USS Billings, Desgagnes vessel in minor collision

6/23 - The USS Billings had a minor collision with the Rosaire A. Desgagnes at the Port of Montreal on Friday. The incident happened when the Billings departed Wharf 31 with the assistance of two tugs. It somehow lost control after the lines were let go and hit the Desgagnes that was behind her at Wharf 30. It was able to continue its way without the assistance of any tugs.

Port reports are compiled from 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).

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Michipicoten arrived Duluth at 00:17 Saturday morning, and tied up at Canadian National to load iron ore pellets. CSL Laurentien was inbound at 05:20 with a load of salt for Compass Minerals, and Michipicoten departed at 07:23 for Sault Ste. Marie. Walter J. McCarthy Jr. departed at 08:59 with a load of coal from Midwest Energy. The Laurentien was expected to depart at some point Saturday evening for Two Harbors to load. Federal Churchill was on the hook outside the harbor, and is waiting to load grain at CHS 1. There was no traffic through the Superior entry during the day Saturday, however CSL Assiniboine was inbound at 19:50 to load iron ore pellets at BN.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
Roger Blough should arrive Two Harbors on June 22nd between 20:00 and 21:00. Also due Two Harbors is the CSL Laurentien that, as of 17:30 on the 22nd, is unloading salt at Compass Minerals in Duluth. No ETD from Duluth or ETA Two Harbors. Due Two Harbors on June 23rd is the CSL Niagara. Northshore Mining had no traffic on June 22nd, but due June 23rd is an infrequent visitor, the Burns Harbor, and Mesabi Miner.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Drummond Island:
Saturday; 1:45 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder departed for Fairport.

Meldrum Bay:
Friday; 20:16 Algoma Buffalo arrived to load and departed Saturday at 10:33 for Cleveland.

Alpena:
Saturday; 10:19 G L Ostrander arrived to load cement products.

Calcite:
Saturday; 4:17 Victory / barge Maumee departed for Fairport. 10:33 The tug Michigan and tank barge Great lakes weighed anchor and proceeded to the fuel storage dock to unload.16:07 H Lee White departed for Gary Harbor. 16:17 The tug Michigan and tank barge Great lakes departed for Nanticoke.

Port Inland:
Friday; 17:00 Joseph L Block weighed anchor and proceed to the loading dock and departed on Saturday at 0:43 for Duluth Superior. 1:23 American Courage weighed anchor and proceeded to the loading dock. 14:25 She departed down bound on Lake Huron.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Sault was loading salt Saturday night, destined for Buffalo, N.Y., with Algoma Conveyor waiting at the North Dock. This is her first visit to Goderich.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Saturday Arrivals: Lee A Tregurtha arrived at AK Steel to unload ore. Alpena arrived at Lafarge to unload cement. Ojibway and Saginaw arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal to fuel.

Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer
McKeil Spirit arrived at 11a.m. Saturday at Lehigh Cement Dock.

Lead paint to delay refit of Canada's oldest coast guard vessel by 6 months

6/23 - A $10-million refit of Canada's oldest coast guard vessel will be delayed by up to six months to remove lead paint found inside the ocean science ship Hudson. Repair work on the storied 56-year old ship was expected to last until this fall at the NewDock shipyard in St. John's.

But NewDock told the coast guard this week that safely dealing with lead paint discovered inside CCGS Hudson will delay the refit. "Six months is the worst-case scenario that we have from the shipyard," said Gary Ivany, the coast guard's assistant commissioner, in an interview from Ottawa.

Hudson arrived at NewDock in February and was taken out of the water to replace steel and various areas of the vessel's decks and tanks. In late April, suspected lead paint buried under newer paint layers was discovered when coatings were removed.

Sixteen unionized coast guard crew and officers were given blood tests after it was confirmed the paint contained lead. The test results are pending. Shipyard workers and their family doctors were also informed, the coast guard said.

The area was sealed off and work has yet to resume in those spaces, but work continues in areas that have been cleared and identified as safe for workers, such as the bridge deck, boat deck, engine room and motor room.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which is the union representing 10 coast guard crewmen, says the paint was detected in a water tank inside the ship and workers will not go back until they know the area is safe. In the meantime, the coast guard wants to move up work that was planned for after the refit and carry it out while the ship is still out of the water in St. John's.

That work, which includes engine maintenance and installing science equipment like winches, was supposed to take place dockside when the Hudson returned to her home base in Dartmouth, N.S., in the fall.

The coast guard still intends to have the Hudson back in service by April 2020 and available for at-sea science missions.

Like to watch the river but don't live near it?

6/23 - Port Huron, MI – A second camera has been installed on the Blue Water Convention Center to offer residents a new way to view the St. Clair River, Blue Water Bridge and all the traffic traversing both.

The Blue Water Convention Center was approached by StreamTime Live earlier this year after the streaming company noticed that the convention center had launched a live feed of the river from their own camera, according to a press release.

The company also runs a high definition live stream camera in Marine City. “The convention center clearly understood the promotional value of a live stream,” StreamTime Live co-owner Robin Rinderspacher said in the statement. “What we offer is a top-of-the-line viewing experience with our 360-degree, pan/tilt/zoom camera that can follow the boats closely as they pass by.”

The cameras are operated remotely by StreamTime Live YouTube moderators, who also engage river fans in the accompanying 24/7 live chats, according to the company.

“StreamTime Live can spread the word about the Blue Water Convention Center and its events with much greater reach than conventional advertising,” Gino Giacumbo, the convention center's general manager said in the statement, “and directly to the audience we’re targeting – folks who love the water.”

The company is also planning to install another camera in Algonac later this month, providing coverage of the St. Clair River from end to end. The Blue Water Convention Center camera can be found on the StreamTime’s Live YouTube.

In 1976 the NEPCO 140, carrying six million gallons of No. 6 bunker oil and being pushed toward Oswego by the tug EILEEN C., grounded on the shore of Wellesley Island in the American Narrows section of the St. Lawrence River, just upstream from Alexandria Bay, N.Y. The grounding occurred about 1:35 a.m. in heavy fog and was followed by a second apparent grounding further up river, just before the barge reached the Seaway anchorage site off Mason's Point, some four miles above the initial grounding site. In all, over 300,000 of the thick crude was spilled into the River, creating the largest slick ever to pollute an inland U.S. waterway to that day. Seaway traffic was halted immediately, sending at least 20 ships to anchor. Within hours, over 20,000 feet of boom were deployed, but the spill moved steadily down river, coating granite shoreline, trapping waterfowl, forcing boat owners to pull their boats, and oozing into sensitive marshland, particularly Chippewa Bay in New York waters. Some oil eventually reached as far down the river as Lake St. Lawrence and coated shoreline along the Long Sault Parkway on the Canadian side of the lake. Clean-up lasted into the fall and cost in excess U.S. $8 million.

On 23 June 1903, the tug O.W. CHENEY steamed out of Buffalo harbor in heavy fog to tow the steamer CHEMUNG into the harbor. The tug ran too close to the oncoming steamer, was struck by the bow, and the CHENEY overturned and sank. Three crewmen were killed; two survivors were picked up by the tug FRANK S. BUTLER. On 23 June 1969, RALPH MISENER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 730 foot, 19,160 gross tons, built in 1968, at Montreal, Quebec) transited the Soo Locks upbound for the first time. She had an innovative self-unloading system with twin booms. The movable crane was equipped with a chain of buckets so it could discharge cargo from either side. This unloading system only lasted until 1976, when it was severely damaged in a squall on Lake Michigan. The vessel was then converted from a combination self-unloader/bulk carrier to a bulk carrier. She was renamed b.) GORDON C. LEITCH in 1994.

In 1926, the GLENMHOR (Hull#16), the name was soon corrected to GLENMOHR, was launched at Midland Ontario by Midland Shipbuilding Co., for Great Lakes Transportation Co., (James Playfair). She was 6 feet wider and 4 feet shallower than the largest ship at that time. Purchased by Canada Steamship Lines in 1926, renamed b.) LEMOYNE. Scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1969.

In 1929, the WILLIAM G. CLYDE (Hull#804) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Shipbuilding Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Converted to a self-unloader and renamed b.) CALCITE II in 1961. Renamed c.) MAUMEE in 2001. Launched in 1972, was the ALGOWAY (Hull#200) at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Algoma Central Railway.

The first whaleback barge, 101, was launched along the shore of St. Louis Bay near Duluth, Minnesota, on 23 June 1888. Captain Alexander Mc Dougall, the inventor and designer, was there along with his wife, her sister-in-law and several hundred spectators. As the vessel splashed in to the bay, Mrs. Mc Dougall is supposed to have muttered, "There goes our last dollar!"

On 23 June 1900, the 450 foot steel steamer SIMON J. MURPHY (Hull#135) was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan, by the Detroit Ship Building Co., for the Eddy - Shaw Transportation Co. of Bay City, Michigan.

On 23 June 1873, B. F. BRUCE was launched at Crosthwaite's yard in East Saginaw, Michigan. She is not properly a schooner, but what is known as a "three-and-after" in nautical terms. Her capacity was 50,000 bushels of grain (800 tons) and the building cost was $50,000.

1942 – EUGENE J. BUFFINGTON struck Boulder Reef, Lake Michigan and the hull cracked in two places. The vessel as on the rocks for 25 days until it coould be strapped together and refloated. The ship was towed to Chicago for one of the largest repair jobs in Great Lakes history.

1948 – CRETE and J.P. MORGAN JR. were in a head-on collision, in fog, off the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior. Both ships suffered extensive damage. Two were killed, 3 more injured, aboard the latter steamer. ALTADOC and E.A.S. CLARKE also collided in fog near the Apostle Islands but the damage, while requiring repairs, was less serious.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Matthew Daley, Dave Swayze, Fritz Hager, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit.

New tugboat Ohio christened at National Museum of Great Lakes

6/22 - Toledo, OH – The script was the same, but the bottles’ contents were different when two tugboats named Ohio were dedicated to their futures.

One, fresh from the Great Lakes Towing shipyard in Cleveland, was christened with traditional champagne for its formal start of commercial service. The other, built in 1903 in Chicago as a fireboat for Milwaukee, was for a second time splashed with beer to start its new life as a museum exhibit at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

“I christen this tug Ohio. May God bless her and all who work on her,” Jane Smith, 95, of Vermilion, Ohio and Julie LaMarre, 34, of Monroe County’s Frenchtown Township, both said before smashing their respective – and well-wrapped – bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon and bubbly on the tugs’ forward railings during a ceremony that served as a sort of torch-passing between the two.

“This is a demonstration of evolution,” Christopher Gillcrist, the museum’s executive director, had said previously to describe the two vessels brought together for a first-of-its-kind maritime event.

The new Ohio, officially classed by Great Lakes Towing as a Loren 76 ice tug, is “smaller, more agile, and more efficient” than its predecessor, Mr. Gillcrist said. Built in an Ohio shipyard by Ohio workers, “the new tug will operate in Ohio waters and serve Ohio ports,” said Joe Starck, the tugboat operator’s president. The new Ohio specifically is to be assigned to the Toledo harbor.

Its construction and that of four new fleetmates was enabled in part by an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency grant that covered 40 percent of the cost for four of the vessels’ propulsion systems, Mr. Starck said. Older, less-efficient tugs that could not meet new Coast Guard inspection requirements will be replaced by the new boats, he said.

The old Ohio’s dedication as a museum tug followed a seven-month cosmetic restoration that included extensive repairs to its steel decks, hull reinforcement, renewal of its pilothouse, and repainting above the waterline into Great Lakes’ signature green and red.

“It was a wreck before,” said Greg Rudnick, a maritime historian from Lakewood, Ohio who noted, as Mr. Gillcrist had done previously, that the old Ohio had been stored for years downwind of a salt mine near Great Lakes Towing’s Cleveland facilities. Museum volunteers have “done so much work already, and there’s so much more to do, but it looks great,” Mr. Rudnick said.

Mr. Gillcrist effusively thanked both the museum’s volunteers and several companies that donated work or materials toward the tug’s restoration. The latter included Great Lakes Towing; Solomon Diving, Inc., of Monroe; the George Gradel Co. of Toledo; Mid American Group, a steel fabricator in Newport, Mich.; Barton International of Glens Falls, N.Y., which provided sandblasting material; and Sherwin-Williams, the Cleveland-based paint manufacturer.

Mrs. LaMarre, whose husband, Paul LaMarre III, is a member of the museum’s board and director of the Port of Monroe, said she had been honored to be chosen by Great Lakes Towing to christen its new tug, but nervous that she might not swing the champagne bottle hard enough.

A christening bottle that doesn’t break is considered bad luck. “I was getting it from two different family members – my husband and my father-in-law – that I needed to make sure I break the bottle,” she said with a laugh.

Mr. LaMarre’s father, Paul LaMarre, Jr., is a veteran Great Lakes mariner who now is captain of the Detroit-based Diamond Jack tour boat.

As a nod to its owner’s 120-year corporate history, the new Ohio displays a tribute to Great Lakes Towing’s early years, when refloating vessels that had accidentally run aground or ashore represented a substantial part of its business.

The white horse emblem displayed on the new tug’s pilot house is “the white horse of salvation, rescuing a stranded vessel in need” and at one time appeared on all Great Lakes Towing tugs, Mr. LaMarre said before the ceremony.

While Friday’s ceremony was reserved for holders of tickets sold only in advance, the rededicated Ohio will be open to the general public for a celebratory weekend Saturday and Sunday.

The new Ohio was to have been on-site – though not open for tours – during the weekend, but that plan had to be scrubbed because of high water on the Maumee River that compromised the available space to dock it.

The high water prompted the old and new Ohios to be moored nose-to-nose for their dedications, and a wind shift later in the day caused water to start flooding the dock area after the ceremony was over.

Museum admission is $17 for the general public and includes access to both the Ohio and the Col. James M. Schoonmaker museum freighter. Museum members are admitted free.

View images and video at this link: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/community-events/2019/06/21/new-tugboat-christened-at-National-Museum-of-Great-Lakes/stories/20190621117

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
The CN ore docks in Two Harbors saw the arrival of the Presque Isle at 20:39 for North of #2 where she took on a partial cargo at the gravity dock. She then shifted to South of #2 where she departed from at 07:46 on the 21st for Gary. The Algoma Guardian arrived off Two Harbors early on June 21st and got underway about the time the PI got underway from the dock. The Algoma Guardian then arrived on the 21st at 08:05 for South of #2. She departed on the 21st at 18:42 for Hamilton. Due Two Harbors on the 22nd are the Roger Blough and the CSL Laurentien after unloading in the Twin Ports. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay saw the departure of the Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader on the 21st between 02:00 and 02:30 for Indiana Harbor. There is no traffic scheduled for Silver Bay on the 22nd.

Thunder Bay, ON
Thursday June 20: 21:29 Saginaw departed Richardson Current River Terminal for Owen Sound. 22:00 Tecumseh weighed anchor and returned to Richardson Current River Terminal to resume loading grain. Friday June 21: 7:08 research vessel Kiyi departed the Coast Guard base for research in Thunder Bay. 8:58 Whitefish Bay arrived at G3 to load grain. 14:09 research vessel Kiyi returned to the Coast Guard base. 14:35 Tecumseh departed Richardson Current River Terminal for Port Cartier. 17:14 Thunder Bay departed Viterra A downbound. Expected late Friday: Algoma Spirit.

St. Marys River
Downbound traffic on Friday included Industrial Skipper, Kaminisiqua, American Integrity and Gardno. Upbounders included CSL Assiniboine, tug Spartan and barge, Roger Blough and, later, Algoma Compass.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Drummond Island:
Friday; 16:27 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder arrived to load.

Bruce Mines:
Friday; 1:45 Mississagi departed down bound on Lake Michigan.

Parry Sound:
Thursday; 18:42 Samuel Risley departed for the St Marys River to work on nav aids.

Alpena:
Thursday; 21:01 Undaunted and Pere Marquette 41 departed for Grand Haven. Friday; 6:21 The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load and departed at 11:28 for Detroit.

Stoneport:
Thursday; 22:59 Olive L Moore departed for Marysville.

Calcite:
Friday; 11:35 Wilfred Sykes departed for Indiana Harbor. 13:05 Victory and James L Kuber arrived to load. 15:38 The tug Michigan and tank barge Great lakes arrived and went to anchor.

Port Inland:
Friday; 2:36 John J Boland departed for Waukegan. 2:48 Calumet weighed anchor and proceeded to the loading dock. She departed at 11:19 down bound on Lake Michigan. 16:46 Joseph L Block arrived and went to anchor. 18:37 American Courage arrived and went to anchor.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Conveyor departed with salt Friday. Algoma Sault is due in on Saturday.

Northeast Ohio ports – Bill Kloss
6/21 arrivals: Great Republic to Ashtabula and Sam Laud to Fairport Harbor. 6/21 departures: NACC Argonaut to Bath.

Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
On Friday, McKeil Spirit unloaded cement.

Demands by customs adds to port operators’ ire

6/22 - It seemed like a game-changer for the Port of Monroe, Michigan, located less than 20 miles from a Ford Motor Co. plant, when it got an order to ship hundreds of Mustangs to Germany.

The work would require up to 200 workers at a facility that handled mostly commodities like coal and limestone. Ford’s order came as the port was working to establish itself as the first federal marine highway on the Great Lakes, a chance for an economic boon for the Rust Belt community in the shadow of Detroit. Then, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stepped in.

The border agency told Ford and the port operator that it didn’t have the resources to inspect every shipping container, and the port would need to buy new fencing, cranes, facilities and security at its own expense before it would be allowed to carry out the order, which also included imports. The upgrades were required not just for the Ford work, but to accept containers from any other company for international shipping, according to a University of Michigan case study of how the security agency has impacted the port and local economy.

Ford ultimately pulled the project and shipped the Mustangs by rail to Baltimore. Yet the agency hasn’t altered its position, and its demands have cost the region countless revenues and job creation, according to the report.

“The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has nearly put the Port of Monroe out of the international cargo business,” Paul LaMarre, the port’s director, said in an interview.

Monroe is among a growing number of public ports that say Customs and Border Protection is demanding that they front the bills for on-site upgrades and equipment to improve security. The demands add to their financial worries at a time when the Trump administration’s tariff orders and siphoning of hundreds of customs officers to the U.S.-Mexico border is already stressing resources in the midst of the busy summer shipping season.

In recent months the demands have accelerated. At least half a dozen ports of various sizes throughout the country have been told to make at least $52 million in often last-minute upgrades or potentially face inspection service issues, the American Association of Port Authorities said in a May 9 letter to congressional homeland security overseers.

The requests have included gym space and break rooms for border agency staff, additional space in cruise ship embarkment buildings, and kennels for cargo-sniffing canines, the group said.

The “disturbing” trend continues “with no end in sight,” AAPA CEO Kurt Nagle said in the letter. “They’re saying if you want to play in this space, you’re going to pay,” Gregg Ward, who has consulted for the Monroe port and is president of Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry Inc. said in an interview.

A spokesperson from the border agency didn’t respond to a request for comment. Seaport Disrupted

Now some lawmakers are calling for oversight and provisions in spending bills aimed at ensuring ports aren’t blindsided by the agency’s demands.

An amendment to the fiscal 2020 Homeland Security spending bill that would require the border agency to brief Congress on its requirements for staffing and security upgrades at seaports, as well as lay out the process of deciding how initiatives are funded, was adopted last week by the House Appropriations Committee .

“The federal government’s responsibility is port security,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), who offered the provision and whose district includes the Port of Baltimore, said in a hallway interview. “The states don’t have the money to do that, and they are doing a lot of it already.”

The congressman wants the border agency to justify its authority to ask for these requests, and would support a stronger provision in the Senate’s Homeland Security spending bill that would require CBP to lay out its budget for funding needs, spokeswoman Jaime Lennon from Ruppersberger’s office said in an interview.

Both Ruppersberger and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said they’re worried about how widespread the issue is, beyond impacting their Port of Baltimore. Port of Baltimore operators didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Van Hollen is developing language for the Senate’s Homeland Security appropriations bill that would halt expenditures on current and future facility requests for seaports from the border agency until there has been a review of the management of funding, according to spokeswoman Bridgett Frey.

The Senate’s appropriations bill development has stalled as lawmakers and the White House negotiate top-line budget figures.

Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee led by ranking member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), whose state includes the Port of Monroe, are also digging into the issue, an aide said in a telephone interview. Port Authorities

The agency has told ports it has statutory and regulatory authority to require a suitable environment for cargo inspections at no cost to the government. For example, a 1928 Justice Department legal opinion on customs inspections states there is no reason the federal government should “pay the costs of acts which it has power to require others to perform at their own expense.”

The reasonableness of the requests may be more of a gray area, in terms of what is actually required for customs officers to do their jobs, according to an aide from the committee’s minority office.

“This doesn’t exist everywhere, this doesn’t exist at all the ports, but it’s being forced on this little community port,” Ward said, referring to the type of equipment demands at Monroe, which he estimated would cost at least $5 million to $6 million.

To be sure, the border agency has made facility requests in the past, and the agency since 2013 has been expanding a public-private partnership program with a variety of ports that donate materials or reimburse the agency, for example, when extra cargo loads require overtime hours for inspection.

“Record increases in passenger and cargo volumes are outpacing CBP’s personnel and infrastructure resources, resulting in increased passenger wait times and cargo backups,” the agency’s website for the partnership program says.

According to the University of Michigan report, the CBP regarded serving Monroe as a “courtesy” that was not required.

The ports association said members met with acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner John Sanders June 12 to discuss the facilities issue and staffing. The group wants a pause in the funding requests until Congress can conduct oversight of the process, and require the agency to report its funding needs and timelines.

Back in Monroe, LaMarre said that in the years since the Mustang loss they’ve been accepted to the agency’s private partnership program, but are still waiting for a clear list of needs from the agency. Meanwhile, he said, the port has lost millions of dollars in business as shipping clients chose alternative ports or transportation modes that aren’t facing the same demands from the border agency.

At this point, he said he’s willing to pay what it takes to clear cargo.

“We’re just looking for a responsive partner” he said, adding that the meeting with Sanders seemed to tip some action. “We are a public port in a distressed community, and our distressed community is being put off the list of priorities entirely.”

https://about.bgov.com/news/gym-kennel-demands-by-customs-adds-to-port-operators-ire

Bloomberg News

Obituary: Capt. John Bentum

6/22 - Capt. John Bentum went peacefully to his rest after a long struggle on Wednesday, June 19, at the age of 67. He sailed with Canada Steamship Lines for over 35 years before his retirement. The family will receive visitors at Pleasantview Funeral Home, 2000 Merrittville Highway, Thorold, ON, on Sunday, June 23 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Private interment at a later date. Memorial donations to the Canadian Society of Transplantation.

Deadline near for Engineers Day Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise

6/22 - The Soo Locks Freighter-Chasing Cruise will be Friday, June 28. Reservations ($45) may be made at the Soo Boatnerd Picnic. The cut off time is noon Thursday, June 27, as we must let the boat tours know how many will be on board so they can order the right amount of food for dinner. For details, see www.boatnerd.com/gathering

On 22 June 1959, BAYPORT (steel propeller tug, 72 foot, 65 gross tons, built in 1914, at Cleveland, Ohio, formerly named a.) FAIRPORT) had the steamer MOHAWK DEER in tow when she was hooked by her own tow cable, capsized and sank at Collingwood, Ontario. Three lives were lost. The tug was later raised and converted from steam to diesel. Later renamed c.) TWIN PORT, and d.) ROD MC LEAN in 1974. She was scrapped in 2008 at the Purvis west yard at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

On 22 June 1909, W.P. THEW (wooden propeller freighter, 133 foot, 207 gross tons, built in 1884, at Lorain, Ohio) was in ballast, creeping through the fog off Alpena, Michigan on Lake Huron when she was rammed by the WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE (steel propeller freighter, 532 foot, 6,634 gross tons, built in 1908, at Ecorse, Michigan). After the collision, the LIVINGSTONE drifted away and lost track of the THEW. The THEW sank in 80 feet of water. Fortunately the steamer MARY C. ELPHICKE answered the distress whistle and picked up the THEW's crew from the lifeboat. No lives were lost.

The WILLIAM R. ROESCH (Hull#901) was launched and christened at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., on June 22, 1973, for the Union Commerce Bank, Ohio (Trustee) and managed by the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) DAVID Z. NORTON in 1995, c.) DAVID Z in 2007 and d.) CALUMET in 2008.

June 22, 1957 - W. L. Mercereau, known as the Father of the Fleet, died. Mercereau developed the Pere Marquette fleet of car ferries into the largest in the world.

On 22 June 1853, CHALLENGE (wooden propeller freighter, 198 foot, 665 tons, built in 1853, at Newport, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Buffalo with barreled pork and oats on one of her first trips. However, her boiler exploded off Cheboygan, Michigan. She burned and sank. Five died. The schooner NORTH STAR heard the blast ten miles away and came to the rescue of the rest of the passengers and crew.

On 22 June 1875, The Port Huron Times reported that "the Northern Transportation Company's fleet of 20 propellers, which have been idle all the season owing to difficulties between the Central Vermont and the Ogdensburg & Champlain Railroad Companies, have passed from the control of the Central Vermont Railroad Company and will commence regular trips as soon as they can be fitted out."

Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit.

U.S. Steel to idle blast furnace at Great Lakes Works facility on Zug Island

6/21 - Detroit, MI – U.S. Steel Corp. is idling a blast furnace at its Great Lakes Works facility in Ecorse and River Rouge. The move comes after the steel producer announced a lower-than-expected earnings forecast for the second quarter of 2019. Blast furnaces — key for processing iron into steel — in Europe and Indiana will also be idled, according to a June 18 press release.

“In response to current market conditions, we are taking actions aligned with our strategy by adjusting our global blast furnace footprint,” the release read. “We are idling two blast furnaces in the United States and one blast furnace in Europe to better align our global production with our order book.

“In the United States, we began a planned maintenance outage on the Great Lakes B2 blast furnace last week. Based on current market conditions, we expect the B2 blast furnace to remain idled after the completion of the planned outage.”

United Steelworkers could not immediately be reached for comment.

Twice in the release, the steel maker referred to weak market demand for steel. In March 2018, President Donald Trump approved the imposition of stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, boosting domestic supply. The combination has lowered prices.

In August, 15 individuals were hospitalized after an incident involving the dust catcher of one of the blast furnaces on Zug Island, where the Great Lakes Works facility is located. All 15 individuals were employed by Songer Services, a Pennsylvania-based industrial contracting firm.

Less than three weeks later, more than 200 members of United Steelworkers Local No. 1299 rallied for a fair contract outside the facility. By October, union and corporation had reached a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining agreement representing 14,000 domestic employees.

The agreement was ratified in mid-November and runs until September 2022.

News Herald

Egmondgracht renamed

6/21 - The saltie Egmondgracht was officially renamed Aujaq at Valleyfield on June 14. The cargo vessel was built in 1994.

Rene Beauchamp

Corps, National Weather Service make predictions for summer Great Lakes levels

6/21 - A snowy winter, a wet spring and a rainy summer forecast are filling our Great Lakes to the brim. Water levels in the Great Lakes are rising at or near record levels, wreaking havoc on shorelines, waterfront property and coastal infrastructure.

In Ludington, drains have been overflowing regularly and water is overtaking break walls. Beaches ideal for summer strolls have been reduced to a fraction of their usual pathway because of the high water. Lake Michigan is one inch away from breaking the month of June’s high water level, while Lake Superior is four inches above the all time high.

Lakes Huron, Ontario and Erie are also extremely high.

Wednesday night, Ludington City Hall hosted the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers and the National Weather Service to talk about the scope of the issue and answer community questions about the increasing threat.

The National Weather Service has tracked water levels every month for the past 100 years and levels have only been this high for five months in that entire time span.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says more rain is expected this summer, raising levels even more, and potentially above records set back in the mid 1980’s.

“We’re seeing lots of instances of coastal flooding, shoreline erosion, structures are underwater in certain parts of the Great Lakes,” said chief Keith Kompoltowicz. “It’s likely that all five lakes are going to see record highs in June.”

Downstate resident John Tunis has summered in Ludington for more than 20 years and has never seen the water so high.

“We’re flabbergasted by what we’re seeing,” said Tunis. “At our place we had approximately 65 to 75 feet of access, [now] we have maybe five feet of beach all the way down towards the city beach. It’s unbelievable.”

The Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service say the wet weather patterns may break by July.

9&10 News

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
There was no traffic through the Duluth entry during the day on Thursday. In port were Indiana Harbor, loading iron ore pellets at CN; American Mariner, loading wheat at General Mills; and Happy River, discharging wind turbine towers at Port Terminal. After experiencing loading delays, Indiana Harbor had a tentative departure time of late Thursday evening, and Paul R. Tregurtha was due just before midnight to load coal at Midwest Energy. There was also no traffic in Superior, however American Century is due early Friday to load at BN.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
American Integrity departed CN South of #2 on June 20th at 08:20 for "Hoosier Harbor." Due Two Harbors the evening of the 20th is the Presque Isle. Due Two Harbors on June 21st is the Algoma Guardian. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay saw the arrival of the Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader at 13:37 on June 20th. There is no inbound traffic scheduled for Silver Bay on June 21st.

Thunder Bay, ON
Wednesday June 19: 21:34 CSL Welland departed Viterra A for Montreal. Thursday June 20: 1:12 Tecumseh departed Richardson Current River Terminal and went to anchor. 2:28 Saginaw arrived at Richardson Current River Terminal to load grain. 11:47 saltie Industrial Skipper arrived at Keefer Terminal to unload kiln components. 12:34 Thunder Bay arrived at Viterra A to load grain. 13:48 Kaministiqua departed Richardson Main Terminal for Port Cartier. 16:11 saltie Industrial Skipper departed Keefer Terminal for Montreal. 17:29 research vessel Kiyi arrived at the Coast Guard base. 17:29 saltie Gardno departed Superior Elevator for Montreal. 18:01 Federal Columbia weighed anchor and proceeded to Superior Elevator to load grain. Expected for Friday: Whitefish Bay.

Green Bay, WI
Egelantiersgracht arrived from Sweden with a load of pulp Thursday afternoon with the help of the Great Lakes Towing tugs Texas and Superior.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Drummond Island:
Wednesday; 22:32 Algoma Buffalo departed for Sombra.

Bruce Mines:
Thursday; 17:18 Mississagi arrived to load trap rock.

Meldrum Bay:
Wednesday; 6:14 Algoma Innovator departed for Sarnia. 12:00 Baie Comeau weighed anchor and proceeded to the Lafarge dock to finish loading. Thursday; 10:24 Baie Comeau departed down bound on Lake Huron.

Alpena:
Thursday;13:02 Undaunted and Pere Marquette 41 arrived to unload.

Stoneport:
Thursday; 10:00 Olive L Moore arrived to load.

Calcite:
Thursday; !0:02 H Lee White arrived to load. 10:20 Great Republic departed for Ashtabula.20:04 John G Munson departed for Burns Harbor. 20:07 Wilfred Sykes arrived to load.

Port Inland:
Wednesday; 21:12 Manitowoc departed for Holland. Thursday; 13:51 John J Boland arrived to load. 16:20 Calumet arrived and went to anchor.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Algoma Conveyor made her first ever trip to Detroit on Thursday, unloading coal at Zug Island

Northeast Ohio ports – Bill Kloss
6/20 arrivals: Edgar B. Speer to Conneaut. James R. Barker to Ashtabula. Victory 1 to the Port of Cleveland, Dock 28, NACC Argonaut to LaFarge and Petite Forte to St. Mary's Cement in Cleveland. Sam Laud to Marblehead.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Thursday Jun 20 – Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
arrival - Jun 20 - Mesabi Miner at 0842 - docked - Jun 19 - tug Sharon M I & Niagara Spirit at 0648

Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 19 - Sten Baltic (Nor) at 2110 - Jun 20 - Victory II (Bhs) (ex Sea Discoverer-18, Coastal Queen 2-17, Clipper Discoverer-09, Cape Cods Light-07) at 0707, Algoma Sault at 1036, light tug Ecosse at 1136, Harbour Fountain (Por) at 1404, Algosea at 1636 and CSL Tadoussac at 1733

downbound - Jun 19 - tug Everlast & Norman McLeod at 1528 - Jun 20 - Algonorth at 0645, Federal Mackinac (Mhl) at 0957, Robert S Pierson at 1129, Sten Arnold (Gib) at 1244, CSL St Laurent at 1359, G3 Marquis eta 2145

Welland Canal docks:
docked - docked - Jun 7 - CCGS Pierre Radisson at 0925 into Heddle Dry Dock at Port Weller - Jun 20 - Victory II (Bhs) (ex Sea Discoverer-18, Coastal Queen 2-17, Clipper Discoverer-09, Cape Cods Light-07) stopped wharf 2 at 0740 - departed at 1650 for Toronto

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 12 - Emanuele S (Bds) (ex SCT Monte Rosa-17, MCT Monte Rosa-15) at 1521

Hamilton:
arrivals - none - docked - Jun 13 - Rosy (Bds) (ex SCT Stockhorn-17, MCT Stockhorn-16, HHL Caspian-08) at 0051, Federal Rhine (Bds) at 1347 - Jun 18 - Lubie (Bhs) at 2130 - Jun 19 - Federal Elbe (Mhl) at 0702 and Jana Desgagnes at 2109 - departure - Jun 20 - Jana Desgagnes at 1907 eastbound

Bronte:
docked - Jun 17 - Sarah Desgagnes at 1514 - departed Jun 20 at 0817 eastbound

Clarkson:
docked - Jun 18 - Algoma Sault at 1540 - departed - Jun 20 at 0854 for the canal

Toronto:
arrival - Jun 20 - Victory II (Bhs) (ex Sea Discoverer-18, Coastal Queen 2-17, Clipper Discoverer-09, Cape Cods Light-07) at 1907 - docked - Jun 16 - Whistler (Lbr) at 0438

Oshawa:
docked - Jun 16 - Strandja (Mlt) (ex Federal Yangtze-10, Eastwind York-10) at 1208 - Jun 18 - tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 0851 - departed Jun 20 - tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 1911 westbound

Bowmanville:
anchored - Jun 20 - Radcliffe R Latimer at 0230 - arrival - Jun 20 Radcliffe R Latimer at 1432 - docked - Jun 19 - CSL Tadoussac at 2335 - departed - Jun 20 - CSL Tadoussac at 1400 westbound

Museum tug Edna G needs volunteer tour guides

6/21 - Two Harbors, MN – The Friends of Edna G is seeking volunteers to give tours of the historic Edna G tugboat during Two Harbors Heritage Days 2019 and possibly through the rest of the summer. Tours have not been available in over five years. However, a new agreement with the city of Two Harbors was ironed out. A structural study recently completed shows the historic tug is not in imminent danger of sinking.

The tugboat was built by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Co. in 1896 for the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad to guide ore boats into the ore docks. The 92-foot long, 23-feet wide, steam-powered tug was built with a steel hull, which was considered a novelty at the time.

The name came from J.L. Greatsinger, then-president of the railroad, after his daughter Edna.

In 1917, the ship was outfitted and shipped to the East Coast to provide aid for World War I before returning to Two Harbors. The boat was decommissioned and given to the city of Two Harbors in 1980.

Note that tours of the Edna G require climbing steps. Koehler recommends maintaining three points of contact with the boat, one hand and two feet, at all times.

Along the tour, one could expect to see the historic engine room, the dusty crew quarters, the wood-paneled galley, the swanky captain's quarters, the pilothouse and upper and lower decks. No access is available to the boiler room, but a view from the top of the steps provides enough context.

Great Lakes restoration needs $100M annual investment: report

6/21 - It will cost $100-million a year over the next decade to restore the health of the Great Lakes, says an expert panel in a new report. And a team of five Great Lakes advocacy groups is asking the federal government to cover the cost of implementing the Action Plan 2030 to Protect the Great Lakes, while also hoping to secure matching funding from other levels of government as well as other organizations.

The plan, released Tuesday after nine months of research by an expert panel includes 15 initiatives that would help identify and reduce exposure to toxins and harmful chemicals in the region, target areas that contributor to algal blooms in the lakes, and to take action to prevent sewage and bacteriological contamination to help ensure beaches remain clean and safe, and protect communities along Great Lakes shorelines by helping them become more resilient to high water levels.

The expert panel, led by Ontario's former environment commissioner Gord Miller and Québec's former sustainable development commissioner Jean Cinq-Mars, focused on priorities lakeside communities are facing such as climate change, pollutants, algal blooms and beach contamination.

In a media release, Miller called the action plan a "strategic and surgical intervention using new kinds of collaboration, technologies and big data new approach."

Cinq-Mars referred to a U.S. plan launched in 2008 and supported by both Republicans and Democrats that led to a $2-billion investment in Great Lakes restoration projects, leading to a three-to-one return on investment.

"Protecting such a vast and valuable ecosystem requires significant and sustained investment like the GLRI on the U.S. side of the lakes. We need the same kind of multi-partisan leadership and commitment this side of the border," she said.

Canada's environment minister Catherine McKenna said by restoring and protecting "our fresh water, we not only secure the health of our environment, but also the health, culture and economy of millions of Canadians."

The five advocacy groups that initiated the expert panel study in October include the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the Council of the Great Lakes Region, Freshwater Future Canada, and Stratégies Saint Laurent.

The full 46-page report is available online at www.westbrookpa.com/glslcollab/reports/great-lakes

Deadline near for Engineers Day Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise

6/21 - The Soo Locks Freighter-Chasing Cruise will be Friday, June 28. Reservations ($45) may be made the Soo Boatnerd Picnic. The cut off time is noon Thursday, June 27, as we must let the boat tours know how many will be on board so they can order the right amount of food for dinner. For details, see www.boatnerd.com/gathering

On 21 June 1868, the D&C Line's MORNING STAR (wooden side-wheel steamer, 243 foot, 1,075 tons, built in 1862, at Trenton, Michigan) was late in leaving her dock in Cleveland, Ohio, because she was loading some last-minute freight (iron bars and glass). As she sailed on Lake Erie to Detroit during the dark and rainy night, she collided with the heavy-laden bark COURTLAND and sank quickly, 10 miles off Lorain, Ohio. Twenty feet of the steamer's bow had been torn off while the bark was swept into one of the paddle wheels and destroyed. The side-wheel steamer R N RICE arrived on the scene at 3 a.m. and picked up the survivors - only 44 of them. In September, MORNING STAR was raised, towed to Lorain and re-sunk in 55 feet of water, for possible future rebuilding. Attempts were made to raise her again several times, but in the summer of 1872, she was abandoned because it was determined that the previous attempts had reduced her to rubble.

On 21 June 1878, the small passenger steamer J. HOLT, which ran between Chatham and Wallaceburg, Ontario, burned on Lake St. Clair. The passengers and crew escaped in the lifeboats.

On June 21, 1942, the LEON FRASER entered service as the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. The Pittsburgh Steamship Co. bulk freighter, originally 639 foot 6 inches long, retained at least a tie for that honor until the WILFRED SYKES entered service in 1949. She was shortened, converted to a self-unloading cement carrier and renamed b.) ALPENA in 1991.

June 21, 1942, the U.S. Steel bulk freighter EUGENE J. BUFFINGTON ran hard aground on Boulder Reef in Lake Michigan and broke in two. The vessel was subsequently recovered and, after a long career with U.S. Steel, was finally sold for scrap in 1980.

The m/v RANGER III (Hull#385) was side-launched at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Christy Corporation, on Saturday, June 21, 1958. The vessel was custom designed by R.A. Stearns (Bay Engineering) also of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for the National Park Service, Isle Royale National Park.

On June 21, 1986, during a severe thunderstorm (and unofficial observations of a funnel cloud) in the Duluth area, the JOSHUA A. HATFIELD broke loose from Azcon Scrap Dock in Duluth and was blown across the harbor and ended up hard aground on Park Point (Minnesota Point). She remained stuck for nearly 3 weeks when a storm with east winds pushed the HATFIELD free and she blew most of the way back across the harbor back to the scrap dock. Tugs were dispatched in time to safely guide the HATFIELD back to the scrap dock. (June seems to be a bad month for U.S. Steel in accidents, with the June 7, 1977, accident involving the WILLIAM A. IRVIN, the June 15, 1943, collision between the D. M. CLEMSON and the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY, and the June 21, 1942, grounding of the EUGENE J. BUFFINGTON on Boulder Reef.)

June 21, 1916 - The ANN ARBOR NO 5, after departing the shipyards in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 21, 1916, where 3 buckets (blades) were replaced on her starboard propeller, arrived in Manistique, Michigan. While maneuvering around in the harbor she struck the rocky bottom and broke off the same three blades off her starboard propeller.

