Finally...The Algorail

This is a ship I've been wanting to get a picture of for a while. I checked the ais site just before leaving for work this morning and saw that she would be passing through Detroit at about the same time I would be passing through Detroit. So I stopped for a quick couple of pictures.

Sadly, it had passed Detroit by the time I got down there but she was docking in Windsor, so I still had a chance to get a picture of her.  Unfortunately, it's a little on the blurry side.  Oh well.

The Algorail started her life as the Algorail at the Collingwood Shipyard in Ontario.  She was christened April 1, 1968.  She is powered by 4 Fairbanks-Morse Diesel engines which give her a total horsepower rating of 6,664hp.  She is capable of carrying almost 20,000 tons of cargo.

I decided to stop by Detroit after work because I saw that she was still down there.  Little did I know, she started to move on my way.  But I went to Riverside Park first and missed her and much to my dismay she was almost to Belle Isle which didn't give me much of a chance.  So I headed over there anyway.  In enough time to catch her stern as she heads off into Lake St. Clair.

The Algoma Central Fleet has used the name Algorail since 1936.  Algoma Central used to have a railroad.  She is quite a bit smaller than most ships but this allows her to go to ports not normally visited by other ships.

I've seen her on the Saginaw River reports a few times and I'm usually bummed because it means I missed her again.

I hope to catch her again at some point because I think she is a cool looking ship.  But at any rate, I'm happy to get her this time.