Coast Guard at Two Harbors Minnesota

It was going to be a beautiful day so we decided to drive up to Gooseberry Falls State Park. We wanted to get an early start so we decided to stop at the Vanilla Bean Restaurant in Two Harbors for some Swedish pancakes. As we were just about to leave I noticed a Coast Guard Boat go by on the highway. After breakfast we drove out to the harbor to see what as going on. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot. Apparently the fish were biting because there were quite a few fishermen around. The Coast Guard was just putting their boat in the water when we arrived so we stopped to get a few photos. Apparently they were going out on their first training run of the year. Normally the harbor is covered in ice but not today.

Ship Watching at Two Harbors

Every time we drive up the Minnesota North Shore we stop at Two Harbors to see if there is any ship activity. A couple of weeks ago we lucked out. It was a foggy morning and just as we pulled into the harbor parking lot we saw the Edger B. Speer backing out of the docks.

Edgar B. Speer

The first time I saw ships coming into Two Harbors I thought tug boats would be required to move them into and out of the harbor. I was wrong. Even the thousand foot ships are able to maneuver into and out of the docks without assistance. It does take them quite a while but they are routinely able to do it without problems.

Edgar B. Speer

We watched the Speer exit the harbor into the fog. The Speer kept blowing its fog horn and we could hear an answering response from out in the lake but, because of the fog, could not see another ship.

Edgar B. Speer

We waited a while hoping the other ship would come into the harbor before deciding to drive back to where the Edna G tugboat was docked and photographed the Army Corps of Engineers dredging the docs.

Edna G

We decided to drive back to the harbor and see if the ship that was waiting outside the harbor was going to come in. Just as we drove past the fog cleared enough so we could see the Indiana Harbor steaming into the harbor.

Indiana Harbor

We walked down to the water’s edge and watched it maneuver into the dock area. It is a slow process for one of these large ships to work its way into the docks. A lone kayaker was out in the harbor watching the ship come in.

Indiana Harbor

Indiana Harbor