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Stephen B. Roman on her way overseas for likely scrapping 11/15 - The cement carrier Stephen B. Roman departed Toronto Wednesday morning under her own power. Although her AIS reports she is bound for Halifax, her ultimate destination is expected to be a Turkish scrapyard. The tug Salvage Monarch assisted in turning her around. The Roman is now registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The vessel was built as the package freighter Fort William for Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) of Montreal, Que., in 1965. Fort William was the last package freighter designed for Great Lakes trading. She was also the last package freighter built for Canada Steamship Lines and the largest in the "Fort Class" of Great Lakes freighters She is the last of the large Fairbanks-Morse powered lakers, and with the rent retirement of English River, the last of the CSL package freight fleet. She was converted to a cement carrier in 1983. Beginning in 2017, management of this vessel was taken over from the Algoma Central Corp. by McKeil Marine Ltd., and sailed her last this spring, laying up at Toronto March 22. She was replaced on her runs by the newly-converted McKeil Spirit, which was formerly the saltwater cargo vessel Ardita. |
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Port Reports - November 15
Duluth, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Nov 14 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton: Departures - Nov 13 - CSL Niagara at 2321 eastbound - Nov 14 - Helena G (Por) (ex Garganey-17) at 2039
Port Weller anchorage:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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LCA issues statement on passage of federal ballast water legislation 11/15 - Cleveland, Ohio – Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA), the trade association representing U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes since 1880, has issued the following statement on passage of the 2018 U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act, which includes the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA): “Lake Carriers’ Association is pleased with the Senate passage of the 2018 U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act including the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA). VIDA is the result of many stakeholders coming to the table to craft this final version. VIDA is a good balance, achieving protection of both the economy and the environment. Importantly, it includes Great Lakes-specific provisions that provide the flexibility to establish uniform practices and standards more protective of our Great Lakes. Over the next few years, LCA looks forward to engaging with our government and regional partners to develop practical and implementable regulations to meet the letter and spirit of the bill.” Lake Carriers’ Association |
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38th Annual Marine Mart Saturday in St. Clair Shores 11/15 - The 38th Annual Marine Mart, sponsored by the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, will be held on Saturday, November 18, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The new location is the VFW 1146 Bruce Post, 28404 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores, Mich. (between 11 and 12 Mile on Lake Saint Clair). Admission is $7 (early bird admission 9:30-10:00 a.m. - $10). Children ages 12 and under are free. Items for sale include ship models, photos, artifacts, ship china, artwork, postcards, books and more. |
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Fundraiser to support BoatNerd 11/15 - The results of a recent survey indicated almost 70 percent of Boatnerd’s users would be willing to contribute to an annual donation drive to support the site. With that in mind, we have kicked off our first annual fundraising drive. We accept donations through PayPal or by mail. Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online, the non-profit support organization for the Boatnerd.com web site, was designated a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation by the Internal Revenue Service in 2006. In addition to the continuation of the regular features like the News and Photo Galleries, here are some of the projects that your donations will help fund:
Complete redesign of the site
Automated reporting system
Webcams
Contribute
If you prefer to donate by
mail: To verify our non-profit status, please click this link and search for Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 15 In 1883, the schooner E. FITZGERALD, Captain Daniel Lanigan, went ashore and was completely covered with ice. The crew of six drowned while attempting to make shore in the yawl. A couple days after the loss, Mrs. Lanigan received a prophetic letter from her son stating he was tired of sailing and this would be his last trip.On 15 November 1871, EVERGREEN CITY (wooden propeller freighter, 193 foot, 624 gross tons, built in 1856, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying lumber camp supplies when she was driven on to the southwest coast of Long Point on Lake Erie by a westerly gale. She hogged and broke up. Most of her cargo and fittings were stolen over the winter. Surprisingly, she was recovered and rebuilt in 1872-1873, but only lasted until 1875, when she was abandoned at Buffalo, New York. The cargo mid-body of the then-under construction GEORGE A. STINSON was towed from Toledo, where it was built, to Lorain, Ohio, in 1977. PAUL THAYER left Lorain on her maiden voyage November 15, 1973, light for Escanaba, Michigan to load iron ore. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995. On November 15, 1974, W. W. HOLLOWAY struck an embankment at Burns Harbor, Indiana, causing extensive damage. Departing Duluth on November 15, 1909, the BRANSFORD encountered a gale driven snowstorm. She battled the storm the entire day only to end up on the rocks near Siskiwit Bay on Isle Royale. On 15 November 1894, ANTELOPE (wooden schooner, 56 foot, 32 gross tons, built in 1878, at Grand Haven, Michigan) capsized in a storm while trying to make harbor at Grand Haven, Michigan. 4 lives were lost. November 15, 1924 - The carferry PERE MARQUETTE was renamed PERE MARQUETTE 15. On 15 November 1875, The Port Huron Times reported that "there is little doubt but that the scow SUTLER GIRL has been lost with all hands on Lake Erie. She has now been overdue two weeks." On 15 November 1869, W. W. ARNOLD (wooden schooner, 426 gross tons, built in 1863, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying iron ore when she was driven ashore near the mouth of the Two Hearted River on Lake Superior during the great gale of November 1869. The violent storm tore the schooner apart and she sank quickly losing all hands (11) including several passengers. On 15 Nov 1905, the W. K. BIXBY (steel straight-deck bulk freighter, 480 foot, 5,712 gross tons, later b.) J.L. REISS, then c.) SIDNEY E. SMITH JR) was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan, for the National Steamship Co. (M.B. McMillan). She lasted until 1972, when she was wrecked at Sarnia, Ontario, in a collision with the PARKER EVANS. 1901: The consort barge JOHN SMEATON broke loose of the steamer HARVARD and came ashore on the rocks off Au Train, Mich., and rested in 4 feet of water. The crew was safe and the ship released at the end of the month by Reid Wrecking and went to Superior for repairs. 1909: The Canadian freighter OTTAWA foundered stern first off Passage Isle, Lake Superior when the cargo of grain shifted. The crew, while they suffered terribly, were able to reach the safety of Keweenaw Point in the lifeboats after 12 hours on the open lake in wild seas. 1915: A. McVITTIE took out the gate at Lock 12 of the Third Welland Canal leading to a washout. 1919: J.S. CROUSE was enroute from Glen Haven to Traverse City when fire was discovered around the stack. The blaze spread quickly. The ship burned to the water line and sank in Sleeping Bear Bay, Lake Michigan. 1920: The wooden hulled steamer MAPLEGULF broke her back in a Lake Ontario storm. It was considered beyond economical repair and beached at Kingston. 1931: A storm forced the wooden passenger and freight steamer WINONA back to Spragge, Ontario, and the next day the ship was found to be on fire over the boiler. The vessel was towed from the dock to protect a pile of lumber and it became a total loss. 1952: The newly-built tanker B.A. PEERLESS lost power and went aground below the Detroit River Light. It was refloated on November 17. 1975: The ocean tanker GATUN LOCKS made one trip through the Seaway in 1959. The vessel was lying at Piraeus Roads, Greece, as c) SUNARUSSA when it was gutted by a fire. The hull was sold for scrap in 1977 and broken up at Laurion, Greece, beginning on April 26, 1977. 1981: ALFRED was gutted by a fire off Benghazi, Libya, after the blaze broke out in the engineroom. The hull was scuttled 100 miles out in the Mediterranean on November 24. The ship had been on the Great Lakes earlier in the year and first traveled inland as a) ALFRED REHDER in 1972. 1994: The Turkish freighter FIRAT was blown ashore at Port Everglades, FL by Hurricane Gordon when the anchors failed to hold. The ship was a beach attraction until lightered and released on November 26. FIRAT first came through the Seaway in 1990 and was scrapped at Alang, India, in 1997, after sailing 27 years under the same name. 2007: CALUMET was damaged when it struck a wall at Cleveland while moving to the salt dock. It was sold for scrap and departed for Port Colborne two days later. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Jody Aho and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - November 14
Duluth, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Nov 13 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Buffalo -
Welland Canal: Downbound - Nov 12 - tugs Evans McKeil & Jarrett M with barge Niagara Spirit at 1201, Tim S Dool at 1338, CSL Laurentien at 1456, Capt Henry Jackman at 1731 and CSL Welland at 2016 - Nov 13 - NACC Argonaut at 0140, tug Karen Andrie & barge Endeavour at 0208 (stopped wharf 16 at 0336 to unload), Algoma Harvester at 0744, Isadora (Cyp) at 0939, Frontenac at 1809 (stopped at wharf 16)
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
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Port Huron’s ex-USCG Bramble advertised for sale 11/14 - Ads have been appearing on maritime broker sites for the former USCG cutter Bramble, most recently at Port Huron as an operational museum ship. Bramble (WLB-392) is one of the 39 original 180-foot seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942-1944 for the United States Coast Guard. View one of the ads at this link: https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1944/cutter-zenith-dredge-co--3254442 |
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Stand Up For Great Lakes present $15K at Fitzgerald memorial ceremony 11/14 - Whitefish Point, Mich. – The crew from Stand Up for Great Lakes presented a $15,000 check to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society during the annual memorial ceremony of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, just 14 miles from Whitefish Point. According to their Facebook page, the money was raised during this summer’s paddleboard crossing of Lake Superior. They also presented the Historical Society with a log they picked up in the middle of the lake during the paddle. View a video at this link: https://www.9and10news.com/2018/11/12/stand-up-for-great-lakes-present-15k-check-at-s-s-edmund-fitzgerald-memorial-ceremony |
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Tall Ships Festival returns to Cleveland for first time in years 11/14 - Cleveland, Ohio – It's been a group effort to bring the 2019 Cleveland Tall Ships Festival to the city's waterfront this coming summer. Monday, Mayor Frank Jackson made the announcement, in collaboration with Cuyahoga County, Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), and Destination Cleveland. The festival will bring 10 ships to the city's port July 11-14. Those ships will stop in Cleveland and several other ports around the Great Lakes. The event will feature waterfront events and showcase the history of the maritime industry in Cleveland. People will also be able to board the ships, participate in sail-aways, and go out into Lake Erie. The festival was last in Cleveland in 2013. The ships will be docked north of First Energy Stadium. Cleveland.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 14 ALGOBAY (steel propeller bulk freighter, 719 foot, 22,466 gross tons, built at Collingwood, Ontario in 1978) departed Sept Iles, Quebec on 14 Nov 1978, with an iron ore pellet cargo for Sydney, Nova Scotia when she collided with the 90,000 ton Italian-flag ore carrier CIELO BIANCO. The Collingwood-built tug POINTE MARGUERITE, which was towing the big salty, was unfortunately crushed between the two vessels and sank, killing two crewmembers.On November 14, 1934, the WILLIAM A. REISS grounded off Sheboygan and was declared a constructive total loss. Built as the a.) FRANK H. PEAVEY in 1901, renamed b.) WILLIAM A. REISS in 1916. She was scrapped at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1935. Cracks across the ENDERS M. VOORHEES' spar deck were first noticed in a storm on Lake Superior November 14, 1942. Her fleetmate NORMAN B. REAM came to her assistance by releasing storm oil which helped calm the seas so the crew of the VOORHEES could run cables the length of her deck and winch them tight to arrest the cracking. She proceeded to the Soo escorted by the REAM and later sailed to the Great Lake Engineering Works for repairs. The THOMAS WILSON (Hull#826) was launched November 14, 1942, at Lorain, Ohio, for the U.S. Maritime Commission. The U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender MESQUITE (Hull#76) was launched November 14, 1942, at a cost of $894,000, by Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Co. at Duluth, Minnesota. MESQUITE ran aground off Keweenaw Point on December 4, 1989, and was declared a total loss. MESQUITE was scuttled off Keweenaw Point on July 14, 1990. On November 14, 1952, the SPARROWS POINT, b.) BUCKEYE entered service for Bethlehem Steel Corp. Reduced to a barge at Erie, Pennsylvania, and renamed c.) LEWIS J KUBER in 2006. On 14 November 1879, C G BREED (2 mast wooden schooner, 140 foot, 385 tons, built in 1862, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying 24,000 bushels of wheat from Detroit to Buffalo when she capsized and sank in a sudden squall near Ashtabula, Ohio in Lake Erie. 5 lives were lost, but 3 were saved. The three survivors were rescued by three different vessels. In 1940, following the Armistice Day Storm, The CITY OF FLINT 32 was freed by the tug JOHN F. CUSHING assisted by the PERE MARQUETTE 21. In 1990, Glen Bowden (of MWT) announced that he would suspend cross-Lake Michigan ferry service indefinitely. On 14 November 1886, the steamer BELLE WILSON was crossing Lake Ontario with a load of 11,800 bushels of oats when a severe gale and snowstorm blew in. The vessel lost her rudder and the crew rigged sails, but these were blown away. Then they rigged a drag made of 600 feet of line and a log to help maneuver the vessel and they headed for Oswego, New York. This lasted for 12 hours, but the chain parted at 3:00 a.m. and the vessel was driven ashore at Ford's Shoals, 4 miles east of Oswego harbor. No lives were lost. On 14 November 1892, the 2-mast, 95 foot wooden schooner MINNIE DAVIS was rammed on a dark night by the 2-mast, 117 foot wooden schooner HUNTER SAVIDGE near Amherstburg, Ontario. The DAVIS sank, but no lives were lost. The wreckage was removed in May 1893. 1922: The composite hulled freighter JOS. L. SIMPSON was upbound on Lake Ontario from Ogdensburg to Milwaukee when it stranded at Tibbett's Point. The repair bill was close to $12,000 but the vessel returned to service and last operated in 1957 as YANKCANUCK (i). 1933: The wheat laden D.E. CALLENDAR stranded in Lake Erie off Long Point and was a total loss. The hull was salvaged in 1934 and laid up at Toledo. It was taken to New Orleans during World War Two for reconstruction as a barge but the change was never registered and the hull was likely scrapped. 1933: The wooden tug FLORENCE sank off False Duck Island in a storm that brought snow, high winds and waves on Lake Ontario. All 7 on board were saved and taken aboard the barge PETER G. CAMPBELL. 1943: RIVERTON stranded at Lottie Wolf Shoal, Georgian Bay and declared a total loss. Later salvaged and repaired, it returned to service as MOHAWK DEER. 1960: ISLAND KING II was destroyed by a fire while laid up for the winter at Lachine, QC. The vessel had been built as DALHOUSIE CITY and operated across western Lake Ontario between Toronto and St. Catharines from 1911 until the end of the 1949 season before being sold and moving to Montreal. 1966: The Liberian freighter FREIDA went aground at Poe's Reef, Lake Huron, and had to be lightered by MAITLAND NO. 1. The ocean ship began Great Lakes terading as c) SEAWAY STAR in 1960 and returned as d) DEALMOUTH in 1962 and as e) FREIDA earlier in 1966. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Jody Aho and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New tech helps vessels enter St. Lawrence Seaway locks 11/13 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has partnered with Canada's CSL Group to develop a system to help facilitate a vessel's approach and entrance into locks along the St. Lawrence Seaway system. Initial deployment of the lock entry assist system technology will be on board the CSL St-Laurent, a 22,600 gross tonnage Trillium class bulk carrier owned by Montreal-based CSL. The ship operates on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes. The company said the system comes in response to the increasing size of vessels operating on the seaway and lakes. "When entering the locks along the seaway, the clearance for larger vessels is minimal, and the lock entry itself has become increasingly difficult. Damage to both the ship and the lock walls can be avoided by facilitating the ship's approach path to the locks, thereby making the operation safer, faster, and altogether more efficient," a company release said. The system uses high performance global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to measure the ship's position to centimetre accuracy as it enters a lock. "Speed adaptive controls, together with allocation of the thruster and rudder, ensures that the vessel enters the lock in a consistent manner every time, while minimizing the influence of external forces from wind and current,” stated Joonas Makkonen, Wärtsilä's vice-president of voyage solutions. “During the entry, the system automatically controls the vessel's lateral position and heading, allowing the operator to focus on controlling the speed of the vessel, the release said. A customized touch screen interface is also being developed to simplify the operation and improve situational awareness. "CSL is committed to working with qualified partners and regulatory agencies to improve operational safety and efficiency for vessels sailing the seaway and Great Lakes system," said Frédéric Jauvin, vice-president of global technical services. "We believe that modern technology supports this ambition, and Wärtsilä's lock entry assist system represents a positive step forward for us and for the industry as a whole." The two companies has worked closely for years and CSL's fleet includes a number of Wärtsilä solutions. St. Catharines Standard |
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Port Reports - November 13
Duluth, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports Welland Canal and regional report for Monday Nov 12 –Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks: Docked - Oct 23 - Algosea at 0800 (onto shelf at former Port Weller Dry Docks) - Departures - Nov 12 - tug Undaunted & barge Pere Marquette 41 at 0439 approx. westbound, light tug Molly M I at 0612 from wharf 1 for Hamilton
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto: |
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Updates 11/13 - The saltie gallery has been updated with these images: Acadia Desgagnes, Argentia Desgagnes, BBC Kansas, BBC Rushmore, Carolus Magnus, Celisus Mumbai, Claude A Desgagnes, Eemsgracht, Federal Delta, Federal Hudson, Floretgracht, Gardno, Holandia, Ina, Kitikmeot W, Lubie, Maccoa, Miena Desgagnes, Prosna, Reestborg, Regalica, Stade, Trudy and Zelada Desgagnes |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 13 In 1952, the 626-foot SPARROWS POINT successfully completed her sea trials and departed Chicago on her maiden trip. The new Bethlehem boat, the largest boat to enter the lakes via the Mississippi River Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, was under the command of Captain Wilfred Couture and Chief Engineer James Meinke. She was lengthened to 682 feet in 1958, converted to a self-unloader in 1980, renamed b.) BUCKEYE in 1991, converted to a barge in 2006, renamed c.) LEWIS J. KUBER.ARAB (2-mast wooden schooner, 100 foot, 158 tons, built in 1854, at Buffalo, New York) beached on 01 November 1883, near St. Joseph, Michigan, during a storm, but quick work by salvagers got her free. However on 13 November 1883, while being towed to Racine, Wisconsin, she capsized and sank well off of Arcadia, Michigan. One man lost his life, an engineer who was desperately trying to start her pumps when she rolled. On November 13, 1976, the TEMPLE BAR (later LAKE WABUSH and ALGONORTH) arrived at Singapore, where she was lengthened 202 feet. CONDARRELL was laid up for the last time on November 13, 1981. Built in 1953 as a.) D. C. EVEREST, she was renamed b.) CONDARRELL in 1982. GEORGE HINDMAN was in collision with the British salty MANCHESTER EXPLORER on Lake St. Louis, above the Lachine Lock in 1956. Built in 1921, as a.) GLENCLOVA, renamed b.) ANTICOSTI in 1927, c.) RISACUA in 1946, d.) GEORGE HINDMAN in 1955, and e.) ELIZABETH HINDMAN in 1962. Scrapped at Duluth, Minnesota, in 1971. J. P. MORGAN JR (Hull#373) was launched November 13, 1909, at Lorain, Ohio, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. HOMER D. WILLIAMS was involved in a collision with the steamer OTTO M. REISS at Duluth November 13, 1917. In 1984, HOMER D. WILLIAMS was towed to Thunder Bay, Ontario, by the tug MALCOLM for dismantling. On 13 November 1870, the schooner E. FITZGERALD left Port Huron on her maiden voyage to load lumber at Au Sable, Michigan, for Chicago. She was commanded by Capt. A. McTavish. On 13 November 1883, H. C. AKELEY (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 240 foot, 1,187 tons, built in 1881, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was carrying corn from Chicago to Buffalo when she encountered a heavy storm off Holland, Michigan. She took the disabled tug PROTECTOR in tow but let her go when her own rudder broke off. AKELEY anchored but started to sink when she fell into the troughs of the waves. The disabled schooner DRIVER managed to save 12 of the crew who had taken to AKELEY's yawl before she went down. 6 lives were lost. Captain W. H. Van Dyke was born at Escanaba, Michigan, on November 13, 1871, and spent most of his life on the Great Lakes (he joined the crew of a schooner at the age of 15). He first captained the Pere Marquette Line Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 8 then, in 1916, he joined the Pere Marquette carferry fleet. His first command was the str. PERE MARQUETTE 15. Then for 10 years he served as master of the PERE MARQUETTE 17, and after the launch of the CITY OF FLINT 32 in 1929, he served as master of the PERE MARQUETTE 22. On 13 November 1865, CLARA PARKER (3-mast wooden schooner, 175 foot, 425 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit, Michigan) was fighting a losing battle with storm induced leaks, so she was beached 400 yards off shore near the mouth of the Pigeon River, south of Grand Haven, Michigan. The local Lifesaving Service plucked all 9 of the crew from the rigging by breeches buoy after the vessel had gone down to her decks and was breaking up. On 13 November 1888, LELAND (wooden steam barge, 148 foot, 366 gross tons, built in 1873, at New Jerusalem, Ohio) burned at Huron, Ohio. She was valued at $20,000 and insured for $15,000. She was rebuilt and lasted until 1910. JAMES DAVIDSON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 587 foot, 8,349 gross tons, built at Wyandotte, Michigan, in 1920) entered service on 13 Nov 1920, for the Globe Steamship Co. (G. A. Tomlinson, mgr.) when she loaded 439,000 bushels of wheat at Duluth, Minnesota, for delivery to Buffalo, New York. She was the last ship built at Wyandotte, Michigan. An unnamed salty (formerly RANGUINI) arrived at Milwaukee's heavy lift dock on Saturday night, 13 Nov 1999, to load a large desalinization filtration system built in Milwaukee for Korea. The vessel entered the Seaway in ballast for Milwaukee on 09 Nov 1999. The following day, the crew rigged scaffolding over the side so the new name BBC GERMANY could be painted on the ship. The Toledo Blade published the following vessel passages for Detroit on this date in 1903: -Up- VOLUNTEER, AMAZON, HARLOW, 12:30 Friday morning; ROCKEFELLER, 4:20; MARISKA, 4:40; FRENCH, 5:20; CONEMAUGH, 6; S M STEPHENSON, FAUSTIN, barges, 7:30; OLIVER, MITCHELL, (sailed), 7:50; AVERILL, 8. 1909: The steamers CHARLES WESTON and WARD AMES collided in lower Whitefish Bay. The former, which had been at anchor waiting to head downbound through the Soo Locks, ran for shore but settled on the bottom. The ship was saved, repaired and last sailed as c) SAUCON for Bethlehem Transportation before being scrapped at Hamilton, ON in 1950. 1909: JAMES H. HOYT went aground on a reef about two miles off the northeast corner of Outer Island after the engine was disabled in a snowstorm. The vessel was refloated November 29 and later became the BRICOLDOC. 1929: BRITON was wrecked in Lake Erie off Point Abino. The stranded vessel was battered for two days before being abandoned as a total loss. 1934: WILLIAM A. REISS (i) stranded off Sheboygan while inbound with 7025 tons of coal from Toledo. The ship was refloated November 17 with heavy damage and considered a total loss. 1942: H.M. PELLATT, a former Great Lakes canal freighter, was sailing as f) SCILLIN under the flag of Italy, when it was hit by gunfire from the British submarine H.M.S. PROTEUS while 9 miles off Kuriat, Tunisia, and sank. 1956: The downbound and grain-laden GEORGE HINDMAN and the upbound MANCHESTER EXPLORER collided in fog on the St. Lawrence above Lachine and both ships were damaged. 1958: LUNAN, a Pre-Seaway trader on the Great Lakes, sustained major bottom damage in a grounding on the St. Lawrence near Murray Bay. The ship was refloated, towed to Lauzon for repairs and it returned to service as b) MARIDAN C. in 1959. 1967: SANTA REGINA, the first American saltwater vessel to use the St. Lawrence Seaway, put into San Francisco with boiler problems and machinery damage while headed from Los Angeles to Saigon, South Vietnam as f) NORBERTO CAPAY. The vessel was sold at auction and towed to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping in 1969. 1971: The small St. Lawrence freighter C. DE BAILLON, better known as a) DONNACONA NO. 2 and b) MIRON C., went aground at Mont Louis and was a total loss. 1975: There was a boiler explosion on the Egyptian freighter CLEOPATRA after leaving Hartlepool, England, for Alexandria, Egypt, and 8 crewmen were severely injured with at least one fatality. The former Victory Ship first traveled through the Seaway in 1963. It was scrapped at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, in 1981. 1976: OCEAN SOVEREIGN lost steering at Sault Ste. Marie and was wedged into the wall at the Soo Locks. The rudder was damaged and the Greek saltie had to be towed to Lauzon, Quebec, for repairs. The vessel initially traded inland as a) BOLNES in 1970 and returned as b) OCEAN SOVEREIGN for the first time in 1973. It was scrapped at Ulsan, South Korea, as d) MARIA JOSE after being blown aground from the anchorage during Typhoon Vera on September 27, 1986. 1979: A steering failure put VANDOC aground at Harvey Island in the Brockville Narrows. The vessel spent time at Port Weller Dry Docks after being released. 1996: JOLLITY reported it was taking water in the engine room (Pos: 17.47 N / 119.20 E). The ship was was taken in tow two days later and reached Hong Kong on November 18. The vessel was scrapped at Chittagong, Bangladesh, in 1999. 1997: ARCADIA BERLIN visited the Great Lakes in 1971 when it was a year old. The ship was carrying bagged cement and sailing as f) ALLISSA when it collided with and sank the Ukrainian vessel SMENA off Yangon, Myanmar. The former was apparently laid up with collision damage and scrapped at Alang, India, in 1998. 2002: WILFRED SYKES was inbound with a cargo of limestone when it went aground in Muskegon Lake. Some of the cargo was lightered to PERE MARQUETTE 41 and the stranded ship was pulled free. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Max Hanley and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - November 12
Duluth, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors - Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan ports
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Nov 11– Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Nov 10 - tug Leo A McArthur & barge John J Carrick at 2313 - Nov 11 - Algoma Enterprise at 0521, Algoma Discovery at 0620, Kitikmeot W (Can)(ex Icdas 09-18) at 0857, Bro Anna (Sgp) at 0954, Federal Beaufort (Mhl) at 0959, Federal Clyde (Mhl) at 1404, tug Undaunted & barge Pere Marquette 41 at 1736 (unloading at wharf 16), tug Spartan & barge Spartan II eta 2300
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Anchored off Burlington:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 12 In 1920, FRANCIS WIDLAR stranded on Pancake Shoal in Lake Superior and was written off as a total constructive loss of $327,700. The wreck was purchased by Mathews Steamship Company in 1921 and placed back in service as BAYTON. The BAYTON sailed until 1966, and the hull was later used as a temporary breakwall during construction at Burns Harbor, Indiana.On 12 November 1878, JAMES R. BENTLEY (3-mast wooden schooner, 170 foot, 575 tons, built in 1867, at Fairport, Ohio) was carrying grain when she struck a shoal in heavy weather and foundered off 40 Mile Point on Lake Huron. Her crew was rescued in the rough seas by the bark ERASTUS CORNING. On 12 Nov 1964, THOMAS F. COLE (steel propeller bulk freighter, 580 foot, 7,268 gross tons, built in 1907, at Ecorse, Michigan) collided with the British motor vessel INVEREWE off the south end of Pipe Island on the lower St. Marys River in foggy conditions. The COLE suffered severe damage to the port bow and was taken to Lorain for repairs. On 12 Nov 1980, ALVA C. DINKEY (steel propeller bulk freighter, 580 foot, 7,514 gross tons, built in 1909, at Lorain, Ohio) and GOVERNOR MILLER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 593 foot, 8,240 gross tons, built in 1938, at Lorain, Ohio) arrived near El Ferrol del Caudillo, Spain for scrapping in tow of the FedNav tug CATHY B. Demolition by Miguel Partins began on 28 Nov 1980, at Vigo, Spain. On November 12, 1919, PANAY, upbound on Lake Superior for Duluth, Minnesota, in rough weather, was one of the last vessels to see the down bound JOHN OWEN which, apparently later the same day, disappeared with all hands. Renamed b.) WILLIAM NELSON in 1928, and c.) BEN E. TATE in 1936. Scrapped at Bilbao, Spain in 1969. On 12 November 1881, BRUNSWICK (iron propeller bulk freighter, 248 foot, built in 1881, at Wyandotte, Michigan) was carrying 1,500 tons of hard coal in a night of fitful squalls in Lake Erie. CARLINGFORD (wooden schooner, 155 foot, built in 1869, at Port Huron, Michigan) was also sailing there, loaded with 26,000 bushels of wheat. They collided. After the skipper of BRUNSWICK made sure that the sinking schooner's crew were in their lifeboats, he ran for shore with his sinking vessel, but sank a few miles off Dunkirk, New York. A total of 4 lives were lost. On 12 November 1835, the small wooden schooner ROBERT BRUCE was sailing from Kingston, Ontario to Howell, New York when she was wrecked west of Henderson, New York. Her crew of 4, plus one passenger, were all lost. On 12 Nov 1886, the tug WM L. PROCTOR (wooden tug, 104 foot, 117 gross tons, built in 1883, at Buffalo, New York) left Oswego, New York with the schooner-barges BOLIVIA and E.C. BUCK in tow before a big storm struck. During the snowstorm, the tug got lost and the towline broke. Alone, the PROCTOR finally made it to Charlotte, New York, badly iced up, but there was no word on the barges. They were presumed lost with all onboard. 1881: BRUNSWICK sank in Lake Erie after a collision with the CARLINGFORD. The wooden hulled, coal-laden steamer, made a run for the American shore but the effort fell short. Three lives were lost. 1914: The wooden steamer COLONIAL began to leak on Lake Erie and was beached in Rondeau Bay only to be pounded to pieces by gale force winds. All on board were rescued. 1967: The Swedish freighter TORSHOLM began visiting the Great Lakes as early as 1953. The ship was enroute from the Seaway to Stockholm when it ran aground near Uto, Sweden, and became a total loss. 1968: CLARA CLAUSEN, a Danish freighter, ran aground at Les Escoumins on the St. Lawrence and was abandoned. After being salvaged, the vessel came to the Great Lakes in 1970 and was rebuilt at Kingston as ATLANTEAN. 1974: BELVOIR (ii), enroute from Puerto Cortes, Honduras, to Corpus Christi, Texas, with a load of ore concentrates, struck a submerged object in the Gulf of Honduras and sank. Only 4 crew members are rescued while the other 21 were presumed lost. 1980: The former Lake Michigan rail car ferry PERE MARQUETTE 21 left the Great Lakes in 1974. It was lost on this date as the barge d) CONSOLIDATOR. It was hit by Hurricane Jean off the coast of Honduras while carrying a load of truck trailers. 2005: SPAN TERZA, an Italian freighter, first came through the Seaway in 1977 and returned as b) ANANGEL HORIZON in 1983. It was damaged on this date as d) SALAM 4 in a collision near Dondra Head, Sri Lanka, with SHANGHAI PRIDE and had to go to Colombo for assessment. The ship was repaired and eventually scrapped as e) ALINA at Xinhui, China, in 2009. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Max Hanley and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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USCG Abbie Burgess heading from Maine to Lake Ontario 11/11 - The Marinette, Wis.-built USCG Abbie Burgess (WLM-553) was upbound on the St. Lawrence River Saturday, and should be taking a pilot at Escoumins at daybreak Sunday. AIS is giving its destination as Lake Ontario. Her homeport is Rockland, Maine. It is believed she is coming into the lakes to assist with annual aids to navigation removal efforts. Mac Mackay |
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Port Reports - November 11
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Grand Marais, Minn.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan ports
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Nov 10 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Anchored off Burlington:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 11 The Port of Huron, Ohio received its first grain boat in seven years when Westdale Shipping's AVONDALE arrived at the Pillsbury Elevator on November 11, 1971, to load 200,000 bushels of soybeans for Toronto, Ontario.On 11 November 1883, NEMESIS (2-mast wooden schooner, 74 foot, 82 gross tons, built in 1868, at Goderich, Ontario) was wrecked in a terrific storm that some called a hurricane. She went ashore near Bayfield, Ontario, on Lake Huron. She may have been recovered since her registration was not closed until 1907. In 1876, this little schooner rescued all but one of the crew from the sinking freighter NEW YORK. The Armistice Day Storm of November 11, 1940, was one of the worst storms in the recorded history of Lake Michigan. In all, the storm claimed 5 vessels, and 66 lives. The storm hit late Monday afternoon, November 11th, with winds of hurricane proportions. The winds struck suddenly from the southwest at about 2:30 p.m. and were accompanied by drenching rain, which later changed to snow. The winds reached peak velocities of 75 miles per hour, the highest in local maritime history. Some of the vessels affected were: CITY OF FLINT 32: Beached at Ludington, no damage. Jens Vevang, relief captain, in command. Her regular captain, Charles Robertson, was on shore leave. Also: PERE MARQUETTE 21: Blown into a piling at Ludington, no damage, captained by Arthur Altschwager. She had 5 passengers aboard. CITY OF SAGINAW 31: Arrived Milwaukee 6 hours late with over a foot of water in her hull. The wireless aerial was missing and her seagate was smashed by the waves. She was captained by Ed Cronberg. Ann Arbor carferry WABASH: A railcar broke loose from its moorings on her car deck and rolled over, nearly crushing a crewman. The steamer NOVADOC: Ran aground at Juniper Beach, South of Pentwater, Michigan. Two crewman (cooks) drowned when the ship broke in half. Seventeen crewman, found huddled in the pilothouse, were rescued by Captain Clyde Cross and his 2 crewman, Gustave Fisher and Joe Fontane of the fishing tug THREE BROTHERS. CONNEAUT of 1916, ran hard aground on Lansing Shoal near Manistique, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. She reportedly had lost her propeller and rudder. Two days later she was pulled off. The SINALOA had taken on a load of sand near Green Island and was heading for Chicago through Death's Door on Wisconsin's Door Peninsula when the November 11th Armistice Day storm of 1940, struck in upper Lake Michigan. During the storm the SINALOA lost her rudder. The anchor was dropped but her anchor cable parted. In this helpless condition she ran aground at Sac Bay on Michigan's Garden Peninsula. Fortunately the stricken vessel was close to shore where the Coast Guard was able to rescue the entire crew. Declared a constructive total loss, her owner collected the insurance and forfeited the vessel to the Roen Salvage Co. ANNA C MINCH: Sank South of Pentwater with a loss of 24 lives. WILLIAM B DAVOCK: of the Interlake fleet, Capt. Charles W. Allen, sank in 215 of water off Pentwater, Michigan. There were no survivors among the crew of 33. The fishing tugs INDIAN and RICHARD H: Lost with all hands off South Haven, Michigan. On 11 November 1872, the schooner WILLIS collided with the bark ELIZABETH JONES on Lake Erie and sank in a few minutes. The crew was saved. On 11 November 1936, J. OSWALD BOYD (steel propeller fuel tanker, 244 foot, 1,806 gross tons, built in 1913, in Scotland) was carrying 900,000 gallons of gasoline when she stranded on Simmons Reef on the north side of Beaver Island. The U.S. Coast Guard from Beaver Island rescued the entire crew of 20. On 11 November 1890, BRUNO (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 136 foot. 475 gross tons, built in 1863, at Montreal) was carrying coal to Cleveland with the schooner LOUISA in tow when she struck Magnetic Reef, south of Cockburn Island in Georgian Bay and sank in rough weather. No lives were lost. On 11 November 1835, the 2-mast wooden schooner COMET was carrying iron and ashes on Lake Erie when she foundered in a gale, one mile northwest of Dunkirk, New York. Just her topmasts protruded from the water. All seven on board lost their lives, including a passenger who was a college student bound for Vermont. In a storm on the night of 11 November 1874, The schooner LA PETITE (3-mast wooden schooner, 119 foot, 172 gross tons, built 1866, J. Ketchum, Huron, Ohio) was on Lake Michigan carrying a cargo of wheat and corn from Chicago when she sprang a bad leak and tried first to reach Ludington, then Manistee. Before reaching safety, she grounded off Big Point au Sable, eight miles from land, in eight feet of water. Previous to striking, the vessel had lost her bowsprit and foremast. After she struck, her main and mizzenmasts went by the board, and the schooner began to break up rapidly. The crew clung to the forecastle deck, and when that washed away, four men were drowned. Captain O. B. Wood had his arms broken by the falling off a square-sail yard. When he fell into the water, the ship's dog jumped in and kept him afloat until they were rescued by the crew of the steam barge CHARLES REITZ. Of the 10 crewmen, six were saved. The LA PETITE was salvaged and repaired and lasted until 1903, when she was lost in another storm. On 11 Nov 1999, the Maltese flag bulk carrier ALCOR was examined by personnel from Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, a salvage company and the vessel's owners in hopes of forming a plan to save the vessel. She ran aground on a sand bar off the eastern tip of d'Orleans Island on the St. Lawrence River two days earlier. This vessel did not visit Great Lakes ports under the name ALCOR, but she did so under her two previous names, firstly as PATRICIA V and then as the Soviet flag MEKHANIK DREN. The Groupe Desgagnes finally refloated the ALCOR on 05 Dec 1999, after part of the cargo of clinker had been removed. The ship was then towed to Quebec City. Later, it was reported that Groupe Desgagnes purchased the ALCOR from its Greek owners. Below is a first hand account of the Storm of 1913, from the journal of John Mc Laughlin transcribed by his great grandson Hugh McNichol. John was working on an unknown vessel during the Storm of 1913. The boat was captained by John McAlpine and Harry Roberts as Chief Engineer. The boat was loading iron ore in Escanaba when the storm started on November 8th. Tuesday, November 11, 1913: I got up at 12 a.m. and went on watch. We were above Presque Isle. It is still blowing hard and quite a sea running. Presque Isle at 1:45 a.m., Thunder Bay Island at 4:30 a.m., Harbor Beach at 1:00 p.m., we are about in the River at 7:05 p.m. It is fine tonight, wind gone down. 1940: The famous Armistice Day storm claims the ANNA C. MINCH, WILLIAM B. DAVOCK and NOVADOC (ii), on Lake Michigan and leaves CITY OF FLINT 32 and SINALOA aground and damaged. 1946: The former Canada Steamship lines bulk canaller LANARK was scuttled off the coast of Ireland with a load of World War Two bombs. 1977: The 380-foot, 8-inch long West German freighter GLORIA made 4 visits to the Great Lakes in 1959-1960. It went aground on the Adriatic at Sestrice Island as d) ARISTOTELES. While the 25-year old hull was refloated, it was declared a total loss and towed to Split, Yugoslavia, for scrapping. 1980: The DINIE S. suffered an engineroom fire at Palermo, Italy and became a total loss. The ship had visited the Seaway as a) CATHERINE SARTORI (1959-1967) and b) CURSA (1967) and was sailing under a seventh name. It was scrapped at Palermo in 1985 1980: CITY OF LICHFIELD stranded near Antalya, Turkey, while leaving the anchorage in heavy weather as c) CITY OF LEEDS. The ship was refloated but never sailed again and was eventually scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1984. The ship had visited the Great Lakes in 1964. 1995: JAMES NORRIS was loading stone at Colborne, ON when the wind changed leaving the hull exposed to the gale. The ship was repeatedly pounded against the dock until it settled on the bottom. Subsequent hull repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks resulted in the port side being all welded while the starboard remained riveted. 1995: The Cuban freighter AREITO had a mechanical problem in the St. Lambert Lock and had to be towed back to Montreal for repairs. This SD-14 class vessel was scrapped at Alang, India, as e) DUNLIN in 2001. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Central buys tanker; will be named Algonorth 11/10 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Algoma Central Corporation has purchased a 2008 built product tanker which will become the seventh tanker within the Algoma Tankers Limited fleet. The 16,958 dwt, 472-foot-long vessel Ramira will be re-named the Algonorth (IMO 9362152), after the company held a “Name the Tanker Contest,” in which all employees were able to take part. The ship is scheduled to depart Gothenburg, Sweden on November 12, and head for Canada, at which time the vessel is expected to begin operations within the product tanker fleet. She was registered with Transport Canada on Friday. This will be the second Algonorth to serve Algoma. The first, a bulk carrier built in 1971, was scrapped at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., in 2012-13. “We have been in the product tanker business for over 20 years,” said Gregg Ruhl, Chief Operating Officer at Algoma. “While it is important that we add this quality asset to our fleet to continue to meet our customers’ needs, the true backbone of Algoma Tankers is our experienced and qualified crews who operate these ships skillfully day and night, 365 days a year,” Mr. Ruhl added. |
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Memorials mark 43rd anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald loss 11/10 - Saturday will mark 43 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior. For many, the tragedy and the legend live on. The freighter sank in Lake Superior during a storm on Nov. 10, 1975. Memorials will be held at various locations around the Great Lakes. Here are three of the largest.
Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony This event is always held on November 10, at 7 pm, which is the moment this most famous of Great Lakes shipwrecks was lost. Part of this year’s ceremony will be dedicated to the late Cheryl Rozman, who was instrumental in the recovery of the ship’s bell for the museum in 1995. Cheryl remained very close to the people of the Shipwreck Society until her passing in 2018.
19th Annual Lost Mariners Remembrance The vessels and mariners lost during this storm will be honored in this year’s presentation by Kevin Magee, founder of Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE). A lantern vigil at the Edmund Fitzgerald anchor begins the night, followed by a performance by Lee Murdock, Great Lakes balladeer, and an Honor Guard escort of the memorial wreath to the Detroit River for receipt by the Honor Flotilla of Great Lakes vessels. Tickets are sold out, but the public is welcome to watch the flotilla from the riverbank adjacent to the museum at no charge. The event will be streamed on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/boatnerd
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting The lighthouse, fog signal building, and visitor center will be open. Costumed interpreters will greet visitors and provide historic site and shipwreck information. Throughout the afternoon, visitors can view a film about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the visitor center. At 4:30 pm, the lighthouse will close temporarily while the names of the crewmembers are read to the tolling of a ship's bell. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be open again to tour. This is the only opportunity each year when visitors can climb the tower after dark and see the lit beacon. Cost: Included with $6-10 site admission/MNHS members free |
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Port Reports - November 10
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Grand Marais, Minn.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
North Shore
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Nov 9 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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‘Books and Boats’ to feature authors and more in Port Huron on Saturday 11/10 - Port Huron, Mich. – Join several Great Lakes authors, as well as photographers and others from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today for “Books & Boats” at the Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron. On hand will be Roger LeLievre (“Know Your Ships”), Robert Campbell (“Classic Ships of the Great Lakes”), Roger P. Hulett (“A Lot More To Do: The Remarkable Life of Frank Mays”), Raymond Bawal Jr. (“The Inland Steel Fleet” and others), and Port Huron area author Pegg Thomas. All will be happy to sign copies of their books. A special guest will be Great Lakes illustrator Don Lee, whose personalized Great Lakes caricatures are popular on Facebook and other sites. He will draw your likeness as your favorite boat (no charge but tips appreciated). In addition, Bob May from Lake Freighter Minis will have his paper lake vessel model kits for sale. Among maritime photographers scheduled to attend are Mary Truchan and Frank Switlicki (aluminum prints). The Great Lakes Nautical Society will be on hand with a display of model boats and model boat kits for sale for kids to build. Great Lakes Maritime Center |
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Great Lakes Maritime Academy anchored by past, sails toward future 11/10 - Traverse City, Mich. – Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy stands strong as the “gales of November” hammer slate-gray waves against its docks. Its history reveals both the wonder and the danger of sailing the lakes. It’s the latter that will be remembered when the Academy holds its 43rd annual Mariners Memorial Service at noon Nov. 9 at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Campus. The Academy became part of what is perhaps the best-known maritime tragedy of modern times when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975. Although the vessel’s sinking is one of several in recent times, folk musician Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting classic, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” has burned its loss into the nation’s collective memory. The fates of two men tie the Academy to the Fitzgerald. One was David Weiss, a 22-year-old Academy cadet sailing on the ship at the time of its sinking. The other is Thomas Bentsen, a 23-year-old former cadet who was also on board. Each year NMC honors those lost on the Fitzgerald, along with other mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans. Weiss and Bentsen are only two of hundreds of men and women who have passed through the Academy, which opened in 1969. Its establishment in Traverse City is thanks to the dreams of businessman and philanthropist Les Biederman, who moved from Philadelphia to Traverse City in 1939 and established a media empire. Biederman strongly believed in education and was instrumental in the 1951 founding of NMC. He also dreamed of a floating college. That idea eventually led to the establishment of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. John Brian was an early Academy graduate. “I grew up in Frankfort and have always loved and respected the majesty and beauty of the Great Lakes,” said Brian, now a retired Merchant Marine Deck Officer. “This career allowed me to see them change through the seasons, something I loved to photograph. I never ceased to be enthused about being a mariner.” Over its nearly 50-year history the Academy has experienced major changes. The types of degrees offered have increased, the vessels used for training have changed, and the Academy’s land-based facilities have been vastly improved. Initially, cadets earned a three-year Associates Degree. In 1999 NMC expanded the program to a four-year bachelor’s degree in partnership with Ferris State University. Cadets earned their first three years of credit from NMC, their last year through Ferris State. Then in 2013 NMC began offering its own four-year degree. Regardless of the degree they earn, students who graduate from the Academy are practically guaranteed a job — and a long and lucrative career. Brian knew this when he chose to become a mariner after retiring from the U.S. Army Reserve. “Part of what drew me to the Merchant Marine was the great compensation. The pay and benefits are high,” he said. “That said, there is also great sacrifice. I was away from my family and wife for six to seven months at a time. My taking that job was a decision my wife and I made as a couple, for the benefit of our family.” Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/great-lakes-maritime-academy-anchored-by-past-sails-toward-future/article_810cd386-67c8-5705-9d58-ede5299f2e62.html |
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Daring rescue saved sailors entombed for days in 'White Hurricane' shipwreck 11/10 - Gull Rock, Lake Superior – When people talk in awed tones about the Great Storm of 1913 that exploded over the Great Lakes like a four-day "meteorological bomb," their words are often laced with death. They tell of the giant waves that rolled huge ships before sucking them underwater, sinking at least a dozen. They describe the snow squalls whipped up by cyclone-force winds that pushed other ships right out of the lakes, leaving them stranded on rocky beaches. They talk of the 250 sailors and crew believed lost in our inland seas while this storm raged. This famous "White Hurricane" would go down in the books as the worst natural disaster in the Great Lakes. But looking back more than a century ago, perhaps what stands apart is a nail-biting drama that played out just off the tip of Michigan's northernmost peninsula. It's the story of a shipwrecked crew who refused to die - and the stubborn determination of men from two U.S. Life-Saving stations in the Upper Peninsula who overcame nearly impossible odds to save them. "When you look at the Waldo rescue, that crew was stuck on that ship for over 90 hours, not knowing whether they were going to be rescued or not," said Mark Rowe, trustee and maritime chairman of the Keweenaw County Historical Society who has done presentations on the wreck. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/11/daring_rescue_saved_sailors_en.html |
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Safety group: 2018 has been deadly year on Great Lakes 11/10 - Holland, Mich. – A water safety nonprofit group says 2018 has been a deadly year on the Great Lakes, with at least 110 drownings recorded. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which has tracked drowning deaths since 2010, says this is the first year that it's recorded more than 100 drownings. The Holland Sentinel reports the hot summer may have been a factor in the increase. The deaths include 39 in Lake Michigan and 35 in Lake Erie. The deaths have prompted efforts to increase safety along Great Lakes beaches. Among those who died was 20-year-old Brandon Schmidt, who drowned in Lake Michigan in August off of western Michigan. WOOD-TV reports his mother Brandi Donley notes that warning signs, safety equipment, education and training are needed. Donley says: "It can happen to anyone." The Associated Press |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 10 On this day in 1892, whaleback barge 102 loaded 2,073 tons of iron ore at Superior consigned to Cleveland. This was the first shipment of Mesabi Range iron ore carried by Oglebay Norton.On 10 November 1901, the ROBERT A. PACKER (wooden freighter, 209 foot, 921 tons, built in 1882, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was found by the wrecking tug RUMBLE eleven miles north of off De Tour, Michigan, ablaze and abandoned by her crew. Captain Isaac Zess of the RUMBLE fought the flames for four hours and then was helped by the THOMAS W. PALMER. The fire was speedily extinguished with both vessels pouring water on the flames and the PACKER was tied up at the dock in DeTour, Michigan. On 10 November 1887, A. BOODY (wooden schooner, 137 foot, 287 gross tons, built in 1863, at Toledo, Ohio) struck the Port Austin reef on Lake Huron and was declared a total loss. However, after ten days of hard work, the BOODY was finally pulled off the reef. The EDMUND FITZGERALD foundered on Lake Superior during a severe storm November 10, 1975, at approximately 7:10 p.m. about 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, at position 47 0'N by 85 7'W in Canadian waters. IMPERIAL ST CLAIR (Hull#57) was launched November 10, 1973 , by Port Weller Drydocks at St. Catharines, Ontario. Renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 1998, sold off the lakes, renamed c.) GENESIS EXPLORER in 2005. The STEELTON sailed on her maiden voyage for Bethlehem Steel Corp. on November 10, 1943. The ROBERT C. STANLEY, in her first season of operation, on November 10, 1943 during a Lake Superior storm, developed a significant crack across her spar deck and 12 to 14 feet down both sides of her hull. As the hull worked in the heavy seas, the crack widened to as much as three to four inches. The crew ran cables between the fore and aft winches that maintained a force sufficient to hold the hull together. November 10, 1972, in the vicinity of the entrance to the East Outer Channel near Amherstburg, Ontario, the UNITED STATES GYPSUM collided with her towing tug MAINE and as a result her bow was punctured. The GYPSUM was beached to prevent sinking. Pittsburgh Steamship's WILLIAM A. IRVIN (Hull#811) was launched November 10, 1937, at Lorain, Ohio. The IRVIN serves as a museum ship in Duluth, Minnesota since 1986. November 10, 1892, the carferry ANN ARBOR NO 1 left the shipyard in Toledo, Ohio, bound for Frankfort on her maiden voyage. In 1895, the first major accident caused by cars coming free on the car deck of a rail ferry happened when the ANN ARBOR NO 1, was on an eastbound voyage. Approaching Frankfort in a northwest gale, she rolled so violently that many of the car fastenings broke and the cargo began to move about on the car deck. None of the early rear-loading car ferries were equipped with a sea gate to protect the stern from the seas, and seven cars of flour and butter went off the deck of the NO 1 into the lake. Captain Charles Moody resigned from the Ann Arbor as a result of this incident and returned to the Pere Marquette and Goodrich lines. ATLANTIC (formerly MANITOULIN, wooden propeller passenger/package freight, 147 foot, 683 gross tons, built in 1880, at Owen Sound, Ontario) was bound for Byng Inlet with lumber camp supplies when she was caught in a storm and grounded in the lee of Pancake Island in Georgian Bay. Her cargo and aft cabin were thrown overboard to lighten her, but she caught fire and was destroyed. Her passengers and crew took to her boats and survived. On 10 November 1856, ST JOSEPH (wooden propeller steam barge, 170 foot, 460 tons, built in 1846, at Buffalo, New York) stranded and was wrecked near Fairport, Ohio. No lives were lost. November 10, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 was back in service after damaging several plates in October. The tanker MARIA DESGAGNES struck bottom in the St. Lawrence Seaway on 10 November 1999. After temporary repairs were made, the vessel was cleared to proceed to Hamilton, Ontario, to discharge its cargo of jet fuel. A survey of the seaway was completed with no indications as to what caused the vessel to ground. On 10 November 1887, BLAZING STAR (wooden schooner, 137 foot, 265 tons, built in 1873, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was sailing on Lake Michigan in fine weather with a load of lumber. However, she grounded on Fisherman Shoal near Washington Island, Wisconsin even though the wreck of the steamer I N FOSTER was in full view on that reef. The captain was unable to locate a tug to pull the BLAZING STAR off and later she broke up in heavy weather. No lives were lost. Below is a first hand account of the Storm of 1913, from the journal of John Mc Laughlin transcribed by his great grandson Hugh Mc Nichol. John was working on an unknown vessel during the Storm of 1913. The boat was captained by John Mc Alpine and Harry Roberts as Chief Engineer. The boat was loading iron ore in Escanaba when the storm started on November 8th. Monday, November 10, 1913: I got up at 12 a.m. and went on watch. We were laying at anchor. It was blowing a living gale and kept it up. They hove up the anchor near 10 o'clock but monkeyed around until after dinner. We got under way. We passed the Light Ship about 3, and White Shoal at 5:15. More entries from the Storm of 1913 tomorrow. 1900: The iron package freighter ARABIAN went aground 8 miles west of Whitefish Point, Lake Superior due to heavy weather. The ship was salvaged with only minor damage. It was later part of the Canada Steamship Lines fleet and was broken up about 1939. 1903: The passenger and freight steamer ATLANTIC was destroyed by a fire on Georgian Bay enroute to Parry Sound. The blaze apparently started in the cargo of hay that had become soaked with coal oil while riding out a late fall storm off Spruce Island west of its destination. 1922: Fleetmates GLENMAVIS and GLENCLOVA were in a collision at Montreal. Both were repaired and remained as part of the Great Lakes fleet for years as ACADIAN and GEORGE HINDMAN (ii) respectively. 1936: SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN was upbound in Lake Huron and ran into a fall storm that damaged 62 automobiles as part of the deckload of new Packard & Chrysler cars. 1968: MANTADOC and FRANCOIS L.D. collided in heavy fog on the Seaway and sustained considerable bow damage. Both were repaired and the former still sails as d) MANITOBA while the latter was scrapped at Alang, India, as b) CINTA in 1987. 1989: ELPIS, Freedom Class deep sea freighter, first came through the Seaway in 1978. It raised considerable ire after stranding on a coral reef off Key Largo, FL while carrying sugar to Mexico. When it was refloated on November 12, the ship was seized by U.S. Marshals until assessment of the damage to the delicate coral reef could be made. The ship was later released and survived further trading until being scrapped at Alang, India, as c) CITY OF HOUSTON, in 2001. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley and Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Lake Superior water level high 11/9 - Plenty of rain in the region that has followed a summer drought has caused the water in Lake Superior to creep toward record high levels. However, the lake’s levels right now are actually about four centimetres lower than a year ago. Tammy Cook, the chief administrative officer with the Lakehead Regional Conservation Authority, says they monitor monthly reports on the levels of Lake Superior provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada. “The beginning of November level, compared to the beginning of month average for the period between 1918 and 2017, shows Lake Superior is 29 centimetres above the average that we typically see at the beginning of November,” she said. “However, compared to one year ago, it’s four centimetres below.” According to statistics, Lake Superior broke all-time low records in 2007 and all-time high records in 1986. The Chronicle-Journal |
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Port Reports - November 9
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors - Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Toledo, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Nov 8 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Nov 8 - Torrent (Cyp) at 0752, Baie Comeau at 0535, NACC Alicudi (Mlt) (ex Sider Alicudi-18) at 0838, Cedarglen at 1951 and Algoma Guardian eta 2031
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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US spends $736K on River Rouge dredging project set to start in April 2019 11/9 - Detroit, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has awarded a contract for $736,000 to dredge River Rouge in Detroit with the goal of removing 66,500 cubic yards of shoal material. Cheboygan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company will remove the shoal material and place it at the Pointe Mouilee Confined Disposal Factory at the mouth of the Huron River, according to a news release. Shoal is defined as a sandbank that makes the water shallow, and its removal is meant to aid the River Rouge staying accessible for the movement of cargo. "Dredging is the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports on its website. "It is a routine necessity in waterways around the world because sedimentation -- the natural process of sand and silt washing downstream -- gradually fills channels and harbors. Dredging often is focused on maintaining or increasing the depth of navigation channels, anchorages, or berthing areas to ensure the safe passage of boats and ships." This project is separate from the Lower Rouge River Old Channel clean-up, and is scheduled to start in April 2019 and end in June of that year. The dredging project will take place from Dix Road to I-75, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. Only the lower two and a half miles of the river is used as a shipping channel "from the turning basin to the river's mouth at the south end and joins the Detroit River at the westerly limit of the City of Detroit." "This contract to dredge the federal channel in the River Rouge is important to keeping this navigation project open for movement of cargo critical to local and national industry," Dave Wright, chief of operations in the Detroit District, said in the release. Cargo identified by the Army Corps of Engineers as coming into the River Rouge as coal, iron ore, petroleum, slag, cement, limestone, lignite, fuel oil, salt, sand and gravel. In the Detroit District, the corps is responsible for maintaining 91 harbors, and four connecting channels which includes those connecting to Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/11/river_rouge_dredging.html |
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Port Washington group hopes to sink ship in Lake Michigan 11/9 - Port Washington, Wis. – A group in Port Washington wants to sink a ship just off the coast of Lake Michigan. The non-profit says it'll cost millions of dollars but bring much more to the area. Tish Hase is the co-owner of Port Deco divers and she's also the president of the Shipwreck Education and Preservation Alliance or SEAPA, the group hoping to sink a ship off Lake Michigan. "The plane's about 2 miles out, about 3,400 feet from the plane we'll be placing the big vessel in from the plane, about 70-80 feet of water we'll be placing some other vessels," says Hase. It's a multi-phase, $9.9 million project, and the ship will help create a community of artificial reefs. It starts with sinking a large vessel, between 200 and 900 feet. SEAPA has brought on Artificial Reefs international, they've sunk skips all along the east coast, often done with carefully executed explosions. Hase is working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the DNR to get the right permits. "With the deteriorating fish we have in Lake Michigan, we don't see fish as we dive anymore," said Hase. Hase says the sunken ship will create a habitat for fish, be an underwater classroom for universities to study invasive species and algae, create tourism, and make a big difference in conservation. "We need it to preserve our great lakes, the great lakes is 20% of our drinking water for the world. If we don't preserve it and start protecting it and the native fish that are in it, we're not going to have it in 20, 30 years or 40," said Hase. CBS68 |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 9 The NIMROD (3-mast wooden schooner, 184 foot, 559 tons, built in 1873, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying 37,000 bushels of corn from Chicago to Buffalo. On 08 November 1874, she encountered thick fog on Lake Erie and the large double decked schooner MICHIGAN collided with her. The MICHIGAN continued on her course while the NIMROD filled with water and sank in 70 feet of water off Port Burwell-Port Stanley, Ontario. The crew escaped in the yawl and were picked up by the schooner GRANTHAM. The wreck was discovered in 1978, when Capt. Robert Hamilton, a commercial fisherman, snagged his nets on it.COLUMBIA STAR (steel propeller bulk freighter, 1000 foot, 35,923 gross tons) was launched November 8, 1980, at Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (Hull#726) . She was part of the Oglebay Norton fleet. Renamed b.) AMERICAN CENTURY in 2006. BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS and IRVING S. OLDS arrived on November 8, 1988, at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for scrapping by Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. The Great Lakes Engineering Works built steamer STADACONA of 1909, renamed b.) W. H. McGEAN in 1920, was renamed c.) ROBERT S. McNAMARA by its new owner Ford Motor Company's Marine Division on November 8, 1962. The McNAMARA was rescued from potential scrapping when Ford purchased her for $80,000 and spent $15,000 for renovation at AmShip's Toledo yard. J. P. MORGAN JR. arrived in Spain on November 8, 1980, for scrapping. PETER A. B. WIDENER passed down the Welland Canal November 8, 1986, towed by the tugs TUSKER and GLENADA en route to Lauzon, Quebec. From there she was towed overseas for scrapping. When built, the PETER A. B. WIDENER and fleet mates J. PIERPONT MORGAN, NORMAN B. REAM and HENRY H. ROGERS were the first 600-footers built for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. as "The Class of 1906." On 08 Nov 1986, B. F. AFFLECK (steel propeller freighter, 588 foot, 7,964 gross tons, built in 1927, at Toledo, Ohio), under tow of the tug THUNDER CAPE, went adrift on Lake Superior in a storm after the tug lost power. The tug AVENGER IV was dispatched to pick up the AFFLECK, which was headed for scrap, and the tanker EASTERN SHELL towed the THUNDER CAPE to Thunder Bay for repairs. BEN HUR, a wooden schooner-barge wrecker, 314 tons, built in 1874, at Dunville, Ontario, had been purchased for the job of salvaging the schooner M. E. TREMBLE. On 8 November 1890, she was at the job near Port Huron in the St. Clair River when she was rammed and sunk by the schooner-barge SUPERIOR which was being towed by the steamer PASSAIC. BEN HUR settled on top of the schooner she was attempting to salvage and a lighter-scow she was using also went down with her. On 8 November 1877, the bark GREAT WEST was carrying 262,000 feet of lumber from Caseville to Chicago. Much of it was piled topside. In a big storm on Lake Michigan, she lost her deck load. She then became waterlogged and finally went ashore near Hyde Park, Illinois on 10 November. The crew were all saved. On 8 November 1877, KATE L. BRUCE (3-mast wooden schooner, 307 tons, built in 1872, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was carrying wheat in tow of the tug JOHNSON when she was let go in heavy weather. She disappeared with all eight of her crew off Alpena, Michigan. A bureau containing her papers washed ashore in August 1878. The sunken wreck was discovered in 6 fathoms of water in Thunder Bay during the Autumn of 1879. The forebody of the former CANADIAN EXPLORER arrived in Prescott on 05 Nov 2000, under tow of the Trois Rivieres tug DUGA. It remained there for three days. The previous March, it was reported that the hull was undergoing conversion to a 498-foot grain storage barge for Les Elevateurs des Trois Rivieres, Quebec. (The engine room portion of the former CANADIAN EXPLORER was mated to the forward section of the HAMILTON TRANSFER in 1998, and is now the CANADIAN TRANSFER.) 1981: EMERALD, the former LACHINEDOC, sank in the Persian Gulf during heavy weather while carrying steel mesh and aggregates. Nine members of the crew were missing while another three were rescued. 2007: SPIRIT OF NANTUCKET, the former NANTUCKET CLIPPER, struck an uncharted object in the Intercoastal Waterway and had to be beached. The ship was repaired at Norfolk, VA and resumed its journey to the Pacific for a new career as an Alaska cruise ship after earlier Great Lakes, St. Lawrence and East Coast service. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Mariners’ Church to host Great Lakes Memorial services this weekend 11/8 - Detroit, Mich. – November 10 marks the 43rd anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which resulted in the loss of 29 lives. Detroit’s Mariners’ Church will hold two events this weekend to honor those who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes. On Saturday, the actual anniversary, maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse will discuss the tragedy at 11 a.m. Stonehouse has authored more than 30 books on Great Lakes maritime history including the best-seller The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 11, sailors, members of the Armed Services, Sea Cadets, first responders, recreational boaters, and the Mariners’ congregation and guests will take part in the ceremonial ringing of the bell to commemorate the loss of lives on the Edmund Fitzgerald. This year’s ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. The Mariners’ Church dates back to 1842 and serves as a “House of Prayer for All People.” It’s the oldest structure along the Detroit River. The church was moved in 1955 to its current location to make way for the Civic Center redevelopment. Curbed Detroit |
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Ship carrying beer vats ends Port of Ogdensburg season 11/8 - Ogdensburg. N.Y. – This weekend marked the arrival of the Port of Ogdensburg’s final ship of the season, a vessel carrying large vats for beer making headed for points in central New York. The Federal Danube, flying under a Marshall Islands flag, was scheduled to bring a cargo of large industrial vats headed for beer makers in the Utica area, according to officials with the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. The boat was scheduled to dock early this week and begin unloading cargo.
The exact arrival and unloading of ships along the St. Lawrence Seaway System can vary depending on weather conditions and other factors, according to officials. The St. Lawrence Seaway shipping season has been robust this year, with tonnage of several commodities like wheat and other agricultural products remaining ahead of last year’s pace. This summer the Port of Ogdensburg was also lauded for playing a noteworthy part in this year’s shipping season along the international waterway with Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials announcing in July that the port set new records for the amount of cargo handled, with longshoremen credited with unloading eight ships within a 35-day period. Most of the ships were carrying wind turbine parts. Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade A. Davis said capping off the port’s season with the arrival of a ship carrying components for New York state’s growing brewery field illustrates the importance of the harbor’s role in helping grow business across the state and region. “The Port of Ogdensburg is a vital component to the Northern New York economy as demonstrated by project cargo, agricultural feeds, road salt and the individuals and firms benefiting from the port activity,” Mr. Davis said on Thursday. “Records were set this year, which clearly demonstrates the need for long-term port expansion to secure future economic activity for the region.” Officials at the OBPA are currently working to deepen the St. Lawrence River itself at the Ogdensburg harbor and to expand the docking terminal to accommodate more than one ship at a time. The port also recently completed a multi-million-dollar expansion that enhances its capacity to store agricultural commodities such as grain on site. In October, Seaway officials said total cargo shipments via the St. Lawrence Seaway between March and September had reached 25.7 million metric tons, up 4.1 percent over the same period in 2017. U.S. grain exports on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway helped lead the way, according to the report. A new shipping report is expected in the coming weeks, looking at shipments along the corridor heading into the final weeks of the shipping season. Watertown Daily Times |
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Port Reports - November 8
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Nov 7 - Barry Andersen winds reported gusting 30 to 40 knots have kept vessels at anchor - dropping down late this evening
Long Point Bay anchorage
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto: |
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Richardson Terminals mark 100 years on Thunder Bay's waterfront 11/8 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Over the last century, there has been a constant presence on the Thunder Bay waterfront as an employer, landmark, and more recently, a driver of change in local agriculture. The towering grain elevators of Richardson Terminals have the rare distinction of being under the same ownership for 100 years. “We are still in the same location and the same company, while others have closed, amalgamated, or changed hands,” said Gerry Heinrichs, plant manager for the terminal. The Thunder Bay Richardson Terminals, also known locally as JRI, consists of two elevators side-by-side: one on Marina Park Drive and the other on Shipyard Road, located in the north end of the city. It is one of four terminals located in Canada. The others are in Hamilton; Sorel-Tracy, northeast of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River; and Vancouver. The Thunder Bay Terminals are the furthest inland of the company's port elevators, connecting Western Canada to the Atlantic Ocean, and are regarded as major hubs for shipping to the United States, Mexico and South America. This summer, it celebrated the centennial with a big family-friendly party for employees past and present, including the commemoration of an inukshuk, quarried from local amethyst-studded granite, in a small park next to its Marina Park Drive Terminal. Heinrichs said the elevators themselves have a lot of history, with decades of infrastructure and upgrades layered on each other, as well as several generations of workers that have come and gone. History is everywhere on the grounds. From the giant concrete James Richardson and Sons motif on the main walkway on the Marina Park Drive elevator, to the decades-old gangways and doors alongside state-of-the-art cleaning machines and loading systems. Their day-to-day operations have stayed largely the same for those 100 years. Grain products are transported, cleaned, graded, inspected for hazards like mould and gravel, stored in elevators and loaded onto ships bound for domestic and international markets. Over the decades the port has faced numerous challenges, including radical changes in transport and a decline in business in the port as a whole. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/regional-news/thunder-bay/port-elevators-contribute-to-northwestern-ontarios-agricultural-renaissance-1111595 |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 8 On 07 November 1871, M COURTRIGHT (wooden schooner, 276 tons, built in 1856, at Erie, Pennsylvania) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She struck bottom after her anchor dragged. She then became waterlogged. The crew abandoned in the yawl. The vessel went ashore several miles south of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The revenue cutter ANDREW JOHNSON tried in vain to pull her free but couldn't. The COURTRIGHT broke up a few days later.On 7 November 1852, ST LOUIS (wooden side-wheeler, 190 foot, 618 tons, built in 1844, at Perrysburg, Ohio) was carrying railroad cars when she capsized and sank in a gale off Kelley's Island on Lake Erie. She was owned by Beer & Samuel Ward. On 07 Nov 1906, the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND HAVEN (steel carferry, 306 foot, 2,320 gross tons built in 1903, at Toledo, Ohio) was put up for sale at a receiver's auction when the Grand Trunk Car Ferry Line defaulted on its bonds. It was purchased by a new Grand Trunk subsidiary, the Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company. This vessel had a long career both on the Lakes and in the Caribbean. She was finally scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario in 1970. The T-2 converted laker HILDA MARJANNE's 1961, German-built hull forward of the engine room, minus her pilot house, was towed by the tugs G W ROGERS and BAGOTVILLE to Port Weller Dry Docks arriving there on November 7, 1983. This section was to become part of the CANADIAN RANGER. On November 7, 1989, the SAMUEL MATHER, a.) HENRY FORD II, was moved to Toledo's C & O Frog Pond on her way to the cutter's torch. ARTHUR B HOMER (Hull#303) was launched November 7, 1959, for the Bethlehem Steel Corp., Cleveland, Ohio. She was the last ship built by Great Lakes Engineering at River Rouge, Michigan. In 1902, BRANSFORD rammed and sank the tug RECORD with a loss of a tug crewman in the Portage Lake Ship Canal in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Renamed b.) JOHN H MC GEAN in 1916, and c.) CLIFFORD F. HOOD in 1943, the HOOD was scrapped in Bilbao, Spain in 1974. On November 7, 1913, the storm responsible for sinking or damaging more vessels than any other began a six-day assault on the Great Lakes. The "Big Blow" of 1913, struck Lake Superior on November 7 and reached Lake Michigan by November 8, where the Pittsburgh Steamship Company vessel CLARENCE A. BLACK was severely damaged by the waves at the dock in Gary, Indiana. On 7 November 1893, ALBANY (steel propeller package freighter, 267 foot, 1,918 gross tons, built in 1884, at Wyandotte, Michigan) collided with the iron freighter PHILADELPHIA in a thick fog. PHILADELPHIA took ALBANY in tow to try to save her, but she sank a few miles off Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. Her crew transferred to PHILADELPHIA, but they soon had to abandon her too since she also sank. Eight lives were lost, presumably when one of the lifeboats was run down by the still running, but abandoned, PHILADELPHIA. On 7 November 1865, LILY DANCEY (2-mast wooden schooner, 92 foot, 132 gross tons built in 1856, at Goderich, Ontario) was carrying grain in a gale on Lake Huron when she was driven ashore near Port Elgin or Kincardine, Ontario. Her cargo was later recovered, but the schooner broke up by 27 November of that year. CITY OF FLINT 32 ran aground at Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1947. 1885: ALGOMA hit Greenstone Rock off Isle Royale, Lake Superior and became a total loss. There were 46 casualties and only 16 on board were saved. 1887: OSCEOLA ran aground on Flat Rock Reef, Saginaw Bay, and all on board were rescued. The ship was abandoned as a total loss in December but refloated in the spring of 1888 and rebuilt. 1910: WASAGA caught fire and burned off Copper Harbor while seeking shelter in a storm, but all on board survived. 1921: ARAGON stranded off Salmon Point, Lake Ontario. It was released the following year but declared a total loss. The hull was sold and rebuilt and last sailed as BAYANNA in 1962. 1921: The wooden schooner barge MARY E. McLAUCHLAN sank in a storm on Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior. 1947: WILLIAM C. WARREN ran aground near Presque Isle Point, Lake Huron, while downbound with grain and had to be abandoned to the underwriters. It was not released until the following year. 1969: The Norwegian tanker CATE BROVIG hit the wall while upbound at the Eisenhower Lock and had a hole punched in the hull. The vessel was headed for Duluth. The ship first came inland in 1959 and was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia as c) STAVROS T. in 1976. 1974: IRIS had come to the Great Lakes in 1969 and 1971. It sank as d) EUROPEAN PERSISTENCE while 510 miles southeast of Bermuda after developing leaks while enroute from Tampa to Venice. All on board were rescued. 1991: The former Swedish freighter FALKON, a first time Seaway trader in 1984, sank as c) APPOLONIA FAITH off the southwest coast of Sardinia while traveling from Valencia, Spain, to Piraeus, Greece. Two lives were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Traffic stopped on Lake St. Clair 11/7 - The tug Olive L. Moore and barge Menominee were underway about 8 p.m. Wednesday night on their downbound trip to unload in the Rouge. No damage was reported and it appears the vessel did not leave the channel. Original Report: Wednesday afternoon the tug Olive L. Moore and barge Menominee lost steering while transiting downbound on Lake St. Clair. The tug and barge are stopped in the channel below the St. Clair Cutoff Channel near Light 30. Traffic in the area is unable to pass and starting to back up. At 6 p.m. the downbound Kaye E. Barker, Algoma Enterprise, Limnos and Cedarglen were stopped or running at greatly reduced speed waiting for the tug and barge to clear. Off Detroit the Edgar B. Speer was stopped in the Belle Isle Anchorage |
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Lakes limestone trade down 7.5 percent in October 11/7 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.4 million tons in October, a decrease of 7.5 percent compared to a year ago. Limestone cargos also trailed the month’s 5-year average by 4.6 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.8 million tons, a decrease of 6 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 568,000 tons, a decrease of 14.6 percent. Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 24.2 million tons, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 19.8 million tons, an increase of 1.7 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 4.4 million tons, an increase 2.6 percent. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Lake Superior levels higher in October 11/7 - The International Lake Superior Board of Control reports that wet weather in October has resulted in a significant rise in Lake Superior water levels. The lake rose three inches last month compared to an average decrease of two inches in October. The above average levels combined with strong winds and waves continue to result in shoreline erosion and coastal damage. Lake Superior is now 11 inches above average for the beginning of November but is two inches below what it was last year at this time. The lake is expected to begin a seasonal decline in water levels this month. KDAL Duluth |
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Che-Cheemaun returns to Owen Sound after drydocking 11/7 - The ferry Che-Cheemaun returned to her winter berth at the west side of the interior harbor wall in Owen Sound on the weekend. She was at Sturgeon Bay. Wis., the previous week having her propeller repaired and balanced. On Monday she was turned around to face the city proper for the Festival of Northern Lights, were she serves as a major attraction. Paul Martin |
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Port Reports - November 7
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont.