June 21, 1994 - The Ludington Daily News reported a planned sale of the CITY OF MIDLAND 41, to Contessa Cruise Lines of Minnesota. The deal included an option to sell the SPARTAN and Contessa was prohibited from competing against Lake Michigan Carferry Co., but it fell through.

The 3-mast wooden schooner GEORGE MURRAY was launched in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on 21 June 1873. At the time, she was billed as the largest vessel ever built on Lake Michigan. Her dimensions were 299 foot long x 34 foot beam x 14 foot depth, with the capacity to carry 50,000 bushels of grain. She was built by G. S. Rand for J. R. Slauson of Racine, Wisconsin.

1910 – The tug C.W. ELPHICKE sank at Michigan City, Indiana, after a bizarre accident. The steamer UNITED STATES had struck the Franklin Street Bridge, which then collapsed on the tug. The tug was salvaged on July 12.

1941 – BOMMESTAD, a small Norwegian freighter, came to the Great Lakes in the 1920s and 1930s. It was sold and renamed HILDA in 1934 and registered in Finland when it was torpedoed and sunk by U-52 in the Bay of Biscay while enroute from Dunkirk, France, to the U.K. with a cargo of wheat.

1964 – The Norwegian freighter STELLA NOVA ran aground off Alexandria Bay, N.Y., while enroute from Duluth to Bombay, India. It was refloated June 24 with major bottom damage but was repaired. It had been a Seaway trader as a) VITO in 1959 and was scrapped as f) CORALBA after arriving at Split, Yugoslavia, on September 19, 1978.

On 21 June 1900, the wooden bulk freighter R C BRITTAIN was raised at Toledo, Ohio. She was brought to Sarnia where repairs were made and the engine of the tug F A FOLGER was installed in her. She had previously sunk at Toledo and remained there for several years before being raised. She lasted until 1912, when she burned at Sarnia.

Data from: Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Skip Gillham, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Ship incident closes Canadian shipping route on Detroit River for 30 hours

6/19 - Windsor, Ont. – The Detroit River’s Canadian shipping channel was closed Monday after lines tying to shore a ship carrying 25,000 tons of gravel snapped.

Three mooring lines holding the 730-foot Algoma Niagara’s bow to a dock in Sandwich Town snapped around 11 p.m., according to Steve Salmons, president and CEO of the Windsor Port Authority. The river’s current swung the ship’s hull into the channel 90 degrees, while the stern’s mooring lines remained attached to the dock.

“The captain did what is the right protocol. He dropped anchor to stop it from swinging out,” Salmons said Tuesday. By the time the two-year-old ship stopped fully, it was already blocking the shipping channel.

A member of the ship’s crew was reportedly injured when the mooring lines broke, Salmons said, but he didn’t know the nature or severity of the injury. Peter Winkley, spokesman for the Algoma Central Corporation, which owns the ship, would not confirm if a member of the Algoma Niagara’s crew had been injured. He declined to provide a statement about the incident.

The ship’s captain first reported the incident to Transport Canada’s Ontario office in Sarnia, who then notified the Windsor Port Authority, Salmons said. His organization immediately closed the Canadian side of the shipping channel to prevent collisions, and kept the channel closed for approximately 30 hours. During that time, the Windsor Port Authority coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to route ships to the American side of the water.

“It caused minor inconvenience, but no backups,” Salmons said. If another ship had been in the area at the time, it could have collided with the anchored vessel and created a much worse situation. “We are fortunate across the board.”

The ship’s anchor dropped near to the Kinder Morgan pipeline that carries ethane below the Detroit River, but the pipeline was not damaged during the incident. As a precaution, Kinder Morgan “sealed and purged out” the line, Salmons said, but the company told him its monitoring gauges registered no change in pressure—the line, which is buried several metres below the riverbed, suffered no leak, and has resumed transporting ethane.

Two tugboats on Tuesday held the ship in place while crews cut the anchor’s chain and lowered it to the riverbed, Salmons said. The Algoma Central Corporation, the vessel’s owner, will come “as soon as possible” with a salvage operation to remove the anchor and chain.

The tugboats then maneuvered the ship back to its spot along Windsor’s shore near Prospect Avenue, where it was re-tied to the port and crew unloaded the gravel. Once the channel was clear, the Windsor Port Authority reopened the shipping route’s Canadian side. “It’s not unusual for a mooring line to break—they do wear, they do get under stress,” Salmons said. “It was unusual that all three broke and it went out into the middle of the river.”

Representatives from Transport Canada have been on scene to investigate the incident, Salmons said. He did not have the results of the investigation and said he did not expect to see results for several days.

Windsor Star

US Steel to idle 3 blast furnaces as market conditions cool

6/19 - United States Steel Corp. will temporarily idle three blast furnaces, including two in the Midwest, and cut production of flat-rolled steel as market conditions soften.

U.S. Steel said late Tuesday it would keep idled the Great Lakes B2 blast furnace, which began a planned outage last week, after the work is completed. Another blast furnace, this at the Gary Works facility, will be idled temporarily. Both could be idled for the rest of the year, which will cut production starting in July by between 200,000 and 225,000 tons. It said the blast furnace adjustments will be temporary but are to align production with its orders.

It said flat-rolled steel sales are being hit by lower prices and lower demand, as well as shipments in the second quarter being lower due to flooding in the South. "We will resume blast furnace production at one or both idled blast furnaces when market conditions improve," U.S. Steel said in a statement.

Imports and what the manufacturer called "market headwinds" are also impacting its European operations, where it will idle a blast furnace that produces about 125,000 tons of steel a month. That also could be idled through the end of the year, although U.S. Steel did not specifically state how long.

"We will resume #2 blast furnace production when market conditions improve," U.S. Steel said.

It also said that it would have $15 million in impact in the second quarter due to the Dec. 24 fire at the Clairton Coke Works.

Pittsburgh Business Times

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
American Spirit departed Duluth a few minutes after midnight on Tuesday with a load of iron ore pellets for Indiana Harbor, and Great Lakes Trader/tug Joyce L. VanEnkevort arrived at 03:25 to load at Canadian National. Cason J. Callaway was outbound at 08:35 after unloading limestone at the C. Reiss dock, and headed for Two Harbors to load. Her sister Philip R. Clarke was inbound at 09:38, also with limestone for C. Reiss. During the evening, Alamosborg left port at 18:51 with a load of beet pulp pellets from Gavilon, and Great Lakes Trader was outbound from CN at 19:20. Industrial Skipper remained moored at Port Terminal offloading wind turbine blades, and Federal Leda continued taking on wheat at CHS 1. The Clarke was expected to shift over to CN at some point Tuesday night to load sinter. At the Superior entry, Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin departed at 02:57 with a load of iron ore pellets from BN, and Stewart J. Cort arrived at 14:50 to load. She was expected to depart early Wednesday morning.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
G3 Marquis departed Two Harbors on June 18th at 02:01 for Quebec City. The Cason J. Callaway arrived Two Harbors on June 18th at 10:46 for South of #1. After loading a partial blast furnace trim cargo she shifted to North of #2 to load pellets. Then between 16:20 and 16:50 she shifted to North of #1 to finish loading blast furnace trim. As of 19:30 June 18 she was still loading. Also on June 18th the Edwin H. Gott should arrive Two Harbors around 21:00. Due Two Harbors on June 19th is the American Integrity. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay had no traffic on June 18th. Due Silver Bay on June 19th is the Hon. James L. Oberstar. Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader had been showing up to load in Silver Bay, but she loaded at the CN ore dock in West Duluth. Once again, all times are approx., but are close.

Thunder Bay, ON
Sunday June 16: 22:38 Federal Kumano arrived at Richardson Current River Terminal to load grain. Monday June 17: 16:43 Federal Mackinac departed Thunder Bay Terminals for Sorel. 19:11 CSL St Laurent departed G3 for Quebec City. 21:05 Algoma Conveyor arrived at Thunder Bay Terminals to load. Tuesday June 18: 4:02 Ojibway arrived at Viterra A to load grain. 9:30 Algoma Conveyor departed Thunder Bay Terminals for Detroit Zug Island. 11:35 saltie Gardno weighed anchor after 2 days in the harbor and proceeded to Superior Elevator to load grain. 11:57 saltie Narie departed Superior Elevator for Montreal. 17:12 Ojibway departed Viterra A for Windsor. 17:39 CSL Welland arrived at Viterra A to load grain. 17:47 Baie St Paul arrived at Thunder Bay Terminals to load. 20:35 Federal Kumano departed Richardson Current River Terminal for Montreal. Expected late Tuesday: Tecumseh. Expected for Wednesday: Kaministiqua and Federal Columbia.

St. Marys River
Tuesday was an unusually busy day on the river. Upbounders included Indiana Harbor and Kaministiqua early, followed by the Hon. James L. Oberstar, American Marinr, Happy River, Federal Columbia and Saginaw (to Drummond Island). Downbounders included Edgar B. Speer, Kaye E. Barker, Mesabi Miner, H. Lee White (headed to Charlevoix), Federal Mackinac, training vessel State of Michigan, CSL St.-Laurent, James R. Barker and Roger Blough.

Northern Lake Huron ports
Drummond Island:
Tuesday; 11:03 Saginaw arrived to load and departed at 19:11 upbound on the St Marys River.

Bruce Mines:
Tuesday; 10:51 Algoma Compass arrived to load trap rock. Cuyahoga is expected later tonight.

Meldrum Bay:
Tuesday; 6:01 Michipicoten arrived to load and departed at 18:51 for Duluth Superior.

Parry Sound:
Monday; 20:50 The cruise ship Pearl Mist departed for Midland. Midland:
Tuesday; 7:19 The cruise ship Pearl Mist arrived for shore excursions and departed at 17:39 for Windsor.

Owen Sound:
Tuesday; 0:10 Saginaw departed for Drummond Island. Alpena:
Monday; The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load and departed on Tuesday at 4:04 for Green Bay. 14:47 G L Ostrander arrived to load and departed at 19:49 for Detroit.

Stoneport:
Tuesday; 1:24 Calumet arrived to load and departed at 13:29 down bound on Lake Michigan. Calcite:
Tuesday; 4:49 Olive L Moore arrived to load and departed at 18:25 down bound on Lake Huron. 19:18 American Courage arrived to load.

Port Inland:
Monday; 20:37 American Mariner departed for Duluth Superior. 12:41 Joseph L Block arrived to load limestone.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Robert S. Pierson was loading salt on Tuesday. Tug Zeus and barge were also in port.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Tuesday Jun 18 - Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
arrivals - none

Long Point Bay anchorage:
anchored - Jun 14 - Algoscotia at 1901 - departed Jun 18 at 1525 for the canal Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 17 - CSL Laurentien at 1833 and Algoma Guardian at 1856 - Jun 18 - CSL Assiniboine at 0215, Grande Caribe (passenger vessel) (Ame) at 0632, tug Sea Eagle II & St Marys Cement II at 0704 and Victory I (Bhs) (ex Saint Laurent-16, Sea Voyager-15, Cape May Light-06) at 2020 from Toronto

downbound - Victory I (Bhs) (ex Saint Laurent-16, Sea Voyager-15, Cape May Light-06) at 0714, Evans Spirit at 0841, Pacific Huron (Atg) (ex Seven Islands-10) at 1002, Algoma Sault at 1421, Algoma Spirit at 1607, CSL Tadoussac at 1950 and Algoma Harvester at 2019 - Jun 18 - Atlantic Huron at 0145, Patalya (Mlt) (ex Maersk Newport-13) at 0237, Tim S Dool at 0632, Algoscotia at 0846, Manitoulin at 1148 and tug Wilf Seymour & Alouette Spirit at 1823 (stopping wharf 16)

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 12 - Emanuele S (Bds) (ex SCT Monte Rosa-17, MCT Monte Rosa-15) at 1521

Hamilton:
arrival - Jun 18 - Algoma Spirit at 0842 - docked - Jun 13 - Rosy (Bds) (ex SCT Stockhorn-17, MCT Stockhorn-16, HHL Caspian-08) at 0051, Federal Rhine (Bds) at 1347 - Jun 16 - Sider Venture (Por) (ex Oslo Venture I-17, Sian-C-16) at 1401 - anchored - Jun 15 - Sten Baltic (Nor) at 1880 - Jun 16 - Lubie (Bhs) at 1545 - departures - Jun 18 - Chestnut (Cyp) at 0640 for Belgium and Lake St Clair (Atg) (ex Federal Miramichi-16) at 2044 for Ireland

Bronte:
docked - Jun 17 - Sarah Desgagnes at 1514

Clarkson:
arrival - Jun 18 - Algoma Sault - anchored off dock at 0748 - docked at 1540 - docked - Jun 17 - Blair McKeil (ex Gagliarda-19) at 2033 from Hamilton -

Mississauga:
docked - Jun 15 - Hinch Spirit ex Topaz-I-19 at 1137 from Hamilton - departed - Jun 17 at 2243 eastbound

Toronto:
arrival - Jun 18 - Victory I (Bhs) (ex Saint Laurent-16, Sea Voyager-15, Cape May Light-06) at 0908 - docked - Jun 16 - Whistler (Lbr) at 0438, and McKeil Spirit at 2144 - departed - Jun 17 - tug Petite Forte & St Marys Cement at 1841 eastbound

Oshawa:
arrival - Jun 18 - tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 0851 and Aragonborg (Nld) at 1335 - docked - Jun 16 - Strandja (Mlt) (ex Federal Yangtze-10, Eastwind York-10) at 1208 - Jun 17 - NACC Quebec at 1922 from Toronto - departure- Jun 18 - NACC Quebec at 1544

International boaters can again check in at Rogers City harbor

6/19 - Rogers City, Mich. Rogers City is once again able to administer customs to “pleasure boaters” from Canada or to U.S. citizens returning from Canada at its marina. The city lost its designation as a point of entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection two years ago when customs agent Pete Ardini, who served the region, retired. But it recently received a kiosk from the federal government which allows “pleasure boaters” to report their arrival using the agency’s Reporting Offsite Arrival-Mobile app.

“We’re one of four communities in the state now who have one of these things,” City Manager Joe Hefele said of the kiosk. “That was a welcome surprise.” Hefele said losing the city’s port-of-entry designation was a blow to the marina and to the community.

City Harbormaster Wayne Saile said that, two years ago, the city would have about 25 boaters arrive at the marina from Canada expecting a customs agent to be available. Saile would then have to direct them either to Sault Ste. Marie or Port Huron to clear customs, which he said was a “huge inconvenience.”

“The year he left, we had about 20 people show up and I couldn’t help them,” he said of the summer Ardini retired.

Saile, along with members of the community, wrote a letter to anyone involved with customs or the government – including President Donald Trump – letting them know about their plight. “We thought it fell on deaf ears,” he said.

The next thing Saile knew, customs agents contacted him about the CBP ROAM app, which provides boaters with a faster way to report their arrival to the United States. He said customs agents were able to provide the marina with a kiosk that can be used with an iPad tablet.

“We market this as just another tool that we have available to the people who don’t have it on their phone,” he said of the kiosk. “We have one of these delivered to us from Customs and Boarder Patrol that was delivered here and set up for the boaters’ convenience.”

Pleasure boaters arriving in the U.S. from a foreign port are required by law to immediately report their arrival to Customs and Boarder Protection. Boaters can use the kiosk to enter their personal information, enter their boat information, declare any goods, and have a video conference with a customs agent right from the marina’s office.

The Alpena News

Deadline near for Engineers Day Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise

6/19 - Reservations are now being accepted for the Soo Locks Freighter-Chasing Cruise on Friday, June 28. Mail reservations must be received no later than June 21 to receive the $40 price. Reservations ($45) will also be accepted at the Soo Boatnerd Picnic; the cut off time is noon Thursday, June 27, as we must let the boat tours know how many will be on board so they can order the right amount of food for dinner. For details, see www.boatnerd.com/gathering

On 19 June 1889, NORTH STAR (steel propeller freighter, 299 foot, 2,476 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with CHARLES J. SHEFFIELD (steel propeller freighter, 260 foot, 1,699 gross tons, built in 1887, at Cleveland, Ohio) about sixty miles west of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior in heavy fog. The NORTH STAR kept her bow in the SHEFFIELD's side after the impact, giving the crew time to board. The SHEFFIELD then sank in 8 minutes. Her loss was valued at $160,000. The courts found both vessels to be equally at fault after years of litigation.

In 1954, GEORGE M. HUMPHREY (Hull#871) (named for President Eisenhower's Secretary of Treasury) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Shipbuilding Co, for National Steel Co., M.A. Hanna, mgr.

In 1978, ALGOBAY (Hull#215) was launched by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway. Renamed b.) ATLANTIC TRADER in 1994, and renamed c.) ALGOBAY in 1996 and d.) RADCLIFFE R. LATIMER in 2012.

On 19 June 1836, DELAWARE (wooden passenger/package freight side wheeler, 105 foot, 178 tons, built in 1833, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm on Lake Michigan when she was thrown ashore off Niles, Illinois. She broke in two and was wrecked. No lives were lost.

On 19 June 1900, the wooden schooner THOMAS L. HOWLAND was raised and towed to Buffalo, New York for repairs. She had been sunk by the ice off Windmill Point in the Detroit River early in the season.

At 5:30 p.m., on 19 June 1872, the wooden package freight/passenger propeller MONTANA (236 foot, 1,535 gross tons) was finally afloat at Port Huron, Michigan. She was successfully launched at the Port Huron Dry Dock Company on Saturday, 15 June, but she got stuck in the mud. The tugs VULCAN, PRINDEVILLE, BROCKWAY and BURNSIDE were all employed to free her and the MONTANA's engines were also going. It took four days of pulling, hoisting and dredging to free her. The effort to get her free and afloat cost Alexander Muir, her builder, over $3,000 (in 1872 dollars). She lasted until 1914, when she burned near Alpena, Michigan.

1905 – The wooden passenger and freight steamer CITY OF COLLINGWOOD of 1893 vintage was destroyed by a fire at Collingwood and four lives were lost.

1917 – The Canadian bulk carrier NATIRONCO was beached in the Detroit River after a collision with the ASTERN STATES and was deemed a total loss. It was raised and repaired at Toledo and survived until scrapping at Civitavecchia, Italy, as d) SAN CARLO in 1929.

1925 – The wooden freighter MAPLEGLEN (i), is scuttled in Lake Ontario, west of Kingston, near Amherst Island. It had been idle since 1921 and was originally the WYOMING of 1881.

1929 –JOHN HANLAN was torched as a spectacle off the Sunnyside area of Toronto after having failed an inspection to continue service as a Toronto Island ferry. 1933 – MEADCLIFFE HALL sustained rudder damage after being struck by the CALGADOC (i) at Thorold. The grain-laden canaller was towed back to Port Colborne, unloaded, and repaired at Port Dalhousie.

1962 – Hatch cover planks give way at Cleveland aboard FLOWERGATE and a forklift and two men fell into the cargo hold, striking a third man. All were badly injured. The British freighter later returned through the Seaway under Panamanian registry as b) AMENITY and was scrapped at Troon, Scotland, in 1977.

Data from: Jody Aho, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Christening at Great Lakes museum to celebrate new, old tugboats

6/17 - Toledo, OH – It’ll be a passing-of-the-torch, tugboat style. During a ceremony Friday, one tug named Ohio, 116 years old, will begin its new life as a centerpiece of the National Museum of the Great Lakes’ collection. The other, fresh from the Great Lakes Towing Co.’s shipyard in Cleveland, will be christened as the older tug’s successor in that company’s working fleet.

Christopher Gillcrist, the museum’s executive director, said that based on some “relatively quick research,” the event is believed to be the first occasion of “past and present being there at the same time.”

Joe Starck, Great Lakes Towing’s president, credited the idea to Paul LaMarre III, who helped arrange the Ohio’s donation to the museum and previously led efforts to save the museum’s freighter, then known as the S.S. Willis B. Boyer and owned by the city of Toledo, from being scrapped.

“We were just chatting; he was cleaning it [the old Ohio] up for the exhibit, and he said, ‘Maybe we ought to do this together.’ I thought it was a good idea,” Mr. Starck said Wednesday, adding that the Great Lakes museum also seemed like a good venue to dedicate the new tug.

And while the old Ohio spent relatively little time in Toledo’s port, Mr. Starck said the new one will be based here — offering frequent opportunities for the new Ohio to pass and salute its maritime ancestor.

