• Friday-What'sUP April 12 - 06:43 pm

I don't think we've ever seen the Soo Locks quite like this before, on the Pasty Cam. These photos are from wheelsman, Keith Baker of the Cason J. Callaway, as they were heading downbound through the locks. Still plenty of ice floating around in that area, but it is lose and maneuverable around there.

In the second photo, the Callaway and the Arthur M. Anderson were passing by each other, heading in opposite directions through the locks. In case you're wondering, yes, the Anderson is the well-known freighter that was out on Lake Superior when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, being the last ones to have had contact with the Fitz on that fateful day.

The next photo is the Captain of the Callaway, helping the wheelsman get closer to the wall, by giving him some added horsepower. And that fourth shot, is Keith, himself, as he's eyeing the situation, so he can line up on the pier.

The final picture is with the Callaway at the pier and one of the locks straight ahead.

For those of you who've always wanted to be aboard a freighter on the Great Lakes, this is the next best thing... doing it vicariously through Keith's camera lens. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all, Keith!

WOW! Fun stuff for Keith! Thanks for sharing these great pictures!

Can anyone tell me anything about how the Callaway
got its name? There was a Georgian by that name but
I can't imagine the connection.

Thanks for bringing us into the wheelhouse, Keith, as we lock through! Great trip!!

Thanks, Wheelsman Kieth. These pictures show why I would think most prefer the forward Pilot House. On the open water the newer style not bad but in close?

Thank you Keith! You're lucky to be doing what you're doing for a living. Between you and Neil Harri, us Pasty Cammers get a view of the world we just can't get otherwise. Maybe you guys ought to link up on some kind of special project.

Keith, can you tell us anything about the red pyramid we see on the Callaway's bowsprit? Do you use it for visual reference to line up your course? Looks like the Anderson has one as well.

Thank you Keith! You're lucky to be doing what you're doing for a living. Between you and Neil Harri, us Pasty Cammers get a view of the world we just can't get otherwise. Maybe you guys ought to link up on some kind of special project.

Keith, can you tell us anything about the red pyramid we see on the Callaway's bowsprit? Do you use it for visual reference to line up your course? Looks like the Anderson has one as well.

THANK YOU KEITH, Mary, and all involved in bringing us landlocked want-to-be's such marvelous views! Exciting and scary for sure. This makes my gloomy, chilly day easier to bare.

Keith provides and shares his pictures on FaceBook. Bob & I enjoy following his "you are there" pictorial day in his life on the Cason J.Callaway! Thank You Keith for sharing your job with us!

Eugenia, I just had to google it! Callaway was a Georgian textile magnate, who was a naval officer during one of the World Wars.

Great show, Keith, thank you!!
Smooth sailing! One long-two short!:)

The Cason J. Callaway was named after the Georgia native who is more widely known in association with Callaway Gardens, the 13,000+ acre resort and horticultural complex just outside of Pine Mountain, Georgia. The Callaway family founded the Gardens that bear their name in 1952, the same year his namesake vessel entered service. Cason J. Callaway made his money in the textile industry and was on U. S. Steel's Board of Directors at the time the boat was named after him. Incidentally, Cason J. Callaway died 52 years ago today--on April 12, 1961.

I sailed on the Cason J. Callaway as a crew member for a few months back in 1990, and just last month I had the chance to visit Callaway Gardens while visiting my in-laws who live in Georgia.

I was very impressed with the photos today! How nice to share the life of a wheelsman with us landlubbers.

Jody, thanks for that interesting info on Cason Callaway....and allow me to add, it's nice to see you on Pasty! Ahoy to KYS!

Wonderful shots! Nice to view the boats from a different perspective. Thanks Keith! Jody, I remember your pics of the Callaway Gardens that you posted on FB! Added to my boatnerd knowledge!

Well that certainly is a perspective one doesn't see everyday. Thank you Keith for taking us along for the ride.....

Great Shots this morning Keith..thanks for taking us aboard...!!!!

Brings back good memories of the time I spent 4
days on a brand new Laker in the 1970s. It was on
it's first voyage out of Welland Canada and I was
there to repair the passenger elevator.

The steering gear was also having problems so a
guy from Sweden with ABB was on board as well. We
spent most of the time doing figure eights in the
middle of the lake while I occasionally gave the
command to go from full forward to full reverse in
order to create maximum vibration, in attempts to
break the elevator. I had never and will never
again experience vibration like that. It made your
teeth ache.

Even though I didn't sleep much, they put me up in
a VIP quarters and the food was excellent. If
memory serves, they prepared a complete feast
every 6 hours or so.

Great shots/perspectives! Thanks for sharing!

Is the Cason J. Callaway one of the older ships? It look as the pilot house is in the front of the ship as appose to the rear.

Jerome, the CJC was built 61 years ago, so I guess it could be classified as an 'older ship'.:)

Shirley and Dotti, thank you. I've been following Pasty Cam off and on for most of its existence, but didn't sign up to post messages until recently. I always like seeing pictures from anywhere in the U.P. and visiting in person!

Thanks for all the info. I had no idea there was a
Great Lakes freighter with Cason Callaway's name
until I saw it on here. And I've heard about him
all my life. Small world....