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Port Reports - October 30
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Seaway – Mac Mackay |
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St. Ignace native looking for 35 actors for Carl D. Bradley movie 10/30 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Local actors will have the chance to participate in an upcoming film being shot in the Sault that centers around the SS Carl D. Bradley freighter and its sinking. Andy Stempki was born and raised in St. Ignace, where his family is also from, and graduated from Albion College. Soon after college, he “ran away” to Florida and became a sailing captain on the Gulf Coast. He moved back to St. Ignace a few years ago where he bought some property and is busy developing a brand called Tropical Liaison Adventures and Xcursions. He is also a reservist in the U.S. Coast Guard, attached to Sector Sault. Stempki has been investigating and researching the Bradley for two years. This curiosity started when his grandfather, Pooch Tamlyn, passed away when Stempki was eight years old. He was left with a lifetime of curiosity about Tamlyn’s life. “In 2017, I randomly asked my mom, ‘Who was all of Grandpa Tamlyn’s brothers and sisters?’ She didn’t know. I said, ‘How do you not know your aunts and uncles?’ It led me on a quest to track down his siblings and eventually led me to great aunt Florence Fogelsonger,” Stempki said, “Her son, Johnny Fogelsonger, was the second mate on the Bradley and the first person who died that night. I was so intrigued by the story, I chased it down. I found Frank Mays, who was one of the two survivors. Frank is still alive. He’s 89 and lives in Florida and has been an invaluable resource for my research.” The Bradley was a self-unloading Great Lakes freighter built in 1927 that sank in Lake Michigan during a storm on Nov. 18, 1958. Thirty-three of the 35 crew members died in the sinking and 23 of those people were from Rogers City. The cause of the sinking is concluded to be a structural failure from the brittle steel that was used in the vessel’s construction. The title of this short film, “The Men Long Forgotten,” is a name that came from one of his best friends, Josh Gould, who is Fogelsonger’s grandson. While Fogelsonger was known among Stempki and Gould, neither of them met him or knew anything about the shipwreck. Stempki found a picture of Fogelsonger from his youth and sent it over to Gould via text and asked who he was. Gould responded with, “Looks like a man long forgotten.” Stempki said this experience was “sort of sad.” He said, ”(Fogelsonger’s) life and the crew had essentially been forgotten for a couple of reasons. First, U.S. Steel paid all the victim’s families rather quickly to quell the story. In addition, Gordon Lightfoot’s song about the Edmund Fitzgerald is the standard bearer for shipwreck songs and essentially overshadowed the Bradley’s story. In 2019, I met Gordon Lightfoot in California and told him about my research. I jokingly thanked him for not choosing the Bradley and leaving it for me.” After meeting a Hollywood screenwriter in 2018 and telling him about the story of the Bradley, this ultimately pushed and inspired Stempki to write the screenplay. Writing the screenplay took a few months and it was “incredibly frustrating” for him because he did not know the process. In the screenplay world, one page equals one minute on screen. The script is almost 120 pages, which equates to a normal length of a feature film. After consultation with New York City screenwriters, he had to rework several sections. Stempki said the easiest part of writing this was the passion he had for the story. He said while he is no expert and the final script will undergo plenty of rewrites and editing, he believes that screenwriting is just storytelling in a mechanical process. John Roberts, who is the chief White House correspondent for Fox News, has assisted Stempki on this project. He asked Roberts to play the role of Chick Vallee, the conveyorman on the Bradley, but Stempki said Roberts’ contract with Fox News does not allow him. “I know someday people will go to a theatre and see the longer feature film,” he said. “When? I don’t know, but I know that I won’t give up on the project.” Stempki has written and created a 16-minute songumentary last year that features Mays singing the phrase he kept saying to his shipmates the night they rode out of the storm on a raft in the middle of Lake Michigan, “If we make it till daylight, we’ll be found.” For those who want to view the songumentary, go to https://youtu.be/oFKcsF_XDDE. Thirty-five all-male roles to fill with local talent and passionate actors are looking to be cast. The roles include crewmen, aged 18 to 63. The actual crewmen were all from Rogers City in the 1950s. Most of them had families and worked on the ships to support them, so the loss the Bradley sinking caused was considered devastating. Stempki said they will have a host of challenges getting everyone together to pick dates to film, but he is looking to shoot aboard the Valley Camp in late November. He is currently open to any level of support and assistance with the filming. It will be a short film, about 15 to 20 minutes in length. Stempki’s goal is to bring this short film to film festivals for exposure. In addition to actors, he is seeking help in costume design, makeup, producing and editing. For those who are interested, go to www.themenlongforgotten.com and send in your information. |
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Northern Michigan From Above: Freighters on the Great Lakes 10/30 - There has been an influx of international freighters on the Great Lakes this shipping season, many transporting wind turbine parts. Most have been dropping off the parts in Duluth to be transported by ground to wind farms in the northern plains. In Northern Michigan From Above, Jim Lehocky shows us several different freighters hauling the parts as they venture through Sault Ste. Marie. https://www.9and10news.com/2020/10/27/northern-michigan-from-above-freighters-on-the-great-lakes |
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Bob McGreevy: A Brush With History 10/30 - Throughout a creative life that spans nearly half a century, Michigan-based maritime artist Robert McGreevy has quietly evolved into something of a freshwater renaissance man. Considered one of the Great Lakes region’s “living masters” by curators and collectors, McGreevy breathes life into historic lake vessels above and below the not-always-placid surface of America’s inland seas. McGreevy has deliberately broadened the scope of his work over the past four decades, becoming not only a master of watercolor and oils, but a rigorous historical researcher, nautical collector, lighthouse society booster, museum-caliber scale ship builder and, lately, Great Lakes shipwreck detective. “Shipwreck detecting is a lot like being a real cop,” said McGreevy with a weary shrug. “Hours and hours of boredom towing the sonar followed by explosive excitement when months or years of research pays off.” Multifaceted family ties to maritime history roll back three full generations on two continents for McGreevy. In Northern Ireland, his grandfather worked as a ship’s carpenter during construction of the R.M.S. Titanic. A pair of his uncles were recruited from the Harland & Wolff yard in Belfast to help drive rivets on the Edmund Fitzgerald and Mackinac Bridge in the late 1950s. McGreevy’s father worked as a machinist at Great Lakes Engineering Works at Wyandotte — a builder of freshwater vessels of all sizes and types. Even his father-in-law was first chair percussionist aboard the beloved Detroit River excursion steamer Tashmoo, which, in a feat of cosmic symmetry, just happens to be McGreevy’s favorite lake vessel of all time. McGreevy spent his childhood along the Detroit River, sketching the lake boats (freighters) as they steamed past — one about every five minutes in those years. His talent was evident early on, and he attended Cass Technical School where he began honing a draftsman’s chops. A distinguished career in Chrysler’s design studio followed; McGreevy was responsible for sculpting the iconic hood ornament of the Dodge Ramcharger pickup truck among other notable automotive styling feats. When McGreevy retired from Chrysler in the summer of 2000, he and his wife, Suzanne, moved their home and his studio from Grosse Pointe to a rambling 1920s-era farmhouse on the Lake Huron shore just north of Harbor Beach. McGreevy’s work is prized by collectors for its serene color palate, elegant composition and fine draftsmanship, and also for its scrupulous historical accuracy. In fact, McGreevy considers himself a historian first, artist second. Read more at this link: https://www.mibluemag.com/features/a-brush-with-history |
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Saltie Gallery updated 10/30 – The saltie gallery has been updated with the following images: Alamosborg, Barbarica, BBC Direction, BBC Dolphin, BBC Eagle, BBC Hudson, BBC Louise, BBC Maine, BBC Mississippi, BBC Rio Grande, Cinnamon, Eider, Elbeborg, Fagelgracht, Federal Alster, Flevoborg, FWN Rapide, Lubie, Maasgracht, Morgenstond I, Olza, Patrona I, Pechora Star, Prosna, Solina and Trudy. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 30
On 30 October 1863, TORRENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 125 foot, 412 gross tons, built in 1855, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Little Bay de Noc when she foundered in a storm on Lake Erie, 10 miles east of Port Stanley, Ontario. No lives were lost. On 30 October 1870, JOSEPH A. HOLLON (wooden barge, 107 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1867, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was in tow of the tug CLEMATIS (wooden tug, 179 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The barge broke free and drifted off. The waves washed completely over her and the captain was swept overboard. Her cabins were destroyed. The next day the wife of the mate and another crewmember were rescued by the bark ONEONTA (wooden bark, 161 foot, 499 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) and taken to Detroit, but the HOLLON was left to drift on the Lake. The newspapers listed her as "missing". Five days later the vessel was found and was towed into Port Elgin, Ontario. A total of four lives were lost: three were missing and the fourth was found "lashed to a pump, dead, with his eyes picked out.” The tugs GLENADA and MOUNT MC KAY towed AMOCO ILLINOIS from Essexville, Michigan, on October 30, 1985, and arrived at the M&M slip in Windsor, Ontario, on November 1st. where she was to be scrapped. The Maritimers CADILLAC and her fleetmate CHAMPLAIN arrived under tow by the Dutch tug/supply ship THOMAS DE GAUWDIEF on October 30, 1987, at Aliaga, Turkey, to be scrapped. The ISLE ROYALE (Canal bulk freighter) was launched October 30, 1947, as a.) SOUTHCLIFFE HALL for the Hall Corporation of Canada Ltd. (which in 1969, became Hall Corporation (Shipping) 1969 Ltd.), Montreal. On 30 October 1874, LOTTA BERNARD (wooden side wheel "rabbit", 125 foot, 147 tons, built in 1869, at Port Clinton, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise from Silver Islet to Duluth when she foundered in a terrific gale off Encampment Island in Lake Superior. Three lives were lost. She was capable of only 4 miles per hour and was at the mercy of any fast-rising storm. During a storm, the schooner ANNABELLA CHAMBERS was wrecked on the islands off Toronto, Ontario, on 30 October 1873. One sailor was washed overboard and lost. The skipper was rescued, but he had the dead body of his small son in his arms. On 30 October, 1971 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 was laid up due to a coal strike. She never sailed again as a carferry. On 30 October 1877, CITY OF TAWAS (3-mast wooden schooner, 135 foot, 291 tons, built in 1864, at Vicksburgh [now Marysville], Michigan as a sloop-barge) was carrying 500 tons of iron ore when she struck a bar outside the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan, while attempting to enter during a storm. She drifted ashore with a hole in her bottom and was pounded to pieces. One brave crewman swam ashore with a line and the rest came in on it. 1918: The bulk carrier VULCAN went aground off Point Abbaye, on Lake Superior and the pilothouse caught fire and burned. The ship was enroute to Hancock, MI with coal and, after being released, was towed to Houghton, MI. The vessel was repaired and became b) VINMOUNT in 1919. 1960: JOHN SHERWIN went aground several miles above the Soo Locks and received serious bottom damage. The vessel was pulled free on November 7 and went for repairs. 1973: AIGLE MARIN, enroute to Thorold with 600 tons of ferrous chrome, went aground in the Seaway near Cornwall, ON. The tug ROBINSON BAY helped pull this small coastal freighter, a product of the Collingwood Shipyard, free on October 31. 1974: JOHN O. McKELLAR of the Misener fleet went aground in the St. Marys River and had to be lightered before being refloated. It was stuck for 3 days. 1978: The Cypriot freighter KARYATIS came through the Seaway in 1973. The ship, later under the Greek flag, was damaged in a collision on the Western Mediterranean with the SPRING. The latter, as a) IRISH ROSE, had made been a Great Lakes visitor from 1956 through 1958, and was declared a total loss after the collision. It was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1979. KARYATIS was repaired and was later broken up at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, as e) NOURA after arrival on April 7, 1987. 1980: The wooden-hulled former coastal freighter AVALON VOYAGER II, enroute to Owen Sound for planned use as a restaurant, had pump problems, lost power and struck bottom off Cape Hurd. The anchors failed to hold. The ship drifted into Hay Bay and stranded again. All on board were saved but the ship was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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‘Grain has saved our bacon’: How Great Lakes shipping has stayed afloat during COVID 10/29 - Thunder Bay, ON – By the end of September, shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway were down 8 per cent from last year — but Thunder Bay is one of the ports that’s been buoyed by a specific kind of cargo “There’s, let’s see, one, two, three — four more on Lake Superior headed this way,” says Tim Heney on the morning of October 22. The president and CEO of the Thunder Bay Port Authority is counting the cargo ships that he expects to see arrive before the day's end. “Yeah, it’s busy.” Already, a trio of vessels is anchored and another three ships are being loaded. For Heney, the constant activity at the port since the season began, around the start of spring, has been a welcome surprise — albeit an “eerie” one, he says, given that many businesses are struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the waterway rush continues through to the end of the Great Lakes shipping season, which typically wraps up around Christmas Day, the Port of Thunder Bay will have shipped its highest per-tonne volume of goods in well over two decades. And it won’t be the only port to exceed expectations. A lot was at stake for Ontario’s economy when the shipping season began, shortly after the province had declared a state of emergency. “The Great Lakes economy is pretty huge,” says Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, which represents more than 130 ports, companies whose goods travel along the seaway, and ship operators on both sides of the border. According to one study, ports in Ontario shipped and received more than 61 million metric tonnes in 2017, supporting 70,000 jobs and generating $10 billion of economic activity. Although the combined tonnage of shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway — considered to be a barometer of Great Lakes shipping activity — was 23.2 million tonnes between April 1 and September 30, down 8 per cent from last year, Thunder Bay is among the ports bucking that downward trend. Experts suggest that the shipping industry could have been hit much harder if not for a certain group of harvested seeds. “Grain has saved our bacon, because a lot of other commodities are down,” explains Burrows. According to the chamber’s latest monthly report, 6.2 million tonnes of grain have sailed along the St. Lawrence Seaway this year. That’s a year-over-year increase of 20 per cent and includes shipments of wheat, corn, soybeans, canola, and, to a lesser extent, pulses such as peas and lentils. Neil Townsend, chief market analyst at FarmLink, a Winnipeg-based marketing consultancy for western Canadian grain farmers, notes that food-security concerns during the pandemic have boosted demand for these Canadian crops at home and abroad. “What we’ve seen with COVID-19 is that, both at the national level and at the individual level, people have indulged in a bit of stockpiling; people want to be ready,” says Townsend. “People, and also nation states, really want to make sure that they are pantry-prepared, have food on shelves — and pasta has a long shelf life.” Burrows notes the phenomenon as well: “Everyone’s buying bread and pasta during the pandemic.” If western Canadian grain is being shipped east, there’s a good chance it will pass through Thunder Bay’s port — which straddles 35 kilometres of shoreline, making it one of the most expansive in the country. Its sizable facilities have served it well during COVID-19, Heney says. Combined, its seven hulking grain elevators in operation have a capacity of 1.1 million metric tonnes; as of last Thursday, the agrarian complex held 586,000 metric tonnes. “It’s got some of the biggest grain-storage capacity in North America,” says Heney. Because of an international shipping-capacity glut, sources familiar with the industry say, more ocean-faring foreign-flagged cargo ships have been coming inland in search of work — something that’s also buoyed Canadian grain exports. Last year, Thunder Bay’s port saw 69 visits from ocean freighters, all of them flying foreign flags, between roughly March 25 and September 30; this year, during the same period, the number was 104. Heney adds that, because European countries limited exports of grain to protect domestic food supplies amid the pandemic, Canada got a competitive edge. “We’re one of the largest exporters in the world, and we’re not ever restricting our exports — there’s no way Canada can consume its own grain.” Many other commodities have not fared so well: as manufacturing ground to a halt, steel and coal shipments (the latter of which is used to produce the former) declined; car-fuel demand dried up as Ontarians commuted less frequently; and jet-fuel orders remain down, with airlines effectively grounded. “It could’ve been a lot worse than down 8 per cent, but it’s still not a great year — there’s no question about that,” says Burrows, adding that many of his ship-operating chamber members have one or two vessels tied up at docks for lack of work. Grain hasn’t been the only boon for the Ontario industry. For example, at the Port of Johnstown, on the St. Lawrence River, marine revenue had increased 30 per cent by the third quarter’s end, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce. Robert Dalley, the port’s general manager, attributes the revenue surge to fees charged for the storage of 29 wind turbines, including 87 blades, at the port’s recently developed uplands facility. Often used for bulk items, such as road salt for eastern Ontario, the uplands have room to store large infrastructure components. “Those blades and those towers take up a huge amount of space,” says Dalley. And, as in Thunder Bay, grain has helped put the port on track for a record year in terms of tonnage. Tom Anderson, director of marine operations for Algoma Central Corporation, a ship operator out of St. Catharines, has been busier than usual for very different reasons: he’s had to create and update safety-protocol materials for crews on Algoma’s Great Lakes fleet, which is made up of 30 ships. “I typically don’t deal with global pandemics,” he says. As the pandemic has evolved, so, too, have Algoma’s policies: early on, shore leave was banned to reduce the risk of infection. Those restrictions eased as the province reopened, but some measures, such as cancelling shore leave in the GTA, were reintroduced when the second wave hit. “Probably the toughest part of the job is that we’ve had to restrict shore leave, and that’s a big thing for seafarers,” he says. “They’re out for extended periods of time; they’d like to get to shore just even to stretch their legs.” Although Burrows expects the gap between this year and last year to narrow with a “pretty robust fall,” he suggests there may still be choppy water ahead. “If this … current second wave continues, it will probably be an eventual lag effect on us,” he says, suggesting that the impact may not be felt until early 2021. “Economically, it’s been a challenging year for sure, and we’re not out of the woods yet.” At the moment, Algoma is operating “full-on,” Anderson says: the grain harvest has created work, and ore and stone shipments have picked up. But the pandemic’s resurgence isn’t the only concern on his radar. Winter is approaching, and extreme weather events can wreak havoc as wind and ice disrupt shipping schedules. “Despite all this COVID stuff,” he says, “there’s still Mother Nature going on.” TVO.org |
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Dossin Museum Fitzgerald remembrance will be virtual this year
10/29 -
21st Annual Lost Mariners Remembrance Out of concern for the health and safety of our community, this year's Lost Mariners Remembrance will take place virtually on Facebook. A lantern vigil at the Edmund Fitzgerald anchor begins the night, followed by the live Honor Guard escort of a memorial wreath to the Detroit River for receipt by an Honor Flotilla of Great Lakes vessels. A performance by Great Lakes balladeer Lee Murdock and a historical presentation by Valerie van Heest, underwater explorer and maritime historian, will follow the wreath ceremony. This year's presentation remembers the Armistice Day blizzard on November 11 and 12, 1940. The fierce early season storm struck the middle of the country, from Kansas to Michigan, when two powerful weather systems collided over the Midwest. Its resulting rain, snow and wind lasted two days and claimed 146 lives, including 66 sailors on three freighters and two smaller craft on Lake Michigan. Guests wishing to watch this year's flotilla in-person may do so from the museum grounds starting at 7 p.m., but the museum will not be open for visitors. The historical presentation and musical performance will only be available online. Presented with support from the Lake Carriers Association and the International Shipmasters Association Detroit Lodge 7. |
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Port Reports - October 29 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney.
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Michigan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit, MI – Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 29
The whaleback barge 127 (steel barge, 264 foot, 1,128 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Company of W. Superior, Wisconsin, on 29 October 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at New Orleans, Louisiana. On 29 October 1906, the schooner WEST SIDE (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 324 gross tons, built in 1870, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pulpwood from Tobermory, Ontario, to Delray, Michigan, when she was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. There was no shelter and the vessel was lost about 25 mile off Thunder Bay Island. The skipper and his crew, consisting of his wife and three sons aged 10 to 18, abandoned in the yawl. They all suffered from exposure to the wind and waves, but luckily the FRANK H. PEAVEY (steel propeller freighter, 430 foot, 5,002 gross tons, built in 1901, at Lorain, Ohio) picked them up and brought them to Port Huron, Michigan. ALGOLAKE (Hull# 211) was launched October 29, 1976, at Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd. for the Algoma Central Railway. On October 29, 1986, the JAMES R. BARKER, which had suffered an engine room fire, was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY and towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs. The pieced-together CANADIAN EXPLORER (Hull#71) was christened on October 29, 1983, at Port Weller Dry Docks. She was created from the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE and the stern of the CABOT. The stern of the EXPLORER is now the stern of the ALGOMA TRANSFER. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled on October 29, 1991, that Total Petroleum was responsible for the fire that destroyed the tanker JUPITER because of faulty moorings and exonerated the BUFFALO from primary responsibility. On the afternoon of October 29, 1987, while upbound with coal from Sandusky, Ohio, the ROGER M. KYES went aground on Gull Island Shoal in Lake Erie's Middle Passage and began taking on water. About 3,000 tons of coal was transferred to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC after which the KYES freed herself the next morning. Damage from the grounding required extensive repairs. She was renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. The tug portion of the PRESQUE ISLE departed New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 29, 1973. The H. C. HEIMBECKER's last trip started at Thunder Bay, Ontario, with a load of grain bound for Owen Sound, Ontario where, on October 29, 1981, it was discovered that one of her boilers was cracked. When unloading was completed on October 30th, the HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio, for scrapping. On 29 October 1892, ZACH CHANDLER (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 194 foot, 727 gross tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying lumber from Ashland, Wisconsin, in tow of the steamer JOHN MITCHELL when the two became separated in a northerly gale in Lake Superior. The CHANDLER was overwhelmed and broke up on shore about three miles east of Deer Park, Michigan. Five of the crew made it to shore in the lifeboat and the Lifesaving Service saved two others, but one perished. Three years earlier, the CHANDLER stranded at almost the same spot and sustained heavy damage. On 29 October 1879, AMAZON (wooden propeller freighter, 245 foot, 1,406 tons, built in 1873, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying "provisions" - 900 tons of freight plus 7,000 barrels of flour - from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. She struck the notorious bar off of Grand Haven in a gale and broke up. All 68 aboard survived. Her engine was later recovered. On 29 October 1880, THOMAS A. SCOTT (4-mast wooden schooner-barge, 207 foot, 1,159 tons, built in 1869, at Buffalo, New York as a propeller) was riding out a storm at anchor one mile off Milwaukee when she was struck by the big steamer AVON (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1,702 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York). The SCOTT sank quickly. She had been bound from Chicago for Erie, Pennsylvania, with 44,000 bushels of corn. Three of her crew scrambled onto the AVON while the seven others took to the yawl and were towed in by the Lifesaving Service. 1887: VERNON, enroute from Cheboygan to Chicago, foundered off Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in a sudden and violent Lake Michigan storm. Only one on board was saved while another 36 lives were lost. 1907: CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, a wooden passenger steamer recently brought into Canadian registry, caught fire while stopped at Tobermory for the night while enroute from Wiarton to Manitoulin Island. The blazing ship was cut loose, drifted into the bay and sank. 1917: RISING SUN stranded at Pyramid Point, Lake Michigan, in snow and the 32 on board were rescued before the ship was broken apart by the surf. 1924: GLENORCHY sank in Lake Huron, six miles ESE of Harbor Beach after a collision with the LEONARD B. MILLER. Dense fog mixing with smoke from forest fires were blamed for the accident. All on board were saved. No lives were lost but the GLENORCHY sank and the estimated damage to the two vessels was $600,000. 1926: TORHAMVAN, built at Midland as CANADIAN LOGGER, was wrecked off Newfoundland after going aground in fog enroute to Montreal. Area residents rescued the crew. 1929: The passenger and freight carrier WISCONSIN foundered off Kenosha, Wisconsin, with the loss of 16 lives. 1942: NORLUNA, built at Chicago in 1919 as LAKE GETAWAY, stranded in Ungava Bay, off the coast of Labrador near Fort Chimo, and was a total loss. 1951: After unloading grain at Buffalo, the PENOBSCOT was in a collision on the Buffalo River with the tanker barge MORANIA 130, pushed by the tug DAUNTLESS NO. 12. The barge was carrying gasoline and a terrible fire broke out. A total of 11 sailors, including two on the freighter, died from burns. 1959: MARISCO had visited the Great Lakes as a) MOYRA and b) HEIKA. The ship foundered in the Gulf of Laconia, off Gythion, Greece, after developing a leak in the engineroom. It was enroute from Varna, Bulgaria, to Genoa, Italy, with iron ore. 1968: GLOUCESTER CITY began Great Lakes trading in 1966. The ship was sailing as b) ST. JOHN when it put into Fort Dauphin, Malagasy Republic, with engine trouble on a voyage from Montreal to Djakarta, Indonesia. Two days later the vessel broke its moorings in a gale and was blown on a sandbank as a total loss. 1978: The Swedish freighter FREDBORG, b) FREDRIK RAGNE, a Great Lakes visitor under both names before and after the Seaway was opened, returned as c) ANASTASSIA in 1968. The vessel was towed out of Tema, Ghana, as e) GAYTA on this date in 1978 and scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes Dredge & Dock to move headquarters to Houston 10/28 - Oak Brook, IL – Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, the nation’s largest provider of dredging services, announced October 22 that it is moving its national headquarters to Houston, Texas, from Oak Brook, Ill. The company will maintain a business and operations support center in the Oak Brook area. In a press release, the company said the move is “the latest milestone for what began in 1890 as a fledgling Chicago marine construction firm and has since grown into the country’s largest provider of dredging services.” The company–which has helped create, shape and restore many of America’s biggest ports, harbors and shorelines–operates on every domestic coastline and throughout many inland U.S. waterways, with an expansive fleet of specialized dredging vessels. It also has performed extensive international operations, mostly in the Middle East. Relocating its corporate offices to Houston puts the company closer to key regional customers and new markets, especially along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River, the company said. To further support the move, the company also recently opened strategic regional offices in Jacksonville, Fla., and Staten Island, N.Y., where it long has run major projects and expects to take on additional work. The relocation stems in part from changing industry dynamics, as the dredging market has shifted from northern Illinois and the Great Lakes to work along the Gulf Coast and in the Northeast and Southeast coastal regions. The company has been involved in the development and construction of many well-known landmarks. In the Great Lakes region, that has included Chicago’s Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue Bridge; straightening and reversing the flow of the Chicago River; Northerly Island, a 91-acre peninsula along Chicago’s Lake Michigan; and deepening the St. Lawrence Seaway between the U.S. and Canada. Waterways Journal |
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Port Reports - October 28 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney.
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Michigan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit, MI – Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 28
On this day in 1939, the Pittsburgh steamer D. G. KERR, Captain H. D. Mc Leod, rescued six men from the cabin cruiser FRANCIS J. H. that was disabled and sinking on Lake Erie. On this day in 1953, the McKEE SONS loaded her first cargo of 17,238 tons of stone at Port Inland for delivery to East Chicago. Originally built as the C-4 MARINE ANGEL, the McKEE SONS was the first ocean vessel converted to a Great Lakes self-unloader. On this day in 1978, a new 420 foot tanker built at Levingston Shipbuilding, Orange, Texas, was christened GEMINI during ceremonies at Huron, Ohio. The GEMINI was the largest American flagged tanker on the lakes with a capacity of 75,000 barrels and a rated speed of 15.5 mph. Sold Canadian and renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. On October 28, 1891, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) was dragged ashore off Fairport, Ohio, by a strong gale. She was stranded and declared a total loss. However, she was salvaged and repaired in 1892 and lasted one more year. CANADIAN PIONEER's maiden voyage was on October 28, 1981, to Conneaut, Ohio, to take on coal for Nanticoke, Ontario. CANADIAN TRANSPORT was launched October 28, 1978, for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. FRED G. HARTWELL (Hull# 781) was launched October 28, 1922, by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio, for the Franklin Steamship Co. Renamed b.) MATTHEW ANDREWS in 1951. Sold Canadian in 1962, renamed c.) GEORGE M. CARL. She was scrapped at Aviles, Spain, in 1984. D. M. CLEMSON (Hull# 716) was launched October 28, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. CHARLES M. WHITE was launched October 28, 1945, as a C4-S-A4 cargo ship a.) MOUNT MANSFIELD for the U.S. Maritime Commission (U.S.M.C. Hull #2369). On October 28, 1887, BESSIE BARWICK, a 135 foot wooden schooner built in 1866, at St. Catharines, Ontario, as a bark, left Port Arthur for Kingston, Ontario, with a load of lumber during a storm. For more than ten days, her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, a westerly gale drove her into the shallows of Michipicoten Island and she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was sheltered by local fishermen and then made it to the Soo in a small open boat. On October 28, 1882, RUDOLPH WETZEL (wooden propeller tug, 23 tons, built in 1870, at Buffalo, New York) was racing for a tow with the tug HENRY S SILL when her boiler exploded 12 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin. She quickly sank. All three on board were killed and none of the bodies were ever found. 1901: The wooden schooner JULIA LARSON sank in a gale a half-mile northeast of Grand Marais, MI. The ship was later recovered and returned to service. 1928: The newly built DEEPWATER ran aground at Sugar Loaf Point, west of Port Colborne, in fog. The ship was lightered and released four days later and went to Montreal for repairs. The vessel later sailed the lakes as b) KEYMONT and c) HAMILDOC (ii) before being scrapped at Port Dalhousie in 1962. 1939: The tug R.P. REIDENBACH, with E.A.S. CLARKE (ii) under tow at Ashtabula, rolled over and sank with the loss of 2 lives. It was refloated, became b) CONNEAUT in 1941 and was scrapped at Ashtabula about 1964. 1959: The tug BROWN BROTHERS, enroute to Port Burwell under tow of the tug LUKE, was overwhelmed by the waves and sank off Long Point with no loss of life. Originally a fish tug, the vessel served as the b) IVEY ROSE from 1946 to 1950 pushing the barge T.A. IVEY in the Lake Erie coal trade. 1964: BORGFRED, a Great Lakes visitor in 1952, caught fire in the engine room as g) GIANNIS and sank off Malta two days later while on a voyage from Romania to Algeria. 1970: WEARFIELD, a British freighter began Great Lakes visits in 1964 as the largest saltwater ship to yet use the Seaway, was blown aground at the entrance to the Soo Locks due to high winds on this date in 1970. It took over 5 hours to release the vessel. Service ended on arrival at Shanghai, China, for scrapping as f) FAIR WIND on March 15, 1985. 1979: PIERSON INDEPENDENT ran aground in the St. Lawrence near Brockville while downbound with a cargo of corn. The ship was released but then beached as it was taking on water. Temporary repairs allowed the vessel to be refloated again on October 31 and it sailed to Trois Rivieres to be unloaded. 2007: SEA MAID, a small Danish freighter, came through the Seaway in 1997 with steel for Cleveland. It was wrecked as d) OMER N. 18 miles west of Gedser, Denmark, and was dismantled in sections at Grenaa, Denmark, in 2008. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Salarium scrap tow set to depart 10/27 - It's official. Finally, the tow SAL (Canada Steamship Lines’ ex Salarium) with tug Thor I will leave Montreal for Turkey today. It will be assisted by the Duga of the Groupe Ocean. Thor I has been in Montreal since October 10. René Beauchamp – Seaway News |
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Port Reports - October 27 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
Northern Lake Michigan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit, MI – Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski |
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Obituary: Sterling P. Berry 10/27 - Sterling Price Berry was born in Detroit in 1925. He spent summers on the Lake St. Clair Flats watching freighters go by, igniting his lifelong love of the Great Lakes and Great Lakes shipping. Sterling graduated from Grosse Pointe High School with the class of 1943. He served in the United States Navy in WWII and graduated from Northwestern University in 1950. He retired in 1988 from a career in human resources management, where he was widely respected by labor and administration alike. Retirement allowed him to devote more time to his many passions. Chief among those was Great Lakes shipping, sharing his enthusiasm and expertise through his website: www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com and his affiliations with the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, which honored him with the Distinguished Service Award for 70 years of membership and service on the MHSD Advisory Council; Great Lakes Maritime Institute; Lake Superior Marine Museum Association; Dossin Great Lakes Museum; and the Toronto Marine Historical Society. Sterling always had a song in his heart and a pitch pipe in his pocket. His musical resume included: Choirmaster at St. Philip and St. Steven Episcopal Church, 48-year member of Society for Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (Barbershop Harmony Society), Rackham Community Choir, Senior Men's Club of Grosse Pointe Choir, Director of the Good News Gospel Singers, St. Michael's Episcopal Church Choir, American House Choir, and most special to him: founder and leader of the Berry Chorale. His participation in the Christ Church Chorale sparked a passion for travel, as he performed throughout Europe over the course of almost 20 years. He was devoted to service to others. He was always ready with a greeting of "Hello, Friend!" as he delivered Meals on Wheels for 29 years, served at soup kitchens, worked alongside Anne in advocacy for public schools, helped adults learn to read, and worked as a volunteer docent at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Sterling married Anne Louise Hinchman in 1959, sharing 61 years with his beloved .Anniebelle. Together, they raised five daughters: Julia Berry, Ginna Ericksen (Matt), Martha Long, Barbara Pappas (William), and Melissa Hibdon (Terry). He was the proud grandfather of Nick Ericksen, Melissa Ericksen Burns (Will), Andie Long, Peter Sterling Ericksen, Emily Ericksen Johnson (Alex), Stephanie Long, Theodore Sterling Pappas, and Sterling Hibdon. He was honorary grandfather to Alejandro Lleras (Leah) and Mark Holley (Karen), and great-grandfather to their children Maddie and Olivia Lleras, and Charlotte Holley. He was the beloved uncle of Ken Berry (Connie Nassios), Judith Garver (Patrick), Emma Meston (Jim), Sara Howell (Brad), Carolyn Gray (Dan), David Hinchman (Pauline), Ted Hinchman and many grand nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Tommie and Annie Berry, beloved uncle Duncan Pirie, brother Douglas Berry, sister-in-law Mary Berry, nephew Thomas Berry, brother-in-law Ted Hinchman, and niece Nancy Hinchman. A private memorial service will be held. Sterling will be laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit. Memorial contributions can be made in his name to Harmony Foundation International, Chippewa County Historical Society (Sault Ste. Marie), or the Dossin Great Lakes Museum (a division of the Detroit Historical Society). |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 27
On this day in 1979, the MESABI MINER delivered her first cargo of coal to Port Washington, Wis. The 21- foot draft restriction of the harbor limited the cargo to 39,000 tons. While in tow of the tug MERRICK on October 27, 1879, the NIAGARA (wooden schooner, 204 foot, 764 gross tons, built in 1873, at Tonawanda, New York) collided with the PORTER (wooden schooner, 205 foot, 747 gross tons, built in 1874, at Milwaukee, Wis.), which was in tow of the tug WILCOX at the mouth of the Detroit River. The PORTER sank but was salvaged and repaired. She lasted another 19 years. PAUL THAYER was christened on October 27, 1973, at Lorain, Ohio. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995 and MANITOWOC in 2008. While the JAMES R. BARKER was upbound October 27, 1986, on Lake Huron above buoys 11 & 12, a high-pressure fuel line on the starboard engine failed causing an engine room fire, which was extinguished by on-board fire fighting equipment. Fortunately no one was injured. On her maiden voyage, the HOCHELAGA departed Collingwood on October 27, 1949, for Fort William, Ontario, to load grain for Port Colborne, Ontario. FRANCIS E. HOUSE was laid up at Duluth on October 27, 1960, and remained idle there until April, 1966, when she was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland and renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. On October 27, 1973, the HENRY LA LIBERTE struck an embankment while backing from the Frontier Dock Slip at Buffalo, New York, and damaged her steering gear beyond repair. As a consequence she was laid up there. RED WING and FRANK A. SHERMAN departed Lauzon, Quebec, on October 27, 1986, in tandem tow by the Vancouver based deep-sea tug CANADIAN VIKING bound for scrapping in Taiwan. On October 27, 1869, ALFRED ALLEN (wooden schooner, 160 tons, built in 1853, at Pultneyville, New Jersey, as J. J. MORLEY) was bound for Toledo, Ohio, with 500 barrels of salt when she went on the Mohawk Reef near Port Colborne, Ontario, in a blizzard. She washed free and drifted to the mainland beach where she was pounded to pieces. No lives were lost. During a snowstorm on the night of October 27, 1878, the propeller QUEBEC of the Beatty Line ran aground on Magnetic Shoals near Cockburn Island on Lake Huron. She was four miles from shore and one of her arches was broken in the accident. October 27, 1854 - Well-known Pere Marquette carferry captain Joseph "Joe" Russell was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin. 1937: EASTON, of the Misener's Colonial Steamship Co., arrived at Meaford, ON with a cracked cylinder in the engine. The ship was there to load a cargo of baled hay for Fort William and bushels of apples. The trip was canceled and the vessel was sent for repairs. 1965: The Liberty ship PANAGATHOS traded through the Seaway in 1962 and 1963 under Greek registry and was back in 1965 under the flag of Liberia. The vessel ran aground off Ameland Island, 4 nautical miles from the Hollum Lighthouse, Holland, enroute from Amsterdam and Hamburg to the U.S. East Coast with a cargo of steel. The ship was abandoned as a total loss and the hull remained there until at least 1970. 1965: A fire broke out aboard the Egyptian freighter STAR OF SUEZ while upbound in the Seaway east of the Snell Lock. The ship was docked at Cornwall and the local fire company doused the blaze. The cargo of cotton in #3 hold was mostly offloaded. The ship lasted until scrapping at Split, Yugoslavia, in 1980. 1976: A fire in the bilge of the tug CHRIS M. at Toronto destroyed the ship's wiring. The vessel had become unpopular at the waterfront area but was rebuilt as the powered 3-masted schooner EMPIRE SANDY in 1983. 1982: The French ore carrier FRANCOIS L.D., a regular Great Lakes caller since 1962, struck the breakwall at Cape Vincent, NY while westbound in fog. There was heavy damage to the structure and the ship had a dent in the bow. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Northern Lake Michigan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Muskegon, MI – Shipwatcher News
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit, MI – Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 26
On this day in 1979, the MESABI MINER delivered her first cargo of coal to Port Washington, Wis. The 21- foot draft restriction of the harbor limited the cargo to 39,000 tons. While in tow of the tug MERRICK on October 27, 1879, the NIAGARA (wooden schooner, 204 foot, 764 gross tons, built in 1873, at Tonawanda, New York) collided with the PORTER (wooden schooner, 205 foot, 747 gross tons, built in 1874, at Milwaukee, Wis.), which was in tow of the tug WILCOX at the mouth of the Detroit River. The PORTER sank but was salvaged and repaired. She lasted another 19 years. PAUL THAYER was christened on October 27, 1973, at Lorain, Ohio. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995 and MANITOWOC in 2008. While the JAMES R. BARKER was upbound October 27, 1986, on Lake Huron above buoys 11 & 12, a high-pressure fuel line on the starboard engine failed causing an engine room fire, which was extinguished by on-board fire fighting equipment. Fortunately no one was injured. On her maiden voyage, the HOCHELAGA departed Collingwood on October 27, 1949, for Fort William, Ontario, to load grain for Port Colborne, Ontario. FRANCIS E. HOUSE was laid up at Duluth on October 27, 1960, and remained idle there until April, 1966, when she was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland and renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. On October 27, 1973, the HENRY LA LIBERTE struck an embankment while backing from the Frontier Dock Slip at Buffalo, New York, and damaged her steering gear beyond repair. As a consequence she was laid up there. RED WING and FRANK A. SHERMAN departed Lauzon, Quebec, on October 27, 1986, in tandem tow by the Vancouver based deep-sea tug CANADIAN VIKING bound for scrapping in Taiwan. On October 27, 1869, ALFRED ALLEN (wooden schooner, 160 tons, built in 1853, at Pultneyville, New Jersey, as J. J. MORLEY) was bound for Toledo, Ohio, with 500 barrels of salt when she went on the Mohawk Reef near Port Colborne, Ontario, in a blizzard. She washed free and drifted to the mainland beach where she was pounded to pieces. No lives were lost. During a snowstorm on the night of October 27, 1878, the propeller QUEBEC of the Beatty Line ran aground on Magnetic Shoals near Cockburn Island on Lake Huron. She was four miles from shore and one of her arches was broken in the accident. October 27, 1854 - Well-known Pere Marquette carferry captain Joseph "Joe" Russell was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin. 1937: EASTON, of the Misener's Colonial Steamship Co., arrived at Meaford, ON with a cracked cylinder in the engine. The ship was there to load a cargo of baled hay for Fort William and bushels of apples. The trip was canceled and the vessel was sent for repairs. 1965: The Liberty ship PANAGATHOS traded through the Seaway in 1962 and 1963 under Greek registry and was back in 1965 under the flag of Liberia. The vessel ran aground off Ameland Island, 4 nautical miles from the Hollum Lighthouse, Holland, enroute from Amsterdam and Hamburg to the U.S. East Coast with a cargo of steel. The ship was abandoned as a total loss and the hull remained there until at least 1970. 1965: A fire broke out aboard the Egyptian freighter STAR OF SUEZ while upbound in the Seaway east of the Snell Lock. The ship was docked at Cornwall and the local fire company doused the blaze. The cargo of cotton in #3 hold was mostly offloaded. The ship lasted until scrapping at Split, Yugoslavia, in 1980. 1976: A fire in the bilge of the tug CHRIS M. at Toronto destroyed the ship's wiring. The vessel had become unpopular at the waterfront area but was rebuilt as the powered 3-masted schooner EMPIRE SANDY in 1983. 1982: The French ore carrier FRANCOIS L.D., a regular Great Lakes caller since 1962, struck the breakwall at Cape Vincent, NY while westbound in fog. There was heavy damage to the structure and the ship had a dent in the bow. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Intrepid heads for Canada 10/25 - Algoma Intrepid departed from Algeciras on Saturday and is currently sailing at 11.6 knots with southwest direction heading to Montreal with reported estimated time of arrival at 2020-11-08. Source: Marine Traffic Rene Beauchamp |
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Port Reports - October 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Michigan
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Monroe, MI
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 25
On October 24, 1886, the wooden steam barge RUDOLPH burned on Lake St. Clair and was beached. She was loaded with lumber from East Saginaw, Michigan, for Cleveland, Ohio. On October 24, 1902, W. T. CHAPPELL (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 39 gross tons, built in 1877, at Sebewaing, Michigan) was carrying stove wood from Grand Marais, Michigan, to the Soo in a severe storm on Lake Superior when she sprang a leak. She was blown over and sank four miles from the Vermillion Life Saving Station. The lifesaving crew rescued the two-man crew in the surfboat and took them to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse for the night since the storm was so severe. THUNTANK 6 (Hull#309) was launched October 24, 1969, at Wallsend, England, by Clelands Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., for Thun Tankers Ltd., London, U.K. Renamed b.) ANTERIORITY in 1972. Purchased by Texaco Canada in 1975, renamed c.) TEXACO WARRIOR. Sold off-lakes in 1984, renamed d.) TRADER, e.) SEA CORAL in 1985, f.) TALIA II in 1985, g.) TALIA in 1985, STELLA ORION in 1995 and h.) SYRA in 2000. The PHILIP D. BLOCK / W. W. HOLLOWAY scrap tow arrived at Recife, Brazil. October 24, 1986. THOMAS W. LAMONT and her former fleetmate, ENDERS M. VOORHEES arrived at Alegeciras, Spain on October 24, 1987, on the way to the cutters’ torch. The LAMONT was one of the last bulkers that retained her telescoping hatch covers to the very end. NIPIGON BAY arrived Thunder Bay, Ontario, on October 24, 1980, where repairs were made from damage caused by her grounding earlier in the month. On October 24, 1855, ALLEGHENY (wooden propeller, 178 foot, 468 tons, built in 1849, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm, when she anchored near the Milwaukee harbor entrance for shelter. She lost her stack and then was unable to get up steam and was helpless. She dragged her anchor and came in close to the beach where she was pounded to pieces. There was no loss of life. Her engine and most of her cargo were removed by the end of the month. Her engine was installed in a new vessel of the same name built to replace her. On October 24, 1873, just a month after being launched, the scow WAUBONSIE capsized at St. Clair, Michigan, and lost her cargo of bricks. She was righted and towed to Port Huron, minus masts, rigging and bowsprit, for repairs. On October 24, 1886, LADY DUFFERIN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 135 foot, 356 gross tons, built at Port Burwell, Ontario) was lost from the tow of the propeller W B HALL and went ashore near Cabot Head on Georgian Bay. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a total loss. On October 24, 1953, the Yankcanuck Steamship Lines' MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1,558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J. S. KEEFE) ran aground south of the channel into the Saugeen River. The tug RUTH HINDMAN from Killarney pulled her free. No damage was reported. 1898: L.R. DOTY foundered off Kenosha in high winds and waves with the loss of 18 lives. The vessel was enroute from Chicago to Midland with a cargo of corn and towing the schooner OLIVE JEANETTE. The latter broke loose and survived. 1948: HARRY T. EWIG stranded off Point Abino, Lake Erie. The ship was lightered to fleetmate BUCKEYE and released with about $40,000 in damage. 1959: WESTRIVER, under tow of the tugs LAURENCE C. TURNER and AMERICA, headed down the Seaway for repairs after being damaged in an earlier explosion on Lake Superior. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Manistee, MI
Milwaukee, WI
Northern Lake Michigan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski |
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National Museum to offer Edmund Fitzgerald specialty tour 10/24 - Toledo, OH – In recognition of the 45th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the theories about the vessel’s sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. “While traveling Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, the ‘Mighty Fitz’ and it’s entire crew sank during a storm,” recalls Chris Gillcrist, Executive Director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “Many from that crew were from the Toledo area. We believe this tour provides a more experiential and hands-on way to learn about a tragedy that deeply impacted the lives of so many near and far.” Along with the tour, each group will receive a copy of the documentary A Good Ship and Crew Well Seasoned: The Fitzgerald and Her Legacy. This hour-long DVD explores the less documented and overlooked history of the Fitzgerald and her crew while at the same time reflecting on the impact of their loss on family, friends and colleagues in the maritime community. Although closed for the season beginning November 1, The Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship will open one last time this season on November 7 - 8 exclusively to tour guests for this unique experience. Tickets are limited to 26 groups of 4 individuals over a 2-day period (to allow for social distancing throughout the museum ship). Tickets must be sold in groups of four as part of the museum's Covid 19 protection plan. In this way, groups are prearranged by the purchaser to ensure that people who have never met are not lumped together. Pre-sale reservations were made available to museum members on Wednesday, October 21. General public access to tickets begins today, Friday, October 23. Masks will be required during the entire tour. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000. NMGL |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 24
On October 24, 1886, the wooden steam barge RUDOLPH burned on Lake St. Clair and was beached. She was loaded with lumber from East Saginaw, Michigan, for Cleveland, Ohio. On October 24, 1902, W. T. CHAPPELL (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 39 gross tons, built in 1877, at Sebewaing, Michigan) was carrying stove wood from Grand Marais, Michigan, to the Soo in a severe storm on Lake Superior when she sprang a leak. She was blown over and sank four miles from the Vermillion Life Saving Station. The lifesaving crew rescued the two-man crew in the surfboat and took them to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse for the night since the storm was so severe. THUNTANK 6 (Hull#309) was launched October 24, 1969, at Wallsend, England, by Clelands Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., for Thun Tankers Ltd., London, U.K. Renamed b.) ANTERIORITY in 1972. Purchased by Texaco Canada in 1975, renamed c.) TEXACO WARRIOR. Sold off-lakes in 1984, renamed d.) TRADER, e.) SEA CORAL in 1985, f.) TALIA II in 1985, g.) TALIA in 1985, STELLA ORION in 1995 and h.) SYRA in 2000. The PHILIP D. BLOCK / W. W. HOLLOWAY scrap tow arrived at Recife, Brazil. October 24, 1986. THOMAS W. LAMONT and her former fleetmate, ENDERS M. VOORHEES arrived at Alegeciras, Spain on October 24, 1987, on the way to the cutters’ torch. The LAMONT was one of the last bulkers that retained her telescoping hatch covers to the very end. NIPIGON BAY arrived Thunder Bay, Ontario, on October 24, 1980, where repairs were made from damage caused by her grounding earlier in the month. On October 24, 1855, ALLEGHENY (wooden propeller, 178 foot, 468 tons, built in 1849, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm, when she anchored near the Milwaukee harbor entrance for shelter. She lost her stack and then was unable to get up steam and was helpless. She dragged her anchor and came in close to the beach where she was pounded to pieces. There was no loss of life. Her engine and most of her cargo were removed by the end of the month. Her engine was installed in a new vessel of the same name built to replace her. On October 24, 1873, just a month after being launched, the scow WAUBONSIE capsized at St. Clair, Michigan, and lost her cargo of bricks. She was righted and towed to Port Huron, minus masts, rigging and bowsprit, for repairs. On October 24, 1886, LADY DUFFERIN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 135 foot, 356 gross tons, built at Port Burwell, Ontario) was lost from the tow of the propeller W B HALL and went ashore near Cabot Head on Georgian Bay. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a total loss. On October 24, 1953, the Yankcanuck Steamship Lines' MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1,558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J. S. KEEFE) ran aground south of the channel into the Saugeen River. The tug RUTH HINDMAN from Killarney pulled her free. No damage was reported. 1898: L.R. DOTY foundered off Kenosha in high winds and waves with the loss of 18 lives. The vessel was enroute from Chicago to Midland with a cargo of corn and towing the schooner OLIVE JEANETTE. The latter broke loose and survived. 1948: HARRY T. EWIG stranded off Point Abino, Lake Erie. The ship was lightered to fleetmate BUCKEYE and released with about $40,000 in damage. 1959: WESTRIVER, under tow of the tugs LAURENCE C. TURNER and AMERICA, headed down the Seaway for repairs after being damaged in an earlier explosion on Lake Superior. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Compass fits out 10/23 - Owen Sound, ON – Algoma Compass departed Owen Sound on her first trip of the season on Thursday. She was headed for Meldrum Bay. |
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Grain shipments a bright spot in rough year for Great Lakes ports 10/23 - Indiana-Burns Harbor – Grain shipments have been a bright spot in a tough year for shipping on the Great Lakes, to ports such as the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Port of Chicago. Ocean-faring ships known as salties have shipped a total of 23.3 million tons of international cargo through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes thus far this year, a drop of 8% as compared to the same period in 2019. The decline is attributed to the coronavirus pandemic and high water levels that have made passage slower and more difficult. U.S. grain shipments, however, rose to 1.1 million tons through the end of September, an increase of 4% year-over-year. “U.S. grain shipments are increasing with the new Midwest soybean harvest being shipped to Europe and North Africa,” said Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “We expect that will continue through the remainder of the shipping season.” General cargo shipments, including wind turbine components, have held steady. But shipments of iron ore, liquid bulk and dry bulk through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes remained depressed through Sept. 30, largely because of the pandemic. Steel shipments, traditionally one of the largest cargoes at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, have been down this year. “While 2020 has been a very busy year at the Port of Indiana–Burns Harbor in terms of general and project cargo shipments, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly stifled demand for steel products throughout the world, including Northwest Indiana," Port Director Ian Hirt said. "Through the end of August, year-to-date steel shipments through the port are down 8.9 percent. In September, the port saw waterborne steel cargoes from Belgium and Holland as well as cross-lake shipments from Canada.” The Great Lakes shipping industry remains optimistic that this year's harvest will lift cargoes before the lakes freeze and the shipping season comes to an end. “U.S. grain export shipments year-to-date have surpassed last year’s totals for this same time period. With three months remaining in the Great Lakes–Seaway shipping season, we anticipate shipments of grain exports to remain strong, especially with Canadian crop yields being particularly robust this year," said Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. "The high demand for agricultural products is continuing and, with many crops approaching harvest time, the momentum on grain is building. In addition, wind energy shipments are on track to remain strong through the end of the navigation season." |
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Port Reports - October 23 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Michigan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Desgagnés vessel shipping containers to Toronto 10/23 - Montreal, QC – The Claude A. Desgagnés, part of the general cargo and bulker fleet of Quebec City-based Groupe Desgagnés, is shipping some 400 containers from Montreal to Toronto via the St. Lawrence Seaway. This follows an arrangement with MSC Canada in response to lingering congestion issues on the railway networks and at the ports of Montreal and Halifax following a series of docker strikes on the Montreal waterfront which caused vessel diversions. While stressing the shipment was “definitely not a liner service,” Alexandre Beauchamp-Parent, President of Navigation Desgagnés, strongly hinted it represented more than a single-voyage, shortsea shipping initiative. “We are always looking for creative solution opportunities and alternative options to transportation problems,” he told Maritime Magazine. Mr. Beauchamp-Parent affirmed that evidence pointed to a business case “for continuing with other similar voyages” that could include containers coming back to Montreal. A second Montreal-Toronto voyage is presently under discussion for some time in November. “You need a lot of ingredients to make a good recipe – but there looks to be a good business case,” he said, adding: “It is quite a team effort between ourselves, MSC, the Port of Montreal, the Port of Toronto, Termont terminal, and Logistec. We are going to see if we can make this option grow.” Shippers in the Toronto-Hamilton region (the so-called Golden Horseshoe) account for the biggest volume of the 1.7 million export and import containers handled at the Port of Montreal. An industry source commented that “Desgagnés is capitalizing on a window of opportunity between now and the end of the Seaway season in late December. Also many of the containers being shipped are heavy load boxes more difficult to move by rail.” Tony Boemi, VP Growth and Development for the Montreal Port Authority, said ”a primary purpose of the first voyage was to decongest Termont terminal. Otherwise, traffic flow is not yet quite back to normal at the Port of Montreal and the backlog could last another two weeks.” Meanwhile, the Port of Montreal hailed the shipment, declaring: “This is the first time in over a decade that such a shipment has happened. In fact, the practice of container cabotage from Montreal to the Great Lakes has been abandoned since the early 1980s. A service was considered in 2009, but was quickly decommissioned in favour of transit by truck or rail. Maritime Magazine |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 23
On this day in 1949, the new Canada Steamship Line steamer HOCHELAGA successfully completed her sea trials in Georgian Bay. She departed Collingwood the next day to load her first cargo of grain at Port Arthur. On October 23,1887, the small wooden scow-schooner LADY ELGIN was driven ashore about one mile north of Goderich, Ontario, in a severe storm that claimed numerous other vessels. By October 26, she was broken up by the waves. The CARL GORTHON, was launched October 23, 1970, for Rederi A/B Gylfe, Hsingborg, Sweden. Sold Canadian in 1980, renamed b.) FEDERAL PIONEER and c.) CECILIA DESGAGNES in 1985. In 2000, she was used as a movie set, unofficially renamed LADY PANAMA. The rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS was launched October 23, 1926, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Grand Trunk-Milwaukee Car Ferry Co., Muskegon, Michigan. She entered service in December of 1926. WILLIAM B. SCHILLER (Hull#372) was launched October 23, 1909, at Lorain, Ohio, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. October 23, 1953 - The steamer SPARTAN arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain Harold A. Altschwager was in command. On October 23, 1868, F. T. BARNEY (wooden schooner, 255 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) collided with the schooner TRACY J BRONSON and sank below Nine Mile Point, Northwest of Rogers City in Lake Michigan. The wreck was found in 1987, and sits in deep water, upright in almost perfect condition. On October 23, 1873, the wooden steam barge GENEVA was loaded with wheat and towing the barge GENOA in a violent storm on Lake Superior. She bent her propeller shaft and the flailing blades cut a large hole in her stern. The water rushed in and she went down quickly 15 miles off Caribou Island. No lives were lost. This was her first season of service. She was one of the first bulk freighters with the classic Great Lakes fore and aft deckhouses. On October 23, 1883, JULIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 89 foot, 115 gross tons, built in 1875, at Smith's Falls, Ontario) was coming into Oswego harbor with a load of barley when she struck a pier in the dark and sank. No lives were lost. 1906: The wooden steamer SHENANDOAH backed into a wharf at South Chicago and then went full ahead into the opposite wharf. The captain was found to be drunk and his certificate was suspended. 1917: KATAHDIN was built at West Bay City in 1895 but was sold off-lakes in 1899. The ship was damaged as b) EXPORT in a collision on this date with the Japanese freighter TOKAYAMA MARU in the Delaware River. As a result of the accident, the ship was scrapped in 1918. 1956: GREY BEAVER ran aground on Stoney Crest Island, near Alexandria Bay, NY while downbound with wheat from Toronto to Trois Rivieres, QC. The vessel was released with bottom damage and required a trip to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. 1968: NORMAN P. CLEMENT, damaged by a grounding and then an on board explosion, was scuttled in the deep water of Georgian Bay near Christian Island. 1987: CANADIAN ENTERPRISE stranded in the Amherstburg Channel. The ship was lightered of 1,840 tons of coal and then pulled free by 4 tugs before going to Thunder Bay for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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American Spirit re-enters service 10/22 - American Spirit has fit out and is on her way to Two Harbors for iron ore. She has been laid up at Toledo since May 23. |