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Nov 6 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto: |
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Canadian Coast guard looks to squeeze more years from oldest ship 11/7 - The Canadian Coast Guard plans to squeeze another five years of service, and maybe more, out of the oldest vessel in its fleet. The 55-year-old science vessel Hudson is one more example of the uncertainty surrounding Canada's shipbuilding program. CCGS Hudson was supposed to be replaced as early as 2014 as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. But the project to build the replacement at Vancouver's Seaspan shipyard still has no budget, confirmed construction start date or timeline for completion. In the meantime, the Hudson is now expected to be in service until 2023 and possibly longer. "At least, yes," said Mario Pelletier, the coast guard's deputy commissioner. "As we get closer to those dates we will look and … see if we need the ship around for a bit longer. We'll look at the work that needs to be done." The goal, he said, is to keep the Hudson in operation until a new offshore oceanographic science vessel is delivered. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/coast-guard-vessel-hudson-refit-replacement-shipbuilding-strategy-1.4887361 |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 7 On 07 November 1871, M COURTRIGHT (wooden schooner, 276 tons, built in 1856, at Erie, Pennsylvania) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She struck bottom after her anchor dragged. She then became waterlogged. The crew abandoned in the yawl. The vessel went ashore several miles south of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The revenue cutter ANDREW JOHNSON tried in vain to pull her free but couldn't. The COURTRIGHT broke up a few days later.On 7 November 1852, ST LOUIS (wooden side-wheeler, 190 foot, 618 tons, built in 1844, at Perrysburg, Ohio) was carrying railroad cars when she capsized and sank in a gale off Kelley's Island on Lake Erie. She was owned by Beer & Samuel Ward. On 07 Nov 1906, the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND HAVEN (steel carferry, 306 foot, 2,320 gross tons built in 1903, at Toledo, Ohio) was put up for sale at a receiver's auction when the Grand Trunk Car Ferry Line defaulted on its bonds. It was purchased by a new Grand Trunk subsidiary, the Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company. This vessel had a long career both on the Lakes and in the Caribbean. She was finally scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario in 1970. The T-2 converted laker HILDA MARJANNE's 1961, German-built hull forward of the engine room, minus her pilot house, was towed by the tugs G W ROGERS and BAGOTVILLE to Port Weller Dry Docks arriving there on November 7, 1983. This section was to become part of the CANADIAN RANGER. On November 7, 1989, the SAMUEL MATHER, a.) HENRY FORD II, was moved to Toledo's C & O Frog Pond on her way to the cutter's torch. ARTHUR B HOMER (Hull#303) was launched November 7, 1959, for the Bethlehem Steel Corp., Cleveland, Ohio. She was the last ship built by Great Lakes Engineering at River Rouge, Michigan. In 1902, BRANSFORD rammed and sank the tug RECORD with a loss of a tug crewman in the Portage Lake Ship Canal in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Renamed b.) JOHN H MC GEAN in 1916, and c.) CLIFFORD F. HOOD in 1943, the HOOD was scrapped in Bilbao, Spain in 1974. On November 7, 1913, the storm responsible for sinking or damaging more vessels than any other began a six-day assault on the Great Lakes. The "Big Blow" of 1913, struck Lake Superior on November 7 and reached Lake Michigan by November 8, where the Pittsburgh Steamship Company vessel CLARENCE A. BLACK was severely damaged by the waves at the dock in Gary, Indiana. On 7 November 1893, ALBANY (steel propeller package freighter, 267 foot, 1,918 gross tons, built in 1884, at Wyandotte, Michigan) collided with the iron freighter PHILADELPHIA in a thick fog. PHILADELPHIA took ALBANY in tow to try to save her, but she sank a few miles off Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. Her crew transferred to PHILADELPHIA, but they soon had to abandon her too since she also sank. Eight lives were lost, presumably when one of the lifeboats was run down by the still running, but abandoned, PHILADELPHIA. On 7 November 1865, LILY DANCEY (2-mast wooden schooner, 92 foot, 132 gross tons built in 1856, at Goderich, Ontario) was carrying grain in a gale on Lake Huron when she was driven ashore near Port Elgin or Kincardine, Ontario. Her cargo was later recovered, but the schooner broke up by 27 November of that year. CITY OF FLINT 32 ran aground at Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1947. 1885: ALGOMA hit Greenstone Rock off Isle Royale, Lake Superior and became a total loss. There were 46 casualties and only 16 on board were saved. 1887: OSCEOLA ran aground on Flat Rock Reef, Saginaw Bay, and all on board were rescued. The ship was abandoned as a total loss in December but refloated in the spring of 1888 and rebuilt. 1910: WASAGA caught fire and burned off Copper Harbor while seeking shelter in a storm, but all on board survived. 1921: ARAGON stranded off Salmon Point, Lake Ontario. It was released the following year but declared a total loss. The hull was sold and rebuilt and last sailed as BAYANNA in 1962. 1921: The wooden schooner barge MARY E. McLAUCHLAN sank in a storm on Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior. 1947: WILLIAM C. WARREN ran aground near Presque Isle Point, Lake Huron, while downbound with grain and had to be abandoned to the underwriters. It was not released until the following year. 1969: The Norwegian tanker CATE BROVIG hit the wall while upbound at the Eisenhower Lock and had a hole punched in the hull. The vessel was headed for Duluth. The ship first came inland in 1959 and was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia as c) STAVROS T. in 1976. 1974: IRIS had come to the Great Lakes in 1969 and 1971. It sank as d) EUROPEAN PERSISTENCE while 510 miles southeast of Bermuda after developing leaks while enroute from Tampa to Venice. All on board were rescued. 1991: The former Swedish freighter FALKON, a first time Seaway trader in 1984, sank as c) APPOLONIA FAITH off the southwest coast of Sardinia while traveling from Valencia, Spain, to Piraeus, Greece. Two lives were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade up nearly 6 percent in October 11/6 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in October, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments also outpaced the month’s 5-year average by nearly 9 percent. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 44.7 million tons, a decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the same point in 2017. The shortfall has been decreasing over the course of the shipping season. At the end of April, iron ore shipments were down nearly 14 percent. Through October iron ore loadings are 7.2 percent ahead of their 5-year average for the January-October timeframe. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Fednav's new Federal Delta enters Seaway for the Great Lakes 11/6 - Federal Delta (IMO 9805271), built in 2018 at Oshima Shipbuilding Ltd. in Oshima, Japan, arrived in Montreal, Quebec, on November 4 and departed early in the morning on November 5 enroute to Port Colborne, Ontario. This is the ship's first visit to the Great Lakes/Seaway system. She is one of four new Handy-size bulkers built for Fednav in 2018 in Japan at Oshima, with the others being Federal Nagara (IMO 9805257), Federal Dart (IMO 9805242) and Federal Dee (IMO 9805269), all of which have now made voyages into the Great Lakes/Seaway system. Federal Delta and her sisterships are all registered in the Marshall Islands with each having a length of 199.98 meters and a beam of 23.76 meters. Each has four deck cranes, whereas some of their earlier fleetmates from Oshima have three deck cranes. Denny Dushane |
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Port Reports - November 6
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors - Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Nov 5 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Ogdensburg: |
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National Museum offers ‘Tug Ohio – Before and After Experience’ 11/6 - The National Museum of the Great Lakes will make available a limited number of tours of their newest acquisition – the tug Ohio. “We have had such significant public demand from people to see the tug right away we came up with a program to make that possible –The Tug Ohio Before and After Experience,” said Christopher Gillcrist, executive director. Gillcrist described the program as a chance for the general public and members of the museum to see the tug prior to its restoration this winter and spring, and then return in the late spring to see how she has changed in presentation. During the initial viewing this fall, participants will be led through the tug by docents who will discuss the history of Great Lakes Towing, the history of the tugboat, issues related to towing in general and plans for the Ohio’s restoration. Later in the spring of 2019, these same participants will be invited back to see the tug prior to her public grand opening once the restoration is complete and to watch her rechristened as the Museum Ship Tug Ohio. “Yes, we will break a champagne bottle over her gunnel,” he said. The “Before” tours will be held Friday through Sunday November 30, December 1 and December 2. Members of the museum will be admitted free of charge to the special tours but must register at Tugohio.eventbrite.com or contact museum staff to reserve their space. The general public is invited to participate but there is $15 per person charge which includes admission to the museum on that day. The general public can register and pay at Tugohio.eventbrite.com as well. Because the tug is not yet restored, children under 12 will not be admitted as this is a hard hat tour. There are a limited number of tickets offered per day and tickets will be for specific time periods on each day. For more information contact the staff at the National Museum of the Great at 419-214-5000 extension 0. |
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Obituary: Henry Barkhausen: avid sailor, maritime historian 11/6 - Henry Noyes Barkhausen, an authority on Great Lakes maritime history, died peacefully on October 6 at age 103 at his Lake Forest, Ill., home. His deep interest in the history of sailing vessels on the Great Lakes led him, with assistance from Elizabeth Cutler of Milwaukee (a daughter of Edmund Fitzgerald after whom the ill-fated freighter was named), to form the Association of Great Lakes Maritime Museums in 1984, which is now the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History. In addition, he was a key supporter of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wis., with a particular focus on their collections. He purchased a substantial volume of historical materials from a retired Great Lakes sailing captain from Manitowoc in the 1930s and later donated it and many other items to the museum, the foremost institution of its kind among the many maritime museums on the Great Lakes. Barkhausen was also a dedicated conservationist, serving in the early 1970s as the Director of the Illinois Department of Conservation, and 45 years thereafter as a trustee, chairman, and life trustee of the Illinois Nature Conservancy. His most noted achievement was his pivotal role in preserving and helping to restore the Cache River Wetlands in southern-most Illinois, a wetland region of international significance on which federal and state and private conservation organizations have collaborated and which boasts the greatest biodiversity found in Illinois. That the Cache River Wetlands visitor center and natural history museum bears his name is a testament to his efforts. Henry is survived by his wife Alice, with whom he shared a remarkable 77 years, and his five children: Sarah (Ned) Rossiter of Concord, MA; Joan (David) Grubin of NewYork City; Henry (Lele) of Winnetka; David (Sue) of Lake Bluff; and John (Deborah) of Warren, Vt, as well as eleven grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. His remains will be buried with his parents and sisters in the Friendship Township Cemetery outside Harbor Springs, Mich. A service will be held at their Lake Forest Place senior residence on December 8. Any memorial contributions may be made to the Harbor Point Lighthouse Fund via the HPA office or the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, 349 E. Main St., Harbor Springs 49740. Harbor Light |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 6 On 06 November 1880, the W. R. HANNA (2-mast scow-schooner, 86 foot, 103 gross tons, built in 1857), carrying 1,600 tamarack railroad ties to Toledo, sank in Lake Huron in a snowstorm. She sprang a leak off Pointe aux Barques and filled so fast that the pump was of no use. She broached to and rolled over when about 5 miles north of Sand Beach, Michigan, (now Harbor Beach). s the sun set the snow storm turned into a blizzard. The icy waves swept over the hull while the crew clung on as best they could. Four hours later, they drifted past Sand Beach, not 500 feet from the breakwater. They shouted for help, saw lights moving here and there on the breakwater, but no help came. When the wind shifted and started to blow the vessel out into the lake, the skipper cut away the weather lanyards and the vessel righted herself and they dropped the anchor. The weather was freezing cold; and there was no dry place left. The cabin was gone and the only spot out of water was on one side forward - a space about four feet wide by ten feet long. The waves kept washing over the waterlogged vessel, drenching the crew. The crew survived through the night. Heavy snow kept falling, cutting visibility to almost zero. Finally, at 10 a.m., the following morning, the storm broke and the propeller H. LUELLA WORTHINGTON (wooden propeller freighter, 148 foot, 375 gross tons, built in 1880, at Lorain, Ohio), which was in the harbor, saw the wreck and rescued the crew. The skipper of the WORTHINGTON stated that he had heard the cries of the crew throughout the night, but couldn't navigate in the blinding snowstorm. He was awake all night waiting for the storm to break so he could rescue the crew.On 06 November 1867, ALBEMARLE (3-mast wooden schooner, 154 foot, 413 gross tons, built in 1867, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio in a storm when she stranded and wrecked near Point Nipigon in the Straits of Mackinac. This was her first year of operation. She had been put into service just the previous July. The US266029, a.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD was towed from Nicholson's River Rouge dock November 6, 1986, by tugs TUSKER and GLENADA to Port Maitland, Ontario for scrapping. On November 6, 1913, the J. H. SHEADLE left Fort William, Ontario bound for Erie, Pennsylvania, with grain and encountered fog, gale winds and a snow blizzard in one of the fiercest storms of the century. On November 6, 1925, the Northern Navigation passenger steamer HAMONIC lost her propeller 20 miles west of Caribou Island in Lake Superior and was wallowing in gale force winds with gusts to 80 m.p.h. She was towed to safety by Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s RICHARD TRIMBLE. On 06 Nov 1985, Desguaces Heme began scrapping the LEON FALK, JR. in Gijon, Spain. This vessel was built in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1945, as the tanker a.) WINTER HILL, (504 foot, 10,534 gross tons) and then was converted to a 710 foot, 12,501 gross ton bulk freighter in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1960-61. On 6 November 1872, the wooden propeller tug MILDRED, while towing a vessel out of Alpena, Michigan, had her engine fail. Soon she was in trouble and sank. The crew was saved. On 6 November 1827, ANN (wooden schooner, 53 foot, 58 tons, built in 1819, or 1821, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying salt, general merchandise and passengers when she was driven ashore on Long Point almost opposite Erie, Pennsylvania. 7 Lives were lost, including 5 passengers. 6 survived. In 1912, the Pere Marquette Railroad announced plans to build a new roundhouse at Ludington, Michigan. It still stands today. On 6 November 1874, The Port Huron Times listed the following vessels lost in the month of October and in the first week of November of that year: Propellers - BROOKLYN, FRANKFORT, NEW YORK; tug DOUGLAS; schooners - CITY OF PAINSVILLE, WANDERER, PREBLE, THOS S MOTT; and barges - CLIFTON and SHERMAN. On 6 November 1883, GUIDING STAR (3-mast wooden schooner, 139 foot, 324 tons, built in 1869, at Oswego, New York) was carrying coal to Milwaukee in fog when she went ashore 12 miles north of Milwaukee. Four of the crew made it to shore in the yawl, but it was wrecked in the process. The rest of the crew was finally rescued by the Milwaukee Lifesavers. Crews began painting the hull of the SAGINAW (formerly JOHN J. BOLAND) in the colors of Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. (gray) on 06 Nov 1999, at Sarnia, Ontario. The vessel had recently been purchased from American Steamship Co. Inside the vessel, crews were gutting the living quarters to remove asbestos and add fireproof walls and new flooring. The engine room equipment and the unloading gear were also refurbished. On November 6, 1897, the Minnesota Steamship boat MARIPOSA (steel, 348', 2898 gross tons, built in 1892, Globe Iron Works, Cleveland, Ohio) under the command of Capt. Frank Root, rescued the two remaining survivors of the wreck of the package freighter IDAHO (wooden package freighter, 220', 915 gross tons, built in 1863, Peck & Masters, Cleveland, Ohio.) off Long Point, Ontario on Lake Erie. The MARIPOSA'S first mate, Capt. Myron K. Chamberlain, had sighted the two Idaho survivors clinging to the 100' spar of the sunken IDAHO. Gale winds and seas of 12'-15' overtook the IDAHO taking with it to their deaths 19 crewmen including Captain Alexander Gillies. "In what is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of ship handling and rescue by a major Great Lakes vessel,” Capt. Root and his crewmen were able to turn the MARIPOSA around ("rolling her rails under") three times in the midst of a gale, bringing their vessel right up to the spar where IDAHO Second Mate Louis LaForce Jr. and Deckhand William Gill were pulled "half dead" on board the MARIPOSA by the officers and deck crew. Both LaForce & Gill recovered. An appreciative City of Buffalo, (hometown to most of the IDAHO crew), and the Minnesota Steamship Company awarded Capt. Root a gold watch, and instructed him to award his first mate and chief engineer each an extra month's pay, and the MARIPOSA crew each an extra half month's pay for a job well done. At 10 p.m. on November 6, 1975 the newly refurbished sidewheel ferry TRILLIUM was towed from the drydock at Ramey's Bend, Ontario, down the Welland Canal by the Canada Dredge & Dock tugs G. W. Rogers and BAGOTVILLE, arriving at Toronto on early on a foggy November 7. 1918: CHESTER A. CONGDON cleared Fort William with grain and stranded on Canoe Rock, Isle Royale in rough weather and poor visibility. The crew was rescued but the ship broke up and was listed as the first $1 million dollar loss in Great Lakes’ history. 1928: A.W. THOMPSON served as a Great Lakes consort barge before going to the Atlantic in 1918. The vessel foundered 60 miles south of Brunswick, GA, enroute from Wilmington, DE to a Gulf of Mexico port. 1968: OAK HILL visited the Great Lakes for seven trips in 1961-1962. It arrived at Singapore under tow as c) AGENOR on this date with leaking in the engine room while on a delivery trip to Chinese shipbreakers at Whampoa. The vessel was resold for scrapping in Singapore. 1969: REINHART LORENZ RUSS made 22 trips through the Seaway from 1960 through 1966. It sank as b) NAIS one mile off Raffles Light, Singapore, after a collision with the Norwegian tanker BERGEBRAGD (68/80,003) and one life was lost. 1981: LA LOMA, an early and frequent Seaway trader, arrived at Cape Town, South Africa, with hull damage as e) AEGEAN SUN. The ship was traveling from China to Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It was assessed as beyond economical repair and laid up at Mombasa. The vessel was eventually sold to Pakistani shipbreakers and arrived at Gadani Beach under tow on April 18, 1985, for dismantling. 1983: EVA MARIA C., a Seaway caller in 1976, developed leaks as c) LAGADA BEACH and sank about 200 miles northeast of Aden. The vessel was enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran, with iron and steel products. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Boatnerd fundraising drive heading toward goal 11/5 - Thank you to everyone who has donated to the current Boatnerd fundraising drive so far. Although we don’t have a specific goal in mind, we hope to raise an amount similar to when we would hold trip raffles - $10,000 - $25,000. These funds will be used to launch our much-needed site redesign and fund our operating budget for the next few years. To our corporate users, we are a 501 (c) 3 non profit and welcome all donations. We often hear from HR, Traffic Departments and Marketing for assistance in those areas. We’re happy to help and would appreciate any financial support from the companies that find Boatnerd useful. |
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Port Reports - November 5
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Nov 4 ¬– Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage -
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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‘Books and Boats’ to feature authors and more in Port Huron on Saturday 11/5 -Port Huron, Mich. – Join several Great Lakes authors, as well as photographers and others Nov. 10 for “Books & Boats” at the Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron. On hand will be Roger LeLievre (“Know Your Ships”), Robert Campbell (“Classic Ships of the Great Lakes”), Roger P. Hulett (“A Lot More To Do: The Remarkable Life of Frank Mays”), Raymond Bawal Jr. (“The Inland Steel Fleet” and others), and Port Huron area author Pegg Thomas. All will be happy to sign copies of their books. A special guest will be Great Lakes illustrator Don Lee, whose personalized Great Lakes caricatures are popular on Facebook and other sites. He will draw your likeness as your favorite boat (no charge but tips appreciated). In addition, Bob May from Lake Freighter Minis will have his paper lake vessel model kits for sale. Among maritime photographers scheduled to attend are Mary Truchan and Frank Switlicki (aluminum prints). The Great Lakes Nautical Society will be on hand with a display of model boats and model boat kits for sale for kids to build. Great Lakes Maritime Center |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 5 At 2 a.m. 05 November 1884, the steamer GRACE GRUMMOND (iron side-wheel excursion steamer, 138 foot, 250 tons, built in 1856, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the survey steamer JEFFERSON DAVIS, specifically for the survey of the Great Lakes) burned at Grand Haven, Michigan. Her cargo of apples, pears and potatoes was also destroyed. No lives were lost. After the fire she was towed to Chicago to lay up until it was decided what to do with her. It is not known if she ever operated as a steamer again, but in 1887, she was rebuilt as a schooner at Milwaukee. She was one of the only sizable iron-hulled schooners ever used on the lakes. In 1904, as a tow-barge, she was sold Canadian and renamed BALTIC (C.116760). She was later used as a breakwater at Clear Creek, Ontario and was finally scrapped in 1939.On 05 November 1852, BUCKEYE STATE (3-mast wooden bark, 132 foot, 310 tons, built in 1852, at Black River, Ohio) stranded off S. Milwaukee Point on Lake Michigan in a storm and was then broken up by waves. This was her first year of operation and she had been in service less than three months. LOUIS R. DESMARAIS cleared Owen Sound, Ontario on her maiden voyage November 5, 1977, bound for Thunder Bay, Ontario, to load 27,117 gross tons of iron ore for Stelco at Hamilton, Ontario. Her forward end was replaced at Port Weller in 2001, and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN. On her final trip, the IRVIN L. CLYMER passed up bound at the Soo on November 5, 1990, and arrived at Duluth two days later to unload limestone at the Hallet Dock #5, after which she moved to her final lay-up berth at Fraser Shipyard and tied up, blowing one last three long and two short salute from her whistle. In 1993, she was sold to Azcon Corp. of Duluth, Minnesota for scrapping. GRAND HAVEN was raised on November 5, 1969, from the Old River Bed, where she sank on September 19, 1969. She was raised for scrapping. Mr. J. W. Isherwood visited the Great Lakes Engineering Works shipyard on November 5, 1910, and personally inspected the hull which was being built according to his patented design. This vessel, the WILLIAM P. PALMER, was the first vessel on the Great Lakes built to the Isherwood system of longitudinal framing. On 05 Nov 1917, a foggy and rainy day, the JAMES S. DUNHAM (steel propeller bulk freighter, 420 foot, 4,795 gross tons, built in 1906, at W. Bay City, Michigan) sank in a collision with the steamer ROBERT FULTON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 424 foot, 4,219 gross tons, built 1896, at Wyandotte, Michigan) just below Grassy Island on the Detroit River. Repairs for both vessels totaled $125,000. On 5 November 1896, ACADIA (iron-framed wooden propeller, 176 foot, built in 1867, at Hamilton, Ontario) was driven ashore and broke up in a gale near the mouth of the Michipicoten River in Lake Superior. Her crew made it to shore and five of them spent more than a week trying to make it to the Soo. The Port Huron Times of 5 November 1878: "The schooner J. P. MARCH is reported lost with all on board. She was lost at Little Traverse Bay on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. The MARCH was a three-masted schooner and was owned by Benton & Pierce of Chicago." On 5 November 1838, TOLEDO (2-mast wooden schooner, 98 foot, 215 tons, built in 1836, at Buffalo) was carrying dry goods valued at more than $100,000 up-bound on Lake Erie when she was driven ashore by a gale a half mile east of the mouth of the Grand River. She broke in two. No lives were lost. On 5 November 1869, TITAN (wooden schooner, 132 foot, 361 gross tons, built in 1856, at Oswego, New York) was carrying 17,500 bushels of wheat on Lake Michigan in a terrific gale. She was driven toward shore. Her anchors were dropped as she came close in and they held for about an hour. However, the ship finally dragged ashore, losing both of her masts and breaking up as she struck. Of the nine on board, only one survived and that one was found crawling along the beach in a dazed state. When she was new, TITAN broke the record by completing the trip from Chicago to Oswego in only 8 days and 4 hours. Her record only lasted one day since the schooner SURPRISE broke it by 6 hours the following day. In the summer of 1875, the propeller EAST ran down and sank the tug JOE MAC, not even pausing to save her crew from drowning. The following winter Messrs. Seymour & Co., owners of the JOE MAC, obtained a judgment in a U.S. Court against the owners of the EAST. Since the EAST was a Canadian vessel, they were unable to seize her because the judgment could only be effected in American waters. On Sunday morning, 05 Nov 1876, the steam tug SEYMOUR, with a United States Marshal and posse on board, proceeded up to Allen's (presumably at Ogdensburg, New York), and there lay in wait for the EAST, which went up by the Crossover light channel into American waters. The SEYMOUR ran out and captured the vessel and brought her to Averell's wharf in U.S. waters to await justice. CALCITE II arrived in Sarnia at 6 a.m. on Sunday, 05 Nov. 2000, for lay-up. After leaving Cleveland the previous day, she anchored in Western Lake Erie, so she could arrive at the North Slip in Sarnia when shoreside personnel would be on-hand to assist. A chartered bus from Rogers City left about noon to take many of the crew home. Around 4:10 p.m., the downbound MYRON C. TAYLOR passed her fleetmate CALCITE II, perhaps for the last time in USS Great Lakes Fleet colors, and she blew her sister an extended 3 long and 2 short master salute. The TAYLOR was bound for Cleveland with a load of stone. 1885: The Canadian Pacific passenger and freight steamer ALGOMA cleared Owen Sound on its final trip with 11 passengers and headed for the Canadian Lakehead. 1897: IDAHO departed Buffalo and was caught in a wild storm on Lake Erie. The wooden passenger and freight carrier fell into the trough and only two survived. They had climbed the mast and were plucked from the crow's nest the next morning in a heroic effort by the crew of the MARIPOSA. 1940: SPARTA was wrecked near the Pictured Rocks after stranding on a reef in a heavy gale. The hull was abandoned on November 11 but salvaged in 1941 and never repaired. 1957: The Finnish freighter KORSO struck a drifting World War Two mine off Cape Mondjego, Portugal, and sank as a belated casualty of the conflict. The vessel had been built at Kingston, ON in 1942 as H.M.C.S. IRONBOUND and converted for mercantile use in 1948. 1962: EDWIN REITH, a West German salty, grounded near Tibbetts Point, Lake Ontario, and had to be lightered to P.S. BARGE NO. 1. It was released and came to Toronto to unload on November 14. 1967: The Canadian laker MOHAWK DEER, enroute to La Spezia, Italy, for scrapping, ran aground in the Gulf of Genoa near Portofino, Italy, and sank the next day. 1987: CATHARINA WIARDS sank in the Red Sea as d) TRADER after the engine room flooded during a voyage from Augusta, Italy, to China. The vessel was a year old when it came through the Seaway for the first time in 1970. 1991: OLYMPIC PEACE, a Seaway trader for the first time in 1976, arrived at Piraeus, Greece, with damage to the main engine cooling system as c) FREE PEACE. It was later seized by Banco-Hellenique and sold at auction. The ship was scrapped in China during 1994 as e) PATMOS I. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - November 4
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Toledo, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Nov 3 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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World Ship Society - Casualties / Demolitions for November 2018 11/4 - Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connection - reported as a Casualty or Sold for Demolition, taken from November 2018 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society Casualties: None
Demolitions: Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 4 The Great Lakes Steamship Company steamer NORWAY passed downbound through the Soo Locks with 6,609 tons of rye. This cargo increased the total tonnage transiting the locks in 1953 to 120,206,088 tons – a new one-season tonnage record. Renamed b.) RUTH HINDMAN in 1964, she was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1978.On 04 November 1883, MAYFLOWER (wooden propeller freighter “steam barge,” 185 foot, 623 gross tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber when she stranded in a gale off Point Abino near Buffalo, New York where the waves pounded her to pieces. The crew made it to shore in the yawl. She was built as a very fine passenger steamer for the Western Transportation Line then in 1868, she was rebuilt as a “steam barge.” On 4 November 1875, SWAN (wooden propeller tug, 11 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while lying out in the Saginaw River near East Saginaw. She was abandoned by the crew and burned to the water’s edge. JOSEPH G. BUTLER JR (steel bulk freighter, 525 foot, 6,588 gross tons) was launched on 04 Nov 1905, at Lorain, Ohio for the Tonopah Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). She lasted until 1971, when she was stripped of her cabins and scuttled, along with HENRY R. PLATT JR., at Steel Co. of Canada plant, Burlington Bay, Hamilton, Ontario, as breakwater and fill. CARTIERCLIFFE HALL was registered at Toronto, Ontario, on 04 Nov 1977, but didn't enter service until the spring of 1978 because of mechanical difficulties during her sea trials. On 04 Nov, 1986, TEXACO CHIEF was renamed A.G. FARQUHARSON. She was renamed c.) ALGONOVA (i) in 1998. CALCITE II departed Cleveland at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, 04 Nov 2000, on her last trip for USS Great Lakes Fleet. She sailed upbound for Sarnia, Ontario, where she spent the winter in lay-up. Grand River Transportation had entered into a sale agreement with USS Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. for the purchase of the CALCITE II, GEORGE A. SLOAN and MYRON C. TAYLOR. Built as the WILLIAM G. CLYDE in 1929, CALCITE II is awaiting scrapping as c.) MAUMEE. HERON BAY proceeded under her own power to Lauzon, Quebec, for her final lay-up on November 4, 1978. CSL's NIPIGON BAY was launched November 4, 1950. CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON developed a sizable leak and almost sank November 4, 1925, during her tow to Superior after she struck a reef a few nights before. ROBERT C. STANLEY's keel was laid November 4, 1942. UNITED STATES GYPSUM of 1910 grounded at Toledo, Ohio, on November 4, 1972, resulting in damage totaling $125,000. Her propeller was removed and the rudder shaft was locked in position to finish the season as a manned barge on the coal run from Toledo to Detroit, Michigan. JOSEPH H. THOMPSON became not only the largest vessel on the Great Lakes but also the longest dry bulk cargo vessel in the world when it entered service on November 4, 1952, departing Chicago on its first trip. Setting the stage for the fateful storm that followed less than a week later that sank the EDMUND FITZGERALD, many locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin were setting all-time record high temperatures for the month of November during the period of November 4-6, 1975. Grand Marais, Minnesota, reached 67 degrees on November 5 and Superior reached 74 degrees on November 6, both all-time records for the month. Many other notable Great Lakes storms, including the Armistice Day storm of 1940, and the storm that sank the HENRY STEINBRENNER in 1953, were proceeded by record-setting warm weather. On 4 November 1877, MARY BOOTH (wooden scow-schooner, 132 tons, built in 1857, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying maple lumber in a storm in Lake Michigan. She became waterlogged but her crew doggedly clung to her until she appeared ready to turn turtle. Then her crew abandoned her and she rolled over. She drifted in the lake for several days. The crew landed at White Lake, Michigan and they were near death. The Port Huron Times of 4 November 1878: "The propeller CITY OF MONTREAL is believed to have gone down on Lake Michigan on Friday [1 NOV 1878]. The schooner LIVELY, laden with coal for Bay City, is reported ashore 6 miles above Sand Beach, having gone on at 12 o'clock Sunday night [3 NOV 1878]. The schooner WOODRUFF, ashore at Whitehall, is a total loss. Two men were drowned, one died from injuries received, and Capt. Lingham was saved. The tugs E M PECK and MYSTIC, which went from the Sault to the assistance of the propeller QUEBEC, were wrecked near where she lies, one being on the beach and the other sunk below her decks. Both crews were rescued and were taken to St. Joseph Island." On 4 November 1856, J W BROOKS (wooden propeller, 136 foot, 322 tons, built in 1851, at Detroit) was carrying provisions and copper ingots to Ogdensburg, New York in a storm when she foundered on Lake Ontario, 8 miles northeast of False Ducks Light. Estimates of the loss of lives range from 22 to 50. In July 1857, she was partially raised and some of her cargo was recovered. She only had a five year career, but besides this final incident, she had her share of disasters. In July 1855, she had a boiler explosion and in May of that same year, she sank in Canadian waters. In 1980 the tug LAUREN CASTLE sank while towing the AMOCO WISCONSIN near Lee Point in Traverse Bay. Engineer William Stephan was lost. 1891: The iron freighter NORTH, which had become the first ocean ship to be cut in two and brought to the Great Lakes, arrived at Collingwood to be rebuilt as b) CAMPANA for the passenger & freight trades on the upper lakes. 1898: The wooden passenger and freight steamer PACIFIC burned at the Grand Trunk Railway dock in Collingwood along with the freight sheds and their contents. The blaze had begun the previous evening and roared for hours. The vessel was valued at $65,000. 1959: WESTRIVER arrived at Halifax for repairs after an earlier engine room explosion on Lake Superior had left the ship with significant damage. 1967: PEARL LIGHT, a World War II Empire ship, came through the Seaway for one trip in 1965. It was wrecked off Vietnam as g) HABIB MARIKAR while enroute from Dalian, China, to Chittagong, Bangladesh, with bagged cement. One life was lost. 1972: INLAND TRANSPORT went aground off Garden Island Bank, near Little Current, Manitoulin Island, and received major hull damage that led to the retirement of that Halco tanker after one more trip. 1991: CARLI METZ struck the wall below Lock 2 of the Welland Canal and the vessel had to go to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. It had been inbound for the first time earlier in the year and returned in 1992. It was scrapped at Chittagong, Bangladesh, as d) METZ ITALIA in 2001. 1993: ZIEMIA ZAMOJSKA, while under tow, struck the raised 106th Street Bridge on the Calumet River at Chicago resulting in damage to the structure and traffic problems. The corn-laden vessel received a hole in the port bow, which was repaired at Montreal. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - November 3
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. The tug Sharon M 1 and barge Huron Spirit arrived at Nicholson's Ecorse Terminal Friday afternoon. The Hon. James L Oberstar arrived with ore for AK Steel. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Nov 2 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo: (Tonawanda)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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New salties for 2018 11/3 - As of October 31, 38 new saltwater vessels called at various ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. They are the following ones: Adfines Sky, Amarant, Anet, Arsland, Atlantik Miracle, BBC Luanda, BBC Polonia, Calypso, Cape Dawson, Celsius Mumbai, CLI Pride, Eemsgracht, Erin Schulte, Falstria Swan, Federal Dart, Federal Dee, Federal Nagara, Gardno, Isabelle G, Johanna G, Josef, Kitikmeot W., Lolland, Maple Lea, McKeil Spirit, Mia Desgagnés, Miena Desgagnés Mississippi Star, Momentum Scan, NACC Alicudi, NACC Argonaut, Nordic Ace, Onego Rio, Rike, Senja, Sichem Marseille, Sten Fjord, Tasing Swan. One of them, BBC Luanda was renamed overseas during the year and came back twice under the name CLI Pride. A new one is expected in a few days, the Federal Delta. Possible new ones: Holandia and Carolus Magnus. To be confirmed. René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 3 On 03 November 1907, tug ESCORT (wooden propeller, 45 foot, 40 gross tons, built in 1894, at Port Colborne, Ontario) tried to pass the barge BENJ HARRISON at the mouth of the Niagara River. In a navigational error, the tug sheared under the barge’s bow, was run over and sunk. Three lives were lost.B. A. PEERLESS sailed on her maiden voyage November 3, 1952, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, where 110,291 barrels of crude oil were loaded destined for British-American's refinery at Clarkson, Ontario. The PEERLESS was built for the express purpose of transporting crude oil from the Interprovincial / Lakehead Pipeline terminus at Superior to B / A's Clarkson refinery. The vessel lasted until 1991, when she was broken up. On 3 November 1898, PACIFIC (wooden propeller passenger/package freighter, 179 foot, 918 gross tons, built in 1883, at Owen Sound, Ontario) caught fire at the Grand Trunk dock at Collingwood, Ontario. She burned to a shell despite a concerted effort to save her. She was later towed out into Georgian Bay and scuttled. On 3 November 1855, DELAWARE (wooden propeller, 173 foot, 368 tons, built in 1846, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise from Chicago to Buffalo with a stop at Milwaukee. She was driven ashore by a gale eight miles south of Sheboygan, Wisconsin and sank. Ten or 11 of the 18 on board lost their lives. Within a few days, only her arches were visible above the water. Dismantling of the H. C. HEIMBECKER began on 03 Nov 1981, by Triad Salvage Company at Ashtabula, Ohio, and was completed the following year. This vessel was originally named GEORGE W. PERKINS (steel bulk freighter, 556 foot, 6,553 gross tons, built in 1905, at Superior, Wisconsin.) 1928: CANADIAN TRADER was Hull 39 of the Port Arthur shipyard. Following a sale to Japanese interests, the ship departed Seattle on this date in 1928 on its delivery voyage, still as c) GUILDA SCUDERI, and was never seen again. 1953: The tug J.A. CORNETT went hard aground about seven miles north of Clayton, NY and was leaking badly. The vessel was eventually refloated and survived at Port Dover, ON at least as recently as 2011. It has been laid up there since 1992 and is now in derelict condition. 1965: The tug MISEFORD was towing the barge CHARLES W. JOHNSON when they were caught in a storm on the St. Marys River. The tug was pulled over on her side and rested on the bottom. MISEFORD was salvaged in the spring of 1966 and remains in service in 2012 as a harbor tug at Thunder Bay, Ont. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - November 2
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Daniel Lindner
S. Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Nov 1 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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50th Cook marine holiday card available at National Museum 11/2 - The National Museum of the Great Lakes has announced the offering of their 50th Alexander Cook Marine holiday ard. Since 1968, Alexander B. Cook, artist, board member and volunteer curator at the museum, has produced a watercolor that is used as the museum’s annual holiday card. The card has gone through numerous changes over the years as technology has made possible cost efficient four-color printing. What has never changed is the fact that each year the card features a winter maritime scene. “The holiday card is almost as old as the organization itself,” said Christopher Gillcrist, Executive Director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “Alex generously donates the use of the painting that is then reproduced as the holiday card and then sold through our museum store. Since 1968, we estimates sales of the card have topped $100,000.” In his 50th card, Cook chose a local Ohio scene that he was familiar with having lived in Lakewood, Ohio, for many years. Cook’s current card features a 1950s tugboat leaving the port of Rocky River with famous Eell’s Point in background. A Christmas tree stands lit on the top of Eell’s Point. Cards sell in packs of 10 with envelopes for $14, but can also be purchased individually. Museum members receive a 10 percent discount. To view the card, interested parties can visit www.nmglstore.org. You can order the card on line or call 419-214-5000, extension 200. The National Museum of the Great Lakes |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 2 On 02 November 1924, TURRET CROWN (steel propeller "turret ship,” 253 foot, 1,827 tons, built in 1895, in England) was driven ashore in a gale on Meldrum Point on the north side of Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Her hull was wrecked during the storms that winter. She was cut up and removed for scrap the following year.On November 2, 1984, the tugs ATOMIC and ELMORE M. MISNER towed the ERINDALE, a.) W.F. WHITE, to the International Marine Salvage scrap dock at Port Colborne, Ontario, where demolition began that month. H.C. HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio, for scrapping, arriving there November 2, 1981. On November 2, 1948, FRANK ARMSTRONG collided head-on with the c.) JOHN J. BOLAND of 1905, a.) STEPHEN B. CLEMENT, in a heavy fog on Lake Erie near Colchester, Ontario. Both vessels were badly damaged and resulted in one fatality on the BOLAND. The ARMSTRONG was towed to Toledo, Ohio, for repairs. In 1972, the A. E. NETTLETON's towline parted from the OLIVE L. MOORE during a snowstorm with gale force winds 17 miles west of the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior. The barge developed a 15-degree list when her load of grain shifted. Three of her five-member crew were air lifted by a U.S.C.G. helicopter to the MOORE to assist in re-rigging the towline. The NETTLETON was towed the next day into the Lily Pond on the Keweenaw Waterway to trim her cargo. The WILLIAM C. MORELAND was abandoned to the underwriters on November 2, 1910, as a constructive total loss, amounting to $445,000. She had stranded on Sawtooth Reef off Eagle Harbor, Michigan, on Lake Superior in mid October. The keel of the new section, identified as Hull #28, was laid down on November 2, 1959. A new forward pilothouse and a hatch crane were installed and her steam turbine engine and water tube boilers were reconditioned. The vessel was named c.) RED WING after the Detroit Red Wing hockey team, honoring a long association with Upper Lakes Shipping and James Norris, the founder of ULS, and his two sons, James D. and Bruce, owners of the National Hockey League team. In 1971, the Lake Michigan carferry BADGER was laid up due to a coal strike. On 2 November 1889, FRANCIS PALMS (wooden schooner, 173 foot, 560 tons, built in 1868, at Marine City, Michigan, as a bark) was sailing from Escanaba to Detroit with a load of iron ore when she was driven ashore near Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Her entire crew was taken off by the tug GLADIATOR that also pulled in vain while trying to free the PALMS. The PALMS was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. November was a bad month for the PALMS since she had previously been wrecked on Long Point in Lake Erie in November 1874, and again at Duluth in November 1872. During the first week of November 1878, The Port Huron Times reported wrecks and mishaps that occurred during a severe storm that swept over the Lakes on Friday and Saturday, 1-3 November. The information was reported on 2, 4 & 5 November as the reports came in. The same reports will appear here starting today: The Port Huron Times of 2 November 1878: "The schooner L. C. WOODRUFF of Cleveland is ashore at the mouth of the White River with her foremast gone. She is loaded with corn. Three schooners went ashore at Grand Haven Friday morning, the AMERICA, MONTPELIER, and AUSTRALIAN. One man was drowned off the AUSTRALIAN. The schooner WORTS is ashore and full of water on Beaver Island. Her cargo consists of pork for Collingwood. The tug LEVIATHAN has gone to her aid. The schooner LAKE FOREST is ashore at Hammond's Bay, Lake Huron, and is full of water. She has a cargo of corn aboard. The tug A J SMITH has gone to her rescue. The barge S. C. WOODRUFF has gone down in 13 feet of water off Whitehall and her crew is clinging to the rigging at last accounts. A lifeboat has been sent to her relief. The barge RUTTER is in 25 feet of water and all the crew are now safe." On 2 November 1874, PREBLE (2-mast wooden schooner, 98 foot, 166 tons, built in 1842, at Buffalo, New York as a brig) was lost in a storm off Long Point on Lake Erie and broke up in the waves. The steamer ST PAUL rescued her crew. On 02 Nov 1862, BAY STATE (wooden propeller, 137 foot, 372 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) was bound for Lake Erie ports from Oswego, New York when she broke up offshore in a terrific gale in the vicinity of Oswego. All 22 onboard, including six passengers, lost their lives. The shoreline was strewn with her wreckage for miles. PAUL H. CARNAHAN was christened at the foot of West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan on 02 Nov 1961. She had been converted from the tanker b.) ATLANTIC DEALER to a dry bulk cargo carrier by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio and came out on her maiden bulk freighter voyage just two weeks before this christening ceremony. 1912: JUNO, which had lost the barge P.B. LOCKE the previous day on Lake Ontario, arrived safely at Cobourg and then sank at the dock. 1923: The wooden steamer WESEE caught fire in Lake Erie off Middle Bass Island and burned as a total loss. The crew took to the yawl boats and all were saved. 1956: The former schooner J.T. WING, which had operated as a museum at Belle Isle in Detroit until condemned due to rotting timbers, was burned. 1981: FROSSO K., an SD 14 ocean freighter, suffered an engine room fire enroute from Vancouver to Japan. The ship was towed back to Vancouver November 15 and repaired. It first came through the Seaway in 1974 and arrived at Cartagena, Columbia, under tow, for scrapping on February 15, 1995, as e) MAMER. 1981: The West German freighter POSEIDON first came through the Seaway in 1962 and became a regular inland trader. It was abandoned, in leaking condition on this date, as e) VIKI K. in the Red Sea. There was some suspicion that the vessel was scuttled as part of an insurance fraud. 1988: PETER MISENER struck a shoal while upbound in the Saguenay River for Port Alfred with coke. There was major damage and the ship went to Montreal for repairs. 2001: AUDACIOUS stranded at Keleman Island, Indonesia, but was refloated two days later. The damage was severe and the vessel was laid up at Singapore and then sold to shipbreakers. The ship arrived at Alang, India, to be broken up, on April 27, 2002. The ship visited the Great Lakes as a) WELSH VOYAGER in 1977, and returned as b) LONDON VOYAGER in 1982 and c) OLYMPIC LEADER in 1983. It made its first inland voyage as d) AUDACIOUS in 1996 and its final call in 2000. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Manitoba scrap tow update 11/1 - As of Halloween night, the scrap tow of the former laker Manitoba was just west of the Azores. The tow expects to reach the scrap yard in Aliaga, Turkey on November 24. |
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Port Reports - November 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Sarnia, Ont.
