New Drone
Back in June, I decided to sell my DJI Phantom 4. I was able to sell it fairly quickly, and purchased my new DJI Mavic Mini 2. Anyone who is familiar with drones, knows that the Phantom 4 is very large and not collapsable. So anytime I wanted to shoot photos and do some drone photography, I had to carry two backpacks. It was very cumbersome, although a great machine. I had to take my drone pilots license in order to fly it, as it was over the weight restrictions for Canada, and I was very restricted as to where I could fly it, for good reasons. So, by selling it and getting the Mavic Mini 2, I have now circumvented most of these issues. This little drone folds up small enough to fit in my back pocket. It also is under the federal weight restrictions of 250gm, meaning I can almost fly this thing pretty much anywhere, airports of course being the exception. But what it really has done is added a new spark in me to shoot aerial photos and video, because it so easy to take with me and so easy to use. It is amazing the technology in this little thing, the quality is incredible, especially for the price of it. I carry it with me everyday now. It is so interesting to see things from a birds eye view. The last few months I have been recording video with it and uploading to my Youtube Channel. Below is a few of the photos I have captured over the last few months.
Theodore Too
Back in July, Theodore Too made a weekend stop in Brockville, at Canteen Park. Every kid from miles around paid a visit. I took our two boys down very early (4:30am wake up time) to catch Theodore waking up to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. Amazing what you see when you get up early. Once the sun was up, I threw the drone up to get a few photos and some video. You can see the photos and video here -https://youtu.be/-pIfL0kTxCs
M/V Ojibway
The M/V Ojibway is one of my favourite ships that travel the Seaway. She is one of the last of a class of lakers who have a forward wheelhouse design. It was extremely windy the day that she came through, and it pushed the Mavic Mini 2 to it's limits. But I am glad I caught some photos and a video of her, as I am sure she will not be around for too much longer. You can see the photos and video that I did on her, here - https://youtu.be/vuzI3TRi2dM
Here is the details on her -
ABOUT THE M/V OJIBWAY
The Ojibway was built in 1952 in Bay City, Michigan and was fitted with oil-fired, water tube boilers to produce steam. Both a high pressure and a low pressure turbine each rated at 2,200 s.h.p. gave her a speed under full load of approximately 14 m.p.h. The vessel's early years were spent hauling iron ore from Duluth and other ports to a variety of lower lakes steel mills. She stayed in this pattern until the early 1980s. With the depressed steel industry, she was used to carry grain cargoes, loading at Cargill elevators in Duluth en route to Buffalo. The vessel changed hands throughout the years until in 2004 she was towed from Buffalo by McKeil Work Boats bound for Hamilton, Ontario. In 2005 the bulker received an extensive refit in Hamilton, including the installation of a new General Electric V-16 four stroke, turbo-charged 7 FDM EFI diesel engine rated at 4,100 continuous B.H.,P. at 1,050 R.P.M., a new propeller shaft with a controllable pitch control system and two new Caterpillar diesel generator sets. She was registered and renamed the Voyageur Independent and on November 14, 2005 departed Hamilton on her maiden voyage in ballast to Thunder Bay, Ontario. She departed Thunder Bay on November 22nd with her first load under her new name (17,673.27 tons of wheat) for a St. Lawrence River port. In 2007, Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. acquired the Voyageur Independent and continued to service companies engaged in the grain trade. In 2008, Lower Lakes registered the bulker with Transport Canada under the new name Ojibway out of the Port of Nanticoke, Ontario. This river class bulk carrier is ideally suited to the carriage of milling products on the upper lakes due to its size and carrying capacity and continues the Thunder Bay to St. Lawrence transits today. (source - https://www.randlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Rand-Vessel-Profile-OJI-8-2019.pdf)
M/V Algoma Harvester
I wanted to get out early one Saturday morning to get some photos of the Brockville Narrows and the islands. What I didn't realize was I was in for some really cool lighting, some fog, some rain, some sun, and a laker heading up bound for the lakes. All within 20 minutes. I managed to get some photos and video of the Algoma Harvester, as she quietly made her way past Brockville and into the Brockville Narrow. I would have taken more photos and video, but the rain started, and I had to get back to safety with the drone, as it is not weather sealed. I did manage to catch a rainbow in a photo, and you can see the whole rainbow in the video here - https://youtu.be/TKPbwqTV6jg
Here are the details on the M/V Algoma Harvester -
Algoma Harvester became the second of the new Equinox Class of Great Lakes freighters to join the Algoma Central Corporation fleet. It was built by Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries Stock Co. of Nantong City, China, and shares the similar 740 foot long by 78 foot wide dimensions and all of the efficient and environmentally friendly features of its sistership, Algoma Equinox.
This vessel, and its sister ships, operate with a 45 percent improved energy efficiency and can carry 20 percent more cargo. It also has a much lower fuel consumption with the benefit of a 97 percent removal of sulphur oxide emissions. Highly automated, the ship can operate with as few as 18 sailors.
Algoma Harvester was launched on December 25, 2013, and departed the overseas shipyard for Canada on May 18, 2014. It also loaded iron ore at Port Cartier while inbound for Hamilton and, after discharging at Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco), the ship was christened at Pier 26 South in Hamilton on July 14, 2014. The vessel then headed up bound through the Welland Canal and has joined the regular Seaway service in the Algoma fleet hauling iron ore from the Gulf of St. Lawrence ports and delivering grain to the elevators of that region for trans shipment overseas.
Written by Skip Gillham. Taken from www.boatnerd.com
So that is it for blog number two in September. I hope you are enjoying these blogs, as I enjoy putting them together for you. Stay tuned for more videos and photos from my drone. I have a few things planned for this fall. And if you haven't checked it out yet, head to my Youtube channel, click subscribe, and hit the notification bell. This way you will be notified when I upload new content there. Marc Beach Photography Youtube Channel
