Denny’s Ideas For Boatnerds

[Denny]

Well Ohio Bob I hate to tell you and say it but, I’m one up on you as far as seeing the Sykes goes! Fortunately I got lucky in late November as they were upbound on the St. Clair River. Captain Eric was in command and he was in a very good mood and giving salutes all along the way. Fitting and ironically, the Sykes would be the last ship that I would see on the river in 2019. It was the first time that I’ve seen them since way back in May 2005 on the river. Now if only I can get the Joe Block on the river sometime! Believe it or not I haven’t seen the Block since 2006 at the Soo with my late Mother. The Block drives me crazy as I haven’t had too good of luck seeing it downbound at the Soo. Only twice and the first time was in my 35mm era and all I got then was a bow photo of them that was cut off some. The second and most recent was while they were down in the evening at Mission Point. It was too dark outside and the bow photo wasn’t very good. I didn’t take a stern shot of her then as it was too dark at the time. The one and only time I saw the Block on the St. Clair River was in August 1998 with my late Dad at that time!

[Ohio Bob]

Denny, my "bucket list" was complete when Captain Treece brought the Rynerson in to the Locks during Engineers Day in 2007. The Master Salute performed while still in the locks is legendary. Thankfully I heard ET and the Lock Master discuss it before hand so I was able to capture it on video. (Almost all of it!) He rattled the windows in downtown Soo!! Now, I'd love to see the Sykes.... anywhere.

[Denny]

Ok boatnerds as on a separate thread you see my Bluewater Dreaming song thing right? Well how’s this for an idea as you or anyone for that matter can take one of your favorite ship photos and then have it made on a shirt, hat or whatever with the saying “Bluewater Dreaming on that one!” I say IMO that this would be a neat and awesome idea and why not try it. Especially when there’s NOT a lot of souvenir shirts or hats with Great Lakes related stuff in the Bluewater Area unlike up north at the Soo but, Yeah I realize the Soo gets more tourists and visitors of course thus the reasons of course why there are more souvenir places along with shirts and hats. But I strongly believe Bluewater Dreaming is a neat idea to have put on a shirt or a hat. You can even have a photo of the Bluewater Bridge itself and the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse or even the Huron Lightship Museum be the main photo focal points on any of them.

[Denny]

The work continues on my Digital Photo Salty List and today I can say that I’ve added my 2013 year to the list and with that, for my list idea I now have my Digital Salties on my list complete from 2011 to 2019. Next will be to finish it up at some point as I still have the following years left to finish and they are 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and also 2010. It was in July 2006 that I started to take Digital Photos if anyone would like to know what year I started on Digital Photos.

[Denny]

Another update for all of you on my list project. As expected, the Salty list of my digital photos is going like clockwork and today I’m pleased to report that I now have my salty photo list updated with my photos from 2014 to 2019 and have also added the 2011 year as well. I won’t go into the details of how my salty list works as I’ve already shared that with you and hopefully you all can understand how it works and what I do as far as filling in the information. Basically figure it as working on a puzzle and fitting in the pieces as to how my salty list works as far as for my digital photo collection of seeing salties on the St. Clair River. I list all the salties in alphabetical order as they’re no company names or lists. For instance, all Fednavs that I’ve seen and photographed are under an F category and so on. One thing I haven’t done so far is update any type of changes such as renames or flag of registry changes. Right now I’m trying to keep the list simple and not add too much detail to it. I like the list and I’m glad that I came up with this idea and putting it to good use.

[Denny]