It was Mr. Starck’s idea, meanwhile, to invite Mr. LaMarre’s wife, Julie, to christen the new tugboat. “Paul helped put this all together,” Mr. Starck said. “It’s his vision, and also he’s a good friend of the company…. We’re really glad to have him and his wife participate, and we know his wife will bring the tug good luck. That’s what it’s all about.”

The museum tug Ohio’s sponsor will be Jane Smith, a longtime museum employee and volunteer, who is to break over its bow rail a bottle of beer — rather than traditional champagne — because that was what was done when at its original 1903 christening in Chicago before entering service as a fireboat in Milwaukee, famous for its breweries.

“Mrs. Smith was chosen as the sponsor because she best represents the volunteer spirit that makes projects like this one possible,” Mr. Gillcrist said.

The old Ohio got its current name during the 1950s when Great Lakes Towing bought it and converted it into a tug. The company approached the museum about a donation after determining the veteran tugboat could not economically be brought into compliance with new inspection procedures required by the Coast Guard. After receiving initial repairs at the George Gradel Co. shipyard downriver, the old Ohio was moved last fall to the museum’s Maumee River wharf, where it underwent cosmetic restoration and painting.

The veteran tug had sustained substantial rust damage during several years of storage downwind from a Cleveland salt mine after it was withdrawn from service. “When we sandblasted, we made holes,” Mr. Gillcrist said.

But the new metal plating and sealant that have been applied during the restoration have been effective, he said, based on how dry the tug’s interior has been during recent rainstorms.

At the museum, it will be moored as if it is providing assistance to the museum’s freighter, the S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker, which was moved to the museum site in 2012 after being rechristened with its original name the year before.

Friday’s events will be reserved for advance ticket holders only. A limited number of tickets is available for $25 apiece — $20 for museum members. The museum will be closed to non-ticketholders on Friday.

Vessel christenings traditionally attract substantial crowds, and Mr. Gillcrist said it’s conceivable 500 will attend this one, including people who bought tickets last fall for “before and after” tours of the old Ohio as well as invited guests of the museum and Great Lakes Towing.

Museum officials planned for the new Ohio tug to remain at the museum throughout the weekend on display — albeit with members of the public not allowed to board it — but Mr. Starck said even that may not be possible because of high water spilling over from Lake Erie into the Maumee River.

If necessary, Mr. Starck said, barges will be brought in to provide a temporary mooring at the museum for the new Ohio, but if that is needed, the vessel can’t stay all weekend.

In any case, he said, the general public can’t be allowed aboard because the safety risk — and thus the potential liability — but a virtual video tour of the new Ohio will be offered for viewing. At a public event, “you’re going to have people in high-heeled shoes, you’re going to have headbangers, and we just don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Mr. Starck said.

The old Ohio is larger than the smaller tugs Toledoans routinely see assisting freighters up and down the Maumee River, with a galley, lounge, and sleeping quarters for its crews’ use during longer trips.

But as an exhibit, Mr. Gillcrist said, it will have more to show than would one of the workaday tugs, which are basically an engine with a hull and command station surrounding it. “We’re still determining the nature of our Ohio exhibit,” the museum director said. “We have to decide if it will be an app tour, or have physical displays.”

As for the cost of the Ohio’s cosmetic restoration, Mr. Gillcrist said, “we’re comfortably close to budget” and still receiving donations, such as a recent $2,000 from the Great Lakes Foundation. “We’re on target,” he said. “We knew we were going to spend $35,000 to $45,000 for the work.”

The new Ohio is one of five tugboats Great Lakes Towing is building at its Cleveland shipyard to modernize its fleet.

The first one, the Cleveland, was completed two years ago and is currently assigned to its namesake city but is likely to be reassigned to Detroit, Mr. Starck said. The next, the Michigan, will be finished next month, with the Pennsylvania and the Wisconsin to be done after that. The Pennsylvania is likely to also be assigned to Toledo, where it and the Ohio will replace four older tugs that not provide vessel assistance in the local harbor.

The new Wisconsin will also be a successor to an existing Great Lakes tug with that name, currently assigned to the Monroe port. Mr. Starck said the old Wisconsin is to be renamed to a prior name and preserved, while other tugs retired as a result of the company’s new-vessel construction likely will be scrapped.

Museum admission Saturday and Sunday will be $17 for the general public, while museum members will be admitted free. The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

View a video at this link: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/community-events/2019/06/16/ohio-to-replace-older-tugboat-in-great-lakes-museum-s-collection/stories/20190614082

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. departed Duluth at 02:41 Sunday with a load of coal for St. Clair, and Michipicoten arrived at 07:19 to pick up iron ore pellets at Canadian National. She was outbound at 15:15 for the Algoma steel mill at Sault Ste. Marie. After spending more than a week anchored outside the harbor, Alamosborg weighed anchor and arrived at 16:52, and tied up at Gavilon to load beet pulp pellets. At the Superior entry, Mesabi Miner arrived at 06:47 to load iron ore pellets at BN. She is expected to depart early Monday morning. H. Lee White remained at Lakehead Pipeline on Sunday, and will ultimately be loading coal at Midwest Energy.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
Edgar B. Speer arrived Two Harbors on June 16th at 13:00 for South of #2. Also arriving Two Harbors on the 16th was the Roger Blough at 14:54 for North of #2 lay-by. Due Two Harbors late on the 16th is the G3 Marquis. She'll probably anchor out until the Blough departs. There is no scheduled traffic for Two Harbors on June 17th. Arriving Northshore Mining in Silver Bay on June 16th at 01:39 was the Herbert C. Jackson after unloading stone at Hallett #5 in Duluth. She departed for Cleveland on the 16th at 08:30. Also arriving Silver Bay on the 16th was the James R. Barker at 15:05. There is no scheduled inbound traffic for Silver Bay on June 17th. Just a reminder: All times are approx., but are fairly accurate.

Thunder Bay, ON
Saturday June 15: 21:52 saltie Narie arrived at Superior Elevator to load grain. Sunday June 16: 9:07 CSL St Laurent arrived at G3 to load grain. 15:31 Federal Mackinac weighed anchor after 8 days in the harbor and proceeded to Thunder Bay Terminals to load. 15:37 saltie Gardno arrived and went to anchor. 16:49 saltie Industrial Skipper departed Keefer Terminal for Duluth. Expected late Sunday: Federal Kumano.

St. Marys River
Downbound traffic on slow Sunday included Tim S. Dool early, followed by Paul R. Tregurtha, Presque Isle, Lee A. Tregurtha and American Century. Upbounders included Cason J. Callaway and Rt. Hon. Paul Martin early, with Algocanada and Kaye E. Barker in the afternoon and evening. Algoma Conveyor was inbound at DeTour late in the evening.

Sturgeon Bay, WI
Wilfred Sykes left BayShip on Sunday and headed for Port Inland to load.

Detroit, MI – Raymond H
Sunday Arrivals: Iver Bright-arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal. Alpena-arrived at Lafarge to unload cement. Olive L Moore/Menominee-arrived at the Carmeuse Dock to unload stone. Sharon M I and barge Huron Spirit-arrived at Nicholson's Ecorse Terminal to unload steel coils.

Northeast Ohio ports<BR> Sunday Arrivals: Iver Bright-arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal. Alpena-arrived at Lafarge to unload cement. Olive L Moore/Menominee-arrived at the Carmeuse Dock to unload stone. Sharon M I and barge Huron Spirit-arrived at Nicholson's Ecorse Terminal to unload steel coils.

Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher
On Sunday, 6/16/19, the cruise ship Grande Caribe transited the NYS Barge Canal System for Lake Ontario.

Sign up now for Engineers Day Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise

6/17 - The 2019 schedule of Boatnerd Gatherings has been set and information is now available now on the Gathering page, www.boatnerd.com/gathering

Gatherings include Soo Locks Engineers weekend festivities and the annual Welland Canal weekend. Reservations are now being accepted for the Soo Locks Freighter-Chasing Cruise June 28. Reservations must be received no later than June 21 to receive the $40 price. Sign up now – don't be left on the dock.

On June 17, 1895, the J. W. Westcott Co. inaugurated its unique mail delivery service.

On 17 June 1878, the Canadian schooner JAMES SCOTT of Port Burwell capsized and sank in Lake Erie. The captain's wife, their child and two seamen were drowned.

The wooden schooner MONTEREY, which stranded on Sleeping Bear Point on Lake Michigan in early December 1890, was released on 17 June 1891.

The SCOTT MISENER (Hull#11) was christened on June 17, 1951, for Colonial Steamships Ltd. She was the first vessel built at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. Renamed b.) JOHN E. F. MISENER in 1954, she was scrapped at Cartagena, Columbia, in 1986.

The PATERSON of 1954 collided with the steamer EDMUND W. MUDGE in 1957, in fog on the St. Clair River opposite Marine City, Michigan.

The WILLIAM A. IRVIN was towed to the Duluth Convention Center on June 17, 1986, by the tugs SIOUX and DAKOTA to be on station as a museum ship at the new $3 million convention facility.

June 17, 1998 - The barge PERE MARQUETTE 41 and tug UNDAUNTED arrived Ludington, Michigan from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, after the remainder of the conversion there.

The propeller OWEN SOUND was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, on 17 June 1875. She measured 900 tons and could carry 30,000 bushels of grain.

1909 – The iron hulled passenger and freight steamer CAMPANA had been cut in two to leave the Great Lakes in 1895, but the hull broke in 1909 where the sections had been rejoined and sank in the St. Lawrence at Point St. Michael a few miles below Quebec City.

1918 – JAY GOULD was loaded with coal and towing the barge COMMODORE when it began leaking and then sank eight miles southeast of Southeast Shoal, Lake Erie. The hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation. The barge was overwhelmed by the seas and rolled in the trough for about two hours before it also sank. All on board both ships were saved.

1941 – The Lake Ontario passenger steamer KINGSTON ran aground on a shoal in the St. Lawrence 15 miles SW of Ogdensburg, NY after losing her way in thick fog. The passengers were transferred to RAPIDS PRINCE and the ship was released with the aid of pontoons and repaired at Kingston.

1998 – MOUNTAIN BLOSSOM was downbound in the Seaway when it struck the approach wall at the Eisenhower Lock, opening a crack in the hull that allowed about 50 gallons of xylene to escape. The immediate area was evacuated but the problem was quickly cleaned up. The ship was a regular Great Lakes trader from 1986 to 2007 and was scrapped at Xinhui, China, after arriving on January 10, 2010.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Detroit Marine Historian, Marine Historical Society's Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
American Century arrived Duluth at 01:32 Saturday morning to load coal at Midwest Energy. She had to wait for the Paul R. Tregurtha, which finished loading and departed at 03:29 for the St. Clair power plant. Presque Isle was outbound from Canadian National at 08:18 with a load of iron ore pellets, and Walter J. McCarthy Jr. arrived at 10:32 to load at SMET. The Century was outbound with her coal cargo at 13:50, at which point the McCarthy docked and began loading. Herbert C. Jackson arrived at 14:15 to discharge limestone at Hallett #5. She was expected to depart late Saturday night for Silver Bay, and the McCarthy should depart from SMET early Sunday. Alamosborg was still on the hook outside the Duluth harbor, with a tentative arrival time of 16:00 Sunday. The only traffic through the Superior entry on Saturday was H. Lee White, which arrived at 12:47 and backed into the Lakehead Pipeline dock. She is next in line to load at Midwest Energy, and will likely shift to that dock once the McCarthy clears.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
Algoma Harvester departed Two Harbors on June 14th at approx. 23:50 for Quebec City. Lee A. Tregurtha arrived Two Harbors on June 14th at 21:04 for North of #2 lay-by. After the Harvester departed the Tregurtha shifted to South of #2. She departed on June 15th at 12:38 for Indiana Harbor. Traffic for Two Harbors on June 16th is the Edgar B. Speer and the Roger Blough. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay had no traffic on June 15th. Herbert C. Jackson should arrive on the morning of June 16th after unloading stone at Hallett #5 in Duluth. Also due Silver Bay on June 16th is the James R. Barker.

Thunder Bay, ON
Saturday June 15: 13:13 Tim S Dool departed Richardson Main Terminal for Port Cartier. 13:29 Saginaw departed Viterra A for Owen Sound. Expected late Saturday: saltie Narie. Expected for Sunday: CSL St Laurent and saltie Gardno.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Alpena:
Friday; 13:18 Cuyahoga arrived and went to anchor.17:05 With more favorable wind Cuyahoga weighed anchor and backed into the Thunder Bay River to unload road salt. 22:48 Samuel De Champlain departed for Milwaukee. Saturday; 6:48 Cuyahoga departed for Port Dolomite.

Stoneport:
Friday; 10:38 Algoma Conveyor weighed anchor and proceeded to the loading dock and departed at 23:33 for Sombra. Saturday; 0:07 Cason J Callaway arrived to load.

Calcite:
Thursday; 21:14 John J Boland departed for Ashtabula. .21:14 Philip R Clarke weighed anchor proceeded to the loading dock. Friday; 4:15 American Mariner departed for Buffington.13:23 Philip R Clarke departed for Detroit. 14:50 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder arrived to finish loading. 17:48 Hon. James L Oberstar arrived to load. 21:04 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder departed for Cleveland. 21:15 Olive L Moore arrived to load. Saturday; 8:30 Hon. James L Oberstar departed for Cleveland. 9:01 Olive L Moore departed down bound on Lake Huron. 9:02 Victory and James L Kuber arrived to load.

Little Current:
Thursday; 5:46 The cruise ship Victory I arrived and went to anchor in the Goat Island Channel north of the marina. Shore excursions were transferred to shore by the ships launches. At 16:33 she departed for Detroit.

Meldrum Bay:
Thursday; 16:54 Hebert C Jackson arrived to finish loading and departed Friday at 0:01 for Duluth Superior. Saturday; 2:12 Algoma Niagara arrived to load. 15:11 Kaye E Barker arrived and went to anchor.

Thessalon:
Friday; 17:00 Joseph L Thompson arrived to load gravel and departed Saturday at 3:37 for Marine City.

Bruce Mines:
Thursday; 23:33 Robert S Pierson arrived to load trap rock and departed Friday at 8:33 down bound on Lake Michigan. 20:00 Manitowoc arrived to load trap rock and departed on Saturday at 9:09 for Chicago.

Drummond Island:
Friday; 7:26 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder arrived to take on a partial load and at 11:26 departed for Calcite.12:59 John G Munson arrived to load limestone and departed Saturday 1:26 for Marine City. 10:36 American Courage arrived to load.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Compass arrived 7:30 a.m. on Saturday to load salt and departed for Muskegon in the evening. Cuyahoga was downbound from Alpena, making a return trip to Goderich.

Prince Edward Island company aims to build Lake Ontario ferry

6/16 - A Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, company is one of 10 that's been awarded money from Transport Canada's new $2.4 million clean transportation fund. Redrock Power Systems has been given $15,000 towards a $35,000 feasibility study on a zero-emissions passenger ferry it wants to develop for Lake Ontario.

The company is leading a partnership that wants to build a ferry to carry commuters from St. Catharines, on the south shore of Lake Ontario near the U.S. border, to downtown Toronto.

"A huge number of commuters have migrated from the crazy real estate situation in Toronto to St. Catharines," said company founder Paul Paterson.

"They're spending up to three hours each way per day in car traffic going back and forth. We figure we can do the trip in about one hour. So we think there's a strong business case for it, but there are a lot of technicalities which have to be addressed first."

Paterson said they're looking at a 150-person ferry to operate nine months a year.

The feasibility study will determine what kind of drive system to choose. It could be hydrogen fuel cells, bio-gas or bio-diesel. Paterson hopes this work will eventually spinoff into work on the new federal East Coast ferries, if Ottawa commits to those being low-carbon vessels.

According to a note from Transport Canada to CBC News, the four ferries the federal government owns on the East Coast account for approximately 70 per cent of that department's greenhouse gas emissions. It does expect two new ferries will have a less environmental impact.

CBC

How autonomous vessels could change Great Lakes commerce, research

6/16 - There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the future of self-driving cars. But what about autonomous ships? When the Great Lakes governors and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec begin their 2019 summit on Friday, one of the events on the schedule will be a demonstration of “smart ship” technology.

Guy Meadows directs the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Technological University where he specializes in marine engineering.

He says that the demonstration will feature what his team believes to be “the world leader in autonomous surface vessels.” It's a bright yellow, 18-foot, fully-autonomous research vessel that can operate for up to seven days completely unattended.

Per an agreement with the Coast Guard, this particular vessel will be operating under “supervised autonomy” to ensure safety in Lake Superior, where Meadows and his team are testing its usefulness as a research vessel. “There will be a supervisory vessel that can take control at any moment,” Meadows said.

These kinds of unoccupied vessels, Meadows says, are best used to complete tasks that fall into the “three Ds”: dirty, dangerous, and dull.

“Dull would be resurveying the Great Lakes, which is really necessary. In some places, the surveys are 100 years old. Dangerous are things that you would not want to risk human exposure — that would be clean-ups of contaminants, spills, collisions between ships, oil spills, things of that nature,” Meadows explained.

Research into autonomous land vehicles is far beyond that of autonomous ships, but Meadows says there's a lot of interest in bringing the technology being developed at auto companies into the marine sector. Twenty years from now, Meadows says he hopes that smart ship technology will help improve water quality, give us a better understanding of invasive species, and create more accurate maps of the depths and substrates of the Great Lakes.

Meadows acknowledges that the widespread implementation of autonomous vessels would cause a shift in the duties of ship pilots and crew members. Still, he argues that the development of this technology presents “tremendous opportunity” to create jobs and boost the region's economy as well.

“Part of the governors’ and premiers’ interest is to use our capacity here throughout the Great Lakes Basin to become an exporter worldwide of these technologies,” Meadows said. "We think we could lead the market in that rather than playing catchup.”

Listen to an interview at this link: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/how-autonomous-vessels-could-change-great-lakes-commerce-research

Ports of Indiana become first inland waterway to secure Green Marine designation

6/16 - The Ports of Indiana have become the first inland waterway system in the country and the first statewide port authority in the nation to earn a Green Marine certification for environmental sustainability.

The certification comes after the state's two ports on the Ohio River caught up to the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in adopting environmental best practices.

The port on Lake Michigan in Porter County earned the honor in 2014 in recognition of steps it took beyond regulatory requirements in areas like aquatic invasive species, greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Now, the entire Indianapolis-based ports system, including the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville and Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon on the southern edge of the state, has received the distinction from Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for North America's maritime industry.

“The Green Marine certification emphasizes our commitment to adopt practices and technologies that have a direct impact at our three port locations and beyond,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Vanta Coda II. “We will continue to seek improvement of our environmental performance by adhering to the Green Marine guiding principles.”

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor improved its Green Marine score last year, most dramatically in the spill prevention category. It also adopted and implemented a stormwater management program in November.

NW Indiana Times

Updates

6/16 - The saltie gallery has been updated with the following images: Aragonborg, Arsland, Carolus Magnus, Chestnut, Eeborg, Egelantiersgracht, Egmondgracht, Emanuele S, Federal Columbia, Federal Satsuki, Gardno, Industrial Skipper, Juno, Kivalliq W, Lake St Clair, Lubie, Mitiq, Pacific Huron, Patalya, Selasse, Sten Arnold, Strandja, Victory II, and Whistler.

Pre-orders now being taken for new ‘Know Your Ships: Decades’ book

6/16 - To mark the 60th anniversary of ‘Know Your Ships,’ a new book, ‘Know Your Ships: Decades,’ will be released this fall. The 240-page book will be hardcover and in a larger format (11” x 8.5”) than the regular Know Your Ships.

‘Know Your Ships: Decades’ represents an editors' choice of the best of the many outstanding images that have appeared in the annual Know Your Ships since its founding in 1959. The book also includes a year-by-year timeline of important events on the shipping scene from 60-year Seaway era as well as the major fleet stack markings and house flags. In making this book, nearly 2,000 photographs were considered, and the ones selected were re-scanned to yield the highest quality possible.

Pre-ordered books will be autographed and will include a free commemorative reprint of the original, 44-page 1959 Know Your Ships. The pre-order runs to June 30. Books will ship in mid-September. Price is $49.95 plus shipping and tax.

