Monday, April 27, 2009

First oil tanker arrives in Grand Marais



Thanks to the folks at Northern Wilds for capturing this image of the first oil tanker to arrive in the Grand Marais harbor. According to the normally straight-shooting Amber Pratt, the massive ship is owned by Norway Energy Resource Operations, whose only presence up to this was a flannel-wearing Erik Rashim. Erik was known only as a big tipper at the South of the Border Cafe. In this photo, the tanker just dwarfs the lighthouse.

Here's the harbor entry without the supertanker.



Personally, I think it's all a big April Fool's scam, made possible by judicious use of Photoshop. Everyone knows that Norwegians on the shore use little wooden rowboats for all of their transportation, not supertankers. Hard to rosemal a boat that big.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And a judicious use of the anchor to help clubhaul the ship 'round into the safety of spacious Grand Marais Harbor, too. Crafty seafaring folk, those flannel-clad Norsk tippers.

Andrew Slade said...

Aha, the anchor chain gives the fraud away!

But I had to look up "clubhaul":

To put on the other tack by dropping the lee anchor as soon as the wind is out of the sails (which brings the vessel's head to the wind), and by cutting the cable as soon as she pays off on the other tack. Clubhauling is attempted only in an exigency. (Websters, 1913)

Now I may have to look up "exigency." Or experience one myself.