Slow Days on the St. Clair River

[Lake Mate]

Denny,

I have to tell you I look forward to your posts, whatever they might be about. The enthusiasm you have for lake boats shines thru them. In some ways it reminds me of myself keeping track of my laker sightings as a teenager. Reminds me of the sense of awe an ore boat once generated for me.

Thanks for your kinds words of support and comments Tim as I appreciate them very much. In adding to the "good" stuff of what I saw on the river this year, I also forgot to mention that I was very lucky and fortunate to have seen eight of the 1,000 footers this year on the St. Clair River which is double what I had all of 2014 in just only two short months that year! Hopefully next year will be better all around and things start to pick up as this year we just had way too many ships in lay-up. As you mentioned before one time, "Just look across the river at Sarnia and see the three ships laid-up over there and that tells you something!" I hope that next year things will turnaround and more boats will be out sailing once again. Would love to see the Arthur M. Anderson return in 2016 as it just didn't look, feel and seem right "not seeing the Andy in 2015 out there sailing." Would also like to see ASC bring back and run both the Acorn and the Boland especially the Boland since I have not seen her out there now since 2012 believe it or not! Pineglen is another I hope to see out next year as since they painted her red, I have "never" seen her downbound in red only upbound with her.

[Denny]

Thanks for your kinds words of support and comments Tim as I appreciate them very much. In adding to the "good" stuff of what I saw on the river this year, I also forgot to mention that I was very lucky and fortunate to have seen eight of the 1,000 footers this year on the St. Clair River which is double what I had all of 2014 in just only two short months that year! Hopefully next year will be better all around and things start to pick up as this year we just had way too many ships in lay-up. As you mentioned before one time, "Just look across the river at Sarnia and see the three ships laid-up over there and that tells you something!" I hope that next year things will turnaround and more boats will be out sailing once again. Would love to see the Arthur M. Anderson return in 2016 as it just didn't look, feel and seem right "not seeing the Andy in 2015 out there sailing." Would also like to see ASC bring back and run both the Acorn and the Boland especially the Boland since I have not seen her out there now since 2012 believe it or not! Pineglen is another I hope to see out next year as since they painted her red, I have "never" seen her downbound in red only upbound with her.

[mopar tim]

I hope everything is ok and wish you well Denny. Your season this year doesn't sound like to bad of a year to me any year you can get new boats is a good year in my book. Stay well and hope to run into you along the river in 2016.

[Denny]

Thanks to both bookworm and mopar Tim for your kinds words and comments about my "good day" on the St. Clair River a while ago. Yes that was indeed a good day for me however, afraid to inform you and anyone else that reads and follows this post that my year at the river has once again come to "an unexpected and abrupt end!" I will not say or give any details as to what happened other than "it is over for me as far as 2015 goes and now I will be looking into 2016." After making only 11 runs to the St. Clair River in 2014, I was hoping for a bigger and better turnaround at least for 2015! Can't complain too much as it happened somewhat as in 2015 I got out there 17 times 6 more than in 2015 but, let's look at what we saw when compared to the negatives as you can look at it both ways and many ways. I say and I am sure many will agree to look at the positive side. Got to see the Paul R. Tregurtha twice along with the all three Equinox-class ships one each on them and got to see the CSL St-Laurent and CSL Welland along with 16 salties and 12 that I have never seen prior to this year. Also had two of my best months for boatwatching July with 5 times out there and September with another 5 times. So overall I am happy with the results for 2015 and will take it with a grain of salt. Hopefully I can have something to build upon for 2016 and beyond. Hope everyone has a good boatwatching fall and stay safe and warm and dry this fall. Thanks again everyone for your comments and kind words as I appreciate and welcome all of them from you.

[Bookworm]

That was quite a day for you, Denny! A little patience often pays off but it was more like a lot of patience for you! Incidentally, I've been a Boatnerd for over a decade and have never sighted the Cort, not even at the Soo!

