• Thursday-What'sUP September 13 - 09:30 am

Just the other day, Danielle Adams was heading across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, when she spotted the Ranger III making her way towards the bridge. She high-tailed it to the waterfront in Houghton and was able to snap some shots as the bridge lifted the center span to allow the Ranger passage through.

It's always a thrill to see a bigger boat going under the Lift Bridge, unless of course you're in one of the vehicles stuck in traffic, waiting for the bridge to lower back down and are running behind. If you are one of those that get stopped on the bridge, that would be a great time to hop out of your vehicle and watch the Ranger, as it goes on through. Just make sure you get back in your vehicle quickly or you'll hold up traffic even more.

Interesting observation on the coloring of the Lift Bridge and the Ranger III…they match pretty well, with the same color scheme even. I never really noticed that before. Now I'm wondering if that was on purpose or just coincidental? Anyone know?

Nice shots, Danielle!!

The same color scheme is camouflage in case they want to attempt a sneak attack on Hancock from the Houghton dock.

I googled "Ranger III color scheme" and found the Wikipedia article about M-26, which had this passage about the Lift Bridge's colors: "Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the bridge was painted the same color as the Mackinac Bridge — cream and forest green — however, in the early 1990s, it was repainted in a cream and robins egg blue color scheme—exactly the same colors as the National Park Service's ship Ranger III—to some demoting Houghton as the "Gateway to Isle Royale"."

I'm guessing there's a typo above; author probably meant "denoting" instead of "demoting".

I also wonder if that's why I've had it fixed in my head that the Ranger III used to be painted green -- not correct, I'm told, but does anyone know if the Ranger has always had the current color scheme?

Neat pix, Danielle!
LOL! Gary.;>

Great pictures! Danielle, the have camera will travel gal!

I enjoyed the pics of the Ranger! At one time we lived in Houghton -near the bridge-and my boys loved to watch the Ranger go by.

Captain Bill Hanrahan the Ranger III skipper may know about the colors and when they were changed. He has piloted the ship for many years.

I could type the same comment everyday.
"I wished I were there"

I don't believe that there is any connection between the colors of the bridge and the RIII colors, simply coincidence and they are not exactly the same. The colors on the RIII are a Sherwin Williams industrial enamel which was changed from a Devoe off of the shelf marine paint. Both the cream and the blue are custom colors to match the Devoe paint.

The Ranger III had this color scheme back as far as 1972 when I worked in the engine room and Woody Bugge was the skipper and John Williamson was the chief engineer. Darn, that was 41 years ago, lotta water under the hull!

Thanks everyone! Believe it or not; these were taken with my
iPhone! Didn't have another camera with me that day! :)