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Toledo, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Oct 31 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Fednav's new Federal Delta due in Montreal headed for Great Lakes 11/1 - Federal Delta (IMO 9805271), built in 2018 at the Oshima Shipbuilding Ltd., in Oshima, Japan is expected to arrive in Montreal on Nov. 4 for the first time since built. The vessel will be coming from Providence, Rhode Island, and once it departs Montreal it will be heading into for Port Colborne, Ont. And most likely to ports beyond. Federal Delta is one of four new Handy-size bulkers built at the Oshima Shipyard in 2018 for Fednav. The others are Federal Nagara IMO (9805257), which first came inland in early August, followed by Federal Dart (IMO 9805245), which has made two inland visits so far, with the first in mid-August and another in late October. Federal Dee (IMO 9805269), a sistership to the others, and Federal Delta first came inland as well in September. All four of the new Fednav ships are registered in the Marshall Islands which each being 199.98 meters in length and 23.76 meters in width. Each has four deck cranes, whereas some of their previous fleetmates by Oshima Shipyard have three deck cranes. Denny Dushane |
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Gales of November this weekend in Duluth 11/1 - This weekend the 31st Annual Gales of November, a maritime heritage event, will offer presentations, exhibitors and a silent auction. Key speakers include Brett Seymour, deputy chief of the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center based in Denver, telling about a project taking underwater photos with a team at Isle Royale National Park in preparation for creating a virtual 3D tour of the shipwrecks there (noon Friday at The Sports Garden). Saturday at the DECC, you can hear Paul C. LaMarre III, director of the Port of Monroe, Michigan, talk about growing up in a maritime family, working on boats on the Great Lakes, and how he led a grassroots campaign that saved and restored the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, a historic freighter that’s now a museum ship (noon Saturday, the DECC). Gales of November is a major fundraiser for the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association in Duluth. Lake Superior Magazine hosts a Friday evening gala from 5-7 p.m. Lake Superior Marine Museum Association |
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Today in Great Lakes History - November 1 The LEHIGH, Captain Edward P. Fitch in command, cleared the Great Lakes Engineering Works yard at River Rouge, Michigan, to begin her maiden trip on this day in 1943. The LEHIGH was one of two Maritimers (the other was the STEELTON) acquired by Bethlehem Steel Corp. as part of a government program to upgrade and increase the capacity of the Great Lakes fleet during World War II. Bethlehem exchanged three older vessels, the JOHNSTOWN of 1905, the SAUCON, and the CORNWALL, plus cash for the two Maritimers.On 01 November 1880, NINA BAILEY (wooden schooner, 30 tons, built in 1873, at Ludington, Michigan) filled with water and went out of control in a storm on Lake Michigan. She struck the North Pier at St. Joseph, Michigan and capsized. Her crew climbed up on her keel and was rescued by the Lifesaving Service. The vessel later broke up in the waves. The Grand Trunk Western Railway was granted permission by the Interstate Commerce Commission on November 1, 1978, to discontinue its Lake Michigan service between Muskegon, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MAITLAND NO 1 made her maiden voyage on November 1, 1916, from Ashtabula, Ohio to Port Maitland, Ontario, transporting rail cars with coal for the steel mills at Hamilton, Ontario. SCOTT MISENER of 1954 returned to service in the grain trade on November 1, 1986, after a 3-year lay-up. On 1 November 1917, ALVA B (wooden steam tug, 74 foot, 84 gross tons, built in 1890, at Buffalo, New York) apparently mistook amusement park lights for the harbor markers at Avon Lake, Ohio during a storm. She struck bottom in the shallows and was destroyed by waves. On 1 November 1862, BLACK HAWK (wooden brig, 138 foot, 385 tons, built in 1854, at Ohio City, Ohio) was carrying 19,000 bushels of corn and some stained glass when a gale drove her ashore and wrecked her near Point Betsie. In 1858, this vessel had sailed from Detroit, Michigan to Liverpool, England and back. On 1 Nov 1862, CHIEF JUSTICE MARSHALL (2-mast wooden schooner, 105 foot, 182 tons, built in 1830, at Cape Vincent, New York) was driven aground between Dunkirk and Barcelona, New York during a storm. All hands were lost and the vessel was a total loss. The Mackinac Bridge was opened to traffic on 01 November 1957. The CITY OF MILWAUKEE (steel propeller carferry, 347 foot, 2,988 gross tons, built in 1931, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) made her last run for Grand Trunk's rail car ferry service on 01 November 1978. In the fall of 1978, after termination of Grand Trunk's carferry service, she was then chartered to Ann Arbor Railroad. She is currently a museum ship at Manistee, Michigan. Port Maitland Shipbreaking Ltd. began scrapping P & H Shipping's f.) ELMGLEN on 01 November 1984. She had a long career, being built in 1909, at Ecorse, Michigan as the a.) SHENANGO (steel propeller bulk freighter, 580 foot. 8,047 gross tons). 1907: WILLIAM E. REIS settled on the bottom of the St. Clair River following a collision with the MONROE C. SMITH. It was finally refloated for good on December 7 after several earlier efforts were short lived. The former last sailed as SASKADOC in 1966. 1908: TELEGRAM, a wooden passenger and freight carrier, stranded at Horse Island, Rattlesnake Harbour, Georgian Bay. The ship caught fire when the stove upset and the vessel was a total loss. All on board were rescued. 1912: The barge P.B. LOCKE, under tow of the JUNO, was lost in a storm on Lake Ontario enroute from Pointe Anne to Toronto. 1921: The Canadian wooden freighter CANOBIE, a) IRON KING received major storm damage on Lake Erie and arrived at Erie, Pa., in a leaking condition. The ship was stripped of valuable parts and abandoned. It later caught fire and subsequently scuttled about 2 miles offshore. 1924: GLENLYON stranded at Menagerie Island, Siskiwit Bay, Lake Superior while enroute to Port Colborne with 150,000 bushels of wheat. It had been seeking shelter in a storm but grounded as a total loss and then sank over the winter. All on board were saved. 1929: KEYSTATE and the schooner MAGGIE L. collided in the St. Lawrence near Clayton, NY, and the latter was lost. 1956: JAMES B. EADS and fleetmate GREY BEAVER were in a collision in western Lake Ontario and both received bow damage. 1965: High winds blew the Taiwanese freighter KALLY aground on a mud bank at Essexville, MI while inbound to load a cargo of scrap. The ship was released the next day. 2000: The Panamanian freighter OXFORD was only two years old when it came through the Seaway in November 1984. It got caught in typhoon Xangsene, as d) MANILA SPIRIT, on this date in 2000. The ship, still flagged in Panama, was driven aground and then sank off Hualien, Taiwan. One crewman was apparently able to swim to shore but the other 23 sailors were missing and presumed lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 31
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Oct 30 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 31 On this day in 1984, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the international railroad bridge at Sault Ste. Marie went askew and blocked boat traffic until 3:40 p.m. on Nov. 2. Twelve boats were delayed up to 41 hours by the incident, costing the operators an estimated $350,000.On 31 October 1888, A W LAWRENCE (wooden propeller tug, 72 foot, 51 gross tons, built in 1880, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) blew her boiler at 2:30 a.m. off North Point near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tug quickly sank. Four of the six aboard were lost. None of their remains were ever found. The tug MERRILL rescued the cook and a passenger. The LAWRENCE was owned by Capt. Mc Coy & Banner and valued at $5,000. CANADIAN EXPLORER's sea trials were conducted on October 31, 1983, on Lake Erie where a service speed of 13.8 m.p.h. was recorded. The EDWIN H. GOTT was christened October 31, 1978. On October 31, 1973, the H. M. GRIFFITH entered service for Canada Steamship Lines on her maiden voyage bound for Thunder Bay, Ontario to load iron ore for Hamilton, Ontario. The GRIFFITH was rebuilt with a new larger forward section and renamed b.) RT. HON PAUL J. MARTIN in 2000. The CADILLAC was launched October 31, 1942, as a.) LAKE ANGELINE. ELMGLEN cleared Owen Sound, Ontario on October 31, 1984, on her first trip in Parrish & Heimbecker colors. On October 31, 1966, while down bound in the St. Marys River loaded with 11,143 tons of potash for Oswego, New York, the HALLFAX ran aground on a rocky reef and settled to the bottom with her hold full of water. She had grounded on Pipe Island Twins Reef just north of DeTour, Michigan. The CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON, a.) WILLIAM C. MORELAND, struck a reef the night of October 31, 1925 three miles south of Manitou Island, off the Keweenaw Peninsula, on Lake Superior. On October 31, 1983, the SYLVANIA was towed out of Toledo’s Frog Pond by the harbor tugs ARKANSAS and WYOMING. She was handed over to the tug OHIO for delivery to the Triad Salvage Co., at Ashtabula, Ohio, arriving there on November 1st. Dismantling was completed there in 1984. Thus ended 78 years of service. Ironically the SYLVANIA, the first built of the 504-foot-class bulkers, was the last survivor of that class. During her career with Columbia Transportation, the SYLVANIA had carried over 20 million tons and netted over $35 million. On 31 October 1883, CITY OF TORONTO (wooden passenger-package freight sidewheeler, 207 foot, 898 gross tons, built in 1864, at Niagara, Ontario) caught fire at the Muir Brothers shipyard at Port Dalhousie, Ontario and was totally destroyed. She previously had her paddle boxes removed so she could pass through the Welland Canal, and she was in the shipyard to have them reassembled that winter. On 31 October 1874, the tug FAVORITE was towing the schooner WILLIE NEELER on Lake Erie. At about 10:30 p.m., near Bar Point, the schooner suddenly sheered and before the to line could be cast off, the FAVORITE capsized and sank. One life was lost. The rest of the crew clung to the upper works, which had become dislodged from the vessel, and were rescued by the schooner's lifeboats. On 31 October 1821, WALK-IN-THE-WATER (wooden side-wheeler, 135 foot, 339 tons, built in 1818, at Black Rock [Buffalo], New York) was wrecked on Point Abino, on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie during a storm. She was the first steam-powered vessel above Niagara and her frequent comings and goings during her career were very much in the newspapers in Detroit but her loss was not mentioned not at all since this steamer was virtually the only source of news from the east. Her engine was installed by Robert Fulton himself. After the wreck, it went into the steamer SUPERIOR and later ran a lumber mill in Saginaw, Michigan. On 31 October 1880, TRANCHEMONTAGNE (wooden schooner, 108 foot, 130 tons, built in 1864, at Sorel, Quebec) was loaded with rye and sailing in a storm on Lake Ontario. She struck the breakwater at Oswego, New York head-on at about 3:00 a.m. She stove in her bow and quickly sank. The crew took to the rigging, except for one who was washed overboard and rode a provision box from her deck to shore. The Lifesaving Service rescued the rest from the breakwater. The schooner broke up quickly in the storm. 1885: WILLIAM T. GRAVES stranded at North Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, and was a total loss. 1911: The wooden lumber carrier D. LEUTY hit a squall off Marquette. The wooden steamer ran on the rocks off Lighthouse Point while trying to return to the harbor and was a total loss. The crew was saved and later the machinery was salvaged. 1929: SENATOR and MARQUETTE collided in fog on Lake Michigan and the former sank with the loss of 10 lives. 1952: The Swedish vessel RYHOLM was hit portside ahead of the bridge by the Swiss freighter BASILEA and beached 23 miles below Quebec City. The former had been a pre-Seaway visitor to the Great Lakes and was not salvaged until June 6, 1953. It became CARLSHOLM in 1957 and last came inland in 1967. The ship was scrapped at Aviles, Spain, as d) ARCHON in 1972. 1975: The tug JESSE JAMES operated on the Great Lakes from 1923 to 1966. It caught fire and sank as c) BALEEN about 30 miles southeast of Boston. All on board were saved. 1991: The MAHOGANY visited the Seaway in 1978 and as b) CARDIFF in 1981. It was sailing as f) PANAGHIA PHANEROMENI when in collision with the AQUILLA off Piraeus Roads. The ship was repaired at Perama, Greece, before it returned to service in January 1992. 2005: The Canfornav bulk carrier EIDER was only one year old when it ran aground near Famagusta, Chile, while inbound to load copper ore. The ship was damaged but refloated and repaired at Balboa, Panama. It was back through the Seaway in 2006 and has been a frequent caller since then. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - October 30
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report for Monday Oct 29 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Port Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 30 On 30 October 1863, TORRENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 125 foot, 412 gross tons, built in 1855, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Little Bay de Noc when she foundered in a storm on Lake Erie, 10 miles east of Port Stanley, Ontario. No lives were lost.On 30 October 1870, JOSEPH A. HOLLON (wooden barge, 107 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1867, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was in tow of the tug CLEMATIS (wooden tug, 179 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The barge broke free and drifted off. The waves washed completely over her and the captain was swept overboard. Her cabins were destroyed. The next day the wife of the mate and another crewmember were rescued by the bark ONEONTA (wooden bark, 161 foot, 499 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) and taken to Detroit, but the HOLLON was left to drift on the Lake. The newspapers listed her as "missing". Five days later the vessel was found and was towed into Port Elgin, Ontario. A total of four lives were lost: three were missing and the fourth was found "lashed to a pump, dead, with his eyes picked out.” The tugs GLENADA and MOUNT MC KAY towed AMOCO ILLINOIS from Essexville, Michigan, on October 30, 1985, and arrived at the M&M slip in Windsor, Ontario, on November 1st. where she was to be scrapped. The Maritimers CADILLAC and her fleetmate CHAMPLAIN arrived under tow by the Dutch tug/supply ship THOMAS DE GAUWDIEF on October 30, 1987, at Aliaga, Turkey, to be scrapped. The ISLE ROYALE (Canal bulk freighter) was launched October 30, 1947, as a.) SOUTHCLIFFE HALL for the Hall Corporation of Canada Ltd. (which in 1969, became Hall Corporation (Shipping) 1969 Ltd.), Montreal. On 30 October 1874, LOTTA BERNARD (wooden side wheel "rabbit", 125 foot, 147 tons, built in 1869, at Port Clinton, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise from Silver Islet to Duluth when she foundered in a terrific gale off Encampment Island in Lake Superior. Three lives were lost. She was capable of only 4 miles per hour and was at the mercy of any fast-rising storm. During a storm, the schooner ANNABELLA CHAMBERS was wrecked on the islands off Toronto, Ontario, on 30 October 1873. One sailor was washed overboard and lost. The skipper was rescued, but he had the dead body of his small son in his arms. On 30 October, 1971 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 was laid up due to a coal strike. She never sailed again as a carferry. On 30 October 1877, CITY OF TAWAS (3-mast wooden schooner, 135 foot, 291 tons, built in 1864, at Vicksburgh [now Marysville], Michigan as a sloop-barge) was carrying 500 tons of iron ore when she struck a bar outside the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan, while attempting to enter during a storm. She drifted ashore with a hole in her bottom and was pounded to pieces. One brave crewman swam ashore with a line and the rest came in on it. 1918: The bulk carrier VULCAN went aground off Point Abbaye, on Lake Superior and the pilothouse caught fire and burned. The ship was enroute to Hancock, MI with coal and, after being released, was towed to Houghton, MI. The vessel was repaired and became b) VINMOUNT in 1919. 1960: JOHN SHERWIN went aground several miles above the Soo Locks and received serious bottom damage. The vessel was pulled free on November 7 and went for repairs. 1973: AIGLE MARIN, enroute to Thorold with 600 tons of ferrous chrome, went aground in the Seaway near Cornwall, ON. The tug ROBINSON BAY helped pull this small coastal freighter, a product of the Collingwood Shipyard, free on October 31. 1974: JOHN O. McKELLAR of the Misener fleet went aground in the St. Marys River and had to be lightered before being refloated. It was stuck for 3 days. 1978: The Cypriot freighter KARYATIS came through the Seaway in 1973. The ship, later under the Greek flag, was damaged in a collision on the Western Mediterranean with the SPRING. The latter, as a) IRISH ROSE, had made been a Great Lakes visitor from 1956 through 1958, and was declared a total loss after the collision. It was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1979. KARYATIS was repaired and was later broken up at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, as e) NOURA after arrival on April 7, 1987. 1980: The wooden-hulled former coastal freighter AVALON VOYAGER II, enroute to Owen Sound for planned use as a restaurant, had pump problems, lost power and struck bottom off Cape Hurd. The anchors failed to hold. The ship drifted into Hay Bay and stranded again. All on board were saved but the ship was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - October 29
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Adriaticborg remained at the elevators on undy.
Saginaw, Mich.
Marine City, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Ashtabula, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Oct 28 - Barry Andersen (High winds affecting some vessels going to exposed docks.)
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Port Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Invasives, pollution worry Great Lakes people most 10/29 - Great Lakes residents are more concerned about invasive species than climate change, according to a recent poll. But researchers say the two are closely linked. “Climate change is just one more disturbance that helps invasive species to rise,” said Carrie Brown-Lima, director of the New York Invasive Species Research Institute at Cornell University. “Invasive species are the first to adapt to warmer climate, but native species don’t have that advantage,” Brown-Lima said. An invasive species is one transported by people to places where it is not found and that causes ecological and economic damage. The poll by the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Board reveals the attitudes of more than 4,000 regional residents regarding Great Lakes issues. Those polled ranked invasive species only below pollution in a list of concerns about the Great Lakes water quality and surrounding environment. Seventeen percent said invasive species was of highest concern. Only 3 percent listed climate change as one of their top worries. In warmer water, certain invasive fish have a higher metabolism which helps them compete against native fish, Brown-Lima said. They eat native food and the natives themselves. The process could eliminate species that were once native to the region. Invasive plant species in the Great Lakes are much more resilient than native species which makes them far more likely to thrive and disrupt ecosystems, she said. Increasing water temperatures in the lakes leads to shorter periods of ice, allowing for the invasive aquatic species to thrive, Brown-Lima said. The annual ice coverage of the Great Lakes decreased 71 percent between 1973 and 2010, according to the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that focuses on adapting to climate change.
The poll also found: Great Lakes Echo via Soo Evening News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 29 The whaleback barge 127 (steel barge, 264 foot, 1,128 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Company of W. Superior, Wisconsin, on 29 October 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at New Orleans, Louisiana.On 29 October 1906, the schooner WEST SIDE (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 324 gross tons, built in 1870, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pulpwood from Tobermory, Ontario, to Delray, Michigan, when she was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. There was no shelter and the vessel was lost about 25 mile off Thunder Bay Island. The skipper and his crew, consisting of his wife and three sons aged 10 to 18, abandoned in the yawl. They all suffered from exposure to the wind and waves, but luckily the FRANK H. PEAVEY (steel propeller freighter, 430 foot, 5,002 gross tons, built in 1901, at Lorain, Ohio) picked them up and brought them to Port Huron, Michigan. ALGOLAKE (Hull# 211) was launched October 29, 1976, at Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd. for the Algoma Central Railway. On October 29, 1986, the JAMES R. BARKER, which had suffered an engine room fire, was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY and towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs. The pieced-together CANADIAN EXPLORER (Hull#71) was christened on October 29, 1983, at Port Weller Dry Docks. She was created from the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE and the stern of the CABOT. The stern of the EXPLORER is now the stern of the ALGOMA TRANSFER. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled on October 29, 1991, that Total Petroleum was responsible for the fire that destroyed the tanker JUPITER because of faulty moorings and exonerated the BUFFALO from primary responsibility. On the afternoon of October 29, 1987, while upbound with coal from Sandusky, Ohio, the ROGER M. KYES went aground on Gull Island Shoal in Lake Erie's Middle Passage and began taking on water. About 3,000 tons of coal was transferred to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC after which the KYES freed herself the next morning. Damage from the grounding required extensive repairs. She was renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. The tug portion of the PRESQUE ISLE departed New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 29, 1973. The H. C. HEIMBECKER's last trip started at Thunder Bay, Ontario, with a load of grain bound for Owen Sound, Ontario where, on October 29, 1981, it was discovered that one of her boilers was cracked. When unloading was completed on October 30th, the HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio, for scrapping. On 29 October 1892, ZACH CHANDLER (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 194 foot, 727 gross tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying lumber from Ashland, Wisconsin, in tow of the steamer JOHN MITCHELL when the two became separated in a northerly gale in Lake Superior. The CHANDLER was overwhelmed and broke up on shore about three miles east of Deer Park, Michigan. Five of the crew made it to shore in the lifeboat and the Lifesaving Service saved two others, but one perished. Three years earlier, the CHANDLER stranded at almost the same spot and sustained heavy damage. On 29 October 1879, AMAZON (wooden propeller freighter, 245 foot, 1,406 tons, built in 1873, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying "provisions" - 900 tons of freight plus 7,000 barrels of flour - from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. She struck the notorious bar off of Grand Haven in a gale and broke up. All 68 aboard survived. Her engine was later recovered. On 29 October 1880, THOMAS A. SCOTT (4-mast wooden schooner-barge, 207 foot, 1,159 tons, built in 1869, at Buffalo, New York as a propeller) was riding out a storm at anchor one mile off Milwaukee when she was struck by the big steamer AVON (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1,702 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York). The SCOTT sank quickly. She had been bound from Chicago for Erie, Pennsylvania, with 44,000 bushels of corn. Three of her crew scrambled onto the AVON while the seven others took to the yawl and were towed in by the Lifesaving Service. 1887: VERNON, enroute from Cheboygan to Chicago, foundered off Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in a sudden and violent Lake Michigan storm. Only one on board was saved while another 36 lives were lost. 1907: CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, a wooden passenger steamer recently brought into Canadian registry, caught fire while stopped at Tobermory for the night while enroute from Wiarton to Manitoulin Island. The blazing ship was cut loose, drifted into the bay and sank. 1917: RISING SUN stranded at Pyramid Point, Lake Michigan, in snow and the 32 on board were rescued before the ship was broken apart by the surf. 1924: GLENORCHY sank in Lake Huron, six miles ESE of Harbor Beach after a collision with the LEONARD B. MILLER. Dense fog mixing with smoke from forest fires were blamed for the accident. All on board were saved. No lives were lost but the GLENORCHY sank and the estimated damage to the two vessels was $600,000. 1926: TORHAMVAN, built at Midland as CANADIAN LOGGER, was wrecked off Newfoundland after going aground in fog enroute to Montreal. Area residents rescued the crew. 1929: The passenger and freight carrier WISCONSIN foundered off Kenosha, Wisconsin, with the loss of 16 lives. 1942: NORLUNA, built at Chicago in 1919 as LAKE GETAWAY, stranded in Ungava Bay, off the coast of Labrador near Fort Chimo, and was a total loss. 1951: After unloading grain at Buffalo, the PENOBSCOT was in a collision on the Buffalo River with the tanker barge MORANIA 130, pushed by the tug DAUNTLESS NO. 12. The barge was carrying gasoline and a terrible fire broke out. A total of 11 sailors, including two on the freighter, died from burns. 1959: MARISCO had visited the Great Lakes as a) MOYRA and b) HEIKA. The ship foundered in the Gulf of Laconia, off Gythion, Greece, after developing a leak in the engineroom. It was enroute from Varna, Bulgaria, to Genoa, Italy, with iron ore. 1968: GLOUCESTER CITY began Great Lakes trading in 1966. The ship was sailing as b) ST. JOHN when it put into Fort Dauphin, Malagasy Republic, with engine trouble on a voyage from Montreal to Djakarta, Indonesia. Two days later the vessel broke its moorings in a gale and was blown on a sandbank as a total loss. 1978: The Swedish freighter FREDBORG, b) FREDRIK RAGNE, a Great Lakes visitor under both names before and after the Seaway was opened, returned as c) ANASTASSIA in 1968. The vessel was towed out of Tema, Ghana, as e) GAYTA on this date in 1978 and scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 29
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Adriaticborg remained at the elevators on undy.
Saginaw, Mich.
Marine City, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Ashtabula, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Oct 28 - Barry Andersen (High winds affecting some vessels going to exposed docks.)
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Port Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Invasives, pollution worry Great Lakes people most 10/29 - Great Lakes residents are more concerned about invasive species than climate change, according to a recent poll. But researchers say the two are closely linked. “Climate change is just one more disturbance that helps invasive species to rise,” said Carrie Brown-Lima, director of the New York Invasive Species Research Institute at Cornell University. “Invasive species are the first to adapt to warmer climate, but native species don’t have that advantage,” Brown-Lima said. An invasive species is one transported by people to places where it is not found and that causes ecological and economic damage. The poll by the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Board reveals the attitudes of more than 4,000 regional residents regarding Great Lakes issues. Those polled ranked invasive species only below pollution in a list of concerns about the Great Lakes water quality and surrounding environment. Seventeen percent said invasive species was of highest concern. Only 3 percent listed climate change as one of their top worries. In warmer water, certain invasive fish have a higher metabolism which helps them compete against native fish, Brown-Lima said. They eat native food and the natives themselves. The process could eliminate species that were once native to the region. Invasive plant species in the Great Lakes are much more resilient than native species which makes them far more likely to thrive and disrupt ecosystems, she said. Increasing water temperatures in the lakes leads to shorter periods of ice, allowing for the invasive aquatic species to thrive, Brown-Lima said. The annual ice coverage of the Great Lakes decreased 71 percent between 1973 and 2010, according to the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that focuses on adapting to climate change.
The poll also found: Great Lakes Echo via Soo Evening News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 29 The whaleback barge 127 (steel barge, 264 foot, 1,128 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Company of W. Superior, Wisconsin, on 29 October 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at New Orleans, Louisiana.On 29 October 1906, the schooner WEST SIDE (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 324 gross tons, built in 1870, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pulpwood from Tobermory, Ontario, to Delray, Michigan, when she was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. There was no shelter and the vessel was lost about 25 mile off Thunder Bay Island. The skipper and his crew, consisting of his wife and three sons aged 10 to 18, abandoned in the yawl. They all suffered from exposure to the wind and waves, but luckily the FRANK H. PEAVEY (steel propeller freighter, 430 foot, 5,002 gross tons, built in 1901, at Lorain, Ohio) picked them up and brought them to Port Huron, Michigan. ALGOLAKE (Hull# 211) was launched October 29, 1976, at Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd. for the Algoma Central Railway. On October 29, 1986, the JAMES R. BARKER, which had suffered an engine room fire, was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY and towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs. The pieced-together CANADIAN EXPLORER (Hull#71) was christened on October 29, 1983, at Port Weller Dry Docks. She was created from the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE and the stern of the CABOT. The stern of the EXPLORER is now the stern of the ALGOMA TRANSFER. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled on October 29, 1991, that Total Petroleum was responsible for the fire that destroyed the tanker JUPITER because of faulty moorings and exonerated the BUFFALO from primary responsibility. On the afternoon of October 29, 1987, while upbound with coal from Sandusky, Ohio, the ROGER M. KYES went aground on Gull Island Shoal in Lake Erie's Middle Passage and began taking on water. About 3,000 tons of coal was transferred to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC after which the KYES freed herself the next morning. Damage from the grounding required extensive repairs. She was renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. The tug portion of the PRESQUE ISLE departed New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 29, 1973. The H. C. HEIMBECKER's last trip started at Thunder Bay, Ontario, with a load of grain bound for Owen Sound, Ontario where, on October 29, 1981, it was discovered that one of her boilers was cracked. When unloading was completed on October 30th, the HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio, for scrapping. On 29 October 1892, ZACH CHANDLER (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 194 foot, 727 gross tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying lumber from Ashland, Wisconsin, in tow of the steamer JOHN MITCHELL when the two became separated in a northerly gale in Lake Superior. The CHANDLER was overwhelmed and broke up on shore about three miles east of Deer Park, Michigan. Five of the crew made it to shore in the lifeboat and the Lifesaving Service saved two others, but one perished. Three years earlier, the CHANDLER stranded at almost the same spot and sustained heavy damage. On 29 October 1879, AMAZON (wooden propeller freighter, 245 foot, 1,406 tons, built in 1873, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying "provisions" - 900 tons of freight plus 7,000 barrels of flour - from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. She struck the notorious bar off of Grand Haven in a gale and broke up. All 68 aboard survived. Her engine was later recovered. On 29 October 1880, THOMAS A. SCOTT (4-mast wooden schooner-barge, 207 foot, 1,159 tons, built in 1869, at Buffalo, New York as a propeller) was riding out a storm at anchor one mile off Milwaukee when she was struck by the big steamer AVON (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1,702 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York). The SCOTT sank quickly. She had been bound from Chicago for Erie, Pennsylvania, with 44,000 bushels of corn. Three of her crew scrambled onto the AVON while the seven others took to the yawl and were towed in by the Lifesaving Service. 1887: VERNON, enroute from Cheboygan to Chicago, foundered off Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in a sudden and violent Lake Michigan storm. Only one on board was saved while another 36 lives were lost. 1907: CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, a wooden passenger steamer recently brought into Canadian registry, caught fire while stopped at Tobermory for the night while enroute from Wiarton to Manitoulin Island. The blazing ship was cut loose, drifted into the bay and sank. 1917: RISING SUN stranded at Pyramid Point, Lake Michigan, in snow and the 32 on board were rescued before the ship was broken apart by the surf. 1924: GLENORCHY sank in Lake Huron, six miles ESE of Harbor Beach after a collision with the LEONARD B. MILLER. Dense fog mixing with smoke from forest fires were blamed for the accident. All on board were saved. No lives were lost but the GLENORCHY sank and the estimated damage to the two vessels was $600,000. 1926: TORHAMVAN, built at Midland as CANADIAN LOGGER, was wrecked off Newfoundland after going aground in fog enroute to Montreal. Area residents rescued the crew. 1929: The passenger and freight carrier WISCONSIN foundered off Kenosha, Wisconsin, with the loss of 16 lives. 1942: NORLUNA, built at Chicago in 1919 as LAKE GETAWAY, stranded in Ungava Bay, off the coast of Labrador near Fort Chimo, and was a total loss. 1951: After unloading grain at Buffalo, the PENOBSCOT was in a collision on the Buffalo River with the tanker barge MORANIA 130, pushed by the tug DAUNTLESS NO. 12. The barge was carrying gasoline and a terrible fire broke out. A total of 11 sailors, including two on the freighter, died from burns. 1959: MARISCO had visited the Great Lakes as a) MOYRA and b) HEIKA. The ship foundered in the Gulf of Laconia, off Gythion, Greece, after developing a leak in the engineroom. It was enroute from Varna, Bulgaria, to Genoa, Italy, with iron ore. 1968: GLOUCESTER CITY began Great Lakes trading in 1966. The ship was sailing as b) ST. JOHN when it put into Fort Dauphin, Malagasy Republic, with engine trouble on a voyage from Montreal to Djakarta, Indonesia. Two days later the vessel broke its moorings in a gale and was blown on a sandbank as a total loss. 1978: The Swedish freighter FREDBORG, b) FREDRIK RAGNE, a Great Lakes visitor under both names before and after the Seaway was opened, returned as c) ANASTASSIA in 1968. The vessel was towed out of Tema, Ghana, as e) GAYTA on this date in 1978 and scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 28
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Jim Conlon
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Ashtabula, Ohio
Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Oct 27 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal: Downbound Oct 25 - Oakglen at 1420 (to Port Colborne anchorage), Tim S Dool at 2104 and Oakglen at 2317 - Oct 27 - Algoma Transport at 0615, tug Petite Forte & barge St Marys Cement at 0755, Algoma Enterprise at 0831, tug Karen Andrie & barge Endeavour at 1308, Federal Schelde (Mhl) at 1500, tugs Evans McKeil and Jarrett M with barge Niagara Spirit at 1852
Port Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 28 On this day in 1939, the Pittsburgh steamer D. G. KERR, Captain H. D. Mc Leod, rescued six men from the cabin cruiser FRANCIS J. H. that was disabled and sinking on Lake Erie.On this day in 1953, the McKEE SONS loaded her first cargo of 17,238 tons of stone at Port Inland for delivery to East Chicago. Originally built as the C-4 MARINE ANGEL, the McKEE SONS was the first ocean vessel converted to a Great Lakes self-unloader. On this day in 1978, a new 420 foot tanker built at Levingston Shipbuilding, Orange, Texas, was christened GEMINI during ceremonies at Huron, Ohio. The GEMINI was the largest American flagged tanker on the lakes with a capacity of 75,000 barrels and a rated speed of 15.5 mph. Sold Canadian and renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. On October 28, 1891, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) was dragged ashore off Fairport, Ohio, by a strong gale. She was stranded and declared a total loss. However, she was salvaged and repaired in 1892 and lasted one more year. CANADIAN PIONEER's maiden voyage was on October 28, 1981, to Conneaut, Ohio, to take on coal for Nanticoke, Ontario. CANADIAN TRANSPORT was launched October 28, 1978, for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. FRED G. HARTWELL (Hull# 781) was launched October 28, 1922, by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio, for the Franklin Steamship Co. Renamed b.) MATTHEW ANDREWS in 1951. Sold Canadian in 1962, renamed c.) GEORGE M. CARL. She was scrapped at Aviles, Spain, in 1984. D. M. CLEMSON (Hull# 716) was launched October 28, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. CHARLES M. WHITE was launched October 28, 1945, as a C4-S-A4 cargo ship a.) MOUNT MANSFIELD for the U.S. Maritime Commission (U.S.M.C. Hull #2369). On October 28, 1887, BESSIE BARWICK, a 135 foot wooden schooner built in 1866, at St. Catharines, Ontario, as a bark, left Port Arthur for Kingston, Ontario, with a load of lumber during a storm. For more than ten days, her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, a westerly gale drove her into the shallows of Michipicoten Island and she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was sheltered by local fishermen and then made it to the Soo in a small open boat. On October 28, 1882, RUDOLPH WETZEL (wooden propeller tug, 23 tons, built in 1870, at Buffalo, New York) was racing for a tow with the tug HENRY S SILL when her boiler exploded 12 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin. She quickly sank. All three on board were killed and none of the bodies were ever found. 1901: The wooden schooner JULIA LARSON sank in a gale a half-mile northeast of Grand Marais, MI. The ship was later recovered and returned to service. 1928: The newly built DEEPWATER ran aground at Sugar Loaf Point, west of Port Colborne, in fog. The ship was lightered and released four days later and went to Montreal for repairs. The vessel later sailed the lakes as b) KEYMONT and c) HAMILDOC (ii) before being scrapped at Port Dalhousie in 1962. 1939: The tug R.P. REIDENBACH, with E.A.S. CLARKE (ii) under tow at Ashtabula, rolled over and sank with the loss of 2 lives. It was refloated, became b) CONNEAUT in 1941 and was scrapped at Ashtabula about 1964. 1959: The tug BROWN BROTHERS, enroute to Port Burwell under tow of the tug LUKE, was overwhelmed by the waves and sank off Long Point with no loss of life. Originally a fish tug, the vessel served as the b) IVEY ROSE from 1946 to 1950 pushing the barge T.A. IVEY in the Lake Erie coal trade. 1964: BORGFRED, a Great Lakes visitor in 1952, caught fire in the engine room as g) GIANNIS and sank off Malta two days later while on a voyage from Romania to Algeria. 1970: WEARFIELD, a British freighter began Great Lakes visits in 1964 as the largest saltwater ship to yet use the Seaway, was blown aground at the entrance to the Soo Locks due to high winds on this date in 1970. It took over 5 hours to release the vessel. Service ended on arrival at Shanghai, China, for scrapping as f) FAIR WIND on March 15, 1985. 1979: PIERSON INDEPENDENT ran aground in the St. Lawrence near Brockville while downbound with a cargo of corn. The ship was released but then beached as it was taking on water. Temporary repairs allowed the vessel to be refloated again on October 31 and it sailed to Trois Rivieres to be unloaded. 2007: SEA MAID, a small Danish freighter, came through the Seaway in 1997 with steel for Cleveland. It was wrecked as d) OMER N. 18 miles west of Gedser, Denmark, and was dismantled in sections at Grenaa, Denmark, in 2008. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Ranger III celebrates 60 years of service 10/27 - Houghton, Mich. – The Ranger III ferry service connecting Houghton, Mich., to Isle Royale National Park completed 60 years of service this October. The Ranger III is a 165-foot long, 34-foot wide, 648-ton vessel that carries 128 passengers. She has a nine-member crew. On Nov. 1, Isle Royale National Park closes for the season. From Nov. 1 through April 15 annually, Isle Royale and its surrounding islands close to all visitors. All islands reopen April 16. The Houghton Visitor Center remains open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm all year. The park begins taking reservations January 2, 2019 for Ranger III’s 61st season. In addition, the Ranger III leaves for dry dock in Superior, Wis., Sunday, October 28. It is approximately a 14-hour trip from Houghton, Mich. National Park Service |
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Port Reports - October 27
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Oct 26 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton: Oct 23 - Anchored - Oct 23 - Federal Saguenay (Bds) at 1545 - Oct 25 - Blacky (Cyp) at 1620 - Docked - Aug 29 - CCGS Martha L Black (icebreaker) at 0618 (Heddle Marine) - Oct 21 - Federal Yoshino (Mhl) at 1708 - Oct 22 - Tundra (Cyp) at 0720 - Oct 25 - Lyulin (Mlt) at 1440 - Oct 25 - Bro Anna (Sgp) at 0935 and Wicko (Bhs) at 2300 (from the anchorage) - Departure - Oct 25 - Algoma Strongfield at 2147 eastbound
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Mystery surrounds old Lake Michigan shipwreck, woman left tied to the mast 10/27 - Frankfort, Mich. – It was 138 years ago this fall that a schooner hauling iron ore met a violent end in a sudden squall in northern Lake Michigan. The wreck still litters the lake's bottom near Frankfort - and sparked a haunting mystery that continues to be part of Great Lakes lore: a woman who died lashed to the sinking ship's mast. Boaters have floated over the waterlogged timbers off shore. They're all that remain of the J. Hazard Hartzell. That, and a U.S. Life Saving Service annual report that goes into great detail about the 1880 wreck and its controversial rescue effort. The story itself is that of an extraordinary effort. Townspeople and surfmen from the nearby Life Saving Station worked together under grueling conditions for more than 12 hours to save the seven men aboard. But the only woman on the ship - a cook named Lydia Dale from Toledo - remained frustratingly out of reach. One sailor after another reached the safety of the beach that horrible day, only to tell rescuers that the woman was already dead. But was it true? A movie has been made about the Hartzell. At least one book has been loosely based on the wreck. But to truly understand what it was like out there in that vicious squall - a day that became known as the Big Blow because it sent other ships under the waves - one only has to read the harrowing account penned in that annual government report. The level of detail is amazing. And if that writer didn't go on to author adventure novels, it was a loss for readers everywhere. We're drawing from that historical account here to tell the Hartzell's story, and show you why the mystery of Lydia Dale persists. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/10/mystery_surrounds_old_lake_mic.html |
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Chi-Cheemaun model complete after years of work 10/27 - Owen Sound, Ont. – A lot has changed since Ted Bluhm first started work on a model of the MS Chi-Cheemaun in 2002. It has taken about 16 years, but the 45-inch-long model is now complete and on display at the Owen Sound Transportation Company headquarters at Springmount. Bluhm started the project, but when his first wife Mia fell ill and passed away in 2008, he put the project on the backburner for about four years. But he dusted it off at the encouragement of his second wife, Bev. But when he finally did get going again on the project, the Chi-Cheemaun itself was undergoing a lot of change, including renovations to the ship’s interior, new lifeboats and a First Nations-inspired design on its exterior. So Bluhm made the changes to the model itself. “They have changed it so damn much,” Bluhm said with a laugh. “I had to change it all around.” Bluhm, 81, got into building boat models with former co-worker Peter Adamson following their retirement from Hobart. He started out building tugboats and trawlers, but then decided to take on the Chi-Cheemaun. “I got a set of plans for it,” said Bluhm, who has now shifted his focus to wood turning and a bit of carving. “I soon realized she was a big boat.” Read more and see a photo of the model at this link: https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/chi-cheemaun-model-complete-after-years-of-work |
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Mariners' Church of Detroit to present Fitzgerald program by Fred Stonehouse 10/27 - Metamorphosis: How the Edmund Fitzgerald Went From Fact to Great Lakes Legend, a lecture by Frederick Stonehouse, Maritime Historian Saturday, November 10, 2018, 11:00 a.m. This event will be held at Mariners' Church, 170 E. Jefferson Ave. Detroit, MI 48226. (313) 259-2206. Please click on the link below to view the video and RSVP for the lecture: http://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/greatlakes You are also cordially invited to our Annual Great Lakes Memorial Service, Sunday, November 11, 2018, 11:00 a.m. All military personnel, both active and retired, are invited to be in uniform and participate in the Honor Guard during the Bell Memorial. As a reminder, parking for all our services is free and secure in the Ford Underground Garage located at the corner of Woodward and Jefferson Avenues. Please bring your parking ticket with you into the church to receive your validation sticker. Mariners' Church of Detroit |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 27 On this day in 1979, the MESABI MINER delivered her first cargo of coal to Port Washington, Wis. The 21- foot draft restriction of the harbor limited the cargo to 39,000 tons.While in tow of the tug MERRICK on October 27, 1879, the NIAGARA (wooden schooner, 204 foot, 764 gross tons, built in 1873, at Tonawanda, New York) collided with the PORTER (wooden schooner, 205 foot, 747 gross tons, built in 1874, at Milwaukee, Wis.), which was in tow of the tug WILCOX at the mouth of the Detroit River. The PORTER sank but was salvaged and repaired. She lasted another 19 years. PAUL THAYER was christened on October 27, 1973, at Lorain, Ohio. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995 and MANITOWOC in 2008. While the JAMES R. BARKER was upbound October 27, 1986, on Lake Huron above buoys 11 & 12, a high-pressure fuel line on the starboard engine failed causing an engine room fire, which was extinguished by on-board fire fighting equipment. Fortunately no one was injured. On her maiden voyage, the HOCHELAGA departed Collingwood on October 27, 1949, for Fort William, Ontario, to load grain for Port Colborne, Ontario. FRANCIS E. HOUSE was laid up at Duluth on October 27, 1960, and remained idle there until April, 1966, when she was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland and renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. On October 27, 1973, the HENRY LA LIBERTE struck an embankment while backing from the Frontier Dock Slip at Buffalo, New York, and damaged her steering gear beyond repair. As a consequence she was laid up there. RED WING and FRANK A. SHERMAN departed Lauzon, Quebec, on October 27, 1986, in tandem tow by the Vancouver based deep-sea tug CANADIAN VIKING bound for scrapping in Taiwan. On October 27, 1869, ALFRED ALLEN (wooden schooner, 160 tons, built in 1853, at Pultneyville, New Jersey, as J. J. MORLEY) was bound for Toledo, Ohio, with 500 barrels of salt when she went on the Mohawk Reef near Port Colborne, Ontario, in a blizzard. She washed free and drifted to the mainland beach where she was pounded to pieces. No lives were lost. During a snowstorm on the night of October 27, 1878, the propeller QUEBEC of the Beatty Line ran aground on Magnetic Shoals near Cockburn Island on Lake Huron. She was four miles from shore and one of her arches was broken in the accident. October 27, 1854 - Well-known Pere Marquette carferry captain Joseph "Joe" Russell was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin. 1937: EASTON, of the Misener's Colonial Steamship Co., arrived at Meaford, ON with a cracked cylinder in the engine. The ship was there to load a cargo of baled hay for Fort William and bushels of apples. The trip was canceled and the vessel was sent for repairs. 1965: The Liberty ship PANAGATHOS traded through the Seaway in 1962 and 1963 under Greek registry and was back in 1965 under the flag of Liberia. The vessel ran aground off Ameland Island, 4 nautical miles from the Hollum Lighthouse, Holland, enroute from Amsterdam and Hamburg to the U.S. East Coast with a cargo of steel. The ship was abandoned as a total loss and the hull remained there until at least 1970. 1965: A fire broke out aboard the Egyptian freighter STAR OF SUEZ while upbound in the Seaway east of the Snell Lock. The ship was docked at Cornwall and the local fire company doused the blaze. The cargo of cotton in #3 hold was mostly offloaded. The ship lasted until scrapping at Split, Yugoslavia, in 1980. 1976: A fire in the bilge of the tug CHRIS M. at Toronto destroyed the ship's wiring. The vessel had become unpopular at the waterfront area but was rebuilt as the powered 3-masted schooner EMPIRE SANDY in 1983. 1982: The French ore carrier FRANCOIS L.D., a regular Great Lakes caller since 1962, struck the breakwall at Cape Vincent, NY while westbound in fog. There was heavy damage to the structure and the ship had a dent in the bow. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New Seaway anchorages approved at Cape Vincent and Tibbitts Point 10/26 - The U.S. Coast Guard has approved new anchorages at Cape Vincent and Tibbitts Point, effective as of July 30. This will allow Seaway pilots that anchor to await a relief at Cape Vincent and Tibbitts Point to leave the vessel and be relieved of that duty. The request for designated anchorages in the Cape Vincent area was brought to light during the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s bi-annual Customer Survey of Owners and Agents in 2016. The goal of these surveys is to gain input from Seaway customers about issues that have arisen for them, discuss solutions, and provide resolution where possible. The SLSDC took the lead on this issue as the area in question was in the U.S. waters of the system. Great Lakes Seaway Partnership Seaway pilots must anchor at designated anchorages in order to be relieved of duty. Once the vessel anchors in a designated anchorage, the pilot may be relieved of duty and transported from the vessel while it awaits a new relief pilot. Because Cape Vincent is a pilot exchange point for lake pilots and river pilots, it requires two different anchorages, one on the lake for down-bound vessels, and one in the river for up-bound vessels. Vessels were anchoring in these areas already, however, they were never officially designated as Seaway anchorages. Thus, pilots were not allowed to leave the vessel and customers were being charged an overtime rate for those hours the vessel was at anchor. SLSDC solicited input from U.S. and Canadian local pilot associations, who concurred that the new anchorages would be a helpful solution. This change will be a significant benefit to Seaway customers. Furthermore, it will benefit pilots as well by allowing them to leave the vessel and more quickly return into the rotation for another assignment. View charts at this link: http://greatlakesseaway.org/new-seaway-anchorages-approved-at-cape-vincent-and-tibbitts-point |
