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.