Battered Beast Leading an Entire Fleet Through the Canal

Despite, or perhaps because of her scars and bruises, Atlantic Huron just seems like an absolute monster of a ship to me, feels much larger than her 740ft length, especially when looking up at her bow! The Laker/Saltie hybrid certainly has the history to match as well. On this occasion she sailed in on a very interesting cargo run, it seems she’s doing the Lower Lakes Company’s “Soo Express” run, Michipicoten’s old route. I was wondering if Lower Lakes would ultimately need to bring some outside assistance in, with the incidents this year leaving them with only four active vessels, and one of those is a straight decker which can’t make that run. I was surprised that they turned to CSL for assistance and not Algoma, which has left a couple self unloading ships in storage this year due to this year’s lack of salt demand from the light winter. As it happened, while she sailed in the sailboat races were just finishing up, with the faster boats accompanying her through the Canal, along with the Vista Star. While she came in quiet and no salute, she still put on a show, sailing slow and followed by over a dozen smaller boats! She is also the current home of the Ship to Shore Chef channel, who did a livestream from onboard during this arrival, seen here! www.youtube.co...
Atlantic Huron is fairly common on the Superior side, but is a little more rare in the Canal. This is her second visit through here this season, and the first was under some rather unusual circumstances. Built in 1984, the ship was one of the last vessels to be built before the long 30+ year gap in laker construction. One of 6 “Carribean Class” Laker/Saltie hybrids, she is the last of her design still sailing, the vessels’ lifespans being significantly shorter than the average laker due to their saltwater sailing capabilities. From 1990 to 1997 she acted as an ocean ship, hauling slurry from offshore oil rigs to Canada, but has otherwise operated as a laker. She’s also been heavily modified during her career, originally starting out as a straight decker and being converted to a self unloader in 1989, then she was widened by 5 feet in 2000. In 2009 it was widely reported that she was being scrapped, but ultimately the ship was simply being overhauled and refitted.
Despite her relatively young age by laker standards, Atlantic Huron has also been involved in more serious incidents and collisions than any other laker, many of which occurred in the last 4 years. In 1993 she got caught in the “Storm of the Century”, and while she was damaged, she was luckier than many ships, several of which sank. That storm would go on to shut down the entire Atlantic seaboard from Canada to the Caribbean, killing over 270 people. In 2000 she rammed and nearly sunk the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Griffon, sending four crewmen to the hospital. In 2020 she suffered a malfunction while entering the Soo Locks, leading to the ship ramming the pier between locks and causing over 2 million dollars worth of damage. She would spend several months in 2023 out of service following an unknown major issue while anchored off Duluth early in the season, then in August of last year she rammed a (fortunately empty) tanker in Quebec City, leaving the massive dent in her bow seen prominently here. Then in late May of this year she came into the Superior ore dock a little too quickly, hitting the dock hard and punching a hole in her hull just below her port anchor. Following a week of repairs in Duluth (her only other trip here this season) the ship returned to the ore dock to finish loading, only to run aground immediately after leaving the dock. It would take several hours for tugs to free her (not that bad, but not exactly the best timing lol). She would spend several more days at anchor as divers inspected and repaired her hull for the second time in a week before finally sailing out. Can only imagine the conversations with the bosses on that one lol. Fortunately her season has gone more smoothly since then!
Hope everyone enjoys!

[@bevpearson8268]

What a "beast" she is with all of her bones showing. Great history on her! Nice to see her come into port with her entourage!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@bevpearson8268 She’s certainly imposing! Glad you enjoyed!

