Boat watching

Figuring I should do something before the weather turned, I headed out to do some boat watching.  I wouldn't normally have gone out to take pictures of the lake boats again, but I thought the fog would make for some good opportunities.

I'd been through Marine City a couple of times before, but hadn't seen this lighthouse before.  It is located in a city park along the river.  Here you can see a ferry that runs between Marine City and Canada.

The Atlantic Huron emerges from the fog.

The sun breaks through the fog illuminating the bow.

A pair of swans heading north while the Atlantic Huron heads south.  I could hear the geese as they approached.  Not because they were vocalizing, but because the sound of their wings through the air.

A break in the fog.

The pilothouse of the Atlantic Huron.  It is in dire need of a paint job.

After the Atlantic Huron passed, I headed up to the Great Lakes Maritime Center.  The Captain Henry Jackman was the next boat to pass.

Up next was the Catherine Desagnes.  I almost missed her as I was eating.

While at the Maritime Center, I spoke with one of the guys working there.  He directed me to a new place to take pictures of the Blue Water Bridge and the entrance to the Saint Clair River.  The Algowood leaves Lake Huron.

The Algowood downbound.

Shortly after the Algowood passed downbound, the Herbert C. Jackson passed heading north.

The Herbert C. Jackson approaching the Blue Water Bridge.

Making the turn.

Near where I took the previous pictures, there is this monument.

The inscription on the west side of the monument.

While I appreciate them, I don't usually go for taking pictures of monuments. 

One of the soldiers on the monument.

I'm not sure if this is a sailor, but this is opposite of the other one.

I then went to the Fort Gratiot lighthouse on the advice of the same person who had recommended the park I took pictures from.  I stopped by the gift shop and decided to take the lighthouse tour which, for $5, lets you go up to the top. This is the first and oldest lighthouse in Michigan.

I saw the Kaye E. Barker was approaching.  I hurried the guide a bit so I could get some pictures, knowing the window of opportunity would be fairly short.

The Kaye E. Barker on Lake Huron.

The smaller of the Keeper buildings.  The lighthouse keeper lived here after moving from the duplex while he was training the Coast Guard personnel how to operate the light.  When the light was constructed, the Life Saving service and the one that ran the lighthouses were different services.  The were rolled into one organization which became the Coast Guard.

The Kaye E. Barker.

A shot of the pilothouse.

Entering the Saint Clair River.  Unfortunately, I was shooting into the sun.  Still, I couldn't pass up this rare opportunity. 

As I was getting ready to leave the lighthouse, I got a call that the Algosar, which had been moored just downriver of the Maritime Center, was under way and approaching me.  I hurried down to the park under the Blue Water Bridge.  I was impressed by the bow wave the boat was making.

The Algosar approaches the Blue Water Bridge.

I changed a setting on the camera and got this result.

In the park is a statue of Thomas Edison.

There is also the the Thomas Edison Depot Museum.  This is the depot that Thomas Edison worked at.  It did not appear open.

I headed south along M29 again since the Pineglen was upbound.  The sun was getting low and illuminated sides of the ship.

The Pineglen passes Marine City. 

The Pineglen upbound.  The ferry had to stop mid-river to let her pass.   I was surprised by the number of ferries crossing the Saint Clair River.  While this is the same one as in the first picture, there are others.  Apparently this crossing is busy enough that there are two boats running.