"spring ice"
Jumping aways back in the memory - I went down to Detroit on the 12th of March in 1993 to get a picture of the 1927 built steamer S.T. Crapo a cement carrier as I had heard her spring fitout had began as she was one of the few remaining coal burning Lakers. It was a cold 14 degree morning right after sunrise and yes she had steam up and a little whisp of coal smoke and steam rising from her stack. Suddenly a voice called down from the deck . . . "if you want better pictures, come on up on deck " . . . "sure thank you" . . . I answered . . . . . and climbed the ladder up to the deck. It was slippery with a fine coat of snow and deckhands were working everywhere prepping for her first trip of the season to Alpena for a return load of cement for Detroit in a couple days.
It was a stark contrast looking aft at the stern with that tall stack topped with twin steam whistles, the coal bunker pile with traces of snow and the Detroit Rennaissance Center rising behind her. Looking toward the bow with the rising sun above the still ice covered Detroit river, the Crapo was usually the first boat to head up in the spring, breaking her way north thru remaining winter ice most years. A number of days later in the morning I heard the traffic chopper on the radio, remark of the wonderful view of a lake boat smoking it up working her way across Lake St. Clair in the ice.
"spring ice"
Jumping aways back in the memory - I went down to Detroit on the 12th of March in 1993 to get a picture of the 1927 built steamer S.T. Crapo a cement carrier as I had heard her spring fitout had began as she was one of the few remaining coal burning Lakers. It was a cold 14 degree morning right after sunrise and yes she had steam up and a little whisp of coal smoke and steam rising from her stack. Suddenly a voice called down from the deck . . . "if you want better pictures, come on up on deck " . . . "sure thank you" . . . I answered . . . . . and climbed the ladder up to the deck. It was slippery with a fine coat of snow and deckhands were working everywhere prepping for her first trip of the season to Alpena for a return load of cement for Detroit in a couple days.
It was a stark contrast looking aft at the stern with that tall stack topped with twin steam whistles, the coal bunker pile with traces of snow and the Detroit Rennaissance Center rising behind her. Looking toward the bow with the rising sun above the still ice covered Detroit river, the Crapo was usually the first boat to head up in the spring, breaking her way north thru remaining winter ice most years. A number of days later in the morning I heard the traffic chopper on the radio, remark of the wonderful view of a lake boat smoking it up working her way across Lake St. Clair in the ice.