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Port Reports - October 26
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors- Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. St. Marys River<BR> U.S. Coast Guard cutter Katmai Bay returned to its homeport Thursday after a refit on the East Coast. After a short stay at the Export Dock, Algoma Innovator headed downbound for Goderich in the evening. Cuyahoga arrived at Essar with stone about 10 p.m.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Oct 25 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 24 - Federal Biscay (Mhl) at 0940, Atlantic Huron at 1622, tug Wilf Seymour & barge Alouette Spirit at 1714 and Patras (Mlt) (ex Gan-Sword-10) at 1936 - Oct 25 - Algonova at 0828, Baie Comeau at 1217, Whitefish Bay at 1556 and Algoma Spirit at 1704
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Cuyahoga makes its 2nd visit of the season 10/26 - Grand Haven, Mich. – The Canadian-flagged Cuyahoga was inbound early Thursday morning with a load of trap rock from Bruce Mines, Ont. The “Hog” traveled up the Grand River to the Verplank dock in Ferrysburg, unloaded and was backing out to Lake Michigan before noon. Interlake Steamship Co.’s self-unloading motor vessel Kaye E. Barker arrived late Sunday morning with a load for the Verplank dock. The Barker’s cargo was stone that was taken aboard in Port Inland, Mich. After unloading into the evening, the Barker departed at around sunset. The Cuyahoga was visiting for the second time so far this season. It was the 13th visit of the season for the Barker. The Cuyahoga has been sailing the Great Lakes since 1943. It was built at the American Shipbuilding Co. in Lorain, Ohio, as the Mesabi and entered service for the Great Lakes Steamship Co. as the J. Burton Ayers. During its career, the vessel spent time under the banners of Wilson Marine Transit, Kinsman Marine and then the Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Co. In the 1990s, the Ayers was often subject to early layups due to its small size. Amid rumors of being sold for scrap, the vessel was purchased by Lower Lakes Ltd. in 1995 and renamed Cuyahoga. The small size of the Cuyahoga was the reason it was laid up so often in the ‘90s, but that is now an advantage for the venerable carrier, as it frequents ports with narrow rivers. One such river is the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, for which the vessel is named. We may see the arrival of a vessel at the power plant in the next week or so. Grand Haven Tribune |
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Raffle winner to set sail on Great Lakes freighter 10/26 - Toledo, Ohio – When Gary Murphy won a raffle two years ago that raised money for the National Museum of the Great Lakes, he asked for — and was granted — the right to take the second-place prize instead. After all, the top prize was just money: $10,000. Second prize, however, was a trip for up to six people aboard a working Great Lakes freighter — a voyage for which direct tickets are not sold. “My real interest was in going on a freighter,” said Mr. Murphy of Perrysburg who, with his wife and two friends, traveled aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha from St. Clair, Mich., down to Monroe, up to Superior, Wis., and then back to St. Clair a couple of summers ago. Like others who win such trips, Mr. Murphy’s group was put up in the suite aboard the Tregurtha that its owner, Interlake Steamship Co., also uses for company executives or other official guests. They were greeted upon boarding by the ship’s captain, Mr. Murphy was allowed to take the helm briefly, and they dined three times per day on “out of this world” food. “The people on the boat were just unbelievably nice,” Mr. Murphy recalled Tuesday. “They treated us like kings.” The Great Lakes Historical Society, which opened the Toledo museum in 2014 but operated a smaller museum in Vermilion, Ohio before that, will hold its 19th annual “freighter trip” drawing on Saturday. The 18 previous drawings have raised just over $1 million toward society operations, which include museum expenses, educational programs, publishing a journal, and conducting archaeology, said Christopher Gillcrist, the museum’s executive director. To raise that kind of money, tickets aren’t cheap — a single chance costs $100, while three tickets bought at the same time costs $250. But only 1,500 tickets are sold for each drawing, which means one’s odds of winning a freighter trip — or $10,000 — are much better than winning a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot. Other prizes include a trip aboard the J.W. Westcott Co. mailboat — “the only floating post office in the United States,” according to the museum — in Detroit during a mail delivery to a freighter, or life membership in the museum. Mark Barker, Interlake’s president, said charitably providing excursions aboard its vessels — mainly the Tregurtha, which is the largest vessel sailing on the Great Lakes, but sometimes others — is part of a long-running Great Lakes shipping industry tradition. “We give something unique for these organizations, and help them raise funds for what they do,” Mr. Barker said. “It’s a unique experience — a great way to see the Lakes,” he said. Of the 1,500 tickets available for the upcoming National Museum of the Great Lakes drawing, 862 have been sold. People interested in entering the drawing should contact the museum at 419-214-5000, ext. 200 Toledo Blade |
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Port authority, Mission to Seafarers support marine industry workers 10/26 - Hamilton, Ont. – The Hamilton Port Authority and the Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario (MTSSO) have launched a campaign to help marine industry workers deal with trauma in its immediate aftermath with the hope of preventing post-traumatic stress disorder. The pilot project puts in place a "crisis plan" in which an emergency phone number is provided to port tenants, shipping agents and seafarers that directly connects them to a Mission to Seafarers chaplain, said Vicki Gruber, Hamilton harbour master and manager of port security. "From minutes to hours, they will dispatch someone to arrive on-site to deal with the incident and those involved," she said. Workers in the marine industry could be exposed to an accident or death, extreme weather or a shipboard event — all of which could result in critical incident stress. The intention is to provide an immediate response while people seek additional support followed by a debriefing a week and a month later to make sure they are receiving the help they need, Gruber added. "The biggest thing is we want people to be aware that it is OK to ask for help in times of critical incident stress," Gruber said. "What they are feeling is a common reaction." Work on the project has been underway for about a year-and-a-half after an incident in Hamilton in which a 26,000-pound slab of steel flattened a longshoreman's foot, said Rev. Judith Alltree, executive director of the MTSSO. Two seafarers witnessed it and were "very, very distressed," she said. Alltree said she phoned Gruber and the two of them sat in her office with the seafarers, talking and mostly listening to them. The incident brought up other issues in their lives, she said. "It's about dealing with trauma, and the faster you can deal with trauma, the better it is for the person who's dealing with it to get help and move away from it and not have it affect the rest of your life," she said. The Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario cares for seafarers arriving in the ports of Hamilton, Toronto and Oshawa. This project is launching in Hamilton first because that port is the largest, has the greatest need and has offered the most support for the pilot, but the goal is to roll it out in Toronto and Oshawa by spring, Alltree said. "Ports are very vulnerable places to work — no matter what job you're doing," she said. "We want people to feel that no matter what, we are there to serve them and to help them and take care of them in the event of an accident." Hamilton Spectator |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 26 On October 26, 1878, the new steamer CITY OF DETROIT (composite side-wheel passenger-package freight steamer, 234 foot, 1,094 gross tons, built in 1878, at Wyandotte, Michigan) arrived in Detroit from Cleveland with 276 tons of freight, mostly iron, on deck, and no freight in her hold. This experiment was tried to see if the steamer would show any signs of "crankiness,” even under a load so placed. She responded well and lived up to the expectations of her designers.On October 26, 1882, the sunken schooner-barge NELLIE McGILVRAY was dynamited as a hazard to navigation by the Portage River Improvement Company. She sank at the entrance to the Portage Canal in the Keweenaw Peninsula on August 28, 1882, and all attempts to raise her failed. LOUIS R. DESMARAIS was christened October 26,1977. She was reconstructed at Port Weller Drydocks and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN in 2001. HUTCHCLIFFE HALL and OREFAX were sold October 26, 1971, to the Consortium Ile d'Orleans of Montreal, made up of Richelieu Dredging Corp., McNamara Construction Ltd. and The J.P. Porter Co. Ltd. On October 26, 1977, the MENIHEK LAKE struck a lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway sustaining damage estimated at $400,000. On October 26, 1971, the ROGERS CITY's A-frame collapsed while unloading at Carrollton, Michigan on the Saginaw River. Her unloading boom was cut away and temporary repairs were made at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan. The tug ROUILLE was launched on October 26, 1929, as Hull#83 of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. The schooner HEMISPHERE, which was being sought by the U.S. Marshals at Detroit and the St. Lawrence River, escaped at the Gallop Rapids and has gone to sea. On October 26, 1851, ATLAS (wooden propeller, 153 foot, 375 tons, built in 1851, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying flour from Detroit to Buffalo when she was blown to shore near the mouth of the Grand River (Lorain, Ohio) by a gale, stranded and became a total loss. No lives were lost. On October 26, 1895, GEORGE W. DAVIS (wooden schooner, 136 foot, 299 gross tons, built in 1872, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Erie when she stranded near Port Maitland, Ontario. A few days after the stranding, she floated off on her own, drifted two miles up the beach and sank. No lives were lost. 1900: The consort barge MARTHA sank in Lake St. Clair after a head-on collision with the E.P. WILBUR. The vessel was refloated, repaired and was last known as the grain storage barge C.S. BAND of the Goderich Elevator Company before being scrapped at Toronto in 1976-1977. 1912: KEYSTORM stranded in the St. Lawrence on Scow Island Shoal near Alexandria Bay, NY due to a navigational error in fog. After about 5 hours, the ship slid off into deep water and sank. The coal-laden freighter was enroute from Charlotte, NY to Montreal. 1915: The former wooden steamer GLENGARRY was operating as a barge when it sank at Montreal on this date following a collision with the J.H. PLUMMER. It was later pumped out only to sink again at Quebec City in 1920. 1917: PORT COLBORNE, a Great Lakes canal ship serving overseas in World War 1, was wrecked near Land's End, England, while enroute, in ballast, from Rouen, France, to Barry Roads, U.K. The hull could not be salvaged and was broken apart by the elements. 1924: E.A.S. CLARKE, anchored in the Detroit River due to fog, and was hit by the B.F. JONES (i), holed and sunk. The ship was eventually refloated and, in 1970, became c) KINSMAN VOYAGER before going to Germany for brief service as a storage barge in 1975. 1926: The first NEW YORK NEWS broke loose in a storm at Shelter Bay, QC and, without radio contact, was feared lost. The vessel was later found, with all hands safe, hard aground. The ship was refloated, repaired and survived until scrapping at Port Dalhousie as c) LABRADOC in 1961. 1961: STEEL PRODUCTS, under tow for scrapping, broke loose and stranded in Lake Erie near Point Abino, ON. The ship was unsalvageable and had to be dismantled on site. 1967: The barge WILTRANCO broke loose in a storm and was blown hard aground west of Buffalo. The hull was refloated two days later only to strand once more. 1968: R. BRUCE ANGUS was hard aground in the St. Lawrence and had to be lightered to P.S. BARGE NO. 1, a former fleetmate, as a) EDWIN T. DOUGLASS, before being released October 29. 1979: URANUS, a former West German visitor to the Great Lakes, had to be beached on the River Schelde as d) MARIANNE GEN following a collision with the EMPROS. The vessel was a total loss and was cut in pieces for removal in 1983. 2008: BALSA II first came through the Seaway in 1982. It was inbound for New Georgia, Soloman Islands, to load logs when it stranded on a reef. While refloated, the ship was detained as the area of the strand had been a marine protected site. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New Soo Lock project reaches milestone, may now compete for funding 10/25 - Detroit, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that the new Soo Lock project in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., reached a new milestone, Tuesday when President Donald J. Trump signed America's Water Infrastructure Act into law. Since this act includes authorization for the construction of the new lock, the project can now compete with other construction projects throughout the country for appropriations, or funding. The project is authorized to be 100 percent federally funded and will be considered for appropriations in the next funding cycle. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, understands the significance of this critical project,” said Lt. Col. Greg Turner, district engineer. “We stand ready to execute the New Soo Lock construction and have already begun taking steps to minimize the time from receipt of funding to project completion.” This authorization is for construction at the current cost estimate of $922.4 million, which was updated as part of the New Soo Lock Economic Validation Study that was completed in June by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. The Soo Locks are situated on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and allow vessels to transit the 21 foot elevation change at the St. Marys Falls. This New Soo Lock project would construct a second Poe-sized lock (110' by 1,200') on the site of the existing Davis and Sabin Locks. The Soo Locks are nationally critical infrastructure and the reliability of this critical node in the Great Lakes Navigation System is essential to U.S. manufacturing and National Security. For more information about the New Soo Lock project, visit the website https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/About/Highlighted-Projects/New_Soo_Lock To read the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 in full: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2800/text |
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Port Reports - October 25
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Hancock, Mich.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Oct 24 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Lake Superior gains over 2 trillion gallons due to recent heavy rain 10/25 - The power of a large rain system is incredible. The recent heavy rain over Lake Superior and Lake Superior's drainage basin put an unbelievable amount of new water in one of the largest lakes in the world. Over the past 30 days, all of the surface of Lake Superior had at least 5.8 inches of rain. Some smaller sections had over 13 inches of rain in the past 30 days. Total rainfall between September 22 and October 22, 2018 As a result of the heavy rain, Lake Superior lake levels have increased five inches in the past two weeks. This is the time of year when water levels on the Great Lakes typically start to fall. The colder air doesn't normally produce the heavy precipitation of summer. The water level forecast is for water levels to drop over the next few months. That water drop may eventually be the case, but not this month. The rule of thumb is one inch of water on Lake Superior is equal to 550 million gallons of water. An increase of five inches of water on Lake Superior means an additional 2.75 trillion gallons were added to Lake Superior in just the past few weeks. View charts at this link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2018/10/lake_superior_gains_over_2_tri.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 25 On this day in 1975, a 96-foot mid-body section was added to the ARTHUR B. HOMER at Fraser Ship Yards, Superior, Wisconsin. The HOMER became the largest American-flagged freighter to be lengthened. This modification increased her length to 826 feet and her per-trip carrying capacity to 31,200 tons.On October 25, 1872, the crew of the small tug P. P. PRATT (wooden propeller steam tug, 14 tons, built in 1866, at Buffalo, New York), went to dinner at a nearby hotel while the tug was docked in Oswego, New York. While they were gone, the tug's boiler exploded. A large piece of the boiler, weighing about five hundred pounds, landed on the corner of West First and Cayuga Street. A six-foot piece of rail impaled itself in the roof of the Oswego Palladium newspaper's offices. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The hulk was raised the following week and the engine was salvaged. On October 25, 1888, AMETHYST (wooden propeller tug, 14 gross tons, built in 1868, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire and burned to a total loss at Duluth, Minnesota. ALGOBAY departed on her maiden voyage October 25, 1978, from Collingwood light for Stoneport, Michigan, to load stone for Sarnia, Ontario. STERNECLIFFE HALL entered service for the Hall Corporation of Canada on October 25, 1947. HURON arrived at Santander, Spain, October 25, 1973, in consort with her sister WYANDOTTE, towed by the German tug DOLPHIN X. for scrapping. October 25, 1895 - SHENANGO No. 2 (later PERE MARQUETTE 16) was launched in Toledo, Ohio. She was built by the Craig Shipbuilding Company for the United States & Ontario Steam Navigation Company and later became part of the Pere Marquette carferry fleet. The engines of the propeller WESTMORELAND, which sank in 1854, near Skillagalee Reef in Lake Michigan, were recovered and arrived at Chicago on October 25,1874. ARK was built on the burned out hull of the steamer E. K. COLLINS as a side-wheel passenger steamer in 1853, at Newport, Michigan, but she was later cut down to a barge. On October 25,1866, she was being towed along with three other barges down bound from Saginaw, Michigan, in a storm. Her towline parted and she disappeared with her crew of six. The other three tow-mates survived. There was much speculation about ARK's whereabouts until identifiable wreckage washed ashore 100 miles north of Goderich, Ontario. On October 25,1833, JOHN BY (wooden stern-wheeler, 110 foot, built in 1832, at Kingston, Ontario) was on her regular route between York (now Toronto) and Kingston, Ontario when a storm drove her ashore near Port Credit, a few miles from York. Her terrible handling in open lake water set the precedent that stern-wheelers were not compatible with lake commerce. On October 25,1887, VERNON (wooden propeller passenger/package-freight steamer, 158 foot, 560 tons, built in 1886, at Chicago, Illinois) foundered in a gale 6 miles northeast of Two Rivers Point on Lake Michigan. The death toll was estimated at 31 - 36. The sole survivor was picked up on a small raft two days later by the schooner POMEROY. He was on the raft with a dead body. Most casualties died of exposure. There were accusations at the time that the vessel was overloaded causing the cargo doors to be left open which allowed the water to pour in during the storm. This accusation was confirmed in 1969 (82 years after the incident) when divers found the wreck and indeed the cargo doors were open. 1911: The wooden schooner AZOV began leaking on Lake Huron. The ship came ashore north of Goderich and was broken up by the elements. 1980: The former SILVAPLANA, a Swiss saltwater vessel, was abandoned by the crew after going aground 125 miles SW of Pyongyang, North Korea, as d) HWA HO. The hull later broke in two and was a total loss. The vessel had traded through the Seaway beginning in 1959 and returned as b) CAPE MISENO in 1969. 1985: MAXI PORR first came inland under West German registry when new in 1965. It went aground on this date as b) LUANA while inbound at Port Sudan from Naples and heavily damaged. The vessel was refloated on November 20 but declared a total loss, sold to Pakistani shipbreakers and later arrived at Gadani Beach for scrapping. 1994: OCEAN LUCKY, an ocean going freighter registered in St. Vincent, sank following a grounding off the southern tip of Taiwan. All on board were rescued. The ship had begun Great Lakes trading in 1977 as b) FEDERAL ST. CLAIR and returned as c) TRANSOCEAN PEARL in 1981. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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President signs legislation authorizing funding for new Soo Lock 10/24 - Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed legislation that includes authorization for $922.4 million to build a large replacement lock at the Upper Peninsula's Soo Locks. Congress had sent Trump the water-infrastructure bill after approving it this fall. Funding for the lock will need to be appropriated at a later date. The legislation relied on a cost estimate by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a report this year recommending a 1,200-foot-long lock to mirror the 49-year-old Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The report also provided an economic analysis that finally allows the project to compete for construction funding after decades of delay. The Poe is the only one of the four locks owned and operated by the Army Corps in the Soo big enough to handle the largest freighters that carry 89 percent of the cargo through the corridor. An unexpected outage could disrupt the supply chain for steel production and manufacturing. |
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Poe Lock reopens after critical repairs 10/24 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Poe Lock reopened around 6 p.m. Tuesday after day-long repairs to gate components. Vessels delayed were the downbound Whitefish Bay and the upbound Algoma Compass and Manitoulin. Smaller vessels, such as the upbound Eemsborg and Great Republic were not delayed since they are of a size that could be handled by the smaller MacArthur Lock. |
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Manitou heading to Ashtabula with tug Invincible in tow 10/24 - The tug Manitou, towing the tug Invincible, sought a break from the windy weather Tuesday off Alpena. They are believed to be bound for Ashtabula, were the coupling pins removed earlier this year from the tug Jane Ann IV will be installed on the Invincible. Ben & Chanda McClain |
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Port Reports - October 24
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Limestone Report
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Oct 23 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
Erie, Pa. – Jeff Benson |
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USS Sioux City departs for Annapolis 10/24 - Marinette, Wis. – After a test run Sunday night, the USS Sioux City departed Tuesday morning from the Wisconsin shipyard in which it was built, heading for its commissioning site on the East Coast. Cmdr. James Malone said the ship and crew of 75 sailors should arrive in Annapolis, Maryland, and the U.S. Naval Academy on Nov. 10, a week before its Nov. 17 commissioning. "We are excited and motivated to get this thing out of here and to Annapolis for commissioning," Malone said in a Monday afternoon phone interview from Marinette. Malone said the crew sailed onto Lake Michigan Sunday and "shook the bugs out" before spending Monday making final preparations for the ship's maiden voyage. Crew members are eager to get the trip to commissioning underway, Malone said. They've been in Wisconsin, away from their home base in Mayport, Florida, for about five months now, training on board the ship. On Monday, temporary fenders were affixed to the USS Sioux City to prevent damage to the ship as it passes through the Welland Canal and its series of locks that bypass Niagara Falls between the Great Lakes Erie and Ontario. The USS Sioux City will sail from Marinette, through Lake Michigan and Lake Huron before stopping in Detroit for fuel and supplies. It will then sail through Lake Erie, the Welland Canal and Lake Ontario and up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal, Canada, where the temporary fenders will be removed. From Montreal, it's on to Halifax, Canada, for fuel and supplies and into the Atlantic Ocean. Malone said the ship should arrive on Nov. 7 in Norfolk, Virginia, where it will take on fuel and supplies before heading up the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis. The USS Sioux City will be the focal point of a week's worth of events leading up to the commissioning. A schedule of those events can be found online at https://usssiouxcitylcs11.org/. Malone, the USS Sioux City's first commanding officer, has guaranteed that anyone from Sioux City who travels to Annapolis for the event will get a tour of the ship, and the day before the commissioning has been set aside for tours for visitors from Sioux City. The USS Sioux City will depart from Annapolis the morning after its commissioning and sail to its home base in Mayport, where the crew will continue to train at sea and test the weapons systems after the ship's magazine has been loaded. Once training is completed, the ship may be deployed. The USS Sioux City is the 11th in the class of littoral combat ships, which are designed to operate in shallower water close to shorelines. Sioux City Journal |
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Port of Toledo posts big increase in grain exports 10/24 - Toledo, Ohio – Thousands of jobs and more than half a billion in annual economic impact. A new study shows those are the numbers tied to the Port of Toledo. Every year hundreds of freighters bring products in and out of the port, and that number is on the way up. Water is one of the main reasons Toledo is here. The Maumee River and Lake Erie provided transportation options in and out of the city in the early days. Those waterways continue to be a big part of this region's economic success. The Port of Toledo is the largest land mass port on the American side of the Great Lakes. There are 18 different facilities at the port that either ship out or receive cargo. Paul Toth is President and CEO of The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, "We're very well-balanced. We export almost as much as we import." Through September of this year, vessels have moved more than 6.5 million short tons of cargo in and out of the port, everything from grain to salt and iron ore to coal. Joe Cappel is the Vice President of Business Development for the Port Authority. "It seems like when one commodity is down, something else is up. That makes for a well-balanced, even keel shipping season." Cappel says the biggest growth this year was in grain exports. "Our grain terminals are twice as busy this year as they were last year. We're up over 90% and I think that is a combination of a strong yield last year and a good harvest this fall." That grain ends up all over the world. Places like Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean region. "If all that grain had to be sold here, it would depress the yield. By sending it all over the world, local farmers are able to maximize the value of their yields." Canadian red wheat that is brought to the flour mill on Front Street also ends up all over the world. "That mill has been there for decades. It is the largest flour mill in all of North America. Virtually any Nabisco product with flour was milled right here in northwest Ohio." A new study shows that $669 million in annual economic activity is tied to the port along with more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs. Cappel says the entire port continues to show growth across the board. "Last year was a very good year, and we're up about 2% right now from last year. Also, back in 2016 our tonage was 4.5 million short tons, so to be at 6.5 short tons this year shows we're making good strides and on pace to finish strong this year." The port's numbers are about to get a huge boost when Cleveland Cliffs opens its new facility here in 2020. Toth says the new plant will mean about 130 permanent jobs and bring an additional 100 ship loads a year in and out of Toledo. "It's a $700 million investment they're making, but it's also an ongoing annual investment. Between the iron ore coming in and the product that will be going out to the mini steel mills in the Midwest region, the project will only make our numbers better.” WTVG |
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Duluth estimates Lake Superior storm damage at $18.4 million 10/24 - Duluth, Minn. – The city of Duluth estimates a storm last week caused $18.4 million in damage along Lake Superior. The city released its estimate Friday from the Oct. 10 storm, which packed winds of more than 60 mph that sent huge waves crashing ashore. The St. Louis County Board meets today to consider requesting a state disaster declaration, which would require approval from Gov. Mark Dayton. Damaged areas include the popular Lakewalk from Canal Park on the harbor up the shore to Leif Erickson Park, and the sidewalk behind the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Some of those areas were still being repaired after earlier storms. The city expects to reopen a temporary path on the Lakewalk in Canal Park and a temporary sidewalk behind the DECC before the end of next week. KSTP |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 24 On October 24, 1886, the wooden steam barge RUDOLPH burned on Lake St. Clair and was beached. She was loaded with lumber from East Saginaw, Michigan, for Cleveland, Ohio.On October 24, 1902, W. T. CHAPPELL (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 39 gross tons, built in 1877, at Sebewaing, Michigan) was carrying stove wood from Grand Marais, Michigan, to the Soo in a severe storm on Lake Superior when she sprang a leak. She was blown over and sank four miles from the Vermillion Life Saving Station. The lifesaving crew rescued the two-man crew in the surfboat and took them to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse for the night since the storm was so severe. THUNTANK 6 (Hull#309) was launched October 24, 1969, at Wallsend, England, by Clelands Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., for Thun Tankers Ltd., London, U.K. Renamed b.) ANTERIORITY in 1972. Purchased by Texaco Canada in 1975, renamed c.) TEXACO WARRIOR. Sold off-lakes in 1984, renamed d.) TRADER, e.) SEA CORAL in 1985, f.) TALIA II in 1985, g.) TALIA in 1985, STELLA ORION in 1995 and h.) SYRA in 2000. The PHILIP D. BLOCK / W. W. HOLLOWAY scrap tow arrived at Recife, Brazil. October 24, 1986. THOMAS W. LAMONT and her former fleetmate, ENDERS M. VOORHEES arrived at Alegeciras, Spain on October 24, 1987, on the way to the cutters’ torch. The LAMONT was one of the last bulkers that retained her telescoping hatch covers to the very end. NIPIGON BAY arrived Thunder Bay, Ontario, on October 24, 1980, where repairs were made from damage caused by her grounding earlier in the month. On October 24, 1855, ALLEGHENY (wooden propeller, 178 foot, 468 tons, built in 1849, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm, when she anchored near the Milwaukee harbor entrance for shelter. She lost her stack and then was unable to get up steam and was helpless. She dragged her anchor and came in close to the beach where she was pounded to pieces. There was no loss of life. Her engine and most of her cargo were removed by the end of the month. Her engine was installed in a new vessel of the same name built to replace her. On October 24, 1873, just a month after being launched, the scow WAUBONSIE capsized at St. Clair, Michigan, and lost her cargo of bricks. She was righted and towed to Port Huron, minus masts, rigging and bowsprit, for repairs. On October 24, 1886, LADY DUFFERIN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 135 foot, 356 gross tons, built at Port Burwell, Ontario) was lost from the tow of the propeller W B HALL and went ashore near Cabot Head on Georgian Bay. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a total loss. On October 24, 1953, the Yankcanuck Steamship Lines' MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1,558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J. S. KEEFE) ran aground south of the channel into the Saugeen River. The tug RUTH HINDMAN from Killarney pulled her free. No damage was reported. 1898: L.R. DOTY foundered off Kenosha in high winds and waves with the loss of 18 lives. The vessel was enroute from Chicago to Midland with a cargo of corn and towing the schooner OLIVE JEANETTE. The latter broke loose and survived. 1948: HARRY T. EWIG stranded off Point Abino, Lake Erie. The ship was lightered to fleetmate BUCKEYE and released with about $40,000 in damage. 1959: WESTRIVER, under tow of the tugs LAURENCE C. TURNER and AMERICA, headed down the Seaway for repairs after being damaged in an earlier explosion on Lake Superior. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Poe Lock to close for critical repair Tuesday 10/23 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has notified the shipping industry of expected delays at the Soo Locks after a repair will put the Poe Lock out of service Tuesday. Officials announced the closure Monday to repair gate components. The Corps plans to close the lock for at least 12 hours starting Tuesday morning, but the closure could last up to 24 hours. There will be some impact to navigation, but smaller ships may still use the MacArthur Lock. The outage was determined to be critical in order to make repairs to a heated gate before mid-December. Officials said not doing so could lead to an unexpected failure. Earlier this month legislation that authorizes full funding for the modernization of the Soo Locks was sent to President Donald Trump to sign. WPBN/WGTU |
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Duluth estimates Lake Superior storm damage at $18.4 million 10/23 - Duluth, Minn. – The city of Duluth estimates a storm last week caused $18.4 million in damage along Lake Superior. The city released its estimate Friday from the Oct. 10 storm, which packed winds of more than 60 mph that sent huge waves crashing ashore. The St. Louis County Board meets today to consider requesting a state disaster declaration, which would require approval from Gov. Mark Dayton. Damaged areas include the popular Lakewalk from Canal Park on the harbor up the shore to Leif Erickson Park, and the sidewalk behind the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Some of those areas were still being repaired after earlier storms. The city expects to reopen a temporary path on the Lakewalk in Canal Park and a temporary sidewalk behind the DECC before the end of next week. KSTP |
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Port Reports - October 23
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Oct 22 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Freighter trip and more at museum fundraiser 10/23 - Toledo, Ohio – The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, will hold its annual fundraiser, H2Oh Making Waves, on Saturday evening October 27. The event features the museum’s Luck of the Lakes Raffle which has a $10,000 prize and a 4-6 day trip about an Interlake Steamship freighter in the 2019 season. Tickets are $100 each or three tickets for $250. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold but as of the final week of the raffle only 830 tickets have been sold. Those interested in purchasing raffle tickets can do so by calling 419-214-5000 extension 0. In addition, the evening of the event the museum will have a silent and live auction that includes: • A commission for a painting by world renown Great Lakes artist Paul LaMarre Jr. (restricted to Great Lakes bulk carriers or tugs with available documentation through ship plans or photos) • A one day trip aboard the Paul Tregurtha between St. Clair and Monroe Michigan in the 2019 season. • A private jet experience leaving Port Clinton, Ohio and traveling 400 miles. • A trip aboard the J. W. Westcott to deliver mail to a passing freighter in the 2019 season. • And more Individuals wishing to participate but who cannot attend the event can bid on items via phone and should contact Anna Kolin at 419-214-5000 extension 202. For more information visit the museum’s website at www.inlandseas.org or call 419-214-5000 extension 200. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 23 On this day in 1949, the new Canada Steamship Line steamer HOCHELAGA successfully completed her sea trials in Georgian Bay. She departed Collingwood the next day to load her first cargo of grain at Port Arthur.On October 23,1887, the small wooden scow-schooner LADY ELGIN was driven ashore about one mile north of Goderich, Ontario, in a severe storm that claimed numerous other vessels. By October 26, she was broken up by the waves. The CARL GORTHON, was launched October 23, 1970, for Rederi A/B Gylfe, Hsingborg, Sweden. Sold Canadian in 1980, renamed b.) FEDERAL PIONEER and c.) CECILIA DESGAGNES in 1985. In 2000, she was used as a movie set, unofficially renamed LADY PANAMA. The rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS was launched October 23, 1926, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Grand Trunk-Milwaukee Car Ferry Co., Muskegon, Michigan. She entered service in December of 1926. WILLIAM B. SCHILLER (Hull#372) was launched October 23, 1909, at Lorain, Ohio, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. October 23, 1953 - The steamer SPARTAN arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain Harold A. Altschwager was in command. On October 23, 1868, F. T. BARNEY (wooden schooner, 255 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) collided with the schooner TRACY J BRONSON and sank below Nine Mile Point, Northwest of Rogers City in Lake Michigan. The wreck was found in 1987, and sits in deep water, upright in almost perfect condition. On October 23, 1873, the wooden steam barge GENEVA was loaded with wheat and towing the barge GENOA in a violent storm on Lake Superior. She bent her propeller shaft and the flailing blades cut a large hole in her stern. The water rushed in and she went down quickly 15 miles off Caribou Island. No lives were lost. This was her first season of service. She was one of the first bulk freighters with the classic Great Lakes fore and aft deckhouses. On October 23, 1883, JULIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 89 foot, 115 gross tons, built in 1875, at Smith's Falls, Ontario) was coming into Oswego harbor with a load of barley when she struck a pier in the dark and sank. No lives were lost. 1906: The wooden steamer SHENANDOAH backed into a wharf at South Chicago and then went full ahead into the opposite wharf. The captain was found to be drunk and his certificate was suspended. 1917: KATAHDIN was built at West Bay City in 1895 but was sold off-lakes in 1899. The ship was damaged as b) EXPORT in a collision on this date with the Japanese freighter TOKAYAMA MARU in the Delaware River. As a result of the accident, the ship was scrapped in 1918. 1956: GREY BEAVER ran aground on Stoney Crest Island, near Alexandria Bay, NY while downbound with wheat from Toronto to Trois Rivieres, QC. The vessel was released with bottom damage and required a trip to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. 1968: NORMAN P. CLEMENT, damaged by a grounding and then an on board explosion, was scuttled in the deep water of Georgian Bay near Christian Island. 1987: CANADIAN ENTERPRISE stranded in the Amherstburg Channel. The ship was lightered of 1,840 tons of coal and then pulled free by 4 tugs before going to Thunder Bay for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 22
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Marquette, Mich.
Muskegon, Mich.
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Oct 21 - Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Updates - October 22
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 22 On October 22,1903, while being towed by the GETTYSBURG in the harbor at Grand Marais, Michigan, in a severe storm, the SAVELAND (wooden schooner, 194 foot, 689 gross tons, built in 1873, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was torn away and thrown against some pilings which punctured her hull. She sank to her main deck and was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. No lives were lost.The tug PRESQUE ISLE completed her sea trials on October 22, 1973, in New Orleans. On October 22, 1986, ALGOCEN spilled about four barrels of diesel fuel while refueling at the Esso Dock at Sarnia. TOM M. GIRDLER departed South Chicago light on her maiden voyage, October 22, 1951, bound for Escanaba, Michigan, where she loaded 13,900 tons of ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. THORNHILL of 1906 grounded on October 22, 1973, just above the Sugar Island ferry crossing in the St. Marys River. On October 22, 1887, C.O.D. (wooden schooner-barge, 140 foot, 289 gross tons, built in 1873, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was carrying wheat in Lake Erie in a northwest gale. She was beached three miles east of Port Burwell, Ontario, and soon broke up. Most of the crew swam to shore, but the woman who was the cook was lashed to the rigging and she perished. On October 22, 1929, the steamer MILWAUKEE (formerly MANISTIQUE MARQUETTE AND NORTHERN 1) sank in a gale with a loss of all 52 hands. 21 bodies were recovered. Captain Robert Mc Kay was in command. On October 27, 1929, a Coast Guard patrolman near South Haven, Michigan, picked up a ship's message case, containing the following handwritten note: "S.S. MILWAUKEE, OCTOBER 22/29 8:30 p.m. The ship is taking water fast. We have turned around and headed for Milwaukee. Pumps are working but sea gate is bent in and can't keep the water out. Flicker is flooded. Seas are tremendous. Things look bad. Crew roll is about the same as on last payday. (signed) A.R. Sadon, Purser." On October 22, 1870, JENNIE BRISCOE (wooden schooner, 85 foot, 82 tons, built in 1870, at Detroit, Michigan) was raised from where she sank off Grosse Ile, Michigan, a couple of months earlier. She was in her first season of service when she collided with the propeller FREE STATE and sank there. Her raised wreck was sold Canadian in 1871, and she was rebuilt as the propeller scow HERALD. In a severe gale on 22 October 1873, the three barges DAVID MORRIS, GLOBE, and SAGINAW from Bay City grounded and sank off Point Pelee on Lake Erie. On October 22, 1887, DOLPHIN (wooden schooner-barge, 107 foot, 147 tons, built in 1855, at Milan, Ohio) and G. D. NORRIS (2-mast wooden schooner, 128 foot, 262 gross tons, built in 1856, at Cleveland, Ohio) were both carrying lumber and were in tow of the steamer OSWEGATCHIE in a storm on Lake Huron. The towline broke when the vessels were off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The DOLPHIN capsized and foundered. All 6 or 7 onboard perished. The NORRIS sank to her decks and her crew was rescued by the passing steamer BRECK. The NORRIS drifted ashore near Goderich, Ontario. 1929: N.J. NESSEN, a wooden bulk freighter, stranded in Lake Erie off Leamington, ON. The ship had been anchored for weather but the wind switched to the south, leaving it exposed. The hull broke up, but all on board were saved. 1929: YANTIC, a former wooden naval reserve training ship tied up at Detroit for use as a heating plant, sank at the dock. All 3 on board got off safely. 1979: J.N. McWATTERS struck the lighthouse at the main entrance to Cleveland with heavy damage to the structure. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Stephen B. Roman departure delayed 10/21 - It will likely be at least Monday, if not later, before the retired cement carrier Stephen B. Roman departs Toronto for Montreal and then to an unnamed overseas port. It had been reported originally that she was to leave on Saturday. Approval from the required authorities has been cited for the delay. Marine Traffic now shows her as registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines. |
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Investigation continues into death of Spruceglen crewman 10/21 - Massena, N.Y. – State police are continuing their investigation involving the death of Canadian man who fell off a dock into the St. Lawrence Seaway near Eisenhower Locks early Tuesday morning. Troopers say Alfred Eshun, of Quebec, slipped from the dock around 12:20 a.m. Eshun was pulled from the water within minutes but was unresponsive, according to state police. He was pronounced dead at Massena Memorial Hospital at 2:02 a.m. An investigation revealed Eshun was working on the Canadian bulk carrier Spruceglen. The vessel was inbound, and prior to entering the Eisenhower Lock, Eshun was lowered down the side of Spruceglen to tie the ship off while awaiting another ship already in the locks, investigators say. After being hoisted down to shore, Eshun lost his balance on the dock and fell into the water. Troopers say it is unclear at this time if Eshun had a medical episode prior to going into the water or if cold water and air temperatures led to his death. Two St. Lawrence Seaway employees who attempted to rescue Eshun were rescued and treated for possible hypothermia, police say. Massena Fire and Rescue responded and assisted with pulling the 57-year-old man from the water, and then initiated CPR, troopers say. An autopsy will be performed at a later time to be announced. The investigation is continuing. The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment is assisting with this investigation. North Country Now |
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Port Reports - October 21
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Marquette, Mich.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan ports
Northern Lake Huron
Limestone Ports
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Oct 20 – Barry Andersen Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound - Welland Canal docks: tug Spartan & barge Spartan II (stopped wharf 13) at 0757 and Rt Hon Paul J Martin (stopped wharf 12) at 1106 - Departures (westbound) - Oct 20 tug Spartan & barge Spartan II (from wharf 13) at 1300 approx. and Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 1405 approx.
