After one of the mildest winters in decades, shipping on North America's Great Lakes, which never completely stopped during the mild winter, is set to resume. The Welland Canal is scheduled to open Tuesday, March 21 and the locks at Sault Ste Marie ("the SOO") are scheduled to resume operation on March 25. The Coast Guard has been clearing ice from the approaches to the SOO Locks, encountering 15 foot pressure ridges in Whitefish Bay (clearing ice is the last assignment for the venerable US Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw which will be retired this summer).
The past week as seen numerous Great Lakes vessels come out of their winter slumber and resumed their work hauling bulk cargoes between lake ports.
For those of us who live in interior North America the arrival of the spring shipping season is a godsend and no doubt many "boatnerds" (including myself) will be rushing to their favorite photo locatations to get their first "boatfix" of the season. Hopefully some photos will start to apprear on this site.