Boatwatching along the St. Clair River

I haven't been out taking photos in a couple of weeks.  I wasn't really planning on going out today, but the day dawned bright and sunny so I hauled my butt out of bed and got in touch with Ken and we headed up towards Port Huron for some boat watching.  We'd have seen more if we'd gotten an earlier start, but I was feeling a bit lazy and some pictures are better than none.

We took 29 along the St. Clair River.  Up first was the John G. Munson.  Here she is passing the power plant just south of St. Clair.  The Paul R. Tregurtha was unloading and is visible docked at the left.

The Munson passed by a sailboat.

The pilothouse of the Munson.

The Munson passes by.  Here, you can see a bit of distortion.  You can start to see the beginning of the fish-eye effect.  This is visible when the lens is at the widest angle.  The lens used here is a 18-105mm lens at 18mm.

After heading upriver we caught the Indiana Harbor. The bright sky was causing me some problems with exposure causing the foreground to be under exposed.

The Bramble docked.

The Indiana Harbor.

The Indiana Harbor had just passed the Captain Henry Jackman and the Coast Guard boat Buckthorn.

The Buckthorn passes the Captain Henry Jackman.

The Buckthorn angling towards the shore to dock behind the Bramble.

The tug Manitou.

A couple of gulls looking on.

The Algoma Provider downbound.

The Captain Henry Jackman passes under the Blue Water Bridge while the Indiana Harbor enters Lake Huron.  The Sloman Hera is visible to the right of the Indiana Harbor and appears to be anchored.

The Indiana Harbor and Captain Henry Jackman heading into Lake St. Clair.

The light atop the Coast Guard Lightship Huron.

The Coast Guard boat Hollyhock docked at Port Huron.

The Roger Blough enters the Saint Clair River.

The Saginaw docked in Canada.  I'm not sure what is going on with her.  She had lights burning, but apparently has been sitting there for some time.

The Roger Blough ready to pass under the Blue Water Bridge.

We decided to chase the Blough down the river.  We got ahead of her and I spotted this old steam engine in a park.  She was built in 1924 owned by The  Detroit Edison Company and wears the number 203.

You can climb up in the cab, though there isn't much to look at.  You can also walk along the boiler on either side.

She is an 0-6-0 engine, meaning she has no wheels before the drive wheels, 6 drive wheels, and no wheels behind the drive wheels.

She was placed in the park in 1958.

The Roger Blough passes the St. Clair power plant.  The Paul R. Tregurtha still unloading.

This was one of two ferries that were running between the U.S. and Canada.

The Roger Blough downbound at Marine City.

Downbound.

I was trying to get some different images because I thought the sky was interesting.

One last shot as the Roger Blough heads downriver from Marine City.

Our final stop was at a roadside park near Algonac.