One of the nice things living in the UP is that I have more opportunity to see some of the ships I've been watching online for years. This particular September day, on my day off, we went up into Marquette and got to see American Spirit preparing to receive a load of ore.
Please allow me to introduce American Spirit.
American Spirit is one of the thirteen "footers" (1000 feet or more in length) to work the Great Lakes. This one is owned and operated by the American Steamship Company. She has several "footer" fleetmates including American Century, American Integrity, Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor and Walter J McCarthy Jr. This company operates more footers than any other company on the Lakes.
All those ore "jennies" on the dock above the ship are preparing to dump their load down the chutes and into the holds of this ship.
Between loads of cargo, the crew take a bit to hose down the decks. I guess they might clean out the holds too, depending on what cargo they carried last. The ship also has to discharge ballast if she carried a light load or was empty.
I am not sure why her crane was coming out across the water here, but that's what it was doing. I couldn't stay long enough to see the cargo start being loaded, but maybe next time.
Images taken in September 2022 with my Nikon D7200.
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@jamerussell
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Past Shipspotting Posts
- Watching the Ships in Duluth, Minnesota
- Watching the Ships at Port Huron, Michigan
- Trains and Ships on the Mississippi, Fort Madison, Iowa
- Year's End Shipping in Duluth - Dec 31, 2020 - featuring Algoma Guardian, American Spirit, Baie Comeau, Great Republic and Stewart J Cort.
- Persistence Pays Off - Feb 11, 2021 - featuring Morro Bay, Samuel Risley, Griffon and Algosea.
- The Buddy System - Feb 14, 2021 - featuring Griffon, Hollyhock, Algosea, Morro Bay, Algocanada and Iver Bright.
- Downbound Progression - Feb 18, 2021 - featuring Samuel Risley and Algosea
- Upbound Parade - Feb 18, 2021 - featuring Samuel Risley, Algonova, Leo A McArthur and Katmai Bay.
- A Day on the St. Clair - Feb 25, 2021 - featuring Katmai Bay, Samuel Risley, Algonova and Pride.
- Threefer in Marine City - Feb 26, 2021 - featuring Katmai Bay, Samuel Risley and Algoterra
- 2021 Shipping Season Begins - Mar 1, 2021 - featuring Manitoulin
- Spring Has Come - Mar 21, 2021 - featuring Griffon
- Today's Shipping on the St. Clair - March 22, 2021 - featuring Algonova, Baie Comeau, Iver Bright, Indiana Harbor and Sharon M/Huron Spirit
- U-Turn in the St. Clair - Mar 25, 2021 - featuring Algoma Hansa
- Spring Day on the St. Clair - Apr 12, 2021
- Morning Departures in Duluth - Apr 30, 2021
- End of Shift - June 6, 2021
- Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding - Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin - July 9, 2022
- More Boats at Sturgeon Bay - July 25, 2022
- Tugs Scrambling Through the Michigan Street Bridge - July 31, 2022
Ship Studies
- Algoma Enterprise Farewell post - Jan 5, 2021 - featuring Algoma Enterprise, Algoma Niagara and Joyce van Enkevort - Jan 5, 2021
- Alpena, the Oldest Ship on the Lakes - March 8, 2021
- Federal Cedar - First Salty of the Season Travels the St. Clair - Mar 29, 2021
- Iver Bright - Asphalt and Bitumen Tanker - March 5, 2021
- Katmai Bay - USCGC 101
- Mississagi's Final Voyage - Jan 5, 2021
- Ocean Navigator - Jul 6, 2022
- John Purves Tugboat - July 23, 2022
- Arrival of James R Barker in (Almost) Real Time - Sept 3, 2022
Freewrites that include ship pictures...
- Winter, Writing and Winging It - featuring Drawsko and Federal Oshima.
- Fish, Farming and the Future - featuring Paul R Tregurtha.
Shipping-based art
Shipspotting Buzzes
Lakers:
- American Steamship Company - American Integrity,
- Canada Steamship Lines - Frontenac, Rt Hon Paul J Martin,
- Interlake - James R Barker, Kaye E Barker,
Coast Guard:
- Canadian - Samuel Risley
Salties:
- BBC - BBC Swift
Two or more ships -
- Burns Harbor & Stewart J Cort,
- Jamna, Sinaa, Torrent and Federal Dart,
- USCG Biscayne Bay - 104, CCG Samuel Risley, Michigan w/ Great Lakes and USCG Morro Bay - 106
No Ships... (on these ship cameras)
This category is for when the camera operator finds something else fun to focus on, like the peregrines around Port Huron or the beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior as viewed from the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
verified author on Goodreads
(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
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Reading about this Great Lakes lugger made me think of two songs, both Canadian folksinger Stan Rogers classics. You've probably heard them, the spirit-building Mary Ellen Carter and, the sorrow-filled White Squall.
Listened to them now. Thanks for introducing me to Great Lakes lore/music.
It's a little bit different than Gordon Lightfoot's Edmund Fitzgerald 😜
I will check these out as I don't believe I've heard them. Thanks for that and sorry it took so long to reply.
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