April 2, 2005 Marinette, Wisconsin – U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker MACKINAW Launching Ceremony & WILD lunch club meeting

The new U. S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Icebreaker MACKINAW will be “splashed” in a dramatic side launch into the Menominee River at Marinette Marine Corporation, Marinette, Wisconsin 10:00 a.m. Saturday April 2, 2005 .

The new ship will be 240 ft long, have a maximum beam of 60 ft, and carry a crew of 50 personnel. The vessel will have state of the art bridge and machinery systems and will incorporate a diesel electric integrated propulsion plant drive with azimuthing podded propulsors. It will be able to break 32” of level ice at 3 knots with excellent maneuverability characteristics.

It will be a multi-purpose ship, designed to maintain floating aids-to-navigation as well as icebreaking. In addition, the vessel will have mission responsibility for search and rescue, marine environmental response, maritime law enforcement, national security and national defense.

The new “Mighty Mac” will replace the 60 year old, 290-foot MACKINAW, an icebreaking workhorse that has never missed a winter of work since it was launched in 1944.

The new icebreaker will also be named MACKINAW and home-ported in Cheboygan, Michigan. The name MACKINAW is an icon representing the epitome of Coast Guard service on the Great Lakes. To generations of mariners MACKINAW has always been there, strong and reliable…inspiring confidence.

http://www.manitowocmarine.com/Current_Projects/GlibLanding.asp


WILD CLUB MEETING after ceremony - time to be announced
Schloegels Bay View Restaurant
2720 - 10th Street
Menominee, MI 49858
Check out the menu here: www.tastefullydifferent.com

PLEASE RSVP TO Suzanne Murphy with an email or post on this forum by March 26th if you are interested in coming to this event and club meeting. We need to get a count for lunch and will need to let you know more details regarding the ceremony and time of the club meeting. If you need to find a hotel, let me know and I can give you some names of places that might still have rooms available.

Suzanne,

Sure wish that I could be there. But unfortunately, it's impossible because of the distance.

bobo

We wish you could be there too, Bob! It should be a specatacular splash! I've been told that we may need a parka and a raincoat so we don't get too wet from the splash!

Suzanne,

If I could be there, I would be more than happy to get splashed.

bobo

I'd sure like to be there for a side-launch of a USCG ship -- and one that is going to carry the historic name of Mackinaw.

In-my-dreams anyway.

But Suzanne - thanks for all you do for WILD and for WACKOs.

It's about 95% sure that the Brady's will be there and sharing images of the event in the forums!!

Hip, Hip, HOORAY! Love those virtual Brady tours. It's so much like being there we should be earning airmiles on frequent flyer plans.

We're sure to get the real deal with flowers, eateries, breweries, and maybe a few lighthouses along the way.

Carry your 'Press Pass' Paul, maybe you can get your way into some good spot to shoot that sideways launch splash (but stay clear of the wave and the spray!)

I hear there's going to be a special "press" boat in the river right across from the launch. That way they can get plenty of "underwater" photos!

I envy you folks that might get the opportunity to observe this type of launch in person. It certainly will be a spectacular sight.

Bob

Two landlubbers in Texas are “green with envy”! :rolleyes: We wish we could be there with you, but will have to settle for coming in August. We can’t wait to see the pictures of the launch.

Here\'s some information on ship launching -- including side launches from the Door County Marine Museum.

Would love to make this trip but it's just not in the cards. I'm hoping that they trim the boat out down at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay like they did with the Staten Island Ferries they built. I'll have a better chance of seeing it there.
Mike

I was told by the Coast Guard:

"The ship is scheduled to be delivered to the Coast Guard on October 15th 2005. After delivery they will depart Marinette and visit many ports around the lakes. The local media will be informed of the ships visits and tours. Typically, the ships that leave here transit first to Milwaukee for training and are available for tours there."

The Brady's have just arrived in Marinette for tomorrow's launch... The WILD group of the McBee's, Judy and Suzanne are about a half hour behind on the road to their motel in town... Sue and I are staying at the Comfort Inn and it has wirelees DSL, yipee!!!

Sue and I are going to meet up with the before mentioned WILD group for supper.. pictures later!

Although Sue and I spent most of the drive North from Indy in a driving rain, we did manage to stop at the current location of the Grassy Island Range Lights and add them to our list of visited lighthouses.. They are now located at the Green Bay Yacht Club property on the Northwest end of Green Bay the city along the entrance to the Green Bay..









The gals are showing off their choice of desserts at dinner, tonight..

Thanks for sharing the pics, Paul. You're making us hungry viewing those desserts.

Bob

Enjoyed the pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Don M

Here's Bill guarding our whole row of reserved seats for the WILD group! First row behind the VIP Coast Guard section..


They opened the back doors of the Hanger like building when it became apparent there were more people here than the building would hold for the ceremony..


