Manchester Challenge

[Robert George Young]

22 12 69
14 1 70

Manchester,three rivers, Montreal,Sorel, Manchester.

Was that journey taking a chance with ice?

Thank you

[John Arton]

If the Manchester challenge was the container ship named, she was ice strengthened. The saint Lawrence would have been iced up in the period mentioned, belle isle straight closed so south about round Newfoundland in the saint Lawrence bay, covered in ice thick enough for herds of moose/elk etc to cross over and if you got stuck in the ice bears would often approach you.
Ice breaker led convoys would be operating all the way up to escoumains but if my memory serves me correctly the river never completely froze over solidly due to the current until you got passed Quebec.
Been up to Montreal on ice strengthened container vessels during the months mentioned , fascinating going through the ice attempting to avoid the ridges where the ice is thickness, got stuck in ice for three days once until the Canadian ice breaker come to break us out.
Strange fact about sailing in ice bound waters your fresh water tanks tend to get frozen leading to water shortage, apart from the fact it's bleddy cold and staring at ice for your 4 hours watch makes for very sore and tired eyes by the watch end.
Rgds
J.A.