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WWII submarine repairs delayed until spring 2021 10/22 - Erie, PA – The USS Cod, a World War II submarine scheduled to undergo drydock maintenance at Erie's Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair this fall will now have to wait until spring 2021, organizers of the USS Cod Drydock 2020 announced. The submarine was originally scheduled to be towed to Erie from its berth in Cleveland earlier this month. However, after reportedly running into issues with the towing company, a pre-winter repair in Erie seemed unlikely. The group organizing the hull repairs to the 77-year-old submarine says the visit to Erie will need to wait until spring because of the holidays and expected ice buildup on Lake Erie. The post from the Facebook group "USS Cod Drydock 2020" says: “It's been one week since our original towing company backed out on us. It seems like a month. Sadly our time before the busy season begins at Donjon is too short. With the holiday-shortened months almost here there is not enough time to ensure our hull coatings cure and ice becomes an issue with a late December departure. So I have decided to hold off the drydocking until spring. It's in the best interest of Cod and everyone involved. Getting the best results for our investment is paramount. We're looking forward to seeing our friends in Erie in better weather next spring!” Erie News Now |
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Port Reports - October 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Tunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss |
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An update from the S.S. Keewatin 10/22 - Port McNicoll, ON – Thanks for helping to Keep the Keewatin in Port McNicoll. We asked Tay Township to request that Simcoe County collaborate with us in an appeal to Canadian Heritage for review of our application for Category B designation, and that has happened: our new curator, Fred Addis, has been working with the curator of Simcoe County Museum to that end. In addition, a guarantor has come forward to provide the financial “backstop” we will need to assure Canadian Heritage we have not only the competency, but also the ability, to operate and care-for the ship once we can re-open. Plus, we’ve been talking with the ship’s owner, Skyline Investments, and Keewatin Volunteers have recently been back on the ship preparing her for winter. S.S. Keewatin is many things! She is a tangible representative of the Great Lakes shipping industry that helped forge North Simcoe. She is a remarkable Canadian artifact with a direct link to the cementing of Confederation. And she is The World’s Last Edwardian Passenger Steamship: of some 3800 ships built (including Titanic) only Keewatin survives. In recognition of her unique importance, the Royal Canadian Mint has struck a limited edition 2 oz Pure Silver Coin featuring stunning views of Keewatin’s bow and stern. It makes a wonderful gift or family heirloom. Net proceeds go to our charity, supporting the preservation of S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll. Available from our publisher, here: http://www.keewatinbook.com/coin/ |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 22
On October 22,1903, while being towed by the GETTYSBURG in the harbor at Grand Marais, Michigan, in a severe storm, the SAVELAND (wooden schooner, 194 foot, 689 gross tons, built in 1873, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was torn away and thrown against some pilings which punctured her hull. She sank to her main deck and was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. No lives were lost. The tug PRESQUE ISLE completed her sea trials on October 22, 1973, in New Orleans. On October 22, 1986, ALGOCEN spilled about four barrels of diesel fuel while refueling at the Esso Dock at Sarnia. TOM M. GIRDLER departed South Chicago light on her maiden voyage, October 22, 1951, bound for Escanaba, Michigan, where she loaded 13,900 tons of ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. THORNHILL of 1906 grounded on October 22, 1973, just above the Sugar Island ferry crossing in the St. Marys River. On October 22, 1887, C.O.D. (wooden schooner-barge, 140 foot, 289 gross tons, built in 1873, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was carrying wheat in Lake Erie in a northwest gale. She was beached three miles east of Port Burwell, Ontario, and soon broke up. Most of the crew swam to shore, but the woman who was the cook was lashed to the rigging and she perished. On October 22, 1929, the steamer MILWAUKEE (formerly MANISTIQUE MARQUETTE AND NORTHERN 1) sank in a gale with a loss of all 52 hands. 21 bodies were recovered. Captain Robert Mc Kay was in command. On October 27, 1929, a Coast Guard patrolman near South Haven, Michigan, picked up a ship's message case, containing the following handwritten note: "S.S. MILWAUKEE, OCTOBER 22/29 8:30 p.m. The ship is taking water fast. We have turned around and headed for Milwaukee. Pumps are working but sea gate is bent in and can't keep the water out. Flicker is flooded. Seas are tremendous. Things look bad. Crew roll is about the same as on last payday. (signed) A.R. Sadon, Purser." On October 22, 1870, JENNIE BRISCOE (wooden schooner, 85 foot, 82 tons, built in 1870, at Detroit, Michigan) was raised from where she sank off Grosse Ile, Michigan, a couple of months earlier. She was in her first season of service when she collided with the propeller FREE STATE and sank there. Her raised wreck was sold Canadian in 1871, and she was rebuilt as the propeller scow HERALD. In a severe gale on 22 October 1873, the three barges DAVID MORRIS, GLOBE, and SAGINAW from Bay City grounded and sank off Point Pelee on Lake Erie. On October 22, 1887, DOLPHIN (wooden schooner-barge, 107 foot, 147 tons, built in 1855, at Milan, Ohio) and G. D. NORRIS (2-mast wooden schooner, 128 foot, 262 gross tons, built in 1856, at Cleveland, Ohio) were both carrying lumber and were in tow of the steamer OSWEGATCHIE in a storm on Lake Huron. The towline broke when the vessels were off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The DOLPHIN capsized and foundered. All 6 or 7 onboard perished. The NORRIS sank to her decks and her crew was rescued by the passing steamer BRECK. The NORRIS drifted ashore near Goderich, Ontario. 1929: N.J. NESSEN, a wooden bulk freighter, stranded in Lake Erie off Leamington, ON. The ship had been anchored for weather but the wind switched to the south, leaving it exposed. The hull broke up, but all on board were saved. 1929: YANTIC, a former wooden naval reserve training ship tied up at Detroit for use as a heating plant, sank at the dock. All 3 on board got off safely. 1979: J.N. McWATTERS struck the lighthouse at the main entrance to Cleveland with heavy damage to the structure. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma receives Algoma Intrepid 10/21 - Algoma Central Corporation has recently taken delivery of the Algoma Intrepid, its second Equinox 650’ class self-unloading dry-bulk carrier. The ship was being built in the 3 Maj Shipyard in Croatia. It is already enroute to Canada. The ninth Equinox class vessel will join the Canadian company's fleet after traveling across the Atlantic to Canada where it is expected to start trading on the Great Lakes by November 2020. The vessel is 198 metres long and 23 metres wide, has a deadweight of 24,900 tonnes. The ship has a host of new features, including a forward-mounted boom like it's a sister ship that provides greater flexibility when it comes to docks that have low accessibility. The project, however, was fraught with challenges, especially from the financial sector. Back in 2017, work on Algoma Intrepid was halted when the Croatian shipyard entered an extended period of financial difficulties. Algoma took delivery of the Algoma Innovator, a sister ship, and the first ship built under a two-vessel contract, near the beginning of the 2018 navigation season. Algoma canceled the contract for the second ship along with the contracts for three Seaway-max self-unloading vessels in 2018 as a result of the financial problems at the Shipyard. The tables, however, turned with the dawn of 2019's September. Algoma confirmed again the contract with 3. Maj to acquire one Equinox class self-unloader upon its completion. Algoma will pay the agreed price of the vessel at delivery, subject to certain penalties for late delivery, including a cancellation right if delivery is delayed beyond an agreed date. The ultra-modern ship will cost the Canadian company at least $36.5 million. Read more and view an image at this link: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2020/31301/canada-receives-its-biggest-self-unloading-bunker |
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Port of Buffalo on pace for best season in a decade 10/21 - Buffalo, NY – “Exploding” is the one-word Patricia C. Schreiber, the Port Director at Port of Buffalo, used to describe the port’s exceptional 2020 navigation season – which began on April 12, 2020 – thus far. Through early September, the Port of Buffalo welcomed 15 vessels to the port with more scheduled to arrive in the remainder of the navigation season. Attracting new commodities to the port through unique business opportunities and partnerships has been key for the Port of Buffalo’s success during 2020. The diverse mix of commodities at the forefront of the Port of Buffalo’s busy season are sugar, wind turbines and salt. “Projects that we’ve been working on for years have finally come to fruition. We've expanded the realm of everybody's projects here by offering as much as we can whether it's transloading, warehousing, rail or dock-side service, and even long-term storage.” The Port of Buffalo’s sugar business began in fall 2019 when Schreiber worked to attract a new terminal customer shipping sugar to the Great Lakes region with the port’s 40,000 square foot warehouse. “We were able to develop this new partnership because we’re a one stop shop with certified weigh scales and the ability to bring in material via vessel and out by either train or truck,” adds Schreiber. “We were and continue to be responsible for offloading bags of sugar from the vessel, stacking them into our warehouse and scaling our customer’s trucks for shipping.” However, in 2020, this new partnership developed in a unique way. “This year, our customer decided that they were only going to ship organic sugar,” says Schreiber. “So, we created a custom solution on their behalf. To handle the organic sugar shipments, we decided to certify the Port of Buffalo as an organic port.” In order to do so, the Port of Buffalo worked with a broker to conduct rigorous inspections ensuring the port abided by the rules of handling organic cargos. Following the port’s successful certification, the customer brought in one organic sugar vessel out of Argentina. “Right after we unloaded that vessel, they decided that they wanted to bring in two more consecutive shipments. The second shipment was another bulk vessel, but the third shipment that they sent was 16,000 metric tons of bagged sugar. So, we unloaded them and stacked them seven bags high in our warehouse,” Schreiber describes. The shipments of organic sugar which began at the start of April 2020 continue to be steady at the Port of Buffalo. As has been seen throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, international shipments of wind energy components are taking off. The Port of Buffalo in particular is no stranger to this trend. “Wind turbines are long-term bids. The process starts out about two years before the project itself comes in. But our hard work paid off. This year, we’ve been handling multiple shipments of wind turbines. To us [the Port of Buffalo] that means a full dock for the season. It’s kept us busy all the way into fall,” said Schreiber. With an increased focus on commodity diversification through project cargo, early season shipments of wind turbines landed at the Port of Buffalo. This season, a total of five vessels carried wind turbines venturing from Germany and Korea to the port. On the forefront of Schreiber’s mind is winter – and with that, shipments of salt which are used to keep roads and highways from icing during winter. “We won the Erie County Highway contract this year,” Schreiber says. “Our port stores the highway salt for the county and, then, we’ll load and weigh the salt for the for the municipalities that pick it up and any contractors that would like to purchase it.” In total, the Port of Buffalo will receive 200,000 tons of salt. In early September, the port handled three shipments of salt and is anticipating six more through the rest of the 2020 navigation season. For more information, please visit http://www.greatlakesseaway.org. |
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Port Reports - October 21 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski |
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New appointee to Duluth Port Authority Board of Commissioners 10/21 - Duluth, MN – The Duluth City Council last week appointed Tyrone Walker to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Walker, an ironworker with Lakehead Constructors and Ironworkers Local 512, succeeds Norm Voorhees, whose final term on the board concluded in early October. Raised in Chicago, Walker relocated to Duluth in 2015 after earning his welding certification. Since then, he has worked on multiple welding and steel-fitting projects throughout the Twin Ports. He recently completed his Local 512 apprenticeship and became a journeyman. His latest focus with Lakehead includes Husky Energy’s Superior Refinery rebuild project. Walker along with his wife, Samantha, and their five children, attend Northstar Baptist Church. He has served in a variety of roles at Northstar, including as a preaching minister. His public speaking activities also include occupational topics; Walker spoke in late February at Construct Tomorrow’s Duluth event, a two-day gathering designed to raise awareness among high school students about post-secondary career opportunities within the construction and building trades. Walker’s appointment to the Port Authority board runs through Oct. 10, 2026. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority |
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Obituary: Captain Donald Robert “Donny” Kilpela 10/21 - Copper Harbor, MI – Captain Donald Robert Kilpela, of Copper Harbor, MI, died on October 15, 2020 at the age of 66 at Marquette General Hospital from the complications of a stroke. Donny was born October 21, 1953 in Coronado, CA, and grew up in Detroit. He graduated from Bentley High School, in Livonia, where he later attended Schoolcraft Community College. After moving to the Upper Peninsula he attended Michigan Tech University. Capt. Don began his career as a 17-year-old deckhand on the passenger ferry Isle Royale Queen II in 1971 when his parents bought the ferry service from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale National Park. In 1975, he became a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer and served as a captain and partner in his parents' firm until his death. He sailed the open waters of Lake Superior in all 49 seasons that the Isle Royale Ferry Service operated. Though he was a fun-loving eccentric, Capt. Don was a skilled and courageous mariner. He safely brought tens of thousands of people to and from Isle Royale during his years of service on the greatest and most dangerous of the Great Lakes. He faced some of the most challenging conditions Lake Superior can present to the mariner. It is a great sadness that Capt. Don never retired to receive his deserved recognition as one of Lake Superior's greatest passenger ferry skippers. During his off-seasons, Donny discovered his talent for and creativity in drawing and painting. He published a daily cartoon strip about his witty gang of ecologically-minded friends, the Earthlinks. He then started painting abstracts that have attracted wide admiration. He was also widely known across the Copper Country as a humorous storyteller, an enthusiastic promoter of Copper Harbor and Isle Royale, and later a passionate thimbleberry picker. In December, with Copper Harbor’s exceptional snows, Donny launched and worked tirelessly on Copper Harbor's annual tradition of a large display of Christmas lights across the village's community park. Donny was single throughout his life. He is survived by his parents, Captain Donald and Elizabeth Kilpela of Copper Harbor, brothers Captain Ben (Marsha) of Mason and Copper Harbor, Captain John (Karma) of Calumet, sisters Susanne of Hancock, Jocelyn of Arvada, CO), and Lisa (Cormac) Ronan of Arvada, CO, his dear aunt Helen Wisuri of Livonia, uncles James Kilpela of Wareham. MA and Stefan Szyszkowski of Golden, CO, numerous beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and his best friend and longtime companion Tammy Jo Cloutier of Copper Harbor. Donny was also survived by the tens of Copper Harbor residents who loved him, fought with him, worked with him, and were in turn loved by him because it was where he just wanted to be. If friends will wear a mask and try to keep some space, Betty and Don and their children would love to have you commiserate with them at an evening coffee social on Tuesday, October 27 at any time from 4 until 9 pm in the Siskiwit Reception Hall on Pine Street in Calumet. There will be a memoriam in Copper Harbor in the summer of 2021. Donations in Donny's memory may be made to the Copper Harbor Improvement Association to fund the Christmas Lights. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 21
On this day in 1980, the converted ELTON HOYT 2ND loaded her first cargo of 1,000 tons of pellets at Taconite Harbor. After field-testing her new self-unloading gear, she loaded 21,000 tons of pellets for delivery to Chicago. The Anchor Line's CONEMAUGH (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 251 foot, 1,609 gross tons, built in 1880, at West Bay City, Michigan), and the Union Line's NEW YORK (wooden propeller package freighter, 269 foot, 1,922 gross tons, built in 1879, at Buffalo, New York) collided on the Detroit River at 7:30 p.m. The CONEMAUGH sank close to the Canadian shore. She was carrying flour and other package freight from Chicago to Buffalo. She was later raised and repaired, and lasted until 1906, when she was lost in a storm on Lake Erie. The JOHN B. AIRD arrived at Sarnia, Ontario, on October 21, 1990, for repairs after suffering a conveyor belt fire a week earlier. The JAMES A. FARRELL and fleet mate RICHARD TRIMBLE were the first vessels to lock down bound in the newly-opened Davis Lock at the Soo on October 21, 1914. On October 21, 1954, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY set a record when she took aboard 22,605 gross tons of iron ore at Superior, Wisconsin. The record stood until 1960. The crew on the SAMUEL MATHER was safely removed from the badly exposed steamer on October 21, 1923, by the Eagle Harbor life saving crew. She had run aground on the 19th. Renamed b.) PATHFINDER in 1925, sold Canadian in 1968, renamed c.) GODERICH. Renamed d.) SOO RIVER TRADER in 1980, e.) PINEGLEN 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland in 1984. It was announced on October 21, 1986, that Canada Steamship Lines and Upper Lakes Group would merge CSL's Collingwood shipyard and ULS' Port Weller shipyard and create Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering (1986) Ltd. On October 21, 1941, AMERICA (steel tug, 80 foot, 123 gross tons, built in 1897, at Buffalo, New York) was on a cable along with the tug OREGON off Belle Isle in the Detroit River trying to pull the steel bulk freighter B. F. JONES off a bar. The cable tightened, pulling AMERICA out of the water and spinning her upside down. Six of the crew of 13 lost their lives. AMERICA was later recovered. AMERICA was renamed b.) MIDWAY in 1982 and c.) WISCONSIN in 1983. October 21, 1954 - Capt. Allen K. Hoxie, skipper of the MILWAUKEE CLIPPER, retired. On October 21, 1886, W. L. BROWN (wooden propeller freighter, 140 foot, 336 gross tons, built in 1872, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as NEPTUNE) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba for DePere, Wisconsin. A storm struck while she was on Green Bay. She sprang a leak one mile from Peshtigo Reef and went down in 76 feet of water. No lives were lost. All of her outfit and machinery were removed the following summer. This vessel's first enrollment was issued at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 22 April 1873, as NEPTUNE, but this enrollment was surrendered at Milwaukee on 30 September 1880, endorsed "broken up." However she was re-enrolled as a new vessel at Milwaukee on 15 June 1880, having been rebuilt by A. L. Johnson at Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the W. L. BROWN. 1912: Two were lost when the wooden steamer PINE LAKE sank in the Detroit River near Belle Isle following a collision with FLEETWOOD (i). The hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation. 1913: C.W. ELPHICKE began leaking in a storm on Lake Erie and was beached near the Long Point lighthouse. The downbound, grain-laden wooden freighter was a total loss but the crew was saved. 1969: JOHN PURVES was towing Derrick Scow 43 bound for Rogers City when the latter was lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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U.S. Steel output continues to leap as recovery strengthens 10/20 - U.S. raw steel production continues to expand on a weekly basis on sustained improvement in capacity utilization. According to the latest American Iron and Steel Institute weekly report, domestic raw steel production was 1,502,000 net tons for the week ending Oct 10, a 1.2% increase from production of 1,484,000 net tons for the week ending Oct 3. This follows a 0.3% increase on a weekly comparison basis for the week ending Oct 3 and a 2.4% rise for the week ending Sep 26. Despite the weekly increase, production still lags the year-ago level. Production for the reported week was down 16.8% from 1,805,000 net tons registered for the same period a year ago. Capacity utilization — a key metric in the steel industry — was 67.9% for the reported week, rising from the previous week’s reading of 66.6%, indicating an improvement in activity. However, it was still well below the key 80% threshold — the minimum rate required for sustained profitability of the industry. Capability utilization rate for the reported week was down from 78% a year ago, per AISI. Notably, capacity utilization rate plummeted to 51.1% in May — the lowest level in many years — after remaining above the 80% the level in early 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic squeezed demand across major steel-consuming markets. Utilization has started to pick up with a rebound in steel demand from the slump witnessed during the first half of 2020. Meanwhile, adjusted year-to-date production through Oct 10 was 60,946,000 net tons at a capability utilization rate of 66.2%, down 19.5% from 75,741,000 net tons registered in the same period a year ago, AISI noted. Capability utilization rate for the period is also down from 80.1% recorded last year. By regions, production from Great Lakes rose roughly 1% on a weekly basis to 538,000 net tons in the reported week. Production in the Southern region went up roughly 3% to 592,000 net tons. North East saw a 2% increase in production to 147,000 net tons for the reported week. Mills in the Midwest region produced 154,000 net tons of raw steel, down around 8% from a week ago. Production rose roughly 8% in the Western region to 71,000 net tons. Coronavirus has dealt a fresh blow to the U.S. steel industry, which reeled under the effects of a sharp decline in domestic steel prices and the U.S.-China tariff war last year. The pandemic decimated demand for steel across major end-use markets such as construction and automotive during the first half. Moreover, a slump in crude oil prices hurt demand for steel in the energy space. The virus-led demand destruction also forced U.S. steel mills to scale back production and idle operations with capacity utilization plunging to a multi-year lows during the first half. Moreover, a slump in demand led to a downswing in U.S. steel prices. The benchmark hot-rolled coil (“HRC”) prices tumbled to below the psychologically important $500 per short ton level in April on concerns over the fast-growing pandemic in the United States and demand slowdown amid production shutdowns by automakers. After gaining some traction during the second quarter, steel prices again came under significant pressure in July and August on demand weakness. However, HRC prices started to recover in September and are on an upswing this month. Prices have surged past $600 per short ton on U.S. steel mills’ back-to-back price hike actions and a recovery in end-market demand, especially in automotive. According to SteelBenchmarker, the benchmark prices for hot rolled band steel hit $616 per net ton on Oct 14, up roughly 9% from $564 net ton two weeks ago. Lead times for steel delivery at U.S. steel mills remain extended (indicating healthier demand) while steel scrap prices are on the rise. Improving demand coupled with tight supply due to production disruptions and mill outages are likely to lend support to HRC prices through the final quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, a recovery in market conditions from the virus-led slump augurs well for the U.S. steel industry. Demand for steel has picked up with the resumption of operations across major steel-consuming sectors, following the easing of restrictions. In particular, the U.S. automotive industry has gotten back on its feet following coronavirus-led shutdowns on the back of a strong recovery in customer demand. U.S. auto sales have rebounded sharply after hitting a coronavirus-induced low in April, aided by cheap borrowing costs, rising consumer confidence and increasing inclination towards private transportation amid the pandemic. U.S. automakers are ramping up production to boost lean vehicle inventories at dealerships in the face of surging demand. The rebound in the domestic automotive industry represents a tailwind for the U.S. steel industry. Notably, major U.S. steel producers have provided upbeat outlook for the third quarter based on improving market conditions. Nucor Corporation NUE last month said that its downstream products segment witnessed a strong third quarter driven by the resiliency of non-residential construction markets. Its bar and structural mills also gained from non-residential construction markets. Utilization rates for its sheet mills also improved throughout the third quarter. Moreover, Steel Dynamics, Inc. STLD expects to benefit from higher shipments in the third quarter driven by improved automotive and strong construction demand. It also noted that the pricing of flat-roll steel has stabilized and improved during the second half of the third quarter, aided by favorable customer demand. United States Steel Corporation X also expects market improvement to support its third-quarter results. The company has responded to an improving order booking by restarting three blast furnaces, which it temporarily idled in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more at this link: https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/u-s-steel-output-continues-to-leap-as-recovery-strengthens |
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Port Reports - October 20 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski |
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Rising waters threaten communities across Great Lakes region 10/20 - Watertown, NY – Along a shoreline that stretches farther than the combined length of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, waters driven by climate change have risen as much as 6 feet in less than a decade, washing away houses, destroying roads and threatening critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants in towns large and small. The ongoing disaster striking the coastal communities of the Great Lakes hasn’t captured national attention like hurricanes and wildfires in other parts of the country. But from Duluth to Chicago to Cleveland to Buffalo, leaders are reeling from untold billions in damage — and the prospect that climate change will make things worse in the years to come. In the eight Great Lakes states, officials at every level along 4,500 miles of coastline are scrambling to save what they can from the rising water, competing for scarce state and federal dollars and rubber-stamping permits to build private seawalls at an unprecedented pace. Scientists say the only long-term solution, as climate change causes erosion and higher highs — and lower lows — in lake levels, is to retreat from the shoreline. But few in the region are willing to have that conversation. “People are always looking for a technical fix so they don’t have to change the way they’re behaving,” said Paul Roebber, an atmospheric science researcher at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. There are no easy answers. Communities don’t have the money to buy out properties that are threatened by the lakes — especially as they try to save their own infrastructure — and there’s little appetite to use public money to help private landowners. But without a government-backed plan to retreat from the eroding coast, property owners have a legal right to defend their homes and continue armoring the shoreline. “The best solution is to start planning ahead and basically put shoreline property owners on notice,” said Dick Norton, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan. “‘You have built in a place that’s naturally giving into the lake. There will come a time that you need to pick up your structure and move it back.’ It’s easy to talk about in theory, but it’s really hard to do in practice.” Water levels in the Great Lakes have always fluctuated, rising and falling in years-long patterns. But those complex natural cycles are changing. Over the past five years, the region has seen massive amounts of rainfall. Even before that surge, the basin had a 10 percent increase in precipitation since 1900. But warming temperatures — and dwindling ice cover during the winter — can also speed up and prolong evaporation cycles. In other words, climate change is turning up the dials on the factors that both increase and decrease water levels, making the shoreline much more volatile as tens of trillions of gallons come and go. When the Great Lakes reached record lows in 2013, many thought the depleted lakeshore would be the new normal. Now, with houses teetering and roads flooded, they’re waiting for the day the water recedes again. “We’re starting to recognize that if we can go from record low to record high in six or seven years, we have to adjust our thinking,” said Deanna Apps, a scientist with the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read more at this link: https://www.nny360.com/news/nationandworld/rising-waters-threaten-communities-across-great-lakes-region/article_035fbcf9-70b7-5cbc-89b3-89290e26f3bc.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 20
On this day in 1916, the whaleback JAMES B. COLGATE sank off Long Point in Lake Erie with a loss of 26. The lone survivor was Captain Walter J. Grashaw who was picked up two days after the sinking. Captain Grashaw had sailed as First Mate on the COLGATE for ten years and was conducting his first trip as Captain. The "Black Friday" storm also claimed the MERIDA, D.L. FLYER, and M.F. BUTTERS. On 20 October 1875, the wooden schooner F.C. LEIGHTON was loaded with ore when she struck a rock in the St. Marys River and sank a few miles from Detour, Michigan. A tug was sent right away to raise her. On 20 October 1916, MERIDA (steel propeller bulk freighter, 360 foot, 3,261 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was heavily loaded with iron ore when she encountered the "Black Friday" Storm on Lake Erie. She sank about 24 miles east of Erieau, Ontario. All 24 onboard were lost. A few days later the wheelhouse was found floating 15 miles south of Port Stanley. 21 bodies were eventually found, but not the bodies of Capt. Harry L. Jones or crewman Wilfred Austin. The wreck was found in 1975 by Larry Jackson, a commercial fisherman. The SCOTT MISENER of 1954 proceeded to the Port Arthur shipyard for dry docking and repairs on October 20th, after striking bottom October 15, 1973, near Whaleback Shoal on the St. Lawrence River. The JAMES S. DUNHAM was launched October 20, 1906, for the Chicago Navigation Co. (D. Sullivan & Co., mgr.) Duluth, Minnesota. Renamed b.) LYNFORD E. GEER in 1926, and c.) OTTO M. REISS in 1934. Scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1973. PETER A.B. WIDENER was launched October 20, 1906, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. (later the U.S. Steel Corp. in 1952), Cleveland, Ohio. The tug RESCUE was sent from Port Huron to Tawas, Michigan to release the 246-foot barge OCEAN that was grounded. After pulling the barge free, Capt. Fitch of RESCUE began towing her down Lake Huron, but the storm got so bad that he was about to turn back and run for Tawas. However, the captain of OCEAN yelled that they were all right and to go ahead down the lake. Soon the seas got the better of the barge. The tug kept with her until she was about to sink. Then the line was cut, the tug turned about, ran under her lee, and rescued her crew of 9 from the lifeboat. The barge sank. On the way down Lake Huron, opposite Port Sanilac, the RESCUE picked up 6 men and 1 woman from the wrecked barge JOHN F. RUST. In this one trip, the RESCUE earned her name by rescuing 16 persons! October 20, 1898 - The SHENANGO NO 2 (later PERE MARQUETTE 16) was arriving Milwaukee when her steering gear failed, causing her to crash into a grain elevator that was under construction. October 20, 1926 - The keel was laid for the twin screw lake passenger and railcar ferry WABASH (Hull#177) of the Toledo Shipbuilding Co. On 20 October 1863, E. S. ADAMS (3 mast wooden bark, 135 foot, 341 gross tons, built in 1857, at Port Robinson, Ontario) was carrying 18,500 bushels of wheat on a clear night when she collided with the American bark CONSTITUTION resulting in the loss of the ADAMS. One life was lost. Neither vessel was blamed for the accident. On 20 October 1854, JOHN J. AUDUBON (wooden brig, 370 tons, built in 1854, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Chicago when she was struck amidships by the schooner DEFIANCE on a dark night, halfway between Thunder Bay and Presque Isle, Michigan. AUDUBON was cut almost in half. Both vessels sank quickly. No lives were lost. On 20 October 1844, DAYTON (2-mast wooden schooner, 69 foot, 85 tons, built in 1835, at Grand Island, New York) capsized and sank in Lake Erie off Dunkirk, New York in a terrific gale. All onboard were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - October 19 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Brian R Wroblewski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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To get to Cana Island Lighthouse, you have to ride a wagon through Lake Michigan 10/19 - Door County, WI – In the 1860s, the logging trade was booming in Door County and large swaths of virgin forest were being felled to provide timber for the rapidly growing cities of Milwaukee and Chicago. Much of that wood was loaded on ships that docked in Baileys Harbor on the east side of the peninsula. Navigation into the harbor was difficult, however, and the community’s birdcage lighthouse was inefficient, leading to the grounding of many ships on rocky shoals at the mouth of the bay. The birdcage, built in 1852, still stands today on a small island, but is not open to the public. This navigational aide is one of only three of its kind remaining in the U.S. It was replaced 150 years ago by the 89-foot Cana Island Lighthouse and the Baileys Harbor Range Lights. The latter, now in The Ridges Sanctuary, were built to safely guide ships into the harbor, while the former went up as a navigational marker, according to Hal Wilson of the Door County Maritime Museum, which maintains the lighthouse. Both are popular spots for visitors, have been extensively restored and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “The birdcage couldn’t be seen from the north, so it really needed to be replaced,” said Wilson, a 24-year veteran of the Coast Guard who retired as a chief boatswain’s mate after a stint at the Sturgeon Bay Coast Guard Station. Wilson, who grew up on the shores of southern Puget Sound in Olympia, Wash., has been the manager of the Cana Island Lighthouse since April 2018. The popular lighthouse will be open until the end of October and will be featured in the Fall Door County Lighthouse Festival, Oct. 12-13. Wilson said autumn is an excellent time to see the lighthouse because the busy summer season has passed, when most of the nearly 50,000 people who visit come to the island. He said Cana Island is the second-most-frequented spot in the county after Peninsula State Park. Located between Fish Creek and Ephraim, that park sees nearly 1 million campers, hikers, bikers, birders and other tourists annually. Because Lake Michigan is near record height levels, the causeway that connects the mainland to Cana Island is now covered with about 18 inches of water. That means most visitors now make the crossing on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor. But Wilson said lighthouse aficionados can also walk across the causeway if they are willing to get a little wet. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/weekend-getaway/2019/09/06/get-door-countys-cana-island-lighthouse-youll-have-ride-wagon-through-lake-michigan/2196413001 |
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National Museum of the Great Lakes continues Halloween tradition 10/19 - Toledo, Ohio – Bring your ghouls and goblins to the National Museum of the Great Lakes for Halloween fun aboard two of Toledo’s most historic haunts, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum tug Ohio. Trick or treat in costume from the pilot houses to the galleys and everywhere in between! This year we are extending Boo on the Boat from one day to an entire week to allow for physical distancing. Trick-or-treat goodies will be distributed using pre-portioned, sealed bags at stations to help youth explore Great Lakes history and the museum ships in a fun, age-appropriate way.
Boo On The Boat Details Reserve your Spot *Museum & Ship admission required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. We have admission caps for every hour to allow for proper physical distancing. National Museum of the Great Lakes |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 19
At 2 a.m. October 19, 1901, the Barry line steamer STATE OF MICHIGAN (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 165 foot, 736 gross tons, built in 1875, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) sank in 60 feet of water about four miles northwest of White Lake harbor on Lake Michigan. The crew and captain reached shore in boats with the assistance of the White Lake Life Saving crew and the tug MC GRAFF. The vessel was sailing in good weather when a piston rod broke and stove a hole through the bottom of the boat. The water came gushing in. By the time the tug MC GRAFF came and took on the crew, the STATE OF MICHIGAN was in serious trouble. She went down shortly after the tug began towing her toward shore. On October 19, 1871, ELIZA LOGAN (2-mast wooden schooner, 130 foot, 369 gross tons, built in 1855, at Buffalo, New York) foundered in rough weather about 12 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. She was sailing from Toledo, Ohio, to Buffalo, New York, with a load of wheat when she sank. Captain Lawson and one sailor were lost, but the six others scrambled up the rigging and held on to the crosstrees for 42 hours until they were rescued by the schooner EMU at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of 21 October. GEORGE A. SLOAN ran aground off Bob-Lo Island in the Amherstburg Channel on October 19, 1987. She was released when she unloaded part of her cargo to the CALCITE II. SLOAN was repaired in Toledo. Purchased by Lower Lakes Towing in 2001, renamed c.) MISSISSAGI. ALGOSEA, a.) BROOKNES, was christened on October 19, 1976, at Port Colborne, Ontario. She was renamed c.) SAUNIERE in 1982. Scrapped in Turkey in 2011. BUFFALO was able to leave the Saginaw River once it opened to traffic on October 19, 1990. The river was closed after the tanker JUPITER exploded as the BUFFALO passed. KINSMAN VOYAGER was launched October 19, 1907, as a.) H. P. BOPE for the Standard Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE of 1908, had the honor on October 19, 1912, of being the first vessel to navigate the opening of the Livingstone Channel named after the man who helped conceive the idea of a separate down bound channel on the east side of Bob-Lo Island in the lower Detroit River. Mr. Livingstone, President of the Lake Carriers Association at the time, piloted his namesake vessel in the channel on that historic trip. Renamed b.) S B WAY in 1936 and c.) CRISPIN OGLEBAY in 1948. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1974. The crew on the stranded WILLIAM C. MORELAND was removed in gale force winds on October 19, 1910, by the Portage life saving crew. On October 19, 1923, SAMUEL MATHER was driven onto Gull Rock on Lake Superior near Keweenaw Point during a snowstorm and gale winds. The crew was safely removed from the badly exposed steamer on October 21st by the Eagle Harbor life saving crew. Renamed b.) PATHFINDER in 1925, sold Canadian in 1964, renamed c.) GODERICH, d.) SOO RIVER TRADER and e.) PINEGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1984. Michigan Limestone's self-unloader B. H. TAYLOR sailed from Lorain on her maiden voyage on October 19, 1923. She was renamed b.) ROGERS CITY in 1957, and scrapped at Recife, Brazil in 1988. On October 19, 1868, PARAGON (wooden schooner, 212 tons, built in 1852, at Oshawa, Ontario as a brig) was being towed up the St. Clair River by the tug WILLIAM A MOORE with a load of lumber in the company of four other barges. During a gale, the tow was broken up. While the tug MOORE was trying to regain the tows, she collided with PARAGON causing severe damage. Four were drowned, but two were rescued by the Canadian gunboat/tug PRINCE ALFRED. PARAGON was then towed into Sarnia, but she sank there and was abandoned in place. October 19, 1919 - ANN ARBOR NO 4, while on the Grand Haven to Milwaukee run, got caught in a gale, stretching the normal 6-hour crossing to 27 hours. On October 19,1876, MASSILON (3-mast wooden schooner with foretop and topgallant sails, 130 foot, 298 gross tons, built in 1857, at Cleveland, Ohio, as a bark) was sailing from Kelley's Island for Chicago with limestone when she sprang a leak 20 miles above Pointe aux Barques at the mouth of Saginaw Bay. She was abandoned at about 2:00 a.m. and then sank. The crew was in an open boat until 7 a.m. when they were rescued by the tug VULCAN. On October 19, 1873, JOHN F. RUST (wooden schooner-barge, 161 foot, 347 gross tons, built in 1869, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying lumber in tow of the steamer BAY CITY in a storm when she broke her towline and went ashore a few miles north of Lakeport, Michigan. 1901: The wooden freighter STATE OF MICHIGAN, a) DEPERE sank off Whitehall, MI enroute to Manistee to load salt. A piston rod had broken and fractured the hull the previous day and the vessel went down slowly. All on board were saved. 1905: KALIYUGA foundered in Lake Huron with the loss of 18 lives. The ore laden steamer was enroute to Cleveland. 1905: SIBERIA sank in a storm on Lake Erie while eastbound with a cargo of grain. All on board were saved. 1916: The wooden schooner D.L. FILER, loaded with coal and enroute from Buffalo to Saugatuck, MI, became waterlogged and sank near the mouth of the Detroit River 3.5 miles east of Bar Point Light. The vessel settled in shallow water with the crew clinging to the masts. The forward mast cracked throwing the sailors into the water and all 6 were lost. Only the captain on the after mast survived. 1947: MANCHESTER CITY went aground off Cap Saumon, QC, while inbound from the United Kingdom with freight, 12 passengers and a crew of 50. The ship stranded in fog and the passengers were removed safely before the vessel was lightered. The vessel made 17 trips through the Seaway from 1959 to 1963 before being scrapped at Faslane, Scotland, in 1964. 1981: ELSIE WINCK first came through the Seaway in 1962. It was bombed and sunk at Bandar Khomeini, Iran, as e) MOIRA on this date and was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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After Line 5 damage, legislation would make anchoring in Straits a felony 10/18 - Large vessels passing through the environmentally sensitive Straits of Mackinac would be barred from anchoring or using any other equipment that could scrape the lakebed under bipartisan bills introduced in the state House Wednesday. The legislation comes as Canadian oil company Enbridge seeks to win state permits to replace its controversial Line 5 dual oil pipeline. The 67-year-old Line 5 runs for more than four miles under the Straits, and has been damaged at least twice in the past two years with anchors and cables. State Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) on Wednesday introduced House Bill 6307, under which watercraft exceeding 700 feet would be prohibited from using any equipment — including anchors, chains and cables — that could potentially come in contact with the bottomlands of the Straits. Large vessels exercising their tribal treaty rights in the Straits would be exempt. In September, the U.S. Coast Guard concluded that damage to a support anchor on Line 5 was done by cables or other equipment dropped by one of Enbridge’s own contracted vessels. Enbridge has not yet made the same conclusion. Violating the no-anchoring rule would result in a felony punishable by a four-year sentence and/or a $10,000 fine, as well as a mandate to reimburse the state for any environmental cleanup costs or other associated damages. Additionally, large watercraft would be prohibited from navigating through the Straits unless guided by a state-approved maritime pilot (licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard or other federal agency). Pilotless navigation in the Straits would result in a four-year felony charge and/or $5,000 fine. Finally, any “obstructions to navigation” in the Straits of Mackinac would have to be marked by buoys or beacons. Violators could incur a $5,000 fine and possibly face prosecution by the attorney general or Chippewa County prosecutor. Ryan Jarvi, spokesperson for Attorney General Dana Nessel, said the legislation “highlights the continuing vulnerability of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipelines in the Straits and the associated risks of an environmental and economic disaster. “So long as the pipelines remain in operation, taking additional measures to mitigate the risk should be considered. But the goal should be to eliminate the risk. That is why the Attorney General is taking legal action to force the permanent decommissioning of the Enbridge pipelines in the Straits,” Jarvi continued. HB 6308, sponsored by state Rep. Sue Allor (R-Wolverine), is tie-barred with HB 6307 and provides sentencing guidelines for violations. Allor is the only Republican to sign onto either of the bills. Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said the company typically does not weigh in on proposed legislation, but is overall “supportive of measures that enhance the safety of the Straits.” Duffy added that the company recently added safety measures of its own related to vessel monitoring via the Enbridge Straits Maritime Operations Center in Mackinaw City. The Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released a statement Thursday in support of HB 6307, citing past damage to Line 5 from anchor and cable collisions. “Two years ago, an anchor directly struck the Line 5 pipeline; and again this summer the line experienced a massive, damaging collision from a ship chain or cable — threatening disaster in our Great Lakes,” said Michigan LCV lobbyist Nick Occhipinti. “This is unacceptable. Already, we have had too many close calls — demonstrating the true danger this pipeline poses to our Great Lakes. It’s critically important we have laws in place to prevent an oil spill in the Great Lakes before disaster strikes. This legislation is a step in the right direction as we work towards stopping the flow of oil and shutting down Line 5.” Both pieces of legislation have been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation. Michigan Advance |
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Edmund Fitzgerald beacon lighting ceremony goes virtual 10/18 - Two Harbors, MN – The annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial beacon lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse on November 10 will commemorate the sinking of the freighter S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29 crewmembers on November 10, 1975. This year the ceremony will be held via social media platforms on November 10 starting at 4:30 p.m. with the beacon lighting following the ceremony at around 4:45 p.m. The video stream of the beacon lighting will be provided by KBJR in Duluth and can be accessed live through the Minnesota Historical Society and Split Rock Lighthouse Facebook pages. It will also be available as a recording on Facebook and YouTube. Split Rock Lighthouse’s grounds will be closed, but visitors interested in viewing the beacon in person may do so from the shoreline in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. A state park permit is required. Split Rock Lighthouse is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., through October 31. Interior spaces including the lighthouse and keeper’s residence are closed, but visitors can access the grounds for spectacular views and limited access to the fog signal building and the visitor center. Guests can purchase a timed entry ticket for $8 online or onsite. For more information visit www.mnhs.org/splitrock. |
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Port Reports - October 18 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Seaway Queens, Chapter 4, launches 10/18 - Chapter 4 of the new e-book Seaway Queens is now available. Titled “A House Divided,” it looks at life aboard fore-and-aft house lakers and the differences between the engine and deck communities that only add to the charm of these classic ships. Some great period photos and drawings unite the experience. More info: www.seawayqueens.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 18
On October 18, 1869, GERALDINE (3-mast wooden schooner, 232 tons, built in 1856, at Wilson, New York as a bark) was carrying coal from Buffalo to Detroit in heavy weather. During the night, she collided with the schooner E. M. PORTCH five miles below "The Cut" at Long Point on Lake Erie and sank in 5 minutes. The PORTCH stood by while the GERALDINE's crew got off in the yawl. No lives were lost. ALVA C. DINKEY departed Quebec City October 18, 1980, in tandem with her former fleet mate GOVERNOR MILLER, towed by the FedNav tug CATHY B., in route to Vigo, Spain, for scrapping. Tragedy struck on the WILLIAM C. MORELAND's fifth trip October 18, 1910, Loaded with 10,700 tons of iron ore from Superior for Ashtabula, Ohio, the vessel stranded on Sawtooth Reef off Eagle Harbor, Michigan, on Lake Superior. Visibility had been very limited due to forest fires raging on the Keweenaw Peninsula and the lake was blanketed with smoke as far as one mile off shore. The MORELAND hit so hard and at such speed that she bounced over the first reef and came to rest on a second set of rocks. The stern section was salvaged and combined with a new forward section she became b.) SIR TREVOR DAWSON in 1916. Renamed c.) CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON in 1920, d.) GENE C. HUTCHINSON in 1951, sold into Canadian registry in 1963, renamed e.) PARKDALE. Scrapped at Cartagena, Spain in 1970. On October 18, 1896, AUSTRALASIA (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 282 foot, 1,829 gross tons, built in 1884, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying 2,200 tons of soft coal when she caught fire, burned to the waterline and sank 3 miles east of Cana Island in Lake Michigan. The Bailey's Harbor Lifesavers saved her crew. At 8 p.m., on October 18, 1844, the steamer ROCHESTER left Rochester, New York for Toronto. She encountered a severe gale about halfway there. Captain H. N. Throop had the vessel put about to return to Rochester. The gale was so severe that all thought they were lost. When they finally arrived in Rochester, the passengers were so grateful that they had survived that they published a note of gratitude to Almighty God and Captain Throop in The Rochester Daily Democrat on 19 October 1844 -- it was signed by all 18 passengers. On October 18,1876, the schooner R. D. CAMPBELL filled with water and capsized on Lake Michigan about 10 miles from Muskegon, Michigan. The crew clung to the vessel's rigging until rescued by the tug JAMES MC GORDAN. The schooner drifted to the beach some hours later. 1905: The schooner TASMANIA became waterlogged while under tow of the steamer BULGARIA and sank in the Pelee Passage 1911: ARUNDELL had been laid up at Douglas, MI, for about 2 weeks when fire Poke out, destroying the iron hulled passenger and freight vessel. 1917: ABYSSINIA had been under tow of the MARUBA when both ships stranded at Tecumseh Shoal in heavy seas. The grain-laden vessels had been following the north shore due to high winds when they struck bottom. The barge began leaking and was pounded apart but there was no loss of life but the steamer was refloated. 1933: The wooden steam barge MANISTIQUE caught fire on Lake Huron and the remains either sank or was scuttled. 1973: The AGIOS ANTONIOS first visited the Seaway in 1972 and, as a) SILVERWEIR, had come inland beginning in 1964. The ship had loaded iron ore at Coondapoor, on the southwest coast of India, and went aground leaving for Constanza, Romania. The vessel was abandoned as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Resolution would make Straits of Mackinac designated waterway for pilotage 10/17 - The Michigan House has passed a resolution asking President Trump to declare the waters of the Straits of Mackinac as designated waters. Rep. Jack O'Malley said the designation would ensure that any foreign vessels passing through the Straits must have either an American or Canadian pilot on board directing the navigation of the ship. The resolution now heads to President Trump, the president of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, members of the Michigan congressional delegations and the commandment of the United States Coast Guard. Capt. George Haynes, a veteran Great Lakes pilot and former president of the International Shipmasters’ Association, supports the designation. “Pilots are required whenever a foreign vessel is moving anywhere through the lakes and in all ports. The issue here is whether they are required to be on the bridge while transiting the Straits,” Haynes said. “Pilotage waters are broken into two categories, designated waters and undesignated waters. In designated waters, the pilot is required to be on the bridge navigating. In undesignated waters, which are open waters, the pilot needs to be available but not necessarily on the bridge. “Since pilotage laws were formed in 1960, the Straits have been undesignated, which was an oversight because it is a high risk area and pilots are navigating on the bridge anyway, said Haynes. “This is really a correction and clarification to the laws that should have been done originally.” O’Malley said while most people might think of Michigan as the “highway capital of the world,” people should also realize that the Great Lakes are also like a highway, but in water. “The Straits of Mackinac are extremely important to Michigan’s economy, recreation and environment and absolutely deserve the best protections available,” O’Malley said. “By receiving the designated title, vessels piloted in the Straits would be under the navigational direction of pilots familiar with the many unique navigational challenges that these waters require. UpNorthLive with additional reporting by Boatnerd staff |
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Great Lakes ports experiencing pandemic-caused dip 10/17 - New data show that shipping on the Great Lakes has taken a hit this year due to the pandemic. From April through the end of August, cargo volumes in the St. Lawrence Seaway, which is the gateway to the Great Lakes, was down 8% compared to 2019's figures. That's according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce, a bi-national organization that represents marine industry stakeholders. The figures show that these losses are being shared across the board, including at the Port of Oswego where its director Bill Scriber said revenues are down 38% compared to last year. Scriber and his colleagues at Great Lakes ports are already starting to make budget cuts for 2021 that will affect their employees and ability to invest in necessary equipment. A major reason for the decline in Oswego is the decreased orders for aluminum, which is due to a sluggish economy and the Trump Administration's changing policies on tariffs with Canada. One silver lining in the report from the Chamber of Marine Commerce is that many Great Lakes ports have received shipments for large projects this year, offsetting some of the losses from decreased cargoes. At least nine ports enjoyed several shipments for wind turbine projects. Unfortunately, while Scriber said the Port of Oswego was also due for several wind turbine shipments as well, that project and a few others have been delayed until 2021 because of the pandemic. To mitigate the damages caused by the coronavirus, Scriber has been working with central New York Congressmen John Katko (R-Camillus) and Anthony Brindisi (D-Utica) on including some kind of financial relief for the nation's ports in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. Ports have thus far not been given loans or grants. "Our effect goes throughout the whole economy, so if you don’t have a healthy port that can bring in goods and supplies and service customers then you’re not going to have a healthy rebound," Scriber said. "Help us ride out this storm." Morning Edition |
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Port Reports - October 17 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss |
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Over $220 million in grants announced for U.S. ports, including two on Great Lakes 10/17 - Washington D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced the award of more than $220 million in discretionary grant funding to improve port facilities in 16 states and territories through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program. Two Great Lakes ports, Conneaut and Burns Harbor, are on the list. “This $220 million in federal grants will improve America’s ports with nearly half the projects are located in Opportunity Zones, which were established to revitalize economically distressed communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. Of the 18 projects that were awarded grants, eight are located in Opportunity Zones, which were created to revitalize economically distressed communities using private investments. View the complete list at this link: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/newsroom/press-releases/us-transportation-secretary-elaine-l-chao-announces-over-220-million-grants |
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Seaway Queens, Chapter 4, launches 10/17 - Chapter 4 of the new e-book Seaway Queens is now available. Titled “A House Divided,” it looks at life aboard fore-and-aft house lakers and the differences between the engine and deck communities that only add to the charm of these classic ships. Some great period photos and drawings unite the experience. More info: www.seawayqueens.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 17
On this day in 1889, the whaleback 103 completed her maiden trip by delivering 86,000 bushels of Duluth wheat to Buffalo. On this day in 1936, the 252-foot sand sucker SAND MERCHANT rolled over and sank when a 50 mph gale swept across Lake Erie. The steamer THUNDER BAY QUARRIES, Captain James Healey, rescued three survivors and the steamer MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 1, Captain George Wilson, rescued four additional survivors. Eighteen crewmembers and one female passenger drowned in the accident. On October 17, 1887, Henry McMorran and D. N. Runnels bought the engine and boiler of the tug GEORGE HAND at the U.S. Marshall's sale in Port Huron, Michigan, for $500. The CARLTON (Hull#542) was launched October 17, 1963, at Sunderland, England, by Short Brothers, Ltd., for Chapman & Willan, Ltd. Renamed b.) FEDERAL WEAR in 1975. Purchased by Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. in 1975, renamed c.) ST LAWRENCE PROSPECTOR in 1975. Lengthened to Seaway size and renamed d.) CANADIAN PROSPECTOR in 1979. Scrapped in 2009 at Aliaga, Turkey. The EMS ORE was launched October 17, 1959, for Transatlantic Bulk Carriers, Monrovia, Liberia. Purchased by Hall Corp. of Canada in 1976, reconstructed for lake service and renamed b.) MONTCLIFFE HALL in 1977. Renamed c.) CARTIERDOC in 1988, she sails today as d.) CEDARGLEN. With an inexperienced Taiwanese crew, boiler problems and the collapse of Lock 7's west wall in the Welland Canal on October 17th, SAVIC's (CLIFFS VICTORY) departure was delayed until December 17, 1985, when she departed Chicago under her own power. The carferry PERE MARQUETTE 19 was launched October 17, 1903. In 1893, the FLINT & PERE MARQUETTE NO 1 was damaged by fire while in Ludington. In 1988, the Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee purchased CITY OF MILWAUKEE from the City of Frankfort for $2. On October 17,1871, CASCADEN (2 mast wood schooner, 138 tons, built in 1866, at Saugeen, Ontario) was carrying much needed supplies for the Cove Island Lighthouse keeper and his family who were in desperate straits. But she went ashore 3 miles below Cape Hurd near Tobermory, Ontario, in a storm and was wrecked. On October 17, 1843, the wooden schooner ALABAMA collided with a pier during a storm at the mouth of the Grand River at Fairport, Ohio, and was a total loss. On October 17, 1871, the 42-ton wooden schooner SEA HORSE stranded on Fitzwilliam Island at the mouth of Georgian Bay in a storm. She was a total loss. 1923: The bulk carrier LUZON went aground in Lake Superior, northeast of Passage Island, due to poor visibility from the dense smoke of local forest fires. The vessel sustained serious bow damage but, fortunately, the bulkhead held. It was enroute from Fort William to Buffalo with grain at the time. The ship returned to service as b) JOHN ANDERSON in 1924 and was last known as G.G. POST. 1936: SAND MERCHANT sank in Lake Erie about 13.5 miles off Cleveland with the loss of 19 lives. The ship began taking on water faster than it could be pumped out and only 7 sailors survived. 1951: GEORGE F. RAND and HARVEY H. BROWN collided just below the Huron Cut at Port Huron and the former was beached with a starboard list. After being refloated, this vessel unloaded its cargo of silica sand at Port Huron and then went to Toledo for repairs. The latter later sailed as PARKER EVANS and MARLHILL. 1980: The Canadian tanker GULF CANADA and MEGALOHARI II collided at Montreal with minor damage. The former had been built at Collingwood as a) B.A. PEERLESS in 1952 and was scrapped at Alang, India, as d) COASTAL I in 1990. The latter had begun Seaway trading in 1965 and was scrapped at Alang as b) AGIOS CONSTANTINOS in 1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 16 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
Traverse City, MI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 16
