Charlevoix Questions

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Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

There is a bend in the Pine River Channel. The longer the boat the more difficult the passage. Often the smaller boats would rub the channel wall at the bend. Doubt a 767" boat coupled with a 70' beam could make the bend. USS usually sent the Taylor, Calcite II or Irvin, not so often the larger Sloan. ACS regularly used the Nicolet, and Kling, not so much their 620' or 600' sized boats of the time.
William Lafferty
Posts: 1491
Joined: March 13, 2010, 10:51 am

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by William Lafferty »

I couldn't recall ever hearing that a "AAA' ever went into Charlevoix.
I never saw one enter Charlevoix. The channel at the bridge is 90 feet wide, so an AAA would have ten feet on each side, rather tight but doable. The big problem for the Anderson and others would be being able to clear the bridge while staying in the Round Lake channel, which I doubt it could do. The channel to the west of the bridge heads slightly southeast and turns almost due east right before the bridge, so a lengthened AAA would have a hard time making that slight turn as well as risk exiting the bridge draw and putting its bow into shoal water on the north side of Round Lake (not to mention into a whole lot of anchored pleasure boats). I do remember the smaller George A. Sloan blowing for the bridge directly outside the bedroom window of a condo we were staying at on the south bank of the channel about a block or so west from the bridge at 6 AM one summer morning long ago. That will get you up fast and terrify a sleeping three year-old. I don't believe the channel is maintained anymore, anyway.
Mr Link
Posts: 1198
Joined: December 6, 2014, 3:43 pm

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Mr Link »

Guest wrote: Why would the owners of the Ironton dock stretch the truth on the site about where the photo was taken? I couldn't recall ever hearing that a "AAA' ever went into Charlevoix.
I suspect they just didn't have a recent photo of a ship at their dock, so they picked a "stock" photo. I can't imagine most stone customers care about the name of the boat that delivers their stone, nor its class, size or color. They just want their stone delivered at a reasonable price.
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
guest wrote:I can say for certain that photo of the Anderson unloading is not in Ironton, MI. This is a small dock, the Taylor unloaded there once in the late 90s, it's been visited by the Pere Marquette 41 the most recent and that was back in the early 2000s.
I think that shot is in Detroit, taken from the Jefferson Ave bridge over the Rouge looking back toward the DTE plant and thte Detroit River. The 2 high tension power towers are the clue. The Anderson is blocking the view of the power plant and smokestacks.
Why would the owners of the Ironton dock stretch the truth on the site about where the photo was taken? I couldn't recall ever hearing that a "AAA' ever went into Charlevoix.
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

Guest wrote:I think that shot is in Detroit, taken from the Jefferson Ave bridge over the Rouge looking back toward the DTE plant and the Detroit River. The 2 high tension power towers are the clue. The Anderson is blocking the view of the power plant and smokestacks.
That's exactly where that shot was taken. You can barely see one of stacks at the front edge of the unloading gear.
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

guest wrote:I can say for certain that photo of the Anderson unloading is not in Ironton, MI. This is a small dock, the Taylor unloaded there once in the late 90s, it's been visited by the Pere Marquette 41 the most recent and that was back in the early 2000s.
I think that shot is in Detroit, taken from the Jefferson Ave bridge over the Rouge looking back toward the DTE plant and the Detroit River. The 2 high tension power towers are the clue. The Anderson is blocking the view of the power plant and smokestacks.
miboatnerd

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by miboatnerd »

I see where the dock is now. I was looking in the wrong place. Thanks garbear.
guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by guest »

I can say for certain that photo of the Anderson unloading is not in Ironton, MI. This is a small dock, the Taylor unloaded there once in the late 90s, it's been visited by the Pere Marquette 41 the most recent and that was back in the early 2000s.
garbear

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by garbear »

This is from the St. James Marine/Fogg Towing site.

https://www.stjamesmarine.com/irontonst ... m-kh3nmnge
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

