Saying Good Bye to An Old Friend

 Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows what my favorite ship is.   She has been a long time subject of this blog.

I first caught her in 2011 while this was a fairly young blog.  At the time, I didn't think ships would be a major subject but they have become that.

And this ship has been a major part of that.  I just love her looks.  For the most part, she reminded me of a snapping turtle and I would go out of my way to catch her if I could.

Well, in February of 2021, she had a fire that went uncontrolled for close to 12 hours.

It is said that fire caused at least 100 million dollars worth of damage to her.  For the last year, her fate was uncertain.

Well, it seems that her fate is less uncertain.  She is being towed to Conneaut, Ohio.  They needed to free up space at the shipyard she was at and the company that owns her also owns dock space in Conneaut.

Nothing has been officially announced but at a minimum she is going there for long term layup.

That long term layup will likely end up with her scrapping.  Conneaut is not too far from the scrapyard in Port Colborne where she will eventually end up.

As you can see from this picture, she has been stripped of all of her electronics and she is basically a dead ship.

The Meredith Ashton was the lead tug.  Typically there are two tugs on a tow like this.  One is provided propulsion, the other is helping with steering.

In what I hoped was a common thing, I finally got some drone shots of her.  It's a shame that it was under these conditions.  The thing with ships is that you get used to them and it's sad to see them go.

It especially sad because you can tell they are not loaded.

Well at least I can pretend she is under her own power in this picture.

She's been a huge part of this blog.  Like I said, she is one that I would go chase.  I went to the Mackinac Bridge to get a picture of her there.

She was the only ship I saw at Engineer's Day and she was a crowd pleaser as her crew tossed treats to the gathered throng.

I went up to the Soo for my birthday.  She gave a salute to the gathered crowd but I could at least pretend it was for me.

Many people liked her.

And a few of them where here catching what could be her final passage.

I could have caught her earlier in the day but it is somehow fitting that I caught her at sunset.

She heads off into the sunset.

As I said, nothing is official yet but it seems like the writing is on the wall.

There are about three or four ships ahead of her at Port Colborne and the steel market is down right now, so it's possible it will be a couple years.

You can see part of the damage here.  I think the fire  took out her conveyor system.  I saw plans for a new conveyor system but I have a feeling her current company doesn't want to spend the money.

It's possible that she will get a new lease on life but for now, I will say good bye.

The Candace Elise On the Grand River

As I said in my last post, this tugboat was working her way down the river as I arrived.  I couldn't get that picture but I really wanted to.

 As I was taking pictures of the Sykes, I could get some pictures of the tugboat.  She was clearing the ice.  I think private tugs are used when they can't get Coast Guard assistance.

 She was coming down from Muskegon and I would imagine that Grand Haven doesn't get enough traffic to warrant Coast Guard assistance.

 As I went further down the river, I got a chance to catch the tug for the shots I was I looking for.

 As you can see, the snow was coming down.

 I kind of liked this shot.

 She continues on her way to clear out the dock.

And one more shot as she heads off.

The Candace Elise Makes an Appearance

The next vessel is a rare visitor to the Detroit area.

 The Candace Elise is normally homeported in Muskegon, Michigan.  I've seen her there at least one of the times that I've visited there.  I think she normally stays around the western part of Michigan.

 The Candace Elise was built by Modern Marine Power in Houma, LA in 1981 as the Perserverance.  She is currently owned by Ashton Marine.

One more shot of her.

Things Around Muskegon

These are just some things that I encountered as I was wandering around Muskegon.

 This is an abandoned railroad bridge.  I presume it was used by the Pere Marquette but I'm not sure.

 The tracks leading to that bridge.

 This is a tug that I've seen before, the Barbara Anne.  Normally, when I see her, she is in the middle of a river and doesn't look that large.

 The Candace Elise.

 A shot of the Silversides from the other side of the river.  I kind of wish they had a different paint scheme on the building so that the sub would stand out a little more.

 The Silversides from another angle.

 A shot of the McLane which is a Coast Guard cutter that served in World War II.

 The Carol Anne.

 A tree in the State Park.

 The Lake Express is a ferry service that operates between Muskegon and Milwaukee.  I'm not sure how many crossings it makes in a day but I'm pretty sure it makes more than the Badger.

 The Ferry itself was constructed in 2004 in Mobile, AL by Austal USA.  It looks similar to the catamaran style that is used by the LCS constructed by them.  She can travel at a speed of 34 knots.  It is capable of carrying 46 cars and 253 passengers.

 She may be faster than the Badger but she's not as nice looking.

One more shot of the Carol Ann.