Hardcover, high-quality books such as this one are expensive to print. Pre-orders will help determine how many will be printed. There will not be a reprint - once they are gone they are gone.

http://knowyourships.com/kysdecades.html

On 16 June 1891, Alexander McDougall himself took his brand-new whaleback steamer JOSEPH L. COLBY (steel propeller whaleback freighter, 265 foot, 1,245 gross tons, built in 1890 at West Superior, Wisconsin) down the St. Lawrence River to the sea. The double-hulled COLBY left Prescott, Ontario at 3 p.m., drawing six feet nine inches aft and five feet six inches forward and started on her wild ride through the rapids. The whaleback freighter plowed through the Galops, Iroquois, Long Sault, Coteau, Cedar, Split Rock and Cascade Rapids. She grated the bottom a number of times and had a number of close calls. Captain McDougall stood immobile throughout the trip but great beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead. When the vessel finally made it through the Cascades and was safe on Lake St. Louis, the French Canadian pilot left and the crew let out shouts of joy with the whistle blowing. The COLBY was the first screw steamer to attempt running the rapids.

On 16 June 1892, GENERAL BURNSIDE (3-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 308 gross tons, built in 1862, at Wolfe Island, Ontario) foundered in a powerful northwest gale on Lake Erie near Southeast Shoal Light. Her crew was rescued by the tug GREGORY.

The steamer UNIQUE (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 163 foot, 381 gross tons) was built by Alexander Anderson at Marine City, Michigan. She was launched stern first at 3:00 p.m. on 16 June 1894. There was quite a crowd assembled to watch the launch. While waiting for the launch, Engineer Merrill of the steamer MARY composed the following verse:

"The new steamer Unique
Made a beautiful suique
On a direction oblique
Into a big crique,
So to spique."

The vessel was painted a bright yellow up to the promenade deck with white cabins and upper works. In 1901, she left the upper lakes and was chartered for the Thousand Islands cruise trade. Later that year, she was sold to Philadelphia buyers for Delaware River service. Her upper cabins were removed in 1904, when she was rebuilt as a yacht. She lasted until 20 November 1915, when she burned to a total loss in New York harbor.

On 16 June 1905, at 2:00 a.m., a fire was discovered around the smokestack of the North Shore Navigation Company's CITY OF COLLINGWOOD (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 213 foot, 1,387 gross tons, built in 1893, at Owen Sound, Ontario) burned at the Grand Trunk Railway docks at Collingwood, Ontario and was destroyed along with the dock and nearby sheds. Four died, but most of crew jumped overboard. Captain Wright had gone to his home on Pine St. about an hour before and was preparing for bed when he heard four whistles sounded by the steamer BRITTANIC, which was laying alongside. He ran to the dock, went aboard and woke the 1st mate J. D. Montgomery and a wheelsman. They had to jump to the dock to escape the flames. James Meade, Lyman Finch, A. McClellan, and another unidentified crewmember who had just joined the vessel at the Soo were all sleeping in the forecastle and lost their lives.

In 1967, the FEUX FOLLETS (Hull#188) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Papachristidis Co. Ltd. She was the last steam-powered lake ship. Renamed in 1972 as b.) CANADIAN LEADER and scrapped in 2012.

Upbound in the Welland Canal on June 16, 1963, loaded with iron ore for Chicago, U.S. Steel's BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS suffered bow damage in collision with Canadian steamer RALPH S. MISENER. In 1918, the WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR was in collision with the steamer GEORGE W. PERKINS in Duluth Harbor resulting in damage of $5,000 to both vessels.

On 16 June 1861, ANDOVER (2-mast wooden schooner, 98 foot, 190 tons, built in 1844, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying lumber in a storm and ground on Pointe aux Barques reef on Lake Huron. Though not thought to be seriously damaged, she resisted all efforts by the tug ZOUAVE to release her. She was finally stripped and abandoned.

On 16 June 1887, CHAMPLAIN (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 135 foot, 438 gross tons, built in 1870, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying passengers, merchandise and horses on Lake Michigan when an engine room lamp exploded. The fire spread so quickly that the pumps could not be started. She headed for Fisherman's Island, Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, but struck a bar and sank a mile short of the beach. 22 of the 57 persons aboard died, most from drowning. Although initially declared a total loss, the hull was towed into Harbor Springs, Michigan, then taken to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and rebuilt as CITY OF CHARLEVOIX. She was also lengthened to 165 foot. She lasted until 1924, when she burned at her lay-up dock in Manistee, Michigan. At that time, she was named KANSAS.

Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II, the Fr. Dowling Collection and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Lakes limestone trade up 13.6 percent in May

6/15 - Cleveland, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 4.3 million tons in May, an increase of 13.6 percent compared to a year ago. May’s loadings also bettered the month’s 5-year average by 17.8 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.4 million tons, an increase of 8.2 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 890,000 tons, an increase of over 40 percent.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at nearly 6.7 million tons, an increase of 26.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 5.5 million tons, an increase of 23.2 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 1.18 million tons, an increase of 45.9 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

Saltie Thorco Isadora may be chartered by Desgagnés

6/15 - The general cargo ship Thorco Isadora built in 2011 arrived in Montréal on June 2. Her agent is now Transport Desgagnés. It is not known if she was bought or chartered. Probably chartered for some trips to the Arctic. She has a departure time from Montréal for Bécancour, QC on July 1 to load according to the Port of Montréal website. Under her previous name of Maersk Illinois, she transited the Seaway in 2012 and was registered in the USA then.

René Beauchamp

Port reports are compiled from 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)

Two Harbors-Silver Bay, MN – Gary A. Putney
Joseph L. Block departed Two Harbors at 01:34 on June 14th for Indiana Harbor. Algoma Harvester arrived Two Harbors at 11:10 on June 14th for South of #2. As of 19:20 she was still at the dock, but should depart shortly. She is headed for Quebec City. Due Two Harbors on the 14th is the Lee A. Tregurtha. She unloaded stone at Graymont in Superior. As of 19:20 on the 14th she's roughly halfway between Superior and Two Harbors. There is no scheduled inbound traffic for Two Harbors on June 15th. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay saw the arrival of the Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader on June 14th at 02:00 and she departed on the 14th at 15:35 for Cleveland. There is no inbound traffic scheduled for Silver Bay on June 15th. An update: When the American Integrity departed Silver Bay on the 13th she was showing an Ashtabula destination. On the afternoon of the 14th her destination is now Indiana Harbor.

Thunder Bay, ON
Thursday June 13: 22:32 saltie Finnborg departed Superior Elevator for Montreal. 23:05 Saginaw weighed anchor and proceeded to Superior Elevator to load grain. Friday June 14: 3:14 Tim S Dool arrived at Richardson Main Terminal to load grain. 10:55 Whitefish Bay departed G3 for Port Colborne. 15:14 Saginaw departed Superior Elevator and shifted over to Viterra A to load grain. 17:42 Evans Spirit departed Richardson Current River Terminal for Port Cartier. Expected for Saturday: saltie Narie.

Alpena, MI – Ben & Chanda McClain
On Friday afternoon the Cuyahoga was anchored off Alpena. It waited for winds to subside before coming into the river during the evening to unload salt. The tug Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation remained in port on Friday, loading product at Lafarge.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Cuyahoga cleared upbound at 4.16 am Friday for Alpena with salt.

Northeast Ohio ports – Bill Kloss
6/14 arrivals: Sam Laud to Cleveland from Ashtabula with a shuttle, Mississagi to Fairport Harbor and Algoma Sault to Sandusky
departures: American Courage from Cleveland to Stoneport

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Friday Jun 14 – Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
docked - Jun 12 - Algoterra at 2141 - departed - Jun 13 - Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 0900 - departed - Jun 14 - Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 0900 westbound

Long Point Bay anchorage:
anchored - Jun 13 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1415 - Jun 14 - Algoscotia at 1901

Buffalo:
arrivals - Jun 14 - Calumet at 0150 - departures - Jun 14 - Calumet at 1352 and Manitoulin at 1417 - both westbound

Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 13 - Algoma Enterprise at 1702, Egelantiersgracht (Nld) at 1742 (stopping wharf 12) and G3 Marquis at 2115 - Jun 14 - light tug Ocean A Gauthier at 0616, Egelantiersgracht (Nld) departed wharf 12 at 1234 eastbound

downbound - Jun 14 - Federal Rhine (Bds) at 0222, Algoma Strongfield at 0517, Algonova at 0800 and Juno (Bhs), at 1815

Welland Canal docks:
docked - Jun 7 - CCGS Pierre Radisson at 0925 at Heddle Dry Dock Port Weller - Jun 14 - Egelantiersgracht ( Nld) - arrived wharf 12 at 0420 - departed Jun 14 at 1234 westbound

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 11 - Strandja (Mlt) (ex Eastwind York-10) at 2137 - awaiting dock at Oshawa - Jun 12 - Emanuele S (Bds) (ex SCT Monte Rosa-17, MCT Monte Rosa-15) at 1521 from Hamilton

Hamilton:
arrivals - Jun 14 - Sten Baltic (Nor) at 0947 and Federal Rhine (Bds) at 1338 - docked - Jun 4 - Blair McKeil (ex Gagliarda-19) at 1415 - (renamed - Blair McKeil on Friday June 7th) - Jun 11 - Lake St Clair (Atg) (ex Federal Miramichi-16) at 2238 - Jun 13 - Rosy (Bds) (ex SCT Stockhorn-17, MCT Stockhorn-16, HHL Caspian-08) at 0051, Algoma Discovery at 0252 and Chestnut (Cyp) at 2306 from Toronto - departures - Jun 11 - Algoma Harvester at 0715 - Jun - 12 - Egmondgracht (Nld) at 0059 - Jun 14 - Federal Satsuki (Mhl) at 0005 for Spain and Redhead ii (Atg) (ex Bora-19, Hermann Schoening-15) at 0430

Bronte:
docked - Jun 12 - Paul A Desgages at 2156 from the anchorage - departed - Jun 12 - Sarah Desgagnes at 1049 - Jun 13 - Paul A Desgagnes at 2117 - both eastbound

Mississauga:
arrival - Jun 11 - Arsland (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 0633 - departed - Jun 13 at 0428 eastbound

Toronto:
arrivals - Jun 8 - Aragonborg (Nld) at 2051 - Jun 10 - McKeil Spirit at 0114 - Jun 13 - Frontenac at 2251 - Departures - Jun 13 - Chestnut Cyp) at 1920 - Jun 14 - Frontenac at 0924 and McKeil Spirit at ___ - both eastbound

Oshawa:
arrival - tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 2312 - docked - Jun 11 - Lubie (Bhs) at 1830 - departed - Jun 14 - tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 1955 eastbound

High waters prompt protocols on Seaway shipping speed, passing

6/15 - Shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway system will lag, but not stop, due to speed and movement protocols enacted in response to flooding mitigation efforts.

The International Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Board on Friday announced its plan to raise outflows consecutively and beyond the threshold for safe commercial navigation to help mitigate damage caused by high water levels on both water bodies.

In order to adapt to rising outflows, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development and Management corporations, entities that operate the Seaway on the U.S. and Canadian sides, respectively, issued speed controls and prohibitions of vessels meeting and passing in certain areas of the international waterway. Seaway officials said on background they also directed mariners to operate “at the lowest safe speeds to minimize vessels’ wakes” and planned to station a tug boat at the Iroquois Lock, located in Canada across from the town of Waddington, in case vessel operators need assistance.

Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, which advocates for more than 130 marine industry stakeholders, in a statement the outflow adjusts will help shoreline residents, but the longer transit times and additional costs prompted by them will still cause “significant loss to the economy.” Shipping companies cannot make up lost time because the Seaway closes in the winter, he said.

“The 2017 outflows on the St. Lawrence Seaway ... resulted in a two-hour delay for all transits. On a per day basis, this two-hour delay equals to an estimated $4 million loss in business revenue. The business losses are not just for shipowners but the region-wide supply chain that is dependent upon the cargo being moved through the Seaway,” he said. “There is a reduced amount of cargo that can be transported and a critical interruption of timely deliveries.”

Frequent rainfall across the entire Great Lakes basin and outflows from Lake Erie have caused the lake to rise beyond record levels, which has submerged docks, closed roads and recently flooded homes.

Effects of the adverse weather and Lake Erie outflows were compounded by high outflows from the Ottawa River, forcing the river board to reduce outflows from the lake through the Robert Moses-Robert H. Saunders Power Dam in Massena and Cornwall, Ontario earlier this year. The board, however, has since raised outflows several times as the Ottawa River has subsided and lake levels have begun to stabilize.

Outflows reached 10,200 cubic meters of water, enough water to fill 33,682 average-sized bathtubs per second, on Friday, and the river board planed to continue raising them in increments until reaching 10,400 cubic meters, enough water to fill 34,342 bathtubs, per second by Thursday. Outflows reached 10,260 cubic meters, enough to fill 33,880 bathtubs, per second on Monday, according to the board.

The last time outflows reached 10,400 cubic meters per second, the maximum rate on record, was in 2017, the last time Lake Ontario experienced record-breaking levels and flooded shoreline properties. Seaway officials said they also instituted the same speed and movement protocols they recently initiated in 2017.

“Seaway Corporation officials have been involved in regular discussions with the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board in recent weeks focused on higher outflows that allow for safe commercial navigation, and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” they said.

Mr. Burrows said the outflow rate of 10,400 cubic meters per second “is the best compromise solution” for commercial shippers and shoreline residents.

“The accumulation of these losses will depend on how long the outflows are maintained at this level,” he said.

Despite record high water levels in 2017, shipping companies were able to transport 38 million tons of cargo on the Seaway, 9 percent more than in 2016, in part with increased shipments of stone, cement and finished steel products and healthy iron ore shipments to steel mills in both the U.S. and Asia. Last year, vessels shipped more cargo than any other year since 2007 at 40.9 million tons.

Watertown Daily Times

Lake Ontario reaches 249 feet for first time in recorded history

6/15 - Wilson, NY – Lake Ontario has reached 249 feet for the first time in recorded history. "Unfortunately we hit 249 (feet), and we're climbing," said Jonathan Schultz, Director of Emergency Services for Niagara County.

The International Joint Commission, which regulates the lake's water level, says the lake will continue rising gradually, and likely won't peak out for another one-to-three weeks.

Just days ago, the record for water height set during 2017's historic flooding was matched. That year, there were localized lake readings above 249 feet in some communities, like Olcott for instance, where there was a reading of 249.2 feet. However, the lake-wide average topped out at just 248.95 feet.

On Sunset Island, in Wilson, residents are concerned about what might happen if the lake continues to rise. Sunset Island is actually a peninsula, connected to the mainland by a stone walkway which has narrowed in recent weeks.

"It is quickly going to become an island again unless the water recedes," said resident Kevin Doherty.

Doherty, who has had a summer home on Sunset Island for the last 11 years, is concerned the stone may wash away. If that happens, the only way to access his home would be by boat.

WIVB

Cruise ship makes first stop of the season in Milwaukee

6/15 - Milwaukee, WI – The cruise ship season is now underway on the Great Lakes. The 200-passenger ship called the Pearl Mist arrived in Milwaukee Tuesday morning around 8 a.m.

The ship makes stops along the Great Lakes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada. Milwaukee is a turn-around city meaning it will serve as the passenger’s beginning or end of the trip, bringing in thousands over the next few months.

Last summer, ships stopped in Milwaukee only twice. This summer there will be 11 stops. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett hopes it will continue to grow for years to come. “I really think that you’re going to see this Great Lakes cruising industry grow and we are so well positioned right now,” he said. “It’s very, very exciting.”

The Pearl Mist leaves Milwaukee on Wednesday morning. The next cruise ship is expected to arrive on July 4.

CBS 58

Sign up now for Engineers Day Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise

6/15 - The 2019 schedule of Boatnerd Gatherings has been set and information is now available now on the Gathering page, www.boatnerd.com/gathering

Gatherings include Soo Locks Engineers weekend festivities and the annual Welland Canal weekend. Reservations are now being accepted for the Soo Locks Freighter-Chasing Cruise June 28. Reservations must be received no later than June 21 to receive the $40 price. Sign up now – don't be left on the dock.

On this day in 1967, the new $6 million Allouez taconite pellet handling facility in Superior, Wisconsin, was dedicated. The first cargo of 18,145 tons of pellets was loaded into the holds of the Hanna Mining Company freighter JOSEPH H. THOMPSON.

At midnight, on Saturday, 15 June 1901, OMAR D. CONGER (wooden propeller ferry, 92 foot, 199 gross tons, built in 1882, at Port Huron, Michigan) burned at her dock on the Black River in Port Huron, Michigan. Her upper works were destroyed, but she was repaired and put back in service. She lasted until 1922, when her boiler exploded, killing four people and destroying the vessel.

On June 15, 1943, the D.M. CLEMSON collided with and sank the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY in the Straits of Mackinac. Both of these 600-footers recovered for long careers. The D.M. CLEMSON was sold for scrap in 1980. The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY was recovered over a year later, renamed the b.) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN, later converted to a self-unloader, and finished her career as d.) CONSUMERS POWER at the end of the 1985, season before being scrapped in 1988.

In 1989, the ROGER M. KYES was rechristened b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS by American Steamship Co.

The wooden 180-foot schooner JOHN A. FRANCOMB was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, on 15 June 1889. She was built by F. W. Wheeler & Co. (Hull #61). She lasted until she was abandoned at Bay City in 1934.

GRECIAN (steel propeller freighter, 296 foot, 2,348 gross tons, built in 1891, at Cleveland, Ohio by Globe Iron Works (Hull#40) struck a rock near Detour, Michigan, on 7 June 1906, but made dock at Detour before settling on bottom. After her cargo was removed, she was raised, and towed by her fleet mate SIR HENRY BESSEMER, bound for Detroit Shipbuilding Co. in Wyandotte, Michigan, for repairs, relying on air pressure in her sealed holds to keep her afloat. However, on 15 June 1906, her holds began to fill with water and she sank in Lake Huron off Thunder Bay. Her crew was rescued by SIR HENRY BESSEMER.

1933 – BRENTWOOD ran aground in the St. Marys River and was released on June 19 with about $60,000 in damage. The CSL vessel soon tied up at Midland and was scrapped there in 1937.

1943 – WILLIAM BREWSTER was on her maiden voyage when she collided with the W.D. CALVERLEY JR. and sank on her side in the St. Clair River off Algonac. The ship was not refloated until November and, after repairs, finally left the lakes in June 1944. It operated on saltwater routes until scrapping at Calcutta, India, as e) RAY MAYABUNDAR in 1967.

1962 – NYON, a Seaway visitor in 1961 and 1962, sank in the English Channel, 5 miles south of Beachy Head, after a collision in heavy fog with the Indian freighter JALAZAD. The latter came to the Great Lakes in 1969 and was eventually scuttled off Tema, Ghana, as b) JYOTI VINOD in September 1983.

1965 – BREIM, a Great Lakes visitor from Norway, got stuck in the mud below the Snell Lock at Massena, NY was released the next day after some cargo was lightered. The ship arrived at Visakhapatnam, India, for scrapping as c) CHRISTINA C. on October 24, 1983.

1988 – ALGOWEST and COUDRES D'ILE collided in fog on the St. Lawrence and the small coastal freighter sank with the loss of one life. The former now sails for Algoma as PETER R. CRESSWELL.

2001 – Fire broke out in the engine room of the Cypriot freighter FELIX 60 miles off Las Palmas, Canary Islands and the 21-member crew was removed. The ship first came to the Great Lakes as a) BEGONIA in 1978 and returned as b) TIMUR SWALLOW in 1983 and c) JENNIFER JANE in 1985. The burning vessel was anchored and the fire extinguished June 16. A total loss, the ship arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, under tow as f) ELI on December 1, 2001, and was broken up.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Port reports are compiled from 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).

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
James R. Barker arrived Duluth at 15:26 Monday afternoon to load iron ore pellets at Canadian National, and the saltie Pacific Huron was inbound at 19:52 for a load of wheat from CHS 2. Alamosborg remained at anchor offshore, and now has an estimated arrival date of Friday, June 14 listed. She will head to Gavilon to load beet pulp pellets. There was no traffic at Burlington Northern in Superior on Monday, however Stewart J. Cort and CSL Tadoussac are both expected Tuesday afternoon/evening to load.

Two Harbors, MN – Gary A. Putney
Edgar B. Speer departed Two Harbors on June 10th at 06:17 for Conneaut. Arriving Two Harbors for South of #2 at 19:11 was the American Spirit. Due Two Harbors at approx. 20:00 will be the Edwin H. Gott. There is no scheduled traffic for Two Harbors on June 11th. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay saw the departure of the Mesabi Miner at approx. 16:30 on June 10th for Indiana Harbor. Due Silver Bay on June 11th is the Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader.