[mopar tim]

Sounds like a great day Denny, good job. I too have never seen the tug Donny S. Managed to snap a few photos of her and a few others while I was out.

[Denny]

Had a great day today on the St. Clair River! Saw 7 boats but the best news is that there were 5 boats out of the 7 vessels that I had not seen before. Get a load of this the Rosaire A. Desgagnes a first for me along with the brand new Federal Beaufort, tug Donny S and the best part was seeing the CWB Marquis for the very first time this year! Throw in another salty the Atlantic Patriot making her first visit at least with that name to our shores. Not a bad day if I do say so myself and throw in the American Century and also the Victory/James L. Kuber for great evening photos tonight and I give today at the river a 10! So, I have now seen all three of the Equinox-class ships this year and both of the new Trillium-Class gearless bulk carriers for CSL as well. Not a bad year so far on the river for me. Things are slowly but gradually getting better and looking up for me and I hope I can keep the momentum going into both October and November this year. Guess we will have to see.

[Denny]

Here is my list of some of the ones that I have not seen this year so far Tim and others in case you may be wanting to know and also to enquire. I am only putting in the active vessels that are running and not the ones in drydock or layup/repair work such as the Mac. Here's my list and it is long and extensive. The Algoma Enterprise, Algoma Transport, Algoway, John D. Leitch, Peter R. Cresswell, Radcliffe R. Latimer, Tim S. Dool, American Integrity along with the Indiana Harbor, Baie Comeau, Baie St. Paul, Salarium, Spruceglen, Thunder Bay, Cason J. Callaway, Alpena, Lee A. Tregurtha along with the Samuel De Champlain/Innovation, Cuyahoga, Mississagi, Saginaw, Victorious/John J. Carrick. I have also not seen yet the Great Lakes Trader and Joyce L. Van Enkevort. I have left out the tug/barge fleets such as McKeil and PML as there are too many to list here. What I have listed above is basically what I am looking for to see yet for this year including the CWB Marquis as well.

[Denny]

Tim you are right in that it has been a slow year and at times it is the same ones all the time that you end up seeing. CSL Niagara for instance, I have seen them 5 times already! Let's get some others for a change from CSL for me at least. I have yet to see these ones which is unheard of the Baie St. Paul, Baie Comeau and Thunder Bay all of which I have not seen yet this year. For Algoma I have seen the Jackman now about 3-4 times. Let's get some other ones such as the Latimer who I have yet to see along with the Transport and the Enterprise. You know the Enterprise I have only seen once since she was renamed? I saw her more as Canadian Enterprise than as Algoma! Sure doesn't help though when you have ones in lay-up like you suggested in Sarnia. I missed 11 last Friday due to the weather, two salties I never seen and the American Integrity and this Friday, I missed the Hamburg thinking it would rain and it didn't! Hopefully this Fall will be busy with lots of ship traffic.

[mopar tim]

I hear you Denny, kind of a slow year just looking across the river will attest to that. The thing that has put the brakes on for me running down there is the lack of different boats. It always seems to be the same 10 boats that go by some of them you can see almost on a daily basis. Hopefully Fall will be better good luck and good watching.

[Denny]

Guess I should have been with the boatnerds at the Welland Canal and their gathering last weekend! Was out boatnerding and also boatwatching this week on the St. Clair River and talk about a mere waste of time and days! Saw only 5 boats on Monday and just about a record for me or at least a tie with only 2 boats on Tuesday the whole darn day! Heck, I would have been better off this week at the Welland Canal or at the Soo for all I saw out there this week. The only good that came out of this week though for me was seeing the Algoma Harvester for only the second time but, it was the first time this year for me and also the first time that I got her upbound and was well worth it! The photos were great and the lighting couldn't have been any better. Now, if only I can see 3 more 1,000 footers this year the IH, Wally Mac and Am. Integrity and also the CWB Marquis, this will end up as a pretty good year for me along the St. Clair River. Hopefully I see some of the ships I have not seen though before the snow starts to fly around here! Hopefully some of you all are having better luck than me lately.