Monday, December 30, 2019

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Storm Surge!

Lake Superior whipped up one last storm of the year.

Storm Watch

Winter Storm Warning, Gale Warning - gusts to 45mph, waves to 16ft,  Lakeshore Flood Warning

Friday, December 27, 2019

Monday, December 23, 2019

Herbert C Jackson - Taken by: Charlie Smith

Charlee took this dramatic photo of the Jackson the other night.

Charlie wrote: The Herbert C Jackson sporting a dapper icy mustache on a recent chilly arrival to Duluth, MN

See more of Charlie's work on his Facebook Page.


Hon James L Oberstar arrived Duluth 12/23/2019



Hon James L Oberstar arrived Duluth this morning for some quick repairs.

American Century departed, Michipicoten arrived Duluth 12/23/2019



American Century departed, Michipicoten arrived Duluth

Sunday, December 22, 2019

American Century arrived Duluth 12/22/2019



American Century arrived Duluth this evening to load coal. It made an emergency 360 turn when a traffic gate on the lift bridge stuck creating a problem with the safety interlock system.



Another Superior Sunrise-12/22/2019



The sunrise azimuth on the horizon now starts it's 180 day journey north. By June 20th, the sun will rise 70 degrees further north than today.
What an awesome work of creation. I am so thankful to be able to view and enjoy God's handiwork.

Federal Seto by: Paul Scinocca

Great photo by: Paul Scinocca   - View more of Paul's work on Facebook

Paul - Federal Seto, the last Saltwater vessel for the 2019 shipping season departing Duluth this Sunday morning.


"The Last Saltie" - Federal Seto departed 12/22/2019



The Federal Seto was pulled out of its icy slip last night and sent on it's way to the ocean with a load of grain.
The Federal Seto will be the last ocean freighter visit until Spring.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

John J Boland - by: David Schauer

Beautiful night shot by David Schauer -- See more of Dave's work on his Facebook site

The first laker arrival in the Twin Ports for winter layup is the John J. Boland. The American Steamship Company boat went into dry dock at Fraser Shipyards, likely for its 5-year survey/reconditioning. The Boland was assisted by tugs North Carolina and Arkansas (shown here). 12/20/19

John G Munson at Anchor - by: Glenn Blaszkiewicz

"John G. Munson" anchored off of Duluth this morning by: Glenn Blaszkiewicz
Visit Glenn's Facebook

Holiday Gulls!

Sylvia, a long time viewer of the harborcams added a little holiday design to our seagull friends, Jeffery and Amelia.

Walter J McCarthy Jr arrived Duluth 12/21/2019



Walter J McCarthy Jr arrived Duluth this morning to load iron pellets.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Notice: Alternate Views

FYI,   for visitors who cannot access Youtube or prefer the old view display I have made "Alternate View" pages that you can use.  You can view the four most popular views Canal Cam, Pier B, Hillside and Two Harbors Boat Launch from a different streaming service that is not Youtube.

These pages are linked from the primary pages for these same cams on the lower left side below the display.

Enjoy the Views!

Den

Sunrise Timelapse 12/18/2019



The beauty of a Lake Superior Sunrise is enhanced when a timelapse compresses 90 minutes in to 2.

Michipicoten departed Duluth 12/18/2019



Michipicoten departed Duluth this morning loaded with iron pellets.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth

The Paul R Tregurtha arrival this evening with the Bentlyville lights turned on to light the way.

Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth 12/17/2019



Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth this evening to load coal.

Note: Tregurtha horn sounds added in from previous arrival

Michipicoten arrived Duluth 12/17/2019



Michipicoten arrived Duluth this afternoon lo load iron pellets.

Helena G arrived Duluth 12/16/2019



Helena G arrived Duluth last evening to load wheat.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Philip R Clarke departed Duluth 12/16/2019



Philip R Clarke departed Duluth this afternoon.

Two Harbors Cams


-----------------------------
FYI,

The Two Harbors cams are back up for now.  There are still some network issues preventing the cameras from connecting to Youtube and preventing me from being able to connect to the cameras to make any adjustments or control.

I don't think I will fiddle around with things until after the shipping season is done for the year on January 15th.

Thanks for your extreme patience while a whole lot of people tried to fix things.