William Lafferty wrote:
So you're saying Ironton still has an active dock? All I could find was the ferry dock.
I don't know how active it is, but there was one north of the ferry on the west bank.
Don't recall seeing a self-unloader go past Charlevoix in years.
badger

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by badger »

fogg marine from beaver island use the dock as their base perhaps the undaunted peremarquette 41 might unload there only 14 foot draft entering charlevoix trucking might be less expensive with draft limitations
William Lafferty
Posts: 1491
Joined: March 13, 2010, 10:51 am

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by William Lafferty »

So you're saying Ironton still has an active dock? All I could find was the ferry dock.
I don't know how active it is, but there was one north of the ferry on the west bank.
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

William Lafferty wrote:Theissen-Clemens of Benton Harbor built a gasoline and furnace oil storage facility around where the Irish Boat Shop is now by Stover Creek in the 1930s. Cities Service took it over in 1948. It received gasoline and fuel oil from Cleveland Tankers and Mobil boats and others until replaced by pipeline in the late 1960s. Ironton has had an aggregate dock for about forever receiving the odd self-unloader every once and awhile. Of course, East Jordan was a destination for iron way back in the day, and Boyne City shipped charcoal also used at its own iron smelter. The plant at Advance was a "rural power plant" opened in 1954 and closed, as said, in 1997. Many fleets served it, including GLF, American Steamship, Tomlinson, Columbia, Reiss, and Gartland, through the years.
So you're saying Ironton still has an active dock? All I could find was the ferry dock.
William Lafferty
Posts: 1491
Joined: March 13, 2010, 10:51 am

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by William Lafferty »

Theissen-Clemens of Benton Harbor built a gasoline and furnace oil storage facility around where the Irish Boat Shop is now by Stover Creek in the 1930s. Cities Service took it over in 1948. It received gasoline and fuel oil from Cleveland Tankers and Mobil boats and others until replaced by pipeline in the late 1960s. Ironton has had an aggregate dock for about forever receiving the odd self-unloader every once and awhile. Of course, East Jordan was a destination for iron way back in the day, and Boyne City shipped charcoal also used at its own iron smelter. The plant at Advance was a "rural power plant" opened in 1954 and closed, as said, in 1997. Many fleets served it, including GLF, American Steamship, Tomlinson, Columbia, Reiss, and Gartland, through the years.
guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by guest »

where the power plant in advance use to be, what is there now? new condos!
Mr Link
Posts: 1198
Joined: December 6, 2014, 3:43 pm

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Mr Link »

The power plant at Advance closed in January 1997.
Guest

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest »

There used to be a tank farm near Stover Road in Charlevoix. I think it was serviced by Imperial tankers. In Ironton I once saw the Irvin L Clymer deliver a cargo of agricultural lime. The boats that seemed to make the most passages into lake Charlevoix in the 70', 80's and 90's were the Kling, Nicolet, Taylor, Calcite II and Clymer. I'm sure there were others too.
garbear

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by garbear »

miboatnerd wrote:I recently found a photo of the Myron C Taylor unloading coal at a power plant on Lake Charlevoix. The year was 1993. What city was this plant located in and when did it close? Also, did Lake Charlevoix have any other commercial docks? I had no clue freighters used to transit that lake.
Believe the power plant was in Advance.
Guest 33

Re: Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by Guest 33 »

Advance power plant operated by Top o Michigan Electric CoOp of Boyne City MI now Great Lakes Energy. Used to burn coal at Advance last of coal pile was hauled to cement plant in Charlevoix by truck after they closed.
miboatnerd

Charlevoix Questions

Unread post by miboatnerd »

I recently found a photo of the Myron C Taylor unloading coal at a power plant on Lake Charlevoix. The year was 1993. What city was this plant located in and when did it close? Also, did Lake Charlevoix have any other commercial docks? I had no clue freighters used to transit that lake.
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