Freighter Watchers

[ESOX]

I don't know what it is about them, but I have been a freighter watcher all my life. (I remember laying in bed as a kid at night listening to the horns as they made their way up and down LSC, thinking of the far off places they came from and were headed to.)
Anyhow, here is a link to a site with a ton of info on our Great Lakes freighter fleet, as well as Salty visitors.
http://www.boatnerd.com/

[jimbos43]

I watch them also. I like to pull up to those Chinese flagged tramp steamers, and flip them off with 2 of the stiffest middle fingers I can muster.:p

[ESOX]

LOL Jim, you are incorrigible!

[jimbos43]

True story there Paul.

I got a yuck one time, I was fishing right at the downbound channel into Erie. Here comes a Russian flagged freighter. What's lashed down on their decks?????? Used American cars. They must of picked up a Tradin Times and went to town. Natasha, was going to be happy as hell driving around in that 1990 Ford Escort.


I won't mess up your thread further, freighter watching is cool. Those lake freighters are some real beasts, and it's amazing they even float. Those foreign ocean freighters can just go back to where they came from.

[mich buckmaster]

I have few stories about freighters:

One was this year out of St. Joe I got to the pier around 4:00AM and I was the first. I saw hundreds of lights in front of me and had to look twice. The freighter was coming into the channel and it was such a cool sight to have this HUGE boat, on a warm morning come right by you and be so gigantic.

Second I was also on the pier and after the freighter came through, I noticed about a ten year old boy fishing off the back of it. If I only had a camera I would have been able to take one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Third a freighter was stuck out in front of the pier two years ago. He came in to the South of the pier which is a little bit shallow, I hear.

Anyhow they sure are incredible, and I hear that when they go by they break up the bottom muck and the fish follow eating up the grubs and stuff.

[ESOX]

One night a few years back, I was staying at a friends place on the South Channel at Harsens Island. I was sleeping on the screenporch, when the stillness of a muggy August night was shattered by a BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. It echoed across the water, seemingly forever. I looked out and coming up the Old South Channel was a freighter that had missed the St. Clair Cutoff. I guess it was the propeller hitting bottom I heard, but the Freighter managed to make it back into the channel without further ado. (glad I didn't have to pay to recondition THAT prop!!!).

[jimbos43]

Esox, don't these freighters have pilots from the Bluewater bridge on down to Erie?

[ESOX]

Thats what I thought Jim, but to err is human...........

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Was fishing one night at the head of Russels is. in the St. Clair river, it got fogging and we were the only ones there. Could not see 200ft. We were catching walleyes one right after another. Anyways we could hear the freighters coming and blowing thier horns but could not see them. We were just hoping they stayed on course. They past probably within 200-400ft. from us.At the time we were fishing in a 14ft.alum. boat.

Last year I observed a freighter coming down the river in Marine city. All of a sudden it started doing a 180 right in the middle of the river. It was about to dock at the dunes with a load of gravel. Very interesting seeing how it docks there.

Also saw one just idling in the river waiting to dock, another was already unloading.

[Doughboy]

It's amazing how quiet they can be. They seem to slide right up to ya before you know it. Anyway a scarey site on the St.Clair one night. An upbound freighter just blowing his horn constantly. I looked out to see a boat floating downriver in the shipping lane with 2 guys laying over the side paddling with their hands in an attempt to clear the ship. Their motor had seized(didn't add oil) and they had no paddles. They just barely made it(the freighter almosted came to a stop for them. They then got into the chugger and whippers fishing for walleyes(language was pretty bad toward them). I threw them a rope and towed them to the St. Clair launch.

[knockoff64]

Remember 2 years ago when that freighter was stuck in the St Clair river for 3 days! jammed up all the shipping!

We were fishin out of Lexington, there were about 20 ships moored in a line from the St Clair light almost to Sanilac.

I heard LSC and Erie had similar sights to be seen.

