• Monday-What'sUP April 29 - 07:22 am

I'm guessing this has happened before, but it's not something that is a common happening at the Marquette Upper Harbor Ore Docks…having four freighters there loading at once. Danielle Adams was anxiously awaiting the arrival of these vessels in order to get some shots of them all tied up together at the docks like this.

That's the Michipicoten and the James L. Kuber (barge) with the Victory (tug) in the first two photos, then the Kaye E. Barker and the Herbert C. Jackson in the last two photos. Of course the reason for all 4 boats there at the same time is because of the poor ice conditions still present on Lake Superior. These big freighters have to wait for a Coast Guard Cutter escort to get anywhere on the Big Lake right now. So, once they're loaded with ore and ready to move on, they have to sit tight and wait for their escort, which then breaks the ice for all the boats to follow through. Sure slows down the process, but hopefully in another few weeks the conditions will be good enough for the freighters to be back on their own, sailing on schedule.

I just love watching the freighters come in and go
out. How exciting to see so many at one time!!
Great pictures, Danielle!

Fantastic Pictures! I could watch them for hours back in the day. Thanks for sharing Danielle!

Those four boats represent a lot of commerce taking place or waiting to take place. Pretty neat pictures.

Thanks! I had no idea that they were here until I kept hearing
the train coming to the dock. So I scrambled out the door as
went over there to check out what was going on, and muh to
my surprise I got four boats for the price of one! :)

Love those Great Lakes freighters.

Nice shots...especially the parallel parking technique.

Very nice. I like the "old" style freighters and to get three all at once. Wish I were there.

Neat shots thanks Danielle! 4 for 1 is so lucky!

PLEASE! Ice Cutters? There are no ice cutters except maybe a saw can cut ice. There are Coast Guard Cutter Ice Breakers that break ice. I know this might sound trivial but to a Coasty, not so much.

Mary says: So sorry if I offended you, Henry or any other Coasty. Honest mistake, Cutter and ice, just referred to them as ice cutters as it seems like they do cut through it quite nicely. I corrected the term in my notes above.