Thanks to Great Lakes Mariner 2

Time gets away from me quite a lot.  Notwithstanding the 50-degree temperatures and bursting blooms, it certainly does not feel like it, we’re several days into spring, and I’d intended this as my last winter’s day post, following up on another post from this Great Lakes mariner . . .  maybe I should say great Great Lakes mariner.  No matter, since I’m social distancing from my tugster editor these days.

From Sturgeon Bay, it’s Meredith Ashton and Fischer Hayden.  Meredith Ashton once worked in the sixth boro as Specialist,not Specialist II.

From Milwaukee . . . it’s Neeskay, and

from Port Huron, it’s Manitou, which also had a New York chapter.

See the white stuff above?

Anyhow, many thanks to the captain Nemo of the inland seas.

 

USV, Anyone?

Recognize the bridge and lighthouses?  A clue . . .  it’s on the freshwater coast of the US.

Here’s a continuation of the bridge above.  More importantly, you see the escort vessel in the background, none other than the venerable Neeskay, originally a 1953 Higgins T-boat and now the primary research vessel for UW Milwaukee, where these photos were taken.

The yellow vessel in the foreground above is an unmanned surface vessel produced by L3 Technologies.  Here’s more on the range of applications.

I’ve not noticed any yet, but I do keep my eyes peeled for USVs in bathymetric survey work in the sixth boro. Has anyone seen any?

Many thanks to Greg Stamatelakys, captain of Neeskay, for these photos.

 

Lake Loop 9: More Milwaukee

What can you do with a 1953-built T-boat?

Just about anything.  Since 1970, Neeskay has been UW-Milwaukee’s primary research vessel.  I hope to post more about her later.

Joseph started brewing his fizzy water 169 years ago in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee River has numerous drawbridges.

Frederick was brewing his five years earlier even than Joseph.

Krista S used to work in the sixth boro as one of many “sea wolf” incarnations.

Don’t walk away from your camera post, or you might get only the stern portion of a tug and barge. I managed an only-slightly better photo here some time back.

Schooner Denis Sullivan revives a design that was the best way to get cargo around Lake Michigan and the other Lakes before rail and road systems were created.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who learned from Lee Murdock that Denis Sullivan was captain of the schooner Moonlight.

 

CB12

We’re now in the last Great Lake of the trip, but that is a big lake.  In late afternoon, we pass Poverty Island, with its light sans lantern. Here’s more on the island.

Morning found us in Manitowoc, looking at Neeskay, a 1953 Higgins T-boat.

Any water visit to Manitowoc of course gets intruded on by SS Badger, which of course is a delight.

My vantage point this time allowed me to see its

anchor-enhanced stop and

controlled move astern.  An alarm sounds and then the anchor falls.

Once all fast, the anchor gets hoisted.

Two hours later, she’s heading back to Ludington.

As we departed, Neeskay returned to port.

Was she out fishing, sampling water, seeking treasure, and maybe looking for meteorite fragments?

All photos by Will Van Dorp.