• Friday-What'sUP April 22 - 03:54 pm

Recently, Joseph Hurley was in Cheboygan and spotted the replacement Coast Guard Cutter, Mackinaw (WLBB-30), dockside, while it waits for the official commissioning to put it into service on the Great Lakes. You might remember the shots of the "new" Mackinaw's launching, a little over a year ago here on these pages. She'll be replacing the 60 year old Mackinaw (WAGB-83), scheduled for decommissioning in June 2006. The second and third shot today are the retiring Mackinaw, so you can compare the two namesakes together. I was amazed at how wide the ship is when looking at it head on, since the side shots don't even hint at the beam of the ship being such a large proportion!

Morning All.
Nice shot of the 'new Mackinaw'. The other ship is here in Detroit today and is open to the public for tours this afternoon. Located near the Joe Louis Arena. GO WINGS. Enjoy the day everyone.

Mary, The 2nd and 3rd shots don't come through on my computer for some reason. Anything I can do about that?

Deb they are not working on mine so I think it is a problem with the site?

The pics didn't come through on mine either. Great ships. Have you ever thought of how amazing are the signals and signage in our transportation network, both on land and sea?

Same problem,cant see two of the pics.I thought I heard a story about the first launching of this vessel regarding a mishap.I heard that the master had rammed a sea wall causing a rather large hole in the wall.Apparently the captain was forced into early retirement.And to add to this tale,it was rumored that a dog fell thru the ice where this happened and got into the hole caused by the ship.I dont know the truth to either of these,anybody else hear this stuff.

Must be a great view from the pilot house of the working deck and all the area around the ship. Is it just me or does the stack look as though it is raked in the opposite direction that it should be. I didn't get the 2nd and 3rd pictures either.

NO SECOND OR THIRD PHOTO ON MY COMPUTER EITHER. HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL.

I just added the photos for Mary...Sorry for the mix up. Daryl

Mary says: Sorry about the mix-up on the pictures. I'm away from my computer today, so I was unable to get the pictures to Daryl and she did a bang-up job of finding, editing and adding them...Thanks, Daryl! As for the small one missing on the Pasty Cam page, it's been fixed too!

Thanks, now I can see them. Great pictures, can't wait to see the new one in action. What happens to the ship that gets retired?

John and Anne, The stories you have heard are true. It happened in Grand Haven and were reported in all the West Michigan media. I could not find the story on the dog but if my memory is correct it was rescued.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-5/114105513928100.xml&coll=8

Principal Characteristics of the Mackinaw
Length, Overall................240'
Beam...............................58'6"
Full Load Draft................16'
Full Load Displacement....3500 LT
Buoy Deck Area..............3133 sq. ft
Crew:...............................9 Officers, 5CPO's, 41Crew
Machinery Arrangement...AC-AC Diesel - Electric
Main Engines....................3 x 4200 HP, Diesel Generator
Propulsors........................2 x 3350 kW, Azimuthing Propulsion
Crane...............................20 ton hydraulic 60 ft boom

Hi
Does anyone know if the "old" Mackinaw will be returning to Cheboygan? I'd heard at one time the city was going to try and keep it there as a tourist attraction.

My family's vacation cabin is near Cheboygan, and going to the marina to look at the Mackinaw (referred to simply as "the icebreaker")is something we've done for decades---I remember when it was white instead of red.

Here's the article from the Holland Sentinel about the dog that fell in the Grand River near Lake Michigan and was rescued after he found refuge inside the pier.

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/031006/local_20060310023.shtml

The 'old' Mac paid a visit to her birthplace here in Toledo last week-end. I didn't go aboard during the open house but did get some great pictures from across the river and more from the parking lot next to her berth. A lot of history in her hull. Hope the new one lasts as long.

Here is a link to some great photos of the old breaker and includes her dimensions. She has more beam and length than her replacement. There is even a painting of her when she was white as Kathryn remembers.

http://www.mightymac.org/cgcmackinaw.htm

Sorry Kathyrn for the typo. Since my grandmother and my sister share your name you'd think I could spell it correctly :-) The above link also suggests that Cheboygan is going to try to preserve the Mackinaw. I hope so.

I like the comparison shots....the old Mackinaw looks longer and leaner than the new one but the new Mackinaw looks like it can handle anything that comes it's way. Hope the old one is used as a tourist attraction.

WOW......what a differance!!!!! Being afraid of water that low side by the crane is scary...I'll bet the water rolls over that area when the waves are churning.

The new cutter is so much bigger/higher Looks like a fine piece of equipment to run....those brave guys ....gotta give them allot of credit going out to rescue like they do...

God Bless you, and keep you safe.........

What is the weather in the Keys......oh how I would love to be with you!!!!

Ken S ..............AWESOME web sight.......
Thank you so much!!!

I love the pictures from space of the Mack. area......

I mentioned the other day that Bishop Ingalls from the Mariner's Church is Detroit suffered a stroke which left him without speech & paralyzed on his one side. I received a letter from his son today that Bishop Ingalls has been put into hospice. In 1999 Bishop Ingalls, Fitzgerald family members, along with friends & government dignitaries went out the the Fitzgerald wrecksite on the S.S.Mackinaw. Bishop Ingalls consecrated the grave site of the crew of the Fitzgerald. We had a lovely day aboard the Mackinaw. It was bigger than you would expect it to be. All of its crew were very gracious to us. I shall never for my memory of it nor shall I ever forget what Bishop Ingalls means to us Fitzgerald family members. He is the Lord's arms.

SO, I'M CONFUSED. DO THE LAKE FREIGHTERS WORK IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, AND, IF SO, DOES THE COAST GUARD BREAK THE ICE?? FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT THINGS FROZE TO A HALT ON THE BIG LAKE.
JEFF

Cotton,

Just got through watching the "Edmund
Fitzgerald" on the History Channel here in
Toronto. It was nice to see you in person and
remember that all 29 of those men on board
had wives, sons and daughters, moms and
dads, relatives and friends. Very moving.

Blessings on Bishop Ingalls.

kosk in Toronto. Thank you very much. I think the History Channel did a very informative job. The National Geographic also did a very good story about the Fitzgerald along with the raising of the Fitzgerald bell & ceremony in it.There was one History channel story that came out & sadly I was a part of it which suggested the Bermuda Triangle theory. I didn't realize until they came to interview me that was part of their story. I told him I didn't believe it. On the film I told them that there were many theories but I believed it was the storm & it was just their own time to go. Fred Stonehouse made a real goofy remark like it may be been that.(Bremuda Triangle) After the story came out I've heard him say how ridiculous he feels having said that. And he is suppossed to be scholar on this subject!

Here are some more shots of the "new kid in town", while still in drydock, courtesy of John Bauchat's gallery:

https://pasty.com/pcam/jbauchat

jeffry the soo locks close for maintenance and thats the only route
from superior on down

it used to be that the insurance underwriters would stop insuring
come november too

since we broke the weather its not really that bad out all winter so
some ships still ply the lakes all winter long.