Best Boatwatching Sites

Boat watching is an acquired hobby.  Spend any time in a good boat watching area are you will be hooked.   Boat watching in our area is observing the passage of boats through the Great Lakes water system.  This includes freighters and 'salties' which are ocean-going vessels from around the world.

You can become a boat watcher at any phase in your life.  Boat watching can begin in childhood or at any time after that when you have the opportunity to sit and see the peaceful movement of these giant haulers of freight.

The question is where is the best spot to watch boats in the Sault Ste. Marie area.  I've posted several options before but just this week learned a new one.  I received an email from a business owner south of the Soo.  I am going to post his answer to my question about the best boat watching spot in our area.  Hopefully, I get an opportunity to meet these boat watchers and enjoy their vantage point.

Sault Boat Watcher,

I found one of your blogs.

“Now I want to hear from you. What do you think is the best boat watching spot in the Sault? I'd like to learn a few new ones for this summer.”

Here is a picture from our docks at Riverview Resort and Marina.  Riverview Resort and Marina is located in Barbeau half way between DeTour and Sault Ste. Marie. Only about twenty miles from Sault Ste. Marie. We are located on the west side of Neebish Island and the south bound shipping channel of the St. Mary’s River. Hope you enjoy the picture and come visit us some time.  

Here is our website: http://www.riverviewresortandmarina.com

Facebook information: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Riverview-Resort-and-Marina/459074500787736

Very respectfully,

Timothy and Melissa Hoover

RJ and Lori Pruitt

Back for the Summer

Poe Lock is closed for maintenance for 6 hours on Wed. 5-30-12

My husband and I returned to our cabin on the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan this past week.  We live about 300 miles south of here during the rest of the year but for three months a year we return to my home town.  In fact, we have the cabin my grandparents build in 1950. 

Every year we look forward to seeing how the St. Marys River is doing.  Will the water level be up or down.  Over the past 60 years, we've seen high and low water.  I remember two times when the water was high-in the early 1950's and the early 1970's.  But since we purchased the 'cabin' in 1999, we have only had low water.  This year the water level seems lower than last year.

I keep a watch on the shipping from our vantage point.  This week the Poe Lock, which is the largest lock in the Soo Locks, was closed for emergency maintenance.  The Poe is the only lock that can handle the 1,000 foot vessels and so anytime it closes, it is cause for concern.  The repairs took just six hours so shipping resumed.  There were three vessels tied up waiting for the repairs to be completed.  I'm sure the Stewart J. Cort, who waited the day tied to the upper pier,  was very happy to be underway by 2 pm.

Shipping has been rather slow this week.  The US Border Patrol vessels have been doing practice maneuvers out front yesterday and today.   Other than that, there isn't much news to report.

I look forward to reporting to you this summer and hope you enjoy my posts.

Asian Carp in the St. Marys River-Let's Hope Not!

t

These photos were taken at the Masters Walleye Circuit Tournament held in Sault Ste. Marie on August 26-27th this summer.  My husband and I had a great time volunteering at the tournament.

I had a very interesting meeting with Dr. Dan O'Keefe who is pictured in the 2nd photo holding an Asian Carp that is used for display. (It didn't come out of the St. Marys River)


Dan is with the Michigan Sea Grant  SW District Extension Educator.  Dr. O'Keefe explained many things about the Asian carp to me.  To summarize what he said, Asian carp may indeed make their way to the St. Marys River but he predicts they won't thrive because of the cold temperatures.  He thinks if they do reach the St. Marys River, they will never reach the numbers found in the Illinois River.

Dr. O'Keefe produces an interesting newsletter called West Michigan Angler News.  You can link through here to read the newsletter.

The Grand Rapids Press ran an article today about an upcoming first Asian Carp regional coordinating Committee meeting to be held in Michigan.  The meeting will be held Sept. 23 at Saginaw Valley Community College.

"Some Asian carp may grow to 4 feet in length and weigh up to 100 pounds. The fish could crowd out and deprive other species in the foot chain, critics fear. Silver carp, a variety of Asian carp, are known to jump as much as 10 feet out of the water at the sound of boat engines.

Committee members will detail strategies authorities have taken to monitor and harvest Asian carp, barriers constructed to prevent their movement into the lakes and biological controls, among other priorities."

 The meeting will be webcast at https://www.mymeetings.com/tetratech/join. The conference number is: PG4559418 and the passcode is ASIAN CARP. To listen in to the meeting, dial 888-603-8914. For information, log onto http://asiancarp.org.

What do you think?  Are you filling to get involved to prevent the ecological disaster of Asian carp coming to our precious waterway?

The Last Blooms of Summer

My hydrangea tree in full glory-Sept. 1, 2011

 Every season has its glory.  I can never decide which season I like the best.  Right now I'm thinking that it is fall. There is something comforting about fall.  Maybe it is because I've been a teacher for so many years and fall always reprsenting the known.  We are back in a schedule.  I know what every day is going to bring-at least schedule-wise.  No more lazy days of summer with spur of the moment decisions to take off to go swimming or berry picking. 

