The Canadian laker CSL Assiniboine making her way through Duluth Harbor under the Blatnik and Aerial Bridges into the open waters of Lake Superior. An expected overnight snow system started kicking the winds up a bit early, strong winds coming off the lake, enough to make things uncomfortable for spectators! We’re expecting 1-5 inches of more snow. So much for a break after getting 17 inches of snow in the blizzard earlier this week. But at least we had two relatively nice days in between, and maybe we’ll get some more funny salutes from it! (that will be a video later this weekend lol) It also created some nice waves and bow splash, and while it doesn’t quite compare to what was seen in the canal a few days ago in the blizzard, it’s still a cool sight standing on the piers, watching the ship smash through. Plus the conditions were more friendly to the average canal visitor, so more people got to enjoy the sights and sounds, for a Canadian laker, the Assiniboine has an excellent horn, one of my favorites on the lakes. At anchor in the background is the Barbro G, the year’s first ocean going ship!
The CSL Assiniboine was originally built in 1977 as the Jean Parisien, one of four sister ships, the other three being the Rt Hon Paul J Martin, CSL Laurentian, and CSL Niagara. The Assiniboine and Laurentian were launched only 24 hours apart. She sailed until 2005, when the ship was laid up due to excessive salt damage, a common cargo of hers. Rather than scrapping the relatively new ship, she was cut in two, in front of the pilothouse, the old rusted out bow and hold was removed and replaced with a massive new single cargo hold that spans the entire length of the ship, giving her a very high carrying capacity for her size. Renamed the CSL Assiniboine, she rejoined the fleet the following season.
At 740ft long and 80ft wide, the Assiniboine is a seaway-max vessel. This means she has the largest dimensions allowed through the St Lawrence Seaway between Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Welland Canal, which raises ships up and down Niagara Falls. Because of her size, she fits into the locks with just a few inches of space on all sides. Needless to say, there’s a lot of bumping and scraping, and her paint shows it. The passes through a dozen such locks every tip she makes, going one way. She may look rough, but fact that she has any paint at all is a testament to the skill of her crew!
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