This is the VIP section and the start of the speakers paying tribute to the new and the old Mac..


This was one time it paid to arrive late as the late arrivals headed on down towards the launch site while the ceremony continued..


This is a shot from the back row of the crowd in the building listening to the keynote speaker, the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert..

Right off the bow you can see the ramp that the Speaker Dennis Hastert and his wife, Jean went up for her to christen the ship..


This is the start of the Mac starting to slip over into the cannel... you can now see the Speaker and his wife on the end of the ramp..


It was a really neat experience seeing this moment and I am glad I can share it with you almost immediately after it happened..


The Mac is now nestled along the dock where it will be for a while getting fitted ready for sea..

Sue and I are now off to join up with the club at a local restaurant for lunch and a meeting.. 25 members of the WILD group were present for the launch

KER-SPLASH!
Great Shots of a great ship!
Thanks, Paul. Thanks WILD!

Great pictures Paul. Looks a lot better in the water than it did on the blocks.

bert

Fabulous, Paul.

Thanks for sharing.

Bill and Judy

Great photos, Paul.

Too bad you couldn't get any closer. But they are wonderful anyway.

bobo

Great pictures Paul, looks like you had nice clear skies although cool I suspect.

You of all people Paul..... should know better, being in the media and all.

Dennis Hastert ?
Don't you mean - House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL)

How is anyone going to know if they like him or not without his state and party affiliation.

AWESOME shots, Paul! I so wish I could have made this trip. Once in a lifetime event there. Thanks for the quick post and sharing of your adventure!

Paul, all the pictures are great, but I really love the GREAT BIG SPLASH!!!! Thanks.

The WILD lunch and meeting is going on inside with the watchful eye of the Marinette (Menominee) North Pierhead Light just in the background..


Suzanne (standing) conducted the meeting after everybody had a nice lunch and a lot of talk about the launch we had just seen..


The WILD group photo of those that made it to the lunch and launch.. The empty chair next to Sue is for me if I get around to cloning me into the image..


Judy, Suzanne, the Mc bee's and the Bradys all went to the other side of the channel to a look at the New Mac in the water!


Next was a quick stop at the Marinette (Menominee) North Pierhead Light to shoot a couple shots then Northward to see a couple of more lights..

You can barely see the Chambers Island Light on the opposite shoreline. Fortunately Suzanne had some powerful binoculars. I can add another light to the list..



The Cedar River Range Lights are gone but the Keeper's house remains plus all of the out buildings...



The Sand Point Lighthouse at Escanaba, Michigan was the next and last lighthouse stop of the day..


The lantern room was transfered (1987) from the Poverty Island light to save from vandals and the fresnel lens transfered from the Menominee North Pier Light in 1989..


Escanaba Harbor Light can be seen from the shore at the San Point Lighthouse it is an active Harbor Light...

Judy sneaking a shot of Suzanne, Carolyn and myself while we are kneeling down shooting a picture of an empty bench in front of the Harbor Light..


Back in Marinette for a late dinner and a little Surf n Turf was just right for me..

The next stop, we will spend tomorrow afternoon Lighthousing in Door County..

Mark, I figured that since House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) liked and supported the Coast Guard, that it wouldn't matter which party he was from to the folks on the forums..

And Mark, I got an email when I checked my account on Friday night when we arrived here, it stated that my number had come up as the next to get the D2X.. Just one day earlier and you would have seen 8 shots of the New Mac going into the water instead of the two that I was able to share.. Bad timing but at least I will be picking it up when I get back to Indy on Tuesday!!

I knew somebody in the press up here would have a Great shot as I saw a cherry picker out in front of the bow, over the water, with a photograher on it.. Well I found it surfing the Internet..

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Money Shot!!

Paul,

As we have to expect from you - a great report with beautiful pictures of food.

The shots of the ship and the Lighthouses weren't bad either.

Thanks for taking us there with you.

Dennis

Some great shots here too.

Great Lakes Shipping

That Money Shot sure is!

Fantastic.

And the BoatNerd site has some great ones too.

Thanks Digger, the one I liked the best was the video of the launching. It's like you were there up close and personal.

The pictures and narrative were super! Thanks for sharing them!

The Escanaba Light looks like a very interesting light. Not often you see a green and white combination paint job. Are there an other green and white lights?

Thanks agin for sharing the pics!

Bob

Bob - Old Pt. Comfort, VA Light is white with red and green trim. Very Christmasey.

The Coast Guard has informed me that videos of the Mackinaw launch are available from the Coast Guard Official Photographer.

I talked to the photographer today and found out that the video is available in DVD or Videotape formats. It has the Ceremony, the rollout of the ship, and the launch from multiple camera angles on it. It is $10.00 plus $2.00 shipping.

If you are interested, let me know and I will tell you how to contact the photographer.

The Coast Guard Project web site has pictures from the launch: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-a/awl/bclass/index.htm