Sault Saint Marie, MI

Although we still had a week to go we needed to move closer to getting back into Canada. We knew we would be crossing at Sault Saint Marie, MI and on the advice from our WI camping friends we headed to the local municipal CG there. This was a pretty spectacular CG as it is on the St. Mary's River and literally just a hundred feet or so from the shipping channel. The St. Mary's is the river that connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. All boats going into and out of Lake Superior must go through these locks and thus sail right in front of the CG. As the ships go by the campers all go to the water's edge to watch, sometimes even receiving a "captain's salute" from the horn on the ship.

Ore carrier at the CGs edge

 

There is quite a bit to do in SSM and as expected most of the activities revolve around the locks and shipping. The two most impressive things we did was tour the locks via boat and then tour the Valley Camp, a retired ore carrier, still floating, but made into a museum (for a description of the ship see the first photo below).

 

The Valley Camp

 

This tour was quite fascinating especially if you have never been on this type of vessel. It is huge! You enter about midship and only the rear half is used as a museum. There are numerous exhibits on Great Lakes shipping, the Coast Guard, types of ships, the "who" of Great Lakes shipping and two of the life boats recovered from the Edmond Fitzgerald. Below are photos from all aspects of the ship. These exhibits are located in the "hold" of the ship well below deck.

 

General exhibit area-notice the wavy floor caused by years of cargo beating on the steel

 

Ships gauges in engine room

 

Display of tools used in engine room

 

These ships were coal burners

 

Profiles of ships sailing the Great Lakes

 

Lifeboat from the Edmond Fitzgerald

 

Captains dining room

 

Galley

 

On the deck-note all the cargo hatches open to one massive cargo hold

 

The bridge

 

Communications gear

 

The pilot house

 

This was a great way to get an idea of the size and scope of theses ships. The vessels used today while more modern, are still the same basic design. The longest ships able to sail the Great Lakes is about 1,000 ft, limited only by the size of the Soo Locks.

Next up the Soo Locks.

More to come.....

 

 

 

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