Saginaw River Images: March 2024

Friday, March 29, 2024

Remembering Canada Steamship Lines on the Saginaw River

While going through some old print photos from the late 1990's, early 2000's, it made me nostalgic for the days when we had regular Canada Steamship Lines traffic here on the Saginaw River. Cement Clinker was brought in to Essexville by classics like Halifax, Frontenac, Tadoussac, and then the occasional trips by Louis R. Desmarais, and Nanticoke. Definitely miss seeing the CSL vessels!

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Saginaw River Passage - March 24, 2024

The tug Candace Elise and her tank barge, Robert F. Deegan arrived on the Saginaw River early this morning, calling on the Port Fisher/Occidental Chemical Dock in Bay City to unload.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Saginaw River Passage - March 19, 2024

On a very blustery, overcast day, the 2024 shipping season began on the Saginaw River with the arrival of the Samuel de Champlain/Innovation, bringing cement to the Holcim Dock in Essexville. The pair were assisted in by the tug North Dakota, who met them out by channel island and assisted them in to the dock. This marks the second year in a row that Samuel de Champlain/Innovation was the first boat of the season, this time one week later than 2023.

Following the boats of the Saginaw River and Great Lakes

Here is a little background on my history with the boats: I have been an avid photographer and follower of the big lake freighters that carry their cargoes between the ports of the Great Lakes. During that time, a number of my photos have been used by various shipping companies and in publications from the U.S. Coast Guard, Lake Carriers Association, the Marine Legal Review, and in the annual boatwatchers bible, "Know Your Ships". I also report news and vessel passage information from the Saginaw River to both Boatnerd.com and to the local newspaper, The Bay City Times, and have been fortunate enough to have had the honor of being aboard and taking a trip on a Great Lakes Freighter. I am also a licensed U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner, Captain and deckhand for the Bay City Boat Lines, and a Deckhand for Malcom Marine, Inc.

In this blog, you will see information on the vessels that ply the waters of the Saginaw River, photos, and vessel passage information. I hope that you will enjoy what is posted here.