Live your dream of driving legendary lake freighters on The Great Lakes with this revolutionary new PC simulator that will take you to another level! Great Lakes Simulator puts you at the helm of a massive lake freighter underway on the Great Lakes. Head downbound from Lake Superior thru Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary's River to Lake Huron and back in a 1:1 scale re-creation of the most famous fresh-water waterway in the world.. The Great Lakes.
Simulating a journey thru the Great Lakes allows you to gain an understanding of what to expect on the real journey. After a journey through Great Lakes Simulator you will be graced with the knowledge a seasoned mariner would need in order to approach such a journey with confidence. Great Lakes Simulator can accurately teach you the designated shipping lanes, dredged channels, anchorages and port locations, and the accurate locations of range lights, buoys, and lighthouses. You can set sail anytime you like.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The Great Lakes is a system of giant freshwater seas along the U.S. and Canada border connected by both natural and artificial channels and huge locks which enable navigation by large ships. The Soo Locks between Lake Huron and Lake Superior and dredged channels in the St. Mary’s River, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River between Lake Huron and Lake Erie allow passage of huge lake freighters most years from late Spring through early Winter.
THE JOURNEY
Pilot a massive lake freighter downbound from Duluth, Minnesota across Lake Superior, down into Whitefish Bay, and into the St. Mary's River. Not far downriver you will pass through the Soo Locks which will lower your ship 22 feet to the level of Lake Huron. A few miles past the locks the river makes a sharp right turn into a narrow dredged channel comprised of a number of ranges marked by special range lights set out in pairs to keep a ship in the center of the channel. Each set of range lights has a name which you can toggle onto the display using the F6 key. At Ninemile Point Light, the upbound and downbound channels split and follow separate paths around Neebish Island coming back together just before Hay Point.
THE LIGHTHOUSES
The highlight of any journey thru the Great Lakes is the spectacular light show put on by the seemingly endless array of lighthouses and red, white, green, and yellow range lights, buoys, beacons, and light towers. Marvel as you sail past some of the most legendary lighthouses of the lakes including Detour Reef, Whitefish Bay Light Station, Manitou Island, Gull Island, the New Presque Isle Light, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, and the Thunder Bay Light. And depend on the range lights and buoys of the St. Mary's River as they guide your ship through the narrow dredged channels.
A SPECTACULAR PC SIMULATOR
Take the long approach and spend some time in open sea as you look for land and lights. Choose your time of day. Transit the lakes at night using nothing but the lights. Accelerate time or immerse yourself in a real-time simulation of a days-long transit and dozens of hours at open sea. Journey thru blinding snow and intense thunderstorms. Drive a massive cargo ship to real destinations. Meet ships along the way and take care to avoid collisions. Watch for traffic and lighthouses or watch the sun rise and set over Lake Huron and Lake Superior. With buttery-smooth physics, rich vivid graphics, and ultra-realistic atmosphere and lighting, Great Lakes Simulator will set the standard for PC simulator games for years to come.