Den

Philip R Clarke arrived Duluth 12/16/2019



Philip R Clarke arrived Duluth overnight with a load of limestone.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Bentleyville wins national lighting contest!

Congratulation to Bentleyville USA for winning the USA Today national Christmas lighting contest.
Read the KBJR story HERE.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Two Harbors Cam Updates

FYI,

The Service Provider cannot find the issue with the internet connection in Two Harbors.  I will be up there next week with another network specialist to get things going.
I also have another trick up my sleeve. 
Thanks for your patience, sorry about the delayed outage, it will be back though.

Den

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Full Moon over Split Rock Lighthouse

Full Moon at Split Rock Lighthouse - The clockwork of God's universe pulls up the moon from behind Split Rock Lighthouse on schedule during December and January Full Moon rises. It's always a good reminder of who is really running things.

Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth 12/11/2019


Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth this afternoon to load coal.

Mesabi Miner arrived Duluth 12/11/2019



Mesabi Miner arrived Duluth this afternoon to load iron pellets.

Sea Smoke and Lighthouses









Herbert C Jackson arrived Duluth 12/11/2019



Herbert C Jackson arrived Duluth this morning loaded with limestone.

Drawsko departed Duluth 12/10/2019



Drowsko departed Duluth last evening through heavy sea smoke  loaded with wheat.

Drawsko departed Duluth 12/10/2019



Drawsko departed Duluth through heavy seas smoke, last evening loaded with wheat.

James R Barker departed Superior 11/10/2019



James R Barker departed Superior last night through the dark and icy Superior Entry to anchor.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Cold weather shutdown!

Expect that multiple cams may shut off over the next 24 hours for automatic cold weather circuit protection.

Friday, December 6, 2019

SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN arrived Duluth 12/06/2019



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN arrived Duluth this afternoon loaded with cement.

Two Harbors Cams Update!

Yesterday I talked with one of the ISP techs who was working on the internet service in Two Harbors.
The company was bought out last summer and is now headquartered in Pennsylvania.  There is some kind of comparability problem between to two operations that is preventing the cameras from transmitting online.

While it it good to know that the issue is being worked on, I do not know when it will be resolved.

There is not much we can do but wait and let them work through their problems.

Sorry for the hold up, I miss the cameras as much as you do and will keep checking with them once a week and keep you posted.

Den

Arthur M Anderson departed Duluth 12/06/2019



Arthur M Anderson departed Duluth this morning

American Century arrived Duluth 12/06/2019



American Century arrived Duluth this morning to load coal

Bluewing departed Duluth 12/06/2019



Bluewing departed Duluth overnight loaded with grain.

Michipicoten arrived Duluth 12/6/2019



Michipicoten arrived Duluth this morning to load iron pellets

Thursday, December 5, 2019

HEERENGRACHT departed Duluth 12/05/2019



HEERENGRACHT departed Duluth this evening after unloading cargo.

Edwin H Gott arrived Duluth 12/5/2019



Edwin H Gott arrived Duluth this morning

Paul R Tregurtha departed Duluth 12/05/2019



Paul R Tregurtha departed Duluth this morning loaded with coal.

Lift Bridge in Service

Update: 12/5/2019 09:00  Duluth Lift Bridge in service.

Update: 12/5/2019 - 07:00  Deicing will continue on the Lift Bridge today.

Update: 12/04/2019 - 16:00  The lift bridge remains out of service until further notice.

Due to heavy ice accumulation on the Lift Bridge, it will remain closed to boat traffic as deicing efforts continue.

The 900 ton bridge span is balanced by two 450 ton concrete weights on either side. Usually the span can easily be lifted by electric motors, however, they cannot lift the additional weight of the ice.

Overnight Wisconsin Point Boat Traffic 12/5/2019



With the Duluth Lift Bridge inoperable due to ice buildup, boat traffic has increased through the Wisconsin Entry.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Bayfront Cam Ice removed

The ice covering on the Bayfront Cam is now removed. There was about 1/2 inch left to chip away.

Maria G arrived Superior 12/2/2019



Maria G arrived Superior this afternoon to load grain. The Duluth Lift Bridge was out of service at the time.

Canal Cam Ice

There was a lot of ice on the Canal Cam -- nice day to be outside though!!

