Seaway Traffic (LEA ATK, ALGOSEA, ALGOMA STRONGFIELD)

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Sunrise over the river... Each one is different.



A Cormorant, holding his pose to "impress" females.

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First ship was just visible upbound on the horizon.

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It arrived in 30 minutes.
The vessel was LEA ATK, a chemical tanker from Turkey.

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Wish I had a better shot of the Turkish flag.

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Got to see ALGOSEA during daylight hours. Was enjoyable to see her at night on a previous trip.

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Spotted the ALGOMA STRONGFIELD right before she disappeared behind (Bradford) Islands...

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Forty minutes later, she was within photographing range. Seems to hold true that it's about 45 minutes from first spotting them on the horizon.

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Color turned out OK, timestamped between 5-6pm. Ideal color seems to be between 4-5pm, this time of year... 3 hours before sunset. Of course, that's on the water. Photography golden hour is apparently within the last 30-45 minutes before sunset.

Seaway Traffic (FEDERAL MAYUMI, CANADIAN EMPRESS, ALGOMA COMPASS, CAPE)

Missed the CSL WELLAND... First ship of the day from my perspective was the FEDERAL MAYUMI. Great photo with the sun and sky in the background...

FEDERAL MAYUMI upbound

FEDERAL MAYUMI destined for Johnstown

Shortly past noon, the CANADIAN EMPRESS traveled upriver (apparently destined for Brockville)

CANADIAN EMPRESS destined for Brockville

Second day in a row, the small red Coast Guard Technician boat was out on the water, working further down the channel, returning upriver in the afternoon.

Coast Guard Tech Boat

Never thought my vessel identification skills would return. Was just enjoying being back on the water..

To eyeball a cargo ship on the horizon, and make a confident guess from a pool of unfamiliar names and builds... They are gradually becoming more familiar.

ALGOMA COMPASS on the horizon

Got some great snapshots of the ALGOMA COMPASS for my collection.

The ALGOMA COMPASS upbound in the early afternoon, destined for Goderich

Through the summer haze in the late afternoon, managed to spot the green-hulled CAPE (which I'm sure that I've seen at least once).

CAPE passing the Bradford Islands

The colors were good at around 4.30 pm - but not quite as awesome as they were just forty minutes earlier.

CAPE upbound for Toronto with a load of sugar

Saw a lone Morganser duck in the evening after 5pm before leaving.

Morganser

ALGOMA COMPASS

ALGOMA COMPASS upbound September 8, 2022.
(formerly ROGER M. SKYES,  ADAM E. CORNELIEUS)
Built in 1973 by the American Shipbuilding Company (Toledo, Ohio).

The second of four nearly identical vessels. Constructed with all accommodations aft, which was relatively uncommon at the time.

She also has a rather unusual design with the boom support running aft between her twin smokestacks.


As ADAM E. CORNELIUS she sailed primarily for the American Steamship Company.
For a time, the vessel was chartered by Inland Steel - And was even painted in their colors.

After a period of inactivity from 2012-2014, the vessel was laid up again in 2015 - Remaining idle until purchased by Algoma in 2017. She returned to active duty in 2018 as ALGOMA COMPASS.


At 680 feet in length, the ALGOMA COMPASS is the longest of her sisters, and was the second ship to be constructed. The other vessels are 630 feet long, and her three sisters have been sailing in the colors of Lower Lakes Transportation since 2008.

Sister ships to ALGOMA COMPASS:
CALUMET (formerly WILLIAM R. ROESCH, DAVID Z. NORTON)
MANITIWOC (formerly PAUL THAYER, EARL W. OGLEBAY)
ROBERT S. PIERSON (formerly WOLVERINE)

Seaway Traffic (MAJESTIC, CANADIAN EMPRESS, MARIA G, OCEAN NAVIGATOR)

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Cloud cover to start the day...
(missed the upbound tanker HARBOUR FEATURE, but have seen it countless times)

First vessel in the channel was the large cruise vessel MAJESTIC.

MAJESTIC downbound

Wasn't sure if it was a private or  personal craft. Either way, it's undoubtedly owned by a multi-millionaire.
Apparently, it's a "Super Yacht" owned by new Miami Marlins owner Bruce Sherman.

Completely out of touch with the baseball world, apparently the Florida Marlins became the Miami Marlins in 2012 - more than a decade ago.

Strangely enough, the vessel flying a huge Ontario flag at the back of the boat.






Coast Guard Technician boat made a trip downriver in the morning, returning upriver in the afternoon.

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The familiar passenger ship CANADIAN EMPRESS heading downbound.

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Noted that she seemed to stop moving, appearing to have anchored just off Ault Island...

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She eventually turned around, appearing to enter the Crysler Marina.
Perhaps was waiting for berthing room at the Marina?
Saltwater vessel approaching in the background.





Ideal lighting to capture MARIA G around 4pm.

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Perfect time of late afternoon, where the reddish glow generates breathtaking images...

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Just realized that MARIA G was the only cargo ship that I saw today...


Completing a day filled with cruise ships was the upbound passenger vessel OCEAN NAVIGATOR.

OCEAN NAVIGATOR approaches before dark

OCEAN NAVIGATOR upbound for Toronto

Apparently, there were no ships passing by in the night....
But CSL WELLAND reportedly traveled upriver just before sunrise. Wouldn't be the first time that a Trillium Class vessel managed to slip by me undetected in the wee morning hours.

Seaway Traffic (ABB VANESSA, FAIR JEANNE, CCGS GRIFFON, CANADIAN EMPRESS, BAIE COMEAU, PAUL A. DESGAGNES, KAMINISTIQUA)

Incredibly calm, glassy morning... The smoothest river morning that I've woken up to, possibly ever.