On this day in 1950, the JOHN M. McKERCHEY of the Kelley's Island Lime and Transport Company sank at 2:30 a.m. while returning from the pumping grounds with a load of sand. Captain Horace S. Johnson went down with the boat, but the remaining 19 crewmembers were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. On October 16,1855, SENECA (wooden propeller tug, 92 foot, 73 tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the brig LANSING past the foot of Randolph Street at Chicago, Illinois, when her boiler exploded. Her skipper and engineer were killed instantly and several others were injured. The vessel was later recovered. On October 16, 1990, the JOHN B. AIRD's loop belt caught fire while loading mill scale at Inland Steel Mill, East Chicago, Illinois. Fueled by coal dust left over after unloading coal at the mill, 1,400 feet of the rubber conveyor belt burned causing nearly $500,000 in damages. ALGOWEST set a cargo record carrying 27,517 tons of grain down the Seaway October 16, 1982, to Port Cartier, Quebec. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1998, and renamed b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL in 2001. The Cayman Islands-registered tanker RIO ORINOCO grounded off Anticosti Island, Quebec on October 16, 1990, and was abandoned. Later she was salvaged by Le Groupe Desgagnes (1981) Inc., refloated, repaired and renamed d.) THALASSA DESGAGNES. Sea trials of MERTON E. FARR were successfully completed October 16, 1920. On October 16, 1954, the SCOTT MISENER of 1954 became the first laker to load a record 800,000 bushels of grain on the Great Lakes when she was loaded with barley at Fort William, Ontario, for delivery to Port Colborne. WILLIAM G. MATHER of 1925 was towed from her Cuyahoga River berth on October 16, 1990, by the Great Lakes Towing tugs IDAHO and DELAWARE. She was placed next to the 9th Street Pier of Cleveland's North Coast Harbor and now serves as a marine museum. On October 16, 1912, JAMES BUCKLEY (2 mast wood schooner-barge, 161 foot, 442 gross tons, built in 1884, at Quebec City) was carrying coal and being towed by the tug WILLIAM PROCTOR in consort with the barges H B and MENOMINEE in Lake Ontario. The BUCKLEY separated from this group in a storm and was driven into the shallows off the coast of Jefferson County, New York. The tug PROCTOR delivered MENOMINEE to Cape Vincent, then returned in time to take BUCKLEY’s crew out of the rigging - hand over hand on a heaving line - before BUCKLEY finally sank. On October 16, 1855, the brig TUSCARORA was carrying coal from Buffalo to Chicago. She anchored off Chicago's Harrison Street, but a storm dragged her in. Volunteers from shore were unable to get to the stricken vessel. A group of 9 ship captains and 4 seamen then organized a rescue party and took two new "Francis" metal lifeboats out and rescued the entire crew of eleven. By 21 October, TUSCARORA was pounded to pieces. On October 16, 1853, PHILO SCOVILLE (2-mast wooden brig built in 1853, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin) was carrying flour, wheat, pigs and barreled fish when she encountered a gale in the eastern Straits of Mackinac. She was dismasted and drifted ashore where she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was saved by floating ashore while clinging to the floating main mast. 1880: ALPENA, a wooden sidewheel passenger steamer, was lost in Lake Michigan in a violent storm. All 67 on board perished. 1928: PARKS FOSTER ran aground, due to fog, in Lake Huron near Alpena. The ship was lightered, pumped out and refloated. While declared a total loss, the vessel was rebuilt as b) SUPERIOR and eventually dismantled at Port Weller in 1961. 1940: TREVISA was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 while 600 miles off the coast of Ireland. The ship had become a straggler from convoy SC-7 that had been attacked over a period of 3 nights. Seven lives were lost when TREVISA was hit in the engineroom by a single torpedo. 1968: The NORMAN P. CLEMENT was at Collingwood for examination of the grounding damage of earlier in the month when an onboard explosion on this date injured 11. The hull was contaminated with chemicals and declared a total loss. 1969: FREDEN V. came to the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1959. The small tanker was heavily damaged as c) YARIMCA in an engine room fire at Sinop, Turkey, but that was repaired in 1972 and the ship survived until scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as f) ORTAC in 2004. 1971: The Cypriot freighter UNION came through the Seaway in 1971 after prior visits as c) MICA beginning in 1965. Fire broke out in the engine room and the ship was abandoned 130 miles off Freetown, Sierra Leone, on October 10, 1971. The vessel sank on October 16 and had been enroute from Gdynia, Poland, to Chittagong, Bangladesh. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 15 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
Northern Lake Huron
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss |
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Virtual Visitor Center: Discover the William A. Irvin behind the scenes 10/15 - Kaylee Matuszak, the William A. Irvin's executive museum assistant will highlight the iconic freighter's history from shipyard to museum. The presentation will explore the vessel's past, present and future with a virtual tour through some of her favorite nooks and crannies. She will also share stories about the Irvin's ghostlier side and consider what may be fact or fiction. The program is free and begins today at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central), use a Chrome browser to join on the web here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/discover-the-irvin. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 15
On this day in 1893, according to reports in Buffalo newspapers, First Mate Ben Lewis was washed off the decks of the JAY GOULD during a storm. A succeeding wave picked him up and dropped him back on the deck of the GOULD. On October 15, 1871, LA PETITE (wooden schooner, 94 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1866, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying lumber from Alpena, Michigan, to Huron, Ohio, when she was caught in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The heavy seas carried away the lumber strapped on deck. Then the vessel sprang a leak and turned on her beam ends. Capt. O. B. Smith, his wife, and four other sailors rode out the storm on the wreck until found by the tug BROCKWAY. The schooner was towed to Port Huron and repaired. On her maiden voyage, Branch Lines new tanker LEON SIMARD was spotted traveling eastward on the St. Lawrence River on October 15, 1974. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN in 1997 and d.) AMARA in 2001. The self-unloader WOLVERINE departed the American Ship Building Co., October 15, 1974, on her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, light to load stone at Stoneport, Michigan, for delivery to Huron, Ohio. HERBERT C. JACKSON cleared Fraser Shipyard on October 15, 1988, after having the 1000 h.p. bowthruster motor installed from the JOHN SHERWIN. The motor from the JACKSON was later repaired and placed in the SHERWIN's cargo hold for future use. The PAUL H. CARNAHAN came out on her maiden voyage October 15, 1961. On October 15, 1984, JOHN O. McKELLAR of 1952, was sold to P.& H. Shipping of Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., and renamed b.) ELMGLEN. Scrapping began on October 15, 1988, of JOHN T. HUTCHINSON at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. C. H. McCULLOUGH JR was laid up on October 15, 1969, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. COVERDALE (Hull#34) was launched at Midland, Ontario, on October 15, 1949, for Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) GEORGE HINDMAN in 1973 and c.) MELDRUM BAY in 1979. Scrapped at Lisbon, Portugal in 1985. SCOTT MISENER of 1954 struck bottom on October 15, 1973, near Whaleback Shoal on the St. Lawrence River reportedly damaging 60 of her bottom plates. She proceeded to the Port Arthur shipyard for drydocking and repairs from October 20th through the 28th. On October 15, 1980, the NIPIGON BAY, loaded with ore for Hamilton, Ontario, grounded at the "crossover" near Brockville, Ontario, on the St. Lawrence River and sustained a 100-foot rip in her bottom plates. She proceeded to Thunder Bay arriving there on October 24th where repairs were made at an estimated cost of $500,000. R. P. MASON (3 mast wooden schooner, 115 foot, 155 gross tons, built in 1867, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Detroit when she struck a rocky reef near Waugoshance Point in the Straits of Mackinac on October 8. 1871. Water gushed in an 8-foot hole. However, she was temporarily patched and her cargo of grain, flour and meat was taken off over the next few days. The tug LEVIATHAN took her in tow, going to Little Traverse Bay when, on October 15, they encountered a gale near Cross Village, Michigan. The MASON broke free and capsized. 5 died and 4 were rescued. The MASON drifted ashore upside down. She was eventually salvaged and sailed for another 46 years. She ended her days when she burned in Lake Michigan in 1917. The tug DOUGLAS caught fire near Wyandotte while going down the Detroit River and sank. The crew all jumped overboard and was saved by the steam yacht JOSEPHINE, except for John Cassidy, one of the firemen, who drowned. A few days later, plans were made to raise and rebuild the DOUGLAS. On October 15,1871, R. G. COBURN (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 193 foot, 867 tons, built in 1870, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying 15,000 bushels of wheat, 3,500 barrels of flour and 30 barrels of silver ore from Lake Superior to Detroit. As she came down Lake Huron, she encountered a terrific gale that had driven most vessels to seek shelter. The COBURN fought the wind at Saginaw Bay throughout the night until she lost her rudder and turned broadside to the waves. Her large stack fell and smashed the cabin area and then the cargo came loose and started smashing holes in the bulwarks. About 70 passengers were aboard and almost all were terribly seasick. As the ship began her final plunge beneath the waves, only a few lifeboats were getting ready to be launched and those were floated right from the deck as the ship sank. 32 people perished, including Capt. Gilbert Demont. No women or children were saved. On October 15, 1900, the wooden 186-foot freighter F. E. SPINNER was sunk in a collision with the steamer H. D. COFFINBERRY in the St. Marys River. She was raised from 125 feet of water, one of the deepest successful salvage operations to that time. She was later renamed HELEN C and lasted until 1922. October 15, 1910 - After the sinking of the PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1902, built at Cleveland, Ohio, the previous September, a new PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1911, was ordered by the Pere Marquette Railway from the Chicago Ship Building Co. On 15 October 1871, the EXCELSIOR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 374 gross tons, built in 1865, at Buffalo, New York) was struck by a gale near Thunder Bay on Lake Huron. She sailed through the early morning hours only to sink about 4:30 a.m. Only Charles Lostrom survived. He was on the cabin roof, which blew off when the vessel went down. Mr. Lostrom remained on the floating roof-raft for two days and two nights until he was rescued by fishermen near South Hampton light on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. 1916: The wooden bulk freighter L. EDWARD HINES was sold to Nicaraguan owners and left the Great Lakes in 1916. The ship had loaded coal in New Orleans for Venezuela for its maiden voyage on this date in 1916 but got caught in a hurricane and sank with the loss of 17 lives while 45 miles east of Belize, British Honduras. 1971: SINGAPORE TRADER was upbound with general cargo from Japan to Detroit, on its first trip to the Great Lakes, when it ran aground in the Thousand Islands. The vessel was released on November 29 and towed back to Montreal on December 16. The ship was arrested there and offered for sale, by court order. The successful bidder for the 27-year-old vessel was a shipbreaker at Santander, Spain, and the ship arrived there for dismantling on June 22, 1972. 1977: The three-year old Panamanian bulk carrier GOLDEN STAR damaged its rudder when it struck the opposite bank while backing from the dock at Huron, Ohio. The vessel, bound for the United Kingdom, needed four tugs when it was towed out of the Seaway for repairs at Sorel, QC. The vessel was last noted as c) FUN JIN under the flag of Panama in 1993. 1978: The West German freighter FRANCISCA SARTORI made 21 trips through the Seaway from 1959 through 1967. It was lying at Piraeus, Greece, as f) GIOTA S. when the engine room flooded on this date in 1978. The ship departed for Chalkis on October 24, 1979, but further leaks developed and the vessel had to be beached at Laurium, Greece. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 14 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 14
On this day in 1953, Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, submitted a successful bid of $118,111 for six retired lakers to be scrapped by the U.S. Maritime Commission. The six boats were the CHACORNAC, COLONEL, MUNISING, NEGAUNEE, YOSEMITE and AMAZON. On 14 October 1871, the LEVANT (2-mast wooden schooner, 91 foot, 115 tons, built in 1854, at Chicago, Illinois) was loaded with lumber when she was overtaken by a severe gale and went over on her beam ends off Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan. The 6-man crew lashed themselves to the vessel so as not to be washed away by the waves. Throughout the night the men died one by one. At daylight, the schooner D P DOBBINS found the wreck with floating bodies tied to it and three still alive (two of them were barely alive). One died during the rescue attempt and another died within minutes of being rescued. Only Peter J. Thornum survived. DEAN RICHMOND (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 238 foot, 1,432 gross tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) sailed from Toledo, Ohio, on Friday the 13th of October 1893, with a load of bagged meal, flour, zinc and copper ingots. She encountered hurricane force winds of over 60 mph and battled the storm throughout the night. She was seen on 14 October 1893, off Erie, Pennsylvania, missing her stacks and battling the wind and waves. The following day, wreckage and bodies were washing ashore near Dunkirk, New York. Among the dead were the captain, his wife and three children. A few crewmembers managed to make it to shore however all but one died of exposure. The only survivor was found on the beach near Van Buren Point two days later. During the search for bodies, three volunteers lost their lives. The wreck was found in 1984. The keel to the JAMES R. BARKER was laid on October 14, 1974. She was to become Interlake's first 1000 footer and the flagship of the fleet for Moore McCormack Leasing, Inc. (Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, mgr.). On October 14, 1983, the CHI-CHEEMAUN encountered 48-knot winds after departing Tobermory with 113 passengers bound for South Baymouth. Due to high wind and waves the captain decided to find shelter rather than to continue on or return to port. The ferry made her way around the Bruce Peninsula southeast to Dyer Bay where she dropped anchor for the night, however she had no overnight accommodations. Complimentary meals were served and activities were organized by the crew. The anchor was lifted the next morning and the ferry returned to Tobermory. The GEORGE A. STINSON departed Detroit on her maiden voyage October 14, 1978, light for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore pellets for delivery to the Great Lakes Steel Division of the National Steel Corp. at Zug Island in River Rouge, Michigan. Renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. On 14 October 1875, it was discovered that thieves had completely stripped the canvass and rigging from the schooner FORWARDER owned by Little & Brown. The schooner was lying about three miles below Port Huron. On 14 October 1822, APPELONA (wooden schooner, 45 foot, 37 tons, built in 1814, at Henderson, New York) was bound from Oswego for Genesee, New York, when she was struck by lightning in Lake Ontario and sank about 15 minutes. All hands were injured but abandoned her for shore and all survived. The tug NELSON burned at Chicago on Saturday, 14 October 1876. She was one of the smaller class of tugs and the damage was so great that she was not considered to be worth repairing. October 14, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground while enroute to Manistique, Michigan, at full speed, damaging several plates. The ANN ARBOR NO 3 pulled her off. On 14 October 1876, NEW YORK (wooden propeller freighter, 183 foot, 704 tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber and towing the schooner BUTCHER BOY and barges NELLIE MC GILVERAY and A. J. CORREY from Cove Island in Georgian Bay to Buffalo when they encountered a severe storm near Pointe aux Barques. The towline parted and the NEW YORK could not regain it in the heavy seas. She then sprang a leak and the water rose rapidly enough to put out her fires. The crew (15 men and one woman) abandoned in the yawl as NEW YORK was overwhelmed and sank. The open boat was adrift for five hours when the 74-foot schooner NEMESIS came upon it. NEMESIS tried twelve times to approach the yawl in the rough seas, losing a portion of her deck load of tanbark each time that she came about, but at last she got alongside the yawl. The NEW YORK's crew managed to get aboard the NEMESIS except for Fireman William Sparks, who fell between the yawl and the schooner and was lost. The other vessels in the tow all made it to Port Huron safely. On 14 October 1883, NELLIE GARDNER (wooden schooner-barge, 178 foot, 567 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) was loaded with 39,000 bushels of corn while being towed by the steamer JOHN PRIDGEON JR in a storm on Lake Huron. The GARDNER released herself from the tow in the heavy weather to run for the shelter of Thunder Bay under sail. However, she was unable to make it, and turned back for Tawas, Michigan, but struck a reef, broke in two and was wrecked 1 mile SE of Scarecrow Island. Her crew made it to shore in her yawl. 1895: The wooden steamer AFRICA struck a reef near Cove Island enroute to Georgian Bay, broke up and sank with the loss of all 13 crew. 1922: ARROW, a steel sidewheeler, partially burned at the dock in Put-in-Bay. 1954: The Dutch freighter PRINS WILLEM V. sank off Milwaukee after a collision with the barge SINCLAIR XII pushed by the SINCLAIR CHICAGO. All 30 sailors on board were rescued but the overseas vessel was never salvaged. It was replaced in 1956 by another PRINS WILLEM V. 1966: The STONEFAX and ARTHUR STOVE collided in the Welland Canal between Allanburg and Port Robinson. The former, a member of the Halco fleet, sank with its cargo of potash and remained on the bottom until November 25. The latter subsequently visited the Seaway as b) TIARET and was scrapped at Nantong, China, as c) CLARET in 1984-1985. 1983: The British freighter HOUSTON CITY visited the Great Lakes in 1966. It ran aground at Mayotte Island, part of the Comoros, while enroute from the Far East to South Africa as c) ALPAC AFRICA. The ship was stuck until October 22 and scrapped at Shanghai, China, in 1984. 1985: FURIA was trapped in Lock 7 when a section of the lock wall collapsed. The Welland Canal was closed until November 7. The vessel arrived at Shanghai, China, for scrapping as b) YRIA on November 1, 2001, after it made a final trip inland as such in 2000. 1987: GEORGE A. SLOAN sustained major bottom damage going aground in the Amherstburg Channel and was repaired at Toledo. The ship is still sailing as c) MISSISSAGI. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Intrepid departs Split, Croatia, on delivery trip 10/13 - Algoma Intrepid (IMO 9773387) built in Croatia for the Algoma Central Corp. fleet, departed Split, Croatia,on October 10 to begin the delivery voyage to Canada. They have an ETA according to their AIS for Gibraltar on October 17, 2020 at 14:00 UTC. Algoma Intrepid is the second of two forward-mounted self-unloading Equinox-class vessels built in Croatia for Algoma Central and their fleet renewal program that started in 2013. Algoma Intrepid is a sistership to Algoma Innovator, which arrived from Croatia in 2018 and started trading in the Great Lakes/Seaway system that season. Algoma Intrepid is also the 9th Equinox-class ship of the Equinox series that began in 2013 with the construction of the Algoma Equinox from China in 2013. Since the Algoma Equinox’s arrival in the Great Lakes in 2013, eight additional Equinox-class ships have been built for the Algoma Central Corp. fleet, with a 10th one to be joined in the next few years. That vessel will be named Capt. Henry Jackman and will be the second vessel to bear that name in the Algoma fleet and also the first of the Equinox-class ships to be named after an executive with Algoma. Algoma Intrepid is registered in Tuvalu and has a foreign crew aboard. Upon reaching Canada, the ship will be registered in Canada, reflagged and receive an all Canadian crew. Denny Dushane |
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Port Reports - October 13 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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After 2018 anchor strike, Consumers Energy takes cables out of Straits of Mackinac 10/13 - Long decommissioned Consumers Energy electric cables are no longer running under the Straits of Mackinac, the company announced on Oct. 12. Discussions over what to do with the cables started in 2018 after damage to a Consumers Energy cable was discovered. “After learning of the 2018 alleged anchor strike on our cable, we began to investigate the best way to leave the Straits of Mackinac and the entire state in a better place," said Dennis Dobbs, Consumers Energy’s vice president of Enterprise Project Management and Environmental Services. The damage to the Consumers Energy line was discovered in April 2018, after two American Transmission Company (ATC) lines were damaged by a tug and barge that dragged its anchor. The ATC lines leaked dielectric fluid - more than 600 gallons of the fluid, or mineral oil - but the Consumers lines contained no fluid because they hadn’t been in use for so long. The damage to the Consumers Energy and ATC lines came as tensions surrounding Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline were increasing. A portion of Line 5 sends crude oil and natural gas liquids through the Straits of Mackinac. The same vessel believed to have caused the ATC and Consumers Energy damage, was also believed to have put three small dents into Line 5, though the line did not leak. While the Consumers Energy lines did not leak, the company put a cap on the severed cables so they wouldn’t move, said Consumers Energy spokeswoman Katie Carey. But the company was still trying to decide what to do long-term about the cables. “They’re not active. We don’t use them anymore. So how can we, you know, does it make sense to pull them out? Does it not make sense?” Carey said of the conversations with state, federal and local stakeholders. The decision was eventually made that the cables had to go. Consumers Energy spent from May through mid-September pulling four to eight 46 kV cables from the water. The exact number is unclear, Carey said, because some of the cables were severed at various points through the straits and brought up previously since 1990, and the company also had smaller grounding cables that support the larger 46 V electric cable. The cables had been installed in 1956 to carry electricity to the Upper Peninsula. Consumers Energy stopped servicing the Upper Peninsula, and shut down the lines in 1990. M Live |
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Video: J.W. Westcott in action 10/13 - Detroit, MI – For over 140 years, the J W Westcott has been delivering “mail by the pail” to crewmen aboard freighters that travel along the Detroit River and our Great Lakes for weeks if not months at a time. View the news report at this link: https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/859537 |
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Updated saltie transits by the numbers for 2020 10/13 - As of October 1, 2020, there were 331 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY, by 208 vessels so far for the 2020 Great Lakes/Seaway shipping season from March/April through October 1. The 331 transits is up just 7 transits from the same period in 2019 and it is also up 21 transits overall from the 5-year period from 2015-2019. September 2020 transits of 56 westbound visits by saltwater vessels showed no change when comparing the same number of transits in September 2019. So far, one of the main cargoes inbound for many of the saltwater visitors so far in the 2020 shipping season is wind turbine parts, with many shipments delivered to many ports around the Great Lakes/Seaway system. Ports such as Monroe, Michigan, Bay City Michigan and Duluth, Minnesota have seen the most visits with this particular cargo. Grain exports also continue to rise, especially now that we are into the fall grain rush. Ports such as Thunder Bay have seen the greatest movements by far of saltwater vessels exporting grain cargoes this season, with a strong demand for export grain. Duluth-Superior, Hamilton, Toledo and Sarnia all are seeing their share of export grain. A month by month breakdown of the 2020 westbound monthly transits at the Eisenhower Lock shows the following numbers and statistics:
March/April: 59 It is also worth mentioning that the March/April timeframe for 2020 of 59 westbound transits, all of those took place during April as there were no transits during March due to high water levels at that time on Lake Ontario and the concern about flooding along the St. Lawrence River. Denny Dushane |
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Updated saltie transits by the numbers for 2020 10/13 - As of October 1, 2020, there were 331 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY, by 208 vessels so far for the 2020 Great Lakes/Seaway shipping season from March/April through October 1. The 331 transits is up just 7 transits from the same period in 2019 and it is also up 21 transits overall from the 5-year period from 2015-2019. September 2020 transits of 56 westbound visits by saltwater vessels showed no change when comparing the same number of transits in September 2019. So far, one of the main cargoes inbound for many of the saltwater visitors so far in the 2020 shipping season is wind turbine parts, with many shipments delivered to many ports around the Great Lakes/Seaway system. Ports such as Monroe, Michigan, Bay City Michigan and Duluth, Minnesota have seen the most visits with this particular cargo. Grain exports also continue to rise, especially now that we are into the fall grain rush. Ports such as Thunder Bay have seen the greatest movements by far of saltwater vessels exporting grain cargoes this season, with a strong demand for export grain. Duluth-Superior, Hamilton, Toledo and Sarnia all are seeing their share of export grain. A month by month breakdown of the 2020 westbound monthly transits at the Eisenhower Lock shows the following numbers and statistics: March/April: 59 May: 56 June: 44 July: 54 August: 62 September: 56 It is also worth mentioning that the March/April timeframe for 2020 of 59 westbound transits, all of those took place during April as there were no transits during March due to high water levels at that time on Lake Ontario and the concern about flooding along the St. Lawrence River. Denny Dushane |
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2020 updated list of new saltwater visitors 10/13 - As of October 1, 2020, there were 35 new saltwater vessels making their first inland trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system via the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y. They include Alanis, Amber Bay, Amoenitas, Atlantic Spirit, Aujaq, BBC Echo, BBC Gdansk, BBC Mekong, BBC Norfolk, BBC Song, BBC Swift, Caroline, Comet, Fure Ven, Heemskerkgracht, Hilke, Hudsongracht, Ijborg, Imke, Janet C, Josef, Julie C, Keith, Lagertha, Mick, Nadja, Northern Spirit, Ortolan Beta Strait, Patrona I, Puna, Sider Amy, Sinaa, Spiekeroog, Trito Navigator and Zea Servant. Since October 1, there have been three more newcomers to add to the 35 new visitors: Barbarica, BBC Direction and the BBC Eagle. Eleven of the new saltwater visitors have made inland trips with other names. They are the Atlantic Spirit, which last visited as the Adfines Star in 2019, while the Northern Spirit also last visited in 2019 as the Adfines Sea. Both vessels are tankers and sisterships. Caroline last visited in 2019 as the Palmerton and was renamed while at Sarnia on December 1. Hilke last visited in 2018 as Palabora and Lagertha last visited in 2016 as Halit Bey on its only visit with that name. Puna last visited in 2019 as Three Rivers, while Ortolan Beta Strait last visited in 2019 as Pacific Huron. Both are sisterships. BBC Norfolk last visited as Thorco Alliance in 2015 on its only visit with that name. Heemskerkgracht has visited twice with former names; it first came inland as the Beluga Faculty in 2009.and last visited as such in 2010. It returned inland as the HHL Nile in 2011 and last visited as such in 2015. Josef first came inland as the HHL Congo in 2012 and last visited as such in 2018. As HHL Congo, the ship was renamed Josef in June 2018 while at Burns Harbor. Finally, Imke last visited in 2016 as Palau. Denny Dushane |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 13
On this day in 1893, Chief Engineer J. H. Hogan left the DEAN RICHMOND in Toledo to take care of some family business. One day later, the DEAN RICHMOND burned off Dunkirk, New York, with a loss of 17 lives including the replacement Chief Engineer. On October 13, 1909, GEORGE STONE (wooden propeller freighter, 270 foot, 1,841 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was sailing from Ashtabula, Ohio for Racine, Wisconsin, with cargo of coal when she stranded on Grubb Reef in the Pelee Passage on Lake Erie. She then caught fire and was destroyed. Five of the 18 crewmen were lost. The SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER made her first trip out of Thunder Bay, Ontario with grain on October 13, 1983. Renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995, sold to Voyageur Maritime in 2006, and now sailing as c.) KAMINISTIQUA for Lower Lakes Towing. The tug GLENADA towed the BROOKDALE from Port Colborne to Newman's scrap yard at Port Maitland, Ontario the week of October 13, 1980. On October 13, 1902, the MAUNALOA collided with her whaleback consort barge 129 on Lake Superior and sank it 30 miles northwest of Vermilion Point, which is between Upper Michigan's Crisp and Whitefish Points. MAUNALOA had been towing the 129, both vessels loaded with iron ore, when the towline parted in heavy seas. While trying to regain control of the barge, they came together and the steamer's port anchor raked the side of the barge, which started taking on water. The crew was taken off the barge before it sank. On 13 October 1875, off Alpena, Michigan, the tug E. H. MILLER had her boiler explode while racing with the tug CITY OF ALPENA - both in quest of a tow. The ALPENA, who was ahead of the MILLER when she blew up, immediately turned around to pick up survivors. The ALPENA sunk in minutes. The engineer, fireman and a boy were rescued, but the captain and cook were lost. The fireman was in such poor shape that it was thought that he would not live. On 13 October 1877, The Port Huron Times reported that the tug PRINDIVILLE and the 2-masted schooner PORTLAND had both gone ashore at the Straits of Mackinac and been pounded to pieces. On 13 October 1886, SELAH CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller steam barge, 212 foot, 1,207 gross tons, built in 1873, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with the 222-foot wooden lumber hooker JOHN PRIDGEON, JR. in heavy fog off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The CHAMBERLAIN had been towing the schooner FAYETTE BROWN. The CHAMBERLAIN sank quickly. Five of the crew went down with the vessel when the lifeboat davits became fouled and they were unable to launch the lifeboat. The rest of the crew made it to shore in the other lifeboat after a 3-hour pull through the fog. 1902: The wooden steamer C. B. LOCKWOOD was swamped in a storm and sank on Lake Erie with the loss of 10 lives. 1927: The ONTARIO, once the largest carferry on the Detroit River, was later reduced to a barge and it foundered on Lake Superior, near Outer Island, while carrying 1100 tons of pulpwood. It had been under tow of the tug BUTTERFIELD and all on board were saved. 1973: SCOTT MISENER damaged 60 bottom plates when it hit bottom near Whaleback Shoal in the St. Lawrence. 1976: The former T2 tanker and now bulk carrier SYLVIA L. OSSA, remembered on the Great Lakes as the MARATHONIAN that was in a head-on collision with ROLWI in Lake Michigan, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with the loss of all 37 members of the crew. 1990: ERNA WITT first visited the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1962. The vessel sank off Port Sudan as k) SHIBA after a collision with the ALTAAWIN ALARABI while inbound from Aqaba, Jordan. Three members of the crew were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - October 12 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski |
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Obituary: Captain Donald Leach 10/12 - Captain Donald Leach, 87, of Lakeland, Florida, formerly of St. Clair, Michigan, passed away on October 2, 2020. He began his sailing career in 1959, spanning nearly 40 years, sailing with the Interlake Steamship Company. He worked his way from deckhand to Captain throughout this impressive career in which he sailed on every boat the company owned and retired the Wiliam J. Delancy, now known as the Paul R. Tregurtha. Donald spent his last 5 years with the company as Captain on the Mesabi Miner. A memorial service to honor his life will be held at a later date in his hometown of St. Clair, Michigan. To leave a message of comfort visit www. youngcolonial.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 12
On this day in 1976, three boats discharged a record 108,379 tons of cargo on a single day at the Pinney Dock in Ashtabula, Ohio. The three boats were the JAMES R. BARKER (57,305 tons), the WILFRED SYKES (20,678 tons), and the JOSEPH L. BLOCK (30,306 tons). On the night of October 12, 1871, the grain laden schooner PLOVER struck a reef near Whitefish Point on Lake Superior, put a hole in her hull and sank in deep water. Captain Jones and the crew of eight escaped in the yawl. They spent two days making their way to Sault Ste. Marie. The JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was released October 12, 1981, and returned to service after repairs were completed at the Canadian Vickers Montreal yard. The CLIFFS VICTORY was sold October 12, 1985, to Hai International Corp. of New York for scrapping in the Orient and transferred to Panamanian registry. Her name was changed to c.) SAVIC, utilizing the "S" from CLIFFS, the "VIC" from VICTORY and inserting an "A". All the other letters were painted out. The JOHN A. KLING sailed on her maiden voyage for the Rockport Steamship Co. (Reiss Steamship Co., mgr.) on October 12, 1922, light from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to load stone at Rockport, Michigan. Sold into Canadian registry in 1981, renamed b.) LEADALE. She was scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1983. The keel was laid October 12, 1925, for the Interlake Steamship Co.'s steamer COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS. The SYLVANIA returned to service on October 12, 1967. She sank at the Peerless Cement Co. Dock at Port Huron, Michigan in June of that year after being struck by the Canada Steamship Lines package freight steamer RENVOYLE. The tug EDNA G remained at Two Harbors, Minnesota, until October 12, 1993, when she was towed to the Fraser Shipyard at Superior, Wisconsin, by the Great Lakes Towing Co. tug KANSAS. She is now on display as a floating exhibit for the city. On October 12, 1967, the Papachristidis Company Limited's FEUX FOLLETS entered service with the distinction of being the last steam-powered vessel built on the Great Lakes. The vessel was renamed b.) CANADIAN LEADER when it was sold to Upper Lakes Shipping in 1972 It was scrapped in 2011. At 3:00 a.m., 12 October 1870, the 76-ton tug ONTARIO caught fire and burned to the waterline while lying at Harrow's dock in Algonac, Michigan. On 12 October 1901, ALVINA (wooden schooner-rigged scow-barge, 89 foot, 95 gross tons, built in 1871, at Fair Haven, Michigan) was being towed by the steamer WESTON and had a load of 700 barrels of lubricating oil. They were bound from Cleveland for Manistique. The ALVINA was overwhelmed in a storm and sank near Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. Her entire crew made it to shore in her yawl. Her cargo was salvaged five days later. On 12 October 1880, TRADER (wooden propeller, 115 foot, 169 gross tons, built in 1865, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was battered severely and became waterlogged. Her crew abandoned her with water up to her decks. They were saved by the schooner GUIDE in a daring rescue. A few days later, in the "Alpena Storm,” her wreckage washed ashore near Holland, Michigan and she was erroneously reported as another "all-hands" victim of that storm. On 12 October 1874, on her maiden voyage, the tug MARY passed Port Huron down bound with the bark FAVORITE in tow. The tug was owned by William Hardison of Port Huron. 1912: MARENGO, a wooden schooner under tow of the LLOYD S. PORTER, broke loose in a storm, came ashore west of Port Colborne and was pounded to pieces by the waves. The anchor was salvaged and now sits on the lawn of Port Colborne High School. 1912: S.K. MARTIN began leaking in heavy weather and sank in Lake Erie off Harbor Creek, NY. The coal laden wooden steamer ran for shore but the effort fell short. The crew took to the lifeboat and were saved. The ship went down bow first and rested on the bottom in 56 feet of water. 1918: The wooden tug ELLA G. STONE was destroyed by a brush fire that swept through the town of Cloquet, MN. Several scows, tugs and a dredge as well as over 400 lives were lost. 1941: ENARE, a Great Lakes visitor in 1932-1933, sustained heavy damage in an air attack in the North Sea as h) GLYNN. The ship was subsequently sunk by a convoy escort as a hazard to navigation. It had also been a Great Lakes trader as f) FLAKS in 1933 and 1934. 1991: ZIEMIA GNIEZNIENSKA hit the wall at Lock 7 and dislodged a chunk of concrete. The Welland Canal was closed for three days. 2002: STELLANOVA and CANADIAN PROSPECTOR were in a head-on collision on the Seaway near Cote St. Catherine and both ships sustained considerable damage. The former was repaired at Les Mechins and the latter at Port Weller Dry Docks. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 11 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions. Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Muskegon, MI – Shipwatcher News
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Oshawa, ON – Janey Anderson
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski |
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Some Michigan rivers dump almost 3 years’ worth of water into Lakes Michigan and Huron 10/11 - Record setting amounts of water flowed through some Michigan rivers this year on the way to Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Several rivers had water flows in amounts that have never been recorded before. In fact, we could say those previous records were shattered. River flow for a year is tallied from October 1 to September 30 of the next year. The October to next September time frame is called a “water year” in meteorology. View the details at this link: |
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World Ship Society demolitions 10/11 - Vessels with Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway connection reported as a casualty or sold for demolition taken from October 2020 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society.
Casualties: None MADURAI MEENAKSHI (9210347; St. Kitts & Nevis) (Allcargo Sushila-18, Allcargo Susheela-17, Atlantic Cruiser-12, BBC Italy-11, Buccaneer-03 - 1st Seaway trip 01, BBC Italy-01 - 1st Seaway trip 2001) 6,204 / 2001 - general cargo. By Meenakshi Fishing & Trading Co (Proactive Shipping Services) India, to Bangladesh breakers and arrived Chittagong 4.12.2019 - commenced demolition 11.12.2019 MIA (8418746; Panama) (Ziemia Lodkza-15, Lake Champlain-03 - 1st Seaway trip 1992, Ziemia Lodzka-92 - 1st Seaway trip 1992) 17,458 / 1992 - bulk carrier. By Toros Shipping Ltd Corp (Gamma Denizcilik Nakliyat ve Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti (Gamma Shipping Transport & Foreign Trading Ltd), Panama, to Ege Celik Gemi Sokum AS, Turkey and arrived Aliaga 16.12.2019 – commenced demolition 16.12.2019 YONG TONG I (9041837; Panama) (OS Phoenix-10, World Dynasty-09, Stolt Ntombi-06, May Fair I-97 - 1st Seaway trip 1993) 7,916 / 1991 - chemical tanker. By Yongtong Shipping (Hong Kong) Co Ltd (Shanghai Huitong Shipping Co Ltd), Hong Kong, China, to Unique Ship Breaking Corp, India and arrived Alang 29.11.2019 – commenced demolition 9.12.2019 Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 11
On this day in 1923, the HENRY STEINBRENNER of 1901 collided with the J. McCARTNEY KENNEDY at 4:20 p.m. off Parisienne Island, Whitefish Bay. The accident occurred during thick, smoky weather and both boats were severely damaged. MEDINA (wooden propeller tug, 66 foot, 57 gross tons) was launched by O'Grady & Maher at Buffalo, New York on October 11, 1890. She cost $12,000. Quebec & Ontario Transportation's b.) BAIE COMEAU II cleared Sorel October 11, 1983, as c.) AGIA TRIAS, Panamanian registry #1355. Her Canadian registry was closed on October 12, 1983. Her mission was to carry grain from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mexican and Caribbean Island ports. Subsequently she was renamed d.) OCEANVIEW in 1988, e.) SEA DIAMOND in 1989, f.) GOLDEN CREST in 1990, g.) ATLANTIC WOOD in 1991, h.) LONDON FURY in 1994 and i.) DONG SHENG in 1995. Cleveland Tankers’ MERCURY scraped the South Grand Island Bridge in the Niagara River in heavy fog on October 11, 1974. Her forward mast snapped off, the amidships mast was tilted and her smoke stack was toppled. She proceeded after the mishap to G&W Welding at Cleveland, Ohio under her own power for repairs. Upper Lakes Shipping's WHEAT KING, under tow, arrived at Chittagong Roads, Bangladesh on October 11, 1989, to be broken up. In 1911, the rail ferry CHIEF WAWATAM arrived at St. Ignace, Michigan, and began service shortly thereafter. On 11 October 1913, THOMAS H. CAHOON (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 166 foot, 431 gross tons, built in 1881, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying lumber in tow of the steamer C. W. CHAMBERLAIN. They were bound from Sault Ste. Marie to Byng Inlet. However during a storm, the CAHOON stranded and went to pieces on 'Kenny Shoal' by the southwest corner of Innes Island in Georgian Bay. No lives were lost. On October 11, 1839, DEWITT CLINTON (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 147 foot, 413 tons, built in 1836, at Huron, Ohio) foundered off Milwaukee with the loss of 5 lives. She was recovered the following year and lasted until 1851. She and her near-twin ROBERT FULTON were reportedly the first Lake steamers built primarily as freighters with relatively few passenger accommodations. On October 11, 1866, GREAT WEST (wooden 3-mast bark, 175 foot, 765 tons, built in 1854, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying wheat in a storm on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef. She was reported to be a total loss but she may have been recovered and then lost near Chicago in 1876. When launched, she was the largest sailing vessel on the Lakes and much was made of her beautiful lines. She was diagonally braced with iron. She stood 174 feet tall from her deck to her masthead. So if she were sailing today, although she'd be able to sail under the Mackinac Bridge, she'd be stopped at the Blue Water Bridge whose roadway is only 152 feet above the water. 1923: The canal-sized steamer GLENGELDIE, enroute from Killarney to Welland with a cargo of quartz rock, hit bottom in Georgian Bay and had to be towed to Collingwood for over $15,000 in repairs to the starboard side. The ship later sailed for Canada Steamship Lines as b) ELGIN. 1924: SENATOR DARBYSHIRE, a wooden bulk carrier upbound and in ballast, was destroyed by a fire on Lake Ontario, and sank near Point Petre Light. The crew fought the early morning blaze but eventually had to abandon the ship and was picked up by MAPLEBAY. Capt. J.W. Scarrow was later a master for Canada Steamship Lines. 1942: WATERTON was lost due to enemy action in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The former Misener freighter, operating for the Bowater Steamship Co., was attacked with 2 torpedoes from U-106 and went down in the Cabot Strait in 8 minutes. All on board got off safely. The ship was traveling from Cornerbrook, NF, to Cleveland with newsprint and pulpwood. 1982: The Israeli freighter DAGAN made 18 trips to the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1967. It ran aground on Cay Sal Bank, north of Cuba, as f) CORK and was abandoned the next day as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Tug that will tow Salarium to scrap due at Montreal 10/10 - Thor I, the tug that is on its way to Montreal to tow the Sal, ex Salarium, for Aliaga, Turkey, should arrive on Saturday. The tug (Marine Traffic calls it an Offshore Supply Ship) is the former Canadian flagged Maersk Challenger. Salarium (formerly Nanticoke) was recently retired by Canada Steamship Lines. René Beauchamp |
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Bay Shipbuilding delivers new self-unloading barge to VanEnkevort Tug & Barge T 10/10 - Sturgeon Bay, WI – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and VanEnkevort Tug & Barge Inc. has announced the completion and delivery of a new self-unloading barge for operation on the Great Lakes. The new barge, named Michigan Trader, measures 740-ft. in length, 78-ft. in beam, and 45-ft. in depth. The barge has a 265-ft. unloading boom and capacity for up to 37,000 long tons of cargo. “This Michigan Trader will be the fourth self-unloading barge in our Great Lakes fleet, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome her into service,” says David Groh, president of VanEnkevort Tug & Barge Fleet. Michigan Trader will join as the tenth barge in the VanEnkevort Tug & Barge Fleet, with services on the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. “Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has always provided repair services to VTB and built the hull for their first new tug the Joyce VanEnkevort,” said Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s Vice President and General Manager Todd Thayse. “The completion and delivery of the Michigan Trader to Dave Groh and his VTB team is another proud event for FBS and our talented shipbuilding team.” “The repair work that Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has completed for us over the years has been good,” Groh said. “We are happy to have partnered with them for this new vessel and are thrilled to support the Great Lakes region and its industry. Our growing customer base has supported our vision and we have responded with this new build barge. We are happy to have been able to bring this opportunity to FBS and work with their talented workforces on this project.” Utilizing top-quality materials and parts from suppliers across the Midwest, the project’s supply chain is a noteworthy part of the vessel’s completion. Substantial local suppliers were Broadwind Heavy Industries of Manitowoc, WI which built the Michigan Trader’s 265-ft. boom, Northern Machine & Repair Inc. provided its hatch covers, and Marine Travel Lift in Sturgeon Bay, WI manufactured the cargo hatch crane along with many more local parts and services. “We are happy to have supported the Great Lakes economy during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Thayse said. “From boom to hatch crane, and everything in between, this vessel shows the greatness of Wisconsin and Midwest manufacturing and our Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding employees.” Fincantieri Marine Group |
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Port Reports - October 10 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
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Great Lakes' ore trade 'feeling the pinch' of COVID-19, falling 30% off normal pace 10/10 - Duluth, MN – The American shipping industry has kept itself safe on the Great Lakes, but it has been feeling ill effects of COVID-19 in economic ways. Shipments of taconite iron ore fell 33.1% in September compared to the same month last year, and 30% off the rolling five-year average, the Lake Carriers Association, based outside Cleveland, said in a news release Thursday. Shipments of iron ore from U.S. ports on the Great Lakes totaled 3.9 million tons in September compared to 5.8 million tons in the same month in 2019. The year-to-date iron ore trade stands at 28.2 million tons, a decrease of nearly 27% compared to 2019's 38.6 million tons. A sliver of good news was learned earlier this week, found in an annual "State of the Lakes" report revealing that no American lake workers had fallen ill to COVID-19 in eight months of the pandemic. "While the COVID-19 pandemic did create shipping challenges, the U.S.-flag fleet continues to persevere and to date no mariners on Lake Carriers’ member vessels have tested positive for COVID-19," Lake Carriers President Jim Weakley said. “Collaborating early and taking decisive action, our members kept our sailors safe and the economy moving." The Lake Carriers represent 11 member companies and 46 vessels. The "State of the Lakes" report described the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Coast Guard as being preoccupied with international travelers and vessels, and having "no planning for the domestic maritime ramifications of this pandemic." "It was left to Lake Carriers and its members to fill the planning and preparedness void which we did with daily operations briefs exchanging information and best practices among, as always, a collaborative fleet," the "State of the Lakes" report said. The downturn in 2020 comes after a good year in 2019, which beat the five-year tonnage average by 5%. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck in March, "2020 looked ready to be another robust year for the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet until the underlying ramifications of COVID-19's hit to the economy was realized," the report said. Through June 2020, the 17 million tons of iron ore moved on the Great Lakes was 15% below 2019, and 13.4% below the five-year rolling average. Mid-year raw steel production in the U.S. year-to-date stood at 66.1% capacity down from 80.9% at the same spot in 2019. The quarter from July through September only got worse. Concluded the "State of the Lakes" report: "The U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet is feeling the pinch." Duluth News Tribune |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 10
On this day in 1891, the SUSAN E. PECK collided with the schooner GEORGE W. ADAMS above the Soo Locks. The PECK, loaded with wheat for Buffalo, sank in a matter of minutes and completely blocked the navigation channel. General Orlando M. Poe, in charge of the Soo Locks, estimated that 275 boats lost an estimated 825 days and 5 hours waiting for the wreck to be cleared. On this day in 1956, two F-86 Saber Jets collided over Lake Michigan. The ERNEST T. WEIR, Captain Ray R. Redecker, rescued one of the pilots (Lt. Kenneth R. Hughes) after he spent three hours in the water. ARTHUR M. ANDERSON, WILLIAM A. IRVIN and GEORGE W. PERKINS participated in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the second pilot. On October 10, 1902, GARDEN CITY (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 133 foot, 352 gross tons, built in 1873, at Ogdensburg, New York) caught fire on the Saginaw River between Bay City and Saginaw while sailing up the river for winter lay-up. She sank four miles above Bay City near the old interurban railroad bridge. While downbound with coal in the St. Lawrence River on October 10, 1981, the JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was rebuilt with a new forebody at Port Weller Drydocks and renamed b.) CSL ASSINIBOINE in 2005. BROOKDALE of 1909 was towed out of Toronto on October 10, 1980, by the tug GLENADA, assisted by the tug TERRY S. She was one her way to the cutters’ torch at Port Maitland, Ontario. CHAMPLAIN with her former fleet mate CADILLAC was towed past Gibraltar October 10, 1987, heading for Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling by Cukurova Celik Endustrisi A.S. SAVIC b.) CLIFFS VICTORY cleared New York on October 10, 1986. HULL NO 1, b.) KINSMAN ENTERPRISE, being towed by the Polish tug JANTAR arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, on October 10, 1989, to be scrapped there. October 10, 1906 - The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was sold to The Barry Transportation Co. for $75,000. The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was the last of the "break-bulk" boats operated by the Pere Marquette Railway Co. On October 10, 1905, CHARLES H. BURTON (3 mast wooden schooner, 158 foot, 514 gross tons, built in 1873, at Bangor, Michigan) was carrying coal in a storm in Lake Erie when she was driven ashore 4 1/2 miles east of Barcelona, New York and broke up. No lives were lost. She had been built on the hull of the bark GLENBULAH that had burned in the Chicago fire of 1871. On 10 October 1877, ELIZA R. TURNER (wooden schooner, 156 foot, 409 gross tons, built in 1867, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying wheat from Detroit to Buffalo when a storm drove her aground nine miles west of Long Point on Lake Erie where she was wrecked. The skipper and cook drowned, but the remaining 8 were saved. The tug CRUSADER of Oswego burned and sank in the middle of the Straits of Mackinac about 9 p.m. on 10 October 1878. On 10 October 1877, ABEONA (wooden scow-schooner, 100 tons, built in 1863, at Lambert, Ontario) was carrying lumber and shingles down bound on Lake Huron when she stranded during a storm one mile west of Port Austin where she reportedly later broke up. In 1877, PORTLAND (2-mast wooden schooner, 118 foot, 250 tons, built in 1847, at Pillar Point, New York) stranded and went to pieces north of False Presque Isle on Lake Huron. Salvage attempts only retrieved her anchor and chain. 1923: HURONTON, a Canadian freighter, sank in Lake Superior off Caribou Island following a collision on the foggy lake with the CETUS. The vessel went down in 800 feet of water in 18 minutes but all on board were rescued. 1927: MICHIPICOTEN, of the Owen Sound Transportation Co., was destroyed by a fire at Gore Bay, on Manitoulin Island. 1963: The wooden freighter VAUQUELIN caught fire and sank in the St. Lawrence northeast of Quebec City off Cap Saumon. The vessel had previously sailed as a) LA RIVIERE MALBAIE. 1969: The T-2 tanker CARIBBEAN SKY visited the Seaway for 3 trips in 1960-1961 before being converted to a bulk carrier. The engine exploded and disintegrated during dock trials after repairs at Antwerp, Belgium, as f) LAKE PLACID, with the loss of one life. The hull settled but was pumped out and declared a CTL. It was towed to Rotterdam in 1971, repaired and returned to service as g) GARANDA. The after end again proved to be troublesome and was cut off and scrapped. The bow was joined to after end of the Panamanian tanker AKRON and the ship returned to service under this name. It was finally dismantled in Pakistan during 1981. 1987: The wheat-laden WILLOWGLEN went aground on the north side of Ogden Island in the St. Lawrence. The ship was released on October 13 and later went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Duluth dock sets tonnage record 10/9 - Duluth, MN – Indiana Harbor loaded 76,272 tons of UTAC pellets at CN Dock #6 on 10/5 for Indiana Harbor delivery. This is a record for the Duluth docks. Lake Superior Ports & Shipping |
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Lakes ore, limestone trades down in September 10/9 - Cleveland, OH – Shipments of iron ore from U.S. ports on the Great Lakes totaled 3.9 million tons in September, a decrease of 33.1 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also below the month’s 5-year average by 30 percent. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 28.2 million tons, a decrease of nearly 27 percent compared to the same point in 2019. Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.3 million tons in September, a decrease of 18 percent compared to a year ago. Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 4.4 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.7 million tons, a decrease of almost 17.7 percent from 2019. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 631,840 tons, a decrease of 19.5 percent. Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 19.3 million tons, a decrease of 17.4 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 15.4 million tons, a decrease of 19.7 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.9 million tons, a decrease 7.5 percent. Lake Carriers Association |
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Port Reports - October 9 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Muskegon, MI – Muskegon Ships / Brendan Falkowski
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn .
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Hollyhock nearing end of mission on East Coast 10/9 - Port Huron, MI – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock is nearing the end of its mission on the East Coast after leaving its home port in Port Huron over the summer. After spending time in places such as New York City, Cape Cod, and the Carolinas, the ship reached Jacksonville, Florida, about a week ago, said Nick Monacelli, the Hollyhock’s lieutenant commander. The ship left Port Huron in late August. The ship is currently docked for repairs and maintenance. Once those are complete, the Hollyhock will likely head back to Port Huron for fall maintenance and winter ice-breaking. However, Monacelli said he is unsure when the ship will make its return journey. The journey back up the East Coast and to Port Huron will likely take between two and three weeks, he said. The Hollyhock replaces, repairs and locates missing buoys that designate shipping channels so boats can safely navigate the water. The Hollyhock’s original mission was to assist with storm cleanup following this year’s hurricane season. However, as the storms repeatedly shifted west, Monacelli said the ship’s mission was changed to complete buoy work for other ships closer to the storms that had left their posts to assist with storm cleanup. “Instead of sending us down to work the storms directly, they basically shifted us south and then surged the assets that were in the south around to fix the storms just because it was quicker for them to get there,” he said. Monacelli said this year’s storms have not been as disastrous as predicted, so there is less work and need for the Hollyhock’s assistance when other ships were able to complete storm cleanup. Monacelli has said this mission is unusual for the Hollyhock, as it normally stays in the Great Lakes to complete buoy work and break ice. Times Herald |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 9
On 08-09 October 1871, NAVARINO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 184 foot, 761 tons, built in 1870, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was lying at a dock when the Chicago fire swept through the city. The vessel tried to pull away from the dock and get to the safety of Lake Michigan, but the wind, which was being drawn into the fire held her against the dock. She burned to a total loss; no lives were lost. Her machinery was later salvaged and used in the new propeller MENOMINEE. The CHIMO was moved onto the Port Weller Dry Dock on October 9, 1983, where workers began to cut her apart forward of her aft-located pilothouse and engine room. Upon completion Upper Lakes Shipping renamed her b.) CANADIAN RANGER. GULF MACKENZIE (Hull#435) was launched at Sorel, Quebec, by Marine Industries, Ltd. on October 9, 1976. Renamed b.) L. ROCHETTE in 1985, departed the lakes and renamed c.) TRADEWIND ISLAND in 1995 and d.) KEMEPADE in 2003. Pioneer Shipping Ltd's SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER arrived in the Welland Canal on her delivery trip October 9, 1983, en route to her formal christening at Thunder Bay, Ontario. Sold off the lakes and renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995. Brought back to the Lakes as VOYAGEUR PIONEER in 2006. Renamed KAMINISTIQUA in 2008. JAMES DAVIDSON (Hull# 288) was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. on October 9, 1920, for the Globe Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio (G. A. Tomlinson, mgr.) On October 9, 1984, the PATERSON was sold to Shearmet Recycling, a Thunder Bay, Ontario, ship breaker, and was broken up at their Mission River dock. COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER sailed from the Great Lakes Engineering Works on her maiden voyage on October 9, 1911, to Toledo, Ohio, where she loaded coal bound for Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The SCHOONMAKER was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes when she came out. For much of the decade this vessel either broke or held many bulk cargo records. Renamed b.) WILLIS B. BOYER in 1969. Since 1987, the BOYER serves as a museum ship in Toledo, Ohio, with her original name recently restored. On 9 October 1820, ASP (wooden schooner, 57 tons, built in 1808, at Mississauga, Ontario) was carrying lumber and staves when she sprang a leak near Long Point in Lake Ontario. She waterlogged, then capsized. The upturned vessel was driven across the lake and finally went ashore off the Salmon River at Mexico Bay, New York, and broke up quickly. 9 of the 11 onboard lost their lives. She was originally built as the British armed schooner ELIZABETH. On 9 October 1931, CHARLES H. BRADLEY (wooden propeller, 201 foot, 804 gross tons, built in 1890, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying pulpwood and towing the barge GRAMPIAN. She was traversing the Portage Canal in the Keweenaw Peninsula when she ran onto a bar and stranded. The barge kept coming and plowed into her stern. The BRADLEY caught fire and burned to the waterline. The wreck still lies in 6 to 17 feet of water just off the mouth of the Sturgeon River. On 9 October 1895, AFRICA (wooden propeller steam barge, 135 foot, 352 gross tons, built in 1873, at Kingston, Ontario) was towing the schooner SEVERN in a storm on Lake Huron when she struck a reef, 15 miles south of Cove Island light on Lake Huron. AFRICA broke up in the storm, all 11 of her crew were lost. SEVERN went ashore near Bradley Harbour and broke up. The crew was rescued by a fish tug from Stokes Bay. 1907: CYPRUS cleared Superior with a cargo of iron ore for Lackawanna, N.Y., on only the second trip. The vessel sank two days later and there was only one survivor. The hull was found on the bottom of Lake Superior in 2007 in 460 feet of water. 1922: TURRET CROWN ran aground off Cove Island, Georgian Bay, but was later salvaged. 1944: The German freighter LUDOLF OLDENDORFF, a Great Lakes trader as a) WESTMOUNT (i) and as e) TRACTOR, was sunk by British aircraft at Egersund, Norway. 1968: BUCKEYE, under tow for scrapping overseas, began drifting in rough weather when the anchors were unable to hold off Port Colborne. The ship was blown aground west of the city and the hull remained stuck until November 29. 2001: The Maltese flag freighter SYLVIA ran over a buoy below the Eisenhower Lock and the mooring chain was wrapped around the propeller. The cable was freed and the ship proceeded to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs arriving October 19 and returning to service on October 27. The ship had previously been inland as a) CHIMO when new in 1981 and first returned as d) SYLVIA in 2000. The vessel was noted as h) INTERCROWN and registered in Cambodia as of 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Steel production rises a little in Midwest but remains down significantly this year 10/8 - Great Lakes steel production ticked up by 5,000 tons last week but remains depressed by nearly a fifth so far this year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly in Northwest Indiana, made 531,000 tons of metal in the week that ended Oct. 3, up from 526,000 tons the previous week. Steel production is down by 19.6% for the year, while steel capacity utilization has fallen more than 11 percentage points year over year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel for much of the spring and early summer. Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.484 million tons of steel last week, up 0.3% from 1.48 million tons the previous week and down 17.7% as compared to 1.803 million tons the same time a year prior. Steel demand started plummeting in mid-March when automakers like Ford, General Motors, Honda and other automakers — some of the largest consumers of steel in North America — temporarily ceased production to curb the spread of COVID-19. It forced Northwest Indiana steel mills to idle operations and temporarily lay off hundreds of workers. Auto plants across the country have come back online and ramped back up production volume, leading local steel mills to restart blast furnaces at Gary Works, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor and ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. The Region's steel mills have been calling steelworkers back to work. So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 59.44 million tons of steel, a 19.6% decrease compared to the 73.9 million tons made during the same period in 2019. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 66.2% through Oct. 3, down from 80.3% at the same point in 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 66.6% last week, which was up from 66.1% the previous week and down from 77.7% at the same time a year ago. Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, was 575,000 tons last week, down from 590,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest rose to 168,000 tons, up from 163,000 tons the week prior. NW Indiana Times |
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Port Reports - October 8 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney Wednesday; 2:31 The saltie Vitosha departed for Wandelaar Belgium. 3:40 Saginaw arrived at the Richardson Current River Terminal and departed at 19:18 down bound on Lake Superior.
