Arthur M. Anderson - The Legend Returns

Here is a favorite of many boat watchers, the Arthur M. Anderson, arriving in Duluth, Minnesota on the evening of June 28, 2020. Unlike the previous arrival I captured for this channel in 2019, the Anderson is arriving light (without a load), so we see her sitting higher in the water. (I always think ships look their best when they are light.) She was visiting Duluth to pick up iron ore from the Canadian National dock. It would end up being a long wait, as she had two other ships in front of her that needed to load first... the Indiana Harbor and the Manitoulin.

As I often do, I re-located from Canal Park to Rice's Point to watch the Anderson make the turn and head under the Blatnik highway bridge. The other ship you see at Rice's Point is the Federal Hunter, which was in port to unload cement at the CRH facility.

One thing to notice is that many crew members stopped what they were doing to wave at visitors in Canal Park and bask in a little of the attention that the Anderson always receives when visiting Duluth. By the time they round Rice's Point, they are back at work undoing the hatch clamps on deck to prepare for taking on a load. That "clanking" sound you hear is them undoing the clamps.

As many viewers will already know, the Arthur M. Anderson is somewhat of a legend among lake carriers, having followed the Edmund Fitzgerald through the storm that sent her to the bottom of the lake on November 10, 1975. The Anderson was roughly 10 miles behind the Fitzgerald when the tragedy occurred and was the last vessel to have both visual and radio contact with her. Captain Bernie Cooper on the Anderson said they were hit by two large waves that climbed over the stern of the Anderson, hitting her boat deck. He estimated that those same waves likely reached the Fitzgerald around the time she disappeared. After reaching the safety of Whitefish Bay, the Anderson bravely turned around (risking her own safety) to head back into the storm to search for the Fitzgerald and any possible survivors... since the Coast Guard had no vessels nearby for rescue operations. (The laker William Clay Ford also joined in the search efforts.) While the search was unsuccessful, it was these actions that has endeared the Anderson and her crew in the hearts of many boat watchers. May she sail safely for many more years to come!

Видео Arthur M. Anderson - The Legend Returns канала 1 Long 2 Short