThe fact that we have iced over as much as we have in a short amount of time has really put a kink in things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Folsom, whose group operates on X and Facebook, said the cold weather will likely bring up the debate again of when the seaway shipping season should end, with many wanting that in December rather than January.<\/p>\n
Crews work to clear ice from locks<\/p>\n
Crews at the locks are working to address the ice buildup. Pictures from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation show crews ridding the locks of ice, though the specific locks were not identified.<\/p>\n
The Seaway Guardian, the seaway\u2019s tugboat, has a crew working non-stop to keep the area between Eisenhower and Snell locks clear of ice, Folsom said.<\/p>\n
Nearby residents keep watch<\/p>\n
Julie Hooper lives between Ogdensburg and Morristown, where multiple cargo ships in the St. Lawrence are anchored and at a standstill.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cool. It\u2019s neat to see when you\u2019ve got them lined right up,\u201d Hooper said.<\/p>\n
Each ship that passes reminds Hooper of her late father, who was a sailor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he was home and the ships would come in, oftentimes he would take me down, and they would let us on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Chris Lockwood spent Monday morning snowblowing at his mother\u2019s house, where he could see one of the anchored vessels behind the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like this. We\u2019ve seen ships anchored in the summertime sometimes, but not in the winter, not like this,\u201d Lockwood said.<\/p>\n
The ship visible from Lockwood\u2019s mother\u2019s house is the Sten Hidra. According to Maritime Traffic, the vessel is a nearly 500-foot oil and chemical tanker that flies the Norwegian flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust to see some ships out there anchored is pretty crazy. Hearing their horns blow is pretty cool,\u201d Lockwood said.<\/p>\n
While both residents said this is a first for them, they hope the situation is resolved soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s thoroughly exciting to see, even though it\u2019s a little bit unnerving in a sense and stressful for the sailors, I\u2019m guessing,\u201d Hooper said.<\/p>\n
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