Saginaw River Passage - October 27, 2025 - Busch Marine - Part 2

While the last Busch Marine post showed a year-by-year progression for the past five years, this post shows some additional angles of the Gregory J. Busch, the Barbara Merry Busch, and the Edwin C. Busch, as well as the other side of the island and an overall view.  Photos all taken 10/27/25

Saginaw River Passage - October 28, 2025: Alpena - Olive L. Moore/Menominee - Thomas R. Morrish

The Saginaw River was crowded Tuesday morning in the Essexville area, with the Olive L Moore/Menominee inbound, Alpena unloading at the Amrize Dock, and Thomas R. Morrish also tied up at Amrize waiting to take the Ryba barges that were spudded down just across the channel.  Always makes for a great photo op!  Photos taken 10/28/25

Saginaw River Passage - October 28, 2025: Olive L. Moore/Menominee

Olive L. Moore/Menominee were back on the Saginaw River Tuesday morning, bringing a split load for docks in Bay City and Saginaw.  The pair stopped first at the Port Fisher Terminals Dock in Bay City to lighter before heading upriver to finish unloading at the Burroughs North - GM Dock in Saginaw.  Photos taken 10/28/25

Saginaw River Passage - October 28, 2025: Alpena

Alpena arrived on the Saginaw River Monday night, calling on the Amrize Cement Dock in Essexville to unload.  As of 5pm on Tuesday, she was still at the dock.  Photos taken 10/28/25

Saginaw River Passage - October 28, 2025: Busch Marine Vessels on the Saginaw River

Here are some photos of the Busch Marine vessels on the Saginaw River in Carrollton.  Photos taken 10/27/25

 

Saginaw River Vessels - October 27, 2025: Gregory J. Busch, Barbara Merry Busch, & Edwin C. Busch

A least once a season since I got the drone, I try to get up to Carrollton to get photos of the Busch Marine tugs Gregory J. Busch, Barbara Merry Busch and Edwin C. Busch.  Not much has changed over the last few years.  The last record I have of the big tug, Gregory J. Busch, moving was for icebreaking on the Saginaw River in December of 2017.  I always get asked, "Why are those tugs abandoned there?" or "Why doesn't the Coast Guard make them get the tugs out of the river?"  The simple fact is, that is where Busch Marine has docked their tugs for as long as I can remember, even when they were being used regularly.  Even though they are not being used anymore by Busch Marine, for whatever reason, they are not a hazard to navigation on the Saginaw River, and they are not leaking anything hazardous.  If they were, something, I am sure would have been done by now.  Barbara Merry Busch, the tug with the port list, is resting on the bottom of the river.  I do not have any knowledge of their future.  It is always sad to see vessels just slowly deteriorating, especially with their history.  the Gregory J. Busch is 106 years old, and the Barbara Merry Busch was built right here in Bay City at Defoe Shipbuilding in 1938.  Here are some photos from 2021 to the present.  Somehow, I missed getting a photo in 2023  

2021

2022

2024

January 2025

October 2025