A Surprise Visitor

 The next ship was kind of a surprise.

I saw that she was pulling out, so I decided to look to see what ship it was.

It was the Lake Guardian.

The ship is run by the Environmental Protection Agency.

She was originally built as an offshore supply ship and in 1990, the EPA converted her into a research vessel.

She can carry 42 passengers.

She is mainly used to research water pollution and its effects.

She was orignally homeported in Bay City but I'm not sure where now.

She is headed up to the Soo.

A Stop at the Hollyhock

In between catching my ship at Belle Isle and catching her on the Rouge River, I was hoping that I would catch her as she was passing Milliken State Park.  However, I think I misjudged the timing and I completely missed her.  As I scanned the area, I noticed that the Hollyhock was docked in front of the Renaissance Center, so  I decided to head over to get some pictures of her.

 I see her quite often at Port Huron but this looked like an opportunity to see her up close and personal.

 This gave me an opportunity to get some different angles.

 I wish it wasn't snowing as hard as it was though.  Kind of interfered with my pictures.

 A look up at her bridge.  If I remember correctly, her navigation is tied into GPS and she can place buoys fairly accurately.

 From another angle.

 I liked the way the flag was flying in the wind, although I wasn't too happy with the wind itself.  It made for a cold afternoon taking pictures.

 Looking up at the Renaissance Center.

 A shot of her stern.

 The Lake Guardian which belongs to the EPA was docked nearby as well.  I didn't feel like getting close to her.

 Another rear shot of the Hollyhock.

 Looking up at her boat.

 Another angle of her bridge.

 A couple buoys laying on her deck.

 A shot of the Coast Guard logo on her bow.

And one more shot of her before moving on to the Rouge River.

Revisiting the EPA Lake Guardian

Next up is the Lake Guardian which is operated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

 She has appeared on this blog in the past.

 It was pretty cool because as she was approaching the John G. Munson, she gave a master salute.  That was promptly returned by the Munson and I love the sound of ship horns.  If seeing the Munson didn't wake me up, that did.

 Two ships passing in the morning.

And the Lake Guardian continues her trek around the Great Lakes, studying the effects of pollution on them.