Saginaw River Passage - April 19, 2022

American Courage was inbound early Tuesday morning, going up the Saginaw River to the Burroughs/Levy dock in Zilwaukee to unload. This was the first time since August 16, 2015 that American Courage traveled through Bay City to an upper river dock in the Saginaw area. She was outbound Tuesday afternoon. 

Saginaw River Passage - April 12, 2022

The tug G.L. Ostrander and her cement barge, Integrity, arrived on the Saginaw River Tuesday morning, calling on the Lafarge Cement Dock in Essexville to unload. This is the first delivery of cement to Lafarge this season.

Saginaw River Passage - April 11th, 2022

The 2022 commercial shipping season is finally underway on the Saginaw River. Algoma Intrepid arrived Monday morning, traveling up to the Wirt Dock in Essexville to unload Potash at the fertilizer terminal. This first vessel passage was four days later than last season and the latest start since 2014.

Saginaw River Sunday - Best of 2009

Saginaw River Sunday!

With no commercial traffic yet on the Saginaw River, the start of the season will be the latest since 2014. For now, enjoy these photos I shot during the 2009 season on the Saginaw River.

Vessel Built Along the Banks of Saginaw River Heads for Scrap

Built along the banks of the Saginaw River at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in 1952, she was launched as the Charles L. Hutchinson, and had a great career on the Great Lakes. Tuesday, April 5th, 2022, that career came to an end as she arrived at the Marine Recycling Company in Port Colborne, ON to be scrapped.

Over her career, she carried five different names: Charles L. Hutchinson, Ernest R. Breech, Kinsman Independent, Voyageur Independent, and finishing as Ojibway. Definitely a sad day for me to see this classic Bay City built vessel about to be scrapped as she was one of my favorites.

The first two photos of the Charles L. Hutchinson, shown on the Saginaw River before entering service, are from the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society photo collection. The second two are my photos, from the only time I was able to photograph her in person, in Port Huron, MI in 2006, when she siad as the Voyageur Independent