Freighters and Kayaks at Merwin's Wharf - Mind the Bow Thruster
/Bow Thruster Sign at Merwin’s Wharf
Paddlers looking to explore the final miles of the Cuyahoga River have been turning to Cleveland Metroparks' Merwin's Wharf dock that offers one of the few public "put-ins" and technically the only one located in the Federal Navigation Channel The facility has plenty of parking (the restaurant is temporarily closed), ample drop-off space, and the Merwin’s Wharf dock offers a long and wide floating deck for river access.
While the dock is conveniently located, the below videos are a reminder of how paddlers should be mindful about the fully loaded freighters that elegantly glide by the dock. Every year over 400 vessel trips deliver 4-5 million tons of raw materials to industrial customers (like Cleveland Cliffs, in the process supporting over 1,700 jobs) on the Cuyahoga River. The slower a freighter moves, the more impact current and wind can have on steering. The captain uses bow and stern thrusters that generate upwards of 1000 horsepower to navigate the ship through the river's many curves. At times the thruster volume can be quite large, and if a paddler is in the wrong spot at the wrong time, a paddler will be pushed into the nearby bulkhead or riverbank.
For more tips on what recreational paddlers can do to safely share the river with Great Lakes maritime stakeholders, visit our "Know Before You Go on the Cuyahoga River" page: