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.