America’s Fourth Coast

America’s Fourth Coast. Gateway to the Great Lakes. , For thousands of years, First Nations People plied the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River as a route for migration, trade and warfare., Following the region's earliest occupants were European explorers, voyageurs and settlers. Sailing vessels gave way to steamships, and with the opening of St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 to ocean-going freighters., Cargo Ship , The Port of Ogdensburg is the northernmost port in New York State and the only U.S. port on the St. Lawrence River., The port handles a range of cargos including: grain, road salt, and project cargo, such as, component parts for wind turbines., Historic Shipping , "Miss Vandenberg", "The Ocean", "The Ogdensburg Marine Railway" , The neighborhood just west of Lighthouse Point is known as the "Shipyard". The first shipyard was built by the British in the 1760's for the construction and launch of 2 gunboats "The Halimand” and "The Seneca". Located in the Shipyard, the Marine Railway was the focus of a boat building and repair business in Ogdensburg until the opening of the Seaway., Unexpected Stowaways , Vessels from around the globe deliver more than just cargo, they also bring invasive species that can outcompete native aquatic plants and animals, damaging the Great Lakes delicate ecosystems. , Photos: Zebra Mussel - Spiny Water Flea- Round Goby, Photos and Illustrations (top center going counter-clockwise); , - Shooting the LaChine Rapids , - Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System With Major Ports , - Great Lakes System Profile , - The "Ocean” , - "Miss Vandenberg", Common Vessels , Ship-spotting "Silhouettes" , These are most common types of ships sailing on the Seaway. Can you identify them by their silhouettes?, Ship Spotting , Sometimes a ship is too far away for you to see it clearly and all you can see is its silhouette. However, if you know what to look for, a silhouette can be very revealing., Deep Sea Freighter , Size And Cargo Vary. , Spotting Characteristics , - Raked Bow , - Numerous Cargo Derricks., Ocean Bulk Freighter , Sze : 740 ft ( 225.5 m) , Spotting Characteristics , - Bulbous Bow, Flat Deck , - Wheelhouse Aft, Laker , Size : 600 -740 ft (183-255 m) , Spotting Characteristics , - Straight Bow, Flat Deck , - Wheelhouse Forward, Self-Unloading Laker , Size : 600 - 740 ft (183-225.5 m ) , Spotting Characteristics , -Straight Bow , - Large Unloading Boom On Deck , Tanker , Size : 400 - 500 ft ( 122-153 m) , Spotting Characteristics , - Raked Bow, Walkway Along Rounded Deck.