John D. Leitch - Uncommon Salute From an Uncommon Ship

Here is the 730-foot John D. Leitch arriving in Superior, Wisconsin late in the afternoon of September 2, 2020. She was in town to pick up a load of iron ore from the Burlington Northern facility located just inside the Superior entrance. The Leitch had been scheduled to arrive at 1:00pm for loading, but the heavy winds that picked up shortly after noon delayed her arrival. Sustained winds of 20mph or more were present, with gusts of 30-40mph. Ships generally avoid the entry at Superior (and at Duluth) when wind speeds are high, as it increases the chances of being blown off course and running aground or hitting the pier walls. The Leitch set up at anchor outside of Superior and waited for the winds to calm down. By 5:00pm, the winds dropped off significantly and the Leitch picked up anchor to start her entry.

Unfortunately, the sunlight we had enjoyed all afternoon also disappeared shortly afterwards and we didn't get the nice illumination I was hoping for in this video. Indeed, the footage doesn't look all that different from my previous video of the Leitch I shot back in August. However, that is made up for with the salute that the Leitch offered up to the faithful few that stuck around to see her. The salute was a less common variety, with two long and two short blasts.

Note around 5:09 in the video that two crew members ride the bosun's chair (aka boatswain's chair) from the bow of the ship down to the dock. This is the quickest way to get crew members off the ship to help with securing the mooring lines. Once the ship is moored, then stairs or a ladder will usually be set up for the rest of the crew to get down to the dock.

The Leitch was built in 1967 and has a 34,000 ton cargo capacity. She sails for the Algoma Central corporation. At the time she was built, the Leitch had one of the largest capacities for a self-unloading ship. Her squared-off hull shape was designed to maximize her capacity, reducing the amount of unused space in her cargo holds. She is definitely one of the more unique-looking lakers in operation. Some may use the word "ugly." But I still enjoy watching her. What she may lack in graceful lines she makes up for it by being interesting and different. Variety is good!

Видео John D. Leitch - Uncommon Salute From an Uncommon Ship канала 1 Long 2 Short