An Incredible Fall Day at Duluth - October the Fifth

The unseasonably warm, early October, southern breeze was developing a sudden chill as the hazy red sun settled slowly to the western horizon, slightly to the right of the Aerial Lift Bridge. The wall along the canal was lined with watchers as, after its initial appearance as a tiny speck on the eastern horizon forty minutes ago, the Halifax finally arrived, its shiny black hull bearing, (low on its starboard bow), the white "Bow Thruster" insignia, warning of possibly dangerous currents being produced here. Closely following the Halifax was the Audacious, a saltie that had been lying at anchor for many hours a mile offshore, waiting to finish loading a cargo of wheat. As the Halifax was approaching, the Audacious had lifted anchor and skillfully maneuvered into position just minutes behind the big laker. The masterful handling skills displayed by the Audacious were immediately surrendered to two powerful tug boats, the Kansas and the Vermont, even before the lift bridge had settled back onto its pads. (Salties that are not equipped with bowthrusters require assistance in navigating within the relatively confined space of the harbor). There had been a veritable flurry of ship traffic since the 3pm departure of the Armco (the first ship activity we had seen since we first arrived over four hours before). In the next four hours we saw seven more ships, including the departing Mesabi Miner, Canadian Navigator and the Jeannie; the arriving Manitoulin, Halifax, Audacious and one of forgotten identity. I'll figure that out when I get my photos back). By now the sun was down, the lights of the city were on, and the day visitors started funneling out of the parking area, to be replaced by the nighttime crowd. It was time for our own departure from these idyllic environs, the warm southern breezes (with a high of 74 degrees that day) still keeping the chill of fall at bay. Bumper to bumper it was up to the first stoplight; by the second the cars were dispersing and we were speeding homeward, ready to cross the Blatnik bridge to Wisconsin. One more opportunity for shipwatching presented itself, just before the bridge, and although it was now dark, I exited at Garfield Ave, hoping we could catch the Audacious and the tugs here. We did! After a short wait in the dark parking lot under the bridge, we observed the three partially illuminated vessels traverse the black water under the bridge, the tugs pushing and pulling like young children on their parents arms. Crossing the bridge a few minutes later, we were high above the slowly moving trio, admiring their conglomerated symbiosis from yet another angle, the end of a perfect day.

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