Saltie-Laker BIRCHGLEN

Alas, the CSL bulk carrier BIRCHGLEN appears, after passing through the Seaway's many narrow locks and channels, now she slowly clears its eastern entrance piers and Montreal's Mont Royal in the background. Didn't think we were going to see her again so soon. Last week's upbound transit through Iroquois Lock didn't work out, and when these photos we taken on Aug. 19, we were hoping to view her at the nearby St. Lambert Lock (that's another story and you can check it out in my THALASSA DESGAGNES post http://carlzboats.blogspot.ca/2012/08/tanker-thalassa-desgagnes.html), or not.

Like the KAMINISTIQUA (http://carlzboats.blogspot.ca/2012/07/salty-laker-kaministigua.html), the BIRCHGLEN is also 730' long and known as a 'Saltie-Laker'. Built in Scotland for Misener Transportation in 1983, she was christened as CANADA MARQUIS and designed to service the grain and ore trades in the Great Lakes, and switch to salt water operations in the three month off-season. Prior to CSL purchasing the vessel in 2002 and re-naming her BIRCHGLEN, she virtually saw the world while being owned by various Fednav Ltd. of Montreal worldwide divisions and was named FEDERAL RICHELIEU, FEDERAL MACKENZIE, and then just MACKENZIE.

Regardless of her name, the bulk carrier BIRCHGLEN is one busy ship. Since dropping her load of grain further downriver this week, she has already made her way back upbound and is currently on Lake Superior destined for Thunder Bay, Ontario. Keep at it when can girl before your trading days comes to an end. c):-((