Comercial Fisherman Irresponsible On Lake Erie

[Rayman96]

Caught by fishing net, Jiimaan ferry out of service.

Sonja Puzic, The Windsor Star

Published: Thursday, November 22, 2007

The Jiimaan ferry to Pelee Island is out of service after one of its propellers got caught in a fishing net in Lake Erie, causing an engine shut down Wednesday afternoon as the vessel attempted to dock in Kingsville with 21 passengers on board.

The Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC), which runs the ferry service, sent divers to examine the damage Thursday. They determined that a fishing net became entangled in a propeller, causing the shafts to seize. As a result, the port engine shut down and the ferry ran aground as the captain attempted to manoeuvre it, said OSTC general manager Susan Schrempf.

"(The fishing nets) are a huge problem," she said Thursday. "Sometimes the local fishermen leave the nets where they're not supposed to be, or they drift into the channel in the wind."

It was windy when the Jiimaan left Pelee Island at 4 p.m. Wednesday with 14 vehicles and 21 passengers on board, including Township of Pelee Mayor Rick Masse. The ferry was scheduled to dock in Kingsville at 5:30 p.m., but got into trouble around 5:25 p.m., Schrempf said.

"When the port engine shut down, the captain had to back out, but while trying to back away, he went into the ground," she said.

Because of the way the dock is configured in Kingsville, it was impossible to dock without use of the port engine. The captain had to decide whether he would request a tugboat or attempt to dock in Leamington, where he could dock using only the starboard engine.

Eventually, the decision was made to steer the vessel toward Leamington, using the working propeller and the starboard engine. The wind was also blowing the ferry in that direction. By 8:30 p.m. the Jiimaan docked in Leamington and all the passengers were on the ground.

"We're very happy that no one was injured," Schrempf said, adding that the cost of repairing Jiimaan will be "significant."

"There was never any risk (to the passengers)," the Pelee mayor said. "Just the inconvenience of waiting a couple of hours."

A local commercial fisherman, who did not want to give his name, said most fishermen follow the charts outlining the ferry's path and never put their nets in the channel.

"It's not in our interest to do that. It's a loss to us when the nets get cut up," he said, adding that it's possible the Jiimaan steered from its usual path because of the gusting winds.

Schrempf said the Pelee Islander, a smaller ferry, will now transport passengers to and from the island. She said the Jiimaan was supposed to be out of service for the season a week ago, but it kept running because of a late harvest season on Pelee Island. The Jiimaan was needed to transport crop-carrying trucks which cannot fit on the smaller ferry.

One truck remains on the island and Schrempf said alternative plans are being made to bring it and its load to the mainland.

© The Windsor Star 2007

Nov 22, 07 at 11:21 PM

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