[trout]

I grew up in Marysville and spent alot of time fishing the St. Clair river.
I watched the 1st 1000 footer make it's journey up river too.
Laying in bed hearing the engines and horn blast in the night was a part of life we came to accept.
I once was startled on the river in my Monkey wards fishin boat by the sight of a Bow coming at me. I was looking up at i......
thats too close.
Well I pulled the cord, she never failed to start.....til then,
second pull and a pray...........we were off and running away from that ol ship!
Although I moved I still hit Marysville at least once each summer to fish, mostly we watch the ships tho.
Paul , I tok a picture at the BWB of that freighter you and Ian saw.
Funny how ya mentioned the ship and I took a pic too ;)

[trout]

SFK I do remember when 60% of the fishing boats were wood though :)
Very few were aluminum and fewer were glass

[rookie1]

Jimbo, they do use pilots in that area. My wifes mother lives in Port Huron so when we go to visit I spend a lot of time watching the big freighters go by.

[ESOX]

Kids do the DUMBEST things. When I was 15 I had a 15'6" Lone Star with a closed bow and an Evinrude 35 on it. One of our pasttimes was "Wake Hopping". We'd catch up with freighters around Peche Island and jump the wake as close to the freighter as we dared. One fine evening my buddy decided to sit on the bow, leaning against the windshield while we pulled this stunt. When we hit the wake, the windshield broke, and he went flying into the back seat, smashing his head on the back of the back seat, creating a gash that needed 5 stitches to close. Needless to say, my Dad was less than impressed.......lost two months of boating.(The rest of the summer). Thank God everything turned out ok, and I learned my lesson.

[DANN09]

I've been Handlinning the river (St. Clair & Det.) since about 1969 so i've seen My share of freighters. One that i'll always remember is the first time I saw a 1000' it was the Belle River ( I think they changed her name now) do a 180 turn in the St. Clair befor docking at the Edison Plant . We were fishing south of the Plant and to see one of those monsters go sideways in the river and than come right at you is scary. Did'nt even pull our lines just hit the throttle and got out of the way.

[rivrat1959]

hello fellas, I happen to work on one of those freighters. been doing it for about 18 years now. The lake frieghters dont have to pick up pilots for the rivers because all the mates are certified for all the great lakes and most of the connecting waterways. The ocean and foreign ships do howerver have to get pilots liscenced for these rivers whenever they sail; them. I am an 2nd engineer on the SS kaye E. barker and have been on her for about 5 years, but have been on many others including some of the 1000 footers. we use to haul coal into st. clair power plant when I was on the paul r. tregurtha. Most of the boats you see out there have coal, iron ore, stone, cement, salt, or grain but mostly iron ore, coal and stone. they haul between 15,000 tons to 55,000 tons of cargo depending on what they haul or how big the boat is and can unload it in anywhere from 3 to 8 hours. Those 1000 foot boats you see are diesel powered and ussually around 16000 h.p., the steamers are usually around 6000 to 10000 hp turbines. And yes they are fascinating to look at but suck to work on. but what the heck I guess you gotta do something for a living. besides I only got 3 years to go and then I'M retiring. So if any of you are out in the river fishin and see the kaye barker going by give old rivrat a wave.

[Worm Dunker]

I fish the freighter lanes in Lake Mi. a lot. Its a great place to take steelhead. I must admit I due much better now that I have radar especially in the fog. I really use two radars, in calm water my setter whines and goes on point because freighters stir up the scum lines and that stirs up the gulls and dog points gulls. My ex-neighbor (back in the 70's) fished out of Manistee with his 16 car topper boat and he went out the piers just as a freighter came in and it sucked his boat into the freighter he sped up got out a little and it sucked him right back again. He said he felt like the Tighty Bowl man making circles. The circles got bigger and bigger and he finnally got away from it. When I use to charter out of Grand Haven the coal boats would go up to the sag put there bow on the bank and pivit around to go back out in the lake. I maid the mistake of crossing behind one once. It pushed my 29 ft. boat side ways and almost hit a dock on other bank I just hammered the throttles but it did knock all the people down. thank god we caught fish that day.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/user_gallery/wormdunker/Freighter.jpg

[Fecus]

I have a picture of 7 freighters moored up in Bete Grise Bay. There were some pretty heavy seas on the North shore of the Keweenaw. Had to be at least 15 footers.

