⚓️Ship Breaks the Internet: Oldest Steamship ‘Alpena’ hits Duluth!

Boat friends,

Witness history in the making as the oldest steamship on the Great Lakes, the legendary Alpena, arrives in Duluth tonight! On October 10, 2024, around 8:30 PM central time, the Alpena will sail under the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge in one of the most anticipated ship events of the year. Crowds of photographers and ship enthusiasts will gather to capture this historic moment as the Alpena glides through the canal, a stunning sight for all to see.

This live stream will bring you right to the heart of the action, as the Alpena makes its way through Duluth, its lights reflecting off the water with the potential for the northern lights to add a magical glow to the sky. Built in 1942, the Alpena is a true piece of maritime history, still powered by its original steam engine. As the oldest operating steamship on the Great Lakes, every arrival of the Alpena is a rare chance to witness history in motion.

Photographers and ship watchers will be stationed along the canal, ready to capture the moment as the Alpena passes under the Aerial Lift Bridge. You may even hear the legendary steam whistle as the ship moves through the water, a sound that echoes the ship’s long and storied past. This is an event no ship lover or history enthusiast will want to miss.

Chapters:
0:30 Set Your Video to Highest Resolution for Best Viewing
0:45 Preview: Ship Alpena We’ll Be Watching
1:22 First Trivia Question – Test Your Knowledge
2:15 Explaining the Live Stream Area
3:00 Map of Live Stream Location – Duluth Harbor
3:15 Current Weather Conditions at Duluth Harbor
3:36 Boat Friends Photos – Get to Know the Community
4:31 Answer to First Trivia Question
5:05 Second Trivia Question – More Ship Fun
5:44 Answer to Second Trivia Question
6:32 Third Trivia Question – Ship Knowledge Challenge
7:18 Answer to Third Trivia Question
7:41 Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge Raising for the Ship
8:20 Fourth Trivia Question – Ship Facts Continue
9:00 Sharing Interesting Details About the Alpena Ship
9:55 Answer to Fourth Trivia Question
10:20 Walking Down the South Pier in Duluth
10:59 Moonlit Sky Over Duluth Harbor
16:22 Alpena Ship Arriving – Live on Video
18:00 Alpena Steam Whistle Blasts – Iconic Moment
18:58 Zooming in on Alpena’s Smokestack
19:28 Close-Up of Alpena’s New LED Stern Lights
20:00 Full View: Alpena Passing Under Duluth Lift Bridge

Thumbnail photo courtesy of "Internal_Swimmer3815"
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[timothyclark]

Tim here today is my 65th birthday and you made my day with this video. That is a awesome boat thank you very much. Keep up the good work Mike. 😄

[thomengel]

Named after my wife's home town of Alpena. Still in service, and a real testament to years gone by.

[tgland]

Missed live stream but watching from Alabama spent many days as a kid playing hockey in Duluth

[edporter]

👍👍👍👍👍👍They have maintained her all of these years and I am sure that there is great pride from it's crew. Thank you Mike . Safe trip home please.----Michigan

[bigbossman]

What a great video of the old girl coming into the harbor under the beautiful lights of the city of Duluth and the harbor. Nice job

[Bobbyo]

I love the old lakers. Their lines are so classy, and she’s four years older than I am!!!

[jenford]

It was nice to see the bridge at night and the lights on the canal. Old Duluth girl of 30+ years and have been enjoying seeing home via your channel!

[wendyphillips]

Built in 1942 near the beginning of our entrance into WW2. This had to have been part of our huge
build up in steel making for our war effort. It was our manufacturing massive amounts of steel that helped us win that world war.
This vessel has to be nearing or over about 82 years old. These fresh water ships last much longer than the
ocean going ships.
We have taken our aluminum canoe into the pacific ocean many times in Morro Bay. I always use a hose to clean off all the salt water from the canoe.
Growing up at the bottom of Door county we traveled into Door county many times for the incredible topography of the place. It is and was a wonderful place for camping and driving along the Green Bay
and lake Michigan shore lines.
Back to Morro Bay, it is off the charts wonderful as a big shallow bay and estuary. Being the Pacific ocean the water comes in and out several time a day bring in fresh ocean water nurishing the clams, oysters, and sea grasses. There are sea otters with pups, sea lions, even occasional dolphin, and a rare wale in the smaller bay
area. The best is: The huge developers have not began to build those huge multi story building towers on the edge of the bay. There are still many smaller homes with incredible views of the bay and over the long sand peninsula to the open Pacific ocean. If in that area of California Morro Bay is worth the side trip.

