3 Classic Lakers

[Steamboater66]

1048EDT. Friday Oct. 9/26
Writing about 3 classic lakers by Dennny….
You’re right Sykes, Saginaw, and Alpena are classics whose times are becoming more limited Eason year.When you see them and think about what’s going on down below to allow them to glide past as majestically and silently as they do in these days of electronics and speedy everything; it gives you a good feeling that basic steam boating has place of value out there. And yes, too bad you didn’t see the Lee A; she’s my favourite…The angled prow line, the forward structure set back because she was designed as a deepsea tanker. Wow, what a look!
Thing I can’t get over is the low volume of traffic below Lake Huron at most times! Back in the ‘60’s and before; we’d be moored at Sarnia and an hour; 8-12 ships would go by on that river!

[Denny]

Great story Chief1 and thanks for sharing your memories of that classic meeting with the Boblo Boat Columbia following you and then meeting the M/V St. Clair and the Boblo Boat Ste. Claire as well. That had to be amazing and a sight to see then! As far as Guest and his comments of “Please share photos of those 3 Classic Ships and Lakers!” I would IF I could and knew how my friend as I’m a rookie here as far as trying to “Shrink the file size down for Boatnerd in order to send them in!” The other problems I have is, earlier this year I was forced into getting a brand new computer that replaced my old one along with the two main photo programs I used to use to edit all of my ship photos with. My new computer is a Windows 11 now and the photo program that came with it IMO honestly just stinks 😷 IMO anyway. Just can’t seem to learn or figure it out yet! The photo programs I used to use were Windows Photo Gallery to which I could do anything as far as straightening a photo and other things. I also had Picassa 5 from Google I think it was and that program I used only to brighten the colors up. The Picassa program, it made a huge difference as far as anything in red and white closeups and it made a difference on the blue as far as sky and water colors. I’d give anything right now to have my old computer and photo programs back again that’s for sure and certain! 🙏 I just wish I knew of some other good and free photo programs available for downloading? Anyone that knows or has any suggestions, please 🙏 post the information on a separate forum and subject and topic and not on this one about the 3 Classic ships and Lakers. Thank You everyone.

[Chief1]

Downbound one sunny afternoon Fighting Is. Channel aboard the m/v Columbia Star we were followed closely by the Bob-Lo boat steamer Columbia, wait - we met within a minute or 2 the upbound m/v St Clair and he was trailed by the other Bob-Lo steamer St Claire. One in a million perhaps?

[Guest]

Pls share photos

[Denny]

Last week while out on the St. Clair River I happen to see an incredible 11 ships on the river in one day! While not a record for me as the most I’ve ever seen in one day on the St. Clair River is either 17 or 18. However what made it even more special was seeing “3 Classic Lakers last week while on the St. Clair River!” The 3 classics were the Wilfred Sykes, Saginaw and Alpena. Not often you see 3 of the oldest working vessels on the Great Lakes like that all together. It really made for a very neat and unique scene and experience. The Alpena I saw it once earlier in the Spring, the Sykes it was the first time since 2022 that I saw her. Lastly the Saginaw it was the first time this year I saw her and the first time since 2024 as far as the last time I saw them on the St. Clair River. In spite of their ages, all 3 Classics still looked in great shape at least IMO anyway! Too bad the Lee A. Tregurtha wasn’t on the river last week as that would’ve really made it interesting then to say the least.