My boss just sent me this photo she took of the tug/barge composition ship, Presque Isle. The picture was taken 1/13/20 and a copy was requested from the owners, Great Lakes Fleet Inc. ,to place in their board room. This vessel is 1000'x105' and can handle up to 57,500 tons of cargo. With all that ice on board it looks like it is setting near it's maximum draft of 32' to get over the sill plates of the Poe lock at the Soo locks! I thought this was a pretty impressive photo and thought I would share it with you.

That's amazing. I remember watching the freighters at the Soo locks on vacation as a kid. My dad was stationed in the Sault from 70-73.

Great photo, that is a loaded ship alright!

K snow
Was he airforce or coastguard ?

Air Force, radar squadron (753rd?) at Kinschlow (sp?) supporting KI Sawyer.

I wonder how thick the ice is on that barge.

Ok, yeah we had 3 air force bases around this area at one time, one radar base on the outskirts of town then the bigger base at kincheloe, and a strategic air command base at raco. Lots of air force guys around back then.

Run, zoom in the picture and look at the guy on the right for comparison.

Why would they let it get that covered in heavy ice?Ships usually have steam hoses they use to melt ice if it starts getting to where its an actual burden on the ship.

Incredible picture and I am sure they are glad to be docked with that much ice on it.

They just came off of lake superior and was probably to rough out there to be on deck with all that ice sea spray. They were heading down the Saint Marie's river after locking through, and I'm sure they would de-ice her in the calmer waters.

Thank you.

That ship is NOT a barge. No way to de ice a ship that size on Superior during a storm. On small vessels we chopped ice when the ship began to get top heavy and in danger of capsizing. To get some idea of scale, crew members rode bicycles when they needed to go from one end of the big ships to the other.

Cohunt, I know you know ships... but the Presque Isle is a tug/ barge composit type vessel. Although she was built as a two part vessel, she has pretty much been mated together her whole career.

I stand corrected then. The definition of a barge that I am familiar with is a flat bottomed vessel used to transport goods in shallow waters such as canals or rivers and often not under its own power. Are you saying that she had a tug pushing her?

Looked her up and she is listed as a tug/barge. I learned something new in just the first few minutes of my day. I can go back to sleep now.

Speaking from experience from a different angle, when one is in rough seas and freezing temps, you make due the best you can. Doing anything topside is dangerous and risky. Ship movements, slamming water and wind break ice off high places ; masts and other superstructure. Falling ice can kill a person very easily. Steam hoses are effective on a small scale, but would be like pissing in the wind outside a protected harbor.
Just my .02...

Tradervic, your .02 cents are spot on!

Cohunt, she has her own tug mechanicly locked into a notched in portion of her stern section. She was one of a kind until about ten years ago when the Vanenkevort Tug and Barge Co. out of Escanaba, Mi. started running that type in the 700' class.

Been around these lakes nearly my entire life, and I am fascinated by the whole Great lakes maritime deal. I once new a fellow in the Merchant Marines that lived in southern Florida. He had been the Helmsman (????he steered the ships) on ships the world over. He made one trip in late fall into Superior and it ruined him for life. He said he would never ever enter the Great lakes for any reason again!
Thanks for all the info fellas.

The Witch of november is due any time now, J. Morse!

In my 30 years on Superior with much smaller vessels than the big freighters we encountered icing condition in late fall from time to time. Our 57 foot research vessel R/V Siscowet drew only 9 feet and would get a bit tippy when severely iced. In the later 1980s I got congress to appropriate monies to build a new 107 footer named the R/V Kiyi that replaced the Siscowet and she is a more comfortable platform for Lake Superior research.