Seaway Traffic (FEDERAL MOSEL, ALGOMA SAULT, LE BELLOT)

Decent crop of relatively new vessels...
A red ship, blue ship, and a new ship.

The 2017-built FEDERAL MOSEL upbound for Oshawa

Always intrigued by the shape of the bow on some of these FedNav ships...

Optics of the curve...

Dwarfed by the mighty superstructure

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FEDERAL MOSEL disappearing in the distance

Always amazed at how the ships zig-zag through the channel

Shorebirds hunting for Crayfish

Waiting for the next ship, the downbound ALGOMA SAULT

Nothing in sight just yet...

The 2018-built ALGOMA SAULT

ALGOMA SAULT approaching

Downbound for Quebec City

Definitely has newer paint than some of her fleetmates (Especially the EQUINOX and HARVESTER)

Closeup of the bow

Upbound passenger vessel LE BELLOT meets the downbound ALGOMA SAULT

The two vessels meet in front of MacDonald Island

The 2020-built LE BELLOT

Passenger vessels like this are becoming more common on the Seaway.

Can just barely see the colors of the French flag

The two vessels had practically upbound lock times at Eisenhower and Iroquois. They met close to MacDonald Island. Specularing that it's approximately the "halfway point" between locks... Guessing an hour from their in either direction to the lock? Arrival time plus one hour and forty-five minutes?

From Eisenhower to Iroquois

Started my day seven miles west of the Eisenhower Lock, and found myself making a trip to Iroquois to catch a couple of ships at the end of the day.

White Heron

Pair of White Herons in flight

Seems that a replacement marker has been installed at Farran's Point...

New Marker

It has to be brand new, because I'm pretty sure there was no marker last month.
(was no marker on my last trip Aug 9)



Outside from the Eisenhower Lock, got to see a number of ships (ALGOMA HARVESTER, TORRENT, BLAIR MCKIEL, CSL ASSINIBOINE). Unfortunately, the sun was on the opposite side with nothing but a black shadow for a hull.




TORRENT passes Croil Island, downbound on the St. Lawrence River.


Got to see TORRENT making her return trip downbound. (had been upbound Aug 27)
Any upbound saltwater vessel will eventually come back downriver - But there's also a chance that she'll pass by at night in the dark. I always find it special to catch the ship on its' return trip downbound.








The tiny McKIEL ship barely shows up at all.

ALGOMA MARINER, ALGOMA INTREPID

Thought I had missed the ALGOMA MARINER...
Fortunately for me, she spent the day at the Wilson Hill anchorage for crew rest, and I was able to catch her transiting the Iroquois Locks during the late afternoon.

Upbound ALGOMA MARINER transiting Iroquois Lock

The 2011-built ALGOMA MARINER

Closeup look at the superstructure

Closeup of the bow

The ALGOMA MARINER exists because of the unplanned loss of ALGOPORT - A "forebody replacement" had been planned for ALGOPORT in 2009, but the vessel sank en route to the overseas shipyard. This led to the building of an entirely new vessel known as ALGOMA MARINER, completed in 2011.

Possible seam where the two pieces were welded together?

This trip to the locks was two for one... Got to see the MARINER for the very first time - But it was the ALGOMA INTREPID that I was most looking forward to.

Fourth time seeing this vessel, but getting a chance to appreciate all the details...

ALGOMA INTREPID slowly crawls into the lock.

The INTREPID has only transited the Seaway several times this year, and I've caught her twice.
Seen her four times altogether, including once at the Iroquois Locks.

ALGOMA INTREPID easing through the lock

Length of the crane

Headed downriver to catch the ship...

Morning magic with a flock of Seagulls...
Don't care if it's September...
I'm still enjoying it.




















Another encounter with a Bald Eagle.
Attributing it once again to the fact that it's a dismal day, not appealing for most people to be at the water.

Bald Eagle

Perfect definition of
Mix of sun and cloud, defined.

Marker buoys in the shadows

Missed the ALGONORTH upbound around 7am.

Spotted EVERLAST & NORMAN MCLEOD.
Position unchanged, presumably at anchor just off Ault Island.
They would spend the day here, and would head upriver around 9pm.

EVERLAST & NORMAN MCLEOD at anchor

Only vessel I'd see up close was BLAIR MCKIEL

BLAIR MCKIEL downbound

Just love the choppy water, red sailboat and marker...
Plus the downbound vessel visible in the distance.

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Water was getting a bit rough, and had barely seen any Seaway vessels.
Decided to head upriver to find ALGOMA GUARDIAN transiting the Iroquois Lock.

Had actually seen her once before, downbound at these same locks - but it never gets old...

Especially with a ship this old because it has character.

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Getting dark, but still following one of my favorite ships.
Got ahead of her to watch her coming downriver.

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Here she comes!

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Love the profile of this ship.

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Blurry or not, it's still magical.