Prentiss Brown

I woke up yesterday morning to this:

The Prentiss Brown in Good Harbor Bay.

In this photo you can more clearly see Prentiss Brown's dry cargo barge St. Mary's Conquest.

Last night saw this:

And woke up this morning to this:

As of noon on December 23, the Prentiss Brown is still anchored in Good Harbor Bay, lights ablaze. It's weathered some snow and freezing rain, but is staying put. With a view like that, no complaints here!

A Safe Harbor (EDIT on 10/25/14)

I came home Sunday evening, walked up my stairs, looked out my window, and saw this:

Bryan took this awesome photo...you can even see its self-loading gear! He's good at taking night photos without a tripod...

The Great Republic was anchored in Good Harbor Bay, and was quite a sight. No matter how many times I see these ships they always fascinate me. "Beautiful" is an unusual word to describe it, yet is the only word that fits it. When I opened the window I could hear the hum of its engines between giant gusts of wind. It's quite relaxing.

Here's a photo from boatnerd.com (click on the link for some info on this ship), taken during the day:

The Great Republic (photo: boatnerd.com)

Last fall we hosted the Philip R. Clarke in Good Harbor Bay:

The Philip R. Clarke anchored in Good Harbor Bay, November 16, 2013.

Philip R. Clarke (photo: boatnerd.com)

I saw it pulling in one fall November morning and my curiosity was piqued. I scoured the internet for information on it and why it was there. I first found the internet real-time AIS maps (the ship had a name!). As I continued my investigation I finally, after taken a handful of hours researching (more than it should have taken :) ), discovered that the Philip R. Clarke, along with all of the Great Lakes Fleet, where anchored due to a prediction of dangerous weather. I can only assume that the Great Republic was anchoring for the same reason (although, I was not able to find any info to confirm or deny this).

Since I've discovered all of these different ship/shipping resources online it's become a hobby to track and document the different ships when I see them sail through the Manitou Passage. Currently I have 73 ships logged, and this is only since I began tracking them this past May (I'd have many more if I would have began documenting in the 2013 shipping season). Also, we still have about 2-1/2 months before the Soo Locks close for the season (things definitely slow down before this because of winter weather, but seems to be pretty much at a standstill after the locks close--at least this is what I noticed last year).

As of 2011 the Great Republic has sailed for the Great Lakes fleet out of Duluth, MN. I was surprised to learn this because it doesn't have the trademark GLF paint job. It has a somewhat interesting history, including its participation in the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay.

I checked the ship's itinerary and it seemed to have continued on its journey around 3:30 a.m. I'd hoped that it would be around in the morning so that I could go get some photos. Maybe next time...

Backlog Post: Good Harbor Waves

On Monday, July 14 Bryan and I went down to Good Harbor Beach to try and catch the sunset. We unfortunately just missed it but, as is always the case, there was something else that caught our attention.

The wind and waves were pretty amazing, probably the highest we've seen them. They were about 3-5 feet when we first got to the beach and increased in size from there.

Seagulls enjoying the waves...most likely picking up any scraps that beach-goers had left behind.

Waves, as we saw them when we first got to the beach...

...and they kept increasing. (Good Harbor Beach is on the north end of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The houses shown here are just north of the park's border.)

These old dock pilings, all that are left from the old Good Harbor lumbering days, took a beating as the waves grew in intensity.

Most likely the cause of the "rough seas". Bryan and I often see thunderheads developing over the lake. Sometimes single cells will roll in and provides us with an impressive lightning show.

I also took some video of the wave action. The wind was loud, so I recommend turning down your volume a little if it's on a higher setting:

We find something new every time we go into the park. If the waves were this high within the bay, I can't imagine what they were like out on the open lake!