Marquette, MI - Fred A. Tijan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss |
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Generous lighthouse lovers rally to keep iconic sculpture 10/8 - Port Clinton, ON - Toiling in the back area of Port Clinton’s Second Street Gallery six years ago, artist Andy Sacksteder worked for many months to create a popular bronze sculpture, “The Lightkeepers.” Regular visitors to the second-hand shop once owned by the late Doug Garrett and his wife, Toni, enjoyed watching Sacksteder mold clay as he painstakingly created the lighthouse keeper and the keeper’s shaggy dog. “It was fascinating to watch Andy create the sculpture,” said Toni Garrett, a member of the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy. “He spent so many long hours molding clay and working to give the sculpture amazing life. I’m thrilled his work is now ours to show off.” For mariners and Lake Erie lovers, it is a stunning piece of art. This summer, though, it came time to sell the bronze sculptures. Sacksteder offered to first display it adjacent to the iconic Port Clinton Lighthouse in Waterworks Park for a couple months. “It is a beautiful sculpture and was so appropriate to be displayed next to the lighthouse,” said Rich Norgard, president of the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy that renovated the old lighthouse and put it on display on the Lake Erie shoreline five years ago. “It was wonderful to have the sculpture for a couple of months. After so many visitors and local folks admired it, they wanted it to be a permanent addition.” Rounding up the sale price of $47,000 seemed a high order, so former Port Clinton Mayor Debbie Hymore-Tester teamed up with Bill “Popcorn Bill” Yuhasz of the Great Lakes Popcorn Company and Brandon Bucare of Live Nation Concerts to get the word out. Sacksteder, 64, whose sculpture “Captain and the Kid” already adorns Friendship Park in downtown Port Clinton, was rooting for them. “I’d invested so much time and effort into ‘The Lightkeepers,’ and it really meant a lot to me to have Port Clinton become its permanent home,” said Sacksteder. “I come back to Port Clinton often, and relish the idea that my family and I can often visit the sculpture.” Read more and view an image at this link: https://www.thebeacon.net/generous-lighthouse-lovers-rally-to-keep-iconic-sculpture |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 8
On 08 October 1871, PHILO PARSONS (wooden side-wheel steamer, 221 tons, built in 1861, at Algonac, Michigan) burned to a total loss in the great Chicago fire. She burned so completely that her remains were not located in the Chicago River until 1877. She was the vessel commandeered by Confederate raiders in a plot to capture the iron gunboat U.S.S. MICHIGAN on Lake Erie during the American Civil War. The Chicago fire destroyed many fine vessels while they were docked in the harbor. These included the new propeller NAVARINO, the schooner GLENBULA, the schooner ECLIPSE, the schooner BUTCHER BOY, the bark VALETTA, the schooner ALNWICK, the bark A. P. NICHOLS, the bark FONTANELLA, the fore-and-aft schooner STAMPEDE, the schooner N. C. FORD, and the schooner CHRISTINA NEILSON. The only recorded casualties among the sailors were on the ALNWICK; her mate died and the captain burned his hands severely. The keel was laid October 8, 1976, for the 660-foot forward section of the BURNS HARBOR, but was completed as b.) LEWIS WILSON FOY for the Bethlehem Steel Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Purchased by Oglebay Norton and renamed c.) OGLEBAY NORTON in 1991, and d.) AMERICAN INTEGRITY in 2006. The MATHEWSTON (Hull#47) entered service on October 8, 1922. On her maiden voyage she sailed from Port Arthur, Ontario with 11,634 tons of barley and wheat. Renamed b.) RALPH S. MISENER in 1954 and c.) MATHEWSTON again in 1967. Scrapped at Vado, Italy in 1970. The Canadian registry for MENIHEK LAKE was officially closed on October 8, 1985, with the notation "sold Spain." She was scrapped at Gijon, Spain. WILLIAM G. MATHER arrived on October 8, 1988, in tow of the Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs WYOMING and ALABAMA at the G&W Shipyard at Collision Bend in the Cuyahoga River to be refurbished. On 8 October 1906, PASADENA (wooden barge, 250 foot, 1,761 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio as a propeller bulk freighter) was carrying coal, in tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, bound for Superior, Wisconsin. The PASADENA went out of control in a gale and her skipper had the tow line cut. She was thrown against a pier near the upper entry to the Keweenaw Waterway and pounded to pieces in a few hours. Two lives were lost, but 8 made it to shore on the floating wreckage. On 8 October 1854, E. K. COLLINS (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 256 foot, 1,095 gross tons, built in 1853, at Newport, Michigan) caught fire and beached near the mouth of the Detroit River where she burned to the waterline. About 23 lives were lost. About 43 persons were rescued in small boats and by the steamers FINTRY and GLOBE. There was some speculation that arson was the cause. The hull was recovered in 1857, and rebuilt as the barge ARK. On October 8, 2000 the tug UNDAUNTED and barge PERE MARQUETTE 41 departed Calumet Harbor loaded with pig iron for Marinette, Wis., under favorable conditions and were later caught by the heavy weather. During the storm, the 5,000 tons of pig iron and the barge's four pieces of heavy loading equipment were washed into Lake Michigan. Both the tug and barge suffered damage in the incident. 1899: The tug RECORD sank at Duluth after a collision with the whaleback steamer JAMES B. NEILSON and one life was lost. 1906: The barge PASADENA, loaded with iron ore for Cleveland and under tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, was cut loose approaching the Keweenaw Waterway. The anchors fail to hold. The ship smashed into the east pier of the waterway and broke up on the rocks. Seven sailors were rescued but two were lost. 1964: A fire aboard West German-flag freighter ERATO at Detroit left two dead when they were trapped in their stern quarters. Another three sailors were injured. The 2-alarm blaze was brought under control and the ship was eventually repaired at Toledo. It arrived at Bombay, India, and laid up as d) VIJAYA DARSHANA on May 26, 1983, and eventually scrapped there beginning in May 1986. 1971: DIDO went aground leaving Goole, U.K. for Porsgrunn, Norway, but returned to Goole the next day after being refloated. The 22-year-old Norwegian freighter was listed as a total loss and sold for scrap. It was taken to Hull, U.K., a year later and dismantled. The ship had been a pre-Seaway trader as early as 1951 and made 14 voyages to the Great Lakes from 1959 through 1963. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Shipbuilding industry pushes back as Canadian government shops for used icebreaker 10/7 - The Canadian federal government is in the market for another used icebreaker that could be converted for use by the Canadian Coast Guard on the Great Lakes – much to the dismay of shipbuilders across the country. A request for proposals to acquire an existing light icebreaker was posted on the government's procurement website in mid-September. The timing is interesting. Federal decision-makers have known for five years that the coast guard needs such a vessel for the region. The request for proposals – which closes at the end of October – was posted as U.S. lawmakers began to push bipartisan legislation through Congress to strengthen the U.S. Coast Guard's capacity to break ice and keep commerce flowing on the Great Lakes. The plan for Canada to buy a used icebreaker follows a separate decision by Transport Canada to purchase a used ferry from Spain on an emergency basis. The Canadian Marine Industry and Shipbuilding Association (CMISA), which represents most of the marine suppliers and shipyards across the country, said both decisions represent a loss of domestic jobs and at least $250 million in federal spending that could have gone into a Canadian economy hard hit by the coronavirus. "We're of the strong belief that vessels such as light icebreakers can and should be built in Canada," said Colin Cooke, president and chief executive officer of the shipbuilding association. "We have the capacity. We have the skilled trades. We have the expertise, the technical expertise. We have the shipyards. And that was what the point of the National Shipbuilding Strategy was all about." That shipbuilding strategy is supposed to direct government work to Canadian shipyards. Cooke said the plan to purchase an existing icebreaker and the deal to acquire a former Spanish ferry would both be unacceptable in normal times — but they're even less acceptable now. "We are in a COVID time when we're looking for all sorts of ways to make sure that people are employed, that businesses are able to survive — I won't say thrive, I will say survive — through the lockdowns caused by this pandemic," he said. Public Services and Procurement Canada was asked for comment last Thursday but did not respond. The tender for the light icebreaker, posted online Sept. 18, describes the purchase as a necessary interim step for the coast guard to "bridge the gap while awaiting the delivery of dedicated new vessels." Significantly, the request for proposals noted that the need for such a ship was identified five years ago — around the same time a comprehensive analysis warned that the coast guard icebreaking fleet was in dire straits and in need of immediate replacement. "In 2015-16 the CCG identified a requirement for interim icebreaking capabilities to fill gaps in capacity resulting from ships being temporarily withdrawn from service" for refit and life extension, said the tender. Read more at this link: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/shipbuilding-industry-pushes-back-as-federal-government-shops-for-used-icebreaker |
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Port Reports - October 7 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 7
On October 7, 1968, the NORMAN P. CLEMENT was damaged in a grounding off Britt, Ontario. The Canadian boat was towed to Collingwood for repairs. However, while in dry dock, an explosion occurred on October 16 that injured 11 workers and further damaged the hull. Rather than repair her, the owners had the CLEMENT towed out into Georgian Bay where she was intentionally sunk on October 23, 1968. On this day in 1939, the E. G. MATHIOTT collided with the steamer CORVUS on the St. Clair River. Damage to the CORVUS totaled $37,647.70. On this day in 1958, the WALTER E. WATSON, Captain Ralph Fenton, rescued the sailing vessel TAMARA on Lake Huron. On October 7, 1871, GEM (wooden schooner, 120 foot, 325 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing up bound in a storm on Lake Erie with a load of coal. She began to leak and was run to shore in an effort to save her. However, she went down before reaching shoal water and settled with six feet of water over her decks. ALGOWOOD was launched October 7, 1980, at Collingwood, Ontario, for Algoma Central Marine, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. PAUL THAYER was launched October 7, 1973, for the Union Commerce Bank Trustee, Cleveland, Ohio and managed by Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland. She was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970, for $12.6 million. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995. The WILLIAM MC LAUCHLAN (Hull#793) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co., on October 7, 1926, for the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) SAMUEL MATHER in 1966, c.) JOAN M. MC CULLOUGH in 1975 and d.) BIRCHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Sydney, Nova Scotia, in 1988. BLACK RIVER, a lake bulk freighter, was built as a steel barge in 1897, by the F.W. Wheeler & Co., she was launched October 7, 1896, as a.) SIR ISAAC LOTHIAN BELL (Hull# 118). HUTCHCLIFFE HALL was raised October 7, 1962, and taken to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. She had sunk after a collision a few days earlier. October 7, 1923 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 went back into service after being overhauled and having new cabins built on her main deck. MADISON suffered a fire on October 7, 1987, while lying idle at Muskegon, Michigan, and was badly damaged. In 1903, ADVENTURE (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 108 foot, 142 gross tons, built in 1875, at Detroit, Michigan, as a schooner) caught fire while tied to the Kelleys Island Line & Transport Co. Dock. The blaze spread so quickly that those on board barely escaped. She was towed from Kelleys Island out into Lake Erie by the tug SMITH to save the dock and the adjacent schooner ANDERSON. In a severe gale and rain/hail storm on October 7, 1858, the 247-ton schooner OSPREY approached Oswego, New York. As she was about to enter the harbor, the vessel struck the east pier broadside. Her masts and rigging were carried away and she started to sink. Capt. John Parsons got his wife and child out of the cabin to try to escape to the pier. His wife was washed overboard and drowned. Capt. Parsons held on to his child, but another wave struck the wreck and swept the child into the water. George Crine, the mate, was also swept overboard. Those three were lost, but the next wave swung the wreck about with her bowsprit over the pier and the captain and the six remaining crewmen scrambled to safety. The entire town and harbor mourned those deaths and held a dockside service two days later with many prayers and all flags at half-mast. Donations were accepted for the surviving sailors since they escaped with only the clothes on their backs. On October 7,1873, the PULASKI was launched at the Archibald Muir yard on the Black River in Port Huron. Her dimensions were 136 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet, 349 gross tons. She was a three mast "full canaller", painted white and her private signal was a red M on a white ground bordered with blue. Her sails were made by Mr. D. Robeson of Port Huron, Michigan. On October 7, 1886, The Port Huron Times reported that "The old side-wheel ferry SARNIA, which was a familiar sight at this crossing [Port Huron-Sarnia] for so many years, and which is said to have earned enough money in her time to sheet her with silver, the hull of which has been for some years back used as a barge by the Marine City Salt Company, has closed her career. She was last week scuttled near the Marine City Salt Works wharf." 1902: ANN MARIA hit a sandbar approaching Kincardine while inbound with a cargo of coal and broke up as a total loss. Four crew and a volunteer rescuer were reported lost. 1917: GEORGE A. GRAHAM was wrecked off Manitoulin Island, Georgian Bay, when the cargo shifted when turning in a storm. The ship ran for the safety of South Bay but stranded on the rocks. All on board were saved but the ship was a total loss. 1919: The wooden steamer HELEN TAYLOR was damaged by a fire in the pilothouse near Hessel, Mich., but was repaired. 1937: M & F DREDGE NO. 14, Hull 39 from the Collingwood shipyard, foundered in the St. Lawrence off Batiscan, QC as b) D.M. DREDGE NO. 14. 1956: The consort barge DELKOTE of the Hindman fleet was adrift for 9 hours in a Lake Superior storm with 13 on board and waves up to 20 feet. The ship had broken loose of the GEORGE HINDMAN but was picked up by the CAPT. C.D. SECORD. 1968: EDWARD Y. TOWNSEND, under tow for scrapping in Bilbao, Spain, broke in two about 400 miles southeast of St. John's, NF, and the bow sank. The stern was apparently retrieved and towed into Santander, Spain, for scrapping on October 28. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Intrepid departs shipyard on delivery trip 10/6 - Algona Central Corp.’s new Algoma Intrepid departed 3.Maj Shipyard in Croatia on October 5 at 10:03 UTC, with destination being Split, Croatia on Thursday. It is expected she will load a partial cargo for trip stability needed for Atlantic crossing. Andy Torrence |
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Lake Carriers’ Association’s publishes 2020 State of the Lakes 10/6 - Cleveland, OH –The Lake Carriers’ Association has published the annual “State of the Lakes” on their newly redesigned website www.lcaships.com. 2020 marks the 140th year of Lake Carriers’Association. The issues that enhance or hinder commercial navigation on the lakes have changed some over the last 140 years but remain rooted in safety, efficiency, and fair competition. The 2020 State of the Lakes recaps the past shipping season and the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet’s issues and concerns moving forward. “Great strides have been made over the past year with the Soo Locks and icebreaking. The funding for the locks is moving in the right direction and the introduction of the historic ’Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act‘ addresses the need for better icebreaking performance,” said Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association. But challenges remain. Unequal regulation of ballast water by Transport Canada highlights the need for fair cross-border trade while maintaining a commitment to protect the Great Lakes. While the COVID-19 pandemic did create shipping challenges, the U.S.-flag fleet continues to persevere and to date no mariners on Lake Carriers’ member vessels have tested positive for COVID-19. “Collaborating early and taking decisive action, our members kept our sailors safe and the economy moving,” Weakley stated. Lake Carriers’ new website continues to highlight the economic advantages and the environmental benefits of U.S.-flag, Jones Act shipping on the Great Lakes. The website still provides monthly and annual cargo data, addresses issues and priorities for members, and provides a bit more content for the Great Lakes “Boatnerds.” Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Port Reports - October 6 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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Bipartisan legislation to increase icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes introduced 10/6 - Washington, DC – United States Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) has introduced the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act, bipartisan legislation to codify the United States Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet. Peters introduced the legislation with Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Todd Young of Indiana. “Icebreaking in the Great Lakes is critical not just for Michigan’s economy and small business – but for our entire country. As we gear up for another winter, the importance of icebreaking is more vital than ever given the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Peters. “I’m pleased to join my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to prioritize icebreaking in the Great Lakes and ensure safe trade and commerce.” “Inadequate icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes is costing us thousands of American jobs and millions in business revenue. We must boost our icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes to keep our maritime commerce moving,” said Baldwin. “I’m proud to partner with Senators Young and Peters on this bipartisan effort that will move our region closer to getting the sufficient icebreaking resources needed to support our maritime industry, mitigate devastating climate-related events and protect our Great Lakes for generations to come. I will keep working with my colleagues to get this job done for Wisconsin businesses and workers.” “In recent years, commerce on the Great Lakes has suffered due to a lack of icebreaking during cold weather months,” said Young. “Roughly 28 percent of our nation’s annual economic output comes from the Great Lakes region, and our legislation will enable us to expand capacity to ship goods, create jobs, and strengthen the economy in Indiana and other Great Lake states.” Icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes supports more than 90 million tons of cargo annually. A study commissioned by the Lake Carriers’ Association found that during the 2018-2019 ice-season, businesses that depend upon the Great Lakes maritime industry lost over $1 billion in revenues because of delays caused by inadequate icebreaking. These economic losses resulted in the loss of over 5,000 jobs throughout the Great Lakes Region. This bipartisan bill would update the outdated United States Coast Guard’s Great Lakes icebreaking mission and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet. Specifically, the legislation codifies into law the Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission in the Great Lakes. It requires the Coast Guard to break ice in the Great Lakes in accordance with the reasonable demands of commerce set forth in the bill. The standards derive from a 1997 Coast Guard study outlining icebreaking requirements on the Great Lakes. They are written to allow the USCG to size its icebreaker fleet to be capable of handling the vast majority of ice seasons while limiting excess capacity. The bill includes a one-time report on the operating costs associated with this new performance standard. The legislation also requires the Coast Guard to report to Congress on the icebreaking season, including an annual report of Coast Guard activities the previous winter, as well as to coordinate with industry for icebreaking operations. The Coast Guard is also required to prioritize domestic icebreaking mission before breaking ice for Canadian harbors or bays, but allows for exceptions for missions related to safety of life. The legislation also defines “reasonable demands of commerce” as “the safe movement of commercial vessels transiting ice-covered waterways in the Great Lakes at a speed consistent with the design capability of Coast Guard icebreakers operating in the Great Lakes.” “For too many years, inadequate icebreaking has unnecessarily risked the lives of sailors. Ships have been forced into collisions and groundings or have been sliced open by ice because no Coast Guard icebreakers were available to assist. The bill respects those risking their lives to keep our economy moving during the winter,” said John Clemons, vice president of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force and American Maritime Officers union national vice president, Great Lakes. “This has been a priority for the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for a decade and we welcome the bill’s introduction. Just like we plow our roads, we need to keep traffic moving on our maritime highways,” said Richard Hammer, president of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force and general manager of Donjon Shipbuilding. “This bill supports jobs across the Great Lakes and the nation. It comes at a critical time as ports continue to move cargo vital to the economic recovery. Now, more than ever, predictable and dependable icebreaking is needed to ensure cargo can continue to move efficiently. It would be devastating to have another winter like 2019 when the economy lost $1 billion and more than 5,000 jobs due to inadequate icebreaking,” said Steve Fisher, executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association. |
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Port Authority receives nearly $570K in Maritime Assistance Program funding 10/6 - Toledo, OH – Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority received nearly $570,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation through the Maritime Assistance Program for two projects at the Port of Toledo. The $568,125 grant funds provide 50 percent of the total project costs that will be matched by local funds. The first project is the acquisition of a Tier-4 heavy-lift forklift to be used at the General Cargo Dock, operated by Midwest Terminals. It will be used to handle steel coils and other heavy and oversized cargo. The remaining funds will go toward the construction of a retaining wall and other improvements around the dry docks at the Toledo Shipyard, operated by IRONHEAD Marine. Earlier this year, the Port Authority received $4 million through MAP to match a federal grantof $16 million award by the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program for the reconstruction of the dockwall and construction of a liquid transloading facility at the General Cargo Dock. The Port Authority has also received $5.5 million in MAP funds to purchase a new mobile harbor crane. WTVG |
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Shepler’s new $4M ferry will start taking passengers to Mackinac Island this week 10/6 - Mackinaw City, MI – There will soon be a new ship on the water in the Straits of Mackinac. After several months of tests and preparations, Shepler’s will debut the newest ferry to its fleet later this week. The William Richard is a $4M jet ferry that officially completed necessary trials by transporting only luggage to and from Mackinac Island on behalf of Grand Hotel guests on Sunday. “It’s been a long, wild ride launching our newest ferry during a global pandemic,” a Shepler’s statement reads. “But the moment is finally here and we can’t wait for you all to experience to fastest, smoothest, and most efficient ride to Mackinac Island on the Straits.” The William Richard will regularly transport 210 passengers between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island at 30 mph. An official christening is scheduled for spring of 2021. The vessel had a “soft launch” at Port Calcite in Rogers City in July. The 60-ton ferry was built by Moran Iron Works in Onaway. M Live |
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House OKs name change idea for seaway group 10/6 - Washington, DC – A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) to add “Great Lakes” to the name of the group that oversees navigation along the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence Seaway has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. Adding those two words “will appropriately reflect the Seaway’s enormous role for connecting commerce, promoting economic development, and protecting national security across the Great Lakes region and the nation,” Kaptur said in a statement announcing the House vote. The legislation, which now goes to the U.S. Senate, calls for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. to become known as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. Toledo Blade |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 6
On October 6, 1893, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) foundered in a gale off Pigeon Bay, Ontario, on Lake Erie. She crew clung to the frozen rigging for 14 hours until saved by the fish tug LOUISE of Sandusky, Ohio. The STEWART was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss. Herb Fraser & Associates completed repairs on the ALGOSOO at the Welland Dock on October 6 1986. She had suffered a serious fire at her winter mooring on the west wall above Lock 8 at Port Colborne, Ontario, on March 7, 1986. The bow section of the barge PRESQUE ISLE arrived Erie, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1972 under tow of the tugs MARYLAND and LAURENCE C. TURNER. The total cost to construct the tug/barge 1,000- footer was approximately $35 million. October 6, 1981, the Reoch self-unloader ERINDALE's bow was damaged when she hit the Allanburg Bridge abutment running down bound in the Welland Canal. Built in 1915, as a.) W. F. WHITE, she was renamed b.) ERINDALE in 1976. In 1980, the LAC DES ILES grounded in the Detroit River just below Grassy Island, the result of a faulty steering mechanism. She freed herself a few hours later. The damage caused by the grounding ended her career. She was scrapped at Port Colborne in 1985. This day in 1870, the schooner E. FITZGERALD was launched at the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard at Port Huron, Michigan. Her dimensions were 135 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet. In 1875, the MERCHANT (iron propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 200 foot, 750 tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef near Racine, Wisconsin. Then she caught fire and was gutted before she could be refloated. She had stranded on that same reef twice previously. She was the first iron cargo ship built on the Lakes and the first one lost. On October 6, 1873, JOHN A. MC DOUGALL (wooden schooner-barge, 151 foot, 415 gross tons) was launched at Wenona, Michigan. She was built at the Ballentine yard in only five weeks. On October 6, 1889, PHILO SCOVILLE (3-mast wooden schooner, 140 foot, 323 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) was sailing from Collingwood for Chicago when a storm drove her into the shallows and wrecked her near Tobermory, Ontario. Her captain died while trying to get ashore through the rocks. The Canadian Lifesaving Service saved the rest of the crew. At first the vessel was expected to be recovered, but she broke up by 10 October. 1910: The wooden freighter MUSKEGON, formerly the PEERLESS, was damaged by a fire at Michigan City, IN and became a total loss. 1958: SHIERCLIFFE HALL hit bottom in the St. Marys River and was intentionally grounded off Lime Island with substantial damage. The ship was refloated and repaired at Collingwood. 1966: EMSSTEIN and OLYMPIC PEARL collided south of St. Clair, MI and the former had to be beached before it capsized. This West German freighter made 19 trips to the Great lakes from 1959 through 1967 and arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as d) VIOLETTA on May 28, 1978. The latter, on her first trip to the Great Lakes, had bow damage and was also repaired. This ship arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as b) AL TAHSEEN on May 6, 1985. 1972: ALGORAIL hit the pier inbound at Holland, MI with a cargo of salt and settled on the bottom about 12 feet off the dock with a gash in the port bow. The vessel was refloated in 24 hours and headed to Thunder Bay for repairs. 1982: CONTINENTAL PIONEER made 8 trips through the Seaway from 1960 through 1964. A fire broke out in the accommodation area as c) AGRILIA, about 20 miles north of Porto Praia, Cape Verde Islands and the heavily damaged ship was abandoned before it drifted aground in position 15.06 N / 23.30 W. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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45th Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial to Go Virtual This Year 10/5 - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Mich. recently announced that the 45th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony will be virtual due to COVID-19 concerns. The event currently scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020 will last approximately an hour and will be available online via livestream access for all to view. It will also be televised on TV 9&10. This is the first time this event has gone completely online, according to Bruce Lynn, who has been the executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum for 10 years. This is because this annual memorial draws out hundreds of people each year, which could be problematic to be in accordance with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order related to social gatherings amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The hardest part, said Lynn, is not seeing the familiar faces of recurring visitors year after year. However, the easiest part will be that the ceremony will be open to family members only, which will allow the museum to connect with those family members a little more. Lynn also said another upside to going virtual is that anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to watch this ceremony as well. According to Lynn, said that the ceremony will be very much the same, such as the call for the last watch, the ringing of the Edmund Fitzgerald bell for each crew member who perished on the boat and the 30th ringing for all sailors lost on the Great Lakes. “There are going to be two speakers that are joining us that were crew members on the Woodrush, which is a Coast Guard vessel that crossed Lake Superior on the night of Nov. 10, 1975 to hopefully assist or perhaps rescue any crew members from the Fitzgerald,” he said. “So they’re going to share their story. Then we’re going to have a gentleman by the name of Mike Fornes who is the leader of the Gordon Lightfoot tribute band. He’s going to tell the story of how the song came to be by Gordon Lightfood and his band.” Lynn said that the majority of people don’t know the story of the Woodrush or how “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” came to be and felt that those who have not attended this memorial previously can leave with something they haven’t learned before. Various law enforcement authorities such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Michigan State Police will be there and participating in this event. Lynn emphasized the buildings of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will not be open to the public on Nov. 10. For more information, call the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (800) 635-1742 or visit their website at www.shipwreckmuseum.com |
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Port Reports - October 5 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 5
On this day in 1954, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY was christened at Lorain. The HUMPHREY successfully completed her sea trials on 10/6 and carried 191,214 tons of iron ore in nine trips before laying up for the season. Upbound with a load of limestone on Lake Superior on October 5, 1965, the PETER A.B. WIDENER reported broken steering gear and possible damage to steering mechanism and screw after encountering gale force winds and high waves near Isle Royale. Fleetmates HENRY PHIPPS and HENRY H. ROGERS responded to the vessel, and dumped oil on the 10-foot seas to calm them. The USCG WOODRUSH arrived from Duluth, and towed the vessel to Duluth. On October 5,1876, GRACE GREENWOOD (3-mast wooden schooner, 124 foot, 306 tons, built in 1853, at Oswego, New York) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Michigan City, Indiana, when she foundered in a storm while coming in to St. Joseph harbor for shelter. No lives were lost. She was the first vessel built by George Rogers and her launch was initially sabotaged by someone jamming a file into the ways. On Saturday afternoon, October 5, 1997, while passing White Shoal Light on their way to Charlevoix, the MEDUSA CHALLENGER was hit by a waterspout. The only damage reported was a spotlight on the pilothouse bridge wing lifted out of its support and crews bikes stored on deck rose vertically. The 1906, built boat was also reported to have been vibrating in an unusual manner. Another boat in the area reported wind gusts of almost 100 mph in the brief storm. That same day the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan was hit with a violent storm that blew down trees a foot in diameter. The ARTHUR B. HOMER, loaded with ore, was in a head-on collision on October 5, 1972 with the unloaded Greek salty NAVISHIPPER at Buoy 83, in the Detroit River's Fighting Island Channel. NAVISHIPPER reportedly had no licensed pilot aboard at the time, a violation of maritime law. There were no injuries, but the HOMER suffered extensive bow damage up to and including part of her pilothouse. The former was repaired, operated through 1980 and was scrapped at Port Colborne in 1987. The latter was also repaired and eventually towed into Cadiz, Spain, for scrapping as f) CRYSTAL on December 2, 1981, when the tailshaft fractured on November 25, 1981. HUTCHCLIFFE HALL was in collision with steamer RICHARD V. LINDABURY on a foggy October 5, 1962, off Grosse Pointe Farms in Lake St. Clair. The canaller suffered a 12-foot gash on her port side forward of her after cabins and sank. She was raised October 7 and taken to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. On October 5, 1967, while outbound on the Saginaw River after discharging a load of limestone at Saginaw, Michigan, the J. F. SCHOELLKOPF JR's steering failed which caused her to hit the west side of the I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge. The SCHOELLKOPF JR incurred little damage but the southbound lanes of the bridge were out of service for several days until repairs were completed. The ARTHUR H. HAWGOOD (Hull#76) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, by West Bay City Ship Building Co. on October 5, 1907, for the Neptune Steamship Co. (Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) JOSEPH BLOCK in 1911, and c.) GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER in 1969. Scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1980. On October 5,1889, BESSEMER (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 178 foot, 436 gross tons, built in 1875, at St. Clair, Michigan) was carrying iron ore along with her consort SCHUYLKILL (wooden schooner, 152 foot, 472 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) in Lake Superior. They were struck by a rapidly rising gale and ran for the Portage Ship Canal. It became obvious that BESSEMER was sinking. The two collided and went onto a reef at the mouth of the canal and they both broke up quickly. The crews were able to jump onto the breakwater. The wrecks partly blocked the canal until they were dynamited the next September. On October 5,1877, TIOGA (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 549 tons, built in 1862, at Cleveland) was towing two barges in a storm on Lake Erie when she caught fire. The high winds fanned the flames. Her crew escaped to the barges and were later picked up by the steamer BADGER STATE. The burned out hulk of TIOGA sank the next day in 30 feet of water off Point Pelee. This was her first year of service as a bulk freighter; she had been built as a passenger steamer and was converted in 1877. On October 5, 1900, the lumber hooker SWALLOW was involved in a collision in the early morning hours and ended up ashore near Cherry Beach. A week later, she was lightered and freed, then taken to Detroit for repairs. She foundered in a storm one year later (18 October 1901). On October 5,1904, CONGRESS (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 267 foot, 1,484 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland as the passenger vessel NEBRASKA) was seeking shelter at South Manitou Island on Lake Michigan when she caught fire. The fire spread quickly. To prevent it from destroying the dock, a courageous tug skipper got a line on the CONGRESS and towed her out on the lake where she burned for 13 hours and then sank in 26 fathoms of water. No lives were lost. 1904: HUNTER, a wooden passenger and freight steamer, was destroyed by a fire at Grand Marais, MI. There were no injuries. 1932: JOHN J. BOLAND JR., enroute from Toledo to Hamilton with coal, took on water and sank after the cargo shifted. Four lives were lost when the vessel went down about 10 miles off Barcelona, NY. 1941: MONDOC stranded off the east coast of Trinidad on her first trip on the bauxite run. The crew took to the lifeboats and was saved. 1964: DENMARK HILL went aground off the Porkkala Lighthouse in the Baltic Sea enroute from Nicaro, Cuba, for Porkkala, Finland. The vessel was refloated October 7 with considerable bottom damage. 1988: ENERCHEM REFINER struck the #1 East Outer Light while upbound in the Detroit River and received major damage that was repaired at Lauzon. 1999: MONTE AYALA, a Seaway caller in 1975, began to leak in #1 hold and then list while anchored at St. Brieuc Bay while inbound for Brest, France, as d) JUNIOR M. The cargo of ammonium nitrate was unloaded. The ship was arrested, abandoned by the owners, auctioned off for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, on August 21, 2000. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, John Decator, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Salt delivery announces coming of winter 10/4 - Hancock, MI – While facial coverings and frequent handwashing will not mitigate winter, 20,000 tons of salt will go a long way toward mitigating icy roads and car crashes during the winter. The Canadian vessel Algoma Mariner delivered 400,000 pounds of road salt to the Mattila Rock and Dock facility on Jasberg Street Wednesday morning. David Mattila, facility owner, said the 20,000-ton delivery is the first of two to be delivered, the second delivery is expected in about four days, he said. The salt, he said, is for distribution among the five western counties of the Upper Peninsula, to be used throughout the winter. “We go all the way to Ironwood, Marinesco, Covington,” said Mattila. “This year we’re also going to Republic and Ishpeming.” The salt, he said, is purchased by the state of Michigan, deposited at his facility, and from there, his company trucks to the mineral to its various destinations. Mattila said the vessel hails from Goderich, Ontario, and first stopped at Sault Ste. Marie to offload a portion of its cargo before going on to Hancock to dump the remainder of the load at his facility, where it has been delivered since the late 1960s. Goderich is the location where the salt is mined, operated by Sifto Salt, a subsidiary of Compass Minerals of Kansas, supplies much of the salt applied to slippery streets each winter throughout Toronto and other cities in the Great Lakes area of U.S. and Canada. According to Compress Minerals, the Goderich salt mine is located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron and is the largest underground salt mine in the world. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. The rock salt produced at the mine is shipped to hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Some of the salt is trucked to the Compass Minerals plant less than four kilometers away, to be packaged for distribution and sale at retailers in North America. The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. It is also sold through distributors. While some may question the state of Michigan purchasing road salt from a Canadian company, Sifto Salt, which operates the Goderich Mine, is a subsidiary of Compass Minerals, which is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Compass Minerals’ mines and facilities are located throughout the U.K., North America and South America. The state also has contracts with Morton Salt Co., Detroit Salt, and Cargill Salt Co. Mining Gazette |
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Port Reports - October 4 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Saltie Gallery Updated 10/4 - The saltie gallery has been updated with the following images: Amber Bay, Amurborg, BBC Brazil, BBC Echo, BBC Leda, BBC Peru, Drawsko, Federal Yukon, Hudsongracht, Osogovo, Vectis Eagle, Vectis Pride, Vitosha and Volgaborg. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 4
On October 4, 1887, ORIENT (wooden propeller tug, 60 foot, 37 gross tons, built in 1874, at Buffalo, New York) foundered three miles west of Point Pelee on Lake Erie in a storm. She was seen going down by the schooners LISGAR and GLENFORD but neither was able to help. All six on the ORIENT were lost. She was out of Marine City, Michigan. On October 4, 1979, the ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR arrived at the Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, Ontario, where she was lengthened to the Seaway maximum length of 730-foot overall. A new bow and cargo section was installed including a bow thruster and was assigned Hull #66. New tonnage; 18,788 gross tons, 12,830 net tons, 32,279 deadweight tons. She was renamed c.) CANADIAN NAVIGATOR in 1980 and ALGOMA NAVIGATOR in 2012. She sails for Algoma Central Corp. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1997. TEXACO BRAVE (Hull#779) was launched October 4, 1976, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan for Texaco Canada Ltd., Don Mills, Ontario. Renamed b.) LE BRAVE in 1987, c.) IMPERIAL ST LAWRENCE in 1997, and d.) ALGOEAST in 1998. On October 4, 1980, Bethlehem's ARTHUR B. HOMER was laid up for the last time at Erie, Pennsylvania. As a result of the collision between the PARKER EVANS and the SIDNEY E SMITH JR, four months earlier, alternate one-way traffic between the Black River Buoy and Buoys 1 and 2 in Lake Huron was agreed upon by the shipping companies on October 4, 1972 The JAMES E. FERRIS' last trip before scrapping was from Duluth, Minnesota, with a split load of 261,000 bushels of wheat for Buffalo, New York, arriving there October 4, 1974. The JIIMAAN, twin screw ro/ro cargo/passenger ferry built to Ice Class 1D standards had its keel laid October 4, 1991, at Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd. (Hull# 76). On October 4, 1982, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS laid up for the last time in Duluth, Minnesota. She was towed out of Duluth, on her way to Kahoshiung, Taiwan for scrapping, on June 17, 1988. October 4, 1940 - The Ludington Daily News reported "The Pere Marquette car ferries handled approximately 95,000 freight cars last year." (1939) On October 4,1877, BRITISH LION (3 mast wooden bark, 128 foot, 293 tons, built in 1862, at Kingston, Ontario) was carrying coal from Black River, Ohio, to Brockville, Ontario. She was driven ashore at Long Point in Lake Erie by a storm and wrecked. She was the first bark on the Lakes to be wire rigged and she was built for the Great Lakes - Liverpool trade. On October 4, 1883, JAMES DAVIDSON (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 231 foot, 1,456 gross tons, built in 1874, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying coal and towing the barge MIDDLESEX in a storm on Lake Huron. She was driven onto a reef near Thunder Bay Island and ripped up her bottom. The barge was rescued by the tug V SWAIN. No lives were lost. Financially, the DAVIDSON was the most extensive loss on the Lakes in the 1883, season. She was valued at $65,000 and insured for $45,000. Her coal cargo was valued at $8,000. 1904: CONGRESS burned at the dock at South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan while loading lumber. The ship was towed away, abandoned, burned to the waterline and sank. 1966: ROBERT J. PAISLEY ran aground in heavy weather off Michigan City, IN. The ship was released the next day but went to Sarnia with hull damage and was laid up. 2008: MERKUR BAY came through the Seaway in 1984. It hit a rock as m) NEW ORIENTAL in heavy weather off Tuy An, Vietnam, and settled on the bottom with a large hole in the bow. The crew abandoned ship on October 18 when it showed signs of sinking. It was enroute from Thailand to China with iron ore and was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 3 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior –
Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney.
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 3
On October 3,1887, EBENEZER (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 103 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was driven ashore off the breakwater at Holland, Michigan, during a storm. She had sprung a leak in the terrific storm, lost her deck load of shingles and struck the pier trying to get into the harbor. She broke in two but was later raised and rebuilt. She lasted until 1903. On October 3,1887, CITY OF GREEN BAY (3-mast wooden schooner, 145 foot, 346 gross tons, built in 1872, at Green Bay, Wisconsin) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba to St. Joseph, Michigan, on Lake Michigan and having difficulty in a strong westerly gale. She sprang a leak and anchored four miles from South Haven and put up distress signals. The wind and waves were so bad that the crew could not safely abandon the vessel. She slipped her anchor and was driven on to a bar at Evergreen Point, just 500 feet from shore. The crew scrambled up the rigging as the vessel sank. The South Haven Life Saving crew tried to get a breeches buoy out to the wreck, but their line broke repeatedly. So much wreckage was in the surf that it fouled their surfboat. Soon the masts went by the board and the crew members were in the churning seas. Six died. Only Seaman A. T. Slater made it to shore. The ineffective attempts of the Life Saving crew resulted in Keeper Barney Alonzo Cross being relieved of his command of the station. The E. G. GRACE was delivered to the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland on October 3, 1943. The GRACE was part of a government program designed to upgrade and increase the capacity of the U.S. Great Lakes fleet during World War II. In order to help finance the building of new ships, the U.S.M.C. authorized a program that would allow existing fleets to obtain new boats by trading in their older boats to the government for credit. As partial payment for each new vessel, a fleet owner surrendered the equivalent tonnage of their existing and/or obsolete vessels, along with some cash, to the Maritime Commission. October 3, 1941 - The CITY OF FLINT 32, eastbound from Milwaukee, collided with the PERE MARQUETTE 22 westbound. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 headed directly for Manitowoc for repairs while the CITY OF FLINT 32 continued to Ludington where she discharged her cargo, then headed for the shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The barges BELLE CASH and GEO W. HANNAFORD, owned by Capt. Cash of East China Township, Michigan, were driven ashore on Long Point in Lake Erie on 3 October 1875. On October 3, 1900, the steel freighter CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON left Port Huron on her maiden voyage for Marquette, Michigan, where she loaded 6,200 tons of iron ore for Cleveland, Ohio. ARK (3-mast iron-strapped wooden scow-schooner-barge, 177 foot, 512 tons, built in 1875, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) was in tow of the steam barge ALBION (wooden propeller, 134 foot, 297 gross tons, built in 1862, at Brockville, Ontario) on Lake Huron when a terrific storm struck on October 3,1887. Both were loaded with lumber. Both vessels were driven ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan. The U.S. Lifesaving Service rescued the crews. The ALBION was pounded to pieces the next day and the ARK was declared a total loss, but was recovered and was sailing again within the month. 1907: The wooden tug PHILADELPHIA dated from 1869 and briefly served in the Algoma fleet. It was wrecked at Gros Cap, Lake Superior, on this date in 1907. 1911: The wooden freighter A.L. HOPKINS had cleared Bayfield the previous day with a full load of lumber and foundered in a storm on this date near Michigan Island, Lake Superior. Buoyed by the cargo, the hull floated a few more days before it disappeared. All 15 on board were picked up by the ALVA C. DINKEY. 1928: The steel bulk carrier M.J. BARTELME ran aground at Cana Island, Lake Michigan. The bottom was ripped open and the ship was abandoned. It was dismantled on site in 1929. 1953: The superstructure of the idle passenger steamer PUT-IN-BAY was burned off in Lake St. Clair and the remains of the iron hull were later dismantled at River Rouge. 1963: The Liberian flag Liberty ship TRIKERI, on her only trip to the Great Lakes, swung sideways in the Welland Canal near Welland, blocked the waterway and delayed traffic for 4 hours. The ship arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping as e) DAHLIA on December 27, 1967. 1963: A fire broke out in the cargo hold of the FRED CHRISTIANSEN while downbound at Sault Ste. Marie. The stubborn blaze took 4 hours to put out and was believed caused by some of the grain igniting as it was close to a steam line. The Norwegian freighter began Seaway trading in 1959 and returned as b) HERA in 1964. It arrived at Pasajes, Spain, under this name for scrapping on May 30, 1974. 1969: JOSEPH H. ran aground at Bic Island, in the St. Lawrence while enroute from Milwaukee to Russia with a cargo of rawhides. The Liberian-flag vessel sustained heavy bottom damage. It was refloated on October 6, taken to Levis, QC, and subsequently broken up there for scrap. The ship was operating under her fifth name and had first come through the Seaway as a) GRANADA in 1959. 1980: POLYDORA first came inland for four trips as a) FERNFIORD in 1963 and returned under her new name in 1964 on charter to Canadian Pacific Steamships. The ship had been at Marina di Carrara, Italy, and under arrest as d) GEORGIOS B., when it sailed overnight without permission. A fire in the engineroom broke out the next day and, while taken in tow, the ship foundered east of Tavolara Island, Sardinia. 1999: MANCHESTER MERCURIO traded through the Seaway in a container shuttle service beginning in 1971. It was abandoned by the crew and sank off the coast of Morocco as f) PHOENIX II on this date in 1999. 2000: The tug KETA V. usually operated on the St. Lawrence for Verreault Navigation but came to the Great Lakes with barges for Windsor in 1993. It ran aground and sank near Liverpool, NS on this date in 2000 but all on board got away safely on life rafts. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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New COVID cases linked to ship at Sarnia Harbor 10/2 - Sarnia, ON – The City of Sarnia says Lambton Public Health is investigating verified cases of COVID-19 originating from a commercial ship in Sarnia Harbor. In a news release the Emergency Management Office said the health unit, in collaboration with Transport Canada, removed crew members and transported them to a hotel in Point Edward. The vessel was not identified. As of Thursday afternoon, the only vessels at Sarnia were Damia Desgagnes and Algoma Hansa. If the public has questions or concerns about safety or potential risk, they’re asked to contact Lambton Public Health directly for further direction or information. Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade had reported earlier Thursday that it was investigating several COVID cases and close contacts connected to the transportation industry. “We have been made aware of a small number of cases that are related to the transportation industry, and so we have performed contact investigation and management and are currently isolating five cases and 14 close contacts of those cases.” Dr. Ranade said the confirmed cases will not be included in Sarnia-Lambton’s daily case count because the primary residences of the five infected individuals are not in Lambton County. He said further details would not be released for privacy reasons. Dr. Ranade said they believe there is a low risk of any other ongoing transmission from the source. The health unit reported one more resolved case on its website Wednesday night, resulting in two active cases. Blackburn News |
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High Lake Michigan levels helping Port of Green Bay keep up with demand 10/2 - Green Bay, WI – The waters of the Fox River-- and port of Green Bay-- were fairly quiet Wednesday afternoon. But that has been the exception, not the rule this year. Port of Green Bay director Dean Haen says this year's numbers on tonnage coming in are a positive for Northeast Wisconsin. "We're at like 1.2 million, so we're within striking distance of 2 million. You know if we do 350, 400 thousand tons a month.... that 2 million tons a year mark is a very strong port season, which means Northeastern Wisconsin's regional economy is doing well," says Haen. And the ships are getting a little bit of help meeting this high demand. The record-high water levels we've seen on Lake Michigan have been a boon. Each extra inch of water in the port means an extra 100 tons of material a ship can carry. Water levels on Lake Michigan-- and by extension, Green Bay-- have been at record high levels all year long. That is, until this month, when average levels slipped just below the historical record for September. And moving forward, while levels are forecast to stay well above average, we should stay below record-setting territory-- in other words, plenty of water in the port for that additional tonnage. Like any season though, the water levels aren't what cause the shipping season to end in the port of Green Bay. It's the ice cover. So as long as this fall avoids and early ice, the port should stay busy into the end of the year. The one downside to higher water levels at the mouth of the Fox River and the port of Green Bay is that the water currents can be stronger. That can make it more difficult to navigate the ships into and out of the port. |
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Port Reports - October 2 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Manistee, MI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 2
On her maiden trip in 1905, the PETER WHITE grounded outside the Lackawanna breakwall. After lightering 200 tons, she proceeded to the Lackawanna Steel mill where the remainder of the cargo was unloaded. On this day in 1979, the ELTON HOYT 2ND unloaded her last cargo as a straight decker at the Ashtabula & Buffalo Dock, Ashtabula, Ohio. On October 2,1901, M. M. DRAKE (wooden propeller freighter, 201 foot, 1,102 gross tons, built in 1882, at Buffalo, New York) and her consort MICHIGAN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 213 foot, 1,057 gross tons, built in 1874, at Detroit, Michigan) were loaded with iron ore while sailing in a strong gale on Lake Superior. The MICHIGAN began to leak and the DRAKE came around to take off her crew, but the two vessels collided. Both sank off Vermilion Point, Michigan. One life was lost. As the vessels sank, the passing steamers NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY stood by and rescued the crews. Upper Lakes Shipping's new self-unloader CANADIAN OLYMPIC was christened on October 2, 1976, at St. Catharines, Ontario. Her name honored the Olympic Games that were held at Montreal that year. TADOUSSAC (Hull#192) departed Collingwood on her maiden voyage for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. on October 2, 1969, to load iron ore at Fort William, Ontario. The sandsucker AMERICAN last operated in 1956, and laid up at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was scrapped in S. Chicago in 1984. JOHN T. HUTCHINSON and CONSUMERS POWER arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 2, 1988, where dismantling began on October 14t by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. On her maiden voyage October 2, 1943, E. G. GRACE cleared Lorain, Ohio, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore. HOCHELAGA of 1949 departed Toronto October 2, 1993, in tow of the McKeil tugs GLENBROOK and KAY COLE for Montreal, Quebec, and then to the cutter’s torch. October 2, 1954 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 sailed into Ludington, Michigan, on her second maiden voyage of her career. On October 2,1888, OLIVER CROMWELL (wooden schooner-barge, 138 foot, 291 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was being towed by the steamer LOWELL in a storm in Lake Huron when she broke her towline. She rode out most of the storm at anchor, but then she snapped her anchor chains and she was driven ashore at Harbor Beach, Michigan, where she broke up. The 183 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner QUEEN CITY was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan, on 2 October 1873. The Port Huron Times reported the following shipwrecks from a severe storm that swept the Lakes over 2-3 October 1887: Schooner CITY OF GREEN BAY lost near South Haven, Michigan; the schooner-barge CHARLES L HUTCHINSON, lost near Buffalo, New York; the steam barge ALBION and her consort the schooner-barge ARK ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan; the 3-mast schooner EBENEZER ashore near Holland, Michigan; the wooden package freighter CALIFORNIA sunk in the Straits of Mackinaw; the schooner HOLMES ashore at Middle Island on Lake Huron; the schooner GARIBALDI ashore near Port Elgin on Lake Huron; the barge MAYFLOWER disabled near Grand Haven, Michigan; the schooner D. S. AUSTIN ashore at Point Clark; and the schooner HENRY W HOAG ashore at Erie, Pennsylvania. 1891: WINSLOW ran aground in fog while inbound at Duluth. The hole in the wooden hull was patched and the ship was released and able to be docked. The vessel caught fire while unloading the next day and destroyed. 1938: The first WINDOC was struck when Bridge 20, a railway bridge across the Welland Canal, was lowered prematurely and removing the stack, spar and lifeboats of the N.M. Paterson steamer. 1953: A collision occurred between PIONEER and WALLSCHIFF in the St. Clair River on this date and the latter, a West German visitor to the Great Lakes, rolled on its side and settled in shallow water. One crew member perished. PIONEER, a Cleveland-Cliffs steamer, was repaired for further service and was later scrapped at Genoa, Italy, in 1961. WALLSCHIFF, on her first and only trip to the Great Lakes, was refloated and departed for permanent repairs overseas in 1954. The vessel was still sailing as g) GOLDEN MERCURY in 2011. 1973: A head-on collision in fog off Gull Island, Lake Michigan between the T-2 tanker MARATHONIAN and Norwegian freighter ROLWI left both ships with massive bow damage. The former had begun Seaway service as f) MARATHON in 1960 and was repaired at South Chicago. It disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle as h) SYLVIA L. OSSA in October 1976. ROLWI, a Norwegian salty, was also repaired and returned inland as b) DOBERG in 1974 and c) LORFRI in 1976. It arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as e) PEROZAN on February 6, 1996. 1992: The Canadian coastal freighter SIR JOHN CROSBIE was built in St. Catharines by Port Weller Dry Docks in 1962. It sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida as c) HOLSTEN on this date but all on board were rescued. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Lee A. Tregurtha about to return to service 10/1 - The Lee A. Tregurtha ,which has spent most of the season laid up in Fraser Shipyards, should be departing layup on October 10th and will load ore at DMIR ore docks in Duluth. Jacob Silvan |
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Port Reports - October 1 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney Hancock, MI – Algoma Mariner arrived at Mattiila Rock & Dock at 09:45 in Hancock and began unloading at 10:12. They entered the Portage Canal via the west entrance, proceeded upriver to the turning basin and backed down to the Mattila Dock. According to a dock worker they are expecting another delivery of salt possibly on Saturday.