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Tough fall leads to decrease in M.S. Chi-Cheemaun riders 10/21 - Owen Sound, Ont. – It was not a good fall for the Chi-Cheemaun ferry service, which led to an overall decrease in passenger and vehicle numbers over the season in comparison to the 2017 ferry season. “It wasn’t a great fall. Prior to having to cancel sailings (October 11-12) we were on par with last year’s traffic numbers,” said Susan Schrempf, of the Owen Sound Transportation Company, on Tuesday. “We lost three full round trips due to heavy wind conditions, and the Highway 17 and Agawa Canyon shut down just before our last weekend of sailing forced a lot of cancellations as well.” Ms. Schrempf explained, “our final statistics for the season show that we had a total of 199,896 passengers, which is a decrease of 3.3 percent from 2017; and the Chi-Cheemaun had a total of 79,144 vehicles, a .03 percent decrease over last year.” Last year the Chi-Cheemaun saw an increase in passenger numbers over the 2016 sailing season. The OSTC announced on October 11 and October 12 the cancellation of three round trips for the Chi-Cheemaun due to extreme wind and wave conditions. “The wind was the problem,” Ms. Schrempf told the Recorder. “It’s not that the ship can’t handle the wind and rain, but if the waves are high enough that it is basically causing people to be knocked off balance on the ship-people could get injured. The ramp at the dock in Tobermory had to be up last night so the boat wouldn’t be moving around.” “We are not looking at many changes on the ship for next year,” continued Ms. Schrempf. “For the public hallway and stairways we will be capitalizing on our marketing and creative imagery in terms of colour and motif to help guide visitors on the ship back to where their vehicles are, prior to getting off the ship. And we are looking at ways to allow hot food customers to be able to get through the lines faster in terms of better automation.” Manitoulin Expositor |
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Plaque planned to honor survivor of 1882 steamer Asia shipwreck 10/21 - Owen Sound, Ont. – – Nestled in Owen Sound’s Greenwood Cemetery is the unassuming gravestone of one of just two survivors of one the greatest marine disasters in the history of the Great Lakes. And now a commemorative plaque will be erected at the gravesite of Christina Ann Morrison, who was just 18 years of age when she survived the sinking of the passenger ship Asia on Sept 13, 1882. It is believed that 123 other passengers and crew perished when the ship went down while travelling from Owen Sound to French River, making it among the top 10 worst disasters in the history of the Great Lakes. “It is Georgian Bay’s worst marine disaster and we just can’t let it disappear as a story,” said Fred Holmes, a Georgian Bay marine history enthusiast from Collingwood, who led the effort to have the plaque erected in recognition of Morrison on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. “The story should be in somebody’s harbor and the respective graveyards in my view. I just figured somebody has got to do it so it might as well be me.” Holmes said his interest in recognizing the two survivors of the wreck started several years ago, when he was trying to find out more about them. “Everything you read about the Asia talks about these two teenagers as survivors, and then the story ends,” said Holmes. With the help of the Grey Roots Museum and Archives he started digging into the survivors’ history and found that the museum had information about Morrison, who was buried at Greenwood. He was then able to find out that the other survivor, Douglas Tinkis, was buried at Little Current on Manitoulin Island, and he set about exploring how to commemorate them. “I was lucky enough to find some like-minded people both in Little Current and Owen Sound who helped facilitate the sort of mechanical aspects,” said Holmes, who received assistance from officials and historians in both locations. The ceremony on Oct. 27 is the second to commemorate the survivors of the Asia. Holmes was at a similar ceremony at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery in Little Current on June 4, for the unveiling of the plaque at Tinkis’ grave. The 136-foot Asia was on its way from Owen Sound to French River when it foundered in the September 1882 storm, which whipped up near-hurricane strength winds. Paul Vanwyck, whose wife Darlene is Morrison’s great-grandaughter, has been researching Morrison’s story. “It has always been something that interested Darlene just knowing that little bit of history about her family,” said Vanwyck. “Great Lakes disasters was kind of a theme we were examining and Fred Holmes contacted us this year about wanting to put this plaque up at the cemetery and that sort of initiated the whole interest again in the Asia.” Morrison, who was born to farming couple near Bognor on March 17, 1863, actually wasn’t supposed to be aboard the ill-fated package and passenger steamer, but had missed getting on the Northern Belle. She took the North-West Transportation Company’s Asia instead to get to Sault Ste. Marie, where she planned to visit her sister in Grand Marias, Mich. She spoke about her experience 30 years later, saying the ship left Owen Sound about midnight, and they were caught in the storm in the early morning. She asked a cousin of hers, who was on the crew, about some commotion, and he said they were throwing livestock overboard. The ship, which was only supposed to carry a maximum of 49 passengers because of insufficient lifeboats, was not only overloaded with people, but also livestock and supplies. It was designed for the Welland Canal and other enclosed watercourses, but was converted by the owners for the open lakes. It was also underpowered. After the ship started to go down, a couple put a life preserver on Morrison and urged her to jump towards one of the lifeboats, which she eventually did. She made it, but the lifeboat rolled three times in the raging waters, righting itself each time. While Morrison was able to stay in the boat each time, many of the others weren’t so lucky and were lost. Only Morrison and another teenager, Douglas Tinkis of Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island, would survive until the lifeboat reached shore near Point au Baril on the morning of Sept. 15, 1882. Among those who were dead in the bottom of the boat were the Asia’s captain, John Savage. The two teens spent a day on shore until an aboriginal couple with a boat found them and Tinkis traded his pocket watch in exchange for passage to Parry Sound. It was dawn of Sept. 16 before they arrived. Morrison would go on to marry Albert Fleming and they lived on Sylvan Shade Farm near Kilsyth. She died on Aug. 13, 1937 at age 73. Vanwyck said the wreck of the Asia is something many are familiar with, but many don’t understand the extent of the wreck and the loss of life that went with it. “(Morrison’s) role in it was just surviving,” said Vanwyck. “But it was quite the story and it makes you say, ‘People really did have it rough at that time.’” The recent discovery of the wrecks of the coastal steamers, the Jane Miller in Colpoy’s Bay and the J.H. Jones off of Cape Croker, has also renewed interest in the undiscovered shipwrecks of Georgian Bay. The whereabouts of the Asia is still unknown, but Holmes is among a group who are hoping to change that in the near future. Owen Sound Sun-Times |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 21 On this day in 1980, the converted ELTON HOYT 2ND loaded her first cargo of 1,000 tons of pellets at Taconite Harbor. After field-testing her new self-unloading gear, she loaded 21,000 tons of pellets for delivery to Chicago.The Anchor Line's CONEMAUGH (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 251 foot, 1,609 gross tons, built in 1880, at West Bay City, Michigan), and the Union Line's NEW YORK (wooden propeller package freighter, 269 foot, 1,922 gross tons, built in 1879, at Buffalo, New York) collided on the Detroit River at 7:30 p.m. The CONEMAUGH sank close to the Canadian shore. She was carrying flour and other package freight from Chicago to Buffalo. She was later raised and repaired, and lasted until 1906, when she was lost in a storm on Lake Erie. The JOHN B. AIRD arrived at Sarnia, Ontario, on October 21, 1990, for repairs after suffering a conveyor belt fire a week earlier. The JAMES A. FARRELL and fleet mate RICHARD TRIMBLE were the first vessels to lock down bound in the newly-opened Davis Lock at the Soo on October 21, 1914. On October 21, 1954, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY set a record when she took aboard 22,605 gross tons of iron ore at Superior, Wisconsin. The record stood until 1960. The crew on the SAMUEL MATHER was safely removed from the badly exposed steamer on October 21, 1923, by the Eagle Harbor life saving crew. She had run aground on the 19th. Renamed b.) PATHFINDER in 1925, sold Canadian in 1968, renamed c.) GODERICH. Renamed d.) SOO RIVER TRADER in 1980, e.) PINEGLEN 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland in 1984. It was announced on October 21, 1986, that Canada Steamship Lines and Upper Lakes Group would merge CSL's Collingwood shipyard and ULS' Port Weller shipyard and create Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering (1986) Ltd. On October 21, 1941, AMERICA (steel tug, 80 foot, 123 gross tons, built in 1897, at Buffalo, New York) was on a cable along with the tug OREGON off Belle Isle in the Detroit River trying to pull the steel bulk freighter B. F. JONES off a bar. The cable tightened, pulling AMERICA out of the water and spinning her upside down. Six of the crew of 13 lost their lives. AMERICA was later recovered. AMERICA was renamed b.) MIDWAY in 1982 and c.) WISCONSIN in 1983. October 21, 1954 - Capt. Allen K. Hoxie, skipper of the MILWAUKEE CLIPPER, retired. On October 21, 1886, W. L. BROWN (wooden propeller freighter, 140 foot, 336 gross tons, built in 1872, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as NEPTUNE) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba for DePere, Wisconsin. A storm struck while she was on Green Bay. She sprang a leak one mile from Peshtigo Reef and went down in 76 feet of water. No lives were lost. All of her outfit and machinery were removed the following summer. This vessel's first enrollment was issued at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 22 April 1873, as NEPTUNE, but this enrollment was surrendered at Milwaukee on 30 September 1880, endorsed "broken up." However she was re-enrolled as a new vessel at Milwaukee on 15 June 1880, having been rebuilt by A. L. Johnson at Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the W. L. BROWN. 1912: Two were lost when the wooden steamer PINE LAKE sank in the Detroit River near Belle Isle following a collision with FLEETWOOD (i). The hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation. 1913: C.W. ELPHICKE began leaking in a storm on Lake Erie and was beached near the Long Point lighthouse. The downbound, grain-laden wooden freighter was a total loss but the crew was saved. 1969: JOHN PURVES was towing Derrick Scow 43 bound for Rogers City when the latter was lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Stephen B. Roman expected to sail for Montreal today 10/20 - The retired cement carrier Stephen B. Roman had her Canadian registry closed on October 10. Waterfront reports indicate she will depart Toronto for Montreal under her own power on Saturday. Her ultimate destination and new owners are unknown. The vessel was built as the package freighter Fort William for Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) of Montreal, Que., in 1965. Fort William was the last package freighter designed for Great Lakes trading. She was also the last package freighter built for Canada Steamship Lines and the largest in the "Fort Class" of Great Lakes freighters. She was converted to a cement carrier in 1983. Beginning in 2017, management of this vessel was taken over from the Algoma Central Corp. by McKeil Marine Ltd. |
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Manitoba scrap tow update 10/20 - The NITO (ex-Manitoba) tow is making very slow progress as gales of wind continue to harass the tug on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The tug is taking the retired laker to Turkey for scrapping. |
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Port Reports - October 20
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Marquette, Mich.
St. Marys River
S. Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Port Huron, Mich.
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Oct 19 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound - Welland Canal docks: tug Spartan & barge Spartan II (stopped wharf 13) at 0757 and Rt Hon Paul J Martin (stopped wharf 12) at 1106
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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St. Lawrence Seaway workers ratify contract 10/20 - Cornwall, Ont. – The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) is pleased to announce that its unionized employees, members of UNIFOR, ratified a three-year labor agreement covering the period of April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021. Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC, praised the negotiating teams for achieving another multi-year agreement, and said “A fair labor settlement was reached earlier this month, enabling the St. Lawrence Seaway to continue providing uninterrupted service to the thousands of entities that depend upon marine transportation, including manufacturing, retail, and agriculture.” The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is a private, not-for-profit corporation, created in 1998 pursuant to the Canada Marine Act, to operate and maintain the Canadian locks and channels of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Since the St. Lawrence Seaway’s inception in 1959, almost 3 billion tonnes of cargo has been transported via the waterway. Some 329,000 jobs and $59 billion in economic activity are supported by the movement of goods within the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence River System. As the lynchpin connecting the Great Lakes to the lower St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Lawrence Seaway’s locks form a vital trade corridor for markets found within North America and across the world. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 20 On this day in 1916, the whaleback JAMES B. COLGATE sank off Long Point in Lake Erie with a loss of 26. The lone survivor was Captain Walter J. Grashaw who was picked up two days after the sinking. Captain Grashaw had sailed as First Mate on the COLGATE for ten years and was conducting his first trip as Captain. The "Black Friday" storm also claimed the MERIDA, D.L. FLYER, and M.F. BUTTERS.On 20 October 1875, the wooden schooner F.C. LEIGHTON was loaded with ore when she struck a rock in the St. Marys River and sank a few miles from Detour, Michigan. A tug was sent right away to raise her. On 20 October 1916, MERIDA (steel propeller bulk freighter, 360 foot, 3,261 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was heavily loaded with iron ore when she encountered the "Black Friday" Storm on Lake Erie. She sank about 24 miles east of Erieau, Ontario. All 24 onboard were lost. A few days later the wheelhouse was found floating 15 miles south of Port Stanley. 21 bodies were eventually found, but not the bodies of Capt. Harry L. Jones or crewman Wilfred Austin. The wreck was found in 1975 by Larry Jackson, a commercial fisherman. The SCOTT MISENER of 1954 proceeded to the Port Arthur shipyard for dry docking and repairs on October 20th, after striking bottom October 15, 1973, near Whaleback Shoal on the St. Lawrence River. The JAMES S. DUNHAM was launched October 20, 1906, for the Chicago Navigation Co. (D. Sullivan & Co., mgr.) Duluth, Minnesota. Renamed b.) LYNFORD E. GEER in 1926, and c.) OTTO M. REISS in 1934. Scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1973. PETER A.B. WIDENER was launched October 20, 1906, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. (later the U.S. Steel Corp. in 1952), Cleveland, Ohio. The tug RESCUE was sent from Port Huron to Tawas, Michigan to release the 246-foot barge OCEAN that was grounded. After pulling the barge free, Capt. Fitch of RESCUE began towing her down Lake Huron, but the storm got so bad that he was about to turn back and run for Tawas. However, the captain of OCEAN yelled that they were all right and to go ahead down the lake. Soon the seas got the better of the barge. The tug kept with her until she was about to sink. Then the line was cut, the tug turned about, ran under her lee, and rescued her crew of 9 from the lifeboat. The barge sank. On the way down Lake Huron, opposite Port Sanilac, the RESCUE picked up 6 men and 1 woman from the wrecked barge JOHN F. RUST. In this one trip, the RESCUE earned her name by rescuing 16 persons! October 20, 1898 - The SHENANGO NO 2 (later PERE MARQUETTE 16) was arriving Milwaukee when her steering gear failed, causing her to crash into a grain elevator that was under construction. October 20, 1926 - The keel was laid for the twin screw lake passenger and railcar ferry WABASH (Hull#177) of the Toledo Shipbuilding Co. On 20 October 1863, E. S. ADAMS (3 mast wooden bark, 135 foot, 341 gross tons, built in 1857, at Port Robinson, Ontario) was carrying 18,500 bushels of wheat on a clear night when she collided with the American bark CONSTITUTION resulting in the loss of the ADAMS. One life was lost. Neither vessel was blamed for the accident. On 20 October 1854, JOHN J. AUDUBON (wooden brig, 370 tons, built in 1854, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Chicago when she was struck amidships by the schooner DEFIANCE on a dark night, halfway between Thunder Bay and Presque Isle, Michigan. AUDUBON was cut almost in half. Both vessels sank quickly. No lives were lost. On 20 October 1844, DAYTON (2-mast wooden schooner, 69 foot, 85 tons, built in 1835, at Grand Island, New York) capsized and sank in Lake Erie off Dunkirk, New York in a terrific gale. All onboard were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Tug Ohio takes up station as new museum display 10/19 - Toledo, Ohio – The tug Ohio arrived Thursday morning to take her permanent place as a future exhibit at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. She was moored ahead of the museum Ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker. The Ohio will spend the winter undergoing renovations and will open to the public next spring. The tug George Gradel brought her in. She will be refurbished over the winter and opened to visitors in the spring. National Museum of the Great Lakes |
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Port Reports - October 19
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Brevort, Mich.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Oct 18 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 19 At 2 a.m. October 19, 1901, the Barry line steamer STATE OF MICHIGAN (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 165 foot, 736 gross tons, built in 1875, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) sank in 60 feet of water about four miles northwest of White Lake harbor on Lake Michigan. The crew and captain reached shore in boats with the assistance of the White Lake Life Saving crew and the tug MC GRAFF. The vessel was sailing in good weather when a piston rod broke and stove a hole through the bottom of the boat. The water came gushing in. By the time the tug MC GRAFF came and took on the crew, the STATE OF MICHIGAN was in serious trouble. She went down shortly after the tug began towing her toward shore.On October 19, 1871, ELIZA LOGAN (2-mast wooden schooner, 130 foot, 369 gross tons, built in 1855, at Buffalo, New York) foundered in rough weather about 12 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. She was sailing from Toledo, Ohio, to Buffalo, New York, with a load of wheat when she sank. Captain Lawson and one sailor were lost, but the six others scrambled up the rigging and held on to the crosstrees for 42 hours until they were rescued by the schooner EMU at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of 21 October. GEORGE A. SLOAN ran aground off Bob-Lo Island in the Amherstburg Channel on October 19, 1987. She was released when she unloaded part of her cargo to the CALCITE II. SLOAN was repaired in Toledo. Purchased by Lower Lakes Towing in 2001, renamed c.) MISSISSAGI. ALGOSEA, a.) BROOKNES, was christened on October 19, 1976, at Port Colborne, Ontario. She was renamed c.) SAUNIERE in 1982. Scrapped in Turkey in 2011. BUFFALO was able to leave the Saginaw River once it opened to traffic on October 19, 1990. The river was closed after the tanker JUPITER exploded as the BUFFALO passed. KINSMAN VOYAGER was launched October 19, 1907, as a.) H. P. BOPE for the Standard Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE of 1908, had the honor on October 19, 1912, of being the first vessel to navigate the opening of the Livingstone Channel named after the man who helped conceive the idea of a separate down bound channel on the east side of Bob-Lo Island in the lower Detroit River. Mr. Livingstone, President of the Lake Carriers Association at the time, piloted his namesake vessel in the channel on that historic trip. Renamed b.) S B WAY in 1936 and c.) CRISPIN OGLEBAY in 1948. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1974. The crew on the stranded WILLIAM C. MORELAND was removed in gale force winds on October 19, 1910, by the Portage life saving crew. On October 19, 1923, SAMUEL MATHER was driven onto Gull Rock on Lake Superior near Keweenaw Point during a snowstorm and gale winds. The crew was safely removed from the badly exposed steamer on October 21st by the Eagle Harbor life saving crew. Renamed b.) PATHFINDER in 1925, sold Canadian in 1964, renamed c.) GODERICH, d.) SOO RIVER TRADER and e.) PINEGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1984. Michigan Limestone's self-unloader B. H. TAYLOR sailed from Lorain on her maiden voyage on October 19, 1923. She was renamed b.) ROGERS CITY in 1957, and scrapped at Recife, Brazil in 1988. On October 19, 1868, PARAGON (wooden schooner, 212 tons, built in 1852, at Oshawa, Ontario as a brig) was being towed up the St. Clair River by the tug WILLIAM A MOORE with a load of lumber in the company of four other barges. During a gale, the tow was broken up. While the tug MOORE was trying to regain the tows, she collided with PARAGON causing severe damage. Four were drowned, but two were rescued by the Canadian gunboat/tug PRINCE ALFRED. PARAGON was then towed into Sarnia, but she sank there and was abandoned in place. October 19, 1919 - ANN ARBOR NO 4, while on the Grand Haven to Milwaukee run, got caught in a gale, stretching the normal 6-hour crossing to 27 hours. On October 19,1876, MASSILON (3-mast wooden schooner with foretop and topgallant sails, 130 foot, 298 gross tons, built in 1857, at Cleveland, Ohio, as a bark) was sailing from Kelley's Island for Chicago with limestone when she sprang a leak 20 miles above Pointe aux Barques at the mouth of Saginaw Bay. She was abandoned at about 2:00 a.m. and then sank. The crew was in an open boat until 7 a.m. when they were rescued by the tug VULCAN. On October 19, 1873, JOHN F. RUST (wooden schooner-barge, 161 foot, 347 gross tons, built in 1869, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying lumber in tow of the steamer BAY CITY in a storm when she broke her towline and went ashore a few miles north of Lakeport, Michigan. 1901: The wooden freighter STATE OF MICHIGAN, a) DEPERE sank off Whitehall, MI enroute to Manistee to load salt. A piston rod had broken and fractured the hull the previous day and the vessel went down slowly. All on board were saved. 1905: KALIYUGA foundered in Lake Huron with the loss of 18 lives. The ore laden steamer was enroute to Cleveland. 1905: SIBERIA sank in a storm on Lake Erie while eastbound with a cargo of grain. All on board were saved. 1916: The wooden schooner D.L. FILER, loaded with coal and enroute from Buffalo to Saugatuck, MI, became waterlogged and sank near the mouth of the Detroit River 3.5 miles east of Bar Point Light. The vessel settled in shallow water with the crew clinging to the masts. The forward mast cracked throwing the sailors into the water and all 6 were lost. Only the captain on the after mast survived. 1947: MANCHESTER CITY went aground off Cap Saumon, QC, while inbound from the United Kingdom with freight, 12 passengers and a crew of 50. The ship stranded in fog and the passengers were removed safely before the vessel was lightered. The vessel made 17 trips through the Seaway from 1959 to 1963 before being scrapped at Faslane, Scotland, in 1964. 1981: ELSIE WINCK first came through the Seaway in 1962. It was bombed and sunk at Bandar Khomeini, Iran, as e) MOIRA on this date and was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Overall shipments, grain and salt, are up on St. Lawrence Seaway 10/18 - Total cargo shipments via the St. Lawrence Seaway (March 29 to September 30) reached 25.7 million metric tons, up 4.1 percent over the same time period in 2017. In the thick of the fall harvest, U.S. grain exports on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway continue at a robust pace and are expected to remain steady for the remainder of the shipping season. U.S. grain shipments for the season totaled 1.6 million metric tons, up 45.6 percent. Salt shipments also showed significant improvement after a labor strike at the Compass Minerals, Goderich, Ont., mine ended in July. Salt shipments (from March 29 to September 30) reached 1.9 million metric tons, down 12 percent. “While salt tonnage remains down compared to 2017 volumes, we saw a positive change with a healthy increase in salt shipments in the last couple of months,” says Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “As we get closer to winter, with some parts of the Midwest already experiencing snowfall, ports throughout the Great Lakes are replenishing their salt supplies to prepare for the weather. September was also a positive month for cement, stone and gypsum.” At the Port of Green Bay, total tonnage for the season is up seven percent from this time last year. In September, the top shipments were cement, coal and limestone, however gypsum made its first entrance into the port since 2014. The vessel Pere Marquette 41 brought approximately 4,700 tons of gypsum from Michigan to Green Bay for use by GLC Minerals. Also, for the first time since 2014, the port is on course for its best year, thanks primarily to coal and petroleum products. “Between the increased shipments of coal and petroleum products throughout the season, the Port of Green Bay is on pace to reach 2 million metric tons of cargo moved in 2018,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director. “While salt deliveries are down for this time of year due to the salt mine strike in Canada this past July, we are making plans to get enough salt deliveries scheduled for winter road maintenance before the end of the year.” Grain shipments through the Port of Toledo, which include corn, wheat, oats, canola and soybeans, surpassed the 1-million-ton mark in September; up 90 percent from January to September compared to the same time in 2017. Tonnage through the Port remained steady through September, two percent greater than the same period in 2017. “Some folks may not know that the Port of Toledo is home to some very active grain terminals, including one of the largest flour mills in the world operated by Mondelez,” said Joe Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “Corn and soybeans are often available from ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) or The Andersons to reload on ocean going vessels bringing breakbulk or project cargo into the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.” Toledo also saw an uptick in salt shipments in September as companies begin to build stockpiles for the winter. The port expects a strong finish to the season and has a busy schedule of international vessel traffic at the general cargo terminal operated by Midwest Terminals. The grain facilities are also expected to be very active throughout the fall harvest as the soybean shipments transitions from the 2017 crop to the 2018 crop. The weather has slowed down the shipments to the Port of Duluth-Superior this fall, however the port reports the demand for grain and iron ore shipments remain strong. “Momentum carried over from August, with shipments of agricultural products running almost 20 percent ahead of last season, and year-to-date iron ore loadings through September already approaching 14 million short tons, a full 23 percent ahead of the five-year average,” says Adele Yorde, Duluth Seaway Port Authority spokesperson. The port’s primary agricultural products include durum and spring wheat, beet pulp pellets, and a small amount of flax and canola. Chamber of Marine Commerce |
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Port Reports - October 18
Two Harbors-Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Oct 17 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Schoonmaker museum hosts Boo on the Boat Halloween event 10/18 - Toledo, Ohio – On Saturday October 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship will become the most interesting trick or treat route on the Great Lakes as hundreds of super heroes, ghosts and goblins work their way from stem to stern collecting candy and learning about Great Lakes history. "In an era of eight-year-old kids owning a cell phone that has more computing power than the computer that sent Neil Armstrong to the moon, our Boo on the Boat program gives kids a chance to return to a more simple time with simple pleasures,” said Christopher Gillcrist, executive director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes. The museum, which operates the Schoonmaker, offers discounted admission for Boo on the Boat at $11 for adults, $8 for children and free admission for children 5 and under. "Anytime we can get kids to experience the Great Lakes, even by giving away dum dums, milky ways and gob stoppers, we are fulfilling our mission ever making sure people know of the important history of the Great Lakes,” Gillcrist added. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children with allergies will be offered a non-food treat as part of its Teal Pumpkin Program. Members of the museum receive free admission to the program. For more information contact the museum at 419-214-5000 extension 200. National Museum of the Great Lakes |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 18 On October 18, 1869, GERALDINE (3-mast wooden schooner, 232 tons, built in 1856, at Wilson, New York as a bark) was carrying coal from Buffalo to Detroit in heavy weather. During the night, she collided with the schooner E. M. PORTCH five miles below "The Cut" at Long Point on Lake Erie and sank in 5 minutes. The PORTCH stood by while the GERALDINE's crew got off in the yawl. No lives were lost.ALVA C. DINKEY departed Quebec City October 18, 1980, in tandem with her former fleet mate GOVERNOR MILLER, towed by the FedNav tug CATHY B., in route to Vigo, Spain, for scrapping. Tragedy struck on the WILLIAM C. MORELAND's fifth trip October 18, 1910, Loaded with 10,700 tons of iron ore from Superior for Ashtabula, Ohio, the vessel stranded on Sawtooth Reef off Eagle Harbor, Michigan, on Lake Superior. Visibility had been very limited due to forest fires raging on the Keweenaw Peninsula and the lake was blanketed with smoke as far as one mile off shore. The MORELAND hit so hard and at such speed that she bounced over the first reef and came to rest on a second set of rocks. The stern section was salvaged and combined with a new forward section she became b.) SIR TREVOR DAWSON in 1916. Renamed c.) CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON in 1920, d.) GENE C. HUTCHINSON in 1951, sold into Canadian registry in 1963, renamed e.) PARKDALE. Scrapped at Cartagena, Spain in 1970. On October 18, 1896, AUSTRALASIA (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 282 foot, 1,829 gross tons, built in 1884, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying 2,200 tons of soft coal when she caught fire, burned to the waterline and sank 3 miles east of Cana Island in Lake Michigan. The Bailey's Harbor Lifesavers saved her crew. At 8 p.m., on October 18, 1844, the steamer ROCHESTER left Rochester, New York for Toronto. She encountered a severe gale about halfway there. Captain H. N. Throop had the vessel put about to return to Rochester. The gale was so severe that all thought they were lost. When they finally arrived in Rochester, the passengers were so grateful that they had survived that they published a note of gratitude to Almighty God and Captain Throop in The Rochester Daily Democrat on 19 October 1844 -- it was signed by all 18 passengers. On October 18,1876, the schooner R. D. CAMPBELL filled with water and capsized on Lake Michigan about 10 miles from Muskegon, Michigan. The crew clung to the vessel's rigging until rescued by the tug JAMES MC GORDAN. The schooner drifted to the beach some hours later. 1905: The schooner TASMANIA became waterlogged while under tow of the steamer BULGARIA and sank in the Pelee Passage 1911: ARUNDELL had been laid up at Douglas, MI, for about 2 weeks when fire Poke out, destroying the iron hulled passenger and freight vessel. 1917: ABYSSINIA had been under tow of the MARUBA when both ships stranded at Tecumseh Shoal in heavy seas. The grain-laden vessels had been following the north shore due to high winds when they struck bottom. The barge began leaking and was pounded apart but there was no loss of life but the steamer was refloated. 1933: The wooden steam barge MANISTIQUE caught fire on Lake Huron and the remains either sank or was scuttled. 1973: The AGIOS ANTONIOS first visited the Seaway in 1972 and, as a) SILVERWEIR, had come inland beginning in 1964. The ship had loaded iron ore at Coondapoor, on the southwest coast of India, and went aground leaving for Constanza, Romania. The vessel was abandoned as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Spruceglen crewman dies after falling off Seaway dock 10/17 - Massena, N.Y. – A Canadian man is dead after he fell off the dock while tying off a freighter outside Eisenhower Lock near Massena early Tuesday morning. State police say 57-year-old Alfred Eshun from Quebec lost his balance and slipped off a dock after being lowered onto it off the side of the bulk carrier Spruceglen around 12:30 a.m. He was found in the water face down and unresponsive about three minutes later. Two St. Lawrence Seaway employees went into the water to help. Both men were treated for possible hypothermia at Massena Memorial Hospital. Eshun was pronounced dead at Massena Memorial Hospital around 2 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The Spruceglen was heading upriver and was waiting to go through the locks when the accident happened. The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment is assisting with the investigation The Associated Press Canada Steamship Lines’ statement: In Memory of Alfred "Freddy" Eshun It is with great sadness that that we learned of the tragic death of one our colleagues on Spruceglen in the early morning hours on October 16, 2018. That colleague was OS Alfred Eshun, known to his shipmates as “Freddy.” A long-time CSL seafarer, Freddy became permanent on Spruceglen in 2004 and had worked as a relief on a variety of CSL ships for over 20 years. Freddy was a known as hard worker, well liked and appreciated by his crewmates, and an all-around good guy. He will be missed by his wife, his son, his friends and his CSL family. In honor of Freddy’s life, CSL ships worldwide will fly the CSL flag at half-mast for the rest of the week. |
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Port Reports - October 17
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Oct 16 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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‘Books and Boats’ to feature authors and more at Maritime Center Nov. 10 10/17 - Port Huron, Mich. – Join several Great Lakes authors, as well as photographers and others Nov. 10 for “Books & Boats” at the Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron. On hand will be Roger LeLievre (“Know Your Ships”), Robert Campbell (“Classic Ships of the Great Lakes”), Roger P. Hulett (“A Lot More To Do: The Remarkable Life of Frank Mays”), Raymond Bawal Jr. (“The Inland Steel Fleet” and others), and Port Huron area author Pegg Thomas. All will be happy to sign copies of their books. A special guest will be Great Lakes illustrator Don Lee, whose personalized Great Lakes caricatures are popular on Facebook and other sites. He draw your likeness as your favorite boat (no charge but tips appreciated). In addition, Bob May from Lake Freighter Minis will have his paper lake vessel model kits for sale. Among maritime photographers scheduled to attend are Mary Truchan and Frank Switlicki (aluminum prints). The Great Lakes Nautical Society will be on hand with a display of model boats and model boat kits for sale for kids to build. Great Lakes Maritime Center |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 17 On this day in 1889, the whaleback 103 completed her maiden trip by delivering 86,000 bushels of Duluth wheat to Buffalo.On this day in 1936, the 252-foot sand sucker SAND MERCHANT rolled over and sank when a 50 mph gale swept across Lake Erie. The steamer THUNDER BAY QUARRIES, Captain James Healey, rescued three survivors and the steamer MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 1, Captain George Wilson, rescued four additional survivors. Eighteen crewmembers and one female passenger drowned in the accident. On October 17, 1887, Henry McMorran and D. N. Runnels bought the engine and boiler of the tug GEORGE HAND at the U.S. Marshall's sale in Port Huron, Michigan, for $500. The CARLTON (Hull#542) was launched October 17, 1963, at Sunderland, England, by Short Brothers, Ltd., for Chapman & Willan, Ltd. Renamed b.) FEDERAL WEAR in 1975. Purchased by Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. in 1975, renamed c.) ST LAWRENCE PROSPECTOR in 1975. Lengthened to Seaway size and renamed d.) CANADIAN PROSPECTOR in 1979. Scrapped in 2009 at Aliaga, Turkey. The EMS ORE was launched October 17, 1959, for Transatlantic Bulk Carriers, Monrovia, Liberia. Purchased by Hall Corp. of Canada in 1976, reconstructed for lake service and renamed b.) MONTCLIFFE HALL in 1977. Renamed c.) CARTIERDOC in 1988, she sails today as d.) CEDARGLEN. With an inexperienced Taiwanese crew, boiler problems and the collapse of Lock 7's west wall in the Welland Canal on October 17th, SAVIC's (CLIFFS VICTORY) departure was delayed until December 17, 1985, when she departed Chicago under her own power. The carferry PERE MARQUETTE 19 was launched October 17, 1903. In 1893, the FLINT & PERE MARQUETTE NO 1 was damaged by fire while in Ludington. In 1988, the Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee purchased CITY OF MILWAUKEE from the City of Frankfort for $2. On October 17,1871, CASCADEN (2 mast wood schooner, 138 tons, built in 1866, at Saugeen, Ontario) was carrying much needed supplies for the Cove Island Lighthouse keeper and his family who were in desperate straits. But she went ashore 3 miles below Cape Hurd near Tobermory, Ontario, in a storm and was wrecked. On October 17, 1843, the wooden schooner ALABAMA collided with a pier during a storm at the mouth of the Grand River at Fairport, Ohio, and was a total loss. On October 17, 1871, the 42-ton wooden schooner SEA HORSE stranded on Fitzwilliam Island at the mouth of Georgian Bay in a storm. She was a total loss. 1923: The bulk carrier LUZON went aground in Lake Superior, northeast of Passage Island, due to poor visibility from the dense smoke of local forest fires. The vessel sustained serious bow damage but, fortunately, the bulkhead held. It was enroute from Fort William to Buffalo with grain at the time. The ship returned to service as b) JOHN ANDERSON in 1924 and was last known as G.G. POST. 1936: SAND MERCHANT sank in Lake Erie about 13.5 miles off Cleveland with the loss of 19 lives. The ship began taking on water faster than it could be pumped out and only 7 sailors survived. 1951: GEORGE F. RAND and HARVEY H. BROWN collided just below the Huron Cut at Port Huron and the former was beached with a starboard list. After being refloated, this vessel unloaded its cargo of silica sand at Port Huron and then went to Toledo for repairs. The latter later sailed as PARKER EVANS and MARLHILL. 1980: The Canadian tanker GULF CANADA and MEGALOHARI II collided at Montreal with minor damage. The former had been built at Collingwood as a) B.A. PEERLESS in 1952 and was scrapped at Alang, India, as d) COASTAL I in 1990. The latter had begun Seaway trading in 1965 and was scrapped at Alang as b) AGIOS CONSTANTINOS in 1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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U.S. shipping on the Great Lakes down in September 10/16 - Duluth, Minn. – Lakers carried 9.36 million tons of cargo last month, down 8.3 percent from September 2017 and 6.6 percent below the month's 5-year average, according to the Lake Carriers' Association, which represents 13 American companies and their 45 U.S.-flag ships. But, those lower numbers shouldn't be a cause for concern, spokespeople from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Interlake Steamship Company said. "It's virtually impossible and not a really good idea to look back one year and try to compare the same month," said Adele Yorde, director of public relations for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority said, adding that factors like weather can impact monthly totals. Brendan O'Connor, vice president of marketing and marine traffic for Interlake Steamship Company, which is operating nine ships this season, said port congestion, dock delays and other ship repairs could impact those month-to-month figures. Interlake's ships are running full, he said. "The market is pretty strong," O'Connor said. "There are some differences incrementally in commodities. I can tell you we're not moving as much coal as we had in the past." Coal shipments last month fell to 1.25 million tons, down 33 percent from September 2017, across all U.S.-flag ships while year-to-date totals of coal sit at 7.75 million tons shipped so far this year, down 17.6 percent from this time last year. "The big thing that is down is coal," Yorde said, adding that coal is used less and less for energy production. "It's reflective of energy and utility use — a change in fossil fuels." Shipments of iron ore by U.S.-flag ships totaled 4.7 million tons in September, a 3.5 percent drop from the same month last year. However, plenty of iron ore is moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior as shipments increased 3.43 percent over last year, Yorde said. Iron ore "demand is certainly up," Yorde said. Salt, which isn't moved nearly as much as other commodities on the Great Lakes, saw its cargo numbers fall from 161,498 net tons in September 2017 to 17,226 net tons in September 2018. Year-to-date totals are nearly half of what they were a year ago. The reason? A strike at the Compass Minerals' Goderich salt mine in Ontario that lasted almost three months earlier this year. "They just haven't caught up so there's less salt coming up this way," said Mike McCoshe, president of Hallett Dock Company in Duluth and Superior, which moves salt, iron ore and other commodities. He's not worried about the September number and expects October to be a better month for the Great Lakes. "I had stuff coming in, but it just wasn't going out. Well, It's all going out in October," he said. "Sometimes it's just a timing issue with the boats." Duluth News Tribune |
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Port Reports - October 16
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron,
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Oct 15 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Jeff Benson |
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Michigan governor praises Coast Guard for enacting Straits ‘no anchor’ zone 10/16 - Lansing, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder Monday thanked the United States Coast Guard for approving a Straits of Mackinac “no anchor” zone, which builds on measures announced by the governor to add protections and safeguards to Michigan’s waters and the utility infrastructure in the area. “I want to thank the U.S. Coast Guard and Ninth District Commander Rear Admiral Joanna M. Nunan for taking this important action,” Gov. Snyder said. “This is one of many critical measures to provide robust short-term protections as we move forward with our long-term plan of putting Line 5 in a utility tunnel and decommissioning the existing pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.” Gov. Snyder in May approved a temporary emergency state rule prohibiting anchoring in the Straits, since no such prohibition was in place. Boats dropping anchors in the area where there is utility infrastructure could cause severe environmental damage and threaten to disrupt critical energy and communication services between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The new “no anchor” zone, known as a regulated navigation area, goes into effect Oct. 31 and prohibits vessels from anchoring or loitering without permission within a designated area. The boundaries are longitudes 084°20′ W and 085°10′ W and latitudes 045°39′ N and 045°54′ N (NAD 83), including Grays Reef Passage, the South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and Cheboygan, and the waters between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace. Vessels will be prohibited from anchoring over any charted, submerged cable and pipeline within the “no anchor” area unless the crew has received permission from the Captain of the Port of Sault Ste. Marie, or a designated representative. The Coast Guard said loitering does not include brief stops by companies offering sight-seeing, ferrying, or tourism services. The state of Michigan and Enbridge Energy Partners, LLC, which owns Line 5, entered into an agreement this month for construction beneath the Straits of a tunnel for multiple utility connections between the peninsulas. The agreement also calls for the permanent shutdown of the current segment of Line 5 in the Straits and safety enhancements along the entire length of Line 5 in Michigan. Additional safety measures in the Straits under the agreement include installing cameras, paid for by Enbridge, to support the Coast Guard’s new regulation prohibiting ships from dropping anchor. The company also will suspend operation of the pipeline when high winds would severely hamper response to a potential oil spill. Enbridge also agreed to have at least $1.8 billion available to respond to a potential spill in the Straits or anywhere along Line 5 in Michigan. The state will provide a radar system to measure real-time wave heights. Line 5 is 645 miles long and transports up to 540,000 barrels a day of light crude oil and natural gas liquids, including propane. Below the Straits of Mackinac, the pipeline splits into two lines that lie on the lake bottom within an easement issued by the state of Michigan. A new pipeline in the tunnel would not increase volumes or alter the types of products transported through the existing Line 5. WLUC |
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Abandoned Michigan: The Alabaster Marine Tramway 10/16 - The town of Alabaster in Iosco County may still show up on maps, but many sites declare it to be a ghost town...mainly because the old businesses and worker homes have vanished, replaced by a small string of newer homes just north of the old business district. Alabaster Township was settled in 1863 and established in 1866. It got its name from a certain type of gypsum found off the shoreline around 1837. A mine was opened in 1862, and Alabaster began its prosperous boom. People journeyed to the area looking for work, including many European immigrants. By 1905 the population was 600 and homes needed to be constructed for the mineworkers and their families. Even though you wouldn't realize it when you look at current photos, the town of Alabaster once had three churches (Catholic, Lutheran & Methodist), cooper shop, three fisheries, general store, two hotels, plaster works, post office, sawmill, schoolhouse, stave mill, steamboat, wagonmaker and warehouse. By 1918 the population had reduced to 400. In 1928, a 6,350-foot marine tramway was built that jutted out into Lake Huron, supplying ships that pulled into Saginaw Bay. By 1962, the post office had shut down. In the 1990s the marine tramway was mostly demolished and abandoned, with a newer, shorter version being built about three miles north. The old tramway is still visible and is an impressive sight. It's located near the old business district of Alabaster, with all old businesses gone and disappeared. Alabaster is registered by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. View photos at this link: http://99wfmk.com/abandoned-michigan-the-alabaster-gypsum-marine-tramway |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 16 On this day in 1950, the JOHN M. McKERCHEY of the Kelley's Island Lime and Transport Company sank at 2:30 a.m. while returning from the pumping grounds with a load of sand. Captain Horace S. Johnson went down with the boat, but the remaining 19 crewmembers were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. On October 16,1855, SENECA (wooden propeller tug, 92 foot, 73 tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the brig LANSING past the foot of Randolph Street at Chicago, Illinois, when her boiler exploded. Her skipper and engineer were killed instantly and several others were injured. The vessel was later recovered. On October 16, 1990, the JOHN B. AIRD's loop belt caught fire while loading mill scale at Inland Steel Mill, East Chicago, Illinois. Fueled by coal dust left over after unloading coal at the mill, 1,400 feet of the rubber conveyor belt burned causing nearly $500,000 in damages. ALGOWEST set a cargo record carrying 27,517 tons of grain down the Seaway October 16, 1982, to Port Cartier, Quebec. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1998, and renamed b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL in 2001. The Cayman Islands-registered tanker RIO ORINOCO grounded off Anticosti Island, Quebec on October 16, 1990, and was abandoned. Later she was salvaged by Le Groupe Desgagnes (1981) Inc., refloated, repaired and renamed d.) THALASSA DESGAGNES. Sea trials of MERTON E. FARR were successfully completed October 16, 1920. On October 16, 1954, the SCOTT MISENER of 1954 became the first laker to load a record 800,000 bushels of grain on the Great Lakes when she was loaded with barley at Fort William, Ontario, for delivery to Port Colborne. WILLIAM G. MATHER of 1925 was towed from her Cuyahoga River berth on October 16, 1990, by the Great Lakes Towing tugs IDAHO and DELAWARE. She was placed next to the 9th Street Pier of Cleveland's North Coast Harbor and now serves as a marine museum. On October 16, 1912, JAMES BUCKLEY (2 mast wood schooner-barge, 161 foot, 442 gross tons, built in 1884, at Quebec City) was carrying coal and being towed by the tug WILLIAM PROCTOR in consort with the barges H B and MENOMINEE in Lake Ontario. The BUCKLEY separated from this group in a storm and was driven into the shallows off the coast of Jefferson County, New York. The tug PROCTOR delivered MENOMINEE to Cape Vincent, then returned in time to take BUCKLEY’s crew out of the rigging - hand over hand on a heaving line - before BUCKLEY finally sank. On October 16, 1855, the brig TUSCARORA was carrying coal from Buffalo to Chicago. She anchored off Chicago's Harrison Street, but a storm dragged her in. Volunteers from shore were unable to get to the stricken vessel. A group of 9 ship captains and 4 seamen then organized a rescue party and took two new "Francis" metal lifeboats out and rescued the entire crew of eleven. By 21 October, TUSCARORA was pounded to pieces. On October 16, 1853, PHILO SCOVILLE (2-mast wooden brig built in 1853, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin) was carrying flour, wheat, pigs and barreled fish when she encountered a gale in the eastern Straits of Mackinac. She was dismasted and drifted ashore where she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was saved by floating ashore while clinging to the floating main mast. 1880: ALPENA, a wooden sidewheel passenger steamer, was lost in Lake Michigan in a violent storm. All 67 on board perished. 1928: PARKS FOSTER ran aground, due to fog, in Lake Huron near Alpena. The ship was lightered, pumped out and refloated. While declared a total loss, the vessel was rebuilt as b) SUPERIOR and eventually dismantled at Port Weller in 1961. 1940: TREVISA was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 while 600 miles off the coast of Ireland. The ship had become a straggler from convoy SC-7 that had been attacked over a period of 3 nights. Seven lives were lost when TREVISA was hit in the engineroom by a single torpedo. 1968: The NORMAN P. CLEMENT was at Collingwood for examination of the grounding damage of earlier in the month when an onboard explosion on this date injured 11. The hull was contaminated with chemicals and declared a total loss. 1969: FREDEN V. came to the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1959. The small tanker was heavily damaged as c) YARIMCA in an engine room fire at Sinop, Turkey, but that was repaired in 1972 and the ship survived until scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as f) ORTAC in 2004. 1971: The Cypriot freighter UNION came through the Seaway in 1971 after prior visits as c) MICA beginning in 1965. Fire broke out in the engine room and the ship was abandoned 130 miles off Freetown, Sierra Leone, on October 10, 1971. The vessel sank on October 16 and had been enroute from Gdynia, Poland, to Chittagong, Bangladesh. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Manitoba scrap tow departs Montreal 10/15 - Nito, formerly the laker Manitoba (ex. Mantadoc, Teakglen and Maritime Trader), departed Montreal at the end of the Ocean Delta's towline on Sunday. They are bound for an overseas scrap yard. |
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Port Reports - October 15
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
S. Lake Michigan ports
Sarnia, Ont.
