The Brand New CGC Mackinaw has been rolled out and is preparing for its launch on April 2. If I heard right it will be the only U.S. cutter on the Great Lakes to bear the familiar red hull pattern. Notice the new azmuth propulsion pods on the stern eliminating the need for a rudder. The pilot house is being mounted in the photo and the stack is yet to be installed.

She looks beautiful...a fitting successor to Mack 1. I would love to see her launch. Too bad it's too far away.

Interesting that they are putting Azimuth pods on there. They also have them on Queen Mary 2. They are able to allow QM2 to dock herself, without aid of tugs. For the duties that Mackinac does, they should greatly increase maneuverability, probably even moreso on a 300' long ship than a 1132' long one.

Thanks for the photo Digger! She looks great!

If anyone is going to the launch ceremony, feel free to join our club afterwards for lunch. Read about that here:
http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=000330

I'm certain the new Mackinaw will become a familiar sight on the Great Lakes and that she is built tough for the expected duty on America's Inland Seas.

But she can't take the place of the old Mackinaw in my heart -- which just had a very special profile. Like a huge private yacht - especially when she had the white/cream hull color.

Actually, there are many folks willing to bet that Baby Mac will never be able to fully replace Big Mac. This is a multi-purpose hull, designed to do many things - ice breaking happens to be one of them, along with things like ANT work. Big Mac was designed to crunch ice on the Great Lakes - and does a very good job at it, even after 60 years of service. I have been told that a number of new electronics have been added to Big Mac, which would make you wonder how serious the CG is about actually retiring it.

Baby Mac will be le a more efficient ship to operate, with newer mechanicals and a smaller crew. However, it will be interesting to see how it stacks up in ice crunching compared to the original.

I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but I just saw a picture of Big Mac for the first time. Somehow, I've never seen her image, just heard the stories.

I would have to say that that is the most beautiful military vessel I have ever seen. She has an elegance to her, an abundance of curves.

Having seen those images, I would now have to say that in comparison, I think that Baby Mac is a very good looking ship. However, in appearance, she pales in comparison. There are so many more squared-off edges, sharp corners, and big blocks.

Making an analogy to my ship forte, I would say it is like comparing QE2, with her beautiful curving hull, abundant outdoor space, and stateliness to QM2. QM2 may be the biggest ship in the world, with the world class spas and grand public spaces, but when given a choice, I would rather voyage on QE2. I still love QM2 - a lot - and would happily voyage on her, but I am drawn to QE2 because of her sense of history.

The new Mac is nice. Very nice. I absolutely think she's a great ship. But she's also the QM2 in this situation. In the end, you are drawn to the original. Compared to their younger siblings, Mackinaw I and QE2 evoke some feeling that, no matter how old they may be, makes you even more drawn to them.

I'm sure that, over the next decades, Mackinaw II will have many chances to build up a history and a legend. But I still think that, as much as we love her, we get a much bigger sense of awe seing Big Mac.

Just my feeling...

Greg, I couldn't agree more. Any one who has seen and followed the Mackinaw and her history over the years sure hate the day the grand old ship will be retired. We all knew it was inevitable in these days of economics and cut-backs. Of course if it takes 2 ships to do the same job as 1, how is that economical?

Here's a photo of the Mackinaw in her 'white hull' days:

http://www.bluejacket.com/uscg/images/wagb83_mackinaw_w2.jpg

And here's the same ship in the 'red jacket' of her ice-breaker duties:

http://www.wellandcanal.ca/shiparc/uscg/mackinaw/mackinaw2.jpg

Got a look at the new Mackinaw today with stack and pilothouse all assembled. I love the old mac but let me tell ya, the new one is PRETTY darn impressive too. Does anyone know if the current Mackinaw will be present at the launching?

In today's Cheboygan Tribune

Our local CBS news station will have a segment on the 6:20 am news tomorrow morning about the "Mackinaw".

Looks like I'm heading to Cheboygen this Nov. That will be a pretty rare sight indeed. 2 ships with the same name at the same dock at the same time. They're going to have to refer to Cheboygen as the "Big Apple" with all that RED in town!

