Port Huron and the Great Lakes Maritime Center, a great place for boat watching!

A great place for ship watching!

Many people enjoy the pastime of watching freighters sailing in various parts of the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway. All have a favorite spot to watch and photograph from, but most have a spot that they dream of visiting someday. For many, that spot is Port Huron with its Great Lakes Maritime Center, home to the international headquarters of boatnerd.com.

The Blue Water Bridge with the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse’s green flash in the distance.

Salties and Lakers, Tankers and ‘Footers’ pass by the watchers at the Maritime Center on a regular basis. Following is a random gathering of ships that have sailed past Port Huron in the last year. Most were photographed from the Maritime Center, but some were captured at the Blue Water Bridge or the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.

A great place for ship watching!

The Blue Water Bridge with the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse’s green flash in the distance.

Mrs. Alma

Tecumseh

Atlantic Erie

Alpena

Know Your Ships – Do You Have Your Copy Yet?

Roger LeLievre

Roger LeLievre’s phenomenal book, Know Your Ships -2012 edition, is now available! This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the ships and shipping on the Great Lakes.

It includes information on renamed ships, recently scrapped ships, and other changes that have occurred since the last issue. The pages are filled with information, spectacular photography, and more.

In the Port Huron area you can find a copy at The Great Lakes Maritime Center, the Thomas Edison Inn, the Lightship Huron, and the St Clair Pharmacy. Online, you can order your copy of Know Your Ships as well as other books, DVDs and apparel at http://www.knowyourships.com. Orders are taken by mail at: Know Your Ships, 317 S. Division St #8, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Call (906)632-8417.

Thanks, Roger, for another great issue of Know Your Ships!!

Shipping Season is Officially Underway!

The Munson, second ship to traverse the Soo Locks after the 2012 opening.

The Soo Locks opened at noon on Saturday, March 24, instead or 12:01 am Sunday morning, due to request made by the shipping industry. An unusually warm winter made for minimal to non-existent ice conditions which allows the ships to maneuver throughout the Great Lakes earlier than normal.

That means, all you boat lovers out there, that SHIPPING SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN on the Great Lakes. We will begin to see those behemoth freighters gracing our horizons and, for some of us, our veritable front doorsteps. I know I am excited, so I am sure you are, too.

Winter lay-up across the water in Sarnia.

I have had a collection of freighters to view throughout the winter months, unfortunately, they have been the same ones, parked in the same spots, for the past several months. I am ready for new sights, freighters on the move, bow waves, and the sounds of those beloved salutes! Blessings on the men and women who sail these Great Lakes and may you have a safe and prosperous 2012 shipping season!

The 31st Annual Great Lakes Maritime Market will soon be here

Kaye E. Barker heading downbound.

Saturday, June 9, from 9am to 3 pm is the 31st Annual Great Lakes Maritime Market at the Riverview Plaza in St Clair, MI; located just across the street from the scenic boardwalk  in downtown St Clair.

Sponsored by the Lake Huron Lore Marine Historical Society, this years event promises to be a gala affair.

Little boat sizing up the big boat

With more than 40 vendors offering various items that relate specifically to shipping and the shipping industry in this region, there is bound to something to please the boatnerd in anyone. From artifacts, books, and photographs to advertising memorabilia, shipwreck collectibles, and artwork this event covers a great expanse of Great Lakes Maritime history.

This market is held only once a

Big job for a little tug

year and is one of only a few of its kind held throughout the country. This is a rare opportunity to find that photo, artifact, or other collectible from the impressive Great Lakes shipping industry that you have been looking for.

CSL Assiniboine coated in ice

The sponsor, Lake Huron Lore, was organized in 1963 to further the collection and preservation of maritime history in our region for the benefit of future generations. It has numerous activities throughout the year for its members, as well as the public, to further their understanding and enjoyment of this subject. The Marine Gallery at the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History is the repository of its extensive artifact collection. Its

Miedwie downbound - Port of Registery - Nassau, Bahamas

newsletter and journal, The Lightship, is published six times a year.

For more information, or to reserve a table to display for sale your own collection, contact Lake Huron Lore at (586)725-6276 or by email at micheldr2005@yahoo.com.

Shipping Season has Officially Ended on the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes in Winter, not a fit place for man or ship.

