Sunday, January 16, 2011

Remembrances

A friend just sent a link to Nathan Rogers sings the Northwest Passage
I had to listen to it..Nathan is good, like his father Stan.
So I looked for some of Stan's Music and found a documentary about his life.    
Stan Rogers, One Warm Line  It starts with Stan singing Northwest Passage.
I had read about the Franklin Expedition and the search for the Northwest Passage in a series of books called "The Trilogy" by Farley Mowat. They might have been edited by Farley, not written...I read them over 30 years ago...ugh time flies.

  I stumbled on Stan in an old record store in Calais, Maine.  Coming home from New Brunswick and backpacking in Fundy National Park I needed a rest stop.  Calais is on the Maine/New Brunwick border and I just wanted to walk around town for a break from driving.  I found this album by Stan..."Between the Breaks"...had to wait until I was home before I could listen to it, but the cover and songs sounded maritime folksy. Loved it and still do.
"Witch of the Westmorland" rocks and little did I know that 20 years later I would be one of those in the "White Collar Holler"  Enjoy his salty air.
Going on the "hard" in the Penobscot River, ME

The ships are arriving for Winter Layup 1-16-2011

On Monday, the 17th of Jan, 6 or more ships are expected to arrive in Sturgeon Bay to layup for the Winter.
The John Boland arrived this morning and the Mesabi Miner is heading in now...going through the ice stern first is a long process, but since the 1000 footers berth stern first it is easier than turning around in the ice after they arrive
The Mesabi Miner


I drove past a friends house after watching the Miner and saw his dog enjoying the warm sun.
Noah looks part wolf...long legs, large feet, but friendly as can be.
He is sitting in front of a Tahitiana Ketch, designed by Weston Farmer

The Tug Erika Kobasic was heading into Green Bay ice, following the track broke by the Coast Guard's Mobile Bay

The Tug Erika Kobasic
dodging Ice shanties
Not Really!

January 16, 2011 HARD WATER

It was -3 degrees this morning, so far the coldest day of the winter.



Yesterday, the Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay had made several passes out into Green Bay. It has been pretty warm this winter and the ships haven’t come in to Bay Ship Building for winter layup yet. The water is getting hard now and they are arriving.


When I walked out to the shop this morning I noticed the tug Susan L., breaking Ice and heading out into Green Bay.

Before building the morning fire, I turned the scanner to the marine channels and heard a ship calling the Oregon Street Bridge for an opening in 20 minutes or so. After the fire was goin well, I went back into the house, grabbed the camera, some warm clothes,…oh yeah, a caramel pecan roll.

While driving toward Michigan Street I could see the lift was up for the Oregon Street Bridge. I parked on First Ave near the Great Lakes Yacht Works and walked/ran onto the Michigan Street Bridge, which was starting to open too.


The Ore Carrier, John J Boland was about 100’ from entering the Oregon Bridge, with the Tug Jimmy L following. Smoke was steaming off the broken water into the -3 degree air and I could hear the bow thruster throttling up and down, keeping the ship centered in the bridge opening. The John Boland did well and didn’t need assistance from the Jimmy L to navigate from one bridge to the other…the bridges are 1000’ or less apart, the shipping channel makes a slight turn to the North, so the ship has to make continuous corrections while trying to stay lined up between the span of both bridges. The Boland took about 20 minutes to navigate both bridges. It looks difficult in the winter with the ice trying to shove the ship one way or another. The sea smoke was pretty cool adding a haze to the air. At Bay Ship the John Boland looked like it was going to berth in the South Yard of Bay Ship. In order to see over the chain link fence I climbed the 50’ snow pile in the parking lot across the street. That is convenient. Every winter Bay Ship piles their yard snow up there, so I can climb the “mountain” and get a clear view of the yard…it is large enough that sometimes it doesn’t totally melt until mid June. After watching the yard tug Bay Ship run around in the ice, I was frozen…so I headed home to throw more wood in the fire.

The yard tug Bay Ship
Ah...remembering those warm summer days
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