• Monday-What'sUP April 24 - 09:51 pm

Cruising the Great Lakes, especially Lake Superior is always at its finest when she's laying flat. Greta Jones found the Big Lake in just that state, while out freighter spotting recently. This one is a bit far off to read the name on the vessel, but it's closer to the shore than the other one hiding in the photo. Look closely, off the stern of the big laker, you'll spot another one further out. You can just make out the white of the pilot house, giving you the impression that the rest of the freighter is under water! For a better view of the second transport, check out Greta's full size version.

Oh how I miss my freighters. Even though
Toronto is on the shore of Lake Ontario, it is
truly a rare event for me to spot a freighter.

I live for those moments when I spot freighters
crossing the bridge between Sarnia and Port
Huron, the two Soos, Big Mac and of course
Marquette Harbor.

Great Shot

My favorite past time on the great lakes is watching for the freighters.

Greta, What a magnificant pic...thank you :) There's just something about freighters, on the Great Lakes, that I find so fascinating.

During a break in my paperwork last night, I was reading the Toledo Blade (online), and I came across the following article on the Mackinaw making her last stop in Toledo.

I hope to see one this summer.

I believe this boat is either the Ogleby Norton or the Columbia Star. If someone wants to buy a business......the Ogleby Norton fleet is for sale for about 400 million.

You'd think at my age that watching freightors on the BIG LAKE would get old. However, it doesn't. I have so many pictures of them it's crazy. It's just something you never tire of. Of course, I could also just sit and look at THE LAKE for hours no matter what was going on.

MORNIN,
WATCHED A FREIGHTER GO THROUGH THE SOO LOCKS THREE YEARS AGO, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. RATHER "DWARFING" EXPERIENCE. NEVER FORGET IT. GOT A PASTY ACROSS THE STREET. DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD HAVE GRAVY ON IT, SURE WILL NEXT TIME!! BOOTIFUL DAY IN INDIANA, BUT WOULD RATHER BE IN COPPER HARBOR. HAVE A GREAT DAY FOLKS.
JEFF LC

Excellent choice for today's pic! A gold star for Mary! I read that the John Sherwin has been moved over to Fraser Shipyards in Duluth, after sitting in limbo for 25 yrs. A possibility of putting back into service is in the talk. I'll be up there next month to see it.

That is not the Star or the Norton. That is M/V Burns Harbor

A nice way to start the day for us Boatnerds. If you look at the unloading boom on a freighter they generally are 250' long and one can judge the length of the freighter by that.If the MV BURNS HARBOR were standing on its end it would reach 250' highter that the Renassance Center building on the Detroit River.

Seems like every 1000' long frieghter I have seen come in or out of Duluth have bicycles, mopeds or golf carts on them.

Many ships can be identified when they are off the Keweenaw by going to:
http://www.duluthshippingnews.com/
and looking for arrivals and departures. It takes about 12 hours for a ship off Copper Harbor to arrive at Duluth. If you can identify the shipping line by the stack colors you can cross reference that in one of the many books available such as “Know Your Ships 2006”. Another good site is:
http://www.boatnerd.com/
where there is a map of ship locations listed under the "Vessel Passage" button at the upper left depending on when they call in the weather. Lots of pictures, especially on the Duluth site.
Have Fun.

Seeing this photo today no only makes me miss the Keweenaw that much more, it also reminds of what I like to call the "calender shot". From on top of Brockway Mountain, I have a picture of my '68 Roadrunner with Lake Superior as the backdrop, and 2 frieghters in the background. Needless to say, it is quite the photo.

Down here off Galveston we have the huge ocean-going oil tankers which are fun to see, but they just don't have the mystique of the lakers.

We'd like to see that photo, Capt. Paul!

I wonder if it's this ship...Oglesby Norton

Ahhh, old Mopars! Owning a couple '69 RoadRunners and a '70 Superbird, and still own a '74 Duster I bought new, I'd like to see that pic as well, please post it!

Those ships are amazing. I remember as a kid out in Jacobsville, when a ship would come into the Bay we'd take off for the lighthouse and stand on the pier and watch...and wait for the huge wake. The ship's grace yet enormity were/are unreal. They seem to glide with ease. OK....I have to admit, even as adults we still head to the pier!! Sure sign of summer being around the corner for me!

Unfortunitely, I don't have the picture scanned in (yes, I'm one of those people who still use "old fashioned" 35mm film cameras). Plus, Dr. Nat and I are in the process of closing on our new house. Once we get moved in, I will scan in some.

I also have been threatening to create a photo gallery of my UP shots, although I'm not sure how many people would like my photos; just a bunch of "boring" geology photos and such.... ;-)

Just checked out the larger version of the picture, the one in the distance behind the Burns Harbor is the CSL Tadoussac.

Mopar fans, I was the last employee of the Plymouth plant on Lynch Road in Detroit. If you are interested in recieving a post card showing that plant and telling a little about it send me your address and I will send you one. The Road Runners and the Superbird were built there. The plant closed in 1978. Still no baby.

Hi
At first glance, I thought the small white object behind the larger freighter was a big cabin cruiser. The bigger photo shows it is indeed a ship. I have seen---and on one memorable occasion been in---small boats near the big ships. [Family quote: "when you can count the rivets you're too d--n close!"]

What a beautiful picture! That water is SO blue!

I just wanted to wish Nate Alwine a very Happy Birthday today!! Nate, you have brought us so many wonderful pictures over the past few years - thank you for those and your friendship! Hope it's a great birthday!

we must also take into account plate tectonics when most of the land masses lay on obout the equator before massive mountain building and a much higher degree of volconism contributing to a greenhouse effect and much less desolved co2 in the oceans with a much higher fe content which was nice for us do the fact that today we have all those fe mines quite obviously it is a bit more complecated than that but it is more parts for the puzzle ect.