‘Cason J Callaway’ first ship through Soo Locks in 2008
March 25, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Source: GLSW
The Great Lakes Fleet’s 767-foot long Cason J Callaway was the first ship to lock through the Soo Locks on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.
The Callaway may have been an unlikely recipient of the honor, after having become stuck in the ice off the Port of Erie for 9 hours shortly after her departure from winter lay-up last weekend. The Callaway and fleetmate Presque Isle then also became caught in the ice near Lime Island in the St. Mary’s River on Monday. The ships were freed from the ice by the USCG Cutter Katmai Bay, and continued north to the Soo Locks, arriving late Monday evening.
The Callaway was not the only ship headed for the Soo and hoping for the ‘top hat’ honors on Tuesday. The vessels Paul R Tregurtha, Arthur M Anderson, Charles M Beeghly, Edgar B Speer, James R Barker and Kaye E Barker were all upbound for Duluth, having left layup in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday and Monday. Three of those vessels had been expected to arrive at the western end of Lake Superior before the Callaway, but were delayed by thick ice in the bay of Green Bay for over 12 hours.
The first ship expected downbound at the Soo is the Edwin H Gott, a 1,000-footer fleetmate of the Cason J Callaway, carrying iron ore from Two Harbors, MN to Gary, IN. The Gott is expected at the Soo Tuesday morning, weather and ice conditions permitting.