[@TOTALCAMARO]

No body is going to mess with her 😂All the little ones will follow her. She can protect them. 😂 Great video 😊

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@TOTALCAMARO I had the same thought, a convoy being protected by a larger ship lol

[@TOTALCAMARO]

@@jonathanellsworth21 The captain should have did a salute coming in while playing follow the leader lol 😂

[@wendyphillips5002]

Thank you for such a spectacular view of this classic great lakes ore carrier in action arriving at Duluth empty for a load of iron ore pellets. This is what moves the american steel industry. It is the most economical way to transport huge amounts of iron ore from the Northern Michigan peninsula to the steel mills in the USA near the great lakes.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Glad you enjoyed it! This particular load is going to the Algoma Steel mill in Sault Ste Marie, the ore coming from mines in the Mesabi Range about 50 miles north of the city! Definitely the most economical way, the ship saves roughly 2,000 semi-truck loads or 400 train cars. The thousand foot ore freighters can carry over twice more than even that!

[@Silvery1313]

Wow, she's got quite the story. Thanks for all the info and the video.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@Silvery1313 no problem!

[@user-cn6re9jr1t]

An honest working ship and crew😂

[@audreyjohnson4599]

Reminded me of a mother goose majestically moving through the water followed by her goslings.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@audreyjohnson4599 oh I like that one lol

[@skycvg]

She's a prime example of why Freighters don't make good bumper boats. Was interesting to have "Ship to Shore Chef" Catherine live streaming her arrival to Duluth on the Atlantic Huron before she goes on vacation for the rest of September and October.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@skycvg I saw she was streaming it! She was on the other side of the ship though unfortunately. Lol nope not a good bumper boat at all 😂

[@danielmorris3687]

'Old Smash Nose' is leading the parade like the Queen she is! 🤩

[@jonathanellsworth21]

👸

[@anthonysavage6723]

What an amazing marvel in engineering and workmanship, beautiful vessel!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@anthonysavage6723 that she is!

[@dutchflats]

Man, the Atlantic Huron is in serious need of a refit?! Love all those J/boats coming in from racing!

[@drumswest5035]

That Atlantic Huron ship is in need of some serious maintenance!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

She’s still in better shape than some ships I’ve seen! Definitely needs some dents and scrapes banged out and painted though!

[@scopex2749]

" with a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more" shes going to collect some taconite. GREAT VID

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Thank you!

[@jaynorris3722]

The boats following her look like toys.😁

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@jaynorris3722 yep! They’re not small sailboats either, still look tiny

[@jerrykolling6432]

Captains must consider an assignment on that ship as a kiss of death.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol, or an honor if they were brought in to fix that situation

[@jerrykolling6432]

@@jonathanellsworth21 It must handle completely different than the other ships. Or is hexed

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@jerrykolling6432 she does have that very angular bulbous bow, which is fairly unique. Only ship I’ve seen like that, usually they’re rounded. Not sure how much of a difference that makes

[@michaeltaylor8835]

I hope the huron gets some love and care

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@michaeltaylor8835 same

[@BeKindToBirds]

With the absolute starvation of shipyards in the US trying to keep up with Chinese shipyards I doubt it. She'll probably be replaced with something foreign built in not too long but here's hoping all that is wrong in hindsight.

[@elizabethw.8561]

Jonathan!! This is GREAT information!!! Gosh, can you only imagine how the company treated the captain(s)??? did one get fired? Several.....what the heck?? This was great, thank you for this fun video!!

[@Donna.V]

That would have been some board meeting. "Regarding the Atlantic Huron... she keeps hitting things..."

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@elizabethw.8561 thank you! Lol not sure what happened there, but it was a running joke at the Canal for about a week after, every time a helicopter flew over it was “Ope! There goes the captain!” 😂😬 Granted we have no way of knowing what exactly happened in each of those, captain could have been blameless too

[@elizabethw.8561]

@@Donna.V I know, right!! Oh Lord what a conversation!! What was the captain thinking???

[@elizabethw.8561]

@@jonathanellsworth21 No kidding!!

[@lynnclark4208]

I think you need to be standing about 12' up. That's a ways to look up! 😊😊😊

[@jonathanellsworth21]

She’s certainly tall!

[@jamesnelson6980]

Almost looks like the battle of Trafalgar....which one is the VICTORY?

[@lagodifuoco313]

It almost looks like she is flying the stars & stripes, not the maple leaf? It was hard to tell because the flag was furled around the pole.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Nah I’m pretty sure it’s the Canadian Flag, she may have a US flag on her just since she’s sailing US waters though, which is traditional as well

[@lagodifuoco313]

Still not as battered looking as the Ruddy.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@lagodifuoco313 lol yeah Ruddy is pretty rusty!

[@ILikeGT_101]

@@jonathanellsworth21which is more rusty the Radcliffe R Latimer or the Ruddy

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@ILikeGT_101 Latimer, Ruddy isn’t THAT bad, it’s just one really bad section near the bow. Latimer is the whole ship

[@ILikeGT_101]

@@jonathanellsworth21 agreed

[@douglashurd8652]

Probably a thunderstorm coming in . The sightseeing boat captain gets his patrons a decent close up too

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@douglashurd8652 nope! No storm, every Wednesday and Sunday during the summer they hold sailboat races out on the lake, then the lift bridge only goes up every half hour, so they tend to stack up as they finish their course. As for Vista Star, yes they’ll try to get the people on board the best view possible. Surprised they didn’t try to get the ship to blow their horn! (which they often do)

[@douglashurd8652]

@jonathanellsworth21 used to have a boat in Bayfield and cruise all summer , haul out in superior for various things , then sailed to Florida down the east coast , know Duluth well dad born in Hibbing grandpa worked in the mine in 1919 after world War one lying about his age to go on a sub in n. Atlantic, Minnesota tuff.. yup

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@douglashurd8652 Very cool! A cruise to Florida on a small boat, heck of a trip

[@douglashurd8652]

@jonathanellsworth21 took a couple long years , great lakes are fun , lucky to be alive, locks are great especially the welland canal , remember getting real close to the Cort in lake superior , gave a shout out to the captain on the radio, lake superior greatest adventure on earth , but others are up there if your boat is up to snuff as far as durability cruising the lake , intercoastal and offshore.. keep up the great work around the canal brother !! and hello to anyone in Bayfield cruising around the islands !!

[@richardmead9225]

I wonder if Rand logistics will abandon Michipicoten’ like they did C.T.C #1 in Calumet/Chicago.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Hard to say for certain what might happen there, not sure anyone does for sure. I do know they want her back in service, but it depends on a whole bunch of other factors outside the company’s control as well. For now she’s still fully powered and flying all her flags. I’m not ruling out anything.

[@andyloper44]

I think CSL will never fix her broken nose at this point.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@andyloper44 eh, hard to say. Maybe they will at her next drydocking, maybe they won’t

[@PaulGibson-f7x]

Collision regs vessel constrained by her draught, other vessels must avoid a Collision, by staying astern

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@PaulGibson-f7x yep, they definitely don’t need that!

[@blauer2551]

The ship with a broken nose

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Indeed

[@GeraldineReg]

That ship looks like an absolute rustbucket. It would not be allowed to sail anywhere in Europe in that condition. It would be arrested by the relevant authorities and until its deficinecies were recitified it would not be allowed to go anywhere except the breakers yard under tow.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@GeraldineReg lol I’ve seen a European owned and flagged freighters come in looking FAR worse actually 😂. Aside from the dent in her bow, which is from an accident but is mostly cosmetic, her scars are from the St Lawrence Seaway locks. Those locks are 80ft wide and the ship is a little over 79ft wide, they fit inside like a glove. Doesn’t matter how expert the pilot is or how often they paint the ship, it’ll look like this. I’ve seen some brand new ships on their very first voyage with huge scars down the side from that. Plus Canada encourages (possibly even a law) the companies that use frequently use those locks that the ships only be painted every five years or so since the paint is toxic and can be scraped off so easily.

[@Kristina-rm8nx]

Was nice & cool. But I wish The Edmund Fitzgerald would come through, showing her bones, also

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@Kristina-rm8nx everyone wishes that

[@Kristina-rm8nx]

But nobody remembers the Edmund Fitzgerald 😢

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@Kristina-rm8nx she’s a pretty deep part of the culture up here so I wouldn’t say that!