John J Boland departed Superior 12/02/2019



John J Boland departed Superior on a sunny cold morning. Temperature 0F.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Bird Feeder Snow Cover

Fortunately, I have more bird feeders out. This one is a bit difficult to reach right now.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Edwin H Gott arrived Duluth 11/29/2019



Edwin H Gott arrived Duluth this evening to load iron pellets.

National Weather Service - Warning!

While impacts will vary across the region, this could be one of the worst storms of the season for Duluth and parts of the north and south shores. Make sure you are prepared to be stuck at home all weekend - travel Saturday night will be very dangerous if not impossible.

American Century departed Duluth 11/29/2019



American Century departed Duluth this morning.

Seafarer's Prayer

With one of the most dangerous and cold months on Lake Superior now upon us, I thought I might repost this from a few years back.

Seafarer's Prayer

My Great Grandfather was an Icelandic itinerant preacher who visited small fishing villages in Iceland during the 1880’s before immigrating to Manitoba Canada in 1893.  He brought new safety programs and rescue equipment to the Icelandic fishing villages along with the message of the Gospel.


He wrote this Seafarer’s prayer which was much used by the fishermen of the day.  I think it still applies today, maybe even more so!

Seafarer's Prayer - Rev. Oddur Vigfus Gislason

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit:
Almighty and Merciful God. I thank Thee for Thy Great protection and mercy, that You have given me life and health so that I am in a condition to seek work in the sweat of my brow. Oh, my Lord and my God, when I now fare forth out to the fish grounds and feel my impotence and the weakness of my boat in meeting the forces of the mighty elements, then I do lift up Thee my eyes of trust and hope and beseech You, in Jesus’ name, to lead us with good fortune out on the deep, to bless us in our quest for a good catch, to protect us, that we may again reach the shore safely, and come back to our loved ones, after we have gathered many provisions that You have in Your goodness, seen fit to afford us.

Bless our loved ones and give us that we may be reunited with them in joy and safety, for the sake of the Holy Spirit; we give You all our laud and thanks, and worship. Oh, Lord, give us all good fortune - to the ship and to the men - in Jesus name. Amen.

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Bringing in the Herring - "Made in Iceland" book

Blizzard Warning and Gale Warnings Posted!


BLIZZARD WARNING 

IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO NOON CST SUNDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations of 12 to 20 inches, except 16 to 24 inches for the higher terrain of the North Shore. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Visibility will frequently drop below a quarter of a mile.

Gale Warning

WIND AND WAVES DURING THE GALE WARNING...Expect sustained winds of up to 33 knots from the east, with gusts up to 42 knots. The largest expected significant waves will be 14 feet with a maximum wave height of up to 20 feet possible. * TIMING...The maximum winds are expected around 10 PM EST Saturday with the largest waves expected around 7 AM EST Sunday.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Storm and Gale Warnings Issued for tonight

...STORM AND GALE FORCE WINDS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND 
WEDNESDAY MORNING...

.A very strong area of low pressure will move from 
southeast Colorado this morning to northern Lower 
Michigan by early Wednesday afternoon and to southern 
Ontario by Wednesday evening.
This storm track will bring strong northeast 
winds to western Lake Superior starting this evening 
and continuing through late Wednesday morning. 
Sustained winds between 30 to 40 knots are expected, 
with gusts between 40 to 50 knots. The strongest wind 
gusts are expected along the South Shore due to the favorable 
northeast fetch. This will also lead to large waves, with heights 
between 10 to 20 feet.

James R Barker arrived Duluth 11/26/2019



James R Barker arrived Duluth this morning to load iron pellets.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Friday, November 22, 2019

Mandarin departed Duluth 11/ 22/2019



Mandarin departed Duluth this evening loaded with grain.

Industrial Strength arrived Duluth 11/22/2019



Industrial Strength arrived Duluth this afternoon with a load of electrical equipment.

Fast Eddie - Peregrine Falcon



Hi folks, I'm Fast Eddie, named after the famous aviator Eddie Rickenbacker.

We falcons own the skies around here and live on mice, squirrels, rabbits and other birds.

I am a predator of the highest order and can kill another bird with one strike in my famous 200 MPH dive.  I leave Jeffery alone, since he is a bit big for me right now.

