Nater lives on a boat and it is one of a kind. It's a Great Lakes Freighter boat and you see it has really big lines.
There's Nater and her cat. She also has a dog. She even has a parakeet and a gold fish, but they don't get along. Nater and crew sail the Great Lakes. They haul all kinds of cargo from Duluth down the big Lakes. Its really pretty neat the routes that they take. They take coal to Port Huron and iron ore to Detroit They even load salt to keep our winter roads safe They turn right around as quick as they can, even when the waves crash and the wind blows the sand. Nater loves her freighter and crew because its one of kind . It is A really big boat that's as strong as it is kind. Don't forget to wave at Nater when you see the big boat. If you jump up and down she may give you a salute.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The rain fell. The boat shook, shimmied and swayed and then all was quiet
The past forty eight hours have been a whirl wind of activity, if you work on a Great Lakes freighter, and less so for us who were lucky enough to catch a ride on one. I was unable to keep you loyal readers up to date due to lack of internet connectivity and that I also signed a contract to be a professional napper. Now that we are back on tera firma I can fill you in again.
News Flash. Nater walked over the Paul R. Tregurtha. Up ladders, down ladders, up stairs and down stairs. I kept trying to get her to do it like a real sailor and slide down the ladder but she would have nothing of it. I mention the ladder and stair climbing because said climbing was pretty steep. We took on a new Captain in Duluth, Captain Timothy Dayton. Captain Dayton is the regular Captain of the PRT and has the personality the one would think a captain possess. We had some fun times hanging in the Pilot house watching Captain Dayton and learned a few things about life on the boat. An interesting one is that birds migrating think the PRT is an island. In the spring he reported that they get quite a few Gold Finches and that when you walk out on deck you think your in the woods (all the bird song). The boat also has Hawks, owls and other species that stop by for a rest.
We left Duluth for the second time on 7 July and docked at St. Clair on the morning of the 9th. The trip down Lake Huron was marked primarily by fog and rain. A few times during the late evening and night we were in seas of about six feet. It was way fun to watch the bow spray come flying up and onto the deck as we plowed southward. Once we neared the Thumb area of Michigan though, the lake quieted and it was off to bed. I will say after you get used to being on a big boat like that the sleeps one has are amazing, not to mention the naps. The low thrum of the engine and the gentle swaying of the vessel put you into a trance like state which in turn causes you to snore, dream and sleep deeply.
This tripped marked another item checked off of my bucket list. All the years, as a kid, laying on the beach watching boat after boat go by increased my curiosity about life on board. Couple that with time hanging out with Nater (an hysterical adventure in and of itself) made it all the more special. I suggest to all of you to enter a raffle through boatnerd.com with hopes that you win. This trip truly shows you how great the Lakes truly are and even better the quality people that you meet. Money and time well spent.
Stay tuned for my next exciting adventure with Nater. "Nater goes to Crazy Horse Monument and channels the spirit of Kerkouse."
News Flash. Nater walked over the Paul R. Tregurtha. Up ladders, down ladders, up stairs and down stairs. I kept trying to get her to do it like a real sailor and slide down the ladder but she would have nothing of it. I mention the ladder and stair climbing because said climbing was pretty steep. We took on a new Captain in Duluth, Captain Timothy Dayton. Captain Dayton is the regular Captain of the PRT and has the personality the one would think a captain possess. We had some fun times hanging in the Pilot house watching Captain Dayton and learned a few things about life on the boat. An interesting one is that birds migrating think the PRT is an island. In the spring he reported that they get quite a few Gold Finches and that when you walk out on deck you think your in the woods (all the bird song). The boat also has Hawks, owls and other species that stop by for a rest.
We left Duluth for the second time on 7 July and docked at St. Clair on the morning of the 9th. The trip down Lake Huron was marked primarily by fog and rain. A few times during the late evening and night we were in seas of about six feet. It was way fun to watch the bow spray come flying up and onto the deck as we plowed southward. Once we neared the Thumb area of Michigan though, the lake quieted and it was off to bed. I will say after you get used to being on a big boat like that the sleeps one has are amazing, not to mention the naps. The low thrum of the engine and the gentle swaying of the vessel put you into a trance like state which in turn causes you to snore, dream and sleep deeply.
