Upper Peninsula

M/V Walter J. McCarthy of the American Steamships fleet heads toward Whitefish Point and beyond from the Sault locks in 1990, shortly after she was rechristened. For her first decade or so she was called Belle River, after the Detroit Edison plant she services. McCarthy was Detroit Edison's president; when he retired, the ship was renamed to honor him. Camera: Chinon Genesis III

A more traditional photograph of the ship Sparrows Point, approaching the locks at Sault Ste. Marie in August of 1989. Since this photo was taken, she's been renamed Buckeye . Taken with my Minolta Freedom 100.

On a late Friday in June, the Corps of Engineers lets the tourists wander around the grounds at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Engineers Day, 2005, doubled as a kickoff to the Sault Locks Sesquicentennial. Best large; there's some great detail in this pic. Joan took this marvelous photograph of St. Clair in the Poe Lock, from the edge of the Macarthur Lock. I've cropped a lot of distracting nonsense from the shot, but the vision is hers. I took nothing half this good that day.

Interlake's freighter Elton Hoyt 2nd (the name's sort of a pun; this is the second ship named after Elton Hoyt II) takes on a load of iron ore at Marquette's Presque Isle dock, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on a glorious day in 1998. The ore jennies atop the dock are pretty impressive. This ship now sails as Michicoten.

Over her eighty year life she's worked many roles, last summer Roseway was windjammer tourist attraction. The current owners are mostly using her has a roving school. She spent last summer sailing from this dock in St. Ignace, Michigan.

The highway bridge, the rail bridge, and the bridge of the (ship) St. Clair; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on Engineers Day, 2005. This is a technically dreadful picture--I shot it though the windshield, from the passenger side--but the composition's interesting enough that I thought I'd share it. Seem to be doing that a lot this week.

Joan took this photo of me at McLain State Park in Michigan's Copper Country; July of 1998. That's Lake Superior....

Thousand-foot lakes boat St. Clair downbound in the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie; Engineers Day, 2005.

Schooner Roseway , @ St. Ignace, Michigan.

Better LARGE! That ship's Herbert C. Jackson, approaching the Soo Locks under International Bridge. Photo taken Engineer's Day, 2005. I'll be showing more....

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, June of 2005.

Interlake's Herbert C. Jackson @ Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Engineer's Day, 2005

Still approaching the lock at Sault Ste Marie, June, 2005. International Bridge in the background, as is the railroad bridge.

Still creeping into MacArthur Lock at Sault Ste. Marie....

Then they get even closer. Engineers Day 2005. (Engineers Day 2006 is June 24 --next week. Just in case you want to go.)

The deck of laker Herbert Jackson at Sault Ste. Marie, Engineers Day, 2005. Here we see the large hatches and the unloader boom.

Another angle on those folks looking over the edge of the Jackson. Here we can begin to see some of the details behind the pilot house.

The unloading boom--and most of the deck--of the laker Herbert C. Jackson, at the Soo Locks in June of 2005. Most modern Great Lakes ships have self-unloading capabilities, which greatly increases their usefulness.