While I am one bad dude, I kill only what I need and enjoy the hunting grounds around the bridge.

Don't worry, I will let Jeffery back here next summer, I actually like the goofball.

I enjoy boat watching also, since there may be a dead rat once in awhile on the deck.

See ya around!

Fast Eddie!



Bridge Cam Outage

Update 14:00:  Microphone replacement complete. The microphone cord had been shredded by the last storm.  Since the Canal Cam mic is still working, I will replace that one when it warms up.
The little birdhouses are where the microphones are mounted.



FYI,
The Bridge Cam will be offline this afternoon to replace the microphone.
Sorry about the inconvenience.
Den

Brant arrived Duluth 11/22/2019



Brant arrived Duluth this morning to load grain.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Camera Update!

FYI,

Two Harbors: The internet provider at Two Harbors is struggling at bit to work through some unusual operating issues keeping the two cameras from connecting to the internet. They are working through the problem and doing their best to get the cameras back online. The connection should be better than ever.

Bridge microphone:  The Bridge Cam mic shorted out last week. I have the replacement ready to install now and hope to replace it tomorrow.  Depending on the time it takes, I have a replacement mic for the Canal Cam also.

GLA Cam:  I installed a new antenna radio system this week and the connection seems much better.

Harbor Hub:  I have upgraded the internet connection speed at the Harbor Hub that will improve the connection to all six cams that stream through there.

Thank you for your patience and incredible support.

Den




Narie arrived Duluth 11/21/2019



Narie arrived Duluth this evening to load grain.

Mesabi Miner departed Superior 11/21/2019



Mesabi Miner departed Superior this afternoon loaded with iron pellets.

Philip R Clarke departed, Eeborg arrived Duluth 11/21/2019



Philip R Clarke departed, Eeborg arrived Duluth this morning. Eeborg will be loading grain.

Stewart J Cort arrived Duluth 11/20/2019



Stewart J Cort arrived Duluth last night for the Port Terminal

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Two Harbors Cameras Offline

The Two Harbors Cams are both offline due some configuration problems with the Internet Service Provider.

This is an unusual situation and the provider is working on it, hopefully, it shouldn't be more than a couple days.

Den


CGC Alder and James R Barker arrived, John G Munson Departed Duluth 11/1...



CGC Alder and James R Barker arrived, John G Munson Departed Duluth this morning in thick fog.

Monday, November 18, 2019

American Mariner and Mandarin arrived Duluth 11/18/2019



American Mariner and Mandarin arrived Duluth this evening to load grain.

John G Munson arrived Duluth 11/18/19



John G Munson arrived Duluth this evening to load iron pellets.

GLA Cam off line today

Update: 11:00 - complete.

07:00 The GLA Cam will be offline today as I replace the antenna system.
Den

Friday, November 15, 2019

Bridge Cam Microphone failure!

Update: 20:00 Thanks to: Thomas Chesney, Joan Dearing, jean mejerle, and Jeanette Jensen we collected enough to replace the mics on both cameras.  I will get them ordered and install them as soon as they arrive.

I appreciate your support.
Den


The Bridge Cam microphone shorted out today.  If anyone would like to donate one, They cost $100.
I can order it and get it up by next Friday if the weather holds.  We have two cameras with mics, the Canal and Bridge, both are getting old.

Thanks a bunch!
Den


Thursday, November 14, 2019

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

CSL Assiniboine arrived Duluth 11/12/19



CSL Assiniboine arrived Duluth this afternoon to load iron pellets

Sea Smoke over Lake Superior (Timelapse)



A fast moving cold front raced over Lake Superior overnight and created sea smoke over Lake Superior as temperatures dipped near zero F.

Sea Smoke and Saltie

The freighter Iryda sat anchored off Duluth this morning bundled up in sea smoke rising off the warm (32F) waters of Lake Superior. The air temperature was 0F a taste of things to come.
Iryda in Sea Smoke

Monday, November 11, 2019

Camera Updates

Two Harbors Depot - the camera is online, however there are some network issues that are preventing me from accessing the camera, (without being there) to make some final adjustments.
Hoping to get back at it next week.

Harbor Hub - I will be upgrading some network equipment tomorrow , so, there may be some short outages to GLA, Harbor, Pier B, Hillside, Bayfront and Wisconsin Pt.