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Manistee, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss |
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H. Lee White Maritime Museum secures a Save America’s Treasures grant 10/1 - Oswego, NY – The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego has secured a federal Save America’s Treasures Grant of $365,593 for the LT-5 Tugboat Preservation Project. The awards were announced August 20 and fund 42 preservation and conservation projects in 26 states. The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), awards these matching grants to support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections. “The award for the LT-5 Preservation Project is a distinct honor,” said Museum Executive Director Mercedes Niess. “Ours is one of just 42 grants awarded nationwide and one of six awarded in New York State.” According to the Curator of the Maritime Museum Michael Pittavino, “LT-5 Major Elisha K. Henson serves as a dock-side attraction, a remnant of the greatest generation, and a site worthy of preservation.” The 114’ ocean going tugboat played a crucial role in what General Dwight Eisenhower termed the “Great Crusade” – the allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, colloquially known as D-Day. On November 22, 1943 hull no. 298, christened Major Elisha K. Henson, was launched at the Jacobson Shipyard at Oyster Bay on Long Island. Built as a Cox & Stevens design no. 271, LT-5 was capable of both ocean and harbor tug operations under the command of the Army Transportation Corps’ Water Division. LT-5 sailed for Great Britain on February 3, 1944 as part of the allied buildup in preparation for Operation Overload – the event that awarded her National Historic Landmark status. By 1945 there were over 200 “LT” class tugs in service to the U.S. Army begging the question: Why is this one special? According to Charles Dana Gibson’s September 1994 article in Sea Classics “she is the last of but six LT tugs which provided a service which by its exact nature allowed victory in Normandy – a service which may well have saved the American Army once ashore from virtual defeat.” During the pre-invasion planning process in 1943- 44, General Omar Bradley requested that one dozen barges, loaded with ammunition, be beached near the invasion site as part of the initial invasion. And so, in the early hours of June 7, 1944 LT’s 2, 4, 5, 22, 23 and 130, each transporting two barges, completed their initial mission prior to the establishment of the artificial Mulberry Harbors. Two weeks after the initial assault a ferocious storm destroyed the American’s Mulberry A – off Omaha Beach – and, given the lack of a navigable harbor, troops on the front lines began to feel the impacts of a ruptured supply line. General Bradley, the senior general on the ground in Normandy, began to fear the worst. The ammunition beached by the six LT’s on D-Day + 1 became a lifeline. Of course, LT-5 is significant in other ways. Despite her role in the Army’s Transportation Corps, she was not spared from danger. On June 9, 1944 LT-5 shot down a German Focke Wulf – her log book for the day reads “Planes Overhead. Everyone shooting at them. Starboard gunner got an F.W.” She was also an essential part of Operation Mulberry which established the artificial harbors on Normandy by June 14 (D-Day +8) and within four days had landed 11,000 troops, 2,000 vehicles, and 9,000 tons of equipment and supplies. After remaining in service throughout the war in Europe, LT-5 returned to the United States and served from 1946-89 in the lower Great Lakes region assisting in the maintenance of harbors and worked on significant construction projects including the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s and several harbor improvement projects in Oswego. When deemed excess by the USACE in 1989, the Port of Oswego Authority eagerly acquired the National Historic Landmark that is now maintained by the H. Lee White Maritime Museum. Today, a dedicated group of Maritime Museum volunteers invest countless hours annually to preserve and interpret the iconic tugboat. The Port of Oswego Authority, which owns the LT-5, partners with the Museum to preserve this iconic vessel. The Save America’s Treasures award of $365,593 is a matching grant but will enable to museum to continue restoration work. As an in-water landmark, it has been over 20 years since the LT-5 has been dry-docked to inspect the hull and perform necessary preservation and maintenance. The project will also address the remediation of remaining hazardous materials, and the repair of critical elements that will enable the Museum to continue long term preservation efforts in a safe environment and open up new areas of the vessel to public interpretation. In 2019, Congress appropriated funding for Save America’s Treasures from the Historic Preservation Fund as administered by the Department of Interior, which uses revenue from federal oil leases to provide a broad range of preservation assistance without expending tax dollars. The Museum continues to garner support, generate renewed interest, and provide public access to the vessel in order to preserve the continued legacy of this unique artifact and its history. For more information or to contribute your support, contact the H. Lee White Maritime Museum at 315-342-0480, www.hlwmm.org, or facebook.com/hlwmm. |
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Virtual Visitor Center: Test your Lake Superior/Duluth-Superior knowledge 10/1 - Former Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center director Thom Holden joins us again with a program about Duluth-Superior Harbor and other Harbors on Lake Superior. This is your chance to show off your knowledge or learn something new in a fun, interactive program for the whole family. The program is free and begins today at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central), use a Chrome browser to join on the web here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/test-your-knowledge. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 1
In 1986, the HERBERT C. JACKSON rescued Carl Ward and his nephew after they had been adrift on lower Lake Michigan for 80 hours. On October 1,1888, the ST CLAIR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 296 gross tons, built in 1859, at Montreal as a bark) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Huron as part of a 5-barge tow of the tug CHAMPION. She broke loose and came to anchor off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The anchor dragged and she sank near the mouth of the harbor. The crew was rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. However, this rescue was ill fated since all were taken in the lifesavers surfboat and the boat was rowed 23 miles to Port Sanilac. 100 yards from shore, just a half mile from Port Sanilac, the surfboat capsized and five lives were lost. The wreck of the ST. CLAIR was later lightered, raised and towed out into the lake and re-sunk. CHICAGO TRADER, a.) THE HARVESTER of 1911, was laid up on October 1, 1976, at the Frog Pond in Toledo, Ohio. Dismantling commenced October 1, 1974, on the KINSMAN INDEPENDENT a.) WILLIAM B. KERR of 1907, at Santander, Spain. October 1, 1997 - The CITY OF MIDLAND 41 was towed out of Ludington to be converted to a barge. On October 1, 1843, ALBANY (wooden brig, 110 tons, built in 1835, at Oswego, New York) was carrying merchandise and passengers when she went aground in a storm and was wrecked just a few miles from Mackinaw City, Michigan. The steam barge C. H. GREEN was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan, for Mason, Green & Corning of Saginaw on October 1, 1881. She was schooner rigged and spent her first year as a tow barge. The following winter her engine and boiler were installed. Her dimensions were 197 feet X 33 feet X 13 feet, 920 tons. She cost $70,000. On October 1,1869, SEA GULL (wooden schooner, 83 tons, built in 1845, at Milan, Ohio) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was driven ashore and wrecked south of Grand Haven, Michigan. The wreck was pulled off the beach a few days later, but was declared a constructive loss, stripped and abandoned. She was owned by Capt. Henry Smith of Grand Haven. 1918: The Canadian bulk carrier GALE STAPLES was blown ashore Point au Sable about 8 miles west of Grand Marais. All on board were saved but the wooden vessel, best known as b) CALEDONIA, broke up. 1942: The former CANADIAN ROVER, Hull 67 from the Collingwood shipyard, was torpedoed and sunk as d) TOSEI MARU in the Pacific east of Japan by U.S.S. NAUTILUS. 1946: KINDERSLEY, loaded with 2074 tons of excess munitions, was scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. The former C.S.L. freighter had been on saltwater to assist in the war effort. 1984: ANNEMARIE KRUGER arrived at Finike, Turkey, as e) BANKO with engine damage on this date and was laid up. The ship, a frequent Seaway visitor in the 1960s, was sold for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, under tow on August 3, 1986, and was dismantled. 1998 The tank barge SALTY DOG NO. 1 broke tow from the tug DOUG McKEIL and went aground off Anticosti Island the next day. The vessel was released and it operated until scrapping at Port Colborne in 2005. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Kingston dock comes in handy for U.S. tour boat after running aground 9/30 - Kingston, ON – An unexpected visitor from across the border has docked in Kingston. A tour boat from Alexandria Bay, N.Y., is in town getting repair work done after running aground in the Thousand Islands back in mid-August. But why the Limestone City? Why is the vessel here? Bob Clark is the contracts manager with MetalCraft Marine, a local boat manufacturer, near the historic Davis dry dock, where work is taking place. “Uncle Sam’s been using the dry dock for as many years as I’ve been here; 30 years. And it’s very very far to the next available dry dock, it’s either Toronto or Montreal,” Clark explained. “It’s a long way. In the case of this boat being damaged, they wouldn’t be able to make that trip.” The three-story tour boat ran aground on the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay on Aug. 20, tearing a hole in the hull. In all, 134 passengers were safely evacuated. But with the border closed and plenty of COVID-19 protocols in place, some are wondering about the pandemic process of allowing a U.S. boat to dock on the Canadian side. Clark says the owners of the boat did plenty of the legwork. “I would say the company definitely went above and beyond. They cleared with American customs to be able to have Americans come over and come back and then they cleared with Canadian customs and specifically asked how would you like us to do it,” he explained. “It was decided that no Americans would get on shore, so the boat did not come right in the dry dock. They tied up alongside.” As for the Kingston boat builder, Clark says that despite the pandemic, MetalCraft Marine has seen an increase in global orders. “In the last couple of weeks we had two Israeli companies coming to us wanting to buy — one government, one commercial — and … just last week shipped eight boats to the Bangladesh army.” Global News |
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Port Reports - September 30 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Manistee, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Monroe, MI
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss |
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USS Cod Submarine Memorial asking for donations 9/30 - USS Cod (SS-224 World War II Fleet Submarine) will be going from Cleveland to Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair in Erie in a few weeks for a drydock program to repair and renew her underwater hull. It's a very expensive project that will take about 60 days. Upon completion of the shipyard maintenance project, Cod will return to the 1201 N. Marginal Rd. berth she has occupied since her arrival in Cleveland in 1959. The drydocking has received partial funding from the Save America's Treasures grant program from the National Park Service as well as individual donors, corporations and veterans groups. Donations gratefully accepted at http://usscod.org |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 30
On September 30, 1896, SUMATRA (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 845 gross tons, built in 1874, at Black River, Ohio) was loaded with railroad rails in tow of the steamer B.W. ARNOLD in a storm on Lake Huron. The SUMATRA was blown down and foundered off the Government Pier at Milwaukee. Three of the crew was lost. The four survivors were rescued by the ARNOLD and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. The SUMATRA was owned by the Mills Transportation Company. The 660-foot forward section of the BELLE RIVER (Hull#716) was side launched on September 30, 1976, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, by Bay Shipbuilding Co. Renamed b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR. in 1977. ARTHUR SIMARD entered service on September 30, 1973, sailing to Montreal, Quebec, to load gasoline. GOVERNOR MILLER was towed down the Welland Canal on September 30, 1980, in tow of TUG MALCOLM, STORMONT and ARGUE MARTIN on her way to Quebec City. ROBERT C. STANLEY departed light on her maiden voyage from River Rouge, Michigan, on September 30, 1943, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota, to load iron ore. On September 30, 1986, the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CARIBOU ISLE struck a rock in Lake Huron's North Channel and began taking on water. C.C.G.S. SAMUEL RISLEY arrived and helped patch the ship. The pair then departed for Parry Sound, Ontario. On September 30, 1888, AUSTRALIA (wooden schooner, 109 foot, 159 gross tons, built in 1862, at Vermilion, Ohio) was carrying cedar posts from Beaver Island to Chicago when she encountered a gale. She was laid on beam ends and sprung a leak. She headed for shelter at Holland, Michigan, but struck a bar and foundered in the mouth of the harbor. The wreck blocked the harbor until it was removed on October. 5 Her crew was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service. On September 30, 1875, AMERICAN CHAMPION (wooden scow-schooner, 156 tons, built in 1866, at Trenton, Michigan) dropped anchor to ride out a gale near Leamington, Ontario, on Lake Erie. The chains gave way and she struck a bar and sank to the gunwales. The crew of eight spent the night in the rigging and the next day a local woman and her two sons heroically rescued each one. 1906: The first FAYETTE BROWN ran into the pier entering Lorain, became disabled and stranded on the beach. The ship was refloated with considerable damage. It last operated as c) GLENMOUNT in 1923 and was scrapped about 1928. 1913: CITY OF LONDON sank off Point Pelee, Lake Erie after a collision with the JOE S. MORROW. The hull was later dynamited as an obstacle to navigation. 1964: DUNDRUM BAY was a pre-Seaway visitor to the Great Lakes on charter to the Hall Corporation. The vessel was driven aground on this date as f) ESITO near Necochea, Argentina, while traveling in ballast. The hull broke in two and was a total loss. 1965: PROTOSTATIS, a Greek Liberty ship, went aground on Traverse Shoal, Lake Ontario, while enroute from Detroit to Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of scrap. The vessel was lightered and refloated with the aid of tugs. It went to Kingston to anchor and reload in the shelter of Wolfe Island. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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ArcelorMittal USA sold to Cleveland-Cliffs for $1.4 billion in end-of-an-era merger 9/29 - After the early 2000s upheaval in the American steel industry, many of the mills that have lined Northwest Indiana's lakeshore, in some cases for more than a century, ended up consolidated in the hands of either U.S. Steel, the world's first billion-dollar company, or ArcelorMittal, which has been the world's largest steelmaker for years. Now, following more than a decade of stability, another seismic shake-up is taking place along the highly industrialized southern shore of Lake Michigan. A new owner is coming to town. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., a Cleveland-based iron ore and steel company that recently swelled in size by buying AK Steel for $1.1 billion, has reached an agreement with Luxembourg-based multinational steel giant ArcelorMittal to acquire its U.S. assets, including its Northwest Indiana steel mills, for $1.4 billion in stock and cash. ArcelorMittal USA employs about 10,000 steelworkers in Northern Indiana. The Chicago-based steel subsidiary employs more than 18,000 people across the country in 15 states, 12 of which have industrial operations. Reuters has estimated its U.S. assets to be worth $2 billion to $3 billion. The blockbuster deal includes several steel mills: ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor in East Chicago, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor in Porter County, ArcelorMittal Riverdale in Illinois, and the Gary Plate finishing facility located inside U.S. Steel's Gary Works steel mill. It also includes ArcelorMittal USA's interest in I/N Tek JV and I/N Kote JV in New Carlisle, which ArcelorMittal jointly owns with Japan-based Nippon Steel. Though its industrial operations will change hands, ArcelorMittal will have one last vestige in the Region — its research and development center at Columbus Drive and Cline Avenue in East Chicago. "ArcelorMittal R&D in East Chicago is not part of the transaction and will still be part of ArcelorMittal's global R&D organization," ArcelorMittal spokesman William Steers said. The latest round of consolidation in the long-declining domestic steel industry will make Cleveland-Cliffs — an iron ore mining and pelletization company for most of its 173-year existence — the largest flat-rolled steelmaker in North America, with shipments of 17 million tons last year. The company, which owns mines in Minnesota and Michigan and ships its ore to steel mills along the Great Lakes, also is the largest iron ore pellet producer in North America with 28 million long tons of capacity. Cleveland-Cliffs is buying six steel mills, eight finishing facilities, two iron ore mining and pelletizing operations and three coal and cokemaking operations from ArcelorMittal for $505 million in cash, $373 million in non-voting stock and 78.2 million shares of Cleveland-Cliffs common stock. The enterprise value of the deal, which includes debt and market capitalization, is estimated to be around $3.3 billion. ArcelorMittal USA pulled in $10.4 billion in revenue over the past two years, including $700 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA. Cleveland-Cliffs expects the merger will result in about $150 million in annual cost savings, which traditionally would be achieved at least partly through layoffs of redundant positions, though ArcelorMittal USA's former steel mills also no longer would have to pay market prices for iron ore, the most basic ingredient of steel. “Steelmaking is a business where production volume, operational diversification, dilution of fixed costs and technical expertise matter above all else, and this transaction achieves all of these," said Lourenco Goncalves, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs. "ArcelorMittal is a world-class organization that we have long admired as our customer and our partner, and we know for a fact that they have taken good care of their U.S. assets.” Cleveland-Cliffs said the deal makes sense because of improved operational capabilities, steelmaking cost performance, and full integration of steelmaking with raw material production. The company said it will have a more resilient balance sheet and a new portfolio of steel mills within the footprint of the United States that has long been its strategic focus. “We look forward to welcoming the ArcelorMittal USA team into our organization. We are creating an exceptional company, based on great people and supported by our existing strong relationship with the United Steelworkers, the United Auto Workers and the Machinists unions," Goncalves said. "The acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA amplifies our position in the discerning automotive steel marketplace, and further improves our position in important U.S. markets such as construction, appliances, infrastructure, machinery and equipment. It also adds to our strong legacy raw material profile and growing finishing capabilities. The transaction will enable us to become a more efficient fully-integrated steel system, with the ability to realize all of our operational and financial goals.” The new owner of the Region's steel mills will be far less capitalized than ArcelorMittal, which had more than $70 billion in revenue last year and employed more than 191,000 people in 60 countries across the globe. Local steelworkers will end up with a new boss, the United Steelworkers union will negotiate with a new company, and a familiar corporate sponsor of schools, STEM education, job fairs, job training programs, environmental programs and assorted community initiatives across Northwest Indiana is leaving the region. ArcelorMittal, cobbled together from the merger of India's Mittal Steel and Europe's Arcelor in 2006, expects to spend the $500 million in cash gained from the sale of its U.S. assets on a share buyback program. “This transaction is a unique opportunity for ArcelorMittal to unlock significant value for shareholders while retaining exposure to the North American economy through our high-quality NAFTA assets alongside a participation in what will be a stronger, better integrated U.S. business," ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal said. "I would like to thank all employees of ArcelorMittal USA for their hard work in ensuring the business maintained its reputation as a trusted, quality supplier of steels for American manufacturing. I am confident you will have a bright future with Cleveland-Cliffs.” NW Indiana Times |
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Port Reports - September 29 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Seaway – Rene Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 29
The EDMUND FITZGERALD's first cargo of taconite pellets was loaded September 29, 1958 at Silver Bay, Minnesota for Toledo, Ohio. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 entered service September 29, 1929. In early morning fog on the St. Clair River on September 29, 1962, the J.L. REISS was hit three glancing blows by U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY. The AVERY had lost control just below Robert's Landing and crossed the channel from the Canadian side and struck the REISS, which was proceeding slowly by radar on the U.S. side. On September 29, 1952, the CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON entered service. This vessel was renamed b.) ERNEST R. BREECH when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1962, and it was renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT, when it was sold to Kinsman Lines in 1988. Sold Canadian in 2005, and renamed d.) VOYAGEUR INDEPENDENT. She sails today as the motorship e.) OJIBWAY. September 29, 1929 - The PERE MARQUETTE 22 arrived at Ludington, Michigan on her maiden voyage. On 29 September 1902, H.A. BARR (3 mast wooden schooner, 217 foot, 1,119 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was in tow of the saltie THEANO with a load of iron ore in a storm 30 miles off Port Stanley in Lake Erie. She broke her towline in giant waves and foundered. THEANO rescued her crew. On 29 September 1879, the tug URANIA was towing the schooner S V R WATSON into Sand Beach at about noon when the schooner struck the tug amidships, cutting a hole in the hull and sinking her in three fathoms of water. No lives were lost. 1901: M.M. DRAKE was towing the schooner barge MICHIGAN across Lake Superior when the latter began to sink. The steamer came alongside to take off the crew when a towering wave bashed the two vessels together resulting in heavy damage. Both vessels went down, but all except one sailor were rescued by the passing ships NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY. 1915: WESTERN STAR ran aground on Robertson Rock, Georgian Bay, while enroute to Little Current with a cargo of coal. The ship was badly damaged and early attempts to refloat the freighter failed. It was not released until September 18, 1917, and was rebuilt at Detroit. The ship returned to service as b) GLENISLA in 1918 and was scrapped at Hamilton as c) PRESCOTT in 1962-1963. 1937: NEEBING foundered with the loss of 5 lives in western Lake Superior while towing the barge COTEAU in a heavy storm. The crane-equipped ship was approaching the Nipigon Strait, with a load of gravel for Red Rock, ON at the time. Nine sailors were rescued. 1947: MILVERTON, downbound with a cargo of coal, and TRANSLAKE, upbound with crude oil, collided near Iroquois, ON. The latter got caught in the current and veered to port resulting in the collision. The former, one of the few oil-burning canal ships, had the fuel lines rupture, caught fire, drifted downstream and grounded at the head of Rapide Plat. The ship burned for two days and 11 sailors were killed. Despite the heavy damage, MILVERTON was refloated, repaired and later sailed as c) CLARY FORAN and d) FERNDALE (i) before being scrapped at Hamilton in 1963. 1952: BAYTON was loading at Pool 4A Elevator at the Canadian Lakehead when there was an explosion at the elevator and chunks of concrete rained down on the deck of the Colonial Steamship Co. (Misener) steamer. One person was killed and nine more were injured. 2008: DRAGOMIRESTI was a Romanian freighter that first visited the Seaway in 1992 to load a food aid cargo in Thunder Bay for Sudan & Yemen. The ship was driven aground as j) CHUN JIANG, about 22 miles from Macao in Typhoon Hagupit. The crew were removed by helicopter. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. September 29, 1930, for the first time in the history of Pittsburgh Steamship Company, the boats of the fleet loaded more than one million tons in a seven-day period. The 64 Pittsburgh boats loaded 1,002,092 tons of cargo between 9/23 and 9/29. The J. H. SHEADLE (Hull#22) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works, was launched September 29, 1906, for the Grand Island Steamship Co. (Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., Cleveland, Ohio, mgr.) Renamed b.) F. A. BAILEY in 1924, c.) LA SALLE in 1930. Sold Canadian in 1965, renamed d.) MEAFORD, and e.) PIERSON INDEPENDENT in 1979. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1980. Henry Ford II, 70, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, passed away on September 29, 1987. Mr. Ford's namesake was the Ford Motor Company self-unloader. On September 29, 1986, the Polish tug KORAL left Lauzon, Quebec with the JOHN E. F. MISENER and GOLDEN HIND enroute to Cartagena / Mamonal, Columbia, for scrapping. September 29, 1892 - The ANN ARBOR NO 1 was launched. On 29 September 1872, ADRIATIC (3-masted wooden schooner-barge, 139 foot, 129 net tons, built in 1865, at Clayton, New York as a bark) was in tow of the tug MOORE along with three other barges in Lake Erie in a heavy gale. She became separated from the tow and foundered. The entire crew of 7 was lost. The wooden schooner DERRICK was used in salvage operations. On 29 September 1854, she had just positioned herself above the wreck of the steamer ERIE off Silver Creek, New York on Lake Erie when she went down in a gale. She had spent the summer trying to salvage valuables from the wreck of the steamer ATLANTIC. On 29 September 1900, the steamer SAKIE SHEPARD was re-launched at Anderson's shipyard in Marine City. She had been thoroughly rebuilt there during the summer. 1974: J.A.Z. DESGAGNES and HAVRE ST. PIERRE collided while trying to pass on the St. Lawrence. The former often visited the Great Lakes but was scrapped in Croatia as e) A. LEGRAND in 2003-2004. The latter, originally a Dutch coastal vessel, worked on the St. Lawrence and around Eastern Canada but was deleted from Lloyds Register in 1999. 1982: ATLANTIC SUPERIOR went aground off Wellesley Island in the American Narrows of the St. Lawrence. This new member of the Canada Steamship Lines fleet was released October 1 and repaired at Thunder Bay. It was back on the Great Lakes in 2012. EASTERN FRIENDSHIP first came to the Great Lakes in 1986. It had been stranded off the coast of Bangladesh as d) TONY BEST since April 10, 1993. While refloated on June 21, the anchors dragged on July 24 and the ship went aground again. The hull later cracked and the ship sank on this date in 1993. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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ArcelorMittal in talks to merge U.S. assets with Cleveland-Cliffs 9/28 - ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, is exploring a deal to merge its U.S. operations with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc CLF.N, the largest U.S. producer of iron ore pellets, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. The combination would signal a new push among steelmakers to consolidate and diversify their business, making it less vulnerable to swings in demand. It would come after Cleveland-Cliffs acquired AK Steel, a U.S. maker of flat-rolled carbon steels, including stainless steel, for $3 billion, including debt, last March. The latest deal could result in the merger of U.S. assets of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal that are worth between $2 billion and $3 billion with Cleveland-Cliffs, one of the sources said. It would be transformative for Cleveland-Cliffs, which has a market value of $2.3 billion and had total long-term debt as of the end of June of $4.5 billion. There is no certainty the negotiations will lead to a deal, the sources said. If, however, the talks prove successful, a deal could be announced in the coming days, one of the sources added. The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. ArcelorMittal and Cleveland-Cliffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ArcelorMittal’s U.S. business has more than 18,000 employees and 25 facilities, including mines, steelmaking facilities and finishing operations, according to the company’s website. Headquartered in Cleveland, Cleveland-Cliffs employs about 11,000 people across mining and steel manufacturing operations in the United States and Canada. ArcelorMittal said last year it was aiming to offload $2 billion of assets by the middle of 2021 to reduce its debt. In December, it agreed to sell a 50% stake in its shipping business, and has also sold its stake in Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau. After it acquired AK Steel, which derived 66% of its revenue in 2019 from the automotive market, Cleveland-Cliffs experienced a drop in demand from its car manufacturing clients, which were forced to temporarily halt production earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuters |
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Port Reports - September 28 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Marinette, WI
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 28
On September 28, 1980, BURNS HARBOR entered service, departing Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load pellets. THOMAS WILSON left Toledo on September 28, 1987, in tow of the tug TUSKER for overseas scrapping. WILSON had been laid up since December 16, 1979. On 28 September 1891, THOMAS PARSONS (2 mast wooden schooner, 135 foot, 350 tons, built in 1868, at Charlotte, New York) was carrying coal out of Ashtabula, Ohio, when she foundered in a storm a few miles off Fairport in Lake Erie. On 28 September 1849, W.G. BUCKNER (wooden schooner, 75 foot, 107 tons, built in 1837, at Irving, New York) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan when she sprang a leak, then capsized. The man to whom the cargo belonged was aboard with his wife and five children. One child was washed overboard while the wife and three children died of exposure. The schooner ERWIN took off the survivors plus the bodies. 1921: The W.H. RITCHIE caught fire and sank at Port Arthur, ON where it had become a bulk grain transport vessel. The remains were uncovered during dredging work in 1961. 1946: BRIG. GEN. M.G. ZALINSKI, built at Lorain in 1919 as a) LAKE FROHNA and later operated inland in the package freight trade as b) ACE, hit the rocks off Pitt Island, British Columbia. The vessel was enroute from Seattle to Whittier, Alaska, with a cargo of army supplies, and sank in 20 minutes. All on board were rescued by the tug SALLY N. and taken to the fishing village of Butedale.. The hull was located in June 2011 and is upside down. 1960: CHICAGO TRIBUNE and SHENANGO II were both damaged in a collision in the St. Clair River off Marysville. 1973: FRANK R. DENTON and FEDERAL SCHELDE (i) collided in the St. Marys River with minor damage to both ships. The former was scrapped at Ashtabula in 1985-1986. The latter began Seaway service when new in 1968, returned as b) C. MEHMET in 1977 and was delivered to the scrappers at Nantong, China, on March 16, 1999. 1998: ANDROS TRANSPORT, a Fortune Class cargo ship, first came through the Seaway in 1978. Flooding occurred in the engineroom in the Caribbean off Trinidad as d) GRIGOROUSSA on this date while traveling in ballast. The crew of 15 were removed and the ship was towed into Port au Spain. It was declared a total loss, sold to Mexican shipbreakers, and arrived at Tuxpan, under tow for dismantling on December 4, 1998. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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New fueling barge Warner Supply arrives in Detroit 9/27 - Detroit, MI – Warner Petroleum’s tug Coloma L. Warner arrived at Waterfront Petroleum in Detroit Friday afternoon with the replacement for the fueling barge Marysville. The barge, named Warner Supply (U.S.638111) was built in 1981 at St. Louis, Missouri, as hull #4814 a.) CBC 196. Capt. Mike Nicholls |
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Port Reports - September 27 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski
St. Lawrence Seaway |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 27
September 27, 1959: The West Neebish Channel, through which downbound traffic normally passes, was temporarily closed to permit dredging to the maximum Seaway depth of 27 feet. Two-way traffic was instituted in the Middle Neebish Channel until dredging was completed. On 27 September 1877, the HIPPOGRIFFE (wooden schooner, 295 tons, built in 1864, at Buffalo, New York) had just left Chicago for Buffalo, loaded with oats, on a fine day with clear weather. The crew saw EMMA A. COYNE (wooden schooner, 155 foot, 497 tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) approaching from a long way off loaded with lumber. The two vessels' skippers were brothers. The two schooners collided about 20 miles off Kenosha, Wisconsin. The COYNE came along side and picked up the HIPPOGRIFFE's crew a few minutes before that vessel rolled over and dove for the bottom. The CITY OF GENOA arrived with the first cargo of iron ore for the new factory at Zug Island, reported The Detroit Free Press on September 28, 1903. The H. M. GRIFFITH experienced a smoky conveyor belt fire at Port Colborne, Ontario on September 27, 1989. Repairs were completed there. ROGER M. KYES proceeded to Chicago for dry-docking, survey and repairs on September 27, 1976. She struck bottom in Buffalo Harbor September 22, 1976 sustaining holes in two double bottom tanks and damage to three others. GEORGE M. HUMPHREY under tow, locked through the Panama Canal from September 27, 1986, to the 30th on her way to the cutter’s torch at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The tanker IMPERIAL COLLINGWOOD (Hull#137) was launched September 27, 1947, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Imperial Oil Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. Renamed b.) SEAWAY TRADER in 1979, sold off the Lakes in 1984, renamed c.) PATRICIA II, d.) BALBOA TRADER in 1992. September 27, 1909 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 entered service after being repaired from her capsizing at Manistique, Michigan the previous May. On 27 September 1884, WALDO A. AVERY (wooden propeller, 204 foot, 1,294 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan. Her construction had been subcontracted by F. W. Wheeler & Co. to Thomas F. Murphy. On 27-29 September 1872, a big storm swept the lower lakes. On Lake Huron, the barges HUNTER and DETROIT were destroyed. The tug SANDUSKY rescued the 21 survivors from them. The schooner CORSAIR foundered off Sturgeon Point on Saginaw Bay at 4 p.m. on Sunday the 29th and only 2 of the crew survived. The barge A. LINCOLN was ashore one mile below Au Sable with no loss of life. The barge TABLE ROCK went ashore off Tawas Point and went to pieces. All but one of her crew was lost. The schooner WHITE SQUALL was sunk ten miles off Fish Point -- only one crewman was saved. The schooner SUMMIT went ashore at Fish Point, 7 miles north of Tawas with two lives lost. 1911: The water-logged wooden steamer THREE BROTHERS was beached off South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan. The cargo of lumber was salvaged but the 23-year-old vessel was left to rot. 1912: The wooden steamer GEORGE T. HOPE, loaded with 2,118 tons of iron ore, foundered in Lake Superior near Grand Island when it began leaking in heavy weather. All on board were saved. 1934: SASKADOC departed Erie, Pa., for the short run to the Welland Canal with 7,500 tons of coal and the hatches left open. The vessel encountered a storm on the lake, developed a list and arrived 11 hours late. 1943: NORMAN B. MACPHERSON, a small canaller in the Upper Lakes fleet, went aground on Hammond Shoal in the American Channel of the St. Lawrence near Alexandria Bay, N.Y. 1969: OPHELIA was a Great Lakes caller before the Seaway opened. The West German freighter also made 16 trips inland from 1959 to 1964. It was under Greek registry when it was abandoned off Sibu, Sarawak, with a fire in the engine room, on this date in 1969. The vessel was enroute from Sibu to Kuching, China, and the hull drifted aground as a total loss. 1991: OGDENSBURG was built as a barge to ferry rail cars across the St. Lawrence between Prescott and Ogdensburg. The vessel had joined McKeil as a regular deck barge in 1988 and broke loose in a storm on this date in 1991 while working off Blanc Sablon, Q.C. carrying heavy construction equipment. Refloated, the hull was towed to Hamilton and became one of three former railway barges rebuilt as a floating drydock. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Charlevoix, MI – Tristin Woolf
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 26
September 26, 1930, the schooner OUR SON, launched in 1875, sank during a storm on Lake Michigan about 40 miles WSW of Big Sable Point. Seventy-three year old Captain Fred Nelson the crew of OUR SON were rescued by the self-unloader WILLIAM NELSON. September 26, 1937, the Canadian Seaman's Union signed a tentative wage contract. Sailors would continue a two watch system (working 12 hours every 24 hours) and be paid the following monthly wages: Wheelsmen and Oilers - $72.50, Watchmen and firemen - $67.50, Second Cooks - $52.50, deckhands and coal passers - $50.00, porters - $45.00, Chief Cooks on the Upper Lakes - $115.00, and Chief Cooks on Canal boats $105.00. September 26, 1957, Taconite Harbor, Minnesota loaded its first cargo of 10,909 tons of taconite pellets into the holds of the Interlake steamer J. A. CAMPBELL. On 26 September 1892, JOHN BURT (3-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 348 gross tons, built in 1871, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying grain in a strong northwest gale. Her rudder broke and she was blown past the mouth of Oswego harbor and was driven hard aground. Two died when the vessel struck. The U.S. Lifesaving Service rescued the remaining five crewmembers. The vessel quickly broke up in the waves. CHI-CHEEMAUN cleared the shipyard on September 26, 1974. H. M. GRIFFITH was christened on September 26, 1973 at Collingwood for Canada Steamship Lines. C.C.G.S. GRIFFON (Hull#664) was launched September 26, 1969 by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec for the Canadian Coast Guard. ROGER M. KYES returned to service on September 26, 1984; she had grounded off McLouth Steel and ended crosswise in the Detroit River's Trenton Channel a month before. She was renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. The BELLE RIVER was sideswiped by the Liberian FEDERAL RHINE, of 1977, at Duluth on September 26, 1985. Both vessels received minor damage. On 26 September 1914, MARY N. BOURKE (wooden schooner-barge, 219 foot, 920 gross tons, built in 1889, at Baraga, Michigan) was docked at Peter's Lumber Dock in St. Mary's Bay, 15 miles north of St. Ignace, Michigan. The crew was awakened at 9:30-10:00 p.m. by smoke coming from her hold and they escaped. The BOURKE burned to the waterline and the fire spread ashore, destroying the dock and a pile of lumber. At 3 a.m., 26 September 1876, the steam barge LADY FRANKLIN burned while moored near Clark's dock, about three miles from Amherstburg, Ontario in the Detroit River. One life was lost. This vessel had been built in 1861, as a passenger steamer and ran between Cleveland, Ohio and Port Stanley, Ontario. In 1874, she was converted into a lumber freighter, running primarily between Saginaw, Michigan and Cleveland. The burned hull was rebuilt in 1882. 1979: MAHONI, an Indonesian-registered freighter, went aground on the west coast of Taiwan and was abandoned by the crew. The ship was refloated in June 1980 and sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers for scrapping at Kaohsiung. It had been a Seaway saltie as b) CLARI beginning in 1968 and returned as c) ARNIS in 1970. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New lock moves forward with Phase 2 contract award 9/25 - Detroit, MI – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announce the New Lock at the Soo second phase construction contract is awarded to Kokosing Alberici LLC of Westerville, Ohio. The much-anticipated mega-project will take three phases to construct. Kokosing Alberici will receive more than $111 million to complete phase two. This contract will stabilize the existing approach walls, allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. Construction will begin in spring 2021 and take about two years to complete. "The Corps looks forward to beginning construction on the upstream approach walls next spring, and we continue to work hard to maintain the pace and meet all milestones in bringing our nation's New Lock at the Soo to fruition,” said Detroit District Commander Lt. Col. Scott Katalenich. The project’s first phase to deepen the upstream channel began this summer with expected completion by November 2021. First phase contractor, Trade West Construction’s, focus began with deepening the eastern area of the decommissioned Sabin Lock’s north channel so Kokosing Alberici can begin work immediately in that area during the spring 2021 construction season. “It is so important that we stay on track as work areas for the three phases do overlap and construction needs to be accomplished in a certain order,” said New Lock Project Manager Mollie Mahoney. “Awarding the phase two contract right on schedule sets the clock for phase three work to begin on time in 2022.” The project’s third phase is actually constructing the new lock chamber. It is still in the design phase and expected to be advertised for bid in spring 2021. The Soo Locks are situated on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and allow vessels to transit the 21-foot elevation change at the St. Marys Falls Canal. Over 85 percent of commodity tonnage through the Soo Locks is restricted by vessel size to the Poe Lock. This new lock project will construct a second Poe-sized lock (110' by 1,200') on the existing decommissioned Davis and Sabin locks site. A 2015 Department of Homeland Security study on impacts of an unexpected Soo Locks closure show the Soo Locks are nationally critical infrastructure. This Great Lakes Navigation System critical node is essential to U.S. manufacturing and National Security according to the study. USCOE |
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Port Reports - September 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI- Fred A. Tijan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 25
In tandem tow, MENIHEK LAKE and LEON FALK JR. arrived at Vigo, Spain, on September 25, 1985. The MENIHEK LAKE was scrapped at Vigo, and the FALK was towed to Gijn, Spain, for scrapping. HENRY C. FRICK departed Bay City on her maiden voyage on September 25, 1905 and rammed and damaged the Michigan Central Railroad Bridge at Bay City. On 25 September 1869, COMMENCEMENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 75 foot, 73 tons, built in 1853, at Holland, Michigan) was carrying wood in her hold and telegraph poles on deck from Pentwater, Michigan, for Milwaukee when she sprang a leak 20 miles off Little Sable Point on Lake Michigan. The incoming water quickly overtook her pump capacity. As the crew was getting aboard the lifeboat, she turned turtle. The crew clung to the upturned hull for 30 hours until the passing steamer ALLEGHENY finally rescued them. COMMENCEMENT later washed ashore, a total wreck. 1922: AUBE, on her first trip back under this name, went aground off Carleton Island, while carrying 65,000 bushels of grain. Tugs released the stranded vessel the following day. 1978: FRANQUELIN (ii) went aground in the Seaway below Beauharnois. Once refloated, the ship went to Canadian Vickers in Montreal for repairs and was caught there in a labor dispute. 1980: DERWENTFIELD, a British-flag freighter, first came through the Seaway in 1975. The ship grounded on this date as c) CAVO ARTEMIDI off Brazil, while enroute from Vitoria, Brazil, to Rotterdam, Holland, with a cargo of pig iron and broke in two as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade down 40.3 percent in August 9/24 - Cleveland, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in August, a decrease of 40.3 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also below the month’s 5-year average by 37.9 percent. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 24.3 million tons, a decrease of 25.9 percent compared to the same point in 2019. Through August iron shipments are nearly 23.2 percent below their 5-year average for eight months of the year. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Steel production down more than 20% with capacity utilization of just 65.8% 9/24 - Northwest Indiana – Great Lakes steel production dipped by 3,000 tons last week and remains depressed by more than a fifth so far this year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly in Northwest Indiana, made 527,000 tons of metal in the week that ended Sept. 19, down from 530,000 tons the previous week. Steel production is down by 20.1% for the year, while steel capacity utilization has fallen more than 12 percentage points year over year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel for much of the spring and early summer. Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.446 million tons of steel last week, down 0.9% from 1.459 million tons the previous week and down 19.7% as compared to 1.801 million tons the same time a year prior. Steel demand started plummeting in mid-March when automakers like Ford, General Motors and Honda — some of the largest consumers of steel in North America — temporarily ceased production to curb the spread of COVID-19. It forced Northwest Indiana steel mills to idle operations and temporarily lay off hundreds of workers. Auto plants across the country have come back online and ramped back up production volume, leading local steel mills to restart blast furnaces at Gary Works, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor and ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 56.17 million tons of steel, a 20.1% decrease compared to the 70.33 million tons made during the same period in 2019. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 65.8% through Sept. 12, down from 80.3% at the same point in 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 64.5% last week, which was down from 65.1% the previous week and down from 77.4% at the same time a year ago. Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, was 553,000 tons last week, down from 565,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest dipped to 169,000 tons, down from 172,000 tons the week prior. NW Indiana Times |
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Port Reports - September 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
9/23/20 |
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National Museum of the Great Lakes offers a chance to win a trip on a freighter 9/24 - Toledo, OH - Have you ever dreamed of sailing the Great Lakes on a giant freighter? Well, you have a shot at doing just that and helping a local treasure at the same time. The National Museum of the Great Lakes is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year this Saturday, September 26. Of course, as with most events right now, H2Oh! has gone virtual. The event will feature all kinds of amazing auction items -- like a ride onboard the boat that delivers mail to sailors on the Great Lakes -- plus the Luck of the Lakes raffle where you can win a freighter ride or $10,000. “We have a phenomenal list of Great Lakes memorabilia, and once in a lifetime experiences you can bid on,” explains Kate Fineske, Director of Communications and Development at the museum. “Everything is themed around the Great Lakes.” The goal is to raise more than $200,000 through the event. Our own Lissa Guyton will be the virtual emcee. Registration is free and easy. You can learn more at nmgl.org. WTVG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 24
The EDMUND FITZGERALD's first cargo of taconite pellets was loaded September 24, 1958 at Silver Bay, Minnesota for Toledo, Ohio. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 entered service September 24, 1924. In early morning fog on the St. Clair River on September 24, 1962, the J.L. REISS was hit three glancing blows by U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY. The AVERY had lost control just below Robert's Landing and crossed the channel from the Canadian side and struck the REISS, which was proceeding slowly by radar on the U.S. side. On September 24, 1952, the CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON entered service. This vessel was renamed b.) ERNEST R. BREECH when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1962, and it was renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT, when it was sold to Kinsman Lines in 1988. Sold Canadian in 2005, and renamed d.) VOYAGEUR INDEPENDENT. She sails today as the motorship e.) OJIBWAY. September 24, 1924 - The PERE MARQUETTE 22 arrived at Ludington, Michigan on her maiden voyage. On 24 September 1902, H.A. BARR (3 mast wooden schooner, 217 foot, 1,119 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was in tow of the saltie THEANO with a load of iron ore in a storm 30 miles off Port Stanley in Lake Erie. She broke her towline in giant waves and foundered. THEANO rescued her crew. On 24 September 1879, the tug URANIA was towing the schooner S V R WATSON into Sand Beach at about noon when the schooner struck the tug amidships, cutting a hole in the hull and sinking her in three fathoms of water. No lives were lost. 1901: M.M. DRAKE was towing the schooner barge MICHIGAN across Lake Superior when the latter began to sink. The steamer came alongside to take off the crew when a towering wave bashed the two vessels together resulting in heavy damage. Both vessels went down, but all except one sailor were rescued by the passing ships NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY. 1915: WESTERN STAR ran aground on Robertson Rock, Georgian Bay, while enroute to Little Current with a cargo of coal. The ship was badly damaged and early attempts to refloat the freighter failed. It was not released until September 18, 1917, and was rebuilt at Detroit. The ship returned to service as b) GLENISLA in 1918 and was scrapped at Hamilton as c) PRESCOTT in 1962-1963. 1937: NEEBING foundered with the loss of 5 lives in western Lake Superior while towing the barge COTEAU in a heavy storm. The crane-equipped ship was approaching the Nipigon Strait, with a load of gravel for Red Rock, ON at the time. Nine sailors were rescued. 1947: MILVERTON, downbound with a cargo of coal, and TRANSLAKE, upbound with crude oil, collided near Iroquois, ON. The latter got caught in the current and veered to port resulting in the collision. The former, one of the few oil-burning canal ships, had the fuel lines rupture, caught fire, drifted downstream and grounded at the head of Rapide Plat. The ship burned for two days and 11 sailors were killed. Despite the heavy damage, MILVERTON was refloated, repaired and later sailed as c) CLARY FORAN and d) FERNDALE (i) before being scrapped at Hamilton in 1963. 1952: BAYTON was loading at Pool 4A Elevator at the Canadian Lakehead when there was an explosion at the elevator and chunks of concrete rained down on the deck of the Colonial Steamship Co. (Misener) steamer. One person was killed and nine more were injured. 2008: DRAGOMIRESTI was a Romanian freighter that first visited the Seaway in 1992 to load a food aid cargo in Thunder Bay for Sudan & Yemen. The ship was driven aground as j) CHUN JIANG, about 22 miles from Macao in Typhoon Hagupit. The crew were removed by helicopter. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes cruise industry prepares for bounce back year 9/23 - Cruising on the Great Lakes is an industry that has been on the rise in Michigan. "Great Lakes cruising has brought more than 100,000 port visits a year," says Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan. "And we've been growing for a while as well." But not in 2020. The industry took a blow at the beginning of the pandemic when Canada closed its port visits. "Right now it's extended through October so there goes the season," says Lorenz. And while the loss of income forced some of the companies to close for good, the ones that remain already look ahead to next year. Lorenz says safety measures are already being prepared for visitors. The biggest change will be requiring masks in all of the ship's common areas, something that he says will take an adjustment. "At first when we started using seat belts long, long ago, people felt a little uncomfortable about them," he says. "After a while, when you don't wear a seat belt it feels really strange. That's how face masks are going to be." Other safety protocols from before the pandemic will continue more vigilantly. Lorenz says places like the ship's buffet have always had employees walking around with hand sanitizer for guests. "Travelers around the world have looked at that and kind of rolled their eyes a little bit in the past," says Lorenz. "The coronavirus has taught everybody that was a good idea then, it's a better idea now." Lorenz hopes when the time comes to hit the open water, guests will take the safety measures seriously. "Whether you're at a grocery store or on a cruise ship, it's your responsibility to be careful to make sure other people don't get sick," he says. The Great Lakes cruising season typically begins in the spring and can last through September. |
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Port Reports - September 23 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher |
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Annual maritime history preservation award goes to William M. Worden 9/23 - Madison, WI – William M. Worden has been chosen to receive the 2020 C. Patrick Labadie Award for the preservation of Great Lakes history by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a major contribution, over many years, to the preservation of Great Lakes maritime history through historical research and in furtherance of the goals of the Association. Criteria for selection included his editorial roles at Telescope and Steamboat Bill magazines, writing applications for landmark status for historic vessels, co-chairing a campaign for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum to acquire D&C Navigation Co. artifacts such as the Gothic Room from the passenger steamer City of Detroit III and serving on the board of directors of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. He is also considered an expert on Great Lakes passenger vessels. The Association for Great Lakes Maritime History is a professional association of institutions and individuals from throughout Canada and the U.S. involved in preserving and interpreting the unique maritime history of the Great Lakes region. The Association sponsors an annual maritime history conference, encourages new research by both professional and avocational historians, financially supports the publishing of new research, and promotes the regular exchange of news and information among its members. |
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Save the River pushes for flexibility in Seaway to prepare for flooding next spring 9/23 - Clayton, NY – A recent letter published by Save the River is urging for flexibility throughout the Great Lakes and Seaway. Clayton-based organization Save the River Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper sent a letter to both the Department of Transportation and Great Lakes Seaway Management Corporation addressing high water levels for the upcoming 2021 season. Although Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River were not faced with flooding during the spring of 2020, Save the River Executive Director John Peach focused on the importance of preparing shippers for a flexible spring opening date if the seaway were to flood again. Peach stated the following: “On behalf of our 1000 members and 15,000 followers, Save The River commends the efforts of the International Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Board (ILOSLRB) and the cooperation of the Seaway during this shipping season in keeping the flows high in order to lower the water levels toward the long term average. “However, with the immense amount of water still upstream of Lake Ontario and flowing towards the St. Lawrence, Save The River believes that the Seaway should put shippers on notice that if high water levels warrant higher flows than are deemed safe for navigation, shippers should prepare flexibility in their scheduling for both closing and spring opening dates of the Seaway. “We understand that an early closure of shipping may cause scheduling and logistics challenges for the shipping industry, and perhaps some supply chain disruption in Great Lakes ports. Many of our shoreline businesses such as marinas, restaurants, hotels, and fishing guides suffered significant losses during the 2017 & 2019 seasons due to the effects of the extreme high water caused by years of record precipitation. Coupled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic this year, it will be difficult for them to make up those losses. Another extreme high water year could force them out of business. We are asking the shipping industry to continue to shoulder their share of the burdens caused by the extreme high water levels. During times of flooding, it is usual for all businesses and stakeholders to lend their support to help those most severely affected recover from their losses. “Building flexibility into shipping schedules at the end of this season and start of next season would allow ILOSLRB to keep flows at the higher levels required, if needed, to try to prevent another extreme high water year on Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River.” The letter, featured in full on the Save the River website, was directly sent to United States Department of Transportation Deputy Administrator Craig Middlebrook and Great Lakes Seaway Management Corporation President and CEO Terence Bowles. Additional letter recipients included IJC Commissioner Jane Corwin, IJC Commissioner Pierre Béland, IJC Public Information Officer Frank Bevacqua, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Premier Ford, Representative Elise Stefanik, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman Mark Walczyk. ABC50 NOW |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 23
September 23, 1922, the 306-foot NEPTUNE loaded the first Head-of-the-Lakes cargo of pig iron at Zenith Furnace, Duluth, Minnesota. The 5,000 tons of malleable pig iron was delivered to Buffalo, New York. September 23, 1975, HERBERT C. JACKSON lost power while upbound on Lake Superior. She was towed back to the Soo by the USS straight decker D.G. KERR. September 23, 1952, the steamer CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON became the first boat christened at Cleveland since the early years of World War II. The 644-foot HUTCHINSON, Captain T. A. Johnson, was the new flagship of the Pioneer fleet and one of 35 boats in the three fleets operated by Hutchinson & Co. Renamed b.) ERNEST R. BREECH in 1962, c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT in 1988. Sold Canadian in 2005, and renamed d.) VOYAGEUR INDEPENDENT. She sails today as the motorship e.) OJIBWAY. On 23 September 1910, the BETHLEHEM (steel propeller package freighter, 290 foot, 2,633 gross tons, built in 1888, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise when she went ashore in a gale on the SW side of S. Manitou Island in Lake Michigan. Lifesavers and the crew unloaded her over several days. Although battered by several storms while ashore, she was eventually pulled free and repaired. She lasted until 1925, when she was scrapped. The scow WAUBONSIE was launched at the Curtis yard in Fort Gratiot, Michigan on 23 September 1873. 1935: HURRY-ON was a Great Lakes visitor in 1934 when it loaded bagged flour at Port Colborne. The ship was lost off Port Hood Island, near Judique, NS, after developing leaks and a list. The lifeboat swamped twice and five were lost. 1961: CRYSTAL JEWEL, inbound for London in thick fog, was in a collision with the B.P. Tanker BRITISH AVIATOR. The captain was seriously injured and his daughter was killed. The vessel first visited the Great Lakes in 1960 and was enroute from Duluth to London with a cargo of grain at the time of the accident. The vessel grounded and, after being released, was taken to Rotterdam where the entire mid-ship superstructure was replaced. The ship made many more trips through the Seaway and returned as b) MELTEMI in 1970. It was scrapped at Busan, South Korea, after arriving as d) TETA on July 17, 1979. 1980: FERNLEAF first visited the Seaway in 1965 and returned as b) AALSUM in 1974. The ship was detained at Basrah, Iraq, in 1981 as c) INICIATIVA on this date in 1980 and declared a total loss in December 1981. It was salvaged in 1993 and renamed d) DOLPHIN V but perhaps only for a trip to the shipbreakers. The vessel arrived at Gadani Beach December 27, 2003, and dismantling began at once. 2000: Vandals attacked the museum ship NORGOMA at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., breaking windows, light fixtures and setting off fire extinguishers, leaving an estimated $15,000 in damage. On September 23, 1991, J.W. MC GIFFIN rescued several people in a 24-foot pleasure craft off Presque Ile State Park. The group had been disabled since the day before. They were taken aboard the McGIFFIN and their boat taken under tow. The MC GIFFIN was rebuilt with a new forward section and renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA in 1999. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas Algoma Innovator arrived 9.19 am Monday, loaded at Compass Minerals, cleared at 6.48 pm Monday upbound for Ferrysburg. Manitoulin arrived 6.22 am Monday and loading at elevators.
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 22
On September 22, 1958, the EDMUND FITZGERALD entered service, departing River Rouge, Michigan for Silver Bay, Minnesota on its first trip. The FITZGERALD's first load was 20,038 tons of taconite pellets for Toledo. The vessel would, in later years, set several iron ore records during the period from 1965 through 1969. While in ballast, the ROGER M. KYES struck bottom in Buffalo Harbor September 22, 1976, sustaining holes in two double bottom tanks and damage to three others, whereupon she proceeded to Chicago for dry docking on September 27, 1976, for survey and repairs. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. While being towed from Duluth, Minnesota by the Canadian tug TUSKER on September 22, 1980, the D. G. KERR rammed into the breakwater at Duluth causing $200,000 in damages to the breakwater. The tow apparently failed to make the turning buoy leaving Duluth Harbor. On September 22, 1911 the HENRY PHIPPS collided with and sank her Steel Trust fleet mate, the steamer JOLIET of 1890, which was at anchor on the fog-shrouded St. Clair River near Sarnia, Ontario. The JOLIET sank without loss of crew and was declared a total loss. The PHIPPS then continued her downbound journey and collided with the Wyandotte Chemical steamer ALPENA, of 1909, but incurred only minor damage. The T.W. ROBINSON and US.265808 (former BENSON FORD) departed Quebec City in tow of the Polish tug JANTAR bound for Recife where they arrived on September 22, 1987. Scrapping began the next month in October. MATHILDA DESGAGNES was freed from polar ice in the Arctic on September 22, 1988, by the West German Icebreaker Research Vessel POLARSTERN. September 22, 1913 - The ANN ARBOR No. 5 struck bottom in the Sturgeon Bay Canal and damaged her rudder and steering gear. After undergoing repairs at Milwaukee, she was back in service the following October. On 22 September 1887, ADA E. ALLEN (wooden propeller steam barge, 90 foot, 170 gross tons, built in 1872, at Walpole Island, Ontario.) caught fire while moored at Amherstburg, Ontario. She was cut loose and set adrift to prevent the fire from spreading ashore. She drifted to Bois Blanc (Bob-Lo) Island and burned to a total loss. On 22 September 1882, Mr. H. N. Jex accepted the contract to recover the engine and boiler from the MAYFLOWER, which sank in the Detroit River in 1864. He was to be paid $600 upon delivery of the machinery at Windsor, Ontario. He succeeded in raising the engine on 12 October and the boiler shortly thereafter. 1917: The wooden steamer WILLIAM P. REND, a) GEORGE G. HADLEY, foundered off Alpena while carrying livestock. All 9 crewmembers were rescued. 1951: The Liberty ship THUNDERBIRD visited the Seaway in 1959. Earlier, on this date in 1951, the ship received major bow damage from a head-on collision with the Chinese freighter UNION BUILDER (built in 1945 at Brunswick, GA as a) COASTAL RANGER) at the entrance to Colombo, Ceylon. THUNDERBIRD was also a Great Lakes trader as d) NEW KAILING in 1964 and scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1967. 1979: OCEANIC KLIF first visited the Seaway in 1971. The ship stranded near Las Palmas, Canary Islands, while on a voyage from Kamsar, Guinea, West Africa, to Port Alfred, QC with calcinated bauxite and was abandoned by the crew. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New Soo Lock work shifts to round-the-clock construction 9/21 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Round-the-clock work has begun at the Soo Locks. The Army Corps of Engineers, District Detroit, said last week that phase one of an extensive, multiyear project to update existing locks and to create a new lock at the Upper Peninsula facility shifted into high gear on Sept. 8. To start, Trade West Construction is deepening the north channel of the decommissioned Sabin Lock to a depth of 30 feet and positioning the materials to the northwest pier, which will eventually become a break wall for the new lock. The project, outlined in detail below, has a 2027 target date for completion. The Soo Locks currently has one lock, the Poe Lock, that is capable of accommodating vessels up to 1,000 feet in length and 105 feet in width. Since the Poe’s construction, Great Lakes fleets in the United States and Canada have replaced many of their older vessels with newer, larger vessels, most of which can only use the Poe because of their size. As a result, 89 percent of all the cargo passing though the locks is restricted to using the Poe. According to the Corps, this critical dependency on the Poe presents a significant risk not only to Great Lakes shipping, but to the nation’s overall economy since mechanical failures or other causes at the lock would be felt throughout North America. A second lock capable of handling large ships would alleviate this concerns and funding has finally been secured. Congress reauthorized construction of the new lock in October 2018 with an estimated project cost of $922.4 million (including $32 million spent prior to 2019). The State of Michigan provided $52 million in December 2018 to help advance the project and allow it to rank more highly among national infrastructure needs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also received $32.4 million in federal funds for fiscal year 2019, and fiscal year 2020 budget included an additional $75.3 million. The new lock will replace the closed Davis and Sabin locks, but will have the same dimensions as the Poe and will provide much needed redundancy for the aging Poe. The construction project consists of three main phases:
Deepening the upstream approach channel (2020-2021). This schedule assumes Congress will continue to provide efficient funding for the project. More than 75 million tons of cargo and 3,000 cargo vessels pass through the locks annually. Owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lock system raises and lowers vessels approximately 21 feet to overcome the difference in elevation between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Duluth Tribune |
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Marine Historical Society of Detroit wins state history award 9/21 - Detroit, MI – The Marine Historical Society of Detroit has received a state history award in the Institutions category from the The Historical Society of Michigan. In 1944, history enthusiasts founded the organization to promote Great Lakes maritime history. More than 75 years later, the Marine Historical Society of Detroit has produced a wealth of scholarship, preserving and interpreting Michigan’s rich Great Lakes shipping history. In addition to its 73-years-running newsletter, “The Detroit Marine Historian,” the organization has published many other important works that highlight maritime subjects. Although the society has no building of its own, it facilitates the acquisition of archival materials for the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University. The award will be presented to the society’s president, Roger LeLievre, during the annual Michigan History Conference on Oct. 2-3, a virtual event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The State History Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion of state and local history. The awards are the highest recognition presented by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s official historical society and oldest cultural organization. For more information or to join the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, visit www.MHSD.org Marine Historical Society of Detroit |
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Port Reports - September 21 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron Bruce Mines: Sunday; Cuyahoga arrived to load trap rock and departed at 19:27 for Grand Haven. Calcite: Saturday; 10:13 Defiance/ Ashtabula departed for Burns Harbor. 10:13 Presque Isle proceeded to the dock to load and departed Sunday at 19:20 for Duluth Superior. 19:27 John G Munson arrived to load limestone. Stoneport: Saturday; 0:43 Olive L Moore / Menominee departed for Sarnia. Sunday; 19:02 H Lee White arrived to load limestone. Alpena: Sunday; 19:02 The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load. Port Inland: Saturday; 3:03 American Mariner departed for Duluth Superior. 3:17 Arthur M Anderson arrived to load limestone and departed at 16:21 for Detroit. Sunday; 0:25 Manitowoc arrived to load limestone and departed at 9:17 for Grand Haven.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Obituary: Andrew Charles Anderson 9/21 - Andrew Charles Anderson, 84, of Lexington, MI, passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at Troy Beaumont Hospital. He was born in Highland Park, Michigan on April 17, 1936, son of the late Walter and Dollie (Orcutt) Anderson. Andrew married Nancy Schneider on July 12, 1958 in Detroit. Nancy passed away on March 11, 2006. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Huron and enjoyed being a part of Loomis' Battery, a Michigan Civil War reenactment unit. Andrew volunteered on the NSCS Grayfox, which is moored in Port Huron and liked collecting and refurbishing model trains. He was a member of the International Shipmasters’ Association Lodge #2, Port Huron. Andrew worked for 28 years at Ford Tractor, before his retirement in 1991. He also traveled to Alaska three times. Andrew is survived by his five children, Catherine Grueber, Pete (Dawn) Anderson, Barbara (Kevin) Murringer, Diane (Steve) Ray, and Ellen (Rich) Simons; ten grandchildren, Adam (Chelsea) Grueber, Kaitlynn (Ryan) Sills, Corianna (Steve) Hirsch, Brittany (Kevin) Rogers, Steven (Andrea) Ray, Nicholas (Shelby) Ray, Kaci Murringer, Chessie (Jeremy) Sergey, Hannah Simons, and Jacob Simons; great-grandchildren, Greyson, Jameson, Fiona, Maya, Jason, Connor, and Wade. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Smith Family Funeral Home-Hancock Street. Graveside services and interment will be held on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. in Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery in Saginaw Township, MI . For information and guestbook, www.smithfamilyfuneralhome.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 21
On 21 September 1892, the whaleback steamer JAMES B. COLGATE (steel propeller whaleback freighter, 308 foot, 1,713 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co. (Hull #121) at W. Superior, Wisconsin. She only lasted until 1916, when she foundered in the "Black Friday Storm" on Lake Erie with the loss of 26 lives. ALGOWAY left Collingwood on her maiden voyage in 1972, and loaded salt for Michipicoten, Ontario, on Lake Superior. On 21 September 1844, JOHN JACOB ASTOR (wooden brig, 78 foot, 112 tons, Built in 1835, at Pointe aux Pins, Ontario but precut at Lorain, Ohio) was carrying furs and trade goods when she struck a reef and foundered near Copper Harbor, Michigan. She was owned by Astor’s American Fur Company. She was reportedly by the first commercial vessel on Lake Superior. On 21 September 1855, ASIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 108 foot, 204 tons, built in 1848, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying corn from Chicago for Buffalo when she collided with the propeller FOREST CITY off the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay. ASIA went down in deep water in about 10 minutes, but her crew just had enough time to escape in her boat. The schooner HAMLET picked them up. 1907: The passenger ship PICTON, a) CORSICAN caught fire and burned at the dock in Toronto. The hull was later converted to a barge and was, in time, apparently abandoned near the Picton Pumping Station. 1907: ALEX NIMICK, a wooden bulk freighter, went aground near west of Vermilion Point, Lake Superior, and broke up as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Buffalo to Duluth with a cargo of coal and six lives were lost 1921: The 3-masted schooner OLIVER MOWAT sinks in Lake Ontario between the Main Duck and False Duck Islands after a collision with KEYWEST on a clear night. Three lives were lost while another 2 sailors were rescued from the coal-laden schooner. 1924: The whaleback self-unloader CLIFTON, the former SAMUEL MATHER, foundered in Lake Huron off Thunder Bay while carrying a cargo of stone from Sturgeon Bay to Detroit. All 25 on board were lost. 1946: A second typhoon caught the former Hall vessel LUCIUS W. ROBINSON as b) HAI LIN while anchored in the harbor at Saipan, Philippines, on a voyage to China. 1969: AFRICAN GLADE, a Seaway caller in 1963, lost power in the Caribbean as c) TRANSOCEAN PEACE and was towed into Port au Spain, Trinidad. The repaired ship departed for Durban, South Africa, in April 1970 only to suffer more boiler problems enroute. The vessel was sold for scrapping at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, later in the year. 1977: HELEN EVANS suffered steering problems and went aground on Whaleback Shoal while upbound with iron ore in the St. Lawrence. There was minor damage and the vessel was released September 23. 1982: CALGADOC left the Great Lakes in 1975 and saw service in the south as b) EL SALINERO. The ship sank on this date in 1982 on the Pacific off the coast of Mexico. 1985: ELTON HOYT 2ND struck the 95th Street Bridge at Chicago and headed to Sturgeon Bay for repairs. 1988: The small tug MARY KAY sank in a Lake Ontario storm enroute from Rochester to Oswego. The former b) CAPT. G.H. SWIFT had recently been refitted and went down after a huge wave broke over the stern. It had seen only brief service on Lake Ontario after arriving from the Atlantic in 1987. 1993: The tug DUKE LUEDTKE sank in Lake Erie about 12 miles north of Avon Point when the ship began taking water faster than the pumps could keep up. One coastguardsman was lost checking on the source of the leak when the vessel rolled over and sank. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns lake levels will pose similar threats this fall 9/20 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is warning Michigan residents and governmental entities to prepare for similar erosion impacts from high Great Lakes levels as were seen last fall. In its monthly update issued last week, corps officials reported that, despite ongoing seasonal lake level declines, Great Lakes water levels remain at or near record highs as fall storms approach. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,” Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief John Allis said. The Corps’ Detroit District is responsible for monitoring, forecasting, collecting and disseminating Great Lakes water level information. Fall and early winter months typically bring some of the strongest Great Lakes region storms. “Even though lake levels are declining, this active weather can potentially bring tremendous impacts to coastlines, including erosion and coastal flooding,” Allis said. In a report issued in early August, corps officials said all of the Great Lakes except Superior had likely reached their peak for the year, but also predicted that Lake Michigan-Huron and Lake St. Clair would likely set new monthly mean record high water levels in August. And that’s just what happened. According to the Corps monthly lake level summary for August, Lake Michigan and Huron’s monthly mean level fell about an inch from July to August. Nevertheless, the lake’s monthly mean level of 582.09 feet was an inch higher than its August record high monthly mean level set in 1986. This mean level was also 4 inches above last August’s level and 33 inches above long-term average. Contributing to the record-setting level for the month, officials noted that Lake Michigan/Huron experienced precipitation that was around 18 percent above average in August, and it also received “significantly above average net basin supply.” Corps officials noted that Lake Michigan/Huron has remained above record high monthly mean levels for eight consecutive months. Corps officials are predicting the level will fall short of its September record high by an inch. In addition, the lake is forecasted to be 2 to 9 inches below record high from October through February 2021. Current projections call for the two-lake basin to be 4 inches above last year’s level in September near last year’s level in October, then fall 2 to 7 inches below last year’s level from November to February. Finally, the lake’s level is projected to remain 30 to 33 inches above long-term average over the next six months. The combination of high lake levels and wave action has caused erosion issues in many Northern Michigan lakeshore areas — affecting both lakeshore property owners and numerous governmental agencies. A few of the impacts have included a collapse of a section of the Little Traverse Wheelway situation on a slope between Petoskey Magnus Park and Resort Township’s East Park; a smaller collapse of the trail along U.S. 31 in Charlevoix County’s Hayes Township and numerous erosion issues in Petoskey’s Bayfront Park, Boyne City’s Veterans Memorial Park, and along Lakeshore Drive between Boyne City and Advance. In the release, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said projects to alleviate erosion or flooding may require a permit from a corps of engineers regulatory office. A permit may be needed because these projects could potentially impact the nation’s rivers, streams, wetlands and other aquatic resources. Corps of Engineers |
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Port Reports - September 20 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron – Denny Dushane
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Denny Dushane
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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The tugboat Peninsula in Marathon, Ont., set to be dismantled 9/20 - It was supposed to be part of the history of Marathon, Ont., but instead, an old tugboat will be sent for scrap. The Peninsula, purchased by the Marathon and District Historical Society in 2018, was supposed to be put on display in town, honouring the town's forestry heritage. Historic Peninsula tug boat makes its way back home to Marathon, Ont., this weekend Since being purchased, the boat was partially brought ashore in Jellicoe Cove, near the town boat launch. Two years later and a number of failed attempts to get the boat fully onto shore, the boat will now get dismantled. "It feels frustrating from our point of view that a lot of people donated good money, and hard earned money to this project," said Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas. "But, at the same time, we as municipal leaders have to look out for the best interest of all our members of the community." Dumas said the town has concerns over liability, with the tug partially sitting ashore, and environmental concerns if the boat is not moved.. "We kept coming back with we needed some concrete plans. Some financial plans, as well as location plans." Dumas said in August 2020, the town took ownership of the vessel, which was done through a legal process, but outside of the courts. There are still some legal discussions taking place between the town and historical society, which is funded by the town. "We have many other things that we want to get done. Build a new active living centre to replace our recreation complex. Get our plumbing repaired, our streets fixed. Look at other areas of town for parks and enjoyment for our community, and [owning a tugboat] just wasn't part of the plan." The Peninsula, which was originally launched as the Norton for the Canadian Navy in 1943, was acquired by Marathon Pulp in 1946. The tug towed log booms between the town's mill and the Pic River for nearly two decades. The vessel was later used as a tugboat in Thunder Bay. CBC |
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Former saltwater vessel visitor scrapped 9/20 - The saltwater vessel Uni Brothers IMO 8312071 of Sierra Leone flag and registry has recently been scrapped. This vessel is more familiar to some as the Saint Laurent but is also more familiar though to some as the Alam Sempurna. The Uni Brothers was built in 1984 as the Saint Laurent and it first came inland as such In 1984 and held and carried that name from 1984 until 1991 when it was renamed in October of 1991. It returned inland as the Alam Sempurna in 1993 and it held that name from 1991 until 2009 before being renamed again in January 2009 to the Atlantic Cozumel. As the Atlantic Cozumel, the ship carried this name from 2009 until 2012 before being renamed once again. It never returned inland as such and in 2012, the ship received its final name as the Uni Brothers. The ship never returned inland as the Uni Brothers as well. Denny Dushane |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 20
John Jonathon Boland was born on 20 September 1875, in New York. Along with Adam E. Cornelius, he formed the partnership of Boland and Cornelius in 1903, and was one of the founders of the American Steamship Company in 1907. He died in 1956. On September 20, 1986, vandals started a $5,000 fire aboard the laid up NIPIGON BAY at Kingston, Ontario, where she had been since April 1984. GEORGE A. STINSON's self-unloading boom was replaced on September 20, 1983. The boom had collapsed onto her deck due to a mechanical failure on the night of April 19, 1983, at Detroit, Michigan. No injuries were reported. She continued hauling cargoes without a boom until replacement could be fabricated. She was renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. On September 20, 1980, EDGAR B. SPEER entered service for the U.S. Steel Fleet. CHARLES E. WILSON sailed light on her maiden voyage from Sturgeon Bay September 20, 1973, bound for Escanaba, Michigan, to load ore. She was renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. CHARLES M. WHITE was christened at Baltimore, Maryland, on September 20, 1951. On 20 September 1873, W. L. PECK (2 mast wooden schooner-barge, 154 foot, 361 gross tons) was launched at Carrollton, Michigan. On 20 September 1856, COLONEL CAMP (3-mast wooden bark, 137 foot, 350 tons, built in 1854, at Three Mile Bay, New York) was carrying wheat to Oswego, New York, when she collided with the wooden steamer PLYMOUTH and sank in just a few minutes. No lives were lost. 1970: MARATHA ENDEAVOUR, enroute from Chicago to Rotterdam, broke down in the Atlantic and sent out a distress call. The ship was taking water but survived. The 520-foot long vessel had been a Seaway trader since 1965 and returned as b) OLYMPIAN in 1971. The ship arrived at Huangpu, China, for scrapping as c) HIMALAYA on January 9, 1985. 1980: The Canadian coastal freighter EDGAR JOURDAIN was built at Collingwood in 1956 as MONTCLAIR. The ship had been a pre-Seaway trader to the lakes and returned as b) PIERRE RADISSON in 1965, c) GEORGE CROSBIE in 1972 and d) EDGAR JOURDAIN beginning in 1979. It was wrecked at Foxe Basin, off Hall Beach in the Canadian Arctic, after going aground. The ship was abandoned, with the anchors down, but disappeared overnight on December 15, 1982, while locked in shifting pack ice. It is believed that the vessel was carried into deeper water and, at last report, no trace had ever been found. 1982: BEAVERFIR served Canadian Pacific Steamships as a Seaway trader beginning in 1961. The ship stranded off Barra de Santiago, El Salvador, as d) ANDEN in a storm on this date in 1982 after dragging anchor. Sixteen sailors from the 26-member crew perished. 2011: MINER, a) MAPLECLIFFE HALL, b) LEMOYNE (ii), c) CANADIAN MINER broke loose of the tug HELLAS and drifted aground off Scaterie Island, Nova Scotia, while under tow for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey. The ship was a total loss and, in 2013, was still waiting to be dismantled and removed. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 19
Two Harbors-Silver Bay -Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On:
Holland, Mi. -
William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, Mi. -
Detroit-Rouge River - Raymond Hill
Toledo, OH – Jim Hoffman
Lake Erie Ports - Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY - Tom Brewer
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Collectibles offered in on-line auction by National Museum 9/19 - Toledo, Ohio – Each year the National Museum of the Great Lakes holds its annual fundraiser, H2Oh, to raise money for the operations of the museum. The event has always featured some collectibles donated by private individuals specifically to be part of its live and silent auction. This year, because of the Covid 19 pandemic, the in-person event was changed to a virtual event and the auction was made virtual as well. Christopher Gillcrist, Director of the Museum stated “in these challenging times we are trying to use technology to reach our supporters and the on-line auction allows Great Lakes enthusiasts from all over the country to bid on interesting collectibles being offered.” Some of the collectibles include a beautiful boxed gimbled compass, a one-of-a-kind Great Lakes decorative wood table, an incredible rendition of a D&C boat at night and painted on glass, a Chelsea Ships’ Bell Clock from the vessel Oswego Hope, as well as beautiful lithographic prints by James Clary and Robert McGreevey. One of the most amazing items is a print of the new vessel currently under construction—the Mark Barker. This portrait and line drawing of the vessel is beautifully framed and ready for hanging. The print is very unique because it was struck before the vessel had been formally named and there are only eight (8) of these prints in existence. Anyone can preview the auction at https://nmgl.home.qtego.net |
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Security Call Upbound at Welland Dock Wharf 10 9/19 - Mariners of upbound vessels are asked to give a security call to the Traffic Control Center when passing the Welland Dock (Wharf 10) in order to give advance notification to the maintenance crews carrying out work at Bridge 19. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 19
At Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, a hand-operated ferry carried pedestrians across the Chicago River. The ferry operator would pull on a rope, hand over hand, to move the ferry across the river. At a signal from schooners, the rope was dropped and the schooner would sail over it. On 19 September 1856, the rope was dropped but the impatient passengers picked it up to move the ferry themselves. The incoming schooner snagged the rope and the ferry was spun around and capsized. 15 people were drowned. When Cleveland Tankers’ new SATURN entered service and made her first trip to Toledo, Ohio, on September 19, 1974, she became the first of three tankers built for the fleet's modernization program. EDGAR B. SPEER departed the shipyard on her maiden voyage for U.S. Steel on September 19, 1980, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota, where she loaded her first cargo of taconite pellets. The twin-screw rail car ferry GRAND HAVEN of 1903, was laid up in the spring of 1965, at the old Pennsylvania Dock at Cleveland, Ohio and later at dockage on the Old River Bed where she sank on September 19, 1969. September 19, 1997 - officials at Lake Michigan Carferry, Inc. announced that the CITY OF MIDLAND 41 would be converted to a barge. On 19 September 1893, SAMUEL BOLTON (wooden schooner-barge, 150 foot, 330 gross tons, built in 1867, at Bangor, Michigan as a schooner) was loaded with lumber and being towed in fog in Lake Huron. She got lost from the tow and drifted ashore near Richmond, Michigan where she broke in two and was then torn apart by waves. She was owned by Brazil Hoose of Detroit. On Saturday, 19 September 1891, at 11 a.m., the whaleback steamer CHARLES W. WETMORE left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania loaded with the materials to build a nail mill, iron smelter and shipyard for the new city of Everett, Washington. Her skipper was Captain Joseph B. Hastings and she had a crew of 22. On 19 September 1900, the Great Lakes schooner S.L. WATSON foundered off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She had been sent to the Atlantic the previous autumn by her owner, J. C. Gilchrist of Cleveland. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Midseason Tonnage Report: Lows and highs during a pandemic 9/18 - Duluth, Minn. — After an early summer surge, maritime tonnage through the Port of Duluth-Superior slowed atypically in August, amidst a tepid recovery from COVID-induced lows. Total tonnage stood 31 percent behind the 2019 pace through Aug. 31, driven primarily by declines in coal and iron ore tonnage (down 59 percent and 26 percent, respectively). The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed those drops, shuttering industrial facilities and reducing demand for electricity and steel. Despite the reopening of many such facilities and an incremental return to more typical consumption, the United States’ steel capability utilization rate remained at 65.1 percent during the week ending Sept. 12, compared to 80.3 percent during the same period in 2019. The Port of Duluth-Superior’s diminished 2020 tonnage reflects this steel production disparity, as Minnesota provides approximately 80 percent of the iron ore used in America’s first-pour steel. On a more positive note, outbound grain and inbound wind energy cargoes emerged as the season’s first-half highlights in the Port of Duluth-Superior. North American wheat shipments pushed grain tonnage 14.5 percent ahead of the 2019 pace through Aug. 31 and 7 percent above the five-season average. Wind turbine blades, towers and nacelles comprised the breakbulk boost, with Duluth Cargo Connect serving as a premier multimodal distribution hub to multiple sites in North America’s heartland. Nine ships loaded with wind components visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal through Aug. 31, contributing to what could be a record campaign for the renewable energy cargo. “If this pandemic-plagued shipping season was a prospector’s pan, there’d be a lot of black sand and only a few golden nuggets,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “But even a few golden nuggets are cause for excitement, and we’re certainly pleased to see strong grain numbers and potentially record-setting success with wind cargoes.” As the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway maritime navigation season moves into its second half, the rapid pace of wind cargo shipments will continue, with overseas vessels arriving in Duluth from Brazil, India, Spain and Turkey, among other countries. Duluth Cargo Connect manages all of these wind cargo arrivals, offloading with an assortment of heavy-lift machinery and collaborating with regional trucking companies to dispatch the components. Last year, Duluth Cargo Connect achieved a wind energy cargo single-season freight tonnage record, a figure likely to be eclipsed in 2020 with North America’s furthest-inland seaport marking its 15th season as a wind cargo transport hub. “A season like this emphasizes the importance of cargo diversity in a port,” said DeLuca, who late last month began her third year at the Port Authority helm after serving previously as its government and environmental affairs director. “No one expected a pandemic, but the port is weathering the storm, and we’re extremely grateful for all of the hard-working men and women who keep essential cargoes moving through what has been an unprecedented shipping season thus far.” |
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Port Reports - September 18
Duluth - Superior - Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay - Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. - Bruce Douglas
Marine City, Mi.
