Holy Toledo

It’s been a long and busy Winter for me, but heading into last weekend I still had one more thing to do before the arrival of Spring. That thing was to visit Toledo, something that I’ve done almost every winter for the past seven or so years. My Toledo visits aren’t as important as my Sarnia visits, because you can’t get nearly as close to the boats, and because the drive is shorter and you don’t have to leave the country to get there. But Toledo always has more ships laid up there, and this year there were two that I definitely wanted to see. So, on Sunday afternoon, I made my way down.

The Pinkley nature trail is always a good place to start. Looking out towards the end of the harbor, the Great Republic and American Valor are visible at the Lakefront Docks.

There are several layers of vessels here. Closest to me is actually the red tug Paul L. Luedtke, and right behind her is the American Valor, which is in long-term lay-up. Visible behind her are Great Lakes Fleet fleetmates Great Republic (tall, boxy pilothouse) and Philip R. Clarke. The self-unloading tower between the Republic and Clarke‘s pilothouses is that of the barge Lewis J. Kuber. Finally, the tug Olive L. Moore is the owner of the pilothouse on the right that looks like a lighthouse. The barge James L. Kuber and tug Victory are also back there somewhere, but weren’t visible.

The CSX Coal Docks were much closer to me, and I could get a clear shot of the St. Clair as she sat, waiting for Springtime to begin.

The 770 footer usually spends her season carrying ore, and occasionally coal and stone.

Other vessels at the CSX Docks were more hidden. The American Spirit is in the foreground, and the American Mariner is behind her. Barely visible on the very left is the hull of the American Courage.

The H. Lee White was yet another vessel packed in there.

A huge pile of stone was blocking my views of the White‘s hull.

The American Spirit, at 1,004 feet long, is the longest ship laid up here.

Next up is the Midwest Overseas Terminal, where the Manistee is spending her Winter.

Built in 1943, Manistee is the oldest member of the Toledo lay-up fleet. She looks quite rusty, and is apparently in rough shape, which is one reason why I came to Toledo: to get some photos of her, in case her time is running out.

The Manistee will go in drydock at some point this Spring, and will likely operate this season. I have bad luck catching her, so hopefully we meet again this year.

Hopefully the Manistee has many years ahead of her still, but only time will tell at her advanced age.

Just behind the Manistee at the Overseas Terminal is the barge Lakes Contender.

The Contender is one of seven American Steamship vessels laid up in Toledo this Winter, not counting the long dormant American Valor.

Her giant tug, Ken Boothe Sr., seems to be ballasted at the bow for some reason.

That was all for me to see from the nature trail, but as I was leaving, I spotted this active Bald Eagle nest. If you go down to see it, do not get any closer than the path allows.

I also spotted a cat, but that isn’t as interesting as the Eagles.

My next stop was Jamie Farr Park, where I could get a rather obscured view of the Algorail laid up outside the shipyard.

The Algorail is in Toledo for a drydock visit which she made in January, and is now waiting for Spring to begin.

I made my final stop on the Craig Bridge over the Maumee River for a better angle on the venerable Algorail. Algoma announced this month that they have ordered her replacement from a shipyard in Croatia, which means that the Rail only has two or three seasons left before the end.

From the Craig Bridge, I can get a distant shot of the Sam Laud, the ship on the right. She was the drydock’s most recent customer, and is now laid up at the old Interlake Iron Dock.

Meanwhile, below me, the Maumee River is doing strange things.

The melting of ice “dams” upriver has sent a vicious flow of ice, wood, and trash flowing out toward Lake Erie. From the Craig Bridge, the river looked like this all the way across. However, it was jamming up again shortly ahead of me, and wasn’t actually reaching the Lake.

Strangely enough, everything to the right of the big line going up the image was not moving. Everything to the left of the line was moving.

It was rather noisy as the ice and branches collided with the concrete supports for the I-275 Bridge.

Without my knowing, this same afternoon the current and ice had knocked the barge Sarah Spencer and tug Jane Ann IV loose from their moorings at the ADM Elevators upriver. I didn’t head that way to see them, but I did get some shots of them during my last Toledo visit in December.

Anyway, that was the scene in Toledo on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully this picture of the I-275 Bridge will be my last one of the Winter. We could use some Spring now.

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