But last summer is glory days for my hydrangea tree here at the cabin.  My hydrangea tree was planted by my grandmother decades ago.  We bought the cabin from her in 1999 and I've enjoyed it every summer.   Even though it was broken off at the root by a fallen tree one time.  But that's another story.  The tree returned in full glory the following summer.

We are also having a large bloom of purple loosestrife here on the St. Marys River.  This plant is dangerous and an invasive species.  I spoke with some authorities this summer on how to eliminate it and I will share that in a later post.  But there isn't much we can do about it as land owners.

Purple loosestrife on the St. Marys River

Our cabin invites us to relax and enjoy the views.

Relaxing with the neighbor as summer draws to a close.

We have had some of our busiest shipping days of the season this week.  I only record the boats that I see, so it may be that I am home more this last week getting ready to move south and return to work soon.  But on Tuesday, August 30, 2011,  we had 19 boats pass by the cabin. 

Congestion at The Locks

I

This afternoon the Burns Harbor was sliding by heading up to The Locks.  I noticed that she was proceeding very slowly.  So I checked the computer to see if there was another boat in the Poe Lock.  Actually there were 2 thousand-foot boats at the Locks.  So the Burns Harbor was the 4th footer waiting at one time for passage through the Locks.  Also at The Locks was the Stewart J. Cort, the Walter J. McCarthy and I can't remember the 4th one.  That's what I get for not writing it down.

 In the afternoon, my husband and I were volunteering at the Masters Walleye Circuit Tournament in the Soo.  He helped stage trucks and boats for weigh-in and I took pictures of each team with their fish. 

After the tournament was done, we stopped by Clyde's Hamburgers for a delicious burger and malts.  Actually Tom likes the root beer shakes.  Clydes seem to be the only place he has ever had one.

While we were sitting there, we were treated to see the American Century.  She saluted the crowd on Rotary Island which made the sighting extra fun.

The American Century was formerly the Columbia Star.  Build in 1980, she became the Century in 2006.

The Edgar B. Speer and the James R. Barker, both 1,000 footers, are both in the river system.  The Speer is just north of  Neebish Island and will be here in a few minutes.  The Barker is approaching the Locks out of Superior.  It may be dark before she comes by here.

Polar Bear in the St. Marys River

Yes, it is true, dear reader, that a polar bear found its way into the St. Marys River located here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

But it may not be exactly what you are thinking.  It can be cold and snowy up here but it is not cold and snowy enough to support polar bear life.  We have no glacier ice sheets or no groups of seals on which polar bears like to feed.

But a recent news item out of Ottawa County is southwestern Michigan tells the story. Wood TV in Grand Rapids ran the story today.

In 2000, big game hunter, Rodger DeVries, of Georgetown Township near Grand Rapids, Michigan returned from a successful polar bear hunt in northern Canada.

DeVries apparently knew the laws of the United States would not allow him to bring his prize polar bear into Michigan because he had not been hunting with a US approved hunting guide.  Apparently the US laws are stricter than Canadian laws on this point.  So DeVries had to be creative about getting his game home.

So DeVries and his grandsons brought the bear and skull (no explanation why they were separate) to St. Joseph's Island and transported it across the St. Marys River is his personal boat.  They landed in Raber Bay and took the contraband down state.

DeVries pleaded guilty today to illegally bringing a trophy mount across the US border.  He will be sentenced on Sept. 8.  He can receive up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.

"Defense lawyer Terry Tobias described DeVries as an "avid hunter" who has acknowledged his mistake in not getting proper U.S. permission, the Grand Rapids Press reports. He obtained permits from the Canadian government, including an export permit, and complied with Indian and province laws."

I've heard for years that the St. Marys River was used during Prohibition to smuggle alcohol into the US but this is the first time I've heard of a polar bear.

I was out yesterday morning for a run and noticed a US Border Patrol truck driving slowly down Scenic Drive  2 times.  We have a quiet road but maybe there is more going on than I thought!

Rock Cut-A Great Boatwatching Site

 We have had another week with guests from out of town.  It is always fun to see them become boat watchers.  When they first arrive, they are surprised to see such big boats right out front of our cabin.  As we begin to explain about the boats-that each one has an interesting name & that they all look different.  They are different colors, carry different cargoes, and are different lengths.  I can begin to see a new 'boatnerd' begin to sprout.  By the time they leave, the are true 'boatnerds'-watching and asking about each ship.

We always take them to other locations to get a closer look at the boats.  Usually that means Clydes Drive-in or the Locks.

 But this week, we headed south from our cabin to the Rock Cut.  The Rock Cut is just south of Barbeau, a small community located at 15 Mile Road and Scenic Drive. 

The Rock Cut is the down bound channel on the east side of Neebish Island.  It was literally cut out of rock.  My grandfather always talked about working on the cut and I believe that was around the 1920's.  I'll have to look into that!




The weather has been picture perfect this past week. The day time temperatures have been moderate and the evenings very cool-in the 50's.  That makes great sleeping weather.  We have been treated to a full moon this past week.  The moon has been rising over Sugar Island around 10 pm in its orange glory. 

These last shot was taken at Lake Superior State University.  I attended the 65th Class Reunion of the Sault High School Class of 1946.  I went with my father.  This is a beautiful spot to catch a view of the International Bridge and the east side of Sault Ste. Marie.