Lakers

This is the first of a series of photographs of the Kinsman Independent, taken at Sault Ste. Marie in June of 1992.

Kinsman Independent in the MacArthur Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in June, 1992. A close-up view of the deck of a Classic Laker. The Independent--originally the Charles L. Hutchinson, and later the Ernest R. Breech--was never a big boat, but she was fairly typical of all lakes boats when she was new. By 1992, she was 40 years old and nearly the last of her breed; she'd been superceded by larger boats, and lived in the niches the big boats couldn't service. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, I know she's technically a ship; she's 642 feet long, 67 feet wide, and can run aground if the water's less than 35 feet deep. For some reason, it's the local fashion to call these large vessels "boats." Not sure why, but the key is that they live on the Lakes. I have always called 'em boats, and likely will continue to do so.

"S" as in Steinbrenner. You may know that the Steinbrenner clan made its fortune in ship building and shipping; Kinsman was their fleet, and this was one of their ships. "Kinsman," by the way, precisely because this was a family enterprise, and independent of the big ore companies who own or control much of Great Lakes shipping. A fundamentally scruffy, and definitely Yankee, enterprise; very different from New York's baseball team. Kinsman Independent at Sault Ste. Marie in June of 1992.

One of the best things about watching lakers at Sault Ste. Marie is that you are this close to the crew. I've got several pictures of this gent, who walked the length of the boat while she was approaching the lock, checking over the side to see the ship's condition and that things were going well. Kinsman Independent at Sault Ste. Marie, MacArthur Lock, June, 1992. Camera: Chinon Genesis III

Kinsman Independent at Sault Ste. Marie, June of 1992. First time we visited the Soo, my sister developed a crush on one of the crewmen on a passing ship. It was from Athens (Greece!), not Cleveland, though. And he was prettier than these guys, and stripped to the waist. Come to think of it, I've probably got a picture, stashed somewhere. Haven't found it yet, though. Give me time.... Camera: Chinon Genesis III

It's not just the folks on the deck watching the crowd as the ship passes by; we were being watched from this hatch, too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When lakes boats pick up supplies, some of the stores come in through this hatch. Others are loaded on pallets, and lifted to the deck by onboard cranes. I'll probably show a picture, sometime.... Kinsman Independent at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in June, 1992.

The Corps of Engineers maintains a museum by the locks in Sault Ste. Marie. The museum keeps a log of passing ships; they also get reports of upbound ships as they pass Detour Village, and downbound ships as they pass Whitefish Point. So that's my first stop at the Soo: I want to know which ships are in the system. Had a nice chat with the lady at the museum's counter about this old boat while we were waiting for it to arrive. The new boats are large and impressive, but style obviously wasn't a concern to their architects. While the Independent was hardly the oldest boat active on the lakes, it was an attractive relic of another age. We were both old enough to remember when lakes boats were more common and more stylish, and wishing for something we knew wasn't in the cards. Bridge notes: The yellow bridge in the background is the International Bridge, which crosses the Saint Mary's River between the two Saults. The dark bridge with several kinds of draws and lifts which runs beneath it is the old Soo Line railroad bridge, likewise called "International," which also connects Sault, Michigan, with Sault, Ontario. Kinsman Independent at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in June, 1992. Camera: Chinon Genesis III

Kinsman Independent leaving MacArthur Lock at Sault Ste. Marie in June, 1992. She lasted another decade after I took these photographs, ending her Kinsman career with one last Duluth/Buffalo voyage in 2002. In the end, technology changes got her, not age. [But see NIN34's comment, below....]

Camera: Chinon Genesis III Photo by Joel Dinda More information

Arthur Anderson downbound from Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie in the late 1980s. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

A classic calendar view of ULS steamship Quebecois, downbound just below the St. Mary's locks on June 21, 2004. Camera: Nikon N90s

My favorite laker, under the Blue Water Bridge....

M/V Walter J. McCarthy, Jr, heading toward Lake Huron under the Blue Water Bridges early yesterday afternoon. When I published a photo of Indiana Harbor a few months ago I remarked that the American Steamship freighters all look "pretty much alike"--still true, as you can see by comparing the photographs. It's still a thrill to see these big ships on the water, particularly when they're lightly loaded and seem more like a portable wall than a vessel. This boat is Indiana Harbor's twin, though their normal cargoes differ somewhat. By the way, it isn't always grey in Port Huron, but the town does seem to have its own private weather much of the time.

Dobrush is a Ukranian-registered ship which is often found on the Great Lakes. Port Huron, Michigan. Camera: Olympus Camedia C50 Photo by Joel Dinda More information

Missabe Railroad's Duluth Docks. Now Kaye E. Barker. (Thanks, NIN) I love Duluth. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

Long named Calcite II....

All primped up & posed; to all appearances these birds wanted their picture taken. This is Port Huron's waterfront park--Pine Grove Park, more precisely, though several parks run together along the St. Clair and you can easily walk for several miles without getting far from the river. Note the fishermen in the foreground and the waterfront homes--no longer shacks, I notice--in the background. Dobrush is sneaking around the bend, and the Coast Guard's new bouy tender, Hollyhock, seems to be parked on the sidewalk. Neat place. Camera: Nikon N90s

This is Willowglen, photographed at Port Huron in 1991. Although she was a relatively small boat, she plied the Lakes and the Saint Lawrence for half a century. That's Algosoo hiding behind the trees.... Camera: Chinon Genesis III. Rescan posted 3/12/06.