This tripped marked another item checked off of my bucket list. All the years, as a kid, laying on the beach watching boat after boat go by increased my curiosity about life on board. Couple that with time hanging out with Nater (an hysterical adventure in and of itself) made it all the more special. I suggest to all of you to enter a raffle through boatnerd.com with hopes that you win. This trip truly shows you how great the Lakes truly are and even better the quality people that you meet. Money and time well spent.
Stay tuned for my next exciting adventure with Nater. "Nater goes to Crazy Horse Monument and channels the spirit of Kerkouse."
Friday, July 5, 2013
Nater goes to the wild side
We arrived Taconite Harbor MN last night around 9:30. It is a very small power plant type of thing that needs coal for the upper northeast and west of MN. It was amazing to watch how the captain brought this big girl in backwards and slid her up to the dock to be tied off. We now are just sitting for the next 30 hours or so, since the unloading process is so antiquated, while the coal is unloaded.
Last night Nater and ship mate Rita lost their minds in giggles for some strange reason. I think it was the combination of being on a boat for so long and the fact that a seagull flew over the boat and we saw a lone man standing on a rock as we entered the harbor. You might have to ask her why this was so fun the next time you see here. Since we are still here in port I took it upon my self to disembark and have a look about the area. Northern Minnesota truly is a wonderful place to hang out in for a bit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a small piece of land and put a shack on it(I'm thinking about my nephew Sam at the moment) I will post some pictures after we have some dinner here and I can get a look at today's shots. So far this has been a trip worth taking. Time to relax, time to explore and most importantly time for Nater to go nuts..lol
Tim
out
Last night Nater and ship mate Rita lost their minds in giggles for some strange reason. I think it was the combination of being on a boat for so long and the fact that a seagull flew over the boat and we saw a lone man standing on a rock as we entered the harbor. You might have to ask her why this was so fun the next time you see here. Since we are still here in port I took it upon my self to disembark and have a look about the area. Northern Minnesota truly is a wonderful place to hang out in for a bit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a small piece of land and put a shack on it(I'm thinking about my nephew Sam at the moment) I will post some pictures after we have some dinner here and I can get a look at today's shots. So far this has been a trip worth taking. Time to relax, time to explore and most importantly time for Nater to go nuts..lol
Tim
out
Thursday, July 4, 2013
We are learning what its like to be a sailor
So far we stay up late, get up early and then take naps before noon. When your out in the middle of Lake Superior it is an amazing state of mind to be in. One truly begins to contemplate the nature of existence out here..lol. The trip has been wonderful so far. The weather quite pleasant. We are in harbor in Superior/Duluth taking on coal and fuel. At around 3 this afternoon we will leave once again and make our way up the north shore to Taconite Harbor. It's a small harbor with a small power plant that needs some coal apparently. The food is plentiful and we are on a baby feeding schedule of 8, 12 and 5..lol or so Nater says. It is hard to describe the scenery we have scene since it is big and mostly empty. LIke I mentioned before one does has quite a bit of time to let the mind wonder and go to places it normally does not go to. Check out these pics from the past few days. I will attempt to get another entry in today before we leave, but right now its time for my mid morning nap.
Happy Fourth Everyone,
Tim
Happy Fourth Everyone,
Tim
Monday, July 1, 2013
Nater in ythe Wheel house on a rainy afternoon
Finally got out of Monro today after dumping the rest of the coal. Took on a little balast and off we go heading north. The fun part of today was backing out a 3 mile channel into lake Erie, pretty sketchy and shallow water. AT the moment it is blowing about 40 and the boat is pitching pretty good, hopefully it smooths out when we get into Detroit . So far this has been a wonderful trip. Great people and weather is providing us with an adventure. I will try and give more when I can in the next couple of days.
Tim out
Tim out
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