Althouse: "The Paul R. Tregurtha becomes the first ship of the season to pass through the Soo Locks just after midnight Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich."

March 25, 2013

"The Paul R. Tregurtha becomes the first ship of the season to pass through the Soo Locks just after midnight Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich."

"The 1013-foot ship is headed to Superior, Wis. to be loaded with coal. This time-lapse video condenses the 50-minute trip to about 25 seconds."

21 comments:

campy said...: Wow, that was exciting.; 3/25/13, 10:13 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: That ship's father must be very proud.; 3/25/13, 10:13 AM
edutcher said...: Only worry if Gordon Lightfoot is sitting in a lifeboat singing, "Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!".; 3/25/13, 10:15 AM
campy said...: It would have been more chivalrous to let a ship with a female name go first.; 3/25/13, 10:16 AM
chickelit said...: That's the power of hydrogen bonds; 3/25/13, 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...: As the ship is about 200 feet too long to pass through the Welland Canal, it can't go further east than Buffalo. It's one of a group of ships known as "lakers" that operate solely on the Great Lakes. Or actually on the Great Lakes minus Lake Ontario.

The Caspian Sea is in a somewhat similar position as the Great Lakes, navigationally speaking, as it has its own fleet of ships that can't go anywhere else, but with smaller ships able to reach the world's oceans via the Volga-Don Canal. IINM that canal is limited to ships of no more than about 500 feet length, considerably shorter than the Welland Canal's limit.

Peter; 3/25/13, 10:24 AM
Kelly said...: My most boring childhood vacation involved the Soo locks and Canada. I won't watch the video because it's really to early for a nap.; 3/25/13, 10:37 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "My most boring childhood vacation involved the Soo locks and Canada. I won't watch the video because it's really to early for a nap."

You need a time-lapse vacation!; 3/25/13, 10:39 AM
carrie said...: The article says the ship is going Superior where it will be loaded with coal. Where does the coal come from?; 3/25/13, 10:47 AM
carrie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/25/13, 10:48 AM
David said...: Try writing a song about the Paul R. Tregurtha.; 3/25/13, 10:49 AM
David said...: carrie:

From Minnesota Sea Grant:

The second largest commodity tonnage shipped on Lake Superior is coal from Montana and Wyoming. It comes into the Port of Duluth/Superior via dedicated 100-car unit trains to Midwest Energy, where it is stockpiled and then loaded onto ships for distribution throughout the Midwest and even overseas. This “low-sulfur” coal is cleaner burning than eastern coals, and is prized for power generation.

Just for kicks, imagine the number of windmills necessary to replace this.; 3/25/13, 10:57 AM
campy said...: Does the fact that there's a Superior, Wisconsin imply every other town is Inferior?; 3/25/13, 10:58 AM
kjbe said...: For about 20 years, we went through here to get to a rental north of Thessalon. Stopping for breakfast, gas, the duty free store and watching the locks was always on the agenda.

These days, I have a MNRRA-ranger friend who takes canoes groups through the locks in Minneapolis. These make for disorientating pictures from the perspective of the canoeists.; 3/25/13, 11:01 AM
Meade said...: campy said...
"Does the fact that there's a Superior, Wisconsin imply every other town is Inferior?"

*Google: inferior, illinois*

"About 5,660,000 results (0.18 seconds) "; 3/25/13, 11:18 AM
traditionalguy said...: The Panama Canal does this on an immense scale everyday of the year.

They are all copy cats of the mighty Erie Canal.; 3/25/13, 11:19 AM
alan markus said...: Thanks @ David - was wondering the same thing, and now I recall seeing articles in train magazines about how much coal is being railroaded east - assumed it was being taken by rail to it's final destination.

Looking at Google Maps, satellite view, ("Saint Louis Bay") shows one honking big pile of coal - footprint looks to be about the size of a small Wisconsin town.; 3/25/13, 11:21 AM
MadisonMan said...: Paul R. Tregurtha is a Republican, Straight White Male, according to nndb.com, and a graduate of Cornell University.

The same ship was christened the William J. De Lancey, but it underwent a name change when a shipping contract changed.; 3/25/13, 11:40 AM
carrie said...: David-thanks for the info!; 3/25/13, 11:44 AM
carrie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/25/13, 11:53 AM
campy said...: The same ship was christened the William J. De Lancey, but it underwent a name change

That's bad luck!; 3/25/13, 12:18 PM