Saturday, December 6, 2008

Shipping traffic


Two days ago I saw the Arthur Anderson, sister ship to the Edmond Fitzgerald way upriver on the Fox River being loaded up for another run. They always run as many loads late into the season as they can before the ice gets too thick to transit the Bay of Green Bay and the customer is forced to use rail to get their goods. This afternoon, I caught her headed up the channel (note : the Coast Guard pulled the channel markers out last week) and a few minutes behind her was another vessel that I don't know the name of, but looks like she might be older than the Anderson. I'd bet that the second ship had been waiting in port for the Anderson to head out to clear her a channel north. Its not an easy living aboard ships like these, especially this time of year.

I got these shots before each ship literally vanished into the snow squalls blowing in.


As they headed out, the winds were gusting into the 40's from the North West and as you can see, we have plenty of ice on the lower half of the bay.

The shots were difficult to get since all my long lenses are at the office in town. I shot these using the little Canon SD750 at 3X zoom through my 10x50 binoculars through the deck doors in the backyard. Less than desirable, but it worked.

Sorta.

UPDATE : Monday morning, 8:15 and the Anderson is headed back in with a load.

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