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H.
Erie, Pa. – Jeff Benson Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Oct 14 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Bronte:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Obituary: Davis William Helberg 10/15 - Davis William Helberg passed away on October 10, 2018, at his home in Esko. He was diagnosed with cancer in January 2018 and faced that battle with his usual high spirits, optimism and a generous amount of SISU. Davis, known as "DeeDee" growing up, was born to Bill and Mary Helberg on December 10, 1940. He graduated from Esko High School in 1958 and married his high school sweetheart, Karen, in 1961. They were married for 45 years before her death in 2006 and had three children, Bill, Heidi and Adam. At the age of 17, Davis sailed as a deckhand on a Great Lakes freighter, the LaBelle. The year he spent aboard was his entry into the Great Lakes shipping industry. He worked for the Alistair Guthrie vessel agency during the Seaway's early years and remembered vividly May 3, 1959, the day the first oceangoing ship arrived to Duluth. Davis would spend the bulk of his career in the shipping industry, but for six years was a reporter for the Duluth News-Tribune and Duluth Herald covering sports and county government. As a sports writer, he had a column showcasing high school sports and athletes titled "It's Prep-Posterous," and as a feature writer he interviewed the likes of Jack Benny, Harry Reasoner and Buddy Hackett. Davis left the newspaper in 1968 to become the port's public relations director. He joined Upper Great Lakes Pilots, Inc., in 1972 and served as president of North Central Terminal Operators beginning in 1977 before his appointment as port director in 1979. Davis retired in 2003 after 24 years as executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Davis was a past-president of the Duluth Superior Propeller Club and current president of the Duluth Superior Harbor Club. He held offices in several national maritime organizations, including as 1994-95 chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities, an organization representing all major ports of the western hemisphere. He was named Great Lakes Person of the Year in 1992, was presented the U.S. Coast Guard's Meritorious Public Service award in 1999 and received an honorary doctorate in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. In 2007, he was inducted into the Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame in Sault Ste Marie, Mich. After his retirement, Davis turned his focus back to Esko and served on the boards of the Esko Educational Foundation, the Esko Tree Board and the Carlton County Historical Society. In his last years, he served as secretary of the Esko Sports Alliance and organized the creation of the Esko Sports Alliance Hall of Fame. Davis was a gifted writer and storyteller and had a quick wit. During his years as port director, he was a columnist for "Lake Superior Magazine" and the "Journal of Commerce" and in retirement wrote for "Great Lakes Seaway Review." He was the editor of "Pride of the Inland Seas: The Illustrated History of the Port of Duluth-Superior" (2004), "Esko's Corner: An Illustrated History of Thomson Township" (2013) and "Thomson Township's Night of Terror" (2018). During his final months, Davis was writing his own book-he would often say "memoir" was too pretentious-a collection of life experiences and stories about the places he traveled and the people he met. The working title of the book was "Did I Ever Tell You...?" He was writing the final chapter when he died. Davis's death would have given him a chance to provide a definitive response to a frequently asked question: "Have you lived in Esko all your life?" He would respond to that question enthusiastically by saying, "Not yet!" The truth, however, is that Davis lived in Duluth for about 10 years but returned to his original home after his father died, and, despite opportunities elsewhere, chose to stay because of his love for the woods, the wildlife and the Esko community. Davis's life will be celebrated at a "Sail Away" at Pier B Resort in Duluth on Monday, November 12, beginning with a time to gather as family and friends from 10:30 am until a service at 11:30. To honor his commitment to the Esko community, family asks that donations be made to the Esko Educational Foundation and the Davis Helberg Scholarship. Donations can be sent to Esko Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 27, Esko, MN, 55733. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 15 On this day in 1893, according to reports in Buffalo newspapers, First Mate Ben Lewis was washed off the decks of the JAY GOULD during a storm. A succeeding wave picked him up and dropped him back on the deck of the GOULD.On October 15, 1871, LA PETITE (wooden schooner, 94 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1866, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying lumber from Alpena, Michigan, to Huron, Ohio, when she was caught in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The heavy seas carried away the lumber strapped on deck. Then the vessel sprang a leak and turned on her beam ends. Capt. O. B. Smith, his wife, and four other sailors rode out the storm on the wreck until found by the tug BROCKWAY. The schooner was towed to Port Huron and repaired. On her maiden voyage, Branch Lines new tanker LEON SIMARD was spotted traveling eastward on the St. Lawrence River on October 15, 1974. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN in 1997 and d.) AMARA in 2001. The self-unloader WOLVERINE departed the American Ship Building Co., October 15, 1974, on her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, light to load stone at Stoneport, Michigan, for delivery to Huron, Ohio. HERBERT C. JACKSON cleared Fraser Shipyard on October 15, 1988, after having the 1000 h.p. bowthruster motor installed from the JOHN SHERWIN. The motor from the JACKSON was later repaired and placed in the SHERWIN's cargo hold for future use. The PAUL H. CARNAHAN came out on her maiden voyage October 15, 1961. On October 15, 1984, JOHN O. McKELLAR of 1952, was sold to P.& H. Shipping of Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., and renamed b.) ELMGLEN. Scrapping began on October 15, 1988, of JOHN T. HUTCHINSON at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. C. H. McCULLOUGH JR was laid up on October 15, 1969, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. COVERDALE (Hull#34) was launched at Midland, Ontario, on October 15, 1949, for Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) GEORGE HINDMAN in 1973 and c.) MELDRUM BAY in 1979. Scrapped at Lisbon, Portugal in 1985. SCOTT MISENER of 1954 struck bottom on October 15, 1973, near Whaleback Shoal on the St. Lawrence River reportedly damaging 60 of her bottom plates. She proceeded to the Port Arthur shipyard for drydocking and repairs from October 20th through the 28th. On October 15, 1980, the NIPIGON BAY, loaded with ore for Hamilton, Ontario, grounded at the "crossover" near Brockville, Ontario, on the St. Lawrence River and sustained a 100-foot rip in her bottom plates. She proceeded to Thunder Bay arriving there on October 24th where repairs were made at an estimated cost of $500,000. R. P. MASON (3 mast wooden schooner, 115 foot, 155 gross tons, built in 1867, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Detroit when she struck a rocky reef near Waugoshance Point in the Straits of Mackinac on October 8. 1871. Water gushed in an 8-foot hole. However, she was temporarily patched and her cargo of grain, flour and meat was taken off over the next few days. The tug LEVIATHAN took her in tow, going to Little Traverse Bay when, on October 15, they encountered a gale near Cross Village, Michigan. The MASON broke free and capsized. 5 died and 4 were rescued. The MASON drifted ashore upside down. She was eventually salvaged and sailed for another 46 years. She ended her days when she burned in Lake Michigan in 1917. The tug DOUGLAS caught fire near Wyandotte while going down the Detroit River and sank. The crew all jumped overboard and was saved by the steam yacht JOSEPHINE, except for John Cassidy, one of the firemen, who drowned. A few days later, plans were made to raise and rebuild the DOUGLAS. On October 15,1871, R. G. COBURN (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 193 foot, 867 tons, built in 1870, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying 15,000 bushels of wheat, 3,500 barrels of flour and 30 barrels of silver ore from Lake Superior to Detroit. As she came down Lake Huron, she encountered a terrific gale that had driven most vessels to seek shelter. The COBURN fought the wind at Saginaw Bay throughout the night until she lost her rudder and turned broadside to the waves. Her large stack fell and smashed the cabin area and then the cargo came loose and started smashing holes in the bulwarks. About 70 passengers were aboard and almost all were terribly seasick. As the ship began her final plunge beneath the waves, only a few lifeboats were getting ready to be launched and those were floated right from the deck as the ship sank. 32 people perished, including Capt. Gilbert Demont. No women or children were saved. On October 15, 1900, the wooden 186-foot freighter F. E. SPINNER was sunk in a collision with the steamer H. D. COFFINBERRY in the St. Marys River. She was raised from 125 feet of water, one of the deepest successful salvage operations to that time. She was later renamed HELEN C and lasted until 1922. October 15, 1910 - After the sinking of the PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1902, built at Cleveland, Ohio, the previous September, a new PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1911, was ordered by the Pere Marquette Railway from the Chicago Ship Building Co. On 15 October 1871, the EXCELSIOR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 374 gross tons, built in 1865, at Buffalo, New York) was struck by a gale near Thunder Bay on Lake Huron. She sailed through the early morning hours only to sink about 4:30 a.m. Only Charles Lostrom survived. He was on the cabin roof, which blew off when the vessel went down. Mr. Lostrom remained on the floating roof-raft for two days and two nights until he was rescued by fishermen near South Hampton light on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. 1916: The wooden bulk freighter L. EDWARD HINES was sold to Nicaraguan owners and left the Great Lakes in 1916. The ship had loaded coal in New Orleans for Venezuela for its maiden voyage on this date in 1916 but got caught in a hurricane and sank with the loss of 17 lives while 45 miles east of Belize, British Honduras. 1971: SINGAPORE TRADER was upbound with general cargo from Japan to Detroit, on its first trip to the Great Lakes, when it ran aground in the Thousand Islands. The vessel was released on November 29 and towed back to Montreal on December 16. The ship was arrested there and offered for sale, by court order. The successful bidder for the 27-year-old vessel was a shipbreaker at Santander, Spain, and the ship arrived there for dismantling on June 22, 1972. 1977: The three-year old Panamanian bulk carrier GOLDEN STAR damaged its rudder when it struck the opposite bank while backing from the dock at Huron, Ohio. The vessel, bound for the United Kingdom, needed four tugs when it was towed out of the Seaway for repairs at Sorel, QC. The vessel was last noted as c) FUN JIN under the flag of Panama in 1993. 1978: The West German freighter FRANCISCA SARTORI made 21 trips through the Seaway from 1959 through 1967. It was lying at Piraeus, Greece, as f) GIOTA S. when the engine room flooded on this date in 1978. The ship departed for Chalkis on October 24, 1979, but further leaks developed and the vessel had to be beached at Laurium, Greece. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Scrap tow of former laker Manitoba to leave Montreal Sunday 10/14 - Nito, formerly the Manitoba, will be departing Montreal at the end of the Ocean Delta's towline at 6 a.m. Sunday. The vessel was built in 1967 at Collingwood Shipyards in Collingwood, Ontario, for the N.M. Paterson & Sons fleet as Mantadoc. In 2002, Paterson left the shipping business and Mantadoc was sold to Canada Steamship Lines and renamed Teakglen, although it did not operate as such until the fall of 2002 when it made its only trip under that name with a storage load of grain for Goderich, Ontario. The ship was used as a grain storage hull from 2002 until 2005 when it was sold to a new company, Voyageur Marine Transport Ltd., which repainted the ship a bright blue and renamed her Maritime Trader. In 2011 the vessel was purchased by Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover, Ontario, and renamed Manitoba. With her demise, this leaves only the Cedarglen of the Canada Steamship Lines’ fleet, formerly the Cartierdoc, as the last remaining member of the Paterson fleet. Manitoba’s last full season of operation was 2015-16. She was in lay up at Hamilton before departing on April 16, 2016 for Montreal, arriving under her own power for her final lay up on April 17, 2016. |
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Sault Ste. Marie receives first shipment of road salt ahead of winter 10/14 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – It’s still peak fall color season in Northern Michigan. However one thing is reminding us winter is right around the corner: Road salt. On Saturday afternoon, the Algoma Sault unloaded just over 17,000 tons of the salt in Sault Ste. Marie. The salt will be distributed throughout the eastern Upper Peninsula. The rest of the vessel’s cargo will be unloaded in the Houghton area. This salt shipment isn’t enough for the Upper Peninsula winters. Another shipment will arrive next week. 9&10 News |
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Port Reports - October 14
Superior, Wis.
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River – Joy Fett
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron Ports
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Oct 13 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Server move 10/14 - Our AIS system ais.boatnerd.com and automated vessel passage systems will be moving servers early this week and service may be interrupted at times. |
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Fundraiser to support BoatNerd 10/14 - The results of a recent survey indicated almost 70 percent of Boatnerd’s users would be willing to contribute to an annual donation drive to support the site. With that in mind, we have kicked off our first annual fall fundraising drive. We accept donations through PayPal or by mail. Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online, the non-profit support organization for the Boatnerd.com web site, was designated a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation by the Internal Revenue Service in 2006. In addition to the continuation of the regular features like the News and Photo Galleries, here are some of the projects that your donations will help fund:
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 14 On this day in 1953, Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, submitted a successful bid of $118,111 for six retired lakers to be scrapped by the U.S. Maritime Commission. The six boats were the CHACORNAC, COLONEL, MUNISING, NEGAUNEE, YOSEMITE and AMAZON.On 14 October 1871, the LEVANT (2-mast wooden schooner, 91 foot, 115 tons, built in 1854, at Chicago, Illinois) was loaded with lumber when she was overtaken by a severe gale and went over on her beam ends off Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan. The 6-man crew lashed themselves to the vessel so as not to be washed away by the waves. Throughout the night the men died one by one. At daylight, the schooner D P DOBBINS found the wreck with floating bodies tied to it and three still alive (two of them were barely alive). One died during the rescue attempt and another died within minutes of being rescued. Only Peter J. Thornum survived. DEAN RICHMOND (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 238 foot, 1,432 gross tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) sailed from Toledo, Ohio, on Friday the 13th of October 1893, with a load of bagged meal, flour, zinc and copper ingots. She encountered hurricane force winds of over 60 mph and battled the storm throughout the night. She was seen on 14 October 1893, off Erie, Pennsylvania, missing her stacks and battling the wind and waves. The following day, wreckage and bodies were washing ashore near Dunkirk, New York. Among the dead were the captain, his wife and three children. A few crewmembers managed to make it to shore however all but one died of exposure. The only survivor was found on the beach near Van Buren Point two days later. During the search for bodies, three volunteers lost their lives. The wreck was found in 1984. The keel to the JAMES R. BARKER was laid on October 14, 1974. She was to become Interlake's first 1000 footer and the flagship of the fleet for Moore McCormack Leasing, Inc. (Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, mgr.). On October 14, 1983, the CHI-CHEEMAUN encountered 48-knot winds after departing Tobermory with 113 passengers bound for South Baymouth. Due to high wind and waves the captain decided to find shelter rather than to continue on or return to port. The ferry made her way around the Bruce Peninsula southeast to Dyer Bay where she dropped anchor for the night, however she had no overnight accommodations. Complimentary meals were served and activities were organized by the crew. The anchor was lifted the next morning and the ferry returned to Tobermory. The GEORGE A. STINSON departed Detroit on her maiden voyage October 14, 1978, light for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore pellets for delivery to the Great Lakes Steel Division of the National Steel Corp. at Zug Island in River Rouge, Michigan. Renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. On 14 October 1875, it was discovered that thieves had completely stripped the canvass and rigging from the schooner FORWARDER owned by Little & Brown. The schooner was lying about three miles below Port Huron. On 14 October 1822, APPELONA (wooden schooner, 45 foot, 37 tons, built in 1814, at Henderson, New York) was bound from Oswego for Genesee, New York, when she was struck by lightning in Lake Ontario and sank about 15 minutes. All hands were injured but abandoned her for shore and all survived. The tug NELSON burned at Chicago on Saturday, 14 October 1876. She was one of the smaller class of tugs and the damage was so great that she was not considered to be worth repairing. October 14, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground while enroute to Manistique, Michigan, at full speed, damaging several plates. The ANN ARBOR NO 3 pulled her off. On 14 October 1876, NEW YORK (wooden propeller freighter, 183 foot, 704 tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber and towing the schooner BUTCHER BOY and barges NELLIE MC GILVERAY and A. J. CORREY from Cove Island in Georgian Bay to Buffalo when they encountered a severe storm near Pointe aux Barques. The towline parted and the NEW YORK could not regain it in the heavy seas. She then sprang a leak and the water rose rapidly enough to put out her fires. The crew (15 men and one woman) abandoned in the yawl as NEW YORK was overwhelmed and sank. The open boat was adrift for five hours when the 74-foot schooner NEMESIS came upon it. NEMESIS tried twelve times to approach the yawl in the rough seas, losing a portion of her deck load of tanbark each time that she came about, but at last she got alongside the yawl. The NEW YORK's crew managed to get aboard the NEMESIS except for Fireman William Sparks, who fell between the yawl and the schooner and was lost. The other vessels in the tow all made it to Port Huron safely. On 14 October 1883, NELLIE GARDNER (wooden schooner-barge, 178 foot, 567 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) was loaded with 39,000 bushels of corn while being towed by the steamer JOHN PRIDGEON JR in a storm on Lake Huron. The GARDNER released herself from the tow in the heavy weather to run for the shelter of Thunder Bay under sail. However, she was unable to make it, and turned back for Tawas, Michigan, but struck a reef, broke in two and was wrecked 1 mile SE of Scarecrow Island. Her crew made it to shore in her yawl. 1895: The wooden steamer AFRICA struck a reef near Cove Island enroute to Georgian Bay, broke up and sank with the loss of all 13 crew. 1922: ARROW, a steel sidewheeler, partially burned at the dock in Put-in-Bay. 1954: The Dutch freighter PRINS WILLEM V. sank off Milwaukee after a collision with the barge SINCLAIR XII pushed by the SINCLAIR CHICAGO. All 30 sailors on board were rescued but the overseas vessel was never salvaged. It was replaced in 1956 by another PRINS WILLEM V. 1966: The STONEFAX and ARTHUR STOVE collided in the Welland Canal between Allanburg and Port Robinson. The former, a member of the Halco fleet, sank with its cargo of potash and remained on the bottom until November 25. The latter subsequently visited the Seaway as b) TIARET and was scrapped at Nantong, China, as c) CLARET in 1984-1985. 1983: The British freighter HOUSTON CITY visited the Great Lakes in 1966. It ran aground at Mayotte Island, part of the Comoros, while enroute from the Far East to South Africa as c) ALPAC AFRICA. The ship was stuck until October 22 and scrapped at Shanghai, China, in 1984. 1985: FURIA was trapped in Lock 7 when a section of the lock wall collapsed. The Welland Canal was closed until November 7. The vessel arrived at Shanghai, China, for scrapping as b) YRIA on November 1, 2001, after it made a final trip inland as such in 2000. 1987: GEORGE A. SLOAN sustained major bottom damage going aground in the Amherstburg Channel and was repaired at Toledo. The ship is still sailing as c) MISSISSAGI. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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U.S.-flag cargo movement on lakes down 8 percent in September 10/13 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 9.26 million tons of cargo in September, a decrease of 8.3 percent compared to a year ago. The September float was also 6.6 percent below the month’s 5-year average. Iron ore cargos for steel production totaled 4.7 million tons, a decrease of 3.5 percent compared to a year ago. Coal loads totaled 1.25 million tons, a decrease of 33 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments of aggregate, fluxstone, chemical stone and scrubber stone totaled 2.85 million tons, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to a year ago. Year-to-date U.S.-flag cargo movement stands at 57.6 million tons, a decrease of 4.8 percent compared to the same point in 2017. Iron ore cargos total 31.25 million tons, a decrease of 3.7 percent. Coal loadings total 7.75 million tons, a decrease of 17.6 percent. Limestone totals 15.7 million tons, an increase of 2.9 percent. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Algoma cancels 4 remaining contracts at Croatia Shipyard 10/13 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Algoma Central on Friday announced that it has taken steps to cancel its remaining four new build construction contracts with a Croatian shipyard The cancellation notices have been sent to the shipyard as a result of the yard’s failure to secure refinancing and Algoma has no assurance that the shipyard will be able to complete the four vessels. The company will now initiate the process to be reimbursed for contract installments paid to date, including issuing demands under related refund guarantees. Every effort is being made to replace the cancelled vessels and the company remains confident of their ability to provide capacity in the interim. Algoma Central Corp |
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Banner year for grain shipments at the Port of Hamilton 10/13 - Hamilton, Ont. – Agricultural product shipments in Hamilton Harbour have more than doubled over the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2017. As further evidence of a banner year, Hamilton Port Authority officials say Friday, at one point, the harbour had 11 ships, most of them picking up agricultural products. The number of ships may have been a record, said Ian Hamilton, CEO and president of the Hamilton Port Authority. Shipments of agricultural products are up by 109 per cent in the January-to-September 2018 total, relative to the same period in 2017. Cargo overall is trending 17 per cent higher than last year. The results are noteworthy because the port authority over the past several years has been trying diversify beyond products related to steelmaking. In particular, the port authority has invested heavily with private partners in grain terminal facilities with a focus on winter wheat, corn, soya beans and canola. The terminals take the products from trucks and keep grains in silos until they are picked up by ships. One outcome of the increased terminal capacity, Hamilton said, is that Hamilton-area farmers have a "more cost effective, efficient way to get their product to international market." The port authority has three main players that operate agricultural product terminals — G3, Parrish and Heimbecker and Richardson International, said Hamilton. This year has been strong, in part, because of increasing trade as a result of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union as well as a drought in Europe leading to grain traders looking to North American markets, he said. More than 60 per cent of all the grains exported from Ontario go through the port of Hamilton, said Hamilton. "Compared to 10 or 15 years ago, our volume would have quadrupled," he said. Hamilton Spectator |
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Port Reports - October 13
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Oct 12 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Family tugboat business serves growing ‘saltie’ trade at Thunder Bay 10/13 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Couched in the lee of Lake Superior’s legendary Sleeping Giant, the tugs Glenada and Miseford slipped through the water of Lakehead Harbour, fronting the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, heading for the James Richardson International Terminal and the grain-laden ship BBC Mississippi. Capt. Nathan Dawson maneuvered the 1,200-hp Glenada to the ship’s stern. Capt. Stan Dawson, at the helm of the 900-hp Miseford, navigated to the bow, nose to nose with the ship. Both tugs put a line up to the ship and waited for the pilot to give the command to let go the ship’s mooring lines. Capt. Stan applied throttle to Miseford’s Detroit Diesel Quad-71 pack. The four Detroit Diesels wailed loudly, churning the single screw into a boil of water as the tug began to nose the ship back. Capt. Nathan took up the slack in Glenada’s line and applied only enough pull on the ship’s stern to counteract the wind’s intent to push the ship back to the dock. Too much pull and the bow of the ship could slip between the large dock fenders, potentially damaging the structure and/or the ship, and causing a headache of paperwork. Once clear of the terminal, Miseford moved to the port shoulder of the ship and Glenada to the port quarter. The tugs pushed and pulled respectively, turned the ship outbound and let go the lines. With the ship’s stern receding, the tugs headed back to their moorage at the Agricore United Terminal slip near Intercity. Historically, Intercity was the demarcation between Port Arthur and Fort William, often called the Lakehead, before amalgamating into the city of Thunder Bay in 1970. Capt. Gerry Dawson, the owner of Thunder Bay Tug Services, is Nathan’s father and Stan’s brother. Gerry’s wife, Sharon, and son Davis manage the company office. The company’s founding coincided with the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, opening up the Great Lakes to larger international ships, or “salties” as they are called. Gerry’s parents — Elliott, an engineer on a cement laker, and Wealthy, a lab worker at a Canada cement plant in Point Anne, Ontario — met, married and bought the 38-foot Joyell. “They sailed up to Thunder Bay on a whim and saw there was a need for a bum boat,” said Gerry Dawson. The couple formed Thunder Bay Marine Services in 1959 and, with Joyell, began selling goods and services, including film processing and dry cleaning, to the crew of ships at anchor. Later the couple acquired the 58-foot Rosalee D., Thunder Bay’s original pilot boat. The boat’s large stern deck lent itself to line-handling and hauling garbage from the visiting ships. “I bought my parents out in 1983,” said Gerry. “In 1989 there was a 16-month strike and there were no tugs here.” To fill the void, Capt. Roger Hurst and engineer Roland Frayne rented the tug Ivan Purvis from Purvis Marine in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and formed Thunder Bay Tug Services. Read more and view photos at this link: http://www.professionalmariner.com/March-2016/Family-tugboat-business-serves-growing-saltie-trade-at-Thunder-Bay |
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Public asked to shape the future of Lime Island 10/13 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input as it develops an updates general management plan for the Lime Island Recreation Area. The 932-acre island tied with a 6.5 acre parcel on the mainland in Raber Township. “The park’s remote setting makes it a perfect spot for hiking, fishing swimming, wildlife watching, hunting, watching the freighters and other activities,” said Corey Butcher, park manager. “The quiet retreat offers a boat dock, cabins powered by solar panels, and tent camping on wooden platforms.” According to a DNR press release announcing this effort, Lime Island has a rich history as an industrial complex and vessel refueling depot due to its close proximity to the St. Marys River shipping lanes. Some of the original historical structures have been partially restored and repurposed as rental cabins or interpretative buildings. To better determine what the public would like to see happen at the Lime Island Recreation Area, an online survey has been created to take public input. To access the survey, which will be offered through Oct. 31, utilize michigan.gov/limeisland. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes. The questions are comprised to determine the level of use, how people come to the island and what their motivation is in making those visits. With an eye to the future, the DNR is also seeking information to determine if there should be new development to fill future recreational needs at this location including the possible creation of a new campground and perhaps even ferry service from the mainland. After compiling survey data, the DNR plans to hold an open house at a yet-to-be-determined time in 2019 to give the public the opportunity to review and comment on the draft plan. Soo Evening News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 13 On this day in 1893, Chief Engineer J. H. Hogan left the DEAN RICHMOND in Toledo to take care of some family business. One day later, the DEAN RICHMOND burned off Dunkirk, New York, with a loss of 17 lives including the replacement Chief Engineer.On October 13, 1909, GEORGE STONE (wooden propeller freighter, 270 foot, 1,841 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was sailing from Ashtabula, Ohio for Racine, Wisconsin, with cargo of coal when she stranded on Grubb Reef in the Pelee Passage on Lake Erie. She then caught fire and was destroyed. Five of the 18 crewmen were lost. The SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER made her first trip out of Thunder Bay, Ontario with grain on October 13, 1983. Renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995, sold to Voyageur Maritime in 2006, and now sailing as c.) KAMINISTIQUA for Lower Lakes Towing. The tug GLENADA towed the BROOKDALE from Port Colborne to Newman's scrap yard at Port Maitland, Ontario the week of October 13, 1980. On October 13, 1902, the MAUNALOA collided with her whaleback consort barge 129 on Lake Superior and sank it 30 miles northwest of Vermilion Point, which is between Upper Michigan's Crisp and Whitefish Points. MAUNALOA had been towing the 129, both vessels loaded with iron ore, when the towline parted in heavy seas. While trying to regain control of the barge, they came together and the steamer's port anchor raked the side of the barge, which started taking on water. The crew was taken off the barge before it sank. On 13 October 1875, off Alpena, Michigan, the tug E. H. MILLER had her boiler explode while racing with the tug CITY OF ALPENA - both in quest of a tow. The ALPENA, who was ahead of the MILLER when she blew up, immediately turned around to pick up survivors. The ALPENA sunk in minutes. The engineer, fireman and a boy were rescued, but the captain and cook were lost. The fireman was in such poor shape that it was thought that he would not live. On 13 October 1877, The Port Huron Times reported that the tug PRINDIVILLE and the 2-masted schooner PORTLAND had both gone ashore at the Straits of Mackinac and been pounded to pieces. On 13 October 1886, SELAH CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller steam barge, 212 foot, 1,207 gross tons, built in 1873, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with the 222-foot wooden lumber hooker JOHN PRIDGEON, JR. in heavy fog off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The CHAMBERLAIN had been towing the schooner FAYETTE BROWN. The CHAMBERLAIN sank quickly. Five of the crew went down with the vessel when the lifeboat davits became fouled and they were unable to launch the lifeboat. The rest of the crew made it to shore in the other lifeboat after a 3-hour pull through the fog. 1902: The wooden steamer C. B. LOCKWOOD was swamped in a storm and sank on Lake Erie with the loss of 10 lives. 1927: The ONTARIO, once the largest carferry on the Detroit River, was later reduced to a barge and it foundered on Lake Superior, near Outer Island, while carrying 1100 tons of pulpwood. It had been under tow of the tug BUTTERFIELD and all on board were saved. 1973: SCOTT MISENER damaged 60 bottom plates when it hit bottom near Whaleback Shoal in the St. Lawrence. 1976: The former T2 tanker and now bulk carrier SYLVIA L. OSSA, remembered on the Great Lakes as the MARATHONIAN that was in a head-on collision with ROLWI in Lake Michigan, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with the loss of all 37 members of the crew. 1990: ERNA WITT first visited the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1962. The vessel sank off Port Sudan as k) SHIBA after a collision with the ALTAAWIN ALARABI while inbound from Aqaba, Jordan. Three members of the crew were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Great Lakes shipping legend Davis Helberg passes away 10/12 - Duluth, Minn. – A Great Lakes legend – Davis Helberg– died peacefully at home in Esko on Wednesday after a courageous fight with cancer. He formerly directed the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, was a vessel agent with Guthrie-Hubner and a reporter with the Duluth News Tribune. A memorial service is being planned for Monday, Nov. 12 in the ballroom at Pier B Resort on the Port of Duluth-Superior waterfront. |
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Port Reports - October 12
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan Ports
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Oct 11 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 11 - Algoma Hansa at 0633, Floretgracht (Nld) at 0818, Radcliffe R Latimer at 0851, Algoma Guardian at 0930, Algoma Discovery at 1055, CSL St Laurent at 1231 and Michipicoten eta 2105
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Lake Superior in good shape, but not in the clear 10/12 - Houghton, Mich. – Conditions are largely good in Lake Superior, said Rob Hyde. But steps will have to be taken to keep it that way. Hyde, a Great Lakes program officer for Environmental and Climate Change Canada, Canada’s environment department, spoke Tuesday at one of two public events as part of the State of Lake Superior Conference. The three-day conference is hosted by the International Association for Great Lakes Research. The department is one of more than 30 federal, state, provincial and tribal government organizations that collaborate to restore and protect the lake through the Lake Superior Partnership Working Group. Those agencies are working with another 170 communities, businesses, nongovernmental entities and academics around the lake, including at Michigan Technological University, Hyde said. “We’re looking to make sure we understand and maintain our understanding of the condition of the lake, talk about what’s really stressing the lake, and we work together to always try to identify what additional actions are necessary to restore and protect the lake,” he said. That means listening to other members as well as outside groups with knowledge around the lake, he said. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a compact between the U.S. and Canada, sets objectives for the Great Lakes. People should be able to swim, drink and fish. Pollutants shouldn’t be present in amounts that harm fish and wildlife. Lakes should be free of algae growth and invasive species. Lake Superior scored a “good” on most indicators, including drinking, swimming, pollutants, habitats and species, algae and miscellaneous. Two were only “fair”: eating and invasive species. Groundwater was left undetermined due to a lack of scientific consensus. (The same indicators for Lake Erie found one good, three fair, one fair to poor and four poors.) The “fair” for eating reflects fish advisory consumption in some areas. Some invasive species also continue to spread. Trends can be reversed, Hyde said. Lake trout, now plentiful, were nearly wiped out in the 50s by sea lampreys, overfishing and habitat degradation. Mercury, which is toxic, can reach humans through contaminated fish. After government clampdowns in the 1990s, emissions, from sources such as mining and fuel combustion, decreased by 82 percent from 1990 to 2015. Remaining major sources nearby are taconite mining in Minnesota and two coal-fired power plants in the U.S. The largest mercury source is atmospheric, largely coal-fired plants from the U.S. and globally. “The trend of mercury in the atmosphere is also decreasing, so that is other good news,” he said. Stressors in the lake include invasive species, climate change, chemicals, and fragmented habitats. The partnership’s management plan has commitments to enhance lamprey control efforts and to eliminate the phragmites plant, a dense wetlands plant that crowds out native species. It’s already harmed beaches and biodiversity in the lower Great Lakes, Hyde said. Climate change could increase the temperature water temperature by as much as 12 degrees by the end of the century, Hyde said. (After the panel, attendees overwhelmingly selected climate change as the greatest issue facing the lake.) Cold-water fish, such as brook trout, would be stressed. More extreme rain events are also likely, as are more algae blooms. The Daily Mining Gazette |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 12 On this day in 1976, three boats discharged a record 108,379 tons of cargo on a single day at the Pinney Dock in Ashtabula, Ohio. The three boats were the JAMES R. BARKER (57,305 tons), the WILFRED SYKES (20,678 tons), and the JOSEPH L. BLOCK (30,306 tons).On the night of October 12, 1871, the grain laden schooner PLOVER struck a reef near Whitefish Point on Lake Superior, put a hole in her hull and sank in deep water. Captain Jones and the crew of eight escaped in the yawl. They spent two days making their way to Sault Ste. Marie. The JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was released October 12, 1981, and returned to service after repairs were completed at the Canadian Vickers Montreal yard. The CLIFFS VICTORY was sold October 12, 1985, to Hai International Corp. of New York for scrapping in the Orient and transferred to Panamanian registry. Her name was changed to c.) SAVIC, utilizing the "S" from CLIFFS, the "VIC" from VICTORY and inserting an "A". All the other letters were painted out. The JOHN A. KLING sailed on her maiden voyage for the Rockport Steamship Co. (Reiss Steamship Co., mgr.) on October 12, 1922, light from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to load stone at Rockport, Michigan. Sold into Canadian registry in 1981, renamed b.) LEADALE. She was scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1983. The keel was laid October 12, 1925, for the Interlake Steamship Co.'s steamer COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS. The SYLVANIA returned to service on October 12, 1967. She sank at the Peerless Cement Co. Dock at Port Huron, Michigan in June of that year after being struck by the Canada Steamship Lines package freight steamer RENVOYLE. The tug EDNA G remained at Two Harbors, Minnesota, until October 12, 1993, when she was towed to the Fraser Shipyard at Superior, Wisconsin, by the Great Lakes Towing Co. tug KANSAS. She is now on display as a floating exhibit for the city. On October 12, 1967, the Papachristidis Company Limited's FEUX FOLLETS entered service with the distinction of being the last steam-powered vessel built on the Great Lakes. The vessel was renamed b.) CANADIAN LEADER when it was sold to Upper Lakes Shipping in 1972 It was scrapped in 2011. At 3:00 a.m., 12 October 1870, the 76-ton tug ONTARIO caught fire and burned to the waterline while lying at Harrow's dock in Algonac, Michigan. On 12 October 1901, ALVINA (wooden schooner-rigged scow-barge, 89 foot, 95 gross tons, built in 1871, at Fair Haven, Michigan) was being towed by the steamer WESTON and had a load of 700 barrels of lubricating oil. They were bound from Cleveland for Manistique. The ALVINA was overwhelmed in a storm and sank near Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. Her entire crew made it to shore in her yawl. Her cargo was salvaged five days later. On 12 October 1880, TRADER (wooden propeller, 115 foot, 169 gross tons, built in 1865, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was battered severely and became waterlogged. Her crew abandoned her with water up to her decks. They were saved by the schooner GUIDE in a daring rescue. A few days later, in the "Alpena Storm,” her wreckage washed ashore near Holland, Michigan and she was erroneously reported as another "all-hands" victim of that storm. On 12 October 1874, on her maiden voyage, the tug MARY passed Port Huron down bound with the bark FAVORITE in tow. The tug was owned by William Hardison of Port Huron. 1912: MARENGO, a wooden schooner under tow of the LLOYD S. PORTER, broke loose in a storm, came ashore west of Port Colborne and was pounded to pieces by the waves. The anchor was salvaged and now sits on the lawn of Port Colborne High School. 1912: S.K. MARTIN began leaking in heavy weather and sank in Lake Erie off Harbor Creek, NY. The coal laden wooden steamer ran for shore but the effort fell short. The crew took to the lifeboat and were saved. The ship went down bow first and rested on the bottom in 56 feet of water. 1918: The wooden tug ELLA G. STONE was destroyed by a brush fire that swept through the town of Cloquet, MN. Several scows, tugs and a dredge as well as over 400 lives were lost. 1941: ENARE, a Great Lakes visitor in 1932-1933, sustained heavy damage in an air attack in the North Sea as h) GLYNN. The ship was subsequently sunk by a convoy escort as a hazard to navigation. It had also been a Great Lakes trader as f) FLAKS in 1933 and 1934. 1991: ZIEMIA GNIEZNIENSKA hit the wall at Lock 7 and dislodged a chunk of concrete. The Welland Canal was closed for three days. 2002: STELLANOVA and CANADIAN PROSPECTOR were in a head-on collision on the Seaway near Cote St. Catherine and both ships sustained considerable damage. The former was repaired at Les Mechins and the latter at Port Weller Dry Docks. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Proposal for new $922M Soo Lock in Trump's hands now 10/11 - Washington, D.C. – A long-proposed plan to build a new navigation lock on the Great Lakes in Michigan — and put thousands of people to work — won final approval in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, a key step toward making the project reality. The Senate voted 99-1 in favor of a $4.4 billion package of water infrastructure projects and spending that included a measure authorizing $922 million to be spent on the new lock at the iconic Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie on the Upper Peninsula. Once funded, construction of the new lock could put some 15,000 people to work. The U.S. House already approved the bill, so now it goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law. For decades, Great Lakes shippers and their supporters in Michigan have argued for the construction of a second lock capable of handling the largest vessels on the Lakes, saying that if the one lock at the Soo currently able to handle those vessels broke down, it could send ripple effects through the economy. The Soo Locks lower or raise cargo vessels and other boats between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes along what would otherwise be a dangerous 21-foot drop along the St. Marys River. The Free Press first reported some years ago on the details of a Homeland Security report that indicated that a prolonged shutdown of the existing Poe Lock could lead to a potential recession, depending on the time of year, because there would be no other adequate way to get iron ore pellets to steelmakers, in turn affecting auto and appliance manufacturers and others. Almost all of those iron ore pellets are moved on the big 1,000-footers, which only the 50-year-old Poe Lock can currently handle. James H.I. Weakley, president of Lake Carriers’ Association, the trade association representing U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes, praised Congress for moving the lock project forward. “Many members of the Great Lakes delegation played a key role in advancing construction of the lock, but in particular I must thank Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Jack Bergman (R-MI) for their commitment to this project. Their dedication to twinning the Poe Lock pushed the project over the top.” The locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, connect Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes. In a typical year, as much as 80 million tons of cargo pass through the Soo Locks. However, roughly 90 percent of that cargo transits the Poe Lock. The other lock, the MacArthur, is too small to accommodate the most efficient ships in the fleet. “The American steel industry gets all its waterborne domestic iron ore through the Soo Locks,” said Weakley. “A Department of Homeland Security study found that if the Poe Lock went down for six months, domestic steel production would grind to a halt and 11 million Americans lose their jobs. A second Poe-sized lock is critical to our nation’s economic well-being and national defense capabilities.” Detroit Free Press, Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Fall storm hammering the Twin Ports 10/11 - Duluth, Minn. – Wind gusts of 50 mph were common across the region on Wednesday as a strong fall storm hit, causing power outages, swamped roads and large waves and flooding along Lake Superior’s shore. Water-swollen roads in Canal Park didn’t deter the wave-watchers from making their way to the shore, where waves crashed over the large boulder wall and the water flowed through the Lighthouse parking lot and onto Canal Park Drive. The Canadian freighter CSL Assiniboine, anchored in Lake Superior just off Duluth, reported winds up to 64 mph and 20-foot waves. But the highest gust reported came just after midnight Wednesday morning from the Canadian freighter Algowood, which measured a wind gust of 86 mph, well into hurricane force range, off the Minnesota North Shore near Castle Danger, according to the National Weather Service. The easterly winds were blowing so hard, and pushing so much Lake Superior water into the harbor that the water level in the harbor increased 10 inches Wednesday morning, the Weather Service reported. The city of Duluth advised the public to not venture to the lakeshore or into areas closed by flooding, including Brighton Beach and parts of Canal Park. Duluth officially has received more than an inch of rain in the last 24 hours on top of several recent days of rain. That’s softened the ground enough in some areas that big trees are being uprooted and falling over. Duluth News Tribune |