GLA Cam - I will be replacing the antenna radio that beams the signal from the aquarium to the hillside. If the weather warms up, I will be doing this the week of Nov 18.  This will create an outage to the GLA cam of several hours.

Camera Streaming - Most of the cams of streaming from Youtube now.  There are several that will continue to stream from Angelcam and some from both until their contract expires sometime in 2020.  These cams are Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Canal, Bridge and Pier B.

 2020 will be a test year for Youtube. So far the benefits are an ability to review back 12 hours, no timeout after an hour and lower streaming cost. I will review the process and migrate back to Angelcam if things don't work out.  It could be that some cam stay on both, some stay on Angelcam and others only on Youtube -- the jury is still out, but there remains a lot of things to consider.

2020 Look Ahead - My focus in 2020 is to improve the streaming quality by strengthening the networks with upgraded switched, cables and routers including increasing connection speeds where economically feasible.

Note, there are many things that affect the quality of video that you get and I appreciate your patience while I stamp out the problems that pop up daily, including problems that I create myself.

Thank your for your fabulous support for this site, it's you that makes the difference.

Den












Edwin H Gott departed, Burns Harbor arrived Superior 11/11/2019



Edwin H Gott departed, Burns Harbor arrived Superior.

Catching Crystals-WDIO

Now that the snow is flying, it's a great time to get out and enjoy the freezing cold! Channel WDIO did this story lat winter, thought I would share it since winter is such a wonderful season.
 
If you would like to view some of the snowflake images, you can check them out HERE.

It is amazing that even the little things of God declare his glory!

Mesabi Miner arrived Duluth 11/11/2019



Mesabi Miner arrived Duluth this morning to loaf iron pellets.

Andean arrived Duluth 11/11/2019



Andean arrived Duluth this morning to load grain.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial



Every year on November 10th, a memorial ceremony is held at Split Rock Lighthouse to remember the 29 crew members who perished on the Edmund Fitzgerald November 10, 1975 in a fierce Lake Superior storm.

A ships bell tolls for those lost.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Edward L Ryerson 11/09/2019



The Edward L Ryerson was towed to a slip near Fraser Shipyard earlier this week. The boat was moved in order to do some testing of the harbor in the slip where it had been tied up. The former "Queen of the Lakes" will continue to be "on ice" for the foreseeable future. If you want the learn more about this beautiful boat you can visit the following links.

Boatnerds: http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/elr.htm
Lake Superior Magazine: Lake Superior Magazine: https://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/maritime/202atb/


Michipicoten arrived Duluth 11/09/2019



Michipicoten arrived Duluth this morning to load iron pellets.


Cape departed Duluth 11/08/2019



Cape departed Duluth Friday evening with a load of grain.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Two Harbors Depot Cam Update!

The new camera is programmed and ready to go up. Now it is a matter of getting some warm weather and a schedule that will work for myself, the depot staff and an electrician.

I am still hoping for installation before Thanksgiving.

Miedwie departed Duluth 10/07/2019



Miedwie departed Duluth this evening loaded with wheat.

Fivelborg and Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth 11/07/2019



Fivelborg and Paul R Tregurtha arrived Duluth this afternoon for grain and iron pellets.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Algoma Sault and Cape arrived Duluth 11/06/2019



Algoma Sault and Cape arrived Duluth third evening. The Sault will be loading iron pellets and Cape will be loading grain.

Cason J Callaway arrived Duluth 11/06/2019



Cason J Callaway arrived Duluth early this morning with a load of limestone.

Mesabi Miner departed Duluth 11/05/2019



Mesabi Miner departed Duluth last evening loaded with coal.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Boat Fans Come In All Sizes!

I received the following email today from Gina, the mom of a special harborcam fan.
--------------------------------------------
I just wanted to tell you that my kids LOVE this page. My parents travel to Duluth every Summer so they started showing the kids the cams. My oldest is 3 and when asked what he wanted to be for Halloween this year he said he wanted to be a ship!  He decided his favorite ship was RUDDY. So we made a costume for him and he went as RUDDY.  He also decided that his little sister that's almost 2 would be a tug boat. So just wanted to say thank you for keeping this up! You have some big fans out there.
Gina