Great lake boats, a good video

   / Great lake boats, a good video #11  
Cool video, thanks for sharing!
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video
  • Thread Starter
#12  
It is a bit hard to see weather they there running in ballast (that's flooded tanks) or with freight. Lake Superior's water is quite high right now and I believe the lower lakes are up as well. When the water is deep, the boats operate at high, or maximum capacity and ride very low, waves seems to wash into the bow anchor ports. But when the lake is lower, they they run with less cargo and less draft. If you see ft numbers painted to the bow or stern, these numbers indicate the depth to the boats keel.

Here is a old, yet good video of Duluth MN entry. Do note, as the boats are coming into harbor, most do not have cargo and are dumping there ballast as they enter so they'll be running quite high at this point. As they leave they should be running much, much lower. At 27 minutes into this video, a boat is seen striking the shore wall.

A Midsummer Laker Dream: 212 Duluth Ship Traffic - YouTube

Duluth is the most inland harbor on earth, that see's salt boats. That means ships that ply the oceans. We used to reside there.

Interesting to an Okie landlubber. At first, I thought they were all running without cargo, until I figured out they were carrying something like ore, or limestone, fertilizer or some such.
 
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   / Great lake boats, a good video #13  
Great Lakes... No salt and shark free!

We live pretty close to Lake Michigan. I love taking people there who have never experienced the great lakes. They typically have no concept that you can't see across these little inland lakes!
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video
  • Thread Starter
#14  
OK, you guys might like this one. This is a the brand new CSL Whitefish bay upbound in the St Claire river when she nearly collided with a fishing boat. I learned later that there engine wasn't operable so they could not exit the area when the Whitefish was bearing down on them. In another "video" that is all audio, the captain calls the Coast guard to report the fishing boat being washed over, men in the water and a smoke buoy was deployed.

Whitefish Bay Maiden Voyage Upbound St Clair River - Port Huron by Paul Murray - YouTube

The Whitefish bay is a Trillion class and the Canada Steam Ship line has purchased three (or so) of these high efficiency, clean operating boats. They are not very large at 750ft in length.
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video #15  
Great vid. I feel lucky to be from, and living in, Michigan... Definitely a beautiful state. We get to enjoy the best of all 4 seasons, practically no natural disasters to speak of, and watersports and ship-watching to your hearts content.

Spent my Summers as a kid on lake Huron, and now frequent lake Michigan and Traverse Bay with my kids. Looking forward to taking them to The Island (Mackinaw) this summer for their first time, as well as taking them up to Picture Rocks and Taquemenon Falls.

My wife and i had started a "Lighthouse" tour list which has been on hold for the last 10 years (kids, work, etc) but we're looking forward to picking it back up eventually.
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video #16  
We used to walk across the Big Mac every Labor Day. About five or six years ago we were right at the center of the span when a big lake carrier came under us and blew it's big horn. :)
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video #17  
There's nothing like spending a nice summer evening in the Soo at the locks observation deck watching the ships go through the locks. IMG_1870.JPGIMG_1881.JPG
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video
  • Thread Starter
#18  
2014 was a cold winter here and when the shipping reopened, the first boats really struggled to get through the ice. The breakers had been through the shipping lanes, but the ices recloses behind them and sometimes makes trouble for shippers. Here is a video of the first two boats down-bound to the Soo locks that spring. The Soo locks allow boats to be lowered (or raised) the 20ft to St Mary's river and into lake Huron. The Cason J Callaway was stuck long enough, that food and fuel had to be hauled out to them.

First Ships Through Soo Locks 214 - Cason J Callaway - John G Munson - YouTube
 
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   / Great lake boats, a good video #19  
Nice video!

I didn't know what those star shaped symbols were for, so thanks for that information.

A couple things about the Great Lakes that are surprising for some of us not used to huge lakes. Doesn't smell anything like the ocean, and the water doesn't taste salty. :)
 
   / Great lake boats, a good video
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Well gee, I guess a few people do like this baloney. I'm a machine buff and these are just big ones. Here is a video I like because it clearly shows the captain using his front thruster, to hold his 1000ft boat against the dock in a stiff breeze to allow another laker by. He must have been using the stern thruster as well, but we can't see his in the video. You can see the flags being held pretty straight by the wind, as he passes by them.

Thousand Footers at the Soo Locks in 2 - YouTube

These boats are designed to be used in rivers, harbors and open water without tugs. Plus most can unloaded themselves of 60,000 tons of cargo in just a few hours.
 
 
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