The passenger steamboat, S.S. Columbia, is moored at the Mariner “A” grain elevator and will be in Buffalo for one year. Launched in 1902, it is over 200 ft long and was designed to carry 3200 passengers on her five decks. Only one of two remaining such ships, the S.S. Columbia will eventually head out to New York Harbor for restoration. I plan to get a closer look from my kayak soon.

[Kerrowdown]

Oh dear, she looks in need of serious amount of money, to get her restored to her former glory.

[NS_Sailor]

It's good to see the old girl is going to be restored. I've seen the boat tied up in Detroit for many years and wondered if it will be restored or will be towed to the ship graveyard to be cut up for scrap

[wildman]

S.S. Columbia will eventually head out to New York Harbor for restoration.

How? Surely not by way of the St Lawrence and along the Atlantic coast.

[NS_Sailor]

How? Surely not by way of the St Lawrence and along the Atlantic coast.

I don't know too much about the maximum dimensions of the Erie Canal between Buffalo or Rochester and the Hudson River, but if the vessel can fit in the canal they could bring her down to New York by that route. Judging by the age of the vessel it is possible that it was built to fit in the Erie Canal

If the intention is to go the other way, I expect they will try and have the vessel brought down the Seaway to Montreal or Quebec City before the winter. Once cleared of the restrictions of the Seaway Lock System, the vessel could then be prepared for towing or be loaded onto a submersible barge or ship for the trip to New York, in the late spring and early summer when the North Atlantic is relatively quiet.

[zman]

I don't know too much about the maximum dimensions of the Erie Canal between Buffalo or Rochester and the Hudson River, but if the vessel can fit in the canal they could bring her down to New York by that route. Judging by the age of the vessel it is possible that it was built to fit in the Erie Canal

If the intention is to go the other way, I expect they will try and have the vessel brought down the Seaway to Montreal or Quebec City before the winter. Once cleared of the restrictions of the Seaway Lock System, the vessel could then be prepared for towing or be loaded onto a submersible barge or ship for the trip to New York, in the late spring and early summer when the North Atlantic is relatively quiet.

I wondered about that as well and found the answer on the organizations website :

Statute miles the ship will to travel to get to NYC: 2,145
In August 2015, the SS Columbia lands in New York State — journeying 235 miles from Toledo, OH to Buffalo, NY. There the work will continue to prepare her for her tow up the St. Lawrence River, down the Atlantic Coast (the SS Columbia’s first dip in salt water!), before heading up the Hudson River to a shipyard in Kingston, NY to continue restoration work.

[NS_Sailor]

I wondered about that as well and found the answer on the organizations website :

Statute miles the ship will to travel to get to NYC: 2,145
In August 2015, the SS Columbia lands in New York State — journeying 235 miles from Toledo, OH to Buffalo, NY. There the work will continue to prepare her for her tow up the St. Lawrence River, down the Atlantic Coast (the SS Columbia’s first dip in salt water!), before heading up the Hudson River to a shipyard in Kingston, NY to continue restoration work.

It is kind of obvious that who ever wrote the quote on the website must have just looked at a map and confused transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway and River in a North to North East direction as going "Up" when actually it is going "Down", considering Buffalo which is on Lake Erie is 571ft. above sea level. Ironically the yard in Kingston may only be a couple hundred miles over land down the I90 from where the vessel is currently tied up.

I still think the organization could still possibly try and bring the ship to Montreal before winter so it will be in a good position to take advantage of a good break in the weather in late spring or early summer. Passing through the Welland Canal and Lower Seaway whenever it happens will give plenty of opportunities for those so inclined to photograph the vessel as it transits the system.

[wildman]

Take a look at this....

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ss+columbia

[NS_Sailor]

Very interesting videos
The Great Lakes Shipping Website www.boatnerd.com has all kinds of information on the ship.

[boriscleto]

She wouldn't fit through the locks on the canal, so she has to go through the seaway...

The Columbia is 60 feet wide, and the Barge Canal locks, built between 1903 & 1918, are only 45 feet wide.

[wildman]

Name: Columbia
Launched: 1902
General characteristics
Tonnage: 968 (gross) 549 (net)
Length: 207.67 ft (63.30 m)
Beam: 45 ft (14 m)
Draft: 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
Depth: 17.79 ft (5.42 m)
Installed power: Triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine

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"Between 1903 and 1918, the State again enlarged the canal by the construction of what was termed the "Barge Canal", these locks of today are 328 feet long and 45 feet wide, with a depth of 12 feet of water over the mitre-sills, and can accomodate vessels 300 feet long and 43.5 feet wide. See the Canal Profile for the height and location of the current loc"

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[kyricom]

Nice. You'll have to go back and get some more shots when it's finished and pretty. :-)