Great Lakes freighters pass by Belle Isle State Park, an island in the Detroit River north of downtown Detroit, regularly as they deliver raw materials to ports on the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway.

But it’s not often you see a Great Lakes freighter celebrating the holiday season with a Christmas tree onboard, as I did last Friday when the Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder tug-barge headed downbound on the Detroit River.

I didn’t notice the Christmas tree on the barge until it almost passed me!

Have to say in all my years watching freighters on the Detroit River, I’ve never seen one with a Christmas tree on it.

After doing some research online, I learned the Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder has been in service since 1999. In addition it:

• Is a self-unloading unit
• Carries up to 26,700 gross tons
• Has 14 crew members
• Regularly logs more than 100 trips each season

I’ll be watching for the Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder at the end of 2019 to see if it once again has a Christmas tree onboard.