Detroit-Rouge River - Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports - Bill Kloss
Oswego, NY - Ned Goebricher |
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Lakes Limestone Trade Down 16.6 Percent in August 9/18 - Cleveland – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in August, a decrease of 16.6 percent from 2019. Limestone cargos were also below the month’s 5-year average by 8.4 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 18 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 729,336 tons, a decrease of 10.8 percent. Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16 million tons, a decrease of 17.3 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 12.7 million tons, a decrease of 20 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 4.8 percent. |
Lake Carriers' Association
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 18
On September 18, 1855, SEBASTOPOL (wooden side-wheel steamer, 230 foot, 863 tons, built in 1855, at Cleveland, Ohio) was sailing on Lake Michigan in a gale. Her cargo included copper, tin, lead and iron ingots, safes and general merchandise. Her skipper misread the shore lights while she was coming in to Milwaukee and she stranded 500 feet from shore, broadside to the storm waves which pounded her to pieces. Most of the crew and 60 passengers were saved with the help of small boats from shore, but about 6 lives were lost. This was the vessel's first year of operation. Her paddlewheels were 50 feet in diameter. On September 18,1679, GRIFFON, the first sailing ship on the upper Lakes, left Green Bay with a cargo of furs. She left the explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, behind. GRIFFON never reached her planned destination. E J BLOCK, a.) W. R. WOODFORD of 1908, returned to service on September 18, 1946, as the first large bulk freighter powered by a diesel-electric power plant and one of the first equipped with commercial radar on the Great Lakes. She lasted until scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1988. On September 18, 1959, the HENRY FORD II ran aground in the St. Marys River and damaged 18 bottom plates. LAKE WINNIPEG was the first vessel to enter the Nipigon Transport fleet. She loaded her first cargo of 22,584 gross tons of iron ore clearing Sept Isles, Quebec, on September 18, 1962, bound for Cleveland, Ohio. The Pere Marquette carferry CITY OF MIDLAND 41 (Hull#311) was launched on September 18, 1940, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation at a cost of $2 million. She was named after Midland, Michigan, for one of the Pere Marquette Railway's biggest customers, Dow Chemical Co. She was christened by Miss Helen Dow, daughter of Willard H. Dow, president of Dow Chemical Co. Converted to a barge in 1998, renamed PERE MARQUETTE 41. On September 18, 1871, E. B. ALLEN (wooden schooner, 111 foot, 275 tons, built in 1864, at Ogdensburg, New York) was carrying grain when she collided with the bark NEWSBOY and sank off Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. On September 18, 1900, the large steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON was taken from her launch site on the Black River in Port Huron out to the St. Clair River. The tug HAYNES was at the bow and the tug BOYNTON at the stern. It took an hour and a half to maneuver through the various bridges. Newspapers estimated that a couple thousand persons watched the event. Once the WILSON made it to the St. Clair River, she was towed to Jenks Shipbuilding Company where she was completed and received her machinery. 1909: LACKAWANNA lost steering and sank in the St. Clair River with a hole in the starboard bow after a collision with the wooden schooner CHIEFTAIN off Point Edward. 1918: BUFFALO, formerly the Great Lakes package freighter a) TADOUSAC, b) DORIC, was torpedoed by U-117 and sunk off Godfrey Light and Trevose Head, Cornwall, UK 1942: ASHBAY traded on the Great Lakes for Bay Line Navigation from 1923 until 1935 when it was sold for Brazilian coastal service. The ship was sunk by gunfire from U-516 on this date at the mouth of the Marowyne River, Brazil, as c) ANTONICO and 16 lives were lost. 1942: NORFOLK, enroute from Surinam to Trinidad, was hit, without warning, by two torpedoes from U-175, on the starboard side near the British Guiana Venezuela border. The Canada Steamship Lines ship went down in minutes. Six lives were lost was well as the cargo of 3055 tons of bauxite destined for Alcoa. 1958: ASHTABULA sank in Ashtabula harbor after a collision with the inbound BEN MOREELL. All on board were rescued but there were later two casualties when the captain committed suicide and an insurance inspector fell to his death while on board. 1970: HIGHLINER was heavily damaged amidships as d) PETROS in a fire at Tyne, UK. The vessel was not repaired and, after being laid up at Cardiff, was towed to Newport, Monmouthshire, for scrapping on June 12, 1972. 1978: The British freighter DUNDEE was a pre-Seaway trader into the Great Lakes and returned through the new waterway on 14 occasions from 1959 to 1962. It foundered in the Mediterranean as g) VLYHO near Falconera Island after an engine room explosion caused leaks in the hull. The vessel was enroute from Chalkis, Greece, to Tunis, Tunisia, at the time. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Project cargo, grain aid Seaway in August amidst unusual shipping season 9/17 - As ports along the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System continue to ride the waves of the 2020 shipping season, industry experts see better prospects for the remainder of the season. According to the latest figures, cargo volumes through the bi-national St. Lawrence Seaway (from April 1 to August 31) totaled about 19.3 million tons, down 8 percent from a year ago. One bright spot this season has been Canadian grain, which continues to have an excellent year, up 20 per cent year-over-year through August. Other key cargo segments continue to be impacted negatively by the pandemic, with year-to-date iron ore (down 23%), dry bulk (down 11%), and liquid bulk (down 23%). "Canadian grain has helped Seaway totals immensely, as well as project cargo which is up over 160 percent from this time last year, as many U.S. ports receive wind turbine components and other machinery,” explained Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “While some key commodities remain down, we are expecting good harvests across the U.S. Mid-west and Canada. The Seaway is poised for a big push of grain exports right up to the end of the year. In these precarious times, this binational transportation corridor will be more essential than ever to the economic recovery of both the United States and Canada.” At least 9 U.S. Great Lakes ports have received wind turbine components this season, destined for energy projects across the region and Midwest. This includes the Port of Buffalo which has received five shipments of wind turbine components over the last four months from South Korea and Germany, for the 27 turbine Cassadaga Wind Project south of Buffalo. “It takes five shipments of turbine components to make one whole turbine,” explains Patricia Schreiber, Port of Buffalo Director. “We don’t expect any more turbine shipments in the near future as the Cassadaga Project is complete for now.” The Port of Monroe in Michigan has been benefitting from its largest project in its history this season, handling 14 vessels delivering a total of 560 wind turbine segments from Becancour, Quebec for General Electric’s wind energy efforts in the state. The project has helped offset the pandemic-related scarcity of cargoes at the beginning of the season. General Electric has a partnership with Monroe-based Ventower, which has produced several wind energy components for the company. Ventower has long used the port to move its products. “If there is one word that defines the Port of Monroe during these challenging times it is “resilient.” In the midst of an ever evolving economic and social climate, our team has adapted to new protocols and reinforced longstanding relationships leading to the Port’s most prosperous year in its history,” says Paul LaMarre III, Port Director. “As the home to one of only 4 wind tower manufacturers in the U.S., Ventower Industries, the Port has become a regional congregation and distribution hub for GE Wind.” In July, the Port of Toledo’s tonnage lagged behind 2019 totals by 15 percent; however, the gap was narrowed in August to 8 percent as the port surpassed 5 million tons for the year. The Port welcomed a parade of ocean vessels to Toledo importing and exporting a diverse array of cargo from furnace pieces to liquid fertilizer. “One vessel imported pig iron and then sailed seven miles up the Maumee River to load soybeans,” said Joseph Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “I believe the grain terminals are poised for a good fall. Anytime we can reload vessels that are already here discharging cargo, it is a logistical homerun.” 2020 has been a unique year at the Port of Green Bay, which is feeling the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the struggling economy. Year-to-date cargo for the port is down 19 percent from a year ago, moving 153,168 tons of cargo in August. For the 2020 shipping season, cement imports are up 22 percent, foreign salt imports are up 14 percent and total limestone imports are down 19 percent. “While we got off to a strong start this shipping season with some of our best numbers since 2007, July and August have seen a significant slowdown,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director. “Most cargos have been impacted as the economy languishes due primarily to the impact of COVID-19 around the world.” After an early summer surge, maritime tonnage through the Port of Duluth-Superior slowed atypically in August, amidst a tepid recovery from COVID-induced lows. Total tonnage stood 31 percent behind the 2019 pace through Aug. 31, driven primarily by sharp declines in coal and iron ore tonnage. Outbound grain and inbound wind energy cargoes emerged as the season’s first-half highlights. North American wheat shipments pushed grain tonnage 14.5 percent ahead of the 2019 pace through August. Wind turbine blades, towers and nacelles comprised the breakbulk boost, with Duluth Cargo Connect serving as a multimodal distribution hub to multiple sites in North America’s heartland. Nine ships loaded with wind components visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal through Aug. 31, contributing to what could be a record campaign for the renewable energy cargo. “If this pandemic-plagued shipping season was a prospector’s pan, there’d be a lot of black sand and only a few golden nuggets,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “But even a few golden nuggets are cause for excitement, and we’re certainly pleased to see strong grain numbers and potentially record-setting success with wind cargoes.” Chamber of Marine Commerce |
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Port Reports - September 17 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Salarium name shortened for scrap tow 9/17 - The Salarium’s name has been shortened to SAL for her eventual overseas scrap tow. Yesterday the stack markings were painted out. Jacob Silvan |
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Surging demand for wheat, canola boost struggling Ontario shippers 9/17 - Ottawa, ON – The Chamber of Marine Commerce says that demand for wheat, canola and soybeans is pushing grain shipments up by 20 per cent in some of Ontario ports. The shipping association says that between April 1 and Aug. 31, 5.2 million tonnes of grain passed through a key trade corridor, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. Thunder Bay Port Authority says that the port is on pace to ship more cargo this year than any other single year since 1997, including an increase of one million tonnes of grain compared with this time last year. The strong grain harvest has been a bright spot as ports recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted supply chains this year. Overall shipments in the Great Lakes seaway are still down eight per cent compared to this time last year, as iron ore, dry bulk and liquid bulk shipments have all fallen between 10 per cent and 25 per cent. The Port of Windsor, for example, says its shipments fell 18 per cent this spring as the COVID-19 lockdown halted construction — but now, grain shipments surging there. The Canadian Press |
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Lake Michigan level down, but still a record high for August 9/17 - Detroit, MI – As expected, the level of Lake Michigan declined slightly in August, though it’s no surprise to anyone who lives on or visits the shoreline that it remains extremely high. The average mean for last month was 582.09 feet, which was still a record for August, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. June and July, at 582.19 feet, were all over the previous record high level of 581.99 in July and August of 1986. In 2019, the high was in July at 581.92 feet, .16 feet higher than in June and August of that year, according to ACE records. The record low for August at Lake Michigan-Huron, was 576.67 in 1964, and was around that level throughout the year. The all-time low was set in January 2013 at 576.02. Associated Press |
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Virtual Visitor Center program today: Tragedy and Discovery off the Shipwreck Coast: The Wreck of the Schooner Nelson 9/17 - "First Disaster of the Season". Such was one headline that described the May 1899 shipwreck of the schooner NELSON, which went down so quickly that one eyewitness said that she sank as "quickly as one could snuff out a candle!" She sank on Lake Superior's Southeast shoreline, in the vicinity of the Deer Park Life-Saving Station. What happened to her? How was she discovered? And why has this shipwreck been called "particularly tragic"...when most, if not all shipwrecks have a tragic story? Discover the dramatic story of the schooner NELSON in this exciting program by Bruce Lynn, director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The program is free and begins today at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central), use a Chrome browser to join on the web here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/wreck-of-the-nelson. For users without speakers on their computers dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (571) 317-3116, Canada: +1 (647) 497-9373, Access Code: 522-149-189. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Tanker Jupiter exploded in Bay City 30 years ago 9/17 - Bay City, MI – Three decades ago, “Hell visited the Saginaw River.” That’s how a report in The Bay City Times characterized the MV Jupiter freighter explosion and inferno in the final days of summer 1990. One firefighter later called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” blaze. The tanker was moored on the Saginaw River, not far from where the USS Edson is docked today, when it exploded. The smoke could be seen for miles. Don Morin, vice president of the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society, was driving home from his job at then-Saginaw Steering Gear when he saw the fire. “You could be in Standish and see the smoke,” he said. “You could be a quarter-mile away and feel the heat.” Morin knew people who lived nearby at the time. “They said when the initial blast from the explosion (happened), it shook their houses,” he recalled. It happened on Sept. 16, 1990. The tanker was unloading 2.3 million gallons of unleaded gasoline at Total Petroleum when a freighter passed by and it broke away from its lines. What followed was nothing short of a disaster. “The flames were 20 to 30 feet in the air and the horrendous smoke...it was unbelievable,” Charles Prescott, the vessel’s chief engineering officer, told a Times reporter following the explosion. He later described the sound of the explosion as a “sonic boom.” Morin said artifacts from the ship are part of the permanent collection at the Antique Toy & Firehouse Museum, 3456 Patterson Road. Items in the exhibit include a damaged American flag that had been flying on the ship, a cracked window from the pilot’s house, life jackets, life rings, steel from the smokestack, the fire alarm bell, a piece of steel bearing the ship’s name, and more. “When the ship was scrapped, there were all these pieces we were able to get,” Morin said. “There’s quite a few artifacts.” M Live |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 17
On September 17, 1898, KEEPSAKE (2-mast wooden schooner, 183 foot, 286 gross tons, built in 1867, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying coal from Ashtabula when she was struck by a terrible storm on Lake Erie. Her rudder was damaged, a sail torn away and her bulwarks were smashed. The CITY OF ERIE saw her distress signals at 3:30 a.m. and came to help. With the CITY OF ERIE's searchlight shining on the doomed schooner, a huge wave swept over the vessel taking away everything on deck and snapping both masts. The crew, some only half dressed, all managed to get into the lifeboat. They rowed to the CITY OF ERIE and were all rescued. Three days later, the other lifeboat and some wreckage from the KEEPSAKE were found near Ashtabula by some fishermen. GRIFFON (Hull#18) was launched September 17, 1955, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Beaconsfield Steamship Ltd., Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) FRANQUELIN in 1967, c.) EVA DESGAGNES in 1987. Sold foreign in 1989, renamed d.) TELCHAC, scrapped at Tuxpan, Mexico, in 1992. On September 17, 1985, PATERSON suffered a crankcase explosion as she was bound for Quebec City from Montreal. She was repaired and cleared on September 21. Renamed b.) PINEGLEN in 2002. On September 17, 1830, WILLIAM PEACOCK (wood side wheel steamer, 102 foot, 120 tons, built in 1829, at Barcelona, New York) suffered the first major boiler explosion on Lake Erie while she was docked in Buffalo, New York. 15 - 30 lives were lost. She was rebuilt two years later and eventually foundered in a storm in 1835, near Ripley, Ohio. On September 17, 1875, the barge HARMONY was wrecked in a gale at Chicago, Illinois, by colliding with the north pier, which was under water. This was the same place where the schooner ONONGA was wrecked a week earlier and HARMONY came in contact with that sunken schooner. No lives were lost. On September 17, 1900, a storm carried away the cabin and masts of the wrecked wooden 4-mast bulk freight barge FONTANA. The 231-foot vessel had been wrecked and sunk in a collision at the mouth of the St. Clair River in the St. Clair Flats on August 3,1900. She had settled in the mud and gradually shifted her position. She eventually broke in two. After unsuccessful salvage attempts, the wreck was dynamited. Tragedy struck in 1949, when the Canada Steamship Lines cruise ship NORONIC burned at Pier 9 in Toronto, Ontario. By morning the ship was gutted, 104 passengers were known to be dead and 14 were missing. Because of land reclamation and the changing face of the harbor, the actual site of Noronic's berth is now in the lobby of the Harbour Castle Westin hotel. 1909: The towline connecting the ALEXANDER HOLLEY and SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN broke in a Lake Superior storm and the former, a whaleback barge, almost stranded on Sawtooth Shoal. The anchors caught in time and it took 5 hours to rescue the crew. 1980: HERMION began Great Lakes trading shortly after entering service in 1960. The vessel stranded as d) AEOLIAN WIND, about a half mile from Nakhodka, USSR, during a voyage from North Vietnam to Cuba. The ship was refloated on October 8, 1980, and scrapped in 1981 at Nakhodka. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Salarium prepared for scrap tow 9/16 - Salarium’s stacks have been painted black for an eventual overseas scrap tow. She was launched on December 18, 1979, at Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON, for Canada Steamship Lines Inc. as Nanticoke. In April 2009, Nanticoke was chartered by Societe Quebecoise D'Exploration Miniere, Ste-Foy, QC to replace Algoma Central's Sauniere, which they had held under charter from 1982 until her retirement in March 2009. Nanticoke was fittingly renamed Salarium in Montreal (meaning a 'payment made in salt') and deployed to carry salt between Iles-de-la Madeleine (Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and Quebec ports along the lower St. Lawrence River as well as Great Lakes and East Coast ports. She occasionally made trips to the upper Great Lakes to load coal and iron ore when not required on the salt run. Jacob Silvan |
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Port Reports - September 16 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Oshawa, ON |
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Lake Michigan sets record high water level for eighth month in a row 9/16 - August Great Lakes water level data is out, and Lakes Michigan and Huron again set a record water level. The August Great Lakes water levels forecast also has some encouraging news for those threatened by high water. In August, the only Great Lakes to be officially at monthly record water levels were Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Lake St. Clair, while not a Great Lake, was also at an August monthly water level. Read more and view graphs at this lilnk: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2020/09/lake-michigan-sets-record-high-water-level-for-eighth-month-in-a-row.html |
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Former Grand Hotel owners buy Arnold, Shepler’s freight services near Mackinac Island 9/16 - Mackinac Island, MI – Grand Hotel chairman Dan Musser III has acquired two Straits-area freight shipping companies. Arnold Freight Company and Shepler’s Freight will consolidate and operate under the Arnold Freight Company name. The companies were acquired on Sept. 8 and Sept. 11, respectively. Terms of the acquisitions have not been disclosed. Musser III, who recently sold Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel to KSL Capital Partners, will serve as company chairman while his wife, Marlee Brown, will hold the position of co-owner, working closely with co-owner and CEO Veronica Dobrowolski, who has held leadership roles with Arnold Freight Company since 2016. “Arnold Freight Company has a long history in my family, dating back to when my grandfather purchased it back in the 1930s,” Brown said. “Paired with the long, successful history of the Shepler’s family, we are honored to bring Arnold Freight back into the Brown family to serve the Mackinac Island community once again.” The acquisition of Shepler’s Freight includes the flagship freight vessel Sacre Bleu, which has a new look and a new name – The Senator, in honor of Prentiss M. Brown, Marlee’s grandfather. Arnold Freight Company christened the newest member of the fleet on Tuesday at the Coal Dock on Mackinac Island. The Senator will operate out of the City of Mackinac Island’s Coal Dock and will no longer overlap with passenger ferry service. “While it has been an honor and privilege to have served the freight needs of our guests and the community of Mackinac Island since the spring of 1995, it is now time to move on,” said Chris Shepler, president of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry. “This is a win-win for not only Arnold Freight, but Mackinac Island as well. The freight business is in good hands for many years to come.” Dobrowolski will continue to oversee and drive the day-to-day operations of the company. The combined company has 20 employees, most of whom have been with Arnold Freight Company for 25+ years. “Bringing this critical utility function back under family and female ownership is a great benefit to the Mackinac Island community, as we’re consolidating operations to the coal dock, freeing up coveted space that serves our residents and guests at the passenger docks,” Dobrowolski said. “With this new leadership, guided by deep roots and history in Mackinac Island, we are thrilled to uphold and carry on the Arnold Freight tradition.” M Live |
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Niagara Ports strategy aims to bring the world to Welland, Port Colborne and Thorold 9/16 - Welland, ON – Three multimodal industrial hubs along the Welland Canal could have national and international business implications and opportunities for Welland, says Mayor Frank Campion. Last week, Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey said he worked with mayors of Port Colborne, Welland and Thorold and the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority to advance the development of the hubs along the 43-kilometre-long, eight-lock canal. Badawey is the chair of the federal standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities. In a release, he said the initiative is a positive and practical solution to a long-held belief that many of the region’s marine assets are underutilized, and could be leveraged for positive economic impact, job creation and trade facilitation. “The idea of establishing Niagara as an active trade corridor is a notion that I took to Ottawa with me when I was first elected in 2015. Now, after years of working together with all our partners, the transport committee’s 2019 study on the subject seems to be gaining traction.” He said Niagara is a provincially-designated Gateway Economic Zone and Centre and federally designated Foreign Trade Zone. Three multimodal hubs under a Niagara Ports banner allows communities to take full economic advantage of assets in place. Badawey is working with the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and local stakeholders in making strategic investments, purchasing hub lands, and entering into management agreements so that properties may be developed under a ports banner. Campion said he’s been working on the initiative for the past five years and was pleased to be collaborating with partner municipalities, Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and the federal government on the ports project. “Through this partnership, we become an integral part of the Canadian Trade Corridor with national and international business implications and opportunities for Welland and Niagara,” he said. Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele said it was an exciting announcement that has long been in the making. “The Port Colborne community is thrilled to see this collaborative initiative expand our local economy. By leveraging our existing assets and strengths and building on what we already do well in the community, this development prompts job creation which is a positive for both Port Colborne and the entire region,” said Steele in the release. Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini said the initiative will harness and build upon the solid foundation of industrial and marine assets in his city. Welland Tribune |
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Obituary: Willem “Willy” van Maanen 9/16 - Canada Steamship Lines flags were flying at half-mast Tuesday in honor of Willem “Willy” van Maanen, Second Engineer on MV Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin, who passed away Monday of a heart attack while serving on board his vessel. Over his 34-year career with CSL, Willy, who was known for his big heart and hard work, never missed an opportunity to help someone out or take a beautiful photo of a passing ship. An avid and talented marine photography, Willy took hundreds of thousands of vessel photos over the years. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues at CSL as well as the many friends he made around the Great Lakes. Canada Steamship Lines |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 16
On September 16, 1893, HATTIE EARL (wooden schooner, 96 foot, 101 gross tons, built in 1869, at South Haven, Michigan) was driven ashore just outside the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana, and was pounded to pieces by the waves. No lives were lost. At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, September 16, 1990, the inbound motor ship BUFFALO passed close by while the tanker JUPITER was unloading unleaded gasoline at the Total Petroleum dock in the Saginaw River near Bay City, Michigan. As the BUFFALO passed the dock's aft pilings broke off and the fuel lines parted which caused a spark and ignited the spilled fuel. At the time 22,000 barrels of a total of 54,000 barrels were still aboard. Flames catapulted over 100 feet high filling the air with smoke that could be seen for 50 miles. The fire was still burning the next morning when a six man crew from Williams, Boots & Coots Firefighters and Hazard Control Specialists of Port Neches, Texas, arrived to fight the fire. By Monday afternoon they extinguished the fire only to have it re-ignite that night resulting in multiple explosions. Not until Tuesday morning on the 18th was the fire finally subdued with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard's BRAMBLE and BRISTOL BAY. The tanker, which was valued at $9 million, was declared a total constructive loss, though the engine room was relatively untouched. Unfortunately the fire claimed the life of one crew member, who drowned attempting to swim ashore. As a result the Coast Guard closed the river to all navigation. On October 19th the river was opened to navigation after the Gaelic tugs SUSAN HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY towed the JUPITER up river to the Hirschfield & Sons Dock at Bay City (formerly the Defoe Shipyard) where a crane was erected for dismantling the burned out hulk. Her engines were removed and shipped to New Bedford, Massachusetts, for future use. The river opening allowed American Steamship's BUFFALO to depart the Lafarge dock where she had been trapped since the explosion. JUPITER's dismantling was completed over the winter of 1990-91. Subsequent investigation by the NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard and the findings of a federal judge all exonerated the master and BUFFALO in the tragedy. Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. purchased all nine of the Soo River's fleet on September 16, 1982, for a reported C$2.5 million and all nine returned to service, although only four were running at the end of the season. The NORISLE went into service September 16, 1946, as the first Canadian passenger ship commissioned since the NORONIC in 1913. On September 16, 1952, the CASON J. CALLAWAY departed River Rouge, Michigan, for Duluth, Minnesota, on its maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. On September 16, 1895, ARCTIC (2 mast wooden schooner, 113 foot, 85 gross tons, built in 1853, at Ashtabula, Ohio) was rammed and sunk by the steamer CLYDE in broad daylight and calm weather. ARCTIC was almost cut in half by the blow. The skipper of CLYDE was censured for the wreck and for his callous treatment of the schooner's crew afterwards. Luckily no lives were lost. On September 16,1877, the 46 foot tug RED RIBBON, owned by W. H. Morris of Port Huron, Michigan, burned about 2 miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Capt. Morris ran the tug ashore and hurried to St. Clair to get assistance, but officials there refused to allow the steam fire engine to go outside the city. The tug was a total loss and was only insured for $1,000, half her value. She had just started in service in May of 1877, and was named for the reform movement that was in full swing at the time of her launch. On September 16, 1900, LULU BEATRICE (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 48 gross tons, built in 1896, at Port Burwell, Ontario) was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she was wrecked on the shore near the harbor entrance at Port Burwell in a storm. One life was lost, the captain's wife. 1892 The wooden propeller VIENNA sank in foggy Whitefish Bay after beiing hit broadside by the wooden steamer NIPIGON. The latter survived and later worked for Canada Steamship Lines as b) MAPLEGRANGE and c) MAPLEHILL (i) but was laid up at Kingston in 1925 and scuttled in Lake Ontario in 1927. 1901 HUDSON was last seen dead in the water with a heavy list. The steeel package freighter had cleared Duluth the previous day with wheat and flax for Buffalo but ran into a furious storm and sank in Lake Superior off Eagle Harbor Light with the loss of 24-25 lives. 1906 CHARLES B. PACKARD hit the wreck of the schooner ARMENIA off Midddle Ground, Lake Erie and sank in 45 minutes. All on board were rescued and the hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation. 1937-- The large wooden tug G.R. GRAY (ii) of the Lake Superior Paper Co., got caught in a storm off Coppermine Point, Lake Superior, working with GARGANTUA on a log raft and fell into the trough. The stack was toppled but the vessel managed to reach Batchawana and was laid up. The hull was towed to Sault Ste. Marie in 1938 and eventually stripped out. The remains were taken to Thessalon in 1947 and remained there until it caught fire and burned in 1959. 1975 BJORSUND, a Norwegian tanker, visited the Seaway in 1966. The 22--year old vessel began leaking as b) AMERFIN enroute from Mexico to Panama and sank in the Pacific while under tow off Costa Rica. 1990 JUPITER was unloading at Bay City when the wake of a passing shipp separated the hose connection spreading gasoline on deck. An explosion and fire resulted. One sailor was lost as the ship burned for days and subsequently sank. 2005 Fire broke out aboard the tug JAMES A. HANNAH above Lock 2 of the Welland Canal while downbound with the barge 5101 loaded with asphalt, diesel and heavy oil. City of St. Catharines fire fighters help extinguish the blaze. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 15 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Grand Haven, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 15
On 15 September 1886, F. J. KING (wooden schooner, 140 foot, 280 tons, built in 1867, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. She sprang a leak and sank in a heavy southwesterly gale three miles off Rawley Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew reached shore in the yawl. Her loss was valued at $7,500. The A. H. FERBERT of 1942 was towed out of Duluth by the Sandrin tug GLENADA September 15, 1987; they encountered rough weather on Lake Superior and required the assistance of another tug to reach the Soo on the 19th. On the 21st the FERBERT had to anchor off Detour, Michigan, after she ran aground in the St. Marys River when her towline parted. Her hull was punctured and the Coast Guard ordered repairs to her hull before she could continue. Again problems struck on September 24th, when the FERBERT went hard aground at the Cut-Off Channel's southeast bend of the St. Clair River. Six tugs, GLENADA, ELMORE M. MISNER, BARBARA ANN, GLENSIDE, SHANNON and WM. A. WHITNEY, worked until late on the 26th to free her. The FERBERT finally arrived in tow of GLENSIDE and W. N. TWOLAN at Lauzon, Quebec, on October 7th. The steamer WILLIAM A. AMBERG (Hull#723) was launched September 15, 1917, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Producers Steamship Co., (M. A. Hanna, mgr.). Renamed b.) ALBERT E. HEEKIN in 1932, c.) SILVER BAY in 1955, d.) JUDITH M. PIERSON in 1975 and e.) FERNGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario, in 1985. On September 15, 1925, the JOHN A. TOPPING left River Rouge, Michigan, light on her maiden voyage to Ashland, Wisconsin, to load iron ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) WILLIAM A. REISS in 1934, she was scrapped at Alang, India, in 1994. On September 15th, lightering was completed on the AUGUST ZIESING; she had grounded above the Rock Cut two days earlier, blocking the channel. September 15, 1959, was the last day the U.S. Coast Guard Buoy Tender MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. MIDDLETOWN suffered a fire in her tunnels on September 15, 1986. Second and third degree burns were suffered by two crew members. She was renamed f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006. In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 6 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog. September 15, 1993 - Robert Manglitz became CEO and president of Lake Michigan Carferry Service after Charles Conrad announced his retirement and the sale of most of his stock. On 15 September 1873, IRONSIDES (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 220 foot, 1,123 tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) became disabled when she sprang a leak and flooded. The water poured in and put out her fires. She sank about 7 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. Reports of the number of survivors varied from 17 to 32 and the number lost varied from 18 to 28. On 15 September 1872, A. J. BEMIS (wood propeller tug, 49 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while underway. The fire originated under her boiler. She ran for shore but sank about six miles from Alpena, Michigan. No lives lost. 1882: The wooden passenger steamer ASIA got caught in a wild storm crossing Georgian Bay, fell into the trough and sank stern first. There were 123 passengers and crew listed as lost while only two on board survived. 1915: ONOKO of the Kinsman Transit Company foundered in Lake Superior off Knife Point, while downbound with wheat from Duluth to Toledo. The crew took to the lifeboats and were saved. The hull was located in 1987, upside down, in about 340 feet of water. 1928: MANASOO, in only her first season of service after being rebuilt for overnight passenger and freight service, foundered in Georgian Bay after the cargo shifted and the vessel overturned in heavy weather. There were 18 casualties, plus 46 head of cattle, and only 5 survived. 1940: KENORDOC, enroute to Bristol, UK, with a cargo of lumber was sunk due to enemy action as part of convoy SC 3 while 500 miles west of the Orkney Islands. The ship had fallen behind the convoy due to engine trouble, and was shelled by gunfire from U-48. There were 7 casualties including the captain and wireless operator. H.M.S. AMAZON completed the sinking as the bow of the drifting hull was still visible. 1940: The Norwegian freighter LOTOS came inland in 1938 delivering pulpwood to Cornwall and went aground there in a storm. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine while about 15 miles west of Rockall Island, Scotland, while inbound from Dalhousie, NB for Tyne, UK. 1962” A collision between the HARRY L. FINDLAY of the Kinsman Line and the Greek Liberty ship MESOLOGI occurred at Toledo. The latter began Seaway service that year and made a total of six inland voyages. It was scrapped at Aioi, Japan, as f) BLUE SAND after arriving in November 1969. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Coast Guard inspected ship before Line 5 anchor dragging 9/14 - Less than three weeks before a barge’s 12,000-pound anchor was dragged across Line 5, the barge and its newly installed anchor brake system were inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping. Both inspections on March 12 and March 18, 2018, found the system to be satisfactory. But on April 1, 2018, the improper installment of the anchor brake pad, the unexplained disengagement of two backup brakes, a series of communication errors and icy, rough waters caused the starboard anchor to pay out over the Straits of Mackinac, where it was dragged over dual oil pipeline and severed three transmission cables, according to a U.S. Coast Guard report. In the Coast Guard report, released July 15, the investigating officer recommended the suspension and revocation of the mariner credentials of a crew member on board the Erie Trader barge and Clyde S. VanEnkevort tug. The officer also recommended that a letter of warning be issued to another crew member. "However, upon further review of the facts of the case, relevant federal regulation and Coast Guard policy, the Coast Guard decided to not pursue further action," said Cmdr. Michael Hjerstedt, chief of prevention for Sector Sault Ste. Marie. The severing of the American Transmission Co. cables beneath the Straits released about 800 gallons of dielectric fluid from the cables after the anchor gouged Enbridge’s Line 5 in the midst of a heated, years-long debate over the pipeline’s safety. The state has since decided to encase Line 5 in a tunnel beneath the Straits, but the continued operation of the pipeline remains a subject of litigation between the Canadian oil giant and the state of Michigan. The dielectric fluid spill was considered "minor" by the Coast Guard. Neither PCBs nor benzene compounds were found in the fluid, and no sheen was ever observed on the water's surface. The report also noted U.S. Coast Guard rules do not require ships to install alarms to alert them when an anchor inadvertently drops from a ship, though one was installed on the Erie Trader after the incident. Read more at this link: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/09/13/coast-guard-inspected-ship-before-line-5-anchor-dragging/5770792002 |
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Port Reports - September 14 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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H2Oh! fundraiser to benefit National Museum of the Great Lakes 9/14 - Toledo, OH – This year has seen struggles of historic proportions, especially for museums. With the mission of keeping Great Lakes history afloat, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will present a virtual fundraising gala – H2Oh! – which will consist of a live-streamed production beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 and include an online auction during the week leading up to the event. The production can be viewed over computers, smart TVs and mobile devices, will support the museum’s mission by:
• Setting into motion the Great Lakes Memory Project—a new oral history initiative; “Our Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, contain 84% of the continent’s fresh water and together are a powerful force that has forged destinies, nourished wildlife, sparked wars, taken thousands of ships and continue to provide countless hours of recreation and drive industry and economy,” said Kate Fineske the museum’s director of development and communications. “This year’s gala will highlight Great Lakes stories and how so many individuals have been shaped by their existence.” Beginning Sept. 17 and ending after the live-streamed production on Sept. 27, the museum will also host an online auction featuring once-in-a-lifetime Great Lakes-inspired experiences and memorabilia. All proceeds will help keep Great Lakes history afloat by supporting the National Museum of the Great Lakes and their mission to preserve and make known the history of the Great Lakes. To learn more about the event and register to participate visit: www.nmgl.org/h2oh2020. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 14
September 14, 1962, the HORACE S. WILKINSON was involved in a collision with the Canadian freighter CAROL LAKE in the Welland Canal. Rather than repair the WILKINSON, Wilson Marine had her towed to Superior, Wisconsin, for conversion to a barge. All cabin superstructure, the engine, boilers, and auxiliary machinery were removed. The stern was squared off and notched to receive a tug. The WILKINSON was renamed WILTRANCO I and re-entered service in 1963, as a tug-barge combination with a crew of 10, pushed by the tug FRANCIS A. SMALL of 1966. September 14, 1963, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS, Captain Earl C. Bauman, received a National Safety Council Award of Merit for operating 1,001,248 consecutive man-hours without a lost time accident. This accomplishment required 15 years, 600 round trips, and 1,200 passages through the Soo locks. Captain Albert Edgar Goodrich died on September 14,1885, at the age of 59, at his residence in Chicago. He was a pioneer steamboat man and founded the Goodrich Transportation Company, famous for its passenger/package freight steamers on Lake Michigan. The J. J. SULLIVAN (Hull#439) was launched September 14, 1907, at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Superior Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). Renamed b.) CLARENCE B. RANDALL in 1963. She was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario in 1988. On September 14, 1871, R. J. CARNEY (wooden barge, 150 foot, 397 gross tons) was launched at Saginaw, Michigan. The 203-foot wooden schooner KATE WINSLOW was launched at J. Davidson's yard in East Saginaw, Michigan, on 14 September 1872. The steamer ASIA sank in a storm off Byng Inlet on Georgian Bay September 14, 1882. Over 100 people lost their lives with only two people, a man and a woman, rescued. ASIA was built in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1873, and was bound from Collingwood, Ontario, to the French River and Canadian Sault. 1960: The Bahamas registered vessel ITHAKA stranded 10 miles east of Chhurchill, Manitoba, after the rudder broke and the anchors failed to hold in a storm. The ship had served on the Great Lakes for Hall as a) FRANK A. AUGSBURY and e) LAWRENCECLIFFE HALL (i), for Canada Steamship Lines as b) GRANBY and for Federal Commerce & Navigation as f) FEDERAL PIONEER. 1965: FORT WILLIAM, which recently entered service as a package freight carrier for Canada Steamship Lines, capsized at Pier 65 in Montreal. There was an ensuing fire when part of the cargo of powdered carbide formed an explosive gas and five were killed. The vessel was refloated on November 22, 1965, repaired, and still sails the lakes a b) STEPHEN B. ROMAN. 1970: The barge AFT, the forward part of the former STEEL KING (ii), arrrived at Ramey's Bend, Port Colborne, under tow of the tug HERBERT A. for dismantling. The barge had been part of a tandem tow with the dipper dredge KING COAL but the latter broke loose in a Lake Erie storm and sank. 1998: The Cypriot-registered STRANGE ATTRACTOR first came through the Seaway in 1989 as a) LANTAU TRADER. It returned under the new name in 1996 and lost power on this date in 1998 while leaving the Upper Beauharnois Lock and had to be towed to the tie up wall by OCEAN GOLF and SALVAGE MONARCH. The ship was soon able to resume the voyage and continued Great Lakes trading through 2003. It arrived for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as d) ORIENT FUZHOU on August 7, 2009. Data from: Skip Gillham, Clive Reddin, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Carbide Dock /Alford Park improvements at Sault moving ahead 9/13 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Among major projects upcoming in 2021 are improvements to the long-neglected Carbide Dock and to the attached Alford Park, a popular spot for boatwatchers that has been closed for several years due to safety concerns. The Carbide Dock upgrades will facilitate the unloading/loading of bulk goods from freighters, including materials needed for the construction on the new lock. The Carbide Dock project is estimated to cost $22,300,000. Approximately $20,000,000 of this funding has come from the federal government, $1,000,000 from Michigan Department of Transportation, $1,000,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and $300,000 from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. With this project comes a complete reconstruction of Easterday Avenue to support increased truck traffic to and from the dock. Work will commence near the Carbide Dock on Easterday by Riverside Drive and Portage Avenue and stop at Ashmun Street. This reconstruction will include new utilities, new curb and sidewalk and two new roundabouts. Bidding will occur in winter 2021 and construction will begin in the upcoming spring. The project is expected to be done with grass growing around the site about 2023. The Carbide Dock was once part of the huge Union Carbide Co. plant, opened in 1903 and a mainstay of the economy of the city until it closed in 1962. With these projects underway and construction on the new lock ramping up, the Sault will be a busy place the next few years, with plenty of orange cones expected. |
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Corps of Engineers report Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach 9/13 - Detroit, MI – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials report despite seasonal declines, Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,” Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief, John Allis said. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District |
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Port Reports - September 13 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Tug Ontario returns to service 9/13 - The "G" tug Ontario has departed Cleveland after spending two years laid up. The tug is heading to Detroit and will take up station there. Jacob Silvan |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 13
On 13 September 1894, the GLOBE (steel propeller package freighter, 330 foot, 2,995 gross tons) was launched by the Globe Iron Works (Hull #53) at Cleveland, Ohio. She was lengthened to 400 feet and converted to a bulk freighter in 1899, when she was acquired by the Bessemer Steamship Company and renamed JAMES B. EADS. She lasted until 1967, when she was scrapped at Port Weller Drydocks. On 13 September 1872, the wooden schooner RAPID left Pigeon Bay, Ontario bound for Buffalo, New York with 5000 railroad ties. While on Lake Erie, a storm blew in and Capt. Henderson decided to turn for Rondeau. While turning, the vessel capsized. Annie Brown, the cook, was trapped below decks and drowned. The seven other crew members strapped themselves to the rail and waited to be rescued. One by one they died. Finally, 60-hours later, the schooner PARAGON found the floating wreck with just one man, James Low, the first mate, barely alive. The EDMUND FITZGERALD's sea trials occurred on September 13, 1958. The HOFFMAN (United States Army Corps of Engineers Twin Screw Hopper Dredge) collided with the Japanese salty KUNISHIMA MARU at Toledo, Ohio, September 13, 1962. Reportedly the blame was placed on the pilot of the Japanese salty. Apparently the damage was minor. On September 13, 1968, the AUGUST ZIESING grounded in fog 200 yards above the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River. The grounded vessel swung into the shipping channel blocking it until September 15th when lightering was completed. September 13, 1953 - PERE MARQUETTE 22 made her second maiden voyage since she was new in 1924. She was cut in half, lengthened, had new boilers and engines installed. On 13 September 1875, CITY OF BUFFALO (wooden schooner, 91 foot, 128 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York, as a propeller canal boat) beached and sank after striking a rock in the St. Marys River. The tug MAGNET worked for days to release her before she went to pieces on 19 September. No lives were lost. On 13 September 1871, the bark S D POMEROY was anchored off Menominee, Michigan, during a storm. Archie Dickie, James Steele, John Davidson and James Mechie were seen to lower the yawl to go to shore. Later the empty yawl drifted ashore and then the bodies of all four men floated in. 1967 – The former Great Lakes passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN sank in the Atlantic (40.46 N / 68.53 W) while under tow for a new career as a training ship at Piney Point, Maryland. 1988 – The Cypriot freighter BLUESTONE, at Halifax since August 19, had 3 crewmembers jump ship at the last minute claiming unsafe conditions due to corrosion in the tank tops, but this could not be checked as the vessel was loaded. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 12 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski The asphalt barge Delaware was done unloading at Marathon in Tonawanda by the afternoon of the 7th, but they sat at the pier there until the morning of the 9th on a weather delay. The Calusa Coast finally departed with her barge at 9AM that morning. The 10th of September was busy on the Buffalo River. The 664-foot self-unloader Manitoulin arrived around 11AM for the ADM Standard elevator with a partial load of Canadian Red Wheat from Thunder Bay. She was met in the North Entrance by the tug Vermont winded in the Outer Harbor, and was towed in stern first. At the Watson Basin, the tow slowed down a little while two other vessels were allowed to pass by. The tug William C Gaynor came in behind them and passed along the North side of the tow so that they could sneak in for the First Buffalo River marina and pick up a Coast Guard patrol boat. Then, as soon as the Gaynor was in the clear in the City Ship Canal over near the Skyway, the tug Morrish came down the Buffalo River pushing her mud barge out to the CDF. They passed the Vermont - Manitoulin tow at the Naval Park and headed on by without incident. Manitoulin made it up to the Standard elevator and began unloading around Noon. The tug Gaynor moved her patrol boat “on the hip” and over to the Coast Guard base slip for a little while before departing with her in tow during the early afternoon, bound for Duluth. Manitoulin departed at 6AM on the 11th, bound for Hamilton. The Luedtke tug Ann Marie was running barges of large cut stone out to the seawall around the Army Corps CDF at the South Entrance during early September to complete some repairs to the structure. They were using the Union Ship Canal dock at Gateway Metroport to load the barges and to tie up at night. The Coast Guard and DEC revealed some details of the mysterious oil spill that occurred back in July on the Buffalo River on August 10th. They released a statement to the press stating that “degraded” fuel and oil were found to be coming from a sewer outflow at the end of Babcock St. This discharge outlet runs underground past the old Mobil Oil refinery property that was just cleaned up last year in a multi-million dollar remediation project at the site. At the time of the announcement, details remained sketchy about how the old contaminates had made it into the sewer and it was still being investigated by the agencies involved.
