Along the boardwalk at Canal Park, Jennifer and I walked beside Lake Superior. The evening began beneath a blanket of gray clouds, a monotone pallet of steel and slate. A freighter passed quietly through the entrance breakwaters, its long black hull matched the dull landscape.
But Lake Superior rarely remains the same for long.
As sunset approached, a thin seam of clear sky opened between the moody clouds above and the dark basalt ridges rising behind Duluth. Golden light spilled across the harbor turning lake and sky in to a pastel painting. At that moment, the thousand-foot freighter American Spirit approached the entrance lights, its weathered hull catching the last warmth of the day. For a few fleeting minutes, it all came together in a scene that seemed far more dramatic than the overcast evening from which it began.
Fortunately, I had my camera kit with me.
Evening light settles over Lake Superior as the freighter American Spirit approaches the Duluth Harbor entrance.
Lighthouses and bow of the freighter glow in warm evening sun against the blues of water and sky.
All 1004 feet (306.22 meters) of the American Spirit glides between navigation lights of the Duluth Harbor entrance.
Details of the American Spirit
- Length: 1,004 feet
- Beam (width): 105 feet
- Depth: 50 feet
- Built: 1978 by the American Shipbuilding Co, Lorain, OH
- Role: Primarily an iron ore carrier.
- Capacity: 62,400 tons
- Power: Twin 8,000hp V16 diesel engines (16,000hp total)
- Top Speed: 15 knots
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