We take our kayaks into Morro Bay to paddle in the shallow waters to see the oyster farming operations in the shallow waters of the bay. We can paddle out to near the mouth of the bay into the Pacific ocean. Knowing the next stop to the west is Asia is incredible to be in the largest body of water on the planet. The best is: we often to to Morro Bay to camp in the winter from December to March when the low temps are in the 50s with days in the 60s.

The Pacific ocean is about 1/3 the entire area of our planet, that is really big and huge. We have flown from Los Angeles to Sydney Australia across the Pacific, it is 15 hours and 20 minutes flight time across the Pacific ocean. Los Angeles to Melbourne is about 16 1/2 hours flight time. Most of the flight that leaves Los Angeles starts at before midnight arriving in Australia 2 days later early in the morning. Even the pelicans in Southern Australia are bigger than our brown California pelicans. They are black and white with yellow in their eyes. They are spectacular.

[carllafrance]

Hi Mike and boat friends
Another excellent video!
Seeing that boat brings back memories of when i was a kid working on the fish tugs in lake huron in the 1950s
There was colums of smoke rising over the horizon indicating where the ships were and as you got closer the front and the back
looked like two separate boats untill you were close enough to see the the hull in the middle joining them together
And if the atmosphere was refracted just right
it was like a marage the ship would be sailing along up upside down !
On a clear night you coulld see the lights quite aways away refracted by the horizon
When we got close the ship steaming along at hull speed
the 12 foot wave comming from it would stand our 60 foot fish tug on its end !
They would blow the steam whistle and it woild rattle your bones!
Just like comming into Duluth !
Never gets old !
Mike boat friends have a great day !

[Douglas_]

Wow Mike!! Awesome video! Sorry I missed the LIVE. What a beautiful ship. Love the lights on her plus having beautiful Duluth as a backdrop!! Great job my friend!! 👏👏

[carolynntranmer]

Carolynn. Salt Lake City, Utah. I was in Duluth earlier this year for the Grandma’s Marathon. Loved being there.!

[bushboy]

Love watching these videos and the live cams from Duluth, I do wish there was a live cam on the bridge facing down. Would be awsome to look at the ships from directly above.

[ostbagar]

Hi from a windy & rainy Sweden! Alpena is an old lady with grace, beautiful! Love those lights from Duluth! Nice video Mike, thank’s 😃👍

[chucke]

Hey Mike and all the Global Boat Friend Nation, from a warm but calm Bismarck. Missed the live feed watching grand kids, but would not miss this ship as is really one of a kind for sure. Been around a long time, and still going strong. One of the Niche type vessels than can take small loads, and get into tight spots the bigger vessels cannot. This ship has been well taken care of, and that is why she is still sailing. I remember this vessel when I lived in Duluth and she is still earning a living. Another really interesting night video with the great city of Duluth in the background, just a light moon due to clouds and haze, gives an Erie type of glow that really comes through nicely on your videos. You have had some great nite time videos this week that really came across nicely my friend. Nicely done!!!

[robertpkindzia]

Alpena, Mike my life is so much in lighted by your videos, I am going to be on that pier one day, Bob

[vicb.]

From an old USN BT...thank you! And what a beauty she is!

[revelationakagoldeneagle]

I'm a day late, but I'm here tonight.
Beautiful Ship ⚓⚓⚓
Blessings from Georgia USA 🪶✨

[suziesteube]

Sorry I missed the live streaming! Thanks Mike, great video ⚓️.

[BillWesterman-wzoj]

Well, that gives you goosebumps! Awesome footage, Mike thanks!!!

[bdctrans]

You look at Alpena and see how well she is cared for, and then you look at Michipicoten, who is 7 years younger. Seven years difference and the Michipicoten looks like she is on her last leg, just holding every rivet and sheet metal together with rust. We see Alpena all in her glory, that showed lots of love and respect to keep her working and looking like she is brand new. Comparing the reality of corporate greed running the Michipicoten to the bone, and the love and respect of the historical icon of the Alpena her owners have to make her last as long as she can. She is definitely a beauty to bestow!