USCG Cutter Mackinaw

The United States Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw just went down after spending the night in the Soo. You can see it is still a bit foggy but it was a beautiful sight.

Monday - June 1

The first thing I do each morning as I wake is look out to the river to take in the many changing faces of the great body of water. Today I was greeted by low hanging gray clouds and a heavy rain. I could see a Canada goose family trying to eat at the river's edge. Mother, Father and two young ones were the only action to be watched.

The ship traffic was slow again all day. Last night after I posted the blog, two ships passed in the dark. The first was a 1,000 footer but I couldn't identify it.

The first boat I saw today wasn't until after 4 PM. There was one earlier but I missed it because I was fixing breakfast-which just proves that I'm spending too much time in the kitchen.

Today's traffic included the Maritime Trader upbound at 4:11, followed by the American Integrity. Downbound was the H. Lee White and the John G. Munson.

Right now I'm watching the orange Coast Guard small rescue boat heading down stream. It was out front this morning and rendezvoused with another CG boat. I need to learn the names of those boats and what they are used for.

Deer-Ice Breaker Collision Narrowly Avoided

I never thought I would be writing that title. But this actually did occur in the St. Marys River just south of the cabin.

The United States Coast Guard's ice breaker Mackinaw was clearing the ice from the Rock Cut which is on the west side of Neebish Island. The ship's officers observed 4 deer attempting to cross the river. The deer must not have gotten the government notice that they were opening up the river. The channel at that point is only 238 feet wide but the Mackinaw had already made one pass through the cut.

One deer led the way and of course she feel through the broken ice into the water. She was able to get herself out, only to fall back in. This is where I'll let the Soo Evening News tell the story.

“Four deer came out to cross on the ice just ahead of us,” said Ensign David Lieberman, who was at the helm and driving the Mackinaw. “One of them moved ahead of the others and fell through the brash ice that we had cut earlier, and struggled to get out. It fell back in once, then climbed out again only to fall back through the ice.”
Lieberman said that Cmdr. Scott Smith ordered him to reduce speed, but crew members realized there was not time to avoid running down the deer just ahead of the ship’s bow.
“We slowed down, but the Mackinaw can’t stop just like that,” Liberman explained. “The Captain just wanted to give the deer a chance to get away but it was still trying to cross the channel. We couldn’t go anywhere to either side due to shallow water depth.”

On the third try, the doe made it out and began running parallel and ahead of the ship, with the three remaining deer watching from the other side of the channel.
“Up ahead we saw it try to cross back to the others and it didn’t break through at that spot, so she made it,” Lieberman said.

I can only hope that the Mackinaw crew was able to video this whole episode.

Who says nothing ever happens in the Upper Peninsula!

Ice Still Affecting St. Marys River

The Soo Evening News carried a story recently about the effects of the icebreaking activities on Neebish Island residents. Neebish Island is a 21 square mile island just downstream from our cabin. Neebish Island is basically undeveloped although there are many year-round residents. A ferry operates during the warmer months and an ice bridge forms in the winter. The big problem is in the spring when the ice bridge is broken up and the residents are basically stranded. My understanding is that there are no stores on the island so residents must be prepared for several days of isolation. Right now, several days of isolation sounds good but I'm sure the residents don't appreciate a forced 'vacation'.

You can read all about Neebish Island in the Hunt's Guide to the Upper Peninsula. Tomorrow I'll write about the history of Neebish Island. As with everything in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, it goes way back and is very interesting.

Last summer I found a website that contains information for island residents that you might enjoy: Neebish Island News

Soo Evening News story:

Icebreaking activities by the U.S. Coast Guard are coming under fire from a vocal contingent of Neebish Island residents who are stranded. “The river was wide open, then the coast guard went down through and broke off the shore ice,” one resident said. “It was just so unnecessary.”

The icebreaking activities on Wednesday have prevented the Neebish Island Ferry from running across the channel for three days and it was unclear on Saturday afternoon when the ferry would be able to resume operation. The island resident added that it certainly isn’t unexpected to have the ice jam curtail ferry traffic during breakout, but the 2009 closure didn’t need to happen: “Mother Nature was doing a great job.” Those who live on Neebish Island year-round had presumably stockpiled fuel and food in preparation for the spring break-up so the situation is, by no means, dire — just inconvenient. It is also familiar, happening nearly every season during spring break up.

Chippewa County Central Dispatch will work in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and Chippewa County Sheriff Department in the event of an emergency to provide assistance to island residents. There are at least two airboats that can be employed and, if needed, a helicopter would also be available to provide assistance until the ferry can be utilized.

Commercial shipping began with the opening of the locks last week and there have been multiple downbound transits of the river. The USCG Mackinaw worked the channels around the river on Sunday to help move the ice down river.

Midwest Flood Assistance by Coast Guard

Personnel from the Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard is assisting in the flood rescue in North Dakota. This heart-warming picture was posted on their website. Since there isn't much going on in the St. Marys River with such a slow start to the shipping season, it is wonderful they can be helping those poor people who are experiencing the devastating floods. The following paragraph is from the Coast Guard website. I didn't see anything about copyright so I am just copying it for your enjoyment.

Machinery Technician 3rd Class Dan Fraley of Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie offloads the faithful friend of an Oxbow, N.D. woman, as both the dog and its owner required rescue from their flooded home along the Red River, Thursday, March 26, 2009. (U.S. Coast Guard/Photo by Petty Officer Bill Colclough)

Ninth Coast Guard District units are assisting the Eighth Coast Guard District during the Midwest flood response.

For updated information visit the Eight Coast Guard District's flood response website:http://www.uscgfloodwatch.com/go/site/1769/

Sault Coast Guard on Flood Relief

The Sault Coast Guard is assisting in the flooding along the Red River according to this press release from the Coast Guard.

Units from the Ninth Coast Guard District are assisting units from the Eighth District in response to flooding along the Red River, which runs through Minnesota and North Dakota.

Coast Guard crewmembers are working closely with both local and state officials from response centers in the Red River region and have saved 16 lives as of approximately 1:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Ninth District assets responding include an Air Station Traverse City, Mich., HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew; and 20-ft.airboats from Coast Guard Stations Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; St. Clair Shores,Mich.; Sturgeon Bay, Wis. and Marblehead, Ohio.