Another morning of oldschool ship watching...

First up was a saltwater crane ship with a fairly new design (actually 2009). Guessing by the cranes all being on one side of the ship (instead of in the middle). Assuming it's for a less-obstructing view from the helm.

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A partial load of brightly colored shipping containers... The water still looks slightly glassy.

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Curious that there are no windows on the side of the superstructure, other than on the bridge.
I've seen an anchor setup like this one before, possibly on one of the BBC ships...

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The upbound ABB VANESSA would meet the downbound ALGONORTH.

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A half decent ALGONORTH photo for my collection...

ALGONORTH is downbound for Tracy, Quebec.

No schedule or lock times- Although I did observe that BAIE COMEAU was somewhere in the province of Quebec, possibly Valleyfield (incidently, so was ALGOMA TRANSPORT which I have never seen, even back when she was CANADIAN TRANSPORT)

BAIE COMEAU approaches

BAIE COMEAU followed shortly afterwards. Possibly the clearest color of any ship that I snapped on this trip... Must compare to previous photo(s) of this vessel, last fall (2021).

A photo-bombing pleasurecraft made sure to stay with the vessel when the lighting was at its best... If nothing else, it just helps illustrate just how huge one of these things is.

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FAIR JEANNE (sailboat)
Been watching Pirates of the Carribbean, so this might as well be a pirate ship.
Shiver me timbers, matey!

FAIR JEANNE upbound for Brockville

CGS GRIFFON (appeared to be tending a buoy)

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A puff of smoke gave a clue that she was powering up to pull away. Another big puff of smoke was a signal that she was going to be motoring down the channel.

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CANADIAN EMPRESS, upbound. They seem to like to jump just ahead of a ship, because it often seems that way...

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There's a fine window when the light is shining on the ship so that the colors actually turn out when photographed. In a few instances, I'm glad I kept snapping because I managed to get at least one shot that reveals the color... Figured I'd get nothing of the Desgagnes stripe on PAUL A, but there it is!


Had seen PAUL A DESGAGNES before from a distance... (Possibly alongside ATLANTIC HURON) This was the first time to get a really good look at the "tiny" tanker. The ship looks new - or at least the paint job is.

PAUL A. DESGAGNES downbound

Before departing, another ship emerged downbound.

KAMINISTIQUA downbound

One glance, and I knew it was the KAMINISTIQUA.

Moon in the sky and KAMINISTIQUA on the River

KAMINISTIQUA downbound for Port Cartier

Great way to end the trip.

Another "perfect" couple of days by the river.

Upon landing, dark clouds to the north, and even some lightning.

 ABB VANESSA (was almost halfway across Lake Ontario by 10pm)

 

Seaway Traffic (NORTHERN SPIRIT, EVANS McKIEL, CAPTAIN HENRY JACKMAN, THUNDER BAY)

Another "list" of frequent Seaway ships...
Camping out overnight, was sure that I'd see ALGOMA HANSA and G3 MARQUIS...
Other names that come to mind are EVANS SPIRIT, KAMINISTIQUA, ALGONORTH and CAPTAIN HENRY JACKMAN,

Got to see all the ships on the list - eventually.


First ship of my day was NORTHERN SPIRIT, which I may have only ever seen once or twice.

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Downbound shortly thereafter was her fleetmate EVANS SPIRIT, with her unusual apparatus amidships.

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Figured that I had missed CAPTAIN HENRY JACKMAN. She was due at Iroquois around 6am. May have anchored for crew rest, because her last location before I headed out was Saint Zotique, so I was cautiously optimistic.

As the next ship appeared upbound on the horizon, I noted the extra wide bridge (in relation to the slightly narrower superstructure beneath). Next color I saw was red... So I immediately thought CSL. Of course, it could have been an optical illusion considering she was 20 miles away, or it could have been her deck. As the ship came closer into view, could make out the Algoma logo, and eventually the bright blue paint.

It was in fact the CAPTAIN HENRY JACKMAN

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Shortly after passing my location, the sprayers on deck started hosing her down.

Already have a terrific snapshot of the JACKMAN (one of my best shots from last year), but the nostalgic name does it for me - Even if it's in name only. As does ALGONORTH, whom I'd see the next morning.



A CSL ship appeared on the horizon. Wasn't sure if it was the painted mural of the WELLAND or ST LAURENT, but a self-unloading boom crane quickly came into focus as the 2013-built THUNDER BAY traveled upriver.

She didn't seem to be making much progress and must be anchored - Possibly for the night. As the lights came on, it was clear she was there to stay - For at least eight hours, anyway. That meant pulling away at around 2-3 am... It still would have been black out!


THUNDER BAY tucked in for the night just off Ault Island, likely for crew rest.

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Before dark, CSL fleetmate OAKGLEN (the former FEDERAL DANUBE) emerged, making her way up the channel as another pair of fleetmates pass each other.


It's normally more enjoyable to see a ship in the daytime... But there's just something about the magic (and mystery) of the night! As I was hoping, it was fairly dark by the time OAKGLEN arrived... She was all lit up, and (built in 1980) is a "classic" as far as I'm concerned.


A "red planet" appeared immediately over the horizon, quickly changed to orange by the time it was mid-sky.


During the night, a mystery ship was upbound. Seemed too loud to be the "brand new" THUNDER BAY...

Have since learned that the ATLANTIC HURON traveled upriver during the night... Which would explain the sound of her 40 year old engine.