A New Visitor to this Blog

 It's not often that it happens but occasionally I get a new visitor to this blog and it happened this time.  Usually that new visitor is a saltie but I guess you take what you can get.

Besides, I like salties because they give some variety to my boatwatching.

After the wildlife reserve, I stopped at the Detroit River International Wildlife Reserve.  It's been owned by the government since 2001 but in 2020 they decided to add a visitors' center and open it up to the public.  I didn't take any pictures there but I'm gonna have to go back to get some pictures.  While I was there, I saw that the Lee A. Tregurtha was coming down, so I figured I would get pictures of her.

I arrived at Belle Isle and it was crazy.  I couldn't believe how many people where there but it shouldn't have surprised me because there was a ton of people everywhere else.  Anyway, I saw this ship and I took what I could for a spot and it wasn't the greatest.

The Morgenstand II sails for the Wijnne Barends company out of Delfzul, Netherlands.  I think she is actually flagged in the Netherlands too.  That is rarity for international ships.  Usually they sail under a flag of convenience.  Typical countries that offer those flags are Panama, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Liberia, Cyprus and a couple of others that elude me at the moment.

This ship was launched in 2007 as the Morgenstond II.  Then she was briefly the Beluga Legislation.  Then she was the Kent Legislation until 2009.  She reverted to the Beluga Legislation until 2010.  She was the Kent Sunset for 3 years after that.  Then the Morgenstond II again.  Then she was the Clipper Aurora for 2 years.  After 2015, she was the Morgenstond II again.

I think that means she's been through a few owners or operators.

For this trip she was on her way from Thunder Bay, Ontario to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Based on the fact that she is coming from Thunder Bay, I would imagine that she picked up grain for Puerto Rico.

As I type this, she is just east of Prince Edward Island.

She is not expected to be in San Juan until May 13th.

So it takes about 11 days to get from Detroit to San Juan by ship but I think she made a stop in Montreal on the way.