SAULT STE. MARIE — Dozens of self-proclaimed “boatnerds” geared up for Engineers Day at the Soo Locks with their 26th annual picnic on Thursday.
Boatnerds are a unique group of people who love freighters. They chase them down to watch them, take pictures and share them with others on social media.
Engineers Day doesn’t start until Friday, but the picnic held at Sherman Park every year is a chance to catch up and talk about boats.
81-year-old Lee Rowe from Gwinn helped start the boatnerd gathering in the late 1990s with only a few people attending. Since then, it’s grown and grown.
“It’s a gathering of friends. When we come and post on Facebook, it says, ‘We are going to see our friends and ships.’ And that’s really what boatnerds are about. It’s about the friends. They are just very nice. Boatnerds are good people,” said Rowe.
The fun for boatnerds continues Friday even after Engineers Day ends when they go on a famous Soo Locks boat chasing tour.