Well boatnerds, Phase 2 of my boat list officially kicked off and started today and I’m very Happy to report that things are moving along slow but gradual with it. The second part of my project or Phase 2 if you will involves all Saltwater Vessels or Salties. This list right now that I started to work on today has all Salties that I’ve seen from 2006-2019 as far as digital photos go. I started taking digitals in 2006. So far I’ve gotten just three years done on my salty list as far as the years 2017, 2018 and also 2019 but at least it’s a starting point for now. The list although it’s full of details, it’s simple. For instance, tankers I have listed four spots from Marine City to Port Huron as those areas are my main viewing spot and vantage points. I also for tankers list the fuel docks I’ve seen them at like at Shell, Suncor and Imperial. I don’t list if they’re loading or if they are unloading just if I saw them at a fuel dock with a simple type of a Yes system is all I do along with Up or Downbound and where I saw the vessel at. Yeah I know it’s a lot of time and work but, as long as we’re having such a warm hot July and Summer then why not work on a list like this now rather than wait until Winter? At least by starting this now, I can get a head start on my list. If any of you haven’t tried my idea about a list for your own photo collection, you should think about it and try it sometime. Believe me, years from now you’ll look through your collection and say “Wow, I never saw that one at the Soo or in Port Huron but I thought I did!” With a list like what I’m doing, then you will know for sure what boat you’ve seen and where and how you saw it!

[Denny]

Thanks Guest as I appreciate your comments and advice very much as far as my long and extensive list goes. It is indeed a work in progress so picture it this way as my late father would often describe it like having a road worked on. The point is, while the road is being worked on it is a real pain and mess to get around right? However, once the road then is finished and complete then sometimes it’s worth the headaches and the hassle that you have to go through. Well everyone there is a saying in this world I live by and it goes like this “Rome wasn’t built in one day!” So it will indeed take much time to do my list but, I’ve already got most of it done on the St. Clair River as far as some of the U.S. along with the Canadian fleets. The list is indeed in an Excel Spreadsheet file and I do have access to Excel but, I don’t know the program as well as my brother does however he’s too busy right now to help so I try to do the best I can with what little bit of resources on Excel that I have. I can say that what I got done so far is very simple easy to understand and read. Right now I’m only including my digital photos only. At some point I’m hoping to create a similar list for the Soo Locks and Mission Point up there and this will be much easier and less time consuming and not as detailed as the River stuff goes. The Soo and Mission Point will just have the shipping companies and the list of ships and if I’ve seen it at either the Soo Locks or Mission Point and the direction I saw it in. Believe me folks the Soo and Mission lists are a snap especially since I don’t go to the Soo as much as I used to. Again thanks for the advice and the tips.

[Guest]

From your comments I'm assuming that you would like to see each individual ship at every possible point along the St. Clair River and in both upbound and downbound transits? If that is the case, then you may have a hard time doing so not living near the river. The closest I ever came to something similar, and this may help if you are just interested in getting the best possible photographs of each vessel, is to create a list of ships I have photographed and marking down which ones I would like to get better shots of with some remarks like try to get in better light, etc. Maybe that would help minimize the work necessary to create this list you are talking about. Another option is to just make up a running sighting/photograph log in an Excel spreadsheet that you can keep adding to. You would probably want to include columns with date, time, and location information. You can then do a wide range of sorting to view the results. If you don't have access to Excel there are some freeware programs that would most likely work for you.

[Denny]

To CSL Fan, “I don’t really see the need for a large list?” The idea that I had was to make up a list and to keep records and to also keep track of what ships I’ve seen along the St. Clair River. For instance take like the Algoma Strongfield and Algoma Conveyor as neither of them I’ve yet to see in Port Huron. Without my list, then how am I to know if I ever saw them at a particular spot or not? Another example is the CSL St-Laurent and it’s Sea Keepers mural. So far I’ve seen it at every spot on the river with the exception of Marine City and upbound. The point I’m trying to make is my list is a great idea IMO to keep track of what ships I need to see and where along with the direction either up or down. Take into consideration the salties. Without my list I would not know what salties I’ve seen and where and what direction. The list gives me that type of information. It just makes things easier for tracking and record keeping as far as my digital photo collection goes. That’s all this is about here.

[csl fan]

I don't really see the need for a large list...in a month or so there will probably be only 6 to 8 boats running and they will be hauling road salt for the coming winter.

