Spring in the Sault

Ice floes at the Sugar Island Ferry Dock

The blue sky was completely clear

Kaministiqua heads up to the Soo Locks

Sugar Island Ferry loads up for a trip across the St. Marys River

Piles of snow are still around the Power House

There were big chunks of ice floating down river

This plane was practicing touch and goes in the St. Marys River

Barge at work in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Spring has come to the Sault. People are every where walking in their shirt sleeves. We saw several people aging up their motorcycles getting ready for that first ride. 

As you can see from these pictures, there is still some snow that needs to melt. But the sunshine and sound of the melting snow banks flowing across streets lets us know spring will be here soon. 

Ice Causes Havoc on Great Lakes and Shipping Season

 

 

USCG Alder

 

 

The 2015 shipping season has opened slowly.  Although this has been a difficult opening, it is an improvement over last year's slow start.

The Soo Locks opened on the traditional date of March 25 but boats have been slow to resume a full schedule because of heavy ice cover.

The ice has caused a leak in the United States Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw.  A small hole 10 feet below the waterline allowed water to enter near an electric motor.  This is the Mackinaw's busy season and as Rebecca Follmer, assistant operations office stated, "This is right in the middle of spring break and we have vessels coming in."

The USCG hoped to have the Mackinaw running again by sometime Friday, April 3. 2015.

There are several ways to follow a boat on Facebook.  I follow Interlake Steamship Company.  Their site posts some great pictures.

Here are some photos of the United States Coast Guard conducting ice breaking operations around the Soo last week.

Katmai Bay at the Soo

Photos by Debbie Jelen

Using Technology to Track Great Lakes Boats

Are you a real boat enthusiast?  Is it important to you to know what boats are arriving at your favorite viewing spot?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you may want to use your cell phone or tablet to enable you to get up-to-date reports on where the Great Lakes freighters are located. 


Marine Traffic Ships and Wind -My favorite app for boat watching.  The app is available through the App Store for iPhones and iPads.  Although it is $3.99 which is a high price for an app, the price is worth it if you want the latest information that is easy to access on boat position and information.

App Store spot for Marine Traffic Ships and Wind.  $3.99

Marine Traffic Ships and Wind has world-wide coverage but allows you to zero in on your area of interest.  You can also set alerts by ship name and then you will be notified of the movements of your favorite boats.

 

St. Marys River is the area I want to watch. 

Marine Traffic Ships and Wind has a bonus-beside position information-there is additional information available for each boat.  The following two examples are from the Algoma Olympic. 

Clicking on a specific boat gives you a photo, opportunity to follow boat and basic particulars

Information on boat specifics, latest ports and destinations, draft and speed

 Information junkies will thrive on this app.  Everything you wanted to know as well as a photo.

I'd love to hear how you follow the boats.  Share with me in comments below or email to saultboatwatcher@gmail.com

Soo Locks Opening in the News

In the past two days I have shared some photos of the opening of the Soo Locks this week.  The snowy pictures for a spring event have captured the attention of news sources around the Great Lakes area.  Here are a few for you to enjoy.
 

Duluth Tribune-Soo Locks Opens for Ship Traffic

MLive.com Spring in the Soo
This link has some great photos of opening day that I hadn't seen anywhere else.

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I also follow the Algolake on Facebook.  If you are interested,  they have great photos and keep us up to date on the day-to-day operations of a Great Lakes freighter.  This is a post from this week.

M.v. Algolake
Can you hear it? The sounds of the Algolake's Engineers and Mechanical Assistants busily inspecting and reassembling her machinery? The sounds of the Deck Crew still at home, holding their breath, hoping that the unavoidable call back to work will be delayed so they may be with loved ones and friends a little longer? Yes, the beginning of another sailing season is drawing near. Some ships have started their respective sailing seasons already, with many more in the process of fitting out. As for the Algolake... in time... in time. After all, we do not want to scrape off our shiny new paint job in the ice.
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Opening Day Woes

The Soo Locks officially opened on Wednesday, March 25, but it has been slow going because of ice.  Here are some photos taken on Wednesday by Debbie Jelen.  As always, Debbie's photos give us a wonderful view of the St. Marys River and the freighters on it.

Edwin H. Gott at Mission Point

The Gott and Blough await passage through the Locks

 A snowy day

 Tied at the east pier

Hammond Bay assists in getting the day going

The following description of the first day is from Boatnerd.com.
 
"The mighty 1,000-footer Edwin H. Gott tried her best to be the first boat to lock through the Soo Locks late Wednesday morning, but in the end she was bested by ice in the lock chamber and had to back out and tie up at the east center pier to wait for conditions to improve. Fleetmate Roger Blough was tied up astern of her. 

Wednesday evening the Corps tug Whitefish Bay was working to clear ice from the Poe Lock wall, while USCG Mobile Bay was cutting track in the upper approaches. By 8:30 p.m., the Gott was making a second run at the lock; this time she was successful and by 9:30 was clearing the lock. 

The Gott initially started going upbound through the locks around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. A welcoming party of community leaders and residents celebrated the Gott and its crew as it passed by during a heavy snow squall. But the excitement was short-lived as ice brought the passage to a crunching halt. 

Also, on Wednesday evening, the downbound John G. Munson and USCG cutter Alder were nearing Whitefish Point. If all goes well, the Munson will be the first downbound passage sometime on Thursday."

Shipping Season 2015 Opens in a "Flurry"

The Soo Locks opened for the 2015 shipping season officially at 12:01 am on Wednesday, March 25. However the first ship didn't pass the Locks until nearly 12 hours later. The Edwin H. Gott made the first upbound passage and was closely followed by the Roger Blough. The Gott was welcomed by a group of city leaders from Sault Ste. Marie who were treated with a ride into the Locks in the Gott. As you can see from the pictures, the weather for the beginning of the shipping season was very winter-like. 

Looking back at the Roger Blough. 

The view from the Gott's pilot house. 

Entering the Locks. 

Pictures courtesy of Linda Hoath- Sault Visitor and Convention Bureau. 

Roger Blough Arrives in Sault 4-7-2014

The Roger Blough arrived in Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, April 7, 2014, just as I arrived there with my family including my grandchildren.  Two of them are interested in watching the boats and were excited to be part of this day.  The Blough was the first upbound commercial boat of the season.

The Blough was accompanied by the USCG Mackinaw and the Canadian Coast Guard Pierre Radisson.

The Roger Blough continued her trip through the Soo Locks and waited for a convoy to proceed up to Lake Superior.  The convoy consisted of the Edwin H. Gott,  Edgar B. Speer, Steward J. Cort and Sam Laud left the Sault midweek.  But the sailing was tough going.  On Thursday the Blough sustained damage of a 3' crack in her quarter. She is currently on her way back to the Sault following the Mackinaw.  The Blough will stop at the Carbide dock for assessment of the damage.

An enthusiastic group of boatwatchers was on hand to greet the Blough.  The ice in the St. Marys River had to be pushed out of the way so the Blough could move up to the dock.