• Thursday-What'sUP September 27 - 07:38 am

Tuesday afternoon was an exciting day for all the boatnerds in the Copper Country and word spread quickly that the Kaye E. Barker would be passing through the Portage Canal on her way to Marquette. It seems like this used to be a more common occurrence, that freighters would take this route, rather than going up and around the tip of the Keweenaw, but Tuesday's appearance of the large vessel was exciting indeed.

Several folks were on hand with cameras, one of them being Henry Sakari, who snapped a couple photos from the Hancock side of the canal as it passed by. If you look closely, you can see some of the sailors up there on the bridge of the boat watch us, watching them.

I was in Houghton working that day, but my camera was at home, so the only photos I could take were these "snapshots" from the Michigan Tech Webcams, as I watched the Barker make her way under the bridge and down the canal. Even though not witnessing its passage in person, the motion cams from Tech made it exciting to see it progressing on its way down the canal. The only thing missing was the sound of the engines as it passed by.

Wow! That's something I've never seen in person--freighters on the
Portage Canal. Maybe someday.

Thanks, Henry! I love those classic lake boats.

Thank you for the great photos, Henry and Mary! If one of my sons sees one on the Portage while they are in Houghton, they have been great about calling me to watch the Tech webcams. By the way, there is a photo of the Kay E. Barker going under the Lift Bridge on yesterday's Daily Mining Gazette.

Was she delivering salt or coal, or was she just passing through, taking a short cut?

Cool pics! I'd like to see that ship pull up next to a toll booth. :-)

Right now she's on her way to the Rouge Plant in Dearborn with a load of coal, which I believe she loaded in Duluth Tuesday or Wednesday.

Our good friend Gromit had a report with some picture of the Kaye E. Barker also.

http://trailmuttreports.blogspot.com/

Our good friend Gromit had a report on the Kaye E. Barker passing through. Some good pictures too!

http://trailmuttreports.blogspot.com/

I have tons of pictures too!! :)

They had a load of coal for Marquette I believe, and they
unloaded there and loaded ore for rouge

Isn't Hancock's annual winter supply of salt due to arrive by freighter in the next few days ?

Love that style of Great Lakes ship.

This was a common occurance some 40 years ago when there were 400 smaller freighters on the great lakes. With the advent of the large 1,000' ships they would have an awful time trying to navigate the narrow passageway.

I was thinking that a load of salt and/or coal should be due shortly in Hancock, too, Mr. Bill. Eddyfitz, I was thinking that ships had to be less than 750 feet to physically make the sharp turns of the Portage, but I was thinking that at least part of the Portage needed to be dredged for a loaded freighter to make it through the Portage?

Kosk---When I was growing up in Houghton ships were a fixture on the Portage canal. When the big lake got real rough it was common to see many ships on the Portage. We would drive down to the south end of the lake and count the number of freighter anchored to sit out the storm. The deck lights on many ships at one time was pretty. If my memory is correct we have seen as many as 5-6-7 parked end to end and all lit up. Some time the traffic down town was really messed up because of the number of ships passing one after another.

Flarich--One of my aunts told me about having seen freighters
sitting out a storm many years ago. I would love to have seen that.
What a memory!

Great photos. I think we all love watching the big ships pass through the canal!

Great pictures of the freighter we watched up close and personal in Duluth earlier this month. I never get tired of watching them. Thanks for sharing!

Great shots, Henry!
You know you're a true 'boatnerd' when you spend most of your vacation time in Michigan watching for the freighters!:> Which we often did.

Great pictures. I have been coming to the UP for many years
and have wanted to see these boats in Houghton but been
batting zero taking pictures of them. Thanks so much. Love
the UP!

As a kid I would sometimes see freighters go down to Torch Lake . Sometimes they would be going so fast they would create a tsunami like effect with their boat draft. They would blow their horns to acknowledge us . It was a sight to see!