Marine City, Michigan

Broadway Park & Mariner Park

Green and white oceangoing ship with yellow deck cranes, passes 2 small boats.

The aft section of a huge ship with a plume of steam exhaust, passing 2 small boats.

A Black and white U.S. Coast Guard tugboat making a large wake on icy water.

A black and white lake freighter approaching, viewed from the front right.

St. Clair River View

Broadway Park and Mariner Park are just two of eight small public waterfront parks along a half mile stretch of Water Street in Downtown Marine City. All of these parks offer great views of the ships passing by on the St. Clair River. There are also several great restaurants in this area.

Marine City DNR Boat Launch

The Marine City DNR Boat Launch has a grassy area with access to the St. Clair River. The best part about this location you can watch the freighters unloading aggregates at the stone yard on the other side of the fence. The river view here is a little more obstructed than the other parks in Marine City.

Stone Yard View

A semi-truck drives under the boom of a self-unloading barge, unloading at a stone yard.

A close-up view of stone coming off the end of a self-unloading boom.

A crewman in a workboat passing by the side of a black hulled freighter.

A stern view of freighter American Courage unloading stone onto a large pile.

Marine City Reels

CSL Welland PLOWING Through Heavy Wind! Great Lakes freighter, CSL Welland (Canada Steamship Lines), a 741 Foot long bulk carrier, plowing her way down the St. Clair River in heavy wind. Marine City, Michigan, October 30, 2024.

Great Lakes tanker Iver Bright (Vroon) downbound on the icy St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. January 26, 2025.

729.5’ Classic Great Lakes freighter, Frontenac (Canada Steamship Lines), heading downbound on the St. Clair River in Marine City Michigan. April 11, 2025.

USCG Icebreaker Mackinaw Crushing Ice! United States Coast Guard Ship USCGC Mackinaw on icebreaking operations, on the ice jammed St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. February 09, 2025.

740’ Great Lakes freighter Algoma Bear exchanges a horn salute with US Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, after a winter ice escort, on the St. Clair River. Recorded February 1, 2025.

636’ American Courage (Grand River Navigation) arrival and unloading stone in Marine City, Michigan. June 20, 2025.

Canadian Coast Guard Ship CCGS Griffon on Great Lakes icebreaking operations, allowing marine traffic to continue flowing on the heavily iced over St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. January 26, 2025.

Great Lakes tanker Algocanada (Algoma Central Corporation) crunching down the ice jammed St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. February 09, 2025.

630’ Great Lakes freighter Calumet (Grand River Navigation) downbound on the St. Clair River, passing Marine City, Michigan. May 24, 2025.

CSL Welland (Canada Steamship Lines) spraying the decks with water to cool them on a hot summer day. Marine City, Michigan, July 05, 2025.

Tanker ship Ekfjord heading upbound on the St. Clair River, passing the downbound freighter American Courage, at Marine City, Michigan. June 20, 2025.

2 Salutes from the beautiful classic laker Wilfred Sykes, on the St. Clair River. Likely just making her presence known as she passes through a pretty large pack of fishing boats on a Saturday afternoon. Marine City, Michigan, May 10, 2025.

Marine City Videos

Great Lakes Tug-Barge Self-Unloading a Huge Delivery of Stone!

728' Great Lakes articulated tug-barge Olive L. Moore - Menominee (Grand River Navigation) self-unloads a delivery of stone in Marine City, Michigan. The stone yard is busy with front end loaders and gravel trains. Great Lakes freighters Kathy McKeil (McMeil Marine) and Algoma Innovator (Algoma Central Corporation) pass by on the St. Clair River during the un-loading process. September 23, 2025.

This HUGE Freighter Makes a Rare Appearance on the St. Clair River!

1,000' Great Lakes freighter Burns Harbor (American Steamship Company) passing Marine City, Michigan, on the St. Clair River. Freighter Blair McKeil is also seen down-bound in the beginning. Interlake Steamship Company's 1,004' James R. Barker is unloading coal at the DTE plant in the closing shot. July 22, 2025.

Ship Blows MULTIPLE Horn Blasts at a Small Fishing Boat!

A series of 5 short horn blasts from the 607' ship Andean, as she is signaling danger to the one straggling fishing boat that had not yet moved out of her path, downbound on the St. Clair River. June 03, 2025.

Great Lakes freighters and Grand River Navigation fleet mates, 680' John J. Boland and 815' tug-barge Victory-Maumee meet on the St. Clair River and exchange a hearty salute and a hoot, in Marine City, Michigan. Near the end, the 1,004' freighter Mesabi Miner is seen unloading coal at the DTE plant. May 11, 2025.

Great Lakes Fleet Mates Exchange a Friendly Salute!

Giant 1,000' Great Lakes freighter American Integrity (American Steamship Company) using some sounds signals, downbound on the St. Clair River, passing a fishing boat and the upbound ship, Federal Nagara. Marine City, Michigan. April 18, 2025.

United States Coast Guard Ship USCGC Mackinaw on Great Lakes icebreaking operations, escorting the tankers Algoluna (Algoma Central Corporation) and Algocanada (Algoma Central Corporation) down the ice jammed St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. February 09, 2025.

HEAVY Icebreaker Mackinaw Leads a Tanker Convoy Through an Ice Jam!

GIANT of the Great Lakes | American Integrity Uses Her Horn

Coast Guard Icebreaker Escorts a Winter Ship Convoy!

Coast Guard Icebreaker Leads 3 Ship Convoy Through HEAVY Ice!

CSL Frontenac | A Classic Great Lakes Freighter Loved by Many

Lake Freighters Show Off Their Horns with Multiple Salutes!

CSL Welland: FUNCTIONAL ART on the Water!

5 Ships Meet in Marine City | HEAVY Great Lakes Freighter Traffic!

United States Coast Guard Ship USCGC Morro Bay on Great Lakes icebreaking operations, escorting the tanker Algoluna (Algoma Central Corporation) and the self-unloading bulk carrier Algoma Bear (Algoma Central Corporation) up the icy St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. February 01, 2025.

Canadian Coast Guard Ship CCGS Griffon on Great Lakes icebreaking operations, escorting the tankers Algoluna (Algoma Central Corporation) and Iver Bright (Vroon) down the heavily iced over St. Clair River, in Marine City, Michigan. January 26. 2025.

Classic Great Lakes freighter, Frontenac (Canada Steamship Lines), heading downbound on the St. Clair River in Marine City Michigan. November 03, 2024.

Classic Great Lakes freighters, 768' John G. Munson and 634' Great Republic, both of the Great Lakes Fleet, pass each other on the St. Clair River and exchange a Great Lakes horn salute. The Munson then passes close by, and somebody from the wheelhouse comes out to wave before offering up another salute! April 26, 2025.

Great Lakes freighter, CSL Welland (Canada Steamship Lines), a 741 Foot long bulk carrier, plowing her way down the St. Clair River in heavy wind. The ship seen up bound in the background is CSL Assiniboine. October 30, 2024.

5 Ships passing on the St. Clair River at the same time! 3 Great Lakes freighters, 1 integrated tug-barge and a Canadian Coast Guard ship. As the video starts, Frontenac is approaching, and the 1,000' American Century can be seen in the background making a 180 degree turn in the St. Clair River. American Century then gives a horn salute when passing the camera position. April 11, 2025.

Downbound Ships

729'7" Frontenac (Canada Steamship Lines)

1,000' American Century (American Steamship Company)

Upbound Ships

739'10" CSL St-Laurent (Canada Steamship Lines)

544' Samuel de Champlain/Innovation (Holcim U.S.)

228'9" CGCS Samuel Risley (Canadian Coast Guard)