I'd love for the Big Mac to be in Marinette this weekend for the launch of the new Mackinaw. It would be an awesome site to see both in the water at the same time.

To all of you who plan to witness this awesome event:

PLEASE TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS AND SHARE THEM WITH THE REST OF US.

bobo

What should we do to increase our chances of seeing either of these while we are in the area this summer?

Don M

Make a stop in Cheboygan going and coming and hope there is one in port..

The GLLKA bus tour will be visiting the Mackinaw on Monday morning, providing operational commitments don't have it underway. The Chicago - Makinaw trip will probably also visit the Mack on Monday morning.

For those of you that wanted to see the launch here is a link with some good photos and the launch video about half way down.

forgot to put the link in there

http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/special/macklaunch/default.htm

Check out the discussion and photos of the new Mackinaw at this link:

http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=000330

Great pictures of the Mackinaw II. Like the ones of the underside. Something we won't be able to see or photograph for a long time to come. Thanks for sharing these.

Bert

That was quite a group of photos at that site. Thanks for sharing them.

It must have been quite a thrill for those who were present during the launch.

Bob

It sure was!!! Priceless!!

It really is a nice ship. I work down at Marinette Marine where they built it and have been on the ship many times. I wanted to get out on a sea trial but that wasn't possible.

Wow, Firetender, that is very impressive. I recently read a book about lightkeepers and the CG cutters named after them - all built by Marinette Marine. I learned a lot about some of the keepers and about Marinette Marine. Tell us more about your work.

Was up in Door County two weekends ago and the Cutter Hollyhock (Also a Marinette Marine product)was up at Bay Shipbuilding (sister company to Marinette Marine, all part of the Manitowc Company) for service. My Dad told me the new Mac was there a couple of weeks before that. I was hoping to get to see it, but it was already gone by the time we got up there.

Now Firetender, how 'bout some pics of that new Navy fast attack boat. Those can't be too secret!

Mike

I don't actually work on the ships, I work Security there. And no, I can't show you pictures of the new navy ship. Cameras are not allowed in the yard except for a select few. I wish I could tell you more about the ship but I can't say anything about it except do a google search on LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP. Can't wait untill that ship hits the water!!! It's gonna be awesome!

Getting away from the topic of the Baby Mac, but the LCS is a rather intriguing design:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/lcs-image22.jpg

It looks like there's an almost positive chance on the Old Mac going to Cheboygan as a museum:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0510/30/metro-364887.htm

Great to hear...I'll definitely make it a stop on my Great Lakes trip to that area one day.

I talked to one of the guys assigned to the new Mack this week and he didn't know for sure but he thinks it will be turned into a museum. Sounds like the Mackinaw 2 will be setting sail the first week in December for home port

Dick Moehl from G.L.L.K.A. advised those on his boat tours at the Reunion that the official plan was to have both Mac's working this year, and then keep the old Mad in "ready reserve" so that it can be quickly put into service should the new Mac not live up to it's billing. Not sure if this is still the plan or not.

Mike

I have been told that the Big Mac will have to stay in "ready to go on short notice" status for up to 5 years. Don't know if that means they will also leave a skeleton crew aboard of what. Personally, I'm betting that there are no concrete plans past this winter. The brass are hoping and praying that Baby Mac can finesse the ice with the same end result that Big Mac can power thru it.

Big change going on here - going from a ship designed to do one thing - break ice - and do it well, to a ship that is designed to be a jack-of-all-trades. Baby Mac will be a much more versatile platform and can be productive thru all of the year, but it still has to prove it can crunch the big ice.

Dave,

High-tech ship meets low-tech ice. My money is on the ice. There is no substitute for cubic inches, I mean mass.

Dan

Dan, I would tend to agree with you, and so do a lot of others. It will be interesting to see how Baby Mac does and what level of performance is the CG willing to accept.

Baby Mac will provide a much more useable, multi-mission platform for year round use. It will just be difficult to top a ship that was built with one mission in mind.