Its an awsome pic. nothing but unspoiled greens and big water and then a big ol pile of man made monolithic ships. It looks like art to me:lol:

Ill have to dig it up then scan it.

[alex-v]

I don't know what it is about them, but I have been a freighter watcher all my life.
We watch them because they are like huge man-made dinosaurs. They roar and they shake the ground/water. The sheer size and power fascinates us. Wonder how many people that enjoy watching the freighters also enjoy watching locomotives and trains going by (when we are not stopped at the crossing gate;) of course.)

[Jason Adam]

I have a picture of 7 freighters moored up in Bete Grise Bay. There were some pretty heavy seas on the North shore of the Keweenaw. Had to be at least 15 footers.

Its an awsome pic. nothing but unspoiled greens and big water and then a big ol pile of man made monolithic ships. It looks like art to me:lol:

Ill have to dig it up then scan it.

How do you even come across a thread that is 5 years old???

[ScavengerMan]

I like to watch freighters too, but have a warning that should be considered. A few years ago off the mouth of the Saginaw River my son and I were fishing the shipping channel side of dumping ground island when a HUGE freighter came by. We marveled at it's size and just after it passed my son said "dad, don't those things throw a pretty big wake"? About 15 yards from the rocks I make note of his comment, turned the bow perpendicular and gave it a good amount of throttle just as a HUGE wake wave just about overtook us. We were just feet from smashing into the rocks and who knows what would have happened if those small tidal waves hit us broadside tight to shore. It would have been a wreck for sure. Something like that only happens once and you really pay attention thereafter......

Also, I've heard some thrilling stories from open water duck hunters down in SE Michigan too!

[Priority1]

Man this thread reaches back a ways. I like to watch freighters also. I also like to swing in back of them after they are 1/2 mile away, and run our presentations through their prop wash. We have picked up a few fish doing this.

[jdman]

I Have A Huge Wall Picture Framed Of The Cole Stewart, Labor Day Weekend Going Under the Mackinaw Bridge During The Bridge Walk... The Picture Was Taken Up Top Of the South Tower Looking Down Towards The North ... You Can See the People On The Bridge Walking.... 1/2 The BowOn The West Side And The 1/2 Stern on The East.. Awesome Picture Its # 2 Of 200....

The Rest Of The Story.... Steelhead Fishing Out Of Manistee 2006 Mid-July, Auto-Polit Set Heading Due West... My Buddy And I Are Watching Poles And He Heads Down In The Cuddy For A New Lurer.... I Turn Forward And No Lie There Is The Cole Stewart Heading North About 1000 Yards Off:yikes: .... I Turn 90 Degrees Starboard And Got A Few More Pictures Up Close Of The Stewart..... What A Day, My Buddy About ***** When He Came Out Of the Cuddy..

Jeff

[Rencoho]

I'd love to see that pic, Fecus.

[Cpt.Chaos]

My family has a long tradition with the great lakes fleet. My grandfather retired in '41 after 25 yrs on board many different ships, he then went on for another 26 yrs at DTE. The stories he told my dad were told to me a few times(he passed in '71 when I was 11 months old). A great uncle of mine was about to be promoted to Captain shortly before his death in '70, and he is the reason I got stuck with Sydney as a middle name! (Sydney Taylor, many old timers in Marine City/ St. Clair area may remember him) My dad considered joining the fleet as well after he returned from the Navy in '67, but after 3 years in the South China Sea, he really didn't care to be stuck on another ship for awhile. (Where are the women at?:lol: ) Capt. Perry Klumpf was also a very good friend of our family,he had a nice little house on the SCR where we could sit and watch freighters go by all day. He had a small piece of land across the street from his house that was absolutly enjoyable for a summer bbq, or just sitting by the river. He could take one quick glance at any ship and immediately spout off the name of her. Well I'm just rambling and revisiting, but if you're ever in Rogers City and need something to do, they have a maritime museum there dedicated to the Great Lakes Fleet.

