Great lake boats, a good video

[jjeff]

I thought that ship was just repowered then I realized that was 30+ yrs ago lol. I remember going through Sturgeon Bay Wi 2008-2009 during the "great recession" seemed like every ship on the great lakes was laid up getting refitted during the middle of the summer.

 

[ArlyA]

Photos from Buffalo, New York of cars being filled with iron ore by way of Thornberger steam unloaders. I had no idea these existed. Do you wonder why this system was updated over the years?

 

[jjeff]

Photos from Buffalo, New York of cars being filled with iron ore by way of Thornberger steam unloaders. I had no idea these existed. Do you wonder why this system was updated over the years?

Never truly appreciated what my grandfathers generation was able to do with what they had available until much later in my life. I often wonder what he could have done with even a modern small subcompact tractor.

 

[ArlyA]

Take off of boat nerd today
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Boatnerd News – October 11 ​

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Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The retired laker Mississagi headed up the St. Marys River under tow Sunday afternoon bound for the scrap dock at Purvis Marine on the Canadian side above the locks. Boatwatchers watched form Mission Point and at the West Pier as the sad procession passed by. The Purvis tug Anglian Lady was on the bow, with W.I. Scott Purvis on the stern.

She was most recently at Sarnia, ON, where she was stripped of any usable equipment. Mississagi was owned by Lower Lakes Towing Co., a division of Rand Logistics. She began her career in 1943 when was launched at Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan, as the Hill Annex. Before its first trip, Hill Annex was rechristened George A. Sloan by U.S. Steel Co.

The Sloan was transferred over to the Michigan Limestone-owned Bradley Transportation Co. in 1966 and converted to a self-unloader. Had that not happened, the vessel would likely have met its demise in the 1980s.

In 2001, the Sloan and two fleetmates were sold to Lower Lakes Towing. The Sloan was reflagged Canadian and renamed Mississagi. This name change honored the Mississagi Strait, which is the body of water separating Cockburn Island and Manitoulin Island in Northern Lake Huron. Meldrum Bay, situated on the west end of Manitoulin Island, is home to a quarry where the Mississagi loaded many cargoes during her career.

Her final trip saw her load wheat at Thunder Bay, ON, for Hamilton, ON, in early January 2021, after which she was laid up at Hamilton for the winter. She headed to Sarnia, ON, under her own power early in the 2021 to be stripped and retired.

 

[ArlyA]

Here is Presque Isle departing Duluth while the Whitefish Bay arrives to load iron pellets. I didn't realize the Presque Isle had such a nice horn. She is my favorite barge/tug on da lakes.

 

[jjeff]

Wonder when this one's going to the scrapyard?

 

[ArlyA]

Can you park your boat like this while in the St Clair's current?

 

[MossRoad]

Man, that's impressive!!

 

[jjeff]

Wow impressive, I've been on the st Clair going downriver from Lake Huron It was the fastest the sailboat I was on ever went at over 10knots sustained with bare poles, idling a little yanmar 3gm30f for steerage.

 

[MossRoad]