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Port Reports - October 11
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River
Detroit-Rouge River, Mich. – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Oct 10 - Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Tug Jane Ann IV advertised for sale for scrap 10/11 - A post on the web site Facebook Marketplace Community has solved the mystery of what will become of the long-idled tug Jane Ann IV. The tug, which was formerly mated to the barge Sarah Spencer, is for sale for scrap. The price is $100,000. Multiple items, including anchors, port holes, doors and tools, are also for sale. The tug was recently towed to Calcite, Mich., where it was recently pulled ashore. The 150-foot-long tug was built in 1978 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding of Tokyo, Japan as Ouro Fino for Petroleo Brasilero. In 1981 she was renamed Bomare. In 1993 she was sold to Secunda Marine Canada and was renamed Tignish Sea. In 2000, the Tignish Sea was sold to Halifax Grain Elevators Ltd. and renamed Jane Ann IV. She was converted to an articulated tug with the installation of a Hydraconn coupler system. This system was removed earlier this year for possible use on another vessel. She last operated in 2009 and has suffered extensive damage since then due to sinking at her dock. This leaves the fate of the Sarah Spencer, laid up in Toledo and needing extensive steel work, even more in doubt. The Transport Canada web site still lists her owner as TGL Marine Holdings or Toronto, Ont. |
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Updated list of new saltwater visitors for 2018 10/11 - As of October 1 there were 29 new saltwater vessels that have made westbound transits into the Great Lakes/Seaway system for 2018 at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y. The list incudes Adfines Sky, Anet, Arsland, Atlantik Miracle, BBC Luanda, BBC Polonia, Calypso, Cape Dawson, Emanuele S, Erin Schulte, Falstria Swan, Federal Dart, Federal Dee, Federal Nagara, Isabelle G, IT Intrepid, Johanna G, Kitikmeot W, Lolland, Maple Lea, Mississippi Star, Momentum Scan, MTM Antwerp, NACC Alicudi, Rike, Senja, Sichem Marseille, Sten Fjord and Tasing Swan. Three of them have had changes since their first inland voyages. They are the BBC Luanda renamed CLI Pride and registered in Antigua and Barbuda and renamed on or about August 22; the tanker Kitikmeot W, which now flies the Canadian flag and was registered Canadian on or about July 3; and the tanker Sten Fjord, renamed Kivalliq and registered Canadian on or about June 14. Denny Dushane |
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Mackinac Island listed as top U.S. island by Conde Nast Traveler 10/11 - Mackinac Island, Mich. – People around the world continue to realize what Michiganders have known for a long time. Mackinac Island is a treasure. The popular vacation spot was among the winners in this year's Conde Nast Traveler readers choice awards list of Best Islands in the United States. More than 429,000 readers submitted millions of ratings as part of the award, sharing their recent travel experiences of the world's cities, hotels, resorts, airports, islands, airlines, and cruise lines - both positive and negative. Mackinac Island was listed as No. 6 on the list, alongside tropical paradises like Maui and Oahu and picturesque getaways like Nantucket and Hilton Head. "Hold up your hand to represent the mitten shape of Michigan and imagine Mackinac Island as a speck just above the tip of your middle finger, where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan," Conde Nast Traveler's team noted. "No motored transportation is allowed on the island, so tourists and locals alike travel by horse and carriage or bicycle. It's anchored by the stately columned porch of the historic Grand Hotel, which is looking great for 131 years old." M Live |
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Supreme Court asked to overturn ruling guaranteeing public access to beaches 10/11 - Indianapolis, Ind. – The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to overturn the February ruling by Indiana's highest court that Lake Michigan's shoreline is open to all. Attorneys for Bobbie and Don Gunderson, who previously owned a lakefront home in the LaPorte County town of Long Beach, late last week filed a petition for a writ of certiorari that asks the nation's high court to set the water's edge as the boundary of lake-adjacent properties — with no requirement to provide public access to Lake Michigan beaches. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, the ramifications of any decision by the justices are likely to extend well beyond Indiana's 45 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline; the Gundersons are asking the high court to apply the water's edge standard to all the land adjacent to all five of the Great Lakes. "With thousands of miles of Great Lakes beaches hosting millions of visitors every summer — and with thousands of private owners facing that public influx to land they thought was their own — the stakes are unquestionably high," the Gundersons said. "How to define the boundaries of the states' equal-footing title in the beds of the Great Lakes is an important question of federal law that has not been, but should be, settled by this court." The Indiana Supreme Court determined, through an exhaustive review of historical property law, that the ordinary high water mark — essentially the spot where beach becomes land — is the boundary between the state-owned land under Lake Michigan and the interests of private property owners. Within that shoreline area individuals are entitled to access the water for the traditional purposes of navigation, commerce or fishing, the court said. The Hoosier justices also said, at a minimum, walking on the beach is a protected public use, and the General Assembly is empowered to enlarge the public's rights on Lake Michigan's beaches. The Gundersons claim in their petition for U.S. Supreme Court review that the Indiana ruling, and a similar 2005 decision by the Michigan Supreme Court, upset a longstanding consensus in the Great Lakes states that held private ownership extended to the water's edge, wherever that edge may be at any given time. They argue that having a standard based on vegetation changes is confusing and prone to be applied differently in different states. Moreover, they posit the Indiana standard reaches well beyond the high tide public-private property boundary that applies to oceanfront land, to claim "title to a huge swathe of scenic and valuable real estate that private landowners had thought was theirs" adjacent to the non-tidal Lake Michigan. "This aggressive theory cries out for this court's intervention," the Gundersons said. "If a perception that Great Lakes beaches are public becomes widespread, that would make it much more difficult as a practical matter to unwind Indiana's new rule." The Indiana attorney general's office and other participants in the original case, including Alliance for the Great Lakes, Save the Dunes and the Long Beach Community Alliance, now have at least 30 days to respond to the Gundersons' petition for Supreme Court review. Nearly every case appealed to the nation's high court ultimately fails to garner sufficient interest from four of the nine justices and is denied certiorari, leaving the lower court ruling in force. This one, however, may attract some extra attention since Chief Justice John Roberts grew up in Long Beach. NW Indiana Times |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 11 On this day in 1923, the HENRY STEINBRENNER of 1901 collided with the J. McCARTNEY KENNEDY at 4:20 p.m. off Parisienne Island, Whitefish Bay. The accident occurred during thick, smoky weather and both boats were severely damaged.MEDINA (wooden propeller tug, 66 foot, 57 gross tons) was launched by O'Grady & Maher at Buffalo, New York on October 11, 1890. She cost $12,000. Quebec & Ontario Transportation's b.) BAIE COMEAU II cleared Sorel October 11, 1983, as c.) AGIA TRIAS, Panamanian registry #1355. Her Canadian registry was closed on October 12, 1983. Her mission was to carry grain from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mexican and Caribbean Island ports. Subsequently she was renamed d.) OCEANVIEW in 1988, e.) SEA DIAMOND in 1989, f.) GOLDEN CREST in 1990, g.) ATLANTIC WOOD in 1991, h.) LONDON FURY in 1994 and i.) DONG SHENG in 1995. Cleveland Tankers’ MERCURY scraped the South Grand Island Bridge in the Niagara River in heavy fog on October 11, 1974. Her forward mast snapped off, the amidships mast was tilted and her smoke stack was toppled. She proceeded after the mishap to G&W Welding at Cleveland, Ohio under her own power for repairs. Upper Lakes Shipping's WHEAT KING, under tow, arrived at Chittagong Roads, Bangladesh on October 11, 1989, to be broken up. In 1911, the rail ferry CHIEF WAWATAM arrived at St. Ignace, Michigan, and began service shortly thereafter. On 11 October 1913, THOMAS H. CAHOON (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 166 foot, 431 gross tons, built in 1881, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying lumber in tow of the steamer C. W. CHAMBERLAIN. They were bound from Sault Ste. Marie to Byng Inlet. However during a storm, the CAHOON stranded and went to pieces on 'Kenny Shoal' by the southwest corner of Innes Island in Georgian Bay. No lives were lost. On October 11, 1839, DEWITT CLINTON (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 147 foot, 413 tons, built in 1836, at Huron, Ohio) foundered off Milwaukee with the loss of 5 lives. She was recovered the following year and lasted until 1851. She and her near-twin ROBERT FULTON were reportedly the first Lake steamers built primarily as freighters with relatively few passenger accommodations. On October 11, 1866, GREAT WEST (wooden 3-mast bark, 175 foot, 765 tons, built in 1854, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying wheat in a storm on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef. She was reported to be a total loss but she may have been recovered and then lost near Chicago in 1876. When launched, she was the largest sailing vessel on the Lakes and much was made of her beautiful lines. She was diagonally braced with iron. She stood 174 feet tall from her deck to her masthead. So if she were sailing today, although she'd be able to sail under the Mackinac Bridge, she'd be stopped at the Blue Water Bridge whose roadway is only 152 feet above the water. 1923: The canal-sized steamer GLENGELDIE, enroute from Killarney to Welland with a cargo of quartz rock, hit bottom in Georgian Bay and had to be towed to Collingwood for over $15,000 in repairs to the starboard side. The ship later sailed for Canada Steamship Lines as b) ELGIN. 1924: SENATOR DARBYSHIRE, a wooden bulk carrier upbound and in ballast, was destroyed by a fire on Lake Ontario, and sank near Point Petre Light. The crew fought the early morning blaze but eventually had to abandon the ship and was picked up by MAPLEBAY. Capt. J.W. Scarrow was later a master for Canada Steamship Lines. 1942: WATERTON was lost due to enemy action in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The former Misener freighter, operating for the Bowater Steamship Co., was attacked with 2 torpedoes from U-106 and went down in the Cabot Strait in 8 minutes. All on board got off safely. The ship was traveling from Cornerbrook, NF, to Cleveland with newsprint and pulpwood. 1982: The Israeli freighter DAGAN made 18 trips to the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1967. It ran aground on Cay Sal Bank, north of Cuba, as f) CORK and was abandoned the next day as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Another gale takes aim at Lake Superior; waves 12-16 feet expected 10/10 - There are gale warnings in effect for western Lake Superior. There is a wave warning in effect as well. The forecast calls for northeast winds gusting to 50 knots Wednesday, with waves building to 12-16 feet by Wednesday morning. On the southern portion of Lake Superior, Duluth is expecting significant onshore waves which could cause lakeshore flooding. The water level of Lake Superior is high, making the shoreline more prone to damage from waves. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade down 5 percent in September 10/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of iron ore from U.S. ports on the Great Lakes totaled 5.9 million tons in September, a decrease of 5 percent compared to a year ago. However, shipments did outpace the month’s 5-year average by 4.9 percent. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 38.9 million tons, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to the same point in 2017. The gap has been decreasing over the course of the shipping season. At the end of April, iron ore shipments were down nearly 14 percent. Through September iron ore loadings are 6.8 percent ahead of their 5-year average for the first three quarters. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Lakes limestone trade up nearly 4 percent in September 10/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in September, an increase of 3.7 percent compared to a year ago. Limestone cargos also bettered the month’s 5-year average by 8 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of 1.8 percent, or 54,000 tons compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 685,000 tons, an increase of 12.4 percent, or 76,000 tons. Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 20.8 million tons, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 17 million tons, an increase of 3.1 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.8 million tons, an increase 5.8 percent. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Port Reports - October 10
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
North Shore
St. Marys River – Joy Fett
Southern Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit/Rouge River – Raymond H. Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Oct 9 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Surfer uses Beaver Island ferry's wake to ride for miles on Lake Michigan 10/10 - Charlevoix, Mich. – Catching a ride on the ferry to Beaver Island is a Michigan adventure everyone should experience. Catching a wave off the ferry to Beaver Island is something else entirely. You don't need to tell Michigan surfer Ryan Bezemek that, because that's exactly what he did on Lake Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 30. Armed with just his balance and a hydrofoil board, the Grand Rapids native surfed four miles in the wake of the Beaver Island Boat Company Ferry. The feat was captured on video by his friend Ryan Sugnet, who filmed while another friend Logan Stanley drove a jet ski owned by Tom Boike nearby. "We had this idea throughout the summer," Bezemek said. "But we weren't sure if it was achievable. We were kind of surprised when it worked. It took us a couple tries, but once I got up I did it seamlessly. I was stunned and excited that we actually made it happen." Read more and view a video at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/10/surfer_uses_beaver_island_ferr.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 10 On this day in 1891, the SUSAN E. PECK collided with the schooner GEORGE W. ADAMS above the Soo Locks. The PECK, loaded with wheat for Buffalo, sank in a matter of minutes and completely blocked the navigation channel. General Orlando M. Poe, in charge of the Soo Locks, estimated that 275 boats lost an estimated 825 days and 5 hours waiting for the wreck to be cleared.On this day in 1956, two F-86 Saber Jets collided over Lake Michigan. The ERNEST T. WEIR, Captain Ray R. Redecker, rescued one of the pilots (Lt. Kenneth R. Hughes) after he spent three hours in the water. ARTHUR M. ANDERSON, WILLIAM A. IRVIN and GEORGE W. PERKINS participated in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the second pilot. On October 10, 1902, GARDEN CITY (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 133 foot, 352 gross tons, built in 1873, at Ogdensburg, New York) caught fire on the Saginaw River between Bay City and Saginaw while sailing up the river for winter lay-up. She sank four miles above Bay City near the old interurban railroad bridge. While downbound with coal in the St. Lawrence River on October 10, 1981, the JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was rebuilt with a new forebody at Port Weller Drydocks and renamed b.) CSL ASSINIBOINE in 2005. BROOKDALE of 1909 was towed out of Toronto on October 10, 1980, by the tug GLENADA, assisted by the tug TERRY S. She was one her way to the cutters’ torch at Port Maitland, Ontario. CHAMPLAIN with her former fleet mate CADILLAC was towed past Gibraltar October 10, 1987, heading for Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling by Cukurova Celik Endustrisi A.S. SAVIC b.) CLIFFS VICTORY cleared New York on October 10, 1986. HULL NO 1, b.) KINSMAN ENTERPRISE, being towed by the Polish tug JANTAR arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, on October 10, 1989, to be scrapped there. October 10, 1906 - The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was sold to The Barry Transportation Co. for $75,000. The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was the last of the "break-bulk" boats operated by the Pere Marquette Railway Co. On October 10, 1905, CHARLES H. BURTON (3 mast wooden schooner, 158 foot, 514 gross tons, built in 1873, at Bangor, Michigan) was carrying coal in a storm in Lake Erie when she was driven ashore 4 1/2 miles east of Barcelona, New York and broke up. No lives were lost. She had been built on the hull of the bark GLENBULAH that had burned in the Chicago fire of 1871. On 10 October 1877, ELIZA R. TURNER (wooden schooner, 156 foot, 409 gross tons, built in 1867, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying wheat from Detroit to Buffalo when a storm drove her aground nine miles west of Long Point on Lake Erie where she was wrecked. The skipper and cook drowned, but the remaining 8 were saved. The tug CRUSADER of Oswego burned and sank in the middle of the Straits of Mackinac about 9 p.m. on 10 October 1878. On 10 October 1877, ABEONA (wooden scow-schooner, 100 tons, built in 1863, at Lambert, Ontario) was carrying lumber and shingles down bound on Lake Huron when she stranded during a storm one mile west of Port Austin where she reportedly later broke up. In 1877, PORTLAND (2-mast wooden schooner, 118 foot, 250 tons, built in 1847, at Pillar Point, New York) stranded and went to pieces north of False Presque Isle on Lake Huron. Salvage attempts only retrieved her anchor and chain. 1923: HURONTON, a Canadian freighter, sank in Lake Superior off Caribou Island following a collision on the foggy lake with the CETUS. The vessel went down in 800 feet of water in 18 minutes but all on board were rescued. 1927: MICHIPICOTEN, of the Owen Sound Transportation Co., was destroyed by a fire at Gore Bay, on Manitoulin Island. 1963: The wooden freighter VAUQUELIN caught fire and sank in the St. Lawrence northeast of Quebec City off Cap Saumon. The vessel had previously sailed as a) LA RIVIERE MALBAIE. 1969: The T-2 tanker CARIBBEAN SKY visited the Seaway for 3 trips in 1960-1961 before being converted to a bulk carrier. The engine exploded and disintegrated during dock trials after repairs at Antwerp, Belgium, as f) LAKE PLACID, with the loss of one life. The hull settled but was pumped out and declared a CTL. It was towed to Rotterdam in 1971, repaired and returned to service as g) GARANDA. The after end again proved to be troublesome and was cut off and scrapped. The bow was joined to after end of the Panamanian tanker AKRON and the ship returned to service under this name. It was finally dismantled in Pakistan during 1981. 1987: The wheat-laden WILLOWGLEN went aground on the north side of Ogden Island in the St. Lawrence. The ship was released on October 13 and later went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 9
Duluth/Superior Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors/Silver Bay - Gary Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Milwaukee, Wis. - Paul Erspamer
Limestone Ports Report
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Oct 8 - Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Downbound -
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Kingston: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 9 On 08-09 October 1871, NAVARINO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 184 foot, 761 tons, built in 1870, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was lying at a dock when the Chicago fire swept through the city. The vessel tried to pull away from the dock and get to the safety of Lake Michigan, but the wind, which was being drawn into the fire held her against the dock. She burned to a total loss; no lives were lost. Her machinery was later salvaged and used in the new propeller MENOMINEE.The CHIMO was moved onto the Port Weller Dry Dock on October 9, 1983, where workers began to cut her apart forward of her aft-located pilothouse and engine room. Upon completion Upper Lakes Shipping renamed her b.) CANADIAN RANGER. GULF MACKENZIE (Hull#435) was launched at Sorel, Quebec, by Marine Industries, Ltd. on October 9, 1976. Renamed b.) L. ROCHETTE in 1985, departed the lakes and renamed c.) TRADEWIND ISLAND in 1995 and d.) KEMEPADE in 2003. Pioneer Shipping Ltd's SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER arrived in the Welland Canal on her delivery trip October 9, 1983, en route to her formal christening at Thunder Bay, Ontario. Sold off the lakes and renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995. Brought back to the Lakes as VOYAGEUR PIONEER in 2006. Renamed KAMINISTIQUA in 2008. JAMES DAVIDSON (Hull# 288) was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. on October 9, 1920, for the Globe Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio (G. A. Tomlinson, mgr.) On October 9, 1984, the PATERSON was sold to Shearmet Recycling, a Thunder Bay, Ontario, ship breaker, and was broken up at their Mission River dock. COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER sailed from the Great Lakes Engineering Works on her maiden voyage on October 9, 1911, to Toledo, Ohio, where she loaded coal bound for Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The SCHOONMAKER was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes when she came out. For much of the decade this vessel either broke or held many bulk cargo records. Renamed b.) WILLIS B. BOYER in 1969. Since 1987, the BOYER serves as a museum ship in Toledo, Ohio, with her original name recently restored. On 9 October 1820, ASP (wooden schooner, 57 tons, built in 1808, at Mississauga, Ontario) was carrying lumber and staves when she sprang a leak near Long Point in Lake Ontario. She waterlogged, then capsized. The upturned vessel was driven across the lake and finally went ashore off the Salmon River at Mexico Bay, New York, and broke up quickly. 9 of the 11 onboard lost their lives. She was originally built as the British armed schooner ELIZABETH. On 9 October 1931, CHARLES H. BRADLEY (wooden propeller, 201 foot, 804 gross tons, built in 1890, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying pulpwood and towing the barge GRAMPIAN. She was traversing the Portage Canal in the Keweenaw Peninsula when she ran onto a bar and stranded. The barge kept coming and plowed into her stern. The BRADLEY caught fire and burned to the waterline. The wreck still lies in 6 to 17 feet of water just off the mouth of the Sturgeon River. On 9 October 1895, AFRICA (wooden propeller steam barge, 135 foot, 352 gross tons, built in 1873, at Kingston, Ontario) was towing the schooner SEVERN in a storm on Lake Huron when she struck a reef, 15 miles south of Cove Island light on Lake Huron. AFRICA broke up in the storm, all 11 of her crew were lost. SEVERN went ashore near Bradley Harbour and broke up. The crew was rescued by a fish tug from Stokes Bay. 1907: CYPRUS cleared Superior with a cargo of iron ore for Lackawanna, N.Y., on only the second trip. The vessel sank two days later and there was only one survivor. The hull was found on the bottom of Lake Superior in 2007 in 460 feet of water. 1922: TURRET CROWN ran aground off Cove Island, Georgian Bay, but was later salvaged. 1944: The German freighter LUDOLF OLDENDORFF, a Great Lakes trader as a) WESTMOUNT (i) and as e) TRACTOR, was sunk by British aircraft at Egersund, Norway. 1968: BUCKEYE, under tow for scrapping overseas, began drifting in rough weather when the anchors were unable to hold off Port Colborne. The ship was blown aground west of the city and the hull remained stuck until November 29. 2001: The Maltese flag freighter SYLVIA ran over a buoy below the Eisenhower Lock and the mooring chain was wrapped around the propeller. The cable was freed and the ship proceeded to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs arriving October 19 and returning to service on October 27. The ship had previously been inland as a) CHIMO when new in 1981 and first returned as d) SYLVIA in 2000. The vessel was noted as h) INTERCROWN and registered in Cambodia as of 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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USCGC Katmai Bay heading back to the lakes 10/8 - The USCGC Katmai Bay sailed from Halifax Sunday morning en route to its home base of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The cutter left the lakes in April 2017 for a service life extension in Baltimore. Mac Mackay |
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Port Reports - October 8
Duluth/Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Oct 7 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 6 - Baie Comeau at 0550 and Patras (Mlt) (ex Gan-Sword-10) at 0901, Kaministiqua at 1001, Algoma Equinox at 1902 - Oct 7 - tug Karen Andrie & barge Endeavour at 0107, CCGS Limnos, Algoma Transport at 1704, Raba (Lbr) at 1900 and Cedarglen at 1948
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
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Updated Seaway transit statistics for 2018 10/8 - As of Oct. 1 there were 366 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock made by 193 saltwater vessels. This is up 61 transits from the same time period of March/April through Oct. 1, 2017 and is also up 95 transits from the 5-year average period from 2013 to 2017. For September 2018, there were 63 transits, up 12 transits from September 2017 and up 19 transits from the 5-year average for September from 2013-2017. There were also 29 new saltwater vessels making their first inland voyage by October 1. A breakdown so far of the monthly transits by saltwater vessels at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y., for the 2018 shipping season is as follows:
March/April: 68 Thus far, with the current Seaway transit statistics and the elevating transit numbers, the 2018 shipping season could by year's end be one of the highest years ever for westbound saltie transits. Denny Dushane |
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Plan to sink freighter for reef gets mixed reactions 10/8 - Port Washington Wis. – A nonprofit organization’s plan to sink a freighter two miles off the mouth of the Port Washington harbor and sculptures created by area students off the breakwater met with mixed reaction from the Common Council last Tuesday. Although the city was asked to be a co-applicant with the Shipwreck Education and Preservation Alliance in its application for a Department of Natural Resources permit to place structures at the bottom of the lake, aldermen tabled action until their Wednesday, Nov. 7, meeting saying they had too many questions to make a decision Tuesday. Aldermen asked for additional information on SEAPA itself, how it would fund the six-phase project, potential city liability and the potential impact on the fishery, among other things. “I’m not ready to vote on this,” Ald. John Sigwart said. “I’m not comfortable with it yet. “I don’t know that we know enough about the probability of success yet. It seems to me this is a very expensive project that may have value for tourism. I don’t see anything saying it’s of value to the perch. I really don’t see that here, the value to the fishery.” Ald. Jonathan Pleitner added, “It’s a great project. I would just like to get more information. I think that would go a long way.” Ald. Dan Benning also noted that aldermen received a significant amount of information about the project shortly before the meeting and they need more time to review it. Several residents at the meeting spoke in support of the project, including C.T. Whitehouse, a noted sculptor who said the artistic aspects could set Port apart from other communities and “turn it from a stopover to a destination. This is an opportunity we should embrace.” SEAPA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to shipwreck preservation, freshwater education and aquatic habitat restoration, has proposed a six-phase, $9.97 million project intended to create artificial reefs off Port’s shore that it says will improve the aquatic environment and help restore native fish levels. The initiative will also develop a public access into the lake, aid in educational efforts at local schools and colleges, help local police, fire and dive teams train for emergencies and increase tourism, said SEAPA President Tish Hase, co-owner of Port Deco Divers in Port Washington. The organization is seeking permits from the DNR and Army Corps of Engineers for the first two phases of its project, which involve sinking a 200 to 600-foot-long freighter in 110 feet of water two miles off the mouth of the harbor and having local high school students create sculptures that will be anchored to the lakebed at varying levels outside of the breakwater. The city needs to be a co-applicant for the DNR permit because it has riparian rights in the area where the sculptures would be located, officials said. We Energies has agreed to be a co-applicant for the first phase for the same reason, Hase said. These phases will create artificial reefs that would create a “supersized” habitat where native fish such as lake trout and yellow perch can thrive, said Hase and SEAPA Vice President Joe Frank, who is also co-owner of Port Deco Divers. “What we’re trying to do here is bring back healthy fish species,” Frank said. “These (structures) are all going to be habitat that brings back indigenous species. We have to take an active step to make that happen. This is probably the best, cheapest option for the community. When we do dives, we don’t see fish anymore,” Hase added. The third phase would involve submerging a 41-foot wooden fishing vessel similar to the Linda E. — the last fishing tug out of Port Washington — in 50 to 70 feet of water to create a reef for larger aquatic species to use as habitat, as well as some sculptures. The fourth phase would require sinking a number of clean vehicles to create not only fish habitat but also an area for local emergency crews to use for training and education. A 25-step staircase from the breakwater to the lakebed would be created as the fifth phase of the project, allowing public access to the lake, and fish cribs would be placed along the breakwater wall. The last phase involves long-term fundraising to support the project. The first phase of the project, sinking of the freighter, is estimated to cost between $5 million and $6.8 million, while the projected price of the second phase is $540,000. The project would also relieve pressure on shipwrecks in the area by providing divers with a destination, according to SEAPA. The DNR is reviewing the application to see if it meets standards for underwater structures, looking at the potential impact on habitat, water quality and navigation, among other things, Webb said. If it meets those standards, Webb said, the department will issue the permit. Because the project would be the first of its kind in the Great Lakes, Hase said, it would prompt interest and publicity that will draw donors. “Right now we’re not asking the city for money,” Hase said, adding she’s already applied for some grants for the project. She will find out the results of one grant application in mid-November, she said, and another application is due next month. Fundraising, she said, will begin in earnest after SEAPA obtains the permits. The organization has hired Artificial Reef International, a Florida firm that specializes in creating artificial reefs by sinking ships, to procure the freighter, which would be cleaned of anything that could contaminate the lake before being sunk, Hase said. Ozaukee Press |
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Mystery solved? Shipwreck may be oldest found in Lake Erie 10/8 - Toledo, Ohio – Shipwreck hunters who spent eight days this summer unearthing and examining the remains of a schooner in Lake Erie in Ohio think it’s most likely a sailing ship that sank nearly two centuries ago. That would make the wreckage the oldest ever found in the shallowest of the Great Lakes. But there’s a bit of debate among the marine archaeologists and shipwreck hunters who are trying to identify the wreck about how confident they are it is indeed the Lake Serpent that sank in 1829. So far, there are several signs that say it’s a match, according to the National Museum of the Great Lakes, which on Thursday released the findings from its work this summer. Divers determined the wreck’s size and stone cargo point to it being Lake Serpent, and they uncovered what appears to be a carving at the ship’s bow, the museum said. Historical records show the Lake Serpent had a serpent’s head carved near the front — an unusual feature for a vessel of that era. The site also seems to be near where the Lake Serpent was thought to go down near Kelleys Island off the Ohio shoreline. Carrie Sowden, the Great Lakes museum’s archaeology director, said it all adds up, but she was hesitant to say that it’s definitely the Lake Serpent. “I don’t know what else it could be, but there’s still enough unknown that we haven’t seen,” she said, adding that divers plan to take another look at the site next year. Some parts of the wreckage are still covered in several feet of mud and sediment. “You never know what’s under the sand,” Sowden said. Lake Erie is a graveyard for hundreds of vessels taken down by violent storms that can whip up in a hurry. Many have been found in recent years by a small, dedicated band from the museum and the Cleveland Underwater Explorers club. While identifying these wrecks often relies on circumstantial evidence, what makes their latest attempt difficult is that the Lake Serpent was constructed before ship builders began including hull numbers or name plates onboard. Also, visibility was limited around the wreck and it was torn apart more than expected, making it tough to find key features, the museum said. The schooner was built in 1821 in Cleveland at a time when the city had less than 1,000 residents. Its job was to carry cargo — produce, flour, whiskey, limestone — to ports along the lakes. It went down eight years later. The body of one crew member was spotted in the lake days later while the bodies of the captain and his brother washed up on the shore of Lorain County in the fall of 1829, according to a newspaper report. Tom Kowalczk, who spotted the wreckage on his sonar screen in the summer of 2015, said he’s pretty confident it’s the Lake Serpent because there are enough findings that line up. That includes the unique carving they found on the ship and the large stones they came across — the Lake Serpent was said to be carrying stone from a Lake Erie island. “We haven’t found anything that says it’s something different,” he said. David VanZandt, director of the Cleveland Underwater Explorers, said there’s enough evidence for him to say he’s almost certain the wreckage that sits nearly 50 feet (15 metres) below the surface is the Lake Serpent. Toronto Sun |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 8 On 08 October 1871, PHILO PARSONS (wooden side-wheel steamer, 221 tons, built in 1861, at Algonac, Michigan) burned to a total loss in the great Chicago fire. She burned so completely that her remains were not located in the Chicago River until 1877. She was the vessel commandeered by Confederate raiders in a plot to capture the iron gunboat U.S.S. MICHIGAN on Lake Erie during the American Civil War. The Chicago fire destroyed many fine vessels while they were docked in the harbor. These included the new propeller NAVARINO, the schooner GLENBULA, the schooner ECLIPSE, the schooner BUTCHER BOY, the bark VALETTA, the schooner ALNWICK, the bark A. P. NICHOLS, the bark FONTANELLA, the fore-and-aft schooner STAMPEDE, the schooner N. C. FORD, and the schooner CHRISTINA NEILSON. The only recorded casualties among the sailors were on the ALNWICK; her mate died and the captain burned his hands severely.The keel was laid October 8, 1976, for the 660-foot forward section of the BURNS HARBOR, but was completed as b.) LEWIS WILSON FOY for the Bethlehem Steel Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Purchased by Oglebay Norton and renamed c.) OGLEBAY NORTON in 1991, and d.) AMERICAN INTEGRITY in 2006. The MATHEWSTON (Hull#47) entered service on October 8, 1922. On her maiden voyage she sailed from Port Arthur, Ontario with 11,634 tons of barley and wheat. Renamed b.) RALPH S. MISENER in 1954 and c.) MATHEWSTON again in 1967. Scrapped at Vado, Italy in 1970. The Canadian registry for MENIHEK LAKE was officially closed on October 8, 1985, with the notation "sold Spain." She was scrapped at Gijon, Spain. WILLIAM G. MATHER arrived on October 8, 1988, in tow of the Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs WYOMING and ALABAMA at the G&W Shipyard at Collision Bend in the Cuyahoga River to be refurbished. On 8 October 1906, PASADENA (wooden barge, 250 foot, 1,761 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio as a propeller bulk freighter) was carrying coal, in tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, bound for Superior, Wisconsin. The PASADENA went out of control in a gale and her skipper had the tow line cut. She was thrown against a pier near the upper entry to the Keweenaw Waterway and pounded to pieces in a few hours. Two lives were lost, but 8 made it to shore on the floating wreckage. On 8 October 1854, E. K. COLLINS (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 256 foot, 1,095 gross tons, built in 1853, at Newport, Michigan) caught fire and beached near the mouth of the Detroit River where she burned to the waterline. About 23 lives were lost. About 43 persons were rescued in small boats and by the steamers FINTRY and GLOBE. There was some speculation that arson was the cause. The hull was recovered in 1857, and rebuilt as the barge ARK. On October 8, 2000 the tug UNDAUNTED and barge PERE MARQUETTE 41 departed Calumet Harbor loaded with pig iron for Marinette, Wis., under favorable conditions and were later caught by the heavy weather. During the storm, the 5,000 tons of pig iron and the barge's four pieces of heavy loading equipment were washed into Lake Michigan. Both the tug and barge suffered damage in the incident. 1899: The tug RECORD sank at Duluth after a collision with the whaleback steamer JAMES B. NEILSON and one life was lost. 1906: The barge PASADENA, loaded with iron ore for Cleveland and under tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, was cut loose approaching the Keweenaw Waterway. The anchors fail to hold. The ship smashed into the east pier of the waterway and broke up on the rocks. Seven sailors were rescued but two were lost. 1964: A fire aboard West German-flag freighter ERATO at Detroit left two dead when they were trapped in their stern quarters. Another three sailors were injured. The 2-alarm blaze was brought under control and the ship was eventually repaired at Toledo. It arrived at Bombay, India, and laid up as d) VIJAYA DARSHANA on May 26, 1983, and eventually scrapped there