[Skeeter]

Tell you what I have been eating this thread right up. I was born in Alpena Mich and they had a lot of ships there in that area. Love to watch them. Now live in Midand and fish Sag Bay all the time so get to get my eyes full there as wall. Skeeter

[ESOX]

Boatnerd has a new home on the south side of the Black River mouth in Port Huron. Wasn't open when we were up there, but I bet it's worth a visit. I love visiting the Dossin Museum too.

[kroppe]

Adam E. Cornelius downbound LSC August 8, 2005. We got pretty close when we were fishing.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/freighter2_050810.jpg

[wk4036]

I saw this mentioned earlier in this thread but no one explained why some of the big boats go BOOM, BOOM, BOOM as they motor along.

[alex-v]

Maybe because of how deep they are sitting in the water. I have noticed the "boom, boom, boom" sound and always figured that the load on the boat determines how deep it sits and this changes the sound.

[UP_ROKTOY]

I went to school in Marquette and watched them unload coal and pick up ore at the docks all the time, very cool. I love watching the boats and have also watched them go through the soo locks which is very cool also.

[just ducky]

All this freighter talk brings back memories. I probably shouldn't admit this, and sorry for the length of this, but here goes...

STORY #1 I spent a few of my high school years living in Port Huron, and actually graduated there. One of the things that some of the local kids (but never me of course ;) :evilsmile ) used to do in the really warm summer months was float down the St. Clair River. Used to tie a bunch of big inner tubes together, and often have a raft in the middle holding the "nourishment". The launch site was usually Lighthouse Park right by the Coast Guard station simply because there was no staff there to stop us, and it gave immediate access to the river. It's quite a thrill :yikes: to be floating down under the Bluewater Bridge, completely at the whim of the current, drift out near the shipping channel, and have some freighter coming upstream that we couldn't avoid. Fortunately this was done in broad daylight, and even back then the river was full of boats that would grab a line and pull the flotilla out of the shipping channel. Having now regained some of the brain cells that were lost in those high school years, it's clear that yes, this was probably the most idiotic thing someone could do. Law enforcement was constantly warning people about doing this back then, and we...er I mean they..:lol: ..were warned time and time again. I believe they now have banned it in some fashion (whether that stops the kids now...who knows :evilsmile ).

STORY #2 Back in those days, the area right under the Bluewater Bridge was just dirt, rocks and a spit of grass here and there. No lights, walkways, sheet piling, railings, and all the other upgrades that they have down there now. There were just a couple of little turn-out spots where on any given evening late at night, the only people around were a few couples parking to watch the freighters, and probably a mass-murderer or two. Well I soon found out after moving to Port Huron that the local kids had a bit of a tradition which they called "the Cleveland Cliffs Open". You see several of these gents were outstanding golfers (I'd better just leave it at that to protect the innocent :evilsmile ), and they would collect up a ton of range balls, and would hold the tourney periodically during the warm summer months. The balls would be teed up in a line, and the wait would begin. The objective was simple...see who could hit the most freighters. In the summer, freighters came through fairly regularly, so the wait was never more than 10 minutes (or so it seemed). Once the freighter was spotted, the contestants got out of the vehicles and started their warm-up swings. Once the freighter got directly out from the area, the contest chairman would then yell, "fore", and the swings would start. Those of you who frequent the river know that it takes probably a minute for a freighter to pass going up against that current. A person can launch a lot of balls in a minute if you practice :evilsmile . Lemme tell ya...those boats look very close in that stretch of river, but even the longest driver would have a hard time connecting. But when someone did...BONG!!!!! Funniest part about the whole thing was the parkers would all start honking and clapping when someone connected. So if anyone is looking to collect some range balls, I know where there are a few :evilsmile because this was going on long before I got there, and may still be?

Okay...I'm done.