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 12
On 12 September 1903, the R E SCHUCK (steel propeller bulk freighter, 416 fott, 4713 gross tons) was launched by the American Ship Building Company (Hull #327) at Lorain, Ohio for the Gilchrist Transportation Company. She was purchased by the Interlake Steamship Co. (Pickands, Mather & Co., Mgrs.) in 1913, and renamed b.) HYDRUS. However, she foundered in the "Big Storm" of 1913, on Lake Huron with all hands; 24 lives were lost. On 12 September 1902, EXPERIMENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 65 foot, 50 gross tons, built in 1854, at St. Joseph, Michigan) was carrying firewood in a storm on Lake Michigan when she went out of control in the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan after swerving to miss an unmarked construction crib. She wrecked and was declared a total loss. Her crew was rescued by the Lifesaving Service. Three days later she was stripped and abandoned in place. ROGER BLOUGH was laid up at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin from September 12, 1981, through 1986, because of economic conditions. CANADIAN PIONEER was christened at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. on September 12, 1981, by Mrs. Louise Powis, wife of the Chairman and President of Noranda Mines for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. Renamed b.) PIONEER in 1987. CARTIERCLIFFE HALL, a.) RUHR ORE, was towed by the tug WILFRED M. COHEN to Collingwood, Ontario for repairs from a June 5th fire and arrived at Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. on September 12, 1979. Renamed c.) WINNIPEG in 1988, and d.) ALGONTARIO in 1994. Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Limited at Collingwood, Ontario closed the yard on September 12, 1986, after 103 years of shipbuilding. Collship was famous for its spectacular side launches. 214 ships were built at Collingwood. While unloading steel in South Chicago from the a.) CANADA MARQUIS on September 12, 1988, a shoreside crane lifting a payloader into the hold collapsed onto the ship. CANADA MARQUIS had a hole in her tank top and damage to her hatch coaming. She sails today on the ocean and lakes as e.) BIRCHGLEN, for CSL. On 12 September 1900, ALBACORE (2 mast wooden schooner, 137 foot, 327 tons, built in 1872, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) had a storm blow out her sails, driving her into the seawall at Fort Bank just east of Oswego, New York where she broke up. The tug J NAVAGH tried unsuccessfully to save her. Her crew of seven was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service. After an extremely dry summer, forests were burning all over the Great Lakes region in the autumn of 1871. The smoke from these fires affected navigation. Newspaper reports stated that on 12 September 1871, 38 ships and four strings of barges anchored near Point Pelee on Lake Erie due to the restricted visibility caused by the smoke from the forest fires. On 12 September 1900, the schooner H. W. SAGE was raised by the McMorran Wrecking Company and was then towed to Port Huron for repairs. She had sunk near Algonac, Michigan in a collision with the steamer CHICAGO on 30 July 1900. 1889: ROTHESAY, a wooden sidewheel passenger vessel, collided with the tug MYRA in the St. Lawrence between Kingston and Prescott. The latter sank with the loss of 2 lives. The former was beached on the Canadian shore where it settled and was abandoned. The wreck was dynamited in 1901 and part of it remains on the bottom in 35 feet of water. 1900: The wooden steamer JOHN B. LYON began taking water in a storm about 25 miles east of Ashtabula and sank in Lake Erie. There were 9 lost with only 6 rescued from the 19-year old vessel. 1917: GISLA was built at Wyandotte, MI in 1916 and went overseas for war duty. The vessel was hit by gunfire from U-64 in the western Mediterranean off Cape Palos, Spain, and sunk by a timed bomb. The ship was carrying nuts and vegetable oil from Kotonou, Dahomey, for Marseilles, France, when it was attacked. 1919: The wooden barge CHICKAMAUGA began leaking in huge seas off Harbor Beach, MI while under tow of the CENTURION and the ore laden vessel sank the next day. The crew of 10 was rescued by the JAMES WHALEN and the wreck was removed the following year. 1928: B.B. McCOLL was virtually destroyed by a fire at Buffalo while loading and had to be abandoned as a total loss. The ship was salvaged, rebuilt and last sailed as h) DETROIT. The ship was scrapped in 1982-1983 at Lake Calumet, IL. 1953: MARYLAND was mauled by a storm on Lake Superior and 12 hatch covers were blown off. The ship was beached near Marquette and all 35 on board were saved. The ship was abandoned but the extensive bottom damage was repaired and the ship resumed service as d) HENRY LALIBERTE. 1989: POLARLAND began visiting the Great Lakes in 1968 and returned as b) ISCELU in 1980, c) TRAKYA in 1981 and d) TRAKYA I in 1982. The ship was lying at Hualien, Taiwan, as e) LUNG HAO during Typhoon Sarah and got loose in the storm prior to going aground. The hull broke in two and was a total loss. 1989: SACHA, Liberian registered SD 14, began Seaway trading in 1973. It returned as b) ERMIONI in 1982. The ship stranded on the wreck of the ORIENTAL PEARL while approaching Bombay, India, from Tampa as d) SAFIR on December 22, 1984, and sustained considerable damage. This was repaired but SAFIR was lost after stranding on a reef off Tiran Island in the Red Sea on September 12, 1989. 2006: TORO went aground in the St. Lawrence off Cornwall Island with damage to the bulbous bow and #2 hold. The ship, enroute from Thunder Bay to Progresso, Mexico, with a cargo of wheat, was released September 18 and repaired at the Verreault shipyard in Les Mechins, QC before resuming the voyage on October 27. The vessel had previously visited the Great Lakes as a) LA LIBERTE, c) ASTART and d) ULLOA. It was still sailing as g) XING JI DA as of 2011. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Federal Ems loses engine power west of Eisenhower Lock in Massena 9/11 - Massena, NY – The vessel Federal Ems lost engine power as the ship was making its approach to the Eisenhower Lock early Thursday morning. Initial reports were that the ship had run aground. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation officials said the ship was not aground but was anchored next to the channel approaching the Eisenhower Lock. “Earlier this morning (Thursday), the vessel, Federal EMS, experienced a loss of main propulsion and is currently anchored next to the channel approaching Eisenhower Lock with navigation temporarily suspended,” officials said in an email statement. There was no pollution, no injuries or no ingress of water, officials also confirmed. By Thursday evening engine power had been restored and the vessel was moored at the northern bollards of the Eisenhower Lock. Divers are scheduled to survey the underside of the vessel at 8 a.m. Friday. Federal Ems is a bulk carrier built in 2002 and operated by the Montreal-based Fednav Ltd. The vessel was enroute to Montreal at the time. USCG |
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Port Reports - September 11 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Charlevoix, MI
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Craig T Speers |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 11
1872, at Milwaukee, the Wisconsin, which was transferred to the Atlantic coast from Lake Erie in 1898, struck Romer Shoal off the shore of Staten Island and was wrecked. She was sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Saco, Maine at the time. Her crew managed to reach the Life Saving Station through the heavy surf. September 11, 1969, the Bethlehem steamer LEHIGH, Captain Loren A. Falk, delivered the first cargo to the new Bethlehem Steel mill at Burns Harbor, Indiana. The cargo consisted of 15,700 tons of taconite pellets loaded at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. On 11 September 1883, EXPLORER (2-mast wooden schooner, 48 foot, 33 gross tons, built in 1866, at Chatham, Ontario) struck rocks and went down on Stokes Bay on the outside of the Bruce Peninsula. Her crew was visible from shore clinging to the wreck until the vessel broke up. All five were lost. The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY, of 1927, was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She had sunk in 80 feet of water after a collision with the steamer D.M. CLEMSON, of 1916, off Old Point Light, on June 15, 1943. On May 6, 1944, the barges MAITLAND NO. 1 and HILDA were employed as pontoons for the salvage operation positioned over the sunken hull. Cables were attached to the HUMPHREY's hull and to the barges. The hull was raised through a series of lifts, which allowed it to be brought into shallower water. Partial buoyancy was provided by the HUMPHREY's ballast tanks, which were pumped out to about 25 percent of capacity. The HUMPHREY was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She was taken to the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. first for an estimate of repairs, which totaled $469,400, and then was towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for reconditioning which was completed at a reported cost of $437,000. Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. assumed ownership on September 18, 1944, and the next year the ship was renamed b.) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN. She re-entered service on May 1, 1945, chartered to the Pioneer Steamship Co. on a commission basis. Renamed c.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948, and d.) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1988. September 11, 2001, the former Bob-Lo boat STE. CLAIRE was towed from Detroit to Toledo by Gaelic's tug SHANNON. In August 2005, she was taken to Belanger Park in River Rouge and in the spring of 2006 she was returned to Nicholson's Slip in Ecorse by Gaelic's tugs PATRICIA HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY. Carrying cargoes off the lakes, CANADA MARQUIS departed Halifax bound for Philadelphia with a cargo of grain. HON. PAUL MARTIN departed Halifax the same day on her way to Tampa with a load of gypsum. HORACE JOHNSON sailed on her maiden voyage light from Lorain, Ohio, on September 11, 1929, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore. On 11 September 1895, S.P. AMES (2 mast wooden schooner, 61 foot, 43 gross tons) was driven ashore at Pointe aux Barques, Michigan, in a storm. She was quickly stripped before she went to pieces. She had been built in 1879, at Montrose, Michigan, in farm country, well inland, on the Flint River by Mr. Seth Ames. He wanted to use her to return to sea, but he died the day before her hull was launched. On 11 September 1876, the schooner HARVEST HOME sank on Lake Michigan while bound from Chicago for Cleveland with a load of scrap iron. She was about 26 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan. The crew was taken off by the schooner GRACIE M. FILER just as the boat was going down. 1942: H.M.C.S. CHARLOTTETOWN, a Canadian naval corvette built at Kingston, ON in 1941, was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 on the St. Lawrence near Cap Chat, QC. Nine of the 64 on board were lost. 1946: The former Hall freighter LUCIUS W. ROBINSON, heading for new service in the Far East as b) HAI LIN, ran into a typhoon on the Pacific during its delivery voyage but was unscathed. 1961: The retired PERSEUS, under tow for scrapping overseas, broke loose of the tug ENGLISHMAN, and was abandoned in rough seas near the Azores. It was later found drifting and taken in tow only to sink on September 21. 1968: GRINDEFJELL, a pre-Seaway and Seaway-era visitor for the Norwegian Fjell Line from 1953 to 1965, put into Mozambique as b) LENRO after fire had broken out in a cargo hold. The flames spread and, at one time the hull glowed red hot. The ship was gutted, later capsized and was abandoned as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Assab, Ethiopia, to Rotterdam, with a cargo of bagged niger seed expellers and had to take the long way around due to the Suez Canal being closed. The hull was either scrapped or scuttled. 1987: An arson fire gutted the bridge and top deck of the laid up former C.S.L. package freighter FORT YORK at Sarnia. There had been another suspicious fire three weeks earlier that had been extinguished. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Soo Locks see a decrease in traffic during pandemic 9/10 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – As the COVID-19 pandemic marches on, the Soo Locks has seen a decrease in vessel traffic this year. According to the Lake Carriers’ Association, shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in July, a decrease of 46.5% compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 41% behind the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 20.7 million tons, a decrease of 22.6% compared to the same point in 2019. Iron ore shipments are 19.8% behind their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year. Additionally, loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 25% compared to 2019. Shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by less than 1% to 807,203 tons. Year-to-date the lake’s limestone trade stands at 12.4 million tons, a decrease of 17.5% compared to one year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 9.8 million tons, a decrease of 20.7%. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 2.9% compared to 2019 According to Penny Carroll of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, from Feb. through July there were approximately 2,770 vessel passages. However, from Feb. 2019 to July 2019, there were 3,297, showing a 16% drop in traffic numbers. According to a press release by the Lake Carriers’ Association, these cargos are essential to ensuring we can all weather the COVID-19 storm. Federal and state governments recognize the critical importance of Great Lakes shipping by including the sailors, dock workers and other key support personnel on the list of workers essential to the U.S. and Great Lakes economy. Soo News |
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Port Reports - September 10 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Wind turbine blades latest large cargo to unload at this Bay City docking terminal 9/10 - Bay City, MI – Large metal arms reach into the sky this week near the mouth of the Saginaw River. They are industrial cranes aboard big cargo ships, and they are unloading a delivery of giant windmill blades to fuel Michigan’s renewable energy industry. For nearly a decade, Bay City Aggregate with parent company Fisher Companies has been hard at work developing Port Fisher Terminals, offering vessel, rail, and highway transportation services. Port Fisher is currently serving as the arrival site for large windmill parts making their way to windfarm projects, especially in the Thumb region. “It was kind of like the Field of Dreams, you build it and they will come, and we started adding in a component every year and wind energy just kind of happened to fall right in the middle of it,” said Fisher Sales Manager Paul Strpko. Strpko explained that friends in the wind industry plus the facility’s location helped to forge the path that the shipping terminal is on now. “When they were looking for places, that made perfect sense and where a lot of the concentration of wind energy was going to be,” he said. "Then we started to develop our site so it could handle that.” As of May, the state has a total of 1,149 operational turbines and the Michigan Public Services Commission is currently tracking progress on 33 wind farm projects, according to the ThumbWind project. Nearby Huron, Gratiot, and Tuscola counties are listed on the site as the top wind energy counties in Michigan. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2020/09/wind-turbine-blades-latest-large-cargo-to-unload-at-this-bay-city-docking-terminal.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 10
On 10 September 1890, the PORTER CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 134 foot, 280 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan) was floated free of the Wolverine Drydock in Port Huron, Michigan where she had steel arches installed. When she floated free, the arches broke in three places and she stayed in Port Huron to have them repaired. September 10, 1952, the forebody and afterbody of the future JOSEPH H. THOMPSON arrived at the American Shipbuilding yard in South Chicago. The two sections were delivered to the lakes via the Mississippi River and Chicago Ship Canal. The afterbody departed Baltimore, Maryland on August 2 and the forebody departed Pascagoula, Mississippi on August 21. On 10 September 1884, the 137-foot steam barge HENRY HOWARD was sailing up bound with the schooner-barge GEORGE WORTHINGTON in tow when she caught fire near Harsens Island at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The fire broke out near the HOWARD's engine room and spread rapidly. The vessel was beached on the island but the WORTHINGTON ran against her and was thus scorched. No lives were lost. The HOWARD was valued at $5,000, but only insured for $3,000 by her owners, B. Hoose and Julia Miner. The whaleback tanker METEOR was towed from Manitowoc, Wisconsin by the tug JOHN ROEN IV to Superior, Wisconsin on September 10, 1972. The KINSMAN ENTERPRISE turned 75 years old on September 10, 2002. When she entered service as a.) HARRY COULBY, on this date in 1927, the 631-foot bulk freighter was the third largest on the Great Lakes. While up bound in the Welland Canal on September 9, 1986, it was noted that the port anchor of the J. W. MC GIFFIN was missing, her chain was almost touching the water. Rebuilt with a new cargo hold section by Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd., in 1999, renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA. On 10 September 1909, COLUMBUS (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 136 foot, 439 gross tons, built in 1874, as the tug JOHN OWEN) burned to a total loss at her dock at Gargantua, Ontario, in Lake Superior. She was cut loose and allowed to drift out into the bay where she sank. The top of her engine reportedly still shows above the water. September 10, 1979 - The SPARTAN was laid up. She remains in Ludington, Michigan. The barge N. MILLS was launched at P. Lester's yard in Marysville, Michigan on 10 September 1870. Her dimensions were 164 feet x 30 feet x 12 feet. 1910: PERE MARQUETTE 18, inbound for Milwaukee with 29 rail cars, began leaking and sank 30 miles off Sheboygan, Wis. There were 33 survivors but 29 were lost including the captain. 1918: The barge SANTIAGO, under tow of the small bulk carrier JOHN F. MORROW, sank in Lake Huron off Pointe aux Barques without loss of life. 1940: A.E. AMES was once part of Canada Steamship Lines. The vessel was sold for saltwater service about 1917 and was lost, via enemy action, as c) GINETTE LEBORGNE on this date in 1940 when it struck a mine on the Mediterranean, west of Sardinia, while returning demobilized troops from North Africa to France. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Minnesota shipwreck hunters locate long-sought Lake Michigan wreck 9/9 - As the crew muscled yet another railroad car off the stern of the ship and into the murky depths of Lake Michigan, Capt. Peter Kilty of the Pere Marquette 18 may have breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a tumultuous few hours out in the middle of the lake early on the morning of Sept. 9, 1910 – 110 years ago this week. The ship, carrying about 60 passengers and crew, and close to 30 rail cars from Ludington, Mich., to Milwaukee, started taking on water faster than its pumps could handle, and Kilty quickly issued orders. Jettison the rail cars to lighten the load. Change course to reach shore more quickly. Broadcast distress calls via wireless telegraph: “Carferry 18 is sinking midlake — help — help” As recounted in the book “Steel on the Bottom” by maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse, other vessels rushed alongside to help, standing by as Kilty and his crew kept on course for the Wisconsin shore. The beleaguered ship was running low in the water, and stress levels undoubtedly still were running high. Yet there was hope that maybe – just maybe – they’d pull through. Then – to the disbelief of eyewitnesses – the Pere Marquette 18’s stern suddenly sank beneath the waves and the bow raised toward the sky. And just like that she was gone, leaving at least 29 people dead and others struggling to escape the swirling wreckage. Exactly what caused the ship to founder became a much-debated mystery. And the Pere Marquette 18’s final resting place was lost to time. It was among the most notable Lake Michigan wrecks to have eluded searchers – until this summer. Armed with century-old accounts of the sinking along with a well-honed feel for interpreting those voices from the past – and making the most of modern-day technology – Minnesota shipwreck hunters Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman located the Pere Marquette 18. It sits in nearly 500 feet of water far offshore from Sheboygan, Wis., and Port Washington, Wis., coated in zebra mussels and, as Eliason put it, “javelined” stern-first into the lake bottom at a sharp angle, the tip of the bow rising nearly 100 feet off the lake bed. "It's pretty dramatic," Merryman said. "It's speared in – we're both guessing around 30 to 40 degrees, that it sits into the bottom. ... And a fair amount of it is buried in the mud." Stonehouse, the author and historian, described it as “an incredible find.” “I find it amazing that Lake Michigan divers have been looking for her forever. And it took the boys from Minnesota to go down and literally in a matter of a couple of days ... discover that wreck,” he said. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/09/08/minnesota-shipwreck-hunters-locate-longsought-lake-michigan-wreck |
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Port Reports - September 9 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Updated saltie transits by the numbers for 2020 9/9 - As of September 1, there were 275 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY, by 187 saltater vessels for the 2020 Great Lakes/Seaway Shipping season from March/April through September 1, 020. The 275 transits is up 7 transits from the same time period in 2019 and is also up 17 transits from the 5-year average time frame and period from 2015-2019. August 2020 showed a huge spike in the number of transits in 2020 and overall during the 5-year time frame and period for that month. In August 2020 there were 62 westbound transits made by vessels at the Eisenhower Lock. The 62 westbound transits is up 15 transits from the 2019 total for August and is also up 13 transits from the 5-year time period and frame during the month of August from 2015-2019. There were no transits in March.
A breakdown of the monthly transits at the Eisenhower Lock for 2020 is as follows:
Denny Dushane |
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Coast Guard conducting training around Mackinac, Beaver Island September 9-14 9/9 - This week the communities of St. Ignace and Charlevoix will see increased Coast Guard activities on the water. U.S. Coast Guard units will be conducting a training exercise near Mackinac Island and Beaver Island from September 9th through 14th. These exercises will involve the use of Coast Guard boats and helicopters conducting law enforcement scenarios on pre-selected commercial vessels in the surrounding waters of Mackinac Island and Beaver Island, as well as activities ashore in the towns of St. Ignace and Charlevoix. These exercises strengthen vital relationships with our government and maritime industry partners and ensure the proficiency of our members so as to remain always ready and able to respond to our nation’s call. Questions about the exercise may be directed to Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie at 906-635-3237. |
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Seaway Queens: Chapter 3 now available 9/9 - – Chapter 3 of the new e-book Seaway Queens takes the measure of mid-century Lakers — 730 to be exact — studying the multi-dimensional impact of the dimension on inland trade. Entitled 730s, The Goldilocks Ships of the Great Lakes-Seaway, the chapter also contains great photos and interactive graphics. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 9
On 09 September 1889, the FOLGER (wooden propeller wrecking tug, 69 foot, 64 gross tons, built in 1881, at Kingston, Ontario) was sailing upbound past St. Clair, Michigan when fire was discovered in her engine room. Her wheelsman stuck to his post as long as possible, trying to beach her at Courtright, Ontario, but the flames engulfed the vessel and all hands had to abandon her. September 9, 1936. For the second consecutive day, boats of the Interlake and Pittsburgh fleets collided. The SATURN collided with the HENRY H. ROGERS in heavy fog above Whitefish Bay. The SATURN continued upbound to repair damage at Superior Shipbuilding. The ROGERS continued downbound to South Chicago where the anchor of the SATURN was removed from the Mate's starboard cabin. September 9, 1940, the steamer MARITANA, Captain Charles E. Butler, went to anchor in Whitefish Bay due to weather. When they retrieved their anchor the next day, they also recovered a second anchor. The second anchor had an oak stock 12 feet across and 17 inches in diameter. The 8 foot forged metal shank was stamped with a date of 1806. On 09 September 1886, GENERAL WOLSELEY (wooden side-wheel steamer, 103 foot, 123 tons, built in 1884, at Oakville, Ontario) caught fire on her way to Dyer's Bay, Ontario. She was run ashore for the crew to escape near Cape Croker on Georgian Bay and burned to the water's edge. The WOLVERINE (Hull#903) was launched September 9, 1974, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Union Commerce Bank (Ohio), Trustee (Oglebay Norton Co., mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio. DETROIT EDISON (Hull#418) was launched September 9, 1954, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) Buffalo, New York. The Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 18 sank on September 9, 1910, with a loss of 29 lives. No cause for the sinking has ever been determined. The PERE MARQUETTE 17 picked up 33 survivors, losing 2 of her own crew during the rescue. The first of two fires suffered by the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND RAPIDS occurred on September 9, 1980. The cause of the fire was not determined. On 9 September 1929, the ANDASTE (steel propeller self-unloading sandsucker, 247 foot, built in 1892, at Cleveland, Ohio) was probably overloaded with gravel when she 'went missing' west of Holland, Michigan. The entire crew of 25 was lost. When built, she was the sister of the 'semi-whaleback' CHOCTAW, but was shortened 20 feet in 1920-21, to allow her to use the Welland Canal. On 9 September 1871, Captain Hicks of the schooner A H MOSS fired the mate, a popular fellow, in a fit of anger the same time that a tug arrived to tow the schooner out of Cleveland harbor. The crew was upset to say the least, and when the towline was cast off and Capt. Hicks ordered the sails hoisted, the crew refused to do any work. The skipper finally raised the signal flags and had the tug tow his vessel back into the harbor. When the MOSS dropped anchor, he fired the entire crew then went ashore to hire another crew. The ROY A. JODREY (Hull#186) was launched in 1965, at Collingwood, Ontario by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd. 1924: A fire aboard the ship SOUTH AMERICAN at Holland, MI destroyed the upper works of the popular passenger steamer. 1964: A collision between the GEORGE R. FINK and the Swedish freighter BROHOLM occurred in zero visibility on Lake Huron just north of the Bluewater Bridge. The latter, on her only voyage through the Seaway, received a gash on the starboard side above the waterline while the former had only minor damage. BROHOLM arrived at Hsinkang, China, for scrapping as d) PROODOS on September 2, 1974. 1977: The British freighter PERTH began service to Canada in 1951 and ooperated into the Great Lakes until 1960. The ship ran aground about 200 miles south of Suez as e) GEORGIOS on this date but was later refloated and taken to Suez. The ship was arrested there and subsequently sank on October 1, 1979. The hull was likely refloated and dismantled at that location. 1993: INDIANA HARBOR received major hull damage when it struck Lansing Shoal. The ship was repaired at Sturgeon Bay. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Walter J. McCarthy Jr. is back in action 9/8 - Toledo, OH – Walter J. McCarthy Jr. resumed her 2020 season on Monday evening when she departed Toledo upbound. She laid up there on June 5 due to the economy. |
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Port Reports - September 8 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Suttons Bay, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 8
September 8, 1936, the Interlake steamer CRETE and the Pittsburgh steamer CORNELL collided in heavy fog above Whitefish Point. After temporary repairs were made in the Weitzel lock, the CRETE proceeded to Chicago Shipbuilding to repair a damaged bow. The CORNELL proceeded to Manitowoc to repair damage to her starboard side just forward of her boiler house. On September 8,1868, HIPPOCAMPUS (wooden propeller, 152 tons, built in 1867, at St. Joseph, Michigan) stranded in a storm off St. Joseph and was pounded to pieces. 36 of the 41 passengers were lost. Litigation continued until November 10,1884, when the owner was held innocent of blame in the U. S. Court at Grand Rapids, Michigan. GEMINI (Hull#745) sailed on her maiden voyage in August, 1978, from Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas, to load fuel oil at Baytown, Texas, for delivery at Detroit, Michigan. Passing up bound the next month on September 8 through the Welland Canal, GEMINI became the largest U.S. flagged tanker on the Great Lakes with a capacity of 76,000 barrels. GEMINI was renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. The W. E. FITZGERALD (Hull#167) was launched September 8, 1906, at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the Chicago Navigation Co., Chicago, Illinois (D. Sullivan, mgr.). The bulk freighter HENRY A. HAWGOOD was launched on September 8, 1906, at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co. for Minerva Steamship Co. (W. A. & H.A. Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland. Renamed b.) C. RUSSELL HUBBARD in 1912, and c.) W. W. HOLLOWAY in 1935. RADIANT departed the shipyard September 8, 1913, light on her maiden voyage bound for Montreal, Quebec. September 8, 1970 - MILWAUKEE CLIPPER made her last run from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On September 8, 1985, the downbound the Panamanian NORCHEM collided with the upbound CANADIAN PROSPECTOR near Kanawake, Quebec. PROSPECTOR had little damage but NORCHEM was ripped open near her port anchor. On September 8,1885, ADVANCE (wooden schooner, 119 foot, 180 gross tons, built in 1853, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying wood when she became waterlogged and capsized in a gale and blinding rain near Port Washington, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. All but one of her crew of seven drowned when her yawl capsized in the surf. On September 8,1871, the schooner MORNING LIGHT was sailing from Kelley's Island on Lake Erie with a cargo of stone for Marquette, Michigan, in heavy weather. Trying to enter the Detroit River, the crew miscalculated their position and ran the ship aground on Pointe Mouille, just below Gibraltar. The crew scuttled the vessel in the shallow water to save her from harm. The following day, the tug GEORGE N. BRADY was sent out with steam pumps and hawsers and the MORNING LIGHT was raised and towed to Detroit for repairs. 1860: The wooden passenger and freight steamer LADY ELGIN sank in Lake Michigan following a collision with the schooner AUGUSTA with an estimated 297 lost their lives. 1979: The Norwegian carrier INGWI first came through the Seaway in 1960 and made about 10 trips inland through 1967. The hull was reported to have fractured as b) OH DAI enroute from Singapore to Calcutta. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal but there was speculation at the time that this was an insurance fraud. 1980: The idle rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS sustained fire damage from a blaze in the pilings at Muskegon, buckling plates on the car deck. It was extinguished by the U.S.C.G. and Fire Department. 2010: The tug MESSENGER came to the Great Lakes for the Gaelic Tugboat Co. in 1984 and was renamed b) PATRICIA HOEY. It was later sold and became c) NEW HAMPSHIRE and then d) SEA TRACTOR II before leaving the lakes, via Oswego, about 1991. It was known as e) SHARK when scuttled as an artificial reef near Miami, on this date in 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Al Miller, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 7 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Lake Superior
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss |
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Obituary: Museum announces the death of USS Edson Chief Mike Kegley 9/7 - Bay City, MI – The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum USS Edson DD946 announced the death of Chief Mike Kegley. According to the museum, Chief Kegley died on Thursday, Sept. 3. People that worked closely with Kegley said he worked tirelessly to bring the USS Edson to Bay City as a museum ship and he devoted much of his life to making things happen at the museum over the past 23 years. Chief Kegley’s viewing will be held at Gephart Funeral Home on Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, he will lie in state at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. with the funeral service to follow. Social distancing guidelines will apply to all services. WNEM |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 7
On September 7, 1978, the ROGER M. KYES lost all power in Lake St. Clair requiring tug assistance from the Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs MARYLAND and MAINE, which escorted her to the Great Lakes Steel dock. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. CADILLAC of 1943 was laid up on September 7, 1981, for the last time at Toledo, Ohio. She was later transferred to a West coast marine operation in preparation for conversion for a proposed container ship for service between Chicago, Detroit and Quebec City. However these plans never materialized. On September 7, 1921, the D. G. KERR pulled up to the ore dock at Two Harbors, Minnesota to load exactly 12,507 gross tons of iron ore in the record-breaking time of 16 and a half minutes. This was accomplished through the cooperation of the dock superintendent, the dock employees concerned, the ship's captain and crew and the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. as a means of "showing up" the competition. Her time of arrival and departure to and from the dock took only 19 minutes. For comparison, a good average loading time at that time was about three hours and 45 minutes. On September 7, 1975, on the St. Marys River loaded with iron ore pellets, WILLIAM G. MATHER, forced out of the channel by a saltwater vessel, struck bottom. Upon proceeding further onto Lake Huron it was discovered that her pumps were unable to cope with incoming water caused by the damage. She was beached at Frying Pan Island (De Tour, Michigan) in 19 feet of water when it became evident they couldn't make dock. On 7 September 1883, LAURA BELL (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 269 gross tons, built in 1870, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying coal from Cleveland, Ohio to Marquette, Michigan when she stranded off Shot Point, east of Marquette in Lake Superior. Her crew spent 3 days in her rigging and all but one was rescued by a tug from Marquette. September 7, 1916 - The PERE MARQUETTE 3 ran aground 10 miles north of Milwaukee. September 7, 1996 - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the propulsion system of the BADGER a mechanical engineering landmark. The launch of the 188-foot wooden schooner ELIZABETH A. NICHOLSON was set for 4 p.m., on 7 September 1872, at E. Fitzgerald's shipyard in Port Huron, Michigan. Just before 4 p.m., a telegram was received at the shipyard from Capt. Nicholson, the owner of the new vessel, which read, "Wait a while. We are coming." The launch was delayed until another dispatch was received which said to go ahead anyway. The boat Capt. Nicholson was on had broken down. The launch went well. The vessel was painted deep green with her name in gilt. All present cheered the sight, but there was no party afterwards. All of the food and beverages for the celebration were with Capt. Nicholson on the disabled vessel. On 07 September 1883, the COLORADO (wooden schooner-barge, 118 foot, built in 1866, at Fairport, Ohio) was in tow of the steamer DON M. DICKINSON along with the schooner-barge N. P. GOODELL in a gale on Lake Huron. As the gale worsened, the string of vessels went to shelter in the harbor at Sand Beach (now Harbor Beach), Michigan. The COLORADO broke loose as they entered the harbor. Deckhand Abbot Way jumped on to the breakwater with a line to secure the COLORADO, but the line broke as soon as it went taut. It broke three times and the barge drifted out into the gale, stranding Mr. Way on the breakwater with six-foot waves washing over it. He managed to get to the harbor light at the end of the breakwater and climbed up above the waves where he was stranded for two hours until the crew of the Lifesaving Station got to him. COLORADO beached herself with no loss of life. She was later recovered and lasted until 1902 when she was abandoned. 1901: WAWATAM ran aground on Gratiot Beach above Port Huron with the whaleback barge #102 in tow. 1929: CHARLES C. WEST went aground on Gull Rock Reef damaging both frames and plates. The repair bill topped $46,000. 1942: OAKTON of the Gulf & Lake Navigation Co. was torpedoed and sunk in the St. Lawrence by U-517 about 15 miles west of Cape Gaspe. It was struck amidships on the port side and went down stern first without any loss of life except the ship's St. Bernard dog. The ship had a load of coal on board from Sandusky, Ohio, to Cornerbrook, NF when hit. Two other Greek ships, MOUNT TAYGETUS and MOUNT PINDUS were struck in the same attack with the loss of 6 lives. 1956: The former Canada Steamship Lines freighter WINONA stranded on a sand bank at Aparii, Philippines, island of Luzon, as b) EDDIE while enroute to Japan with a cargo of logs. The ship broke in two and was a total loss. 1965: AMARYLLIS was driven ashore about 1.5 miles north of Palm Beach Inlet, Florida, during Hurricane Betsy. The crew lived on board for another 4 months keeping up steam in hope of being refloated but the ship was eventually abandoned as a total loss. The vessel, enroute from Manchester, England, to Baton Rouge, LA in ballast, visited the Great Lakes in 1959. The hull became increasingly unpopular with local residents and, in 1975, a gravel road was built to the ship to truck the scrapped steel away. The remains were later floated off and sunk off West Palm Beach as an artificial reef. 1979: INDIANA HARBOR loaded a record 61,649 tons of iron ore at Two Harbors. 1997: NORTH ISLANDS, a Cypriot flag SD14, came through the Seaway in 1994 and loaded peas at Thunder Bay for Cuba. The vessel went aground near San Antonio, Chile, after losing her propeller. The ship broke in two, but all 30 on board were rescued by a helicopter from the Chilean Navy. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Tin Stackers - The History of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships. We Remember series |
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Port Reports - September 6 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Ex-finance director of Lake Michigan Car Ferry sent to prison in $1.7 million scheme 9/6 - Ludington, MI – The former finance director of the Lake Michigan Car Ferry was sentenced Friday, Sept. 4, to five years, three months in prison for stealing $1.7 million from the company. Paul Patrick Piper, 58, of Ludington, stole the money over the course of 11 years. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids said the money Piper embezzled was “a frightening number that caused substantial financial hardship” to owners of the company that operates the SS Badger ferry. The ferry runs between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. “His greed caused significant financial damage to one of the largest employers in the Ludington, Michigan, area,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in a statement. Piper took the money between 2007 and 2018. He would override account systems and write check to himself or two of his affiliated businesses. He would forge signatures of company owners or use a signature stamp without their authorization, the government said. Piper had worked for Lake Michigan Car Ferry and Pere Marquette Shipping for 25 years. He also owned Piper Tax & Accounting and another business. He also served as a trustee for Pere Marquette Township. “Mr. Piper was well-respected in the Ludington community …,” attorney Matthew Borgula wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Regrettably, Mr. Piper took advantage of the car ferry starting in around 2007 in an effort to maintain a lifestyle for him and his family and support struggling business ventures.” Piper cooperated with authorities. He also agreed to pay $380,00 in penalties, far more the cost of restitution, his attorney said. The judge ordered Piper to pay $1,740,037.91 in restitution. He earlier forfeited a 2018 Ram Truck, a 2008 Glacier Bay recreational vehicle and cash. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Stella said that the car ferry had to borrow money for operating expenses while Piper was embezzling. “The facts and circumstances of the offense are particularly egregious,” he said in court records. “Stealing nearly two million dollars from a privately owned company over the course of almost 11 years is reprehensible. Doing so on hundreds of occasions and never stopping to reconsider your conduct is particularly egregious, especially when the embezzlement is occurring not out of necessity, but out of greed associated with remodeling a home, paying employees at your tax preparation business and starting a coffee shop on the backs of the hard-working employees of the car ferry.” The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and Mason County Sheriff’s Department investigated. M Live |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 6
On September 6,1872, nine days after she set sail from Port Colborne for Detroit, the schooner J. W. SARGENT was listed as missing in the Detroit newspapers, probably a victim of a August 29 storm that struck Lake Erie. Later on the same day that the newspaper announcement was published, the SARGENT arrived in Detroit. Captain William Simms stated that the storm drove him south to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he sheltered for a few days. He sent a telegraph message to the ship's owner but the news was not relayed to Detroit. The SARGENT only lasted another three months. In November 1872, a storm got her on Lake Erie. The BADGER was launched on September 6, 1952, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. A christening ceremony included the SPARTAN (launched earlier that year). The BADGER was named in honor of the University of Wisconsin. The BADGER was built by Christy Corporation, and is powered by two Skinner 4 cylinder Steeple Compound Uniflow Marine Steam engines, developing over 7,000 horsepower. She was the last of the large, coal-fired steamers to be built in the United States, and the only ship of her type still operating on the Great Lakes. The BADGER offers seasonal passenger service from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from mid May to early October. BELLE RIVER began her maiden voyage when she loaded 56,073 long tons of western coal at Superior, Wisconsin, on August 31, 1977, and arrived at Detroit Edison Co.'s Belle River power plant at Recors Point on September 6, 1977. Renamed in 1990, she sails today as b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR. On September 6, 1992, H. LEE WHITE was in tow of the "G" tugs COLORADO and LOUISIANA entering the Trenton Channel when she struck a section of the toll bridge at Grosse Ile, Michigan, knocking down a 150 foot span immediately east of the main river channel. The WHITE was not damaged but a new section of the bridge had to be installed at a cost of $1.7 million. The bridge was back in service in late January 1993. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated this casualty and their report states that it was the failure of the bridge tender to operate and open the bridge that caused this casualty. The Coast Guard found that the master of the WHITE was operating his vessel in a prudent and lawful manner including the use of whistle signals. CHARLES E. WILSON completed her sea trials in 1973. Renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. GEORGIAN BAY collided with the steamer CHARLES HUBBARD in the fog-covered lower St. Marys River September 6, 1955. On September 6, 1989, the twin-screw rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS left Muskegon, Michigan, in tow of the tugs ANGLIAN LADY and PRINCESS NO 1, and arrived at Port Maitland, Ontario, on September 11th. Scrapping was completed in the fall of 1994. On September 6, 1887, BLUE BELL (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 84 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1867, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying lumber from Wilt's Bay, Michigan, to Milwaukee when she missed the harbor entrance at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in a storm. She was driven ashore where she broke up. Her crew made it to the beach with the aid of the local U.S. Life Saving crew. The total loss was valued at $5,000. On September 6,1871, the wooden schooner ROSA STEARNS, loaded with coal, was battling a storm for hours off Cleveland, Ohio. The ship was driven on the stone breakwater about 1 a.m. and was pounded to pieces. The crew jumped onto the breakwater and crawled to safety as the waves crashed over them. 1908: The wooden steamer CHAUNCY HURLBUT began leaking and was beached at Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, along a rough and rocky shore. It became a total loss and the hull was removed in August 1910 and sunk in deep water. 2009: ALGOPORT ran into heavy weather from tropical storm DeJuan while under tow of the PACIFIC HICKORY, broke up and sank in the Philippine Sea about a week's tow from the destination of Jiangyin, China. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Jody L. Aho, Max S. Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 5 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 5
September 5, 1899, the DOUGLASS HOUGHTON grounded at Sailors Encampment and sank when rammed by her barge, JOHN FRITZ. The HOUGHTON completely blocked St. Marys River traffic for five days. More than 300 boats were delayed at an estimated loss of $600,000. On 05 September 1898, the MONTGOMERY (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 709 tons, built in 1856, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan as a passenger/package freight steamer) sank in 21 feet of water on Lake St. Clair after colliding with the whaleback barge 137 (steel barge, 345 foot, 2,480 gross tons, built in 1896, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) which was being towed by the ALEXANDER McDOUGALL (steel propeller semi-whaleback freighter, 413 foot, 3,686 gross tons, built in 1898, at West Superior, Wisconsin). The MONTGOMERY was raised and repaired. She lasted another two years before breaking up in a storm in 1901. CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials on September 5, 1974, and then cleared the Collingwood shipyard on September 26th. BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain on her maiden voyage September 5, 1942 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. J. P. MORGAN, JR. returned to service September 5, 1948, after repairs suffered in an accident in June. NEW QUEDOC arrived at McLouth Steel, Trenton, Michigan, on her maiden voyage September 5, 1960, with a load of Labrador iron ore. Renamed b.) QUEDOC in 1963. QUEDOC was scrapped at Curacao Island, Lesser Antilles in 1985. The WYANDOTTE of 1916, a.) CONNEAUT, was towed down the Welland Canal on September 5- 6, 1973, on her way to the cutter’s torch at Santander, Spain. On 5 September 1905, ABERCORN (wooden propeller 'rabbit', 126 foot, 261 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) burned at the dock at Goderich, Ontario, while unloading coal. She reportedly caught fire from the explosion of a signal lamp. The schooner CALEDONIA, wrecked the previous autumn near the Fishing Islands on Lake Huron, was raised and arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, on September 5, 1882, under tow to be rebuilt. 1896: The Canadian passenger ship BALTIC, built in 1867 as FRANCES SMITH, burned at the dock in Collingwood. The hull drifted to shallow water and remained there for several years. 1964: A. & J. MID-AMERICA, a Seaway caller in 1963, was driven ashore at Lantau Island near Hong Kong by typhoon Ruby. The vessel was refloated October 5 but came ashore again days later during typhoon Dot on October 13. Refloated October 21, the vessel returned to service and was scrapped as e) UNION TIGER at Inchon, South Korea, after arriving in April 1968. 1964: The former HEMSEFJELL, a pre-Seaway trader, was also blown aground at Hong Kong as d) PROSPERITY during typhoon Ruby but released on October 5. It was scrapped in Thailand during 1972. 1964: The three-year old bulk carrier LEECLIFFE HALL sank in the St. Lawrence, 65 miles below Quebec City, following a collision with the APOLLONIA. Efforts to beach the ship failed and three lives were lost. The hull was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in 1966. The latter, a Greek freighter, had been a Seaway trader in 1964 and was repaired at Levis, QC. The ship was scrapped at Shanghai, China, as c) MAYFAIR after arriving on May 3, 1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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McKeil Marine adds new bulk carrier 9/4 - Burlington, ON – One of Canada’s leading marine services provider, McKeil Marine Limited, has announced the purchase of the M/V Juliana. Built in 2012, this shallow-draft, geared bulker becomes the latest addition to McKeil’s diversified fleet of tugs/workboats, barges, bulkers, cement carriers and tankers. Equipped with four cargo holds, Juliana measures 152 metres by 22 metres, with a deadweight of 16,737 metric tonnes. Juliana is currently Maltese flagged and is in dry-dock in Europe, preparing for her delivery to Canada. Once her Canadianization and delivery are completed, McKeil’s latest acquisition will be renamed the Harvest Spirit. “Nationally, our grain markets continue to perform well,” said McKeil’s President, Scott Bravener. “In fact, the demand for Canadian grain is booming, which is particularly encouraging news in these challenging times. Our grain exports are bolstering overall cargo shipment volumes in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and the Harvest Spirit will allow for McKeil’s continued growth in this robust domestic market.” The vessel has been on the lakes before, back in 2013 and 2014, as the Zealand Juliana (IMO 9655951). McKeil Marine |
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High water spells trouble for iconic lighthouse near Mackinac Island 9/4 - Round Island, MI – Perched on a spit of sand and rock across from Mackinac Island, some say the Round Island Lighthouse is one of the most photographed old beacons anywhere on the Great Lakes. But it also probably triggers the most smiles each year, too. That’s largely because it’s the first thing a million vacationers each year see when the ferries they’re riding make a sweeping turn into the Mackinac Island harbor, just across the channel from where this vintage red-and-white lighthouse still stands sentry. “You see that, and you are pulling right into the harbor. That lighthouse is your welcome to Mackinac Island,” said Matt McMullen, board chairman of the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, who first got up close to this maritime icon 25 years ago when he was a Boy Scout camping there as part of a work project. He’s been hooked ever since. “That lighthouse is the epitome of a Michigan summer,” he said. “When you’re standing next to it, you can see thousands of people going by you on the ferries, but you are alone. The world is moving all around you, but you are not.” “It’s just enough out of reach that there’s a little bit of mystery to it.” But what Round Island Lighthouse needs now is no secret, its caretakers say. It needs rocks. Big ones, and lots of them. It sits on an uninhabited island in the Straits of Mackinac, where this summer’s historically high water levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge. Without more protective riprap to keep the waves at bay, McMullen and other society members are worried that next spring’s thaw will break up a winter’s worth of ice that will be driven by waves into the structure, which was built in 1895 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They don’t want to see a repeat of the damage done by storms in 1972 that famously took out a chunk of the building’s side, exposing it to the elements. Pictures of that crumbled lighthouse made it onto a postcard – and spurred the first public fundraising efforts to save the lighthouse. Preservation society members are hoping for a repeat performance: They are trying to reach enough people who care about this well-known structure to give it the safety net it needs for what they are describing as the precarious freeze-thaw cycle ahead. Read more and view images at this link: |
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Port Reports - September 4 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Monroe, MI – Port of Monroe
Toledo, OH – Michael G Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Lake Superior generally remained stable in August 9/4 - Thunder Bay, ON – Lake Superior generally remained stable over the course of the month, which is typical for this time of year. Lake Michigan-Huron declined 4 cm (1.6 in) over the course of the month, which is the average water level decline in August. At the beginning of September, Lake Superior is 6 cm (2.4 in) below the record-high beginning-of-month level set in 1950. The level is currently 26 cm (10 in) above average (1918 – 2019). Lake Michigan-Huron is 6 cm (2.4 in) above the previous record-high beginning-of-September level set in 1986. The level is currently 86 cm (34 in) above average. Water levels are expected to remain high over at least the next few months and further record highs are possible if wet conditions continue. Furthermore, there will continue to be a significantly increased risk of shoreline erosion, lakeshore flooding and coastal damages as high water levels persist. The International Lake Superior Board of Control (Board) advises all those that may be affected to prepare for potentially severe coastal impacts, especially during periods of strong winds and high waves. The Board expects the total outflow to be 2,500 m3 /s (88.0 tcfs) in September, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The outflow in September is just 160 m3 /s (5.6 tcfs) above average and the lowest September outflow since 2016, which is in part a reflection of Plan 2012 adjusting to the relatively wetter conditions and higher levels experienced on Lake Michigan-Huron in comparison to Lake Superior in recent months. On Friday, 4 September, the gate setting of the control structure will be adjusted from the current setting equivalent to approximately two gates open to a setting equivalent to approximately one gate fully open. This will be achieved by lowering Gates #11 through #14 to a setting of 74 cm (29 in) open. Shoreline businesses and property owners are reminded that the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee continues to host an online questionnaire to allow for direct reporting on impacts related to recent high water conditions. The 2020 version of the questionnaire is now available: https://ijc.org/glam/questionnaire. Great Lakes Lake Superior News |
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The Erie-based tall ship Lettie G. Howard will not sail this season 9/4 - Erie, PA – The Flagship Niagara League on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the sailing season for the tall ship Lettie G. Howard. The vessel was unable to sail this season because of COVID-19 concerns. Flagship Niagara League officials announced the cancellation of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s sailing season in July. For the past two summers, the Lettie G. Howard has provided the Erie community with public day sails, school-group sails, sunset sails and private sails when the Niagara has been away on its Great Lakes sail-trailing programs. A programmatic collaboration between the Flagship Niagara League and the New York City-based South Street Seaport Museum, which owns the Lettie, has been in place since February 2018. “It is unfortunate that neither of the vessels that FNL operates will sail this year,” said Billy Sabatini, the Flagship Niagara League’s executive director and fleet captain. “We ask the community to continue to support these ships to help ensure they sail on Presque Isle Bay in 2021. Our focus now is to ensure the ships are funded, maintained and ready to sail next summer.” The Niagara and the Lettie G. Howard need to be hauled out and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard in spring 2021 before resuming operation. Haul out and shipyard periods for both vessels will have an estimated total cost of $150,000, Flagship Niagara League officials said. GoErie |
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Saltwater casualties, demolitions 9/4 - – Vessels with Great Lakes – St Lawrence Seaway connection reported as a Casualty of Sold for Demolition, taken from September 2020 issue of Marine News - Journal of the World Ship Society Casualties: None
Demolitions: SEAFROST (8517061; Palau) ( Kapitan Korotaev-06 - 1st trip into Seaway 2000, Kapitan Korotayev-94) 11,013 / 1988 - crude oil products tanker. By Cain Marine Co (Baltmed Reefer Services Ltd), Liberia; to Sanjay Trade Corp and arrived Alang 23.03.2020 - commenced demolition 24.03.2020 Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 4
On September 4,1889, the new steamer CHEROKEE (wooden propeller freighter, 209 foot, 1,002 gross tons) arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, from M. P. Lester's yard in Marine City, Michigan, for the Phoenix Iron Works in Port Huron to installed the engine and boiler. Her outfitting was completed by Carleton and Cole of Port Huron. On September 4, 1876, CITY OF PORT HURON, a wooden steam barge, sank a few miles off shore near Lexington, Michigan, at about noon. She was heavily loaded with iron ore and sprang a leak at about 11 o'clock. Most of the crew managed to get on top of the cabin while two were in the forward rigging as she went down in 6 fathoms of water. The heavy seas washed over those on the cabin. Captain George Davis and two others floated ashore on wreckage while a fish boat picked up the five others. No lives were lost. 1921: The former laker RANDOLPH S. WARNER was cut in two to leave the Great Lakes during World War One. It was rebuilt with the pilothouse amidships and sank on this date about 40 miles off the Bosporus after reportedly striking an unrecovered mine. 1926: HARSEN, loaded with a cargo of sand, capsized and sank in a storm 3 miles northeast of the Pelee Passage Light in Lake Erie. The wooden-hulled vessel was a total loss. 1961: IMPERIAL HAMILTON caught fire while loading ethyl gasoline at Sarnia and sustained considerable damage. Six on board were injured. 1963: The Egyptian freighter SALAH ELDIN, a former Victory ship, caught fire in the crew quarters in Hamilton but the blaze was extinguished before it reached the cargo hold. The vessel almost capsized due to the weight of water but it remained upright. Two crew were injured and the Chief Steward died. The ship was towed out by GRAEME STEWART and JAMES BATTLE on November 22, 1963, for Quebec City and sold as is, where it became d) MERCANTILE VICTORY after a refit at Houston, Texas. Another fire on April 23, 1964, this time in the engine room on the Red Sea shortly after re-entering service in March 1964, led to an eventual resale to Spanish shipbreakers. The vessel arrived at Castellon for dismantling on May 10, 1965. 1967: The tugs MICHAEL McALLISTER and AMERICA towed the retired passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN through the Welland Canal enroute to a new career as a training ship for the S.I.U. at Piney Point, MD. 1972: NORSE CORAL was new when it entered the Seaway in 1962 and returned as b) TOTEM STAR in 1963. The ship opened the Seaway season on April 8, 1964, and returned to our shores as c) SILVERBEACH in 1965. It sustained heavy damage off Victoria, BC while inbound from Hong Kong to Vancouver on this date due to a collision with the C.E. DANT. The two ships were locked together. They were towed to Victoria the next day and then separated September 6. The damage was repaired and the former lakes trader survived until scrapping at Xingang, China, in 1986. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Intrepid completes sea trials 9/3 - According to a social media post, Algoma Central Corp’s newest vessel, Algoma Intrepid, has successfully completed sea trials in the Adriatic off the coast of Croatia. No information has been released as to when the vessel will depart for Canada. She is a sistership to Algoma Innovator, with a bow-mounted unloader. Algoma Central Corp. |
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Port Reports - September 3 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Monroe, MI
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marine Mart canceled 9/3 - Due to ongoing government regulations with the Covid-19 pandemic, GLMI Board of Directors voted to cancel our Marine Mart scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2020 at VFW Bruce Post in St. Clair Shores, MI. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 16, 2021. Great Lakes Maritime Institute |
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2020 updated list of new saltwater visitors 9/3 - As of September 1, 2020, there were 31 new saltwater vessels making their first inland trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system via the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y. They include Alanis, Amber Bay, Amoenitas, Atlantic Spirit, Aujaq, BBC Gdansk, BBC Mekong, BBC Norfolk, BBC Swift, Caroline, Comet, Fure Ven, Heemskerkgracht, Hilke, Ijborg, Imke, Janet C, Josef, Julie C, Keith, Lagertha, Mick, Nadja, Northern Spirit, Ortolan Beta Strait, Puna, Sider Amy, Sinaa, Spiekeroog, Trito Navigator and Zea Servant. Eleven of the new saltwater visitors have made inland trips with other names. They are the Atlantic Spirit which last visited as the Adfines Star in 2019, while the Northern Spirit also last visited in 2019 as the Adfines Sea. Both vessels are tankers and sisterships. The Caroline last visited in 2019 as the Palmerton and they were renamed while at Sarnia on December 1. The Hilke last visited in 2018 as the Palabora and the Lagertha last visited in 2016 as the Halit Bey on its only visit with that name. The Puna last visited in 2019 as the Three Rivers, while the Ortolan Beta Strait last visited in 2019 as the Pacific Huron. Both are sisterships. BBC Norfolk last visited as the Thorco Alliance in 2015 on its only visit with that name. The Heemskerkgracht has visited twice with former names; thitey first came inland as the Beluga Faculty in 2009 and last visited as such in 2010. It returned inland as the HHL Nile in 2011 and last visited as such in 2015. The Josef first came inland as the HHL Congo in 2012 and last visited as such in 2018. As HHL Congo, the ship was renamed Josef in June 2018 while at Burns Harbor. Finally, the Imke last visited in 2016 as the Palau. Denny Dushane |
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Today’s Virtual Visitor Center: ‘Voyage on the Victory II,’ by Roger LeLievre 9/3 - In August 2019, Roger LeLievre, editor and publisher of the annual Great Lakes shipping field guide "Know Your Ships," booked a trip from Detroit to Montreal on the passenger ship Victory II. Visiting ports of call such as Cleveland, the Welland Canal, Toronto and Quebec City, he shares his experiences, and offers a brief history of passenger ship travel on the Great Lakes, in the Virtual Visitor Center this week. The program, today, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, is hosted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. Join on your Chrome browser at https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/passenger-travel |
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Job opening: Chief Engineer Tug Demolen, Class I XH-4742-14
9/3 -
Pay: $44.32 to $51.74 per hour U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is accepting resumes from candidates to serve as Chief Engineer Tug Class I (XH-4742-14), at the Detroit Area Office in the Floating Plant Branch. This is a Permanent/Fulltime/Seasonal position. Resumes will be accepted from 02 September thru 16 September 2020. Resume must be received by COB 16-September-2020 in order to be considered.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: • Seasonal employment means annually recurring periods of work that typically last ten months each year placed in a non-duty, non-pay status in the off-season and recalled to duty the following work season it may vary depending of management needs. • This position requires the incumbent to lift and carry materials weighing 50 pounds or more and will require a pre-employment physical exam. • This position is covered by the civilian drug abuse testing program. Incumbent is required to sign a DA Form 5019-R, Condition of Employment for certain civilian positions identified as critical under the Drug Abuse Testing Program. • The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states • You may be expected to travel up to 75% of the time • Work duty station is located Detroit, MI and schedule is a 40 hour work week. Unless in a TDY status (travel) status, schedule is subject to change. • Shift work is required during open-water (lake) towing operations. • Must possess and maintain a valid state issued motor vehicle driver’s license • This position requires incumbent to wear safety equipment and/or use personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed. • This position requires incumbent to obtain and maintain a First Aid Certification.