Thunder Bay, ON
Monday June 10: 3:49 tug Sharon M I and barge Huron Spirit arrived at Pollard Highway Products to discharge calcium chloride. 9:06 saltie Juno arrived at Viterra A to load grain. 10:25 Algoma Strongfield arrived at Superior Elevator to load grain.

Alpena, MI – Ben & Chanda McClain
The tug G.L. Ostrander and barge Integrity was in port on Monday. It was tied up at Lafarge but is not expected to load product until Tuesday morning. On Monday evening the Great Republic came into Lafarge stern first and tied up to unload cargo at the dock.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Alpena:
Monday; 18:22 Great Republic arrived to unload petroleum coke.

Calcite:
Monday; 6:43 Philip R Clarke departed down bound on Lake Huron.

Cheboygan:
Monday; 13:29 The tug Michigan and barge Great Lakes departed for Green Bay.

Drummond Island:
Sunday; 21:12 Victory and James L Kuber arrived to load and departed on Monday at 12:50 for Fair Port.

Port Dolomite:
Monday; 13:33 Joseph L Block arrived to finish loading.

Port Inland:
Sunday; 20:49 Joseph L Block arrived to take on a partial load and on Monday at 5:10 departed for Port Dolomite.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Monday Arrivals: American Integrity arrived at Zug Island to unload ore. Samuel De Champlain/Innovation arrived at Lafarge to unload cement. Spartan/Spartan 2-arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal. Lee A Tregurtha arrived at AK Steel to unload ore.

Toledo, OH
The new Algoma vessel Algoma Conveyor was at the Hanson Mueller Dock unloading a grain cargo on Monday. This dock is located just north of the Craig Bridge by the salt pile.

Northeast Ohio ports – Bill Kloss
6/10 arrivals: Manitowoc to Marblehead, Joseph H. Thompson and Frontenac to Fairport Harbor and John G. Munson and Saginaw to Ashtabula

Cleveland, OH – Bill Kloss
6/10 arrivals: Federal Rhine to the Port, Dock 24E, USS Billings-Port Dock 28W, Herbert C. Jackson to Arcelor Mittal Steel, Sea Eagle II to St. Mary's Cement, Sam Laud on a shuttle and Calusa Coast to Marathon. 6/10 departures: Manitou to Port Huron and American Courage to Marblehead.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Monday Jun 10 – Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
arrivals - Jun 10 - Whitefish Bay at 1420 and tug Albert (ex Craig Eric Reinauer-18, El Bronco Grande-06, Hercules-81) at 1441 docked - Jun 9 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1012 - departed - Jun 10 - Algoma Compass at 0522 and Algosea at 1351 west bound

Long Point Bay anchorage:
anchored - Jun 9 - Albert (ex Craig Eric Reinauer-18, El Bronco Grande-06, Hercules-81) & Margaret at 1637 - departed - Jun 10 - tug Albert & Margaret 1357 for the dock - Jun 10 - tug Petite Forte & St Marys Cement at 0825 and Algoma Sault at 1754 westbound

Buffalo:
arrivals - Jun 9 - NACC Argonaut at 0924 (anchored) and American Mariner at 121

Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 9 - tug Petite Forte & St Marys Cement at 1429, Evans Spirit at 1722, Algonova at 1846 and Algoma Spirit at 2014 - Jun 10 - Robert S Pierson at 1059, Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 1556 and Federal Dart (Mhl) at 1939

downbound - Jun 10 - CSL Welland at 1106, CCGS Sacred Bay at 1730 (on her maiden trip from Hike Metal Products Ltd yard - H207), Qikiqtaaluk W eta2220

Welland Canal docks:
docked - Jun 7 - CCGS Pierre Radisson at 0925 into Heddle Dry Dock at Port Weller

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 4 - Arsland (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 0740 - Jun 8 - Lubie (Bhs) at 2240 - Jun 9 - Federal Kivalina (Mhl) at 1225 - departed -

Hamilton:
arrival - Jun 10 - Algoma Harvester at 0121 - docked - Jun 4 - Federal Satsuki (Mhl) at 1113 and Blair McKeil (ex Gagliarda at 1415 - (renamed Blair McKeil on Friday June 7th) - Jun 9 - Tim S Dool at 0100, Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 2043 and Egmondgracht (Nld) at 2203 - Jun 10 - Redhead ii (Atg) (ex Bora-19, Hermann Schoening-15) at 1845 from the anchorage departed - Jun 10 - Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 1347 for the canal and Tecumseh at 1526 eastbound

Bronte:
arrival - Jun 9 - Sarah Desgagnes at 1039

Clarkson:
docked - Jun 10 - Robert S Pierson at 0012 - departed Jun 10 at 0915 westbound for the canal

Toronto:
arrivals - Jun 8 - Aragonborg (Nld) at 2051 and Chestnut (Cyp) at 1753 - Jun 10 - McKeil Spirit at 0114

Oshawa:
arrival - Jun 7 - Lake St Clair (Atg) (ex Federal Miramichi-16) at 1735

J.W. Westcott: How ships get mail on the Detroit River

6/11 - Detroit, MI – With waves crashing over the bow of his 14-metre boat, Capt. Sam Buchanan and his crew were alongside a freighter and a giant cargo ship the length of two football fields, with a tiny bucket dangling off the edge. Inside that bucket? The mail.

Buchanan skippers the J.W. Westcott II, a boat that delivers mail, parcels and everything from flowers to cookies for the people on board the ships that pass through the Detroit River.

And despite the challenges he and the crew face, they nearly always see the delivery through to the end.

The skipper said he has instilled in his crew the true value of what they do: bringing the outside world to these ships. "We certainly connect folks that are on ships to their home and to the rest of the world," said Buchanan.

Some days those deliveries are easier than others. A recent trip saw their boat battling wind blowing around 65 kilometres an hour as the bucket was thrown down.

"I've made about 50,000 deliveries in my career and I've only failed at one or two because of weather, but we know how important it is for the men and women on those ships to get their stuff."

Buchanan has been doing this for over 30 years, a career he forged through shear ambition and peskiness. Growing up in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge, he watched the boat make deliveries and decided he needed to be a part of it. "I started bugging them for a job and when I turned 18, got out of high school, they gave me a part-time job," said Buchanan.

Capturing the moments

The trips are at times, documented online – including the Instagram page DetroitCapt and YouTube page, fittingly titled BoatNerd.
Both are run by Neil Schultheiss who mounts GoPros on the boat and sometimes flies a drone up above.

"You're getting a whole new perspective of the world," said Buchanan, who said even as someone who skippers the boat, it brings views he could never see.

View the video at this link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/boat-mail-detroit-windsor-1.5162558

TASHMOO (steel side-wheel excursion steamer, 308 foot, 1,344 gross tons, built in 1900, at Wyandotte, Michigan) entered regular service for the White Star Line at Detroit, Michigan, on 11 June 1900.

On 11 June 1903, HORACE H. BADGER (wooden 3-mast schooner, 129 foot, 263 gross tons, built in 1867, at Conneaut, Ohio as a 2-mast schooner, formerly KATE GILLETT) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Erie. She was driven onto the breakwater at Cleveland, Ohio and broke up in the storm waves. The crew of seven was rescued by the Life Saving Service. This vessel had been wrecked twice before; once at Cross Village, Michigan, in 1895, and again near Alpena, Michigan in 1896.

ATLANTIC SUPERIOR (Hull#222) was float-launched at Thunder Bay, Ontario, by Port Arthur Ship Building Co. Ltd., in 1982, for Federal Commerce & Navigation Ltd., Montreal, Quebec (Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., mgr.), built for the Caribbean trade. MESABI MINER was christened at Duluth, Minnesota in 1977; she became the fourth thousand-foot bulk carrier on the Great Lakes and Interlake Steamship Co.'s second. CARL D. BRADLEY (Hull#718) cleared Lorain, Ohio, in her gray and white livery in 1917, on her maiden voyage light bound for Calcite, Michigan, to load limestone. She was the first Great Lakes commercial ship equipped with both Morse code telegraphy as well as ship-to-shore radio in 1922, which was standard on only 20 vessels by 1924. Renamed b.) JOHN G. MUNSON in 1927, c.) IRVIN L. CLYMER in 1951, she was scrapped at Duluth, Minnesota, in 1994-5.

June 11, 1981 - The BADGER steamed out of Ludington en route to Milwaukee under an MDOT subsidy that was approved earlier in March.

The propeller E. B. HALE was launched at Cleveland, Ohio, at the yard of Quayle & Sons on 11 June 1874. Her length was 217 foot keel, 227 foot overall. She was owned by Capt. Bradley, Mr. Thomas Quayle and Mr. Loomis, and she cost $100,000.

The wooden rabbit J. S. RUBY was launched at Fair Haven, Michigan, on 11 June 1881. Her dimensions were 106 feet 6 inches x 21 feet x 7 feet. She was towed to Port Huron for the installation of her boiler and engine that were built by the Phoenix Iron Works. She lasted until burned to a total loss off Stag Island in the St. Clair River on November 9, 1891.

1872 – Fire broke out aboard the passenger steamer KINGSTON about 18 miles upstream after the ship had left Brockville for Toronto. The ship was beached and the superstructure was destroyed but there were only two casualties. The hull was rebuilt at Montreal and later sailed as BAVARIAN, ALGERIAN and CORNWALL before being scuttled in Lake Ontario about 1929.

1936 – AYCLIFFE HALL sank in fog shrouded off Long Point, Lake Erie after a collision with the EDWARD J. BERWIND. All 19 on board were rescued. After salvage efforts failed, the rigging was blown clear by explosives. The EDWARD J. BERWIND was repaired and last sailed as LAC STE. ANNE in 1982.

1942 – HAVTOR, a Norwegian freighter, first came to the Great Lakes in 1932 and returned as late as 1939. It was sunk by a German submarine enroute from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Pictou, Nova Scotia, and 6 of the crew were lost.

1950 – The Italian freighter MARIA PAOLINA G. had been built in Canada as FORT ISLAND in 1944. It was downbound from the Saguenay River when it struck the Canada Steamship Lines passenger steamer ST. LAWRENCE, which had turned to dock at Tadoussac. Injuries were reported by 25 people and 30 cabins were damaged aboard the CSL ship.

1978 – The hull of the former passenger steamer RAPIDS QUEEN arrived at Toronto under tow from Kingston to be sunk as a breakwall off for the Queen City Yacht Club. It is still there.

1993 – PITRIA SKY first visited the Great Lakes in 1978. It departed Singapore for Shantou in southeast China, as h) HAI HONG 3 on June 11, 1993, but went back out to sea on arrival to ride out a pending typhoon. The ship was never seen again and it disappeared with all hands.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Museum ship William A. Irvin bows out for 2nd season

6/7 - Duluth, MN – The William A. Irvin, a 611-foot-long laker that has long served as a floating museum in Duluth, will sit out another full season of operation. The former member of the U.S. Steel fleet was displaced from its berth in Minnesota Slip last year as crews worked to shore up failing seawalls and cap contaminated sediments that have accumulated through decades of industrial maritime traffic.

To make room for the work, the Irvin was moved across the harbor to Fraser Shipyards in Superior, where it was to be placed in drydock for some long-overdue repairs and a fresh coat of paint below its waterline. But the Irvin encountered delays, when the cost of the work came in higher than anticipated, and then the vessel lost its place in line this spring when other working lakers arrived at Fraser in need of immediate attention.

Nevertheless, Chelly Townsend, executive director of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, which operates the Irvin, expressed confidence Wednesday that a contract for the work would be signed in a matter of days and for a cost in keeping with a $500,000 Minnesota Historical Society grant that was awarded to cover the repairs.

“Once that goes through, we will be able to zero in on a date. But of course that date will be subject to work being finished on the Arthur M. Anderson, that’s in drydock now,” she said.

Townsend said the best-case scenario likely would return the Irvin to its mooring in Minnesota Slip by July, and at worst, she expects to have it back in its old home by October or November. The Irvin is expected to spend 30 to 45 days in drydock, but then it will need to wait for calm weather in order to slowly navigate its way back into Minnesota Slip, with only a few inches to spare, as it passes through the pedestrian draw bridge that spans the water.

“It will not be open this year,” Townsend said.

“Even if it gets back in say September, there’s not enough time to get it ready. You know, it’s been closed up for almost two years now, and there’s going to be a lot of work to do on the inside and the exterior. So, we just plan to have it open next spring,” she said.

Don Ness, president of the DECC board of directors, said: “I’m disappointed with how it has rolled out, the costs involved and the delays that we’ve seen. To lose another season is discouraging, and clearly there’s a financial impact on the DECC.”

He noted that the DECC will take a financial hit as a result of having the Irvin sidelined for another season, as the vessel typically generates about $200,000 per year.

On top of that, the DECC also agreed to bear $300,000 of the cost of moving the Irvin. “We finally have just resigned ourselves to the fact that this is the way it’s going to be. And then we’ll just go forward from there,” Townsend said.

Ness said the DECC had been placed in a difficult situation. “Unfortunately these things happen when projects are put on tight timelines, and when the DECC was first approached by the city and the MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency), there was a real rush to approval, saying that they had to hit these tight timelines, that there were dollars that were available now and we couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity,” he said.

Ness said the DECC would have benefited from more time to plan and make arrangements, but he also acknowledged the pressing need to address the slip’s failing seawalls and sinkholes that had developed in the area, calling the city “a good partner.”

The city has borne financial challenges, as well. On Monday, the Duluth City Council will be asked to approve an additional $700,000 to complete work on the Minnesota Slip project, which now is expected to total about $7.2 million. But Jim Filby Williams, Duluth’s director of public administration, said the added cost comes as little surprise, given that the city budgeted only a modest 6.8 percent contingency into its project budget.

“The 15.44 percent cost overrun is actually a bit lower than you would usually expect and provide for on a project like this, which is to say a project involving the repair and replacement of 125-year-old buried marine infrastructure whose character cannot be fully known until you dig it up,” he said.

Filby Williams contends it would have been advisable to build in a contingency of 20 to 25 percent for a project of such a nature. “The issue was the inadequate contingency included in the original budgetary appropriation for the project,” he said.

Townsend said she’s looking forward to the Irvin’s return and reopening the vessel to the public in 2020 “The whole area is going to look beautiful in a short time, because they’re working on all the landscaping and the curbs and all of that stuff,” she said.

“We’re happy to have a stable property, and we’ll be set up to serve our customers better. It’s safer. It’s going to be beautiful. We’ll have bike lanes and proper sidewalks. So, it will definitely be an improvement for us,” Townsend said.

Duluth News Tribune

National Museum announces Tug Ohio christening weekend

6/7 - Toledo, OH – On Friday, June 21, two tugs will be formally christened at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo Ohio. The first tug to be christened was donated to the museum by The Great Lakes Towing Company in 2018, and will be known as the Museum Tug Ohio. The National Museum of the Great Lakes has spent the last nine months restoring the tug. It will be a feature exhibit at the museum and the Maumee River’s second floating museum ship. The second tug to be christened is The Great Lakes Towing Company’s newest tug, also named Ohio. This tug will serve the maritime community as a member of The Great Lakes Towing Company’s fleet of tugs that operate across the Great Lakes and on the Maumee River.

“We believe this event is the first of its kind on the Great Lakes and perhaps beyond---the christening of a museum tug that shares its name with the tug built to take its place in the commercial towing fleet,” said Christopher Gillcrist, Executive Director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “The past meets the present and future all in one wonderful event.”

The addition of the Museum Tug Ohio represents only the second commercial museum ship on the Maumee River – first being the Col. James M. Schoonmaker. Thirty years ago, the Schoonmaker (as the Willis B. Boyer) was introduced to Toledo as its first museum ship.

The addition of a museum tug fills a significant void in the permanent exhibit plan of NMGL, Gillcrist said.

The Great Lakes Towing Company’s new commercial tug represents the application of cutting edge technology in tug design. The new Damen 1907 Ice Tug was built at The Great Lakes Towing Company’s shipyard in Cleveland. In 2019, The Great Lakes Towing Company Ohio will celebrate 120 years of serving as an invaluable resource to the Great Lakes maritime community.

“The new tug is aptly named Ohio,” said Joe Starck, president of The Great Lakes Towing Company. “She was built in Ohio, by an Ohio shipyard, for an Ohio-based company, will operate on Ohio waters and serve Ohio ports. In addition, her construction cost was supported by the Ohio EPA and she replacing the historical tug Ohio. We memorialize the Museum Tug Ohio as we celebrate her modern successor that will continue to keep cargo moving, here in Toledo, for generations.”

The christenings will take place at the National Museum of the Great Lakes’ commercial dock located behind the building on the Maumee River. Guests and attendees will observe from the dock and patio behind the museum. Christenings of commercial vessels on the Great Lakes have a long and illustrious history. These events often drew thousands of spectators and VIP’s from the maritime industry from across the country.

The sponsor of the Museum Tug Ohio is long-time NMGL employee and volunteer Mrs. Jane Smith. Mrs. Smith will break a bottle of beer over the bow rail of the Museum Tug Ohio instead of the traditional bottle of champagne. According to Gillcrist, when the boat was christened the first time in Chicago in 1903, beer was used because the boat was going to serve the city of Milwaukee – the city that made beer famous. Gillcrist noted that Mrs. Smith was chosen as the sponsor because she best represents the volunteer spirit that makes projects like this one possible.

The Museum Tug Ohio has a 115-year history on the Great Lakes. During its career as a fireboat in Milwaukee it participated in some of the most important disasters in Milwaukee history. As a tug, it logged more miles of commercial activity than any other tug on the Great Lakes. “This tug tells a story that no other tug can tell,” said Gillcrist. “How many tugs towed not one but two navy submarines on the Great Lakes?”

The christening on June 21 is open to the public but only with advance ticket purchase. Tickets are $25 per person ($20 per person for museum members). Purchase of the ticket gets you admission to the christenings, admission to the museum, admission to the Schoonmaker museum ship and admission to the restored museum tug Ohio. The new Ohio can be viewed from dockside. Tickets can be purchased at nmgl.org or by calling 419-214-5000 ext. 0.

On June 22-23, the public can purchase at the door a general admission ticket for $17 per person. Members of the museum are admitted free at this point.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

Port reports are compiled from 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).

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
The only traffic through the Duluth entry on Thursday was American Mariner, which departed at 11:35 for Buffalo with a load of wheat from General Mills. Alamosborg arrived offshore and dropped anchor at 14:30, where she will be inspected before arriving to load at Gavilon. Great Lakes Trader/tug Joyce L. VanEnkevort was loading iron ore pellets at CN, and was expected to depart during the late afternoon/early evening Thursday. Federal Mackinac continued unloading cement at CRH. In Superior, the tank barge Robert F. Deegan and tug Zeus arrived at 08:50 to discharge calcium chloride at Hallett #8. During the afternoon, Burns Harbor departed at 15:09 with iron ore pellets, and Whitefish Bay arrived at 15:32 to load at Burlington Northern.

Thunder Bay, ON
Thursday June 6: 13:44 CSL Welland arrived at Viterra A to load grain.

Northern Lake Huron ports
Midland:
Wednesday 7:44 The cruise ship Pearl Mist arrived and shore excursions were completed departed at 19:30 for Parry Sound.

Parry Sound:
7:56 Pearl Mist arrived. 8:58 Mississagi arrived to unload salt and departed at 13:16 for Windsor. 18:56 After a full day of shore excursions Pear Mist departed.

Little Current:
Wednesday; 7:33 The cruise ship Victory1 arrived for shore excursions and at 17:50 departed for Sault Ste Marie Michigan.

Meldrum Bay:
Tuesday; 11:51 Saginaw arrived to load dolomite and on Wednesday at 6:36 departed for Saginaw Michigan.

Bruce Mines:
Thursday: 16:36 Michipicoten arrived to load trap rock.

Alpena:
Thursday; 19:49 The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load. Stoneport:
Wednesday; 23:07 Olive L Moore departed for Monroe. Thursday; 14:59 Kaye E Barker arrived to load.

Calcite:
Wednesday; 21:67 Sam Laud arrived to load. 23:44 Cason J Calloway departed for Buffington. Thursday; 3:50 The tug Victory and James L Kuber arrived to load.17:06 Sam Laud departed down bound on Lake Huron. 17:09 Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder arrived to load.