[Denny]

Ok so it looks and appears that one of my many ideas and inventions didn’t pan out and go as well as I was expecting and hoping for here as far as my idea to most of you all on what ships you haven’t seen yet at your favorite spot and what ships so far you’ve never seen? So I am going to try this idea otherwise I give up period! For a long very long time I’ve had a dream and a vision of trying to put together a list of most all the U.S. and Canadian fleets including a few tug and barge fleets as well into a very large, complex, very detailed Super Boat List! The list for example would include the current fleets and their roster of ships now. The purpose of my list is to include for now, on the river of all locations and spots for photos and if I’ve seen a ship up or down like in Port Huron, Marysville or St. Clair. The list is very large and detailed and taking lots of time to create and complete. Overall my goal is to have a record system to where it’s easily accessible to see what boat I need to see at a certain vantage point and the direction I need to see it in. Eventually I will be adding saltwater vessels as well as a list both for the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie and at Mission Point. Now then I’ll bet none of you all have ever thought of this idea before haven’t you? I’ll be very interested in seeing the hopefully positive feedback on this idea!

[Bookworm]

That is amazing Dawn that you’ve never seen the Ryerson before on the St. Clair River. I would’ve thought surely that you would’ve seen her on the river as many times as she sailed up and down it during the mid to late 2000s give or take. Although I saw her a few times on the river I never got her in Port Huron coming downbound. Another one I have had trouble getting on the St. Clair River is the Gott. While I’ve seen them lots of times on the St. Clair River, Port Huron is my nemesis with them as I just can’t seem to catch them up or down at the Bluewater Bridge. Hopefully someday I’ll get lucky and see them up there.

Not all that amazing when you realize I lived 5 hours away, in Ohio, until June of 2011 and came up to the St. Clair River only every 6-8 weeks during each shipping season.

[Denny]

That is amazing Dawn that you’ve never seen the Ryerson before on the St. Clair River. I would’ve thought surely that you would’ve seen her on the river as many times as she sailed up and down it during the mid to late 2000s give or take. Although I saw her a few times on the river I never got her in Port Huron coming downbound. Another one I have had trouble getting on the St. Clair River is the Gott. While I’ve seen them lots of times on the St. Clair River, Port Huron is my nemesis with them as I just can’t seem to catch them up or down at the Bluewater Bridge. Hopefully someday I’ll get lucky and see them up there.

[Bookworm]

I've never seen either the Ryerson or Cort on the St. Clair River. When living in Ohio, my son and I made a special trip to Lorain, to watch the clam shell bucket process of unloading Ryerson and I have a vague memory of seeing Cort (up-bound to the Soo) at DeTour.

[Denny]

Ok boatnerds, in addition to not ever seeing Atlantic Huron at the Soo here’s a few more I’m adding to my hit list. The Sam Laud I’ve never ever seen yet at the Soo. Also, the Algoma Buffalo when it was Buffalo for ASC and now as the Algoma Buffalo as well. The Great Republic as the American Republic for ASC. However, it should be noted that in part I did catch the American Republic once down at Mission Point. So in part I did see the American Republic if you will once at the Soo but it was at Mission Point and NOT at the Soo Locks. Another is the Earl W. Oglebay when they were with Oglebay Norton. I’ve also never seen them yet at the Soo as the Manitowoc. I will add more to this thread if anyone here is interested and again I’d enjoy and appreciate hearing from others. Don’t be afraid to submit your lists here boatnerds. It’s my idea here.

[Denny]

Okay all you boatnerds out there that want to ask me 20 questions and more if you will. Well you’re always asking me stuff so now it’s my turn to do the asking. First, has there ever been a ship that you’ve never ever seen like at the Soo Locks or wherever your vantage point may be at? For instance I’ve never seen the Atlantic Huron ever at either the Soo or the Welland Canal. Next, what is the longest drought you’ve ever had of not seeing a particular boat? For example I haven’t seen believe it or not the Joe Block since back in 2006 at the Soo. I would like to keep this post please just pure, plain and simple is all as I would just like to exchange information and lists is all with some of you. I’m sure that I’m not the only one out there “Waiting and wondering if and when I’m ever gonna see that boat at my vantage point or not?” Also, I’m sure I’m not the only one asking “Will I ever see this boat again as it’s been years since I saw it last?” Again just a simple idea I came up here with is all. Feel free to submit your lists here anytime. It’ll be fun here! Thank You everyone for sharing your lists with me.