A few nights ago, on January 18, 2012, the 2011 Great Lakes shipping season officially came to a close with the closing of the Poe Lock in the Soo.  What does this really mean for the ship watchers and boatnerds of the Great Lakes?  It means there will be very few ships for the next 67 days. It does not mean there won’t be any ships at all.

The Soo Locks are an engineering masterpiece that require attention and maintenance to remain in good working order, and that is a very big, very cold, very dirty job. The US Army Corp of Engineers – Detroit District is responsible for the care and repair of the Locks, the channels, and the breakwaters of the St. Mary’s River, a vital part of the Great Lakes navigational system. This year the Saginaw was the last ship to clear the Locks before the midnight closing.

The Poe Lock is scheduled to reopen on March 25, 2012, weather permitting.  This will mark the beginning of the 2012 Great Lakes shipping season and the return of the regular traffic in our Great Lakes and their connecting waterways and tributaries. Is it March 25 yet?

 

Freighters in a snow squall at the Blue Water Bridge

Herbert C. Jackson just becoming visible beyond the bridge in the snow

I went down to the Blue Water Bridge yesterday, as there was a freighter coming down that I had not yet gotten a picture of, Canadian Steamship Lines’ Assiniboine.  The CSL Assiniboine, formerly known as the Jean Parisien, and the Herbert C. Jackson were traveling downbound together. When I got to the bridge there was a snow squall hampering visibility and making it very cold.  The photos I captured there were well worth the time spent in the freezing temps and blowing snow.  

Here is a little information on the two ships that you will see in these photos.  The CSL Assiniboine was launched as the Jean Parisien on July 7, 1977.  The Herbert C. Jackson was side-launched on February 20, 1959. She has retained her original name for almost 54 years.  

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

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Dreams, Mail Boats, and Happy Endings

The Mail Boat in the Detroit River with the Ambassador Bridge in the background

I don’t know if any of you have heard of the Dream Foundation, so let me introduce you.  The Dream Foundation is the Make-a-Wish Foundation for adults.  It is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year and in that time has made thousands of final dreams come true for terminally ill adults.  This has been made possible by the compassion and support of individuals and communities across the country.

There is a new dream that needs to be fulfilled and Port Huron should be the community most involved in the realization of this dream.  It concerns one of Port Huron‘s own, William Morton.  Mr. Morton is now 79 years old and living in Springfield, Illinois. He has a terminal illness and only a few months to live.  His wish is for people to know about the Mail boats and how special they have been to the men of the Great Lakes shipping industry.

When Mr. Morton was a child growing up in Port Huron he spent much of his time watching the boats and developing an admiration and respect for the men and the mail boats who helped keep those men connected with their families and loved ones. Mr. Morton has since read the book, Mail by the Pail, by Colin Bergel and it helped him decide what his final wish should be.

Mr. Morton’s final wish is for people young and old alike to learn about the mail boat, the only floating zip code, and the men and women who have served the ships of the Great Lakes shipping fleets.  I am including Mr. Morton’s address in this post in hopes that those of you with knowledge of the Great lakes Mail Boat will write to him and let him know that the knowledge of the floating zip code is alive and well and being passed down from generation to generation.

William Morton would love to hear from you at:

William Morton

c/o Kelly Ziffra

Memorial Home Services

720 N. Bond St.

Springfield, IL 62702

An Awesome Afternoon Aboard the USNSCS Grayfox

Thank you, Captain Crunch!

The volunteers from the Great Lakes Maritime Center and their guests enjoyed an cruise on the St Clair River this past Wednesday.  The weather was beautiful, blue skies and sunshine, and the food was plentiful and delicious.  Many thanks the folks at the Great Lakes Maritime Center, Captain Crunch, and the crew of the Grayfox for making it such a memorable day.

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Port Huron Edition 1

Kaye E. Barker heading downbound.

Port Huron is a unique and beautiful place, from the waterways, bridges, boats, and freighters to the architecture, landscapes, and skies, there are many sites that can only be found in the maritime center that is Port Huron.  Here is the first in a series of slideshows featuring Port Huron’s picturesque beauty and unique individuality.

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Watching the Sailboats Returning

Perfect weather

I was at Vantage Point last night and got to watch all the sailboats returning from a day on the lake.  What a beautiful sight to see, all those colorful sails rounding the curve above the Black River, heading back to the docks.  I took some photos I am going to share.  If you happen to see yourself in a photo, please, leave a comment.  Let us know how your day was.  For more information on Port Huron please visit Discover Port Huron.

 

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