Bonus Time With the CSL Welland

I though that the Mesabi Miner would be my last ship yesterday.   It didn't look like there was anything else coming up the river.  Of course, I had to check Marine Traffic one more time and I saw that there were two ships heading up.

 I didn't want to stay around much longer, so I headed down to Marine City to catch them there. 

 I wasn't interested in catching the CSL Welland but she was there and the ship I was interested in was following fairly close behind.  The CSL Welland is another of the Chinese built straight deckers and she was on her way up to Thunder Bay where I assume she would pick up a load of grain.

 Figuring that her journeys probably are closer to 10 day round trips and the shipping season goes from March to December, she makes about 27 trips per season.  On each leg of those trips, she will typically pass through 15 locks which means she will lock down roughly 405 times per season.  Even the most careful helmsman will hit the wall on occasion.  So it's no wonder that these ships will have scrapes and bruises on their sides.  With that, I'm surprised these ships are in as good of shape they are in.

 A shot of her pilothouse.  If you see pictures of these from the inside, they almost look like a starship.

In roughly 48 hours from this picture, she will be in Thunder Bay.