Alpena Upbound at the Soo

Sault Ste. Marie is really a pair of towns divided by the Saint Marys River. One in Ontario, Canada and one in Michigan. They were originally one,... more

by Gales Of November

Title

Alpena Upbound at the Soo

Artist

Gales Of November

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Sault Ste. Marie is really a pair of towns divided by the Saint Marys River. One in Ontario, Canada and one in Michigan. They were originally one, separated by the Saint Marys River, until the border between America and Canada was settled. The name Sault Sainte-Marie is French for The Rapids of Saint Mary.

The Soo locks are located in Sault Ste. Marie on the Saint Marys River which connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron.

The first lock on the American side was constructed in 1855 to bypass rapids on the river that accounted for a 21 foot drop in the river. In 1881 the U.S. Army took over control of lock operations from the State of Michigan which had operated them until that point.

The Leon Fraser was launched from River Rouge, MI on February 28, 1942 as the first of her class of ships. The four other ships have since been scrapped. In her first year on the Lakes, she set a record for loading ore in Duluth, Minnesota. She was 639.5 feet long with a beam of 67 feet.

In 1982 she went into layup and stayed there until 1989 when she reentered service. Ownership changed hands to Spitzer Marine in 1985 while she was in layup. In 1989 Fraser Shipyards, Inc purchased the Fraser and converted her to a cement carrier for Inland Lakes Transportation. During this process she was shortened by 120 feet and renamed the Alpena. Ownership transferred to Inland Lakes in 1990. She reentered active service in 1991.

The Alpena now has a length of 519.5 feet with a beam of 67 feet and has a cargo capacity at 13,900 tons.

Uploaded

January 17th, 2014