Welcoming a Ship Back to the Great Lakes

 On Saturday I thought that I would be catching this ship as she passed Belle Isle but she ended up stopping at Mistersky for fuel.  She continued on the next morning.  I saw that I could catch her at St. Clair, so I decided to head up there.

The ship in question is the US Coast Guard Cutter Spar.   I thought she was new to the Great Lakes but it turns out that is not true.

The Spar's keel was laid on December 15, 1999 at Marinette Marine Corporation in Wisconsin.  It is the place where the Littoral Combat Ships are currently being built.

She was launched on August 12, 2000 and then sailed to the Aleutian Islands in March of 2001.

She was homeported in Kodiak, Alaska and was commissioned on August 3, 2001.

Her main function is placing aids to navigation, but she also serves as maritime border security, maritime environmental protection and some icebreaking.

She sailed from Alaska to Baltimore earlier this year and underwent some maintenance activities.

She will continue onto Duluth, Minnesota where she will replace the Alder who went to Baltimore last year.

She is 225 feet long and 46 feet wide.  She has a 13 foot draft.

She is powered by two Caterpillar diesel engines.

Her top speed is 15 knots.

She is crewed by 8 officers and 40 enlisted personnel.

I was going to catch her Marysville too but I had to get a new windshield wiper for my car, so I missed her there.

So I headed up to my spot in Port Huron.

I like this spot because it gives me multiple angles.

Getting close to the bow shot.

And the bow shot.

She makes the turn for Lake Huron.

Some seagulls pass in front of her.

Framed by the Blue Water bridge.

I think she is a pretty nice looking ship.

I'm pretty sure I'll see her again because I've seen the Alder before.

Another shot with the bridge in the back ground.

She continues out to Lake Huron.  I will say that she was booking because she was creating a bit of wake.

I probably could have caught her with my drone but it was bit on the windy side.

She continues into Lake Huron.

You can see the waves kicking against her side.

One more picture before moving on.