Port Dolomite:
Wednesday; 21:39 Great Republic arrived to load and departed on Thursday at 10:26 for Duluth Superior. 17:06 Philip R Clarke arrived to load.

Port Inland:
Wednesday; 22:16 Calumet arrived to load and departed Thursday at 6:09 down bound on Lake Michigan. 14:59 H Lee White arrived to load.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Innovator was at the salt dock Thursday night, with Algoma Transport at the north dock, probably waiting to load salt.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Algoma Compass unloaded trap rock at the Motor City Materials dock on Thursday.

Northeast Ohio Ports – Bill Kloss
6/6 arrivals: Federal Leda has joined fleetmate Federal Kumano at the Port of Cleveland. Algoma Buffalo is waiting out currents in Lake Erie off of Lorain. She has stone for LaFarge. 6/6 departures: John J. Boland to Sandusky from Fairport Harbor.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Thursday June 6 - by Barry Andersen early morning fog delayed shipping for

Nanticoke:
arrivals - Jun 5 - Baie Comeau at 2348 - docked - Jun 5 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1322 departed - Jun 6 - Algocanada at 0232, Baie Comeau at 0829

Long Point Bay anchorage:
anchored - Jun 5 - Algoterra at 1819 - Jun 5 - Damia Desgagnes at 0728 - Jun 6 - Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 0118 - departed - Jun 4 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1126 for the dock

Port Colborne anchorage:
anchored - Jun 5 - tug Everlast & Noman McLeod at 2251, Algoma Enterprise at 2332, Greenwing (Cyp) at 0400, Federal Biscay (Mhl) at 0819, departed - Jun 6 - tug Everlast & Noman McLeod at 0304, Algoma Enterprise at 0413 Greenwing (Cyp) at 1200, Federal Biscay (Mhl) at 1229 - all for the canal

Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 5 - Federal Leda (Mhl) at 1706, Kivalliq W (ex Sten Fjord-18, Falcon-09) at 1751, Algoma Hansa at 1940 and Industrial Skipper (Lbr) at 2349 - Jun 6 - CSL Tadoussac at 0708, Juno (Bhs) at 1922 for Thunder Bay, ,

downbound - Jun 5 - Egmondgracht (Nld) at 2141 (turned in Lake Erie and headed to wharf 12) - Jun 5 - Egmondgracht (Nld) stopping wharf 12 at 0020), tug Everlast & Norman McLeod 0353, Algoma Enterprise at 0432, tug Sea Eagle II & St Marys Cement II at 1120, Algoscotia at 1158, Federal Biscay (Mhl) at 1251, Greenwing (Cyp) at 1724, John D Leitch at 1812, NACC Argonaut at 1849, Algoma Niagara at 1618 - delayed

Welland Canal docks:
docked - Jun 3 - CCGS Pierre Radisson at 1430 approx - tied alongside fitout berth at Heddle DD, Port Weller - Jun 5 - Egmondgracht (Nld) docked wharf 12 at 0020) - departed Jun 6 Egmondgtracht (Nld)

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 4 - Arsland (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 0740 - Jun 5 - Selasse (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 1440

Hamilton:
arrivals - Jun 6 - Eeborg (Nld) at 0700, Algoma Strongfield at 1138 - docked - Jun 1 - Federal Schelde (Bds) at 1100 - Jun 3 - Brant (Cyp) at 0530 - Jun 4 - Hinch Spirit (ex Topaz I-19 at 1830 - Jun 4 - Tecumseh at 0217, Federal Satsuki (Mhl) at 1113 and Gagliarda at 1415 - Jun 5 - Pacific Huron (Atg) at 1537 - departures - Jun 3 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit as 2304 - Jun 4 - Federal Kumano (Mhl) at 0910 and Robert S Pierson at 1915 - Jun 5 - Algoma Discovery at 0204

Bronte:
docked - Jun 4 - Harbour Fashion (Por) at 2301 from the canal - departed Jun 5 at 1521 eastbound

Mississauga:
arrival - Jun 4 - Selasse (Gib) (ex Selay S-17) at 0537 - departed Jun 5 sat 1302 Toronto:
arrivals - Jun 6 - McKeil Spirit at 0114 and tug Petite Forte & St Marys Cement at 1148 - docked - May 31 - Redhead ii (Atg) (ex Bora-19, Hermann Schoening-15) at 0440 - Jun 2 - Lubie (Bhs) at 1122

Oshawa:
docked - Jun 1 - Juno (Bhs) at 0657 - departed Jun 6 at 1320 for Port Weller anchorage

'It cannot go another inch higher': Lakes water levels may hit Michigan tourism

6/7 - Lansing, MI – The high water levels on Lake Superior are manageable, but only if the forecasters are wrong about the lake's projected rise, Capt. Donald Kilpela Jr. said. Right now, only a few docks in his small, Upper Peninsula home of Copper Harbor are submerged by the swollen lake, and summer storms are rarely strong enough to carry that extra water inland.

The Upper Peninsula community can weather the record-high Lake Superior water level, but only if the lake holds fast. "It cannot go another inch higher," said Kilpela Jr., who operates The Isle Royale Queen IV ferry. "Then things get really compromised."

Kilpela is among thousands of Michiganders who had a lakeside view as the Great Lakes rose above record heights in May, according to a report the Army Corps of Engineers issued Tuesday.

The rising waters have washed out roads, inched over boat slips, covered beaches and flooded properties. Some residents of Michigan’s coastal communities worry their tourism-based economies will suffer if visitors turn away from their shrinking beaches and waterlogged marinas.

The phone has "really been ringing off the hook for the past several weeks" at the Army Corps of Engineers office in Detroit, where property owners, municipal officials and reporters call to ask why the Great Lakes water levels are so high and whether they'll continue to rise, Detroit District Chief of Watershed Hydrology Keith Kompoltowicz said.

Water levels on the Great Lakes fluctuate depending on precipitation, evaporation and the amount of water flowing in and out. Several years of heavy rain and snowfall are behind the recent, steep rise in Great Lakes water levels, Kompoltowicz said.

Lansing State Journal

Joseph H. Thompson was part of D-Day invasion fleet

6/7 - Escanaba, MI – Thursday marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day — the day when Allied forces landed in Normandy during World War II. The Joseph H. Thompson, a ship that has been docked in “Escanaba’s backyard,” has close ties to this historical event. “She was at D-Day,” VanEnkevort Tug & Barge (VTB), Inc. Director of Purchasing Peter Groh said of the ship.

VTB has owned the Joseph H. Thompson for about four years.

According to information from www.boatnerd.com, the Joseph H. Thompson was originally built by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock of Chester, Pa. in early 1944. It was constructed for the U.S. Maritime Commission as part of the World War II effort; originally, it was known as the Marine Robin.

The brochure “From Salt Water to Fresh Water,” which focuses on the Joseph H. Thompson’s history, states the Marine Robin’s maiden voyage brought U.S. troops from Newport News, Va., to Bremen, Germany. For three months, the ship brought soldiers from North Africa to southern France, and it was present at the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944.

After D-Day, the Marine Robin took 1,500 German prisoners of war to the United States. The ship also visited Oran, Le Havre, Naples, Southampton, Marseille and Mediterranean ports.

On Oct. 5, 1945, the ship traveled through the Suez Canal and entered the Pacific theater. It was used by the military through August 1946; along with a repatriation trip to return German nationals from China, it visited Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. The Marine Robin was then retired.

In the early ’50s, the Marine Robin was purchased by the Hansand Steamship Company, converted for use as a lake carrier and transported to the Great Lakes. A new midsection was built for the ship; as the ship’s new length was about 714 feet — a significant increase from its original length of 515 feet — it had to be transported on the Mississippi River and Chicago’s canal system in two sections and rejoined later.

Over the years, the Joseph H. Thompson has been used as a vessel and a tug barge. It currently serves as a tug barge in VTB’s fleet, and is docked at North Shore Marine Terminal & Logistics, Inc.’s facility in Escanaba.

Groh said VTB is proud to own and operate the Joseph H. Thompson.“I think it’s unique that she does have past history supporting our troops and that she has survived all these years and is still in general commerce today,” he said.

The Joseph H. Thompson left Escanaba Wednesday and is currently sailing the Great Lakes.

Escanaba Daily Press

New rear admiral takes over command at Cleveland Coast Guard station

6/7 - Cleveland, OH – Rear Admiral Donna L. Cottrell took over Thursday as the leader of the ninth district, relieving fellow Rear Admiral Joanna M. Nunan. Cottrell is a native of Wellington, Ohio and a graduate of Ohio University.

What makes this historic is that RADM Cottrell becomes the third straight woman to command the ninth district, something that has never happened before in the Coast Guard's history and a feat that is "unlikely to be repeated. RADM Nunan relieved RADM June Ryan back in 2017, marking the first time a female district commander relieved another in the agency's history.

As ninth district commander, RADM Cottrell will oversee operations across the entire Great Lakes, spanning eight states.

One of the special guests at Thursday's change of command ceremony was 104-year-old Mabel Johnson. She served in the Coast Guard at the Cleveland station during World War II as a SPAR, doing the jobs of thousands of Coast Guardsmen who had to leave their posts to fight overseas.

Also, Rear Admiral Nunan received a nice honor by the Cleveland Indians on Thursday as she threw out the first pitch prior to the Tribe's game against the Twins as part of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

1958, the largest freighter ever built on the Great Lakes slid down the ways at River Rouge, Michigan. The new freighter was christened by Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald and named EDMUND FITZGERALD. The 729-foot FITZGERALD was owned by Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company and operated by Columbia Transportation under a 25-year bare boat charter.

In 1977, tugs refused to tow the new MESABI MINER out of the harbor due to high winds. Captain William McSweeney brought the MESABI MINER out under her own power to begin her maiden trip. On 07 June 1890, EMILY P. WEED (steel propeller freighter, 300 foot, 2,362 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #69) at W. Bay City, Michigan for the Hollister Transportation Co. She lasted until 02 September 1905, when she stranded on Sand Island Reef, Apostle Islands on Lake Superior and broke in two.

On 07 June 1862, MORNING STAR (wooden side-wheel steamer, 248 foot, 1,265 gross tons) was launched by A. A. Turner at Trenton, Michigan. She only lasted until 1868, when she sank in Lake Erie in a collision with the bark COURTLAND.

In 1977, WILLIAM A. IRVIN ran into the side of the Rock Cut after a power failure on board. The vessel received only slight damage. (For a more detailed account, read Jody Aho's book "The Steamer William A Irvin: Queen of the Silver Stackers").

On June 7, 1991, the ALPENA, the former LEON FRASER) began her maiden voyage as a cement carrier, departing Superior, Wisconsin, for her namesake port. Fraser Shipyards, which performed the conversion, took out a full-page ad in the Superior Evening Telegram proclaiming "INLAND LAKES MANAGEMENT, YOUR SHIP IS READY" and a picture of the vessel.

On 7 June 1859, COLUMBIA (2-mast wooden brig, 92 foot, 177 gross tons, built in 1842, at Sandusky, Ohio) broke up in a storm near Sherwood Point, Green Bay (Death's Door). She was famous for bringing the first load of copper ore from the Keweenaw Peninsula to through the Soo. She also brought the first locomotive to Marquette.

The METEOR (wooden steam barge, 201 foot, 729 gross tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) burned at Buckley's dock at the foot of 2nd Street in Detroit, Michigan on 7 June 1873. The fire supposedly started in her hold at 1:30 a.m. and was not discovered until it was too late. The ship burned to the waterline and sank. Some docks and warehouses also burned in this catastrophe. The wreck was raised in early September 1875, and towed to the foot of Belle Isle where the machinery and hull were sold at the U.S. Marshall's sale on 24 April 1876. Although originally thought to be the end of this vessel, the hull was purchased by Stephen B. Grummond of Detroit for $480. It was rebuilt as the schooner-barge NELSON BLOOM in 1882 and lasted until abandoned in 1925.

1894: The wooden steamer OCEAN received a massive hole in the bow after a collision with the barge KENT at Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence.

1902: The whaleback steamer THOMAS WILSON sank after a collision with the GEORGE G. HADLEY a mile off the Duluth piers while outbound with iron ore and nine lives were lost.

1915: JAMES B. EADS and the CHICAGO collided in the St. Clair River.

1941: The fish tug FINGLO caught fire and burned at Toronto. It was rebuilt for harbor duty as the steam tug H.J.D. NO. 1. In 1956-1957, the ship was unofficially renamed Salamander to star in the Canadian television series Tugboat Annie.

1971: SILVER CREST visited the Seaway in 1971 after previous calls as a) VIGRID in 1959 and 1963. It also returned as b) ROSTO in 1963 before becoming d) SILVER CREST in 1968. The ship stranded on Sisal Reef, in the Gulf of Mexico while enroute from Veracruz to Progresso, Mexico, but was refloated on June 12. The vessel arrived at Whampoa, China, for scrapping in July 1973.

1991: HERMES SCAN, a first time Seaway trader in 1977, sank in the Bay of Bengal as d) BRAUT TEAM after developing leaks the previous day. The heavy-lift vessel was reportedly carrying a Chinese steam locomotive for delivery to New York for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad. All on board were saved.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II, The Marine Historical Society of Detroit and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series

NTSB releases report on last year’s Straits anchor strike

6/6 - The federal government released a report Wednesday that shines a light on exactly what happened leading up to an anchor striking a pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac in April 2018.

A dragging anchor hit decommissioned utility lines and Enbridge’s Line 5 west of the Mackinac Bridge, and fueled fears of an environmental catastrophe.

The report says a barge (Erie Trader with tug Clyde S. VanEnkevort) unknowingly released its anchor, dragging it and caused damaged to electrical cables and dented line 5. The NTSB also determined the likely cause was a failure to secure the barge’s anchor, and the improper adjustment of the anchor’s brake band. The report says those two factors that caused the anchor strike.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said this report reinforces the danger Line 5 is to the Great Lakes. She says she is “prepared to take legal action to decommission Line 5.”

Oil company Enbridge says they take their responsibility seriously to protect the environment. The company says they’ll continue with their plans to construct a tunnel for Line 5.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is negotiating with Enbridge to speed up that tunnel.

9 & 10 News

Great Lakes set record high water levels, could continue rising

6/6 - Two Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair broke water level records in May, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lakes Erie and Superior and Lake St. Clair set new record high monthly mean water levels, preliminary data from the Corps shows, amid a persistent rainy period. And all five Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair could continue to hit record highs this summer, the Corps said.

"As we expected, record highs were set in May on a few of our Great Lakes, and our June forecast shows additional record highs likely this summer," Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of Watershed Hydrology, Detroit District, said in a Corps news release.

Precipitation in May was 21% higher than average in the Great Lakes basin. Water levels are based on what scientists call “water balance,” or how much water is coming into and out of a body of water, said Drew Gronewold, associate professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan. This is based on factors like precipitation and evaporation.

These extreme levels pose a threat to human health and safety, especially for communities close to the water, Gronewold said. High water levels cause issues like flooding, coastal erosion, property damage, delay in planting spring crops and displacement of people from their homes.

People with shoreline property are especially impacted, added Brent Lofgren, a physical scientist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research lab.

“People who build docks on the lake, they tend to build them for a particular water level,” Lofgren said. “If it changes, their docks don’t work as well. Shoreline properties might have had a beach there and now it’s really not there anymore.”

The Great Lakes basin has experienced high precipitation for at least six years, with a steep increase in the last month, Lofgren said. But this increase comes at the end of a lengthy period of record low water levels that lasted from the 1990s to about 2013, both scientists said. “It was not long ago we were talking about record lows,” Gronewold said.

Experts disagree on whether these fluctuations are linked to climate change.

Gronewold and another University of Michigan professor, Richard Rood, published an article on Tuesday arguing that climate change is driving the rapid shifts between high and low lake levels. Lofgren, however, said he does not agree with the research.

Detroit Free Press

Port reports are compiled from 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).

Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Michipicoten departed Duluth at 03:30 Wednesday morning with a load of iron ore for Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, and Great Lakes Trader/tug Joyce L. VanEnkevort arrived at 16:34 to unload limestone at Hallett #5. Also in port Wednesday were American Mariner, loading wheat at General Mills; Federal Kivalina, loading wheat at Riverland Ag; and Federal Mackinac, discharging cement at CRH. Both the Mariner and Kivalina were expected to depart at some point Wednesday evening. In Superior, Stewart J. Cort departed at 10:40 after loading iron ore pellets at Burlington Northern, and Burns Harbor then shifted to BN from Lakehead Pipeline to load. She is expected to depart early Thursday morning.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Joseph L. Block departed Two Harbors on June 5th at 02:28 for Indiana Harbor. Arriving Two Harbors on June 5th at 07:26 for South of #2 was the Edwin H. Gott. She departed Two Harbors on the 5th at 18:38. As of 19:30 on the 5th she didn't have an updated AIS. Arriving Two Harbors on the 5th will be the Indiana Harbor. As of 19:15 on the 5th she was SW of Silver Bay. There is a possibility the American Integrity will arrive Two Harbors late on the 6th, but probably she will arrive Two Harbors early on June 7th. Northshore Mining in Silver Bay had no traffic on June 5th and none scheduled on June 6th.

Thunder Bay, ON
Tuesday June 4th: 19:47 CSL St-Laurent departed Viterra A for Montreal. 21:12 Kaministiqua departed Richardson Main Terminal for Port Cartier. Wednesday June 5th: 19:43 Algoma Conveyor arrived at Viterra B to load grain. Expected for Thursday: CSL Welland.

Northern Lake Huron ports
MacGregor Bay:
Monday;14:00 Algoma Compass arrived at Fisher Harbour to unload salt and later departed for Bruce Mines.

Alpena:
Tuesday; Manitowoc departed for Port Dolomite.

Stoneport:
Wednesday; 12:12 Olive L Moore arrived to load.

Calcite:
Tuesday; Joyce L Vanenkevort departed for Duluth Superior. 14:46 H Lee White departed for Green Bay. Wednesday; 3:48 Cason J Calloway arrived to load limestone.

Cheboygan:
Wednesday; 17:04 The tug Michigan and barge Great Lakes departed for Toledo.

Port Dolomite:
Tuesday; Manitowoc arrived to load and on Wednesday; at 1:23 departed for Ludington.

Drummond Island:
Tuesday; Cuyahoga departed for Detroit.

Bruce Mines:
Monday; Algoma Compass arrived to load trap rock and on Tuesday; 1:24 departed for Detroit.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas Algoma Sault was at the salt dock Wednesday night. Algoma Innovator was at the grain elevators. Algoma Transport was at the north dock, probably waiting to load salt.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H Wednesday Arrivals: Hon. James L Oberstar arrived at AK Steel to unload ore. Presque Isle arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal to fuel. Calusa Coast and Delaware arrived at the Marathon Asphalt Terminal to load.

Monroe, MI – Raymond H Paul R Tregurtha was unloading coal at the DTE Energy plant on Wednesday.

Toledo, OH
Tugs Colorado and Nebraska assisted Federal Biscay from Anderson's K. Elevator on Wednesday.

Northeast Ohio Ports
6/5 arrivals: Manitoulin to Sandusky to load coal at Norfolk Southern. NACC Argonaut with cement for LaFarge, American Courage to Arcelor Mittal with a shuttle from Ashtabula and Federal Kumano to the Port dock 24E. 6/5 departures: Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin from Sandusky.

