Great lake boats, a good video

[ArlyA]

A nice overnight snow coats the Presque Isle (my favorite articulated tug/barge) and Atlantic Huron at the port terminal this morning. Duluth, MN - February 2, 2025

 

[ArlyA]

CCGS Samual Risley ice ops on the St Clair River south channel between Walpole and Russell island…

 

[ArlyA]

2 1/2 feet of ice. 45mph wind gust. Winter lay up Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. I had no idea the Cort had 2 bow thrusters.

 

[ArlyA]

2,105 views Feb 6, 2025 DULUTH
Here is the final arrival to the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior for the 2024-2025 shipping season. This is the John J. Boland coming in for winter layup just before noon on January 17, 2025. She had previously delivered a load of taconite from Two Harbors to Sault Ste Marie and was now returning to spend her winter at the "barn" in Superior... which, in this case, is Fraser Shipyard. As the Boland made their way into the Duluth shipping canal, they were flying the flags as they let loose with a long captain's salute. The Aerial Lift Bridge seemed to have a longer-than-usual salute in return, knowing this was their last salute until spring.After watching the Boland's arrival at Canal Park, I then moved over to Rice's Point to watch her push through the harbor ice and pass under the John A. Blatnik bridge. She would then turn into Howard's Bay which leads into Fraser Shipyard. The tugboat Missouri was on hand to help with ice breaking operations. (Tugboat Kentucky can also be glimpsed at points during the video.)While the Boland was the last ship to come in for winter layup, the 1000-foot Presque Isle was making a move within the harbor at the time... moving from the CN ore dock back to Port Terminal where she would spend her winter. (More on that will be covered in the next video!)Even though the Boland's arrival signals the end of the shipping season on Lake Superior, I still have more videos to publish between now and the start of the next shipping season... so I hope you will stay tuned for the action!The 680-foot John J. Boland was built at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, entering service in 1973 under her original name Charles E. Wilson. She was renamed the John J. Boland in 2000, when the ship that previously held that name was sold to the Lower Lakes Towing Fleet (becoming the Saginaw). The Boland is powered by two 3,500 HP 20-cylinder General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) diesel engines. She also has 1000 HP bow and stern thrusters to help her manuever in port. Her six holds are accessible by 22 deck hatches and she can carry up to 34,000 tons of cargo. The Boland has a 250-foot self-unloading boom, which can swing up to 105 degrees in either direction. The Boland is owned by the American Steamship Company, but has been operated under lease to Grand River Navigation since the start of the 2021 shipping season.____________________

 

[ArlyA]

In Courtright, ON, Canada on a brisk February morning. CGC Mackinaw leading the way down bound from Sarnia with the Algocanada and Algoluna closely behind. Hope all crew members have a safe trip to Nanticoke.

 

[BravoXray]

"She was renamed the John J. Boland in 2000"
Interesting contradiction in terms.

 

[ArlyA]

Back when the Mackinaw was in Duluth for ice breaking support, I grabbed a shot of the full "Wolf" moon setting over Duluth's hillside before sunrise. Duluth, MN - January 13, 2025

 

[ArlyA]

The Mack breaking ice ahead of the tankers Algocanada and Algoluna. Work continues on the great lakes over the winter! (Ironically filmed on a river )

 

[ArlyA]

On 2.11.25…Algonova following CCGC Samuel Risley upbound on the St. Clair River by Port Huron MI making her way up from Sarnia towards the Soo…

 

[ArlyA]

The 1909 "Arkansas" and 1914 "Vermont" single screw tugs putting in another hard days work after over a century of hard work on the Great Lakes. The job here was moving the Tug Portion of the Dorothy Ann / Pathfinder Articulating Tug Barge and the Barge from the Victory/Maumee ATB into dry dock at Don Jon shipbuilding in Erie Pa. How many 100+ year old boats remain and still working could there be?