LL5 Random Detroit River

At 0645, this corner of  Detroit was lit only by Le Dumont and GM. 

But 15 minutes later, the sun rose over Windsor.

Lets of traffic passed over the course of the day . . .  big Paul R. was upbound, 

 

Saginaw down bound for Lake Erie, 

 

CSL Assiniboine headed down bound as well, 

Alpena would tie up at the Gordie Howe construction site, 

 

Federal Seto was at anchor, 

while along the east side of the river, Ecosse waited with

Norisle until the weather calmed down a bit. 

All photos, any errors, WVD.

 

LL4 Detroit River Traffic

Name the port where the red balloon is located?  It’s not the usual suspects like Wilmington, Majuro, Valletta, Madeira, Limassol . . . .  Answer follows.  

Even with this added context, I would not have known it, even though it’s a capital city of a French overseas collectivity.  And you’re likely wondering how this could possibly be related to the Detroit River USA or Canada.

If you’re a regular of this blog or of Detroit, you’ll recognize that infrastructure as the Ambassador Bridge with a yacht underneath it. 

Here’s the “yacht” passing the Windsor city front. 

It’s a yacht fit for an emperor, you might be thinking. 

If you think that’s an overly complicated name, meet Jules, short for Jules Sébastien César Dumont d’Urville… quite the noteworthy French explorer of the early 19th century. 

And it’s a cruise ship, not a yacht.  Cruising on it would be more economical than owning a yacht, although that’s not saying it’s affordable for this reporter. See all the Ponant ships here. 

That red balloon in the South Pacific in the maps above, that points to Mata Uta, or Matâ’Utu if you prefer.

As the Ponant ship passed the southern tip of Belle Isle, it passed the equally exotic Saginaw, the Lower Lakes Towing laker launched in 1953. 

Saginaw is headed to Windsor;  Le Dumont d’Urville is bound for Parry Sound. 

Any errors, all photos, WVD.