Erie, PA
Happy River was unloading turbine parts on Wednesday.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report - Wednesday June 5 ... by Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
docked - Jun 3 - Algocanada at 2103 - Jun 5 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1322 - departed - Jun 4 - Algoma Sault at 0316 - Jun 5 - Mesabi Miner at 1218 westbound

Long Point Bay anchorage:
anchored - Jun 5 - Algoterra at 1819 - Jun 5 - Damia Desgagnes at 0728 - departed - Jun 4 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1126 for the dock

Welland Canal:
upbound - Jun 4 - Egmondgracht (Nld) at 1050 - stopping wharf 12 and Thunder Bay at 2156 - Jun 5 - Algoma Discovery at 0409, Federal Leda (Mhl) at 1706, Kivalliq W (ex Sten Fjord-18, Falcon-09) at 1751 and Algoma Hansa at 1940

downbound - Jun 4 - Acadia Desgagnes at 1448 and Egmondgracht (Nld) at 2141 (turned in Lake Erie and headed to wharf 12) - Jun 5 - Egmondgracht (Nld) stopping wharf 12 at 0020), tug Everlast & Norman McLeod eta 2245 and Algoma Enterprise eta 2300

Welland Canal docks:
docked - Jun 3 - CCGS Pierre Radisson at 1430 approx - tied alongside fitout berth at Heddle DD, Port Weller - Jun 5 - Egmondgracht (Nld) docked wharf 12 at 0020)

Port Weller anchorage:
anchored - Jun 4 - Arsland (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 0740 - Jun 5 - Selasse (Mlt) (ex CT Dublin-11) at 1440 - departed - Jun 5 - Federal Caribou (Mhl) at 1500, Patras (Mlt) (ex Gan-Sword-10) at 2030 - all eastbound

Hamilton:
arrival - Jun 5 - Pacific Huron (Atg) at 1537 - docked - Jun 1 - Federal Schelde (Bds) at 1100 - Jun 3 - Brant (Cyp) at 0530 - Jun 4 - Hinch Spirit (ex Topaz I-19 at 1830 - Jun 4 - Tecumseh at 0217, Federal Satsuki (Mhl) at 1113 and Gagliarda at 1415 - departures - Jun 3 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit as 2304 - Jun 4 - Federal Kumano (Mhl) at 0910 - Robert S Pierson at 1915 - Jun 5 - Algoma Discovery at 0204

Bronte:
docked - Jun 4 - Harbour Fashion (Por) at 2301 from the canal

Mississauga:
arrival - Jun 4 - Selasse (Gib) (ex Selay S-17) at 0537

Toronto:
docked - May 31 - Redhead ii (Atg) (ex Bora-19, Hermann Schoening-15) at 0440 - Jun 2 - Lubie (Bhs) at 1122 - departed - Jun 5 - USCG Biscayne Bay at 2031 (headed to Baltimore, MD for refit)

Oshawa:
docked - Jun 1 - Juno (Bhs) at 0657

Surging Great Lakes water levels shrink beaches, flood docks in Michigan

6/6 - Lakes Erie, St. Clair and Superior broke records for average water heights during the month of May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday.

And as wet weather persists across the region, all five Great Lakes — as well as Lake St. Clair — may set additional records, the agency added, stirring concerns about ongoing flooding and shoreline erosion.

“Our June forecast shows additional record highs likely this summer," Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology, in the Corps’ Detroit District, said in a news release. The Great Lakes Basin last month saw 21 percent more precipitation than normal, filling the lakes to levels unseen in decades. Average water heights hovered 1 to 3 inches above previous May records set in 1986.

Winds often affect local water levels, pushing them dramatically higher during storms, the Corps warned. Flood risks extend to communities along rivers and other channels connecting the Great Lakes.

The full lakes are breaking records just six years after low water levels bedevilled ships that haul iron ore, grain and other commodities between ports.

"These changes are a response to unusual combinations of extreme lake evaporation, persistent increases in the magnitude and intensity of precipitation events, and intermittent outbursts of cold arctic air,” a Drew Gronewold, a hydrologist with the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, said in a statement Tuesday.

Though ship captains and some marina owners welcome the recovery from low levels years ago, the flooding has shrunk beaches and left docks underwater across the Great Lakes region.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday declared an emergency in Tuscola County, which borders the Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron, after flooding washed away roads and caused millions of dollars in damage. That came one month after Whitmer declared a flooding emergency in Wayne County, which borders the Detroit River, the nexus between Lakes Erie and St. Clair. The county saw more than 3,000 homes damaged, according to media reports.

Price to sell Blue Water Bridge? Michigan House Republicans want to know

6/6 - Lansing, MI – State House Republicans want to know the price tag for the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron and plan to ask the Michigan Department of Transportation to solicit bids for the structure.

The House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee’s proposed budget Thursday will include boilerplate language directing the Department of Transportation to solicit proposals or bids for the international crossing, which is jointly owned by the U.S. and Canada.

The Michigan Department of Transportation did not have an immediate estimate of the bridge’s worth, but said outstanding debt on the bridge is roughly $89.7 million with a final payment set for 2037.

The House's budget boilerplate language also will request similar solicitations for bids for several state-owned small airports, some rest stops and one rail line for transportation funding, said Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesman for House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering.

The plan would allow the Legislature “to get an idea of what the market looks like and get a better accounting what assets the state has,” D’Assandro said.

The language is not part of the House’s roads plan, which he expects to be released at a later date, he said.

“Obviously, the state has to fund a lot of priorities every year so it's good to know what kind of assets its sitting on,” D’Assandro said.

The subcommittee is already aware of some parties interested in the bridge, including a group of investment funds, said Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford, chairman of the transportation subcommittee. The bridge’s sale remains a possibility, but a serious one, he said.

“I’m all for building bridges, but I think if you had an asset lying around that’s worth half a billion to a billion dollars, I’d rather sell that bridge than force Michigan families to pay more at the gas pump,” he said.

Maddock said he'll explore any options that will sidestep tax increases for residents and check the reach of government agencies.

"MDOT used to focus on transportation, not bridges or airports or welcome centers," Maddock said. "There’s a lot of things that we’re in the business of that we shouldn’t be in the business of.”

The Port Huron-Sarnia crossing consists of two bridges — the original bridge with three lanes of west-bound traffic into the United States that was renovated in 1999 and a modern bridge opened in 1997 with three lanes of east-bound traffic into Canada. The state of Michigan owns the U.S. portions of the spans, while a Canadian authority owns the Canadian section, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation

There already is a private owner of a key international bridge in Michigan. The Moroun family owns the 90-year-old Ambassador Bridge that connects Detroit and Windsor.

The Ambassador Bridge is set to get competition from the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a private-public crossing that is being built two miles south. The $4.4 billion project is expected to be completed by 2023.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib cited the Moroun's ownership of the Ambassador Bridge Wednesday as a warning against tapping private interests for public infrastructure.

"Come to Detroit, and I will show you how selling a bridge to a private owner is a bad, no terrible, idea," said Tlaib, D-Detroit.

It is not clear if the Moroun-owned Detroit International Bridge Company or one of its affiliated firms is interested in buying the Blue Water Bridge.

The Blue Water Bridge long ago was supposed to get its customs plaza expanded in a $165 million construction project. But the customs plaza project languished during the Obama administration and remains dormant.

Local leaders in St. Clair County learned of the plan Wednesday and said it appeared to be a preliminary exploration of how to monetize the twin spans over the St. Clair River.

“I think it is reasonable that the state Legislature would want to look at the value of its asset and see how those assets could be best used for the people of Michigan,” Port Huron City Manager James Freed said.

The bridge certainly is an asset to the community but is ultimately outside of the county’s purview or ownership, said St. Clair County Board Chairman Jeff Bohm, who noted the plan would “get vetted at a much higher pay grade than mine.”

“I guess it’s the old adage, everything’s for sale, even the Blue Water Bridge,” Bohm said.

The Detroit News

On 06 June 1891, BAY CITY (wooden propeller freighter, 152 foot, 372 gross tons, built in 1867, at Marine City, Michigan) burned to a total loss while being repaired at the foot of Rivard Street in Detroit, Michigan. She was loaded with 300,000 feet of white pine lumber at the time. Her watchman reported the fire during the night and firemen thought they had it out, but it re-ignited and the vessel burned to a total loss. This ship had previously burned 20 years before on 10 April 1871, when she was on her first trip of the season after being rebuilt over the winter. Then she caught fire and burned nearly to the waterline but was rebuilt again and lasted until this last fire in 1891.

On 06 June 1917, ISABELLA J. BOYCE (wooden propeller sandsucker, 138 foot, 368 gross tons, built in 1889, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin as a freighter) grounded on Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie and then was destroyed by fire. No lives were lost.

In 1944, the C-4 bulk carrier MARINE ROBIN participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy. In 1952, after conversion into a bulk freighter she began service in the lakes for M.A. Hanna Co., as b.) JOSEPH H. THOMPSON. She serves today as a tug barge combination created from the sections of the original vessel.

E.B. BARBER (Hull#111) of the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., entered service on June 6, 1953, for Algoma Central Railway Ltd.

In 1953, ARMCO (Hull#870) began her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, for the Columbia Transportation Div., bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore.

On June 6, 1959, ADAM E. CORNELIUS (Hull#) 424) began her maiden voyage for the American Steamship Co., from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This was the last Great Lakes vessel constructed with telescoping hatch covers. Sold Canadian and converted to a barge she was renamed b.) CAPT. EDWARD V. SMITH in 1988, and c.) SEA BARGE ONE in 1991 and d.) SARAH SPENCER in 1996.

Upper Lakes Shipping's POINTE NOIRE was in collision with Cleveland Tanker's SATURN on June 6, 1977, near Fighting Island in the Detroit River.

On 6 June 1869, ASA COVELL (wooden propeller tug, 20 gross tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the brig IROQUOIS up the Cuyahoga River at Cleveland when her boiler exploded and she sank. Her captain was killed when the pilothouse was blown into the river.

On 6 June 1883, HERCULES (wooden schooner-barge, 139 foot, 195 tons, built in 1867, at Algonac, Michigan) was upbound in the south bend of the St. Clair River near Algonac, Michigan when the CLARION (iron propeller package freighter, 240 foot, 1,711 gross tons, built in 1881, at Wyandotte, Michigan) overtook her and collided with her in broad daylight. HERCULES drifted to the bank, capsized and sank. No lives were lost.

1956: NEWBRUNDOC ran aground at Densmore Bay on the southeast side of Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence after straying out of the channel in fog. The ore-laden vessel, enroute from Contrecoeur to Buffalo, was released the next day.

1964: The Norwegian freighter FRO made 10 trips through the Seaway from 1961 to 1965. It ran aground at Milwaukee after loading 7500 tons of scrap for France on June 6, 1964, and was lightered to the YANKCANUCK before being refloated June 9.

1967: FRANKCLIFFE HALL ran aground off Hare Island, Lake Superior in dense fog and received heavy damage to bottom plates. The ship was lightered and released June 9 and went to the Davie shipyard for repairs. This vessel was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, as HALIFAX in 2011.

1967: AUGUSTUS B. WOLVIN struck the bank of the Welland Canal and grounded. A subsequent survey of the damage at Port Weller Dry Docks revealed it was not worth the cost of repairs and the ship was laid up and sold for scrap.

1982: ALGOSEA (i) rammed the west pier at Port Weller entering the Welland Canal in fog turning the bulbous bow by 90 degrees. The damaged ship was allowed to go to Thunder Bay for repairs. It became c) SAUNIERE later in 1982 and was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 2011.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II, The Marine Historical Society of Detroit and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Port reports are compiled from 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).

Duluth-Superior
Michipicoten departed Duluth at 03:11 Saturday morning with a load of iron ore pellets from Canadian National. Philip R. Clarke was inbound at 12:32 with limestone for C. Reiss, and Algoma Enterprise followed a few minutes later laden with salt for Compass Minerals. Both vessels will depart for Two Harbors once they finish unloading, likely late Saturday or early Sunday. Paul R. Tregurtha was inbound at 19:30 Saturday evening to load coal at Midwest Energy. Federal Kivalina was anchored outside the harbor, and is waiting to load grain at Riverland Ag. At the Superior entry, Alpena departed at 09:57 after unloading powdered cement at Lafarge, and Mesabi Miner departed at 19:23 with a load of ore from BN.

Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
CSL Assiniboine departed Two Harbors on May 31st at 20:39 for Quebec City. Presque Isle arrived Two Harbors shortly before the CSL Assiniboine departed. The PI arrived at 19:45 for North of #2 gravity dock where she loads between 10-25,000 tons before she shifts to the shiploader. She departed on June 1st at 07:56 for Conneaut. Due Two Harbors late on June 1st is the Roger Blough. Due Two Harbors on June 2nd is the Philip R. Clarke after she unloads stone at the C. Reiss dock in West Duluth. Also due is the Algoma Enterprise after she unloads salt at the Compass Minerals dock in Duluth. The Edgar B. Speer is also due later in the day.

Thunder Bay, ON
Saturday June 1st: 1:09 G3 Marquis departed Superior Elevator for Baie Comeau. 14:38 saltie Helena G departed Viterra A for Montreal. 21:07 tanker Algoscotia arrived and went to anchor. Expected for Sunday: CSL St Laurent.

Northern Lake Huron ports

Alpena:
Saturday; 3:33 Cuyahoga departed for Drummond Island.

Stoneport:
Friday; 21:48 Olive L Moore arrived to load and departed on Saturday at 9:39 down bound on Lake Huron.

Calcite:
Saturday; 6:34 John G Munson arrived to load. 13:48 Victory and James L Kuber departed for Ashtabula.

Port Dolomite:
Saturday; 5:01 Joseph L Block arrived to finish loading and departed at 9:29 for Duluth Superior.

Drummond Island:
Saturday; 11:46 Cuyahoga arrived to load and departed at 19:39 for Sombra.

Spragge:
Saturday; 3:42 John D Leitch arrived to unload slag.

Meldrum Bay:
Saturday; 21:49 Algoma Buffalo departed for Cleveland. 22:44 Algoma Innovator arrived to load dolomite. Saturday; 12;00 Great Republic arrived and went to anchor. 16:38 Algoma Innovator departed down bound on Lake Huron. 17:30 Great Republic weighed anchor and proceeded to the loading dock.

Port Inland:
Friday; 18:46 Joseph L Block departed for Port Dolomite to finish loading. 22:33 Mississagi arrived to load and departed on Saturday at 7:72 for Spragge. Saturday; 11:02 Wilfred Sykes arrived to load and at 17:30 departed for Indiana Harbor.17:54 Calumet; arrived to load limestone.

Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Saturday Arrivals: Algonova-arrived at Nicholson's Detroit Terminal (odd dock for this vessel). Hon. James L Oberstar-arrived at AK Steel to unload ore.

Welland Canal and vicinity vessel report -Saturday June 1 – Barry Andersen

Nanticoke:
docked - May 31 - Sten Arnold (Gib) at 1301 - departed - Jun 1 - Algosea at 1114 westbound

Welland Canal:
upbound - May 31 - sailing vessel Lettie G Howard at 1345, Victory I (Bhs) passenger ship (ex Saint Laurent-16, Sea Voyager-15, Cape May Light-09) at 2043, Algoma Spirit at 2339 - Jun 1 - Harbour Fashion (Por) at 0050, tug Petite Forte & St Marys Cement at 1248, tug Everlast & Norman McLeod at 1357, Damia Desgagnes at 1455, Acadia Desgagnes at 1651, Pearl Mist (Mhl) at 1710 and Qikiqtaaluk W eta 2300

downbound - May 31 - Algoma Conveyor at 1911 - Jun 1 - tug Leonard M & Niagara Spirit at 1028, tug Leo A McArthur & John J Carrick at 1616, ALgoma Harvester at 1656 and Spruceglen at 2024 - Jun 2 - CCGS Biscayne Bay eta 0020 - delayed

Welland Canal docks:
docked - May 25 - CSL Tadoussac - stopped wharf 16 at 2230

Port Weller anchorge:
anchored - May 26 - Patras (Mlt) (ex GanSword-10) at 2350 from Hamilton - May 31 - Carolus Magnus (Bds) (ex SCT Breithorn-17, MCT Breithorn-16, HLL Celtic-07) at 1919 from Hamilton - departure - Jun 1 Carolus Magnus (Bds) eastbound - at 2300 approx.

Hamilton:
arrivals - Jun 1 - Algoma Niagara at 0142, Florence Spirit at 0517 and Algoma Conveyor at 1050 - anchored - May 31 - Brant (Cyp) at 1250 - docked - May 24 - Topaz I (Pan) at 2106 - (renamed Hinch Spirit on May 28th at Hamilton for McKeil Marine) - May 29 - Shoveler (Cyp) at 1550 - departures - May 31 - Federal Sakura (Mhl) at 1106 for Liverpool, U.K. and Carolus Magnus (Bds) (ex SCT Breithorn-17, MCT Breithorn-16, HLL Celtic-07) at 1715 for Port Weller anchorage

Bronte:
arrival - May 31 - Paul A Desgagnes at 0739

Clarkson:
arrival - Jun 1 - Robert S Pierson at 2039

Mississauga:
docked - May 26 - Adfines Sea (Mlt) (ex Osttank Norway-12) at 1109

Toronto:
arrivals - Jun 1 - NACC Argonaut at 0246, Algoma Sault at 1821 - docked - May 31 - Lubie (Bhs) at 0938, Redhead ii (Atg) (ex Bora-19, Hermann Schoening-15) at 0440 - departed May 31- Victory I (Bhs) passenger ship (ex Saint Laurent-16, Sea Voyager-15, Cape May Light-09) - 1844 for the canal

Oshawa:
arrival - Jun 1 - Juno (Bhs) at 0657 - departed - Jun 1 - Harbour Fountan (Por) at 0640 eastbound

Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer
McKeil Spirit was unloading at Lehigh Cement on Saturday.

Updates -  June 2

Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Adfines Sea, Alamosborg, Arneborg, Arsland, Brant, Carlos Magnus, Federal Biscay, Federal Caribou, Federal Danube, Federal Kivalina, Federal Mackinac, Federal Sakura, Federal Schelde, Federal Yukina, Finnborg, Furuholmen, Gagliarda, Greenwing, Happy River, Harbour Fountain, HC Melina, Hinch Spirit, Johanna G, Mamry, Narie, Patras, Pearl Mist, Redhead, Shoveler, Sloman Hera, Sunda, Topaz I, Tuvaq W and Vitosha.

June 2, 1958, the Liberian-flagged freighter MOUNT DELPHI sank enroute to Karachi, Pakistan. She was built by the British American Shipbuilding Company at Welland, Ontario, during the final years of World War I. She had 12 different owners during her career and had been seized by Vichy interests at Casablanca, Morocco, in 1940, and then by the Italian government in 1942.

On June 2 , 1893, CORSICAN (wooden schooner, 112 foot, 210 gross tons, built in 1862, at Olcott, New York) was carrying coal from Cleveland, Ohio to St. Ignace, Michigan, on a foggy night on Lake Huron. She collided with the iron steamer CORSICA and sank quickly off Thunder Bay Island. All six onboard went down with her. The wounded CORSICA was beached near Ossineke, Michigan, was later patched and proceeded to Ashtabula, Ohio.

In 1973, the SYLVANIA, downbound light in fog, collided with the FRANK PURNELL just north of the Detroit River Light at 05:23 hours. The SYLVANIA suffered minor bow damage and went to Toledo for repairs.

On 2 June 1855, J.W. BLAKE (wooden scow-schooner, 68 foot, 33 tons, built in 1853, at Dover, Ohio) was carrying lumber in a storm four miles off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, when she capsized. Her crew escaped in her yawl, but it was a very close call for one who was asleep below decks when she capsized. The vessel was later recovered and put back in service.

June 2, 1988 - The CITY OF MIDLAND 41 took on 17 truckloads of lake trout, which were planted off Beaver Island.

On 2 June 1882, INDUSTRY (wooden schooner, 63 foot, 30 tons, built in 1847, at Michigan City, Indiana) capsized and sank just a half-mile from South Haven, Michigan. The three crewmen clung to the wreck for a while as rescue attempts were made from shore, but they all perished. The wreck later drifted to the beach about five miles south of town and went to pieces.

1943: The W.W. HOLLOWAY and HARRY WM. HOSFORD collided in foggy lower Whitefish Bay and the latter steamer had to be beached at Point Iroquois to avoid sinking.

1958: WAR RACCOON was built at Welland in 1919. It was sailing under Liberian registry as l) MOUNT DELPHI when it hit a rock and was beached at Grand Island, near Mormugao, India, on a voyage from Mouimein, Burma, to Karachi, Pakistan. The ship was a total loss.

1968: CASTALIA, a Greek flag freighter, struck the north pier of the Mackinac Bridge, in dense fog and made a small gouge in the structure. The ship was holed and leaking but cleared to proceed to Chicago. It was on its first trip through the Seaway and was later scrapped as c) NEW ENGLANDER after arriving at Bilbao, Spain, on July 4, 1973.

1978: The bulk carrier ARCTIC was christened in a ceremony at Port Weller Dry Docks in St. Catharines.

1981: The sidewheel Toronto Island ferry TRILLIUM was unable to stop in time at the mainland dock. It struck the restaurant ship NORMAC and the latter sank two weeks later.

2000: ALGOWOOD buckled amidships while loading stone at Bruce Mines. The hull was patched, strengthened, refloated and towed to Port Weller Dry Docks to be lengthened and repaired.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II, The Marine Historical Society of Detroit and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.