Great lake boats, a good video

[ArlyA]

I nice video of the James Barker I would assume in the St Marys river. Has some historical and technical captions in the film like its twin, 18ft stainless steel variable pitch props. Really some neat drone action.

 

[ArlyA]

NOAA lake ice map. Kind of hard for me to to read but it show we are not froze over.

There are still a few boats working on the lower lakes. They can be seen here. Seems they are all Algoma boats.

 

[ArlyA]

Here is a tanker on St Claire river being assisted by the Griffon a Canadian breaker. This shows why winter shipping is a bear on the lakes. When the Iver Bright swings around to tie up, you can clearly see his front thruster being used.

 

[ArlyA]

This is more great lakes weather and rescue than boats..
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Missing ice fisherman found safe on Whitefish Bay​

Rescue personnel at the scene of a search mission on Whitefish Bay, Feb. 21, 2022.(Whitefish EMS/Facebook)
By Andrew LaCombe
Published: Feb. 21, 2022 at 5:49 AM EST|Updated: 2 hours ago
WHITEFISH BAY, Mich. (WLUC) - A missing ice fisherman was found safe on Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay early Monday morning.
The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office says he was checked by EMS and released from the scene, apparently in good spirits. The man was found just after 2:00 a.m. Monday. His name has not been released.
Investigators say the search for the ice fisherman began Sunday afternoon after he was last seen heading toward shore on his snowmobile. The blowing snow made visibility very dangerous.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter found the man several miles away out on the ice. He wasn’t able to find the location he had launched from in the blowing snow and had become stuck in heavy slush.
Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office and DNR sleds responded along with a U.S. Coast Guard air boat. The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office also used its hovercraft and drone.

 

[ArlyA]

Here is one hour and 47 minutes showing 45 boats coming and going from Superior WI and Duluth MN.

 

[MossRoad]

WOW! That's a lot of boats. Thanks.

 

[BravoXray]

Going to have to watch that in a couple of sessions.
Great video though.

 

[ArlyA]

Great lakes ice report. Says our BIG lake is at 63%

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Posted: Feb 26, 2022 / 01:45 AM EST / Updated: Feb 27, 2022 / 03:22 AM EST

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Great Lakes ice extent reached 56.11% on Saturday. This is the highest extent of this winter and above the annual average maximum ice extent of 53.1%. Here’s a graph of annual maximum ice extent since 1973, the start of the satellite observations:

Great Lakes Annual Maximum Ice Cover
As you can see, there is a lot of variability from year-to-year. Cold temperatures produced quite high ice extent on the Great Lakes in 2014 and 2019, while milder temperatures and frequent strong winds resulted in very low ice extent in 2012 (remember it was in the 80s in mid-March!) and in 2020.

Here’s the ice extent on the individual lakes as of Friday: Superior 63.1%, Michigan 33.1%, Huron 67.2%, Erie 80.5%, Ontario 22.6% and Lake St. Clair 91.2%. Ice extent could increase a little bit over the next few days, but breezy conditions and warmer temperatures next weekend will likely start to break up some of the weaker and newly formed ice. The GSFX model gives Grand Rapids a high temp. of 57° next Saturday night/early Sunday. It’s March and while temperatures will bounce up and down, we will start to see some milder days. The average high temperature for G.R. reaches 40° on March 5 and the low 50s by the end of the month. (pic. at the top is the MODIS Lake Superior satellite view from Friday PM (2/25) – from NOAA Coastwatch).

MODIS Lake Michigan satellite pic. from Saturday PM

 

[ArlyA]

Here's your chance to buy your very own great lakes freighter.
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Boatnerd News – February 27
Canadian owner puts Duluth’s Great Lakes Fleet up for sale Duluth, MN – In an earnings call last month, Canadian National Railway shared a desire to sell off its Twin Ports-based Great Lakes Fleet of ore carriers. The move comes as the freight rail company reviews its non-rail business, including a trucking firm, TransX. “We are in negotiations regarding the divestiture of the Great Lakes vessel (sic),” said Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN president, chief executive officer and director, during an earnings call with shareholders Jan. 25. The Great Lakes Fleet of lake freighters features nine ore boats, including three 1,000-footers. Its… (read the remaining story on boatnerd.com)
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[MossRoad]

Wow! Three 1000 footers.