HOW TO APPLY:
POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ACTION: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 3
September 3, 1919, the WILLIAM A. McGONAGLE loaded a record 15,160 tons of soft coal at Toledo, Ohio for delivery to Gary, Indiana. The record lasted less than 24 hours as the D. G. KERR, Captain Harry Harbottle, loaded 15,532 tons of coal at the same Toledo dock for delivery to Gary. September 3, 1942, the 250-foot STEEL VENDOR, Captain G. L. Kane, sank at 3:45 a.m. on Lake Superior with a cargo of 3,000 tons of iron ore. The lone casualty was Oiler John N. Sicken. Twenty-two survivors were rescued by the CHARLES M. SCHWAB, Captain Alfred Drouillard, and 2 survivors were rescued by the WILLIAM G. CLYDE, Captain David M. LeRoy. Other boats standing by were the B. F. AFFLECK, ELBERT H. GARY, JOLIET, and EUGENE P. THOMAS. September 3, 1957, the HARRIS N. SNYDER of the Boland & Cornelius fleet, Captain Elmer Murray and Chief Engineer Frank Mc Cabe, rescued 2 from the waters of Lake Michigan. Not only did the crew rescue Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Colby, but the crew used the unloading boom to recover their sailboat and place it on the deck of the SNYDER. The entire maneuver only required 55 minutes. On September 3, 1899, the Great Lakes Towing Company's RED CLOUD (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 40 gross tons, built in 1883, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing on Lake Erie for Lorain, Ohio, when a storm forced her to head for port at Cedar Point, Ohio. However she was thrown on a reef and broke in two - a total loss. The crew made it to Sandusky, Ohio. On September 3, the BELLE RIVER (now WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR.) set a then Great Lakes record for coal when it loaded 62,802 tons of coal at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal on its maiden voyage. This record has since been surpassed many times. At Lorain, Ohio keel-laying ceremonies for the 437-foot bow section of the ROGER BLOUGH (Hull#900) took place on September 3, 1968, and was float-launched December 21, 1968, less ballast tanks because the existing dry dock wasn't wide enough to accommodate her 105-foot width. SOODOC (Hull#210) of 1976, on her maiden voyage from Collingwood, Ontario, loaded salt at Goderich, Ontario, on September 3, 1976. Renamed b.) AMELIA DESGAGNES in 1990. U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY was laid up for the last time September 3, 1981, at Superior, Wisconsin. She was towed to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1987, where the superstructure was removed and the hull was sunk for use as a dock. THOMAS W. LAMONT was laid up for the last time at Duluth’s Hallett dock #6A on September 3, 1981. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1987. H. H. PORTER sailed on her maiden voyage for the Brier Hill Steamship Co. (Pickands Mather, mgr.) on September 3, 1920, light from Lorain, Ohio, to load iron ore at Two Harbors, Minnesota. Renamed b.) WALTER E. WATSON in 1957 and c.) NATIONAL TRADER in 1973. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1978. On September 3, 1985, PHILIP R. CLARKE plowed into the Drawbridge Cove Marina in Lorain's Black River, damaging 5-10 small craft and sinking one at the steel dock. CLARKE managed to stop before hitting the Route 6 drawbridge. On September 3,1887, BULGARIA (wooden propeller, 280 foot, 1,888 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, by J. Davidson, as their hull number 16. September 3, 1910 - The MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 (Hull#450) was launched in Cleveland, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for the Marquette & Bessemer Dock & Navigation Co. She was the replacement for MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 of 1905, (Hull#428), which foundered on Lake Erie, December 7, 1909. On September 3, 1869, the 167-foot wooden propeller BOSCOBEL burned about two miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Three lives were lost. The ship was only about two years old and was in service of the New York Central Railroad, though owned by the Peshtigo Lumbering Co. of Chicago. The burned hulk was raised in 1876 and rebuilt as a schooner-barge at Algonac, Michigan. She lasted until 1909, when she sank on Lake Huron. 1905: The GEORGE STEPHENSON was blown aground at Pointe Aux Pins, Lake Superior and struck by her consort barge JOHN A. ROEBLING. Both were released and returned to service. 1942: DONALD STEWART, a canal trader for Canada Steamship Lines, was torpedoed by U-517 and sunk while in a convoy on the Gulf of St. Lawrence while carrying barrels of aviation fuel and bulk cement for the air base at Goose Bay, Labrador. Three members of the engine room crew were lost. 1944: LIVINGSTON, a former Great Lakes canal ship, was torpedoed and sunk by U-541 in the Atlantic about 80 miles east of Cape Breton Island. Fourteen lives were lost but another 14 were spared and rescued. 1965: The tanker EASTERN SHELL sank the small wooden goelette MONT BLANC in a collision blamed on fog about 20 miles from Trois Rivieres. All crewmembers of the pulpwood carrier were rescued. 1970: KENNETH made a single trip to the Great Lakes in 1959. It caught fire in the engine room on this date off the coast of Israel while enroute from Alexandria, Egypt, to Tripoli, Libya, as h) CHRISTINA MARIA. The ship was abandoned by the crew, towed into Haifa, Israel, September 6 and sold to Israeli shipbreakers later in the year. 1998: ORKANGER, a chemical tanker that first came through the Seaway in 1977, began leaking while inbound at Rio Grande, Brazil, as e) BAHAMAS with 12,000 tons of sulphuric acid and sank in the harbor. The hull was eventually refloated but never repaired although it had subsequent renames and was reported as broken up in 2003 as h) ORIENT FLOWER. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 2 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Monroe, MI
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Oswego, NY – Tom Brewer |
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SS Keewatin’s Eric Conroy bids farewell 9/2 - Port McNicoll, ON – “God speed and good sailing.” That's Eric Conroy's sign-off line at the end of a letter announcing that he is stepping away from his role as chief executive officer and president of the non-profit, Friends of Keewatin. "There are a whole set of new problems facing Keewatin today," writes Conroy in his letter, referring to the Edwardian era ship's fate, which hangs in the balance. "There is also an incredible response to recent media reports. Keewatin has attracted some very talented new volunteers, bringing experience in history, museum science, law, finance, and marketing. This new contingent is fitting well with the existing crew and a new team has been created. "It is therefore time for me to step aside and let this re-energized organization rise to the current challenge and those going forward," he continues. "I am resigning effective Aug. 31, 2020, and will fulfill my obligations and withdraw by Sept. 15, 2020." The ship owes Conroy a debt of gratitude, said David Blevins, communications officer for the Friends of Keewatin. "The ship is him and he is the ship," Blevins said, adding Conroy has given 12 years of his life to making sure the ship is well cared for and maintained as it rests in the waters of Georgian Bay. "He's been part of the ship for decades. (He) started when he worked on the ship. I've never seen dedication to anyone by anyone as deep as his to the Keewatin." Conroy is credited with bringing the ship to its current home at Port McNicoll. According to Conroy's official bio shared by the Friends of Keewatin, he had been engaged in the acquisition and return to Canada of the passenger steamship since August 2011. As a teen, he worked onboard the ship as a waiter as it travelled ran from Port McNicoll to Fort William (now Thunder Bay). The 350-foot-long antique ship was purchased by Skyline Developments as a centrepiece and cultural contribution to a renewed Port McNicoll community. "It's an amazing feat to bring this ship back and to have the original president of Skyline want to gift this to the community," said Blevins. He added somewhere along the line things changed between Skyline and Friends of Keewatin, which is currently locked out of the ship until a decision is made about whether it's being sold to a new owner or being dismantled to be laid to rest forever. "The bigger picture is that we're still locked out," he said. "We're frustrated by that action." He said the presence of the ship in Tay Township honors those that have served the community in the past and that it would be a real hit to the local community to lose the ship. "We've had tens of thousands of people going through the ship since she's been back," added Blevins. "Notwithstanding the thousands of hours of volunteer work that has gone into it." Friends of Keewatin is hoping for a resolution for the community, he said. "We're reaching out to Skyline to open the lines of communication to just ask that very question: what can we do to assure you that this ship can stay here and should stay here?" said Blevins, admitting that the non-profit has financial challenges when it comes to keeping the ship where it is. "There are so many moving parts that we as Friends of Keewatin are not part of," he said. "Over the past, we've had a trusted and valued relationship with them and we want to keep that going." As for Conroy's role, Blevins said, the Friends of Keewatin is forever grateful and thankful for his devotion to the ship. Midland Today |
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Photos: Russian tall ship Pilgrim arrives in Duluth 9/2 - Duluth, MN – The Pilgrim has been sailing the world for two years and arrived in Duluth on Monday, Aug. 31. It originated in Duluth’s Sister City of Petrozavodsk, Russia, where the vessel was built in 2007. The tall ship will spend an indefinite amount of time in Duluth, and is likely to move on to a secondary dock as the expedition needs to raise funds to transport the ship and crew to Seattle, where it will resume sailing for Alaska. View images at this link: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/6641679-Photos-Russian-tall-ship-Pilgrim-arrives-in-Duluth |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 2
On 02 September 1902, the White Star Line’s TASHMOO (steel side-wheel excursion steamer, 308 foot, 1,344 gross tons, built in 1900, at Wyandotte, Michigan) hosted President Theodore Roosevelt when he came to Detroit, Michigan, to speak to Spanish American War veterans. The vessel took the president and his party on a sightseeing tour up and down the river while flying the president's blue and gold flag from the main mast. The BROOKNES (Hull #1177) was launched on September 2, 1970, at Glasgow, Scotland by Lithgows Ltd. for "Langra" Schiffahrsges G.m.b.H. & Co., Hamburg, Germany. Brought to the Lakes in 1976, converted to a self-unloader and renamed b.) ALGOSEA. She sailed most recently as c.) SAUNIERE. ROBERT KOCH's first trip was on September 2, 1977, up the Welland Canal bound for Buffalo with cement. The W. F. WHITE was one of the earliest ships built as a self-unloader on the Great Lakes. On her maiden voyage September 2, 1915, the WHITE loaded coal at Erie, Pennsylvania, and sailed for Menominee, Michigan. She was the largest self-unloading bulk carrier on the Lakes at that time with a cargo capacity of 10,500 tons. The RALPH H. WATSON departed light September 2, 1938, from Detroit, Michigan, upbound to load iron ore at Duluth, Minnesota. She was built as part of a fleet modernization plan for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, of four new "GOVERNOR MILLER' class bulk carriers, the other two were the JOHN HULST and the WILLIAM A. IRVIN. The WATSON was only the fourth steam turbine powered vessel on the Lakes HUBERT GAUCHER ran aground in the lower St. Lawrence on September 2, 1988. It took three tugs to free her; repairs took place at Quebec City. ZIEMIA TARNOWSKA lost her engine while docking at Pier 24, in Cleveland, ramming the dock and caused about $100,000 in damage on September 2, 1988. The Polish vessel had minimal damage to her bulbous bow. On 2 September 1851, BUNKER HILL (wooden sidewheeler, 154 foot, 457 tons, built in 1835, at Black River, Ohio) burned to a total loss at Tonawanda, New York. The COLONEL ELLSWORTH (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 319 gross tons, built in 1861, at Euclid, Ohio as a bark) was beached on Whitefish Point in Lake Superior the entire winter of 1895-96. She was repaired and put back into service late in the summer of 1896. Then, on 2 September 1896, the newly rebuilt vessel collided with the schooner EMILY B. MAXWELL about 6 miles from White Shoals on Lake Michigan and sank at about 4:00 a.m. Her crew escaped in the yawl and was picked up by the MAXWELL. 1905 The large wooden schooner PRETORIA, which cleared Superior with ore under tow of the VENEZUELA, hit a fierce storm and the steering gear failed. The vessel fell into the trough after the tow line snapped and the barge broke up off Outer Island. Five crew were rescued and another five were lost. 1905 IOSCO and the schooner OLIVE JEANETTE foundered off Huron Island, Lake Superior, with the loss of 19 lives on the former and another 7 on the latter. Both were downbound with iron ore and were last seen near Stannard Rock. Also, the SEVONA stranded on a reef in a Lake Superior storm and broke in two as a total loss. Seven drowned from the bow section when they tried to come ashore on hatch rafts. The wreck was dynamited in 1909 after the boilers had been salvaged. 1914 THOS. R. SCOTT became waterlogged and sank during a storm in the deepest part of Georgian Bay off the east coast of the Bruce Peninsula. The ship was swamped in a storm while carrying lumber from Cockburn Island to Owen Sound and all on board were saved. The hull was located using sidescan sonar in 1994. 1926 BURT BARNES, a wooden three-masted schooner, foundered in Lake Ontario while carrying 210 tons of coal from Sodus Point to Picton. The crew abandoned the ship in the yawl boat near Picton and were blown across the lake and came ashore safely 12 miles west of Rochester. 1972 The Cypriot freighter AEGIS WISDOM and the Italian vessel LIBRA collided in fog on the St. Lawrence near Les Escoumins. The former, which had been launched in March, was on her first trip outbound from the Seaway and was heavily damaged aft. The vessel was towed to Lauzon for repairs and survived until scrapping at Alang, India, as d) ANGELIKI II following arrival on January 14, 1997. LIBRA, dated from 1965 but did not come to the Great Lakes until 1975. It was scrapped in Mainland China as b) DEPY in 1986. 1975 CHICAGO TRIBUNE, enroute from Thunder Bay to Collingwood with grain, went aground in Georgian Bay and had to be lightered by the CHARLES W. JOHNSON, working with the tug ROD McLEAN. After being released and unloaded, the ship went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Grain exports bolster foundering Great Lakes shipping volume 9/1 - Booming exports of grain are driving the Great Lakes shipping industry’s rebound, with shipments of Canadian grain up 13 per cent from last year. The demand for grain helps offset downturns among many other products, like coal, steel and iron ore, which have brought the overall amount of cargo shipped on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway down eight per cent year-to-date. “Throughout the year, we’ve seen a surge of Canadian and American grain being shipped out,” said Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, a bi-national association that represents more than 130 marine stakeholders. “The demand, both domestically and internationally, for wheat and canola, is strong.” Burrows said grain is in high demand amid the pandemic because of changes to the food industry, with more people cooking and consuming goods at home. “Global demand this year seems to suggest that they like Canadian grain, soybean and canola products,” he said. Lower-than-normal ocean shipping rates have also made Canadian and American grain more attractive internationally, Burrows said. In July, 3.9 million tonnes of cargo moved through the St. Lawrence Seaway and 15.6 million tonnes have shipped so far this year. Coal is down 16 per cent, dry bulk 12 per cent and liquid bulk 20 per cent, offshoots of the pandemic thrashing the construction, automotive and travel industries. Still, July marked the first month since the COVID-19 pandemic began that Great Lakes shipping showed signs of improvement compared to the same month last year. Shipments of fertilizer are beginning to rise, Burrows said, along with road salt and general cargo. “Some ports for July are up a little bit,” Burrows said. “There’s obviously optimism here that maybe we’ve seen the bottom, but there’s nothing to celebrate yet.” At Port Windsor, one of Southwestern Ontario’s key ports, grain shipments are up 18.9 per cent. Overall, tonnage is down 4.6 per cent year-to-date at Port Windsor, clobbered by a 68 per cent drop off in steel shipments. July 2020, however, was up 7.7 per cent from July 2019. As the Great Lakes freight industry gears up for what it hopes will be a busy fall season — the season typically ends Dec. 31 — grain remains top of mind for many ports hoping to claw back as much missed business as possible. “We anticipate strong grain shipments in fall with Canadian farmers preparing to harvest one of the top five largest crops in history,” said Tim Heney, chief executive of the Port of Thunder Bay. “The Seaway has been a vital export corridor for Canadian farmers to reach world markets during the pandemic,” said Terence Bowles, president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “We’re hopeful that grain numbers will remain strong with the new crop harvests in the autumn.” For Burrows, it’s “no question” shipping on the St. Lawrence will be down this year. It’s nearly impossible to make up that eight per cent decrease in four months, he said, but grain could be a silver lining in an otherwise tumultuous year. “If grain can still see a good fall, it’ll make it a more respectable year,” Burrows said. “That’s what’s going to be saving us to some extent from the damage.” Sentinel Review |
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Port Reports - September 1 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 1
September 1, 1880, the Cleveland Vessel Owners Association, later Lake Carriers’ Association, was created, with Alva Bradley as its first president. September 1, 1892, the upbound WESTERN RESERVE, flagship of the Kinsman fleet, sank approximately 60 miles above Whitefish Point. There were 31 casualties among the crew and passengers. The lone survivor was Wheelsman Harry W. Stewart. On 01 September 1891, EDWARD H. JENKS (wooden propeller freighter, 119 foot over all, 180 gross tons, built in 1882, at Port Dover, Ontario as the passenger/package freight steamer E.M. FOSTER) was carrying limestone up the Detroit River during a foggy night when she collided with GEORGE W. MORLEY (wooden propeller freighter, 193 foot, 1,045 gross tons, built in 1888, at W. Bay City, Michigan) in a misunderstanding of passing signals. Three were killed in the collision and the JENKS quickly sank at Ballard's Reef on the Detroit River. Her cargo kept her in place until she was recovered the following month and rebuilt. Tragedy struck four days after the launch of the AGAWA CANYON, September 1, 1970, when the ship was rocked by an engine room explosion, killing one of the crew and injuring seven more. The AGAWA CANYON entered service in November, 1970, equipped with four 10 cylinder, two stroke cycle, single acting opposed piston diesel engines, built in 1970, by Fairbanks, Morse (Canada), Kingston, Ontario. Total bhp 6,680. Rated service speed: 12 knots (13.8 mph). The TEMPLE BAR (Hull#101G) was launched September 1, 1970, at Govan, Scotland by the Govan Division of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd. for Lambert Bros. (Shipping) Ltd., London, England. Renamed b.) LAKE NIPIGON in 1977, c.) LAKETON in 1984, d.) LAKE NIPIGON in 1986, and e.) ALGONORTH in 1987. Upon her arrival at Quebec City on September 1, 1962, the LAKE WINNIPEG was the first vessel of the Nipigon Transport Ltd. (Carryore Ltd., mgr.) fleet. The self-unloader B.H. TAYLOR (Hull#787) was launched September 1, 1923, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., the third self-unloader built for the Bradley Transportation Co., Rogers City, Michigan. Renamed b.) ROGERS CITY in 1957. Scrapped at Recife, Brazil in 1988. From September 1, 1947, to September 15, 1959, the U.S.C.G.C. MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. On 1 September 1854, ABIAH (2-mast wooden schooner or brig, 134 foot, 353 tons, built in 1848, at Irving, New York) was sailing light from Chicago, Illinois, to Oconto, Wisconsin, when she capsized and sank in a squall about 10 miles off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The schooner L. LUDDINGTON rescued her crew and 2 passengers. The 135-foot wooden schooner JOSEPH E. SPARROW was launched at Bangor, Michigan, on 1 September 1873. On 1 September 1900, the Canadian steamer ADVANCE (wooden propeller package freighter, 168 foot, 1,178 gross tons, built in 1884, at St. Catharines, Ontario) was placed in service. In August 1899, when she was named SIR S. L. TILLEY, she had caught fire off shore, about 7 miles from Fairport, Ohio, and was destroyed. However, the hull was later recovered and used as the basis of the steamer ADVANCE. She lasted in this role until 1903, when she burned again. September 1, 1919 - A switchman was killed in the yard at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, while the ANN ARBOR No. 6 was being loaded. This caused a delay of four hours in her sailing time. September 1, 1931 - W. L. Mercereau retired as superintendent of steamships, a position he had held since 1899. 1916 DRONNING MAUD, a Norwegian freighter visited the Great Lakes on charter to Keystone Transports beginning in 1909. It hit a mine in the North Sea on this date and sank off the east coast of England, between Southwall and Lowestoft. 1929 EDWARD BUCKLEY caught fire and was destroyed in the North Channel of Georgian Bay. The blaze broke out aft while enroute to Little Current to load pulpwood. The hull burned to the waterline and sank near Narrow Island Lighthouse. Local fishermen rescued the crew. 1936 The Canadian canaller BENMAPLE of the Port Colborne & St. Lawrence Navigation Company, sank in the St. Lawrence at about 0400 hours, near Father Point, after being hit in fog by the inbound liner LAFAYETTE. A wheelsman was killed but all others on board were rescued. 1983 INDIANA HARBOR sets a record loading 67,896 tons of iron ore at Escanaba. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 31 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI -
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 31
August 31, 1852 - The U. S. Congress passed an act requiring the president to appoint three officers from the Navy, three engineers from the Army and two civilian scientists to constitute the new Lighthouse Board. The Bureau of Lighthouses succeeded the Lighthouse Board in 1910. On August 31, 1977, the BELLE RIVER entered service, departing Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Superior, Wisconsin. Renamed b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR in 1990. In mid-August 1987, a peregrine falcon that had disappeared from Regina, Saskatchewan, two weeks earlier landed on the deck of a lake freighter on Lake Huron. The bird was captured and taken to a bird sanctuary in Vineland, Ontario. The vessel name is unknown. In mid-August 1985, the Belgium salty FEDERAL THAMES loaded 25,400 tons of low-concentrate chrome ore at Duluth's Hallett Dock and was bound for Sweden. This ore dates back to World War II when it was mined in Montana. Other shipments were to have been made later as well. On 31 August 1906, CAVALIER (3-mast wooden schooner, 134 foot 268 gross tons, built in 1867, at Quebec City as a bark) was carrying cedar lumber when she struck a reef off Chantry Island in Lake Huron and sank. Her crew was rescued by the Chantry Island lightkeeper. She was bound from Tobermory for Sarnia, Ontario. On 31 August 1869, the schooner W. G. KEITH was launched at the Muir & Stewart yard in Port Huron, Michigan. She was named after her skipper/owner. Her dimensions were 126 foot X 26 foot X 8 foot 6 inches. She was built for the Lake Michigan lumber trade. On 31 August 1900, efforts to free the newly-launched steel steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON from the mud in the Black River at Port Huron, Michigan continued throughout the day. The launch had been watched by thousands the previous day and the vessel's stern stuck in the mud. On this date, the tugs BOYNTON and HAYNES tried to pull her free but were unable to do so. Finally 14 hydraulic jacks were used to lift the vessel and at 6 p.m. she was ready to be pulled by tugs. After a 15-inch hawser was broken in the first attempt, the tug PROTECTOR finally pulled the vessel free. In 1982, the sandsucker NIAGARA made its last trip through the I-75 Bridge with a cargo of sand for the Chevrolet Saginaw Metal Castings plant. In 1975, ALGOCEN stranded on South McNair Shoal in the St. Lawrence off Ogdensburg, N.Y. The ship was released and, after unloading at Port Cartier, sailed to Port Weller Dry Dock to spend from September 14 to October 10 on the shelf while a 600-foot section of the bottom of the hull was repaired. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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USCG Hollyhock sets out for southern U.S. to restore storm-battered shipping channels 8/30 - Port Huron, MI – The U.S. Coast Guard Hollyhock set out on a historic mission last week, departing from Port Huron to help southern states battered by tropical storms. Nick Monacelli, the Hollyhock's lieutenant commander, said the ship will replace, repair and locate missing buoys blown away or damaged by tropical storms. Buoys designate shipping channels so boats can safely navigate the water. Open shipping channels are important to establish as soon as possible after a storm or hurricane, Monacelli said. Shipping is an important mode of transportation that delivers relief supplies to storm-damaged areas, especially when other modes of transportation are not available. "After the storms, usually airports are just decimated, roads are washed out, so one of the only ways to bring relief into hard-hit areas is generally through the ports," he said. "But the ports can't open until the mariners are certain in the ability of safety of navigation." Crews work on the USCGC Hollyhock. The ship will replace and repair buoys marking shipping channels following tropical storms during the 2020 hurricane season. This is the first mission of its kind the Hollyhock has ever completed, Monacelli said. "This is unprecedented and historic. This is not a typical mission for the Hollyhock," he said. "We normally stay within the Great Lakes. Of course, she is capable of going out." The Hollyhock is one of 16 Coast Guard seagoing buoy tenders. Several buoy ships on the East Coast are out of commission currently for maintenance, so the Hollyhock is filling in. "We're going in as the bullpen bench strength," he said. Monacelli said he spent several years doing post-storm recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, so he was tapped for his experience. The last time the ship left the Great Lakes was 2013, for maintenance at a dry dock. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2020/08/28/u-s-coast-guard-hollyhock-sets-out-southern-u-s-restore-storm-battered-shipping-channels/3444700001 |
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Port Reports - August 30 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Toronto, ON |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 30
On this day in 1964, the retired Bradley Transportation steamer CALCITE was awarded the National Safety Council Award of Merit. The CALCITE accumulated a total of 1,394,613 man-hours of continuous operation over 17 years without a disabling, lost-time injury. The CALCITE was the first Great Lakes vessel to ever receive this honor. On 30 August 1893, CENTURION (steel propeller freighter, 350 foot, 3,401 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull#100) at W. Bay City, Michigan. The name was a pun to celebrate the ship as Frank Wheeler's 100th hull. The CHARLES E. WILSON was christened August 30, 1973, at Bay Shipbuilding Co., for the American Steamship Co., and completed her sea trials on September 6th. She was renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. On August 30, 1942, the A. H. FERBERT ran aground in the St. Marys River, just a day old. The vessel returned to the builder's yard in River Rouge, Michigan for repairs. On August 30, 1988, the WILLOWGLEN, a.) MESABI, made its first visit to Duluth-Superior under that name. She loaded grain at Harvest States in Superior, Wisconsin, arriving early in the morning and departing in the early evening the same day. Her last visit to Duluth before this was in 1981 under the name c.) JOSEPH X. ROBERT. The H G DALTON entered service on August 30, 1903, for Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. Later b.) COURSEULLES in 1916, c.) GLENDOCHART in 1922, d.) CHATSWORTH in 1927, e.) BAYLEAF in 1942 and f.) MANCOX in 1951. On August 30, 1985, the tug CAPTAIN IOANNIS S departed Quebec City with MENIHEK LAKE and LEON FALK, JR. in tow, bound for Spain to be scrapped. On 30 August 1873, CAMBRIDGE (3-mast, wooden schooner, 162 foot, 445 tons, built in 1868, at Detroit, Michigan) was bound from Marquette, Michigan for Cleveland, Ohio with a load of iron ore. In rough seas, she was thrown onto the rocky shore near Marquette where she broke up. No lives were lost. On 30 August 1900, thousands of people gathered at the Jenks Shipbuilding Company near the Grand Trunk Bridge on the Black River in Port Huron, Michigan to watch the launching of the large steel steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON. Superintendent Andrews gave the word and the blows were struck simultaneously at the bow and stern. Slowly the vessel started quivering slightly from deck to keel and then with a mighty rush, slid sideways into the river. Her stern stuck in the mud. Mrs. Thomas Wilson christened the ship. 1892: The two-year-old steel bulk carrier WESTERN RESERVE foundered about 60 miles above Whitefish Point with the loss of 26 lives. There was only one survivor. 1903: PITTSBURGH burned at the dock in Sandwich, Ontario. The oak-hulled passenger and freight paddle-wheeler had been built in 1871 as MANITOBA. The hull was towed to Port Dalhousie for scrapping later in 1904. 1942: NEEBING (i), a former bulk canaller that dated from 1903, left the lakes for war service about 1915. It survived the initial conflict and continued in saltwater service into the Second World War. The ship was torpedoed and sunk as c) JAN TOMP in the eastern Black Sea enroute from Poti, Georgia, to Novorossiysk, Russia. 1952: The iron-hulled paddle-wheeler HAMILTONIAN burned at Hamilton. The cause was believed to have been a carelessly discarded cigarette butt in the women’s washroom. The remains were scrapped at Hamilton in 1953. 1975: B.A. CANADA came to the Great Lakes beginning in 1966 after early work for British-American tankers between Venezuela and North America. The ship was sold and returned inland under Liberian registry as b) DIMITRIOS D.M. in 1969 and ran aground in the Panama Canal on this date in 1975. The damaged hull was laid up at Jacksonville, FL and arrived at Panama City, FL. for scrapping on March 10, 1976. 2001: MARLY, a Seaway caller in 1981, began flooding in #2 hold as d) BISMIHITA'LA and developed a severe list. The crew abandoned ship and 25 sailors were picked up by the MURIEL YORK. Three were lost when their lifeboat drifted into the propeller. The ship was 500 miles off Capetown, South Africa. It was taken in tow by the tug SUHAILI but the 25-year old freighter had to be scuttled at sea on September 17, 2001. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Blount Small Ship Adventures ceases operations 8/29 - After indications that Blount may have been shuttering its cruising arm, Blount Small Ship Adventures, the line confirmed on August 25 that it is ceasing operations effective immediately as a result of the ongoing global health crisis. On August 12, a sponsored post on the popular gCaptain website showed the three Blount vessels – Grande Mariner, Grande Caribe and Niagara Prince – as being "currently for sale by owner and open for viewing by appointment at the Blount Boats facility in Warren, Rhode Island." Blount Small Ship Adventures – an offshoot of shipbuilder Blount Boats – has been in business for decades, offering small-ship cruises throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Its three vessels are also listed as being for sale on the Blount Boats website. "Yes, this is confirmation that Blount Small Ship Cruise Lines has ceased operations," Julie Blount, EVP of Blount Boats, told TravelPulse. Blount stated that the company would focus on its small shipbuilding operations in the United States, but would no longer offer cruises. The Blount Small Ship Adventures website, meanwhile, now only displays a splash-page with a generic email address for inquires. The website states the company hopes to resume operations in 2021. Blount Small Ship Adventures was founded in 1966 by Luther Blount as the American Canadian Caribbean Line. It is the first U.S.-based cruise line to fold following the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed the British line Cruise & Maritime Voyages; Royal Caribbean's Spanish arm, Pullmantur; and German operator FTI. Cruise Critic |
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Port Reports - August 29 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Owen Sound, ON – Paul Martin
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Cleveland, OH – Jacob Silvan
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 29
August 29, 1996 - The NICOLET, which had been sold for scrap, left Toledo under tow of the McKeil tug OTIS WACK, arriving in Port Maitland, Ontario during the early hours of the 30th. Last operated in 1990, the NICOLET was built in 1905 by Great Lakes Engineering Work at Ecorse, Michigan as the a.) WILLIAM G. MATHER (25), b) J. H. SHEADLE (55), c) H. L. GOBEILLE. The vessel spent the first 60 years of her life in service for the Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company. After 1965, her ownership was transferred to the Gartland Steamship Company and eventually American Steamship Company. On this day in 1974, unsuccessful negotiations on a major shipbuilding contract resulting in Litton Industries terminating operations at its Erie yard. The Litton yard had built the first 1,000-foot boat on the lakes, the STEWART J. CORT, and the 1,000-foot tug-barge PRESQUE ISLE. It is not often that a schooner tows a tug, but on 29 August 1882, the tug J. A. CRAWFORD was towing the big schooner JAMES COUCH to Chicago when the wind picked up and the schooner passed the tug. Captain Gorman of the CRAWFORD cut the engine and allowed the COUCH to tow him until they got close to the harbor. Then the schooner shortened sail and the tug finished the job of towing her into port. On August 29, 1942, the A. H. FERBERT entered service for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. On her maiden voyage August 29, 1979, the INDIANA HARBOR sailed for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore pellets for Indiana Harbor, Indiana. In August 1982, INDIANA HARBOR became the first U.S. flag laker to receive satellite communication. On August 29, 1972 the lightship HURON was placed in an earth embankment at Port Huron's Pine Grove Park along the St. Clair River and was opened to visitors on July 13, 1974. Canada Steamship Lines' ATLANTIC SUPERIOR returned from Europe on August 29, 1985, with a cargo of gypsum for Picton, Ontario. On 29 August 1871, GEORGE M. ABEL (2-mast wooden schooner) broke up on a reef near Port Burwell, Ontario. On 29 August 1858, CANADA (3-mast wooden bark, 199 foot, 758 tons) was carrying a half-million board feet of lumber to Chicago in bad weather when she settled just north of downtown Chicago. The next day during a salvage attempt, she blew southward, struck a bar off the old waterworks, broke her back, then broke up. She had been built in Canada in 1846, as a sidewheeler and was seized by the U.S. in 1849, and rebuilt as a bark in 1852. August 29, 1998 - The BADGER was designated a spur route on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. 1906: The wooden bulk carrier CHARLES A. EDDY caught fire in Lake Huron enroute to Cleveland with iron ore. The ship later arrived at Port Huron, under her own power, with a salvage crew. 1967: LINDE, a Norwegian flag freighter, first entered the Seaway in 1965. Two years later, on this date, it sank the ARISTOS in dense fog in the English Channel 17 miles off Beachy Head. All on board were rescued. LINDE later stranded as d) ZEPHYR outside of Dunkirk, France, on January 13, 1981, after anchoring due to bad weather. The hull was broken up for scrap where she lay. 1984: A fire in the cargo hold of NANTICOKE broke out while the ship was unloading in Quebec City and damaged the self-unloading belts and electronic components. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Lake Huron Lore Society, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handling one of biggest shipment in its history 8/28 - Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor – The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is handling one of the biggest shipments in its half-century-long history. The deepwater port on Lake Michigan is unloading the primary shipments for a $1 billion power plant at the Indeck Niles Energy Center in Niles, Michigan. Stevedores at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor are handling more than 600 individual pieces of cargo, some of which are 100-feet long and weigh more than 600,000 pounds. A total of six ocean-faring vessels known as salties have been hauling in the cargo, including a Heat Recovery Steam Generator steam recovery system that is 613,000 pounds, 100 feet long, 12 feet high and 15 feet wide. “We have seen an uptick in large project cargo shipments this year for power plants and wind energy components, but the size and scope of this project make it one of the largest shipments in our port’s 50-year history,” Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Port Director Ian Hirt said. “It is not every day you get to see our port companies and labor force handling 600 pieces of cargo for one massive power plant project.” The ocean-going ships BBC Florida, Timgad, Freida, Calypso, BBC Mont Blanc and BBC Greenland traversed the Atlantic Ocean, passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway and entered the Great Lakes. They came to the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor because of its capability for handling heavy lift, oversized and large-dimensional cargoes, and for its proximity to the power plant in Michiana. “The project volume, totaling 25,000 cubic meters, is comparable to 10 Statues of Liberty,” Hirt said. “Watching cargoes this large move through the port is awe-inspiring.” Each shipment takes about two months. Longshoreman load the cargo onto 84-axle semitrailer trucks that take it to its final destination at the next-generation natural gas power plant in Michigan. The Indeck Niles Energy Center will use combined-cycle technology in which electricity is produced through a gas turbine and by recovering excess heat that is converted to steam. Construction started last year, and it's expected to go online in spring 2022. NW Indiana Times |
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Saginaw River closing to boaters for Consumers Energy plant demolition 8/28 - Bay City, MI – Boaters looking to get in an early morning cruise or go fishing this weekend will want to reschedule their plans. The Saginaw River near the Consumers Energy Weadock Plant in Hampton Township will close to all mariners and boat traffic during the final demolition of the structure set for Saturday, Aug. 29. Crews from Bierlein Companies of Midland will use explosives to take down the final structure at the Weadock Plant, prompting the river to close from 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Saturday for safety. Consumers Energy is asking the public to watch the event online at the company’s Facebook page. The livestream will start at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Saturday. The demolition will shift to 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, if weather conditions do not prove favorable for Saturday. The plant was shut down in 2016 and demolition started in 2017 due to a pledge by Consumers to reduce carbon emissions and to eliminate the use of coal to generate electricity by 2040. Coal units one and two in the nearby Dan E. Karn Generating Complex will retire in 2023. Bierlein was selected as the replacement contractor to finish the demolition project after it was halted briefly in 2019 when a contract worker was injured after a water tower and other rooftop mechanical equipment came down prematurely during the demolition process.
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Port Reports - August 28 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI ¬
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 28
On this day in 1939, the RICHARD J. REISS collided with the YOSEMITE on the St. Clair River. There were no casualties but damage to the Reiss amounted to $26,593.80 and damage to the YOSEMITE amounted to $23,443.09. The REISS was built in 1901, as the a.) GEORGE W. PEAVEY. Renamed b.) RICHARD J. REISS in 1917, c.) SUPERIOR in 1943. She was scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1947. The YOSEMITE carried her name throughout her career, built in 1901, and scrapped at Buffalo, New York, in 1954. Capt. Frank R. West took his 8-year-old son Robert and the boy's friend, 8-year-old Edward Erickson aboard the new schooner LOUIS MEEKER as guests on a trip carrying 27,000 bushels of oats from Chicago to Buffalo. There was hardly any wind and it took them four days to creep north as far as Pentwater, Michigan. On August 28, 1872, Captain West saw a storm coming and he had the sails taken in as a precaution. The winds came so suddenly and they hit the vessel so hard that the schooner was knocked over on her beam ends. Little Robert West, his dad and three sailors were lost when the vessel sank 15 minutes later near Big Sable Point. Peter Danielson dove and tried to cut away the lifeboat as the schooner was sinking and he almost drowned in that unsuccessful attempt. The mizzen gaff broke free and seven sailors plus little Edward Erickson clung to it until they were picked up by the schooner WILLIAM O. BROWN six hours later. Mr. Edwin H. Gott, 78, of Pittsburgh, died on August 28, 1986. The namesake of the 1,000 footer, he retired as Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Steel in 1973. On August 28, 1962, the EDWARD L. RYERSON set a Great Lakes cargo record for iron ore. The RYERSON loaded 25,018 gross tons of iron ore in Superior, Wisconsin, breaking by 14 tons the record held by the Canadian bulk freighter RED WING that was set in the 1961 season. The RYERSON held this record well into 1965. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 was repowered with two 2,850 ihp four cylinder Skinner Uniflow steeple compound steam engines, 19 1/2", 43" dia. X 26" stroke, built in 1953, by the Skinner Engine Co., Erie, Pennsylvania, and four coal-fired Foster-Wheeler water tube boilers with a total heating surface of 25,032 sq. ft. built in 1953. The repowering work was completed on August 28, 1954. Her 1954, tonnage was 3551 gross tons, 1925 net tons, 2450 deadweight tons. A new starboard tail shaft was installed at this time. Her service speed increased to 18 knots (20.7 mph). The JOHN ANDERSON, a.) LUZON of 1902, was outbound through the Duluth Ship Canal on August 28, 1928, when the vessel struck the north pier suffering $18,000 in damage. Renamed c.) G. G. POST in 1935. The POST was scrapped at Istanbul, Turkey, in 1972. Gulf Oil Corp., tanker REGENT entered service on August 28, 1934. She was built for low clearances on the New York State Barge Canal and was equipped with five cargo tanks and one dry cargo hold. The WILLIAM A. REISS, a.) JOHN A. TOPPING, was laid up for the last time on August 28, 1981, at Toledo, Ohio, and remained idle there until July 15, 1994, when she was towed to be scrapped. On August 28, 1870, CHASKA (wooden scow-schooner, 72 foot, 50 tons, built in 1869, at Duluth, Minnesota originally as a scow-brig) was wrecked in a northwesterly storm near Duluth. Reportedly she's the first vessel built at Duluth. On August 28, 1763, BEAVER, an armed wooden British sloop built the previous year, was carrying provisions to Detroit to relieve the fort there which was under siege by the Indians led by Pontiac, however the vessel foundered in a storm at Cat Fish Creek, 14 miles from the site of Buffalo. 185 barrels of her cargo were salvaged and went on to Detroit on the schooner GLADWIN. 2002: FRASER, the former SELKIRK SETTLER, went aground in fog at Duluth-Superior and was released without damage with the aid of four tugs. The ship now sails as SPRUCEGLEN of Canada Steamship Lines. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - August 27 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Michael G. Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Montreal, QC – Rene Beauchamp |
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Canada Steamship Lines passenger ships presentation now on line 8/27 - Cayuga and Her Consorts. If you missed the live presentation presented by John Henry on August 20 for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, you can view the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_B3wvwIDQ The presentation focused on the steamer service that operated between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto for three-quarters of a century, until 1957. The steamers were all acquired by or built for the Niagara Navigation Co. and wound up in the passenger fleet of Canada Steamship Lines. |
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Gallery Updated 8/27 - The saltie gallery has been updated with the following images: Azoresborg, BBC Greenland, BBC Mont Blanc, BBC Rushmore, BBC Switzerland, Bluebill, Calypso, Cape, Federal Ems, Federal Ruhr, Federal Satsuki, Fivelborg, Frieda, Happy River, Harbour Progress, Heemskerkgracht, Imke, Josef, Keith, Ortolan Beta Strait, Redhead, Spiekeroog, Stenberg, Strandja, Trito Navigator and ZEA Servant. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 27
The new Poe Lock at the Soo was first flooded on 27 August 1968. On August 27, 1886, The Detroit Evening News reported that a fireman on the tug J. H. HACKLEY of 1874, was sent to watch for a leak in the boiler, which was being filled with cold water at a dock in Chicago. He fell asleep and the boiler overflowed, very nearly sinking the vessel before another tug could pump her dry. AGAWA CANYON (Hull#195) was launched in 1971, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd. C.C.G.S. SAMUEL RISLEY arrived at Toronto, Ontario, on August 27, 1985, on her way to Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she replaced the retired C.C.G.C. ALEXANDER HENRY. JOHN O. McKELLAR (Hull#12) was launched August 27, 1952, at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for the Colonial Steamship Co. Ltd. (Scott Misener, mgr.), Port Colborne, Ontario. Renamed b.) ELMGLEN in 1984. The WILLIAM CLAY FORD, then renamed b.) US266029, departed her lay-up berth at the Rouge slip on August 20, 1986, in tow of Gaelic tugs and was taken to Detroit Marine Terminals on the Rouge River, where her pilothouse was removed to be displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle. The hull was moved to Nicholson's River Rouge dock on August 27. WILLIAM B. DICKSON (Hull#75) was launched August 27, 1910, at Ecorse, Michigan, by Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) MERLE M. McCURDY in 1969, she was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1989. The U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender MESQUITE (WAGL-305) was commissioned on August 27, 1943, and served on the Pacific Ocean in the 7th Fleet in 1944 and 1945. On August 27, 1940, the WILLIAM A. IRVIN set the Great Lakes record for the fastest unloading of an iron ore cargo using shore side equipment. The IRVIN unloaded 13,856 gross tons of iron ore in 2 hours, 55 minutes (including the time to arrive and depart the dock) in Conneaut, Ohio. This record still stands, and consequently the IRVIN is one of the few Great Lakes vessels to be retired while still holding a Great Lakes cargo record. On August 27, 1929, the MYRON C. TAYLOR entered service. On August 27, 1924, CITY QUEEN (wooden propeller steam tug, 71 foot, 69 gross tons, built in 1900, at Midland, Ontario) burned to a total loss 14 miles east of the Manitou Dock in Georgian Bay. The keel for the tug CRUSADER was laid on August 27, 1873, at the Leighton & Dunford yard in Port Huron, Michigan. The tug's dimensions were 100 foot keel, 132 foot overall, and 23 foot beam. She was built for George E. Brockway. 1909: PRESCOTT, a wooden sidewheel passenger ship used on the Toronto to Montreal run, was destroyed by a fire at Montreal. It burned to the waterline and sank at Victoria Pier. 1940: BOLIVAR, built at Wyandotte as LAKE FACKLER, had returned to the Great Lakes in 1933. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal again known as d) BOLIVAR. 1952: Ten tons of sugar aboard the CITY OF KINGSTON burned in a one-hour fire at Montreal. 1965: The Swedish freighter EVA JEANETTE ran up over the stern of the tug VEGCO in Lock 4 of the Welland Canal, sinking the latter vessel. There were no injuries and the tug was salvaged. EVA JEANETTE arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for scrapping as d) SKOPELOS STAR on January 21, 1984. The tug later sailed as d) NORWICH and became e) SEAGULL in 1998. 2008: GERTJE, a Seaway trader in 1991, sent out a distress call as h) LADY F. with water entering the holds. A tug arrived and removed the six crew members. The vessel was towed into Bougas, Bulgaria, the next day. The ship was repaired and became i) SAMER F. in 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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First phase of Dossin museum enhancements completed 8/26 - Detroit, MI – The first phase of a $4.9 million outdoor enhancement project at Belle Isle’s Dossin Great Lakes Museum has been completed. Sponsors and supporters of the project are scheduled to mark the occasion on Saturday with a ceremony and ribbon cutting. The museum’s outdoor maritime artifacts, including the famous bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, have been re-displayed and upgraded as part of the project. The freighter sank in 1975 and was immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot’s song. The museum’s outdoor maritime artifacts, including the famous bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, have been re-displayed and upgraded as part of the project. Several new gardens have been planted with a focus on controlling erosion along the waterfront. A new cove also stabilizes the shoreline adjacent to the museum and provides a new launch point for Belle Isle’s water sport enthusiasts. Other phases will include work on a riverfront trail and a landscape that would approximate the natural setting of Belle Isle before it became a park. Belle Isle is located in the Detroit River, just northeast of downtown Detroit. The Associated Press |
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Michigan company awarded $7M contract to replace WWII-era valves at Soo Locks 8/26 - Detroit, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a $7 million contract to replace World War II-era valves at the Soo Locks. J.F Ryba Marine Construction Co. of Cheboygan will replace the tainter valves for the MacArthur Lock for $7,276,650. Tainter valves are used to control the flow of water used for raising and lowering the water level in the lock during a lockage. The MacArthur Lock has two sets of tainter valves, one upstream set and one downstream set. “The Corps takes pride in performing maintenance to keep its existing facilities operational for long durations, while simultaneously planning for replacement and renewal as required to ensure the locks remain a resilient link in the Great Lakes Navigation System,” said Kevin Sprague, area engineer, Soo Area Office. Currently, two of the four locks at the Soo Locks complex are operational. The MacArthur Lock is 800 feet long and was opened in 1943. The Poe Lock, opened in 1969, is 1,200 feet long. Construction began earlier this year on a new lock at the Soo, which will be built in the footprint of the Sabin and Davis Locks. More than 4,500 vessels, carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo, maneuver through the locks annually. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are among the most frequently carried commodities, according to a news release. “The MacArthur lock will continue to be an important asset for many decades, even as we continue to build our new lock, and after that when we complete much needed repairs to our Poe Lock,” said Joanne Gray, chief of construction and technical support, Soo Area Office. “The Corps will continue to invest in maintenance of major components of the Soo Locks.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 84 harbors, including the Great Lakes connecting channels that join Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. M Live |
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Port Reports - August 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Michael G. Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Toronto, ON |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 26
In 1791, John Fitch was granted a United States patent for the steamboat. On August 26,1872, wooden propeller steamer LAKE BREEZE of 1868, was steaming from Saginaw to Mackinaw City with freight and about 40 passengers when fire broke out in the kitchen while off Au Sable, Michigan. Captain M. S. Lathrop ordered the engines shut down and the steam pumps activated. The crew battled the blaze with fire hoses and put the flames out. When the LAKE BREEZE pulled into Mackinaw City that night, the partially burned vessel was still smoking. The EDGAR B. SPEER's sea trials were successfully completed on August 26, 1980. The BEECHGLEN was towed out of Owen Sound by the McKeil tug KAY COLE on August 26, 1994, in route to Port Maitland, Ontario, for scrapping. The HENRY C. FRICK (Hull#615) was launched August 26, 1905, at West Bay City, Michigan, by West Bay City Ship Building Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Renamed b.) MICHIPICOTEN in 1964, she foundered off Anticosti Island on November 17, 1972, while being towed overseas for scrapping. EMORY L. FORD entered service on August 26, 1916, to load iron ore at Marquette, Michigan. Renamed b.) RAYMOND H. REISS in 1965. She was scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1980. The GLENEAGLES (Hull#14) was launched August 26, 1925, at Midland, Ontario, by Midland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for the Great Lakes Transportation Co. Ltd. (James Playfair, mgr.). Converted to a self-unloader in 1963. Renamed b.) SILVERDALE in 1978. She was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario, in 1984. The CHIEF WAWATAM (Hull#119) was launched on August 26, 1911, at Toledo, Ohio, by Toledo Ship Building Co. for the Mackinaw Transportation Co. She was built with three large propellers, two in the stern for propulsion and one in the bow for icebreaking. She was sold to Purvis Marine Ltd., of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1988, and cut down to a barge. The Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., built, passenger-cargo ship FEDERAL PALM (Hull#29) was christened August 26, 1961, for the West Indies Shipping Corp., Ltd. She was built on the Great Lakes, but never served their ports. Renamed b.) CENPAC ROUNDER in 1975, she was scrapped in 1979. On August 26, 1934, while on a Sunday sightseeing cruise, MIDLAND CITY of 1871, a.) MAUD 153.2 foot, 521 gross tons, damaged her bottom on a shoal near Present Island in Georgian Bay. She settled with her stern under water and her bow high in the air. On 26 August 1875, COMET (propeller passenger/package freight, 181 foot, 744 tons, built in 1857, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying ore and pig iron in Lake Superior on a foggy night. While trying to pass the Beatty Line steamer MANITOBA, 7 miles SE of Whitefish Point, signals were misunderstood and COMET veered into the path of MANITOBA. COMET was rammed amidships and sank in ten minutes. 11 of the 21 aboard lost their lives. This wasn't the first such accident for COMET. In October 1869, she suffered a similar mishap with the propeller HUNTER and that time both vessels sank. The schooner MATTHEW McNAIR was launched at the Lee & Lamoree shipyard in Oswego, New York, on August 26,1857. Her dimensions were 103 foot keel, 24 foot 6 inch beam and 9 foot 6 inch depth. 1911 CITY OF GENOA, downbound in the St. Clair River with 125,000 bushels of corn, collided with the W.H. GILBERT and sank 100 yards offshore. The crew was rescued and the hull salvaged by Reid on September 20, 1911, but was irreparable and a total loss. 1955 JOHANNA, a West German freighter, went aground at Point Iroquois and received damage to bottom plates. The tugs SALVAGE PRINCE, RIVAL, CAPT. M.B. DONNELLY and lighter COBOURG helped release the vessel on September 3 and it went to Kingston for repairs. JOHANNA was later a Seaway trader and made 18 inland voyages from 1959 to 1965. 1978 The second AVONDALE was damaged by an arson fire in the pilothouse while laid up along the Welland Canal below Lock 8. 1979 QUEBECOIS went aground on a mud bank near the entrance to Lake St. Clair after an electronic malfunction but was released in 9 hours. 1988 A challenging fire in the bowthruster tunnel aboard ALGOMARINE at Port Weller Dry Docks in St. Catharines sent two firemen to hospital. Some plates were buckled. The ship was being converted to a self-unloader at the time. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Reference.com, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Future U.S. Navy warship completes trials on Lake Michigan 8/25 - A future U.S. Navy combat ship completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan over the weekend setting the stage for it to be commissioned in 2021. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, passed several trials including a full-power run, maneuverability testing and surface and air detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship's combat system. Major systems and features were demonstrated, including aviation support, small boat launch handling and recovery and machinery control and automation. The ship is now set to undergo final outfitting and fine-tuning before delivery to the U.S. Navy. LCS 21 is the eleventh Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by Marinette Marine. The ship is designed to support mine countermeasures and anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. It is equipped with Longbow Hellfire Missiles, 30 mm guns and manned and unmanned vehicles. Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute are also onboard. The ship features gas turbines, diesel engines and water jets that together generate 114,000 horsepower making her capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots. M Live |
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Great Lakes cruise ships issue coronavirus safety pledge for 2021 8/25 - With the 2020 season canceled due to coronavirus, Great Lakes cruise ships are looking ahead to 2021 with a “safety pledge.” Cruise the Great Lakes’ “pledge” outlines safety precautions cruise lines will take to keep passengers safe next year. They include health screenings, crew training and streamlined boarding and enhanced sanitation. Those committing to the pledge are Victory Cruise Lines, Pearl Seas Cruises and Blount Small Ship Adventures, as well as multiple ports, including Muskegon, Sault Ste. Marie and Detroit/Wayne County in Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; and Duluth, Minnesota. “Particularly in light of the unprecedented risk presented by COVID-19, CTGL members and partners are working together to promote a safe cruise experience in 2021 and beyond,” the pledge states. Cruise the Great Lakes, or CTGL, is a coalition of states, Canadian provinces, cruise lines, ports and convention and visitor bureaus. The CTGL pledge cites the smaller size of the Great Lakes cruise ships, which must fit through the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway, as a benefit in reducing risk and controlling passenger movement. The largest of the ships can hold about 400 passengers. Among the ports in Michigan that cruise ships frequent are Holland, Muskegon, Detroit, Wyandotte, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette. Read more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2020/08/great-lakes-cruise-ships-issue-coronavirus-safety-pledge-for-2021.html |
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Port Reports - August 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer
Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher
Ogdensburg, NY
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Group restoring Northern Michigan inventor’s 1800s steel boat for display 8/25 - Harbor Springs, MI – A rusted, damaged, historically significant boat is now undergoing restoration work with the goal of putting the vessel on display in Harbor Springs. The nonprofit Harbor Springs Area Historical Society began the restorations after city officials requested the removal of the boat, which had been decaying near the city’s Department of Public Works building, according to the Associated Press. The boat, named the Aha, was built in 1891 by Ephram Shay, an inventor, engineer, and prominent Harbor Springs resident. Built out of steel -- a rarity, considering most boats from that time were made of wood -- the Aha echoes another one of the inventor’s local legacies: A stamped-steel, hexagon-shaped house, now a historic site known as the Shay Hexagon House, where Shay lived out the last years of his life. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/08/group-restoring-northern-michigan-inventors-1800s-steel-boat-for-display.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 25
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Ogdensburg, NY |
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The story behind the freighter breakwall Ridgetown 8/24 - Port Credit, ON – I've been visiting this area all my life, and have even had the opportunity to be a frequent boater in the Port Credit Harbour Marina. Everytime I’m there, I look at the freighter Ridgetown, and wonder about the story behind it. To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to dig a little deeper and research the vessel. I was able to uncover the lengthy life it had before it ended up as a breakwall in Mississauga. Breakwall, meaning it breaks the waves from crashing into the marina and stirring up all the boats that are docked here. Read the story at this link: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-look-ferocious-storm-behind-162400931.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 24
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Employers, striking dockworkers reach truce, Montreal port to reopen 8/23 - Montreal, QC – Employers and dockworkers at the Port of Montreal have reached a truce after a 12-day strike, paving the way for Canada’s second largest port to reopen Sunday. The two sides have agreed to halt a labor action that has left thousands of containers languishing on the docks. The deal lays out a seven-month period to continue contract talks while port operations carry on without the threat of work stoppage. “We are confident that we will be able to reach a deal between now and that…time,” Maritime Employers Association CEO Martin Tessier said at a news conference Friday. If an agreement is not reached by March 20, the workers can again exercise their right to strike. The last few days saw tensions flare after employers said they were prepared to bring in replacement workers to move some of the 11,500 containers that have piled up on the waterfront — particularly those with essential goods, perishable food products or items linked to the fight against COIVD-19. However, talks late Thursday night and Friday morning hashed out the truce. The 1,125 workers, who have been without a collective agreement since September 2018, say the strike revolved largely around wages and scheduling. The employers have also reached an agreement in principle with the port’s 150-odd checkers, who are responsible for logging the cargo loaded and unloaded from hundreds of ships each year. Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association local, on strike since Aug. 10, will hold a vote on the deal Monday, Tessier said. It will take two to four weeks to move the accumulated containers off the terminals and onto trucks, trains and ships. Global News |
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Port Reports - August 23 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON St. Marys River Upbound traffic on Saturday included Algoma Mariner, Great Republic, Pilgrim (an 18th century tall ship replica traveling from Petrozavodsk, Russia, to Duluth, which docked near the Valley Camp for the night) and Federal Ruhr. Downbound traffic included Burns Harbor early, Algoma Enterprise, Tim S. Dool, Rt. Hon Paul J. Martin and, late, James R. Barker.
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Ogdensburg, NY
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Seaway – Rene Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 23
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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As Duluth port cargos lag, 'lost time can't be made up' 8/22 - Duluth, MN – Despite signs of a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior is still down 30% compared to last year. “It’s an old adage, but lost time can’t be made up on the Great Lakes, and we’re seeing that reflected in the port’s 2020 tonnage totals,” Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said in a statement Thursday. As the pandemic has disrupted the global economy, so has it slowed the flow of goods across the Great Lakes. About 10.9 million tons of cargo had passed through the Duluth port through the end of July, compared to 15.1 million tons at the same time in both 2019 and 2018. Taconite shipments, which comprise the majority of the port’s tonnage, reached 7.2 million tons in July, down 20% from last year but up slightly month over month. “It’s good to see the month-over-month improvements, and hopefully the initial indications of a production rebound,” DeLuca said. Iron ore totals could continue to improve as most Iron Range mines resume full production, though Keetac remains idled indefinitely. Three ships were taken offline for the season amid the drop in taconite demand but could be put back into service if business improves. Grain exports and international imports such as wind turbine parts remain a bright spot for the port. Even as total vessel arrivals fell to 260 from last year’s 336 total through July, overseas arrivals were outpacing last year 28 to 25. Across all Great Lakes ports, shipping has “lost a lot of ground due to the pandemic, and continued decreases in areas like dry bulk and iron ore are a reflection of the economy not yet being back up to speed,” said Bruce Burrows, CEO of the industry-backed Chamber of Marine Commerce. “The recent uptick in the auto industry could help in the months ahead.” Star Tribune |
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Clayton Fire Department thanks first responders following tour boat accident 8/22 - Clayton, NY – Following the Uncle Sam’s Tour Boat Island Duchess running aground on August 20, local responders reflected on the team effort. The Clayton Fire Department posted on their Facebook page later Thursday night with photos from the day and crediting several local departments. The department responded to the scene on the St. Lawrence River with a full crew and their vessel Last Chance. Approximately 134 passengers were aboard the tour boat ad all were safely evacuated to another boat. No injuries were reported. “The St. Lawrence River poses many challenges when it comes to providing emergency services,” the Clayton Fire Department stated. “The biggest challenge is getting manpower and equipment where it needs to be. In Clayton we are fortunate to have the Last Chance and good working relationship with our neighboring departments. Many emergencies on the river don’t get resolved without the assistance of our neighbors.” Clayton Fire Department credited Alexandria Bay Fire Department, Wellesley Island Fire Department and Thousand Island Emergency Rescue Service. Island Duchess was towed to Alexandria Bay on August 20. The cause on the incident has not been confirmed |
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Port Reports - August 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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‘Seaway Queens’ publisher designs Edward L. Ryerson poster
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 22
On August 22, 1898, the schooner FANNY CAMPBELL (wooden schooner, 404 tons, built in 1868, at St. Catherines, Ontario) ran ashore near Johnston's Harbor in Georgian Bay. She was sailing light on her way for a load of cordwood. The ALGOPORT left Collingwood, Ontario, August 22, 1979, on her maiden voyage for Calcite, Michigan, to load limestone bound for Spragge, Ontario. R. L. IRELAND (Hull #62) was launched August 22, 1903, at Chicago, Illinois, by Chicago Ship Building Co. for the Gilchrist Transportation Co. Renamed b.) SIRIUS in 1913, and c.) ONTADOC in 1926. The ENDERS M VOORHEES was towed out of Duluth, Minnesota, on August 22, 1987, by the tugs AVENGER IV and CHIPPEWA, and was the first of the 'Supers' towed off the Lakes for scrap. ROGER M. KYES sailed on her maiden voyage on August 22,1973, from Toledo, Ohio, to load iron ore at Escanaba, Michigan. She was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. This program allowed U.S. shipping companies to construct new vessels or to modernize their existing fleet by government guaranteed financing and tax deferred benefits. The KYES was the second of 10 ships launched for American Steamship but the first to enter service under this arrangement. The total cost of the ten ships was more than $250 million. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. On August 22, 1863, WILLIAM S. BULL (wooden propeller steam tug, 16 tons, built in 1861, at Buffalo, New York) waterlogged and went down in a storm 40 miles east of Erie, Pennsylvania. She was in company of the tug G. W. GARDNER and the canal boat M. E. PAINE, who saved her crew. On August 22, 1876, the Canadian schooner LAUREL sank off Big Sandy Creek on Lake Ontario. The crew made it to shore in the yawl. The LAUREL was bound from Kingston, Ontario, to Charlotte, New York, with iron ore. On August 22, 1900, SPECULAR (wooden propeller freighter, 264 foot, 1,742 gross tons, built in 1882, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying iron ore when she was a "hit & run" victim by the steamer DENVER at 2 a.m. and sank in six minutes in the Pelee Passage on Lake Erie. Fifteen of her crew abandoned in her yawl and were saved. The remaining five scrambled up into the rigging and clung there until they were rescued four hours later by the steamer MARITANA and brought to Detroit. Salvagers worked on the wreck continuously until they gave up on September 28. Wreck lies 3.16 miles SE from Pelee Passage light. She was owned by Republic Iron Co. of Cleveland. 1890: The wooden barge TASMANIA, upbound with coal under tow of the steamer CALEDONIA, sank in the Lake George Channel of the St. Marys River after a collision with the J.H. WADE. TASMANIA was later refloated and repaired only to be lost in Lake Erie on October 18, 1905. 1909: NORMAN B. REAM and SENATOR collided in the St. Marys River above Pipe Island and the latter sank with her masts above water. She was later salvaged but was lost in Lake Michigan, off Kenosha, after a collision with the MARQUETTE on October 31, 1929. 1917: The wooden steamer JOHN S. THOM, enroute to Erie with coal, went aground on a shoal 22 miles west of Charlotte, NY. The vessel was later refloated and taken to Ogdensburg, NY for repairs. 1940: The second THOROLD, sent overseas to assist in the war effort, was attacked and sunk by three German aircraft as she was carrying coal from Cardiff to London. There were 9 lives lost while another 3 crew members were injured. The vessel was under attack for 3 hours before it went down and became the third Canadian merchant ship lost in this, the early stages, of the war. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample. |
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Uncle Sam tour boat runs aground near Alexandria Bay 8/21 - Alexandria Bay, NY – An Uncle Sam’s tour boat went aground in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay early Thursday afternoon. Crews from the Coast Guard, state police, and Alexandria Bay rescue squad had boats in the water responding to the scene somewhere near Deer Island. Jefferson County Emergency Management director Joe Plummer says none of the roughly 130 people aboard were injured. He said another Uncle Sam’s boat was returning them to shore. People who were on the tour said they could feel |
