How the ship will be scrapped

In port The 300-foot ship will have been thoroughly inspected by a naval architect and marine surveyor before it’s moved one foot out of its longtime berth at the foot of Yonge St. Tuesday to ensure it won’t flip and disrupt shipping traffic on its final voyage from the Toronto Harbour to its “graving berth” at the Port Colborne, Ont., scrapyard of Marine Recycling Corp.

All loose elements — from the twin propellers to its eight lifeboats and two anchors — will have been locked in place or removed so they don’t pose a danger during the more than 18-hour trip across Lake Ontario and through the eight locks of the 43-kilometre Welland Canal.

Water will be pumped into the ship’s eight-plus ballast tanks to boost stability and reduce the chances of the Jadran “turning turtle” as it’s towed and turned to make its way out of the Eastern Gap of Toronto Harbour.

Vertical white rulers will mark six feet or so above the water line, so it will be easy to tell, even from a distance, if the ship starts listing or sinking during the voyage.

The move begins Two especially powerful tugs — the Molly and the Jarrett — have been commissioned for this highprofile “dead ship tow,” since the ship’s engine was disconnected years ago. One tug will be tethered to the bow as power for the ship, the other tethered to the stern for steering and braking.

It’s not until those tugs are firmly connected and all other conditions — such as proper ballast and minimal wind and waves — are in place that the ship will be issued a towing certificate, approved by Transport Canada, probably on Tuesday, the essential green light for the move. A police escort is planned.

Mind the gap Then comes the riskiest part of the voyage — set for sometime between dawn and 10 a.m. on Tuesday — when the ship is pulled out of its slip, where it’s been tied up since 1975, and angled out (it’s called “stemming”) into Lake Ontario.

Out to sea Wind and weather permitting, the 45-kilometre, four- to six-hour tow across Lake Ontario to Lock 1 of the Welland Canal is expected to be smooth sailing.

Crossing the canal The ship will probably get a good going-over again when it arrives at the 24.5-metre-wide Welland Canal to ensure its fitness to transit. Any risk to the key shipping channel could be devastating and costly, given that it costs an average of $35,000 a day to run a ship.

By the time the Jadran clears Lock 8 of the Welland Canal, it will have traversed from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and be floating almost 100 metres higher in the world than it was leaving Toronto.

The end From there the ship will be towed into its final resting place, the scrapyard of Marine Recycling Corp. in Port Colborne just west of the canal.

Asbestos and other contaminants will be contained and removed at the yard, as will be badly weathered teak decking and other contents.

Eventually, everything from the Jadran’s double-steel hull to its aluminum lifeboats, will be chopped into pieces and sold off.