On Monday, March 27, according to officials, the first “saltie” of the season passed through the Soo Locks in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as reported by M Live.
Vessel is ‘Saltie’
An informal word for an oceangoing vessel is “saltie.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, said on Facebook that the Federal Dart successfully navigated the locks alongside the American Coast Guard icebreaking tug Neah Bay.
The vessel was built in 2018 and is a 656-foot bulk carrier. Under the Marshall Islands flag, it flies.
Necessary tasks and maintenance
On Saturday, March 25, the Soo Locks opened the Poe Locks, their largest, for the 2023 Great Lakes shipping season. Since the middle of January, it has been off-limits to ships so that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel and other work crews could complete necessary tasks and yearly winter maintenance. During the shutdown, no large freighters could travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.
The park close to the Soo Locks is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is a terrific area to observe ships.
On May 1, the Soo Locks Visitor Center will open for the summer season.
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Source: M Live
