Boat Watching from a Distance

 

 Sister Ships at the Soo Locks

The Arthur M. Anderson and the John G. Munson passed each other recently near the Soo Locks. I used the Streamtime Live to take this interesting shot.  The Munson was down-bound heading toward Indiana Harbor.  The Anderson was up-bound heading toward Duluth.  

Both boats are owned by the Great Lakes Fleet. 

If you haven't discovered the Streamtime Live camera, you are missing a great opportunity for boat watching.  The camera is operational 24/7 year round.  At times the camera is operated by a human and at other times it is in automatic mode.  When manned by a human, they are able to focus in on interesting shots that give us insight to what is going on in the St. Marys River and the Soo Locks.  

Do you have any favorite ways to fulfill your need to see boats even when you are not able to view them in person?  

Where Have All the Boats Gone?

As I read the discussion groups on boatnerd.com, I found that many ships are still in lay-up because of the downturn in the economy. An article in the Duluth News Tribute today verified that.

The Tribute is reporting that the Edgar B. Speer was the 4th 1,000 footer taken out of service this spring. The Speer needs repairs on her bow thrusters but the other three footers were not brought out because of weak demand.

The slow down in the demand for taconite also causes a slow down in the demand for lime. The downturn in construction has caused a slowdown in concrete and stone shipments as well.

"The 1,004-foot Mesabi Miner recently tied up in Sturgeon Bay because of weak demand for service, said Mark Barker, president of Interlake Steamship Co., the ship’s owner. It’s the same story for the 1,000-foot Stewart J. Cort berthed in Milwaukee, waiting for the market to improve.

The American Spirit, a 1,004-foot-long member of the American Steamship Co., remains parked at the Lakehead Pipeline dock, awaiting its first voyage of the season.

Half of the Duluth-based Great Lakes Fleet is out of service. In addition to the Speer, the 767-foot Philip R. Clarke and Arthur M. Anderson, plus the 858-foot Roger Blough all are inactive, waiting for demand to improve."

I will miss several those favorite sights and hope that shipping picks up before I get there in a few short weeks.