Earlier, crystal clear skies with thousands of stars and without the slightest overnight breeze has dropped temperatures to -16 F. as the 1004 foot M/V James R. Barker enters the Duluth Ship Canal. It is just before sunrise on Christmas Eve as the Interlake Steamship Co. vessel passes between the North Pier Light and the South Pier Lighthouse on its way to load iron ore pellets at the CN Ore Docks in West Duluth, MN. The skies have now clouded over and large snowflakes are beginning to fall as a fast moving Alberta Clipper is passing over the area, about to drop a couple of inches of snow. Upbound from Detroit Edison in Detroit, MI after delivering a cargo of low sulfur coal, the Barker shows evidence of fierce battles with the Great Lakes of Huron and Superior, ice accumulations of one to two feet cling to its hull. But now it is so quiet you can almost hear the snowflakes hit the ground, the only muffled sound is coming from the low hum of the mammoth vessel’s twin diesel engines, capable of 16,000 horsepower, and the occasional clink of ice hitting the hull as the Barker glides through the Canal. The captain has called to the engine room for reduced power to the starboard engine while steam from scrubbers in the port stack continues to billow out.

In the bow the lone watchman with the hooded parka is in radio contact with the captain in the pilothouse keeping him well aware of the ice situation. Just inside Superior Bay beyond the Canal are the “ G” tugs  Kentucky and North Dakota of Great Lakes Towing Co. which will assist the Barker over to the ore docks. Well over 12 inches of ice will be found on the way, ensuring this will be the last load of iron ore pellets out of Duluth for this season. An extremely cold December is making for difficult shipping, ice is even beginning to form on Lake Superior.

Silent Night (24.5 x 18.5 in.) $4200.00