Hon. James L. Oberstar - Full Steam Ahead!

Here is our third view of the Hon. James L. Oberstar during her visit to the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior in late April 2023. We had originally seen her arrival in the early morning hours of April 22, as she hauled in limestone for the Hallett 5 dock in West Duluth. We then saw her on the evening of April 22 as she docked at Burlington Northern 5 in Superior following the departure of the Michipicoten. Now we were seeing her on the morning of April 23 depart Superior with her load of taconite (iron ore) pellets headed for Toledo, Ohio. This was the first time the Oberstar loaded at the BN5 dock since 2018, so this is a relatively rare sight in the Twin Ports.
Having seen the Oberstar dock just after sunset the night before, it seemed fitting we would see her leave at sunrise the following morning. Shortly after the Oberstar made her way onto Lake Superior, the sun made its appearance, with dark clouds offering a nice contrast to the sunrise. The Oberstar's stack was billowing two plumes of steam from her exhaust scrubbers. And while the Oberstar is no longer a steamship, one cannot help but think "full steam ahead" as she quickly builds up speed to take on the giant lake. She makes a jog to the left, as her course for this crossing will hug the shoreline to get protection from the wind and waves that were building elsewhere on the lake. As calm as Lake Superior appeared on this morning, her fury is never that far away.
The 806-foot Hon. James L. Oberstar started service in 1959, originally named the Shenango II. From 1967 to 2011, she was named the Charles M. Beeghly as she sailed for Interlake Steamship. In 2011, she was named in honor of the former Congressman from Minnesota who supported Great Lakes shipping and the maritime industry in general. In 2008, her steam turbine was replaced with two Rolls-Royce Marine Bergen 6-cylinder B32:40L6P diesel engines each rated at 4,079 b.h.p. A scrubbing system is in place to remove particulates and pollutants from her exhaust. She can carry up to 31,000 tons of cargo in her five cargo holds. Those holds are accessed by 25 hatches. A gravity-fed conveyor system allows her to unload her own cargo, using a 250-foot unloading boom.
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[@1Long2Short]

If you are interested in supporting this channel to keep new videos coming, I accept PayPal donations at the following link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/1long2short Donations of any size are gratefully accepted, as they help offset my travel expenses to capture this footage. Your views, likes, comments, and subscriptions also help this channel and are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[@gregmctevia5087]

Fantastic piece. The sunrise is spectacular.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Greg! We got a nice show from Mother Nature that morning. 🙂

[@ojlott]

Absolutely lovely. Superb videography and artistic use of dramatic light and iconic location to capture a moment in the life of a classic vessel.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words. 🙂

[@timjim10]

I can just imagine Samuel Clemens shaking his head and saying I’ve got nothing to add to this.

[@MultiPurposeReviewer]

I can't get over just how stunning those lake sunsets are. I generally hate summer, but the clear skies really do let nature put on a hell of a light show.

[@1Long2Short]

These sunrises are pretty good too! 😉

[@blackmoom]

That Interlake plumage 😄! Great view!

[@bew92683]

It's like color saturation by Kodachrome! Good stuff!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! Paul Simon would approve. 😁

[@cris_261]

Incredible departure for a land bound person, such as myself, and, "just doing the routine" for the Oberstar's crew. Interesting to note the Oberstar backing out all lit up, and then gradually the various lights were turned off (like the ones on the unloader boom) as she made her way out towards the lake. Full steam ahead into the sunset (made me think of Red Skies by The Fixx) and on through the night into the next day!

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you as always. This was actually a sunrise, so they shut off the lights as the ambient light continued to get brighter. 🙂

[@cris_261]

@1Long2Short arrrgghhh... I did it again! So much for attention to detail, eh? 😊😅

[@AaronArroyo-sn4uy]

Good video as always. Gotta love the Oberstar, she's a classic.

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you!

[@treeandaturd]

We know that the L stands for LeeRoy !

[@oceansoul3694]

Just beautiful, the sunrise is especially beautiful and the power of this ship...overwhelming!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Lisa! 😊

[@Local-Of-The-Mitten-State]

Thank god for them exhaust scrubbers. Otherwise, they’d never have such iconic fumes!

[@jennyk2022]

Your imagery is always a cut above.

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you Jenny! 🙂