Day 69: The Gott

This is the Edwin H. Gott - the nearly identical sister ship to the Speer that I am sailing on. 

Day 68: Rock Cut

Here we are headed through the rock cut on the St. Mary's river. It's quite narrow and a tight fit for a ship this size. 

Day 67: Load Time

Every six days we arrive back in Two Harbors, Minnesota for a new load of iron ore for the steel plant. It takes 7-10 hours with the cargo pouring into 20 hatches on deck to load the boat into 6 cargo holds. 

Day 66: Life Ring

They say this thing is supposed to help save your life if you fall overboard. The water is really cold though, so I'm not sure how much this orange ring will help. 

Day 65: Take the Stairs

This appeared on the bulletin board in the break room after there was so much complaining following the 12 hours of elevator shut down. We don't even have that many stairs. 

Day 64: Anchor Chain

We've had to anchor a couple of times over the past few days and this a link on the chain that holds the 22,500 lb anchor. 

Day 63: Sunrise Week 9

Reflections all around the pilot house for the early sunrise this morning!

Day 62: Paint

It takes a lot of red paint (and time) to cover 105,000 square feet of steel deck. I'm not disappointed that painting isn't in the cadet job description. 

Day 61: The Chadburn

We do have more modern engine controls to control engine speed, but still use this to ring engine commands to the engine room. Before the invention of modern throttle controls, these engine order telegraphs were the primary engine speed communication device between the pilot house and the engine control room. 

Day 60: Wind Power

It was a sailboat that partially inspired this career change and I always enjoy seeing them out. There was some great wind today and nice to see people out enjoying it. 

Day 59: Camp!

For the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at the American Cancer Society's "Camp Goodtimes" - a camp for childhood cancer survivors and their siblings. I was supposed to be there this week, but couldn't make it work due to my sailing schedule. Wishing I could be there and thinking of all the volunteer staff and campers this week!

Day 58: Fluffy Clouds and Blue Skies

Another beautiful day on the open water of Lake Michigan!

Day 58: Fluffy Clouds and Blue Skies

Another beautiful day on the open water of Lake Michigan!

Day 57: Reflection

Looking off the bow into the water. 

Day 56: Sunrise Week 8

This week's sunrise from approaching the Soo locks with the international bridge over the St. Mary's river. 

Day 55: Northern Michigan Summer

It is finally summertime in northern Michigan and we've just had our first couple of days in the 80's. Everyone is out to play in their little boats and campers on the water. 

Day 54: Taconite

This is what we haul around in this boat - loads of iron ore pellets that are the size of marbles. We just finished loading 57,000 tons of the little things and headed for the steel plant. 

Day 53: Run Time

I really enjoy my time on the water, but I always look forward to my once a week run when we can get off the boat in Two Harbors. There is something about being on land that is really nice and it is especially great to soak in some summer heat and humidity for a run! Also, it looks like I mastered the art of running on water this week. 

Day 52: Another Big Boat

As we were departing the Gary breakwater, this was the view standing outside the starboard bridge wing looking  at the Presque Isle with the Chicago skyline in the very distant background. 

Day 51: Hold On Tight

This little bollard (along with six others) keeps 75,000 tons of ship from drifting away at the dock. 

Day 50: Student Driver

They actually let me drive this thing!

Day 49: Sunrise Week Seven

This week's sunrise is from transiting the St. Mary's river with lighted buoy #13 and Sailors Encampment ranges off in the distance. 

Day 48: Passengers?

I guess if you are well connected in the iron ore industry (or win a charity raffle of some kind) you and your lucky companions can find yourselves aboard a ship like this. We just took on 4 passengers that will be making the 6 day trip to Gary and back with us. I hope they realize this is a work boat and that work boats and cruise ships have only one thing in common: they float. 

Day 47: Engine Control Room

I rarely make it down to engine room area, but sometimes I make the trip to see what is happening down there. Here is a photo from the engine control room where the engineers do their thing. 

Day 46: Chart Time

As part of this ongoing homework project this summer, I have to draw charts of each of the lakes including lights with characteristics, shoals, reefs, courses, islands, etc. I'm just basically duplicating the NOAA chart by hand all so I can prepare to be licensed as a first class Great Lakes pilot when test time comes in a couple years. 

Oh yeah, and today is day 46, which means I'm halfway done for the summer! Just 92 more days to go. 

Day 45: Nice Evening in Gary?

I never thought I would say this, but it is actually a beautiful evening in Gary. Of course, that is if you can ignore the terrible smell of steel pollution in the air. I guess sunsets make everything look better!

Day 44: Tunnel Time

The unloading "tunnel" is at the bottom of the ship under all of the cargo holds and is where the cargo is released from gates at the bottom of the hold. From there it goes to a conveyer belt, up an elevator system, through the shuttle boom, and off the ship into the hopper at the steel plant. 

It's rather dusty down in the tunnel and it's safety first around here:

Day 43: Happy 4th of July!

We were fortunate enough to be transiting the St. Mary's river tonight so we were close enough to land to see plenty of fireworks. Happy 4th!

Day 42: Blue Skies

A beautiful day with blue skies above the forward steering pole / radar. 

Day 41: Week 6 Sunrise

Here is another one from Lake Superior through a port hole in the pilot house. 

Day 40: Where's the Tug?

The rig in the top photo here was towing the tug Hammond Bay in the St. Mary's river when it disappeared. They looked back and the tug was gone. They later discovered that it has broken loose and sank in the channel. The USCG cutter Buckthorne was out to locate the sunken tug and mark it with a lighted buoy so river traffic can avoid the area where the tug went down. It was unmanned at the time of sinking. 

Day 39: Tight Spaces

Another ship, the M/V Algoma Progress was taking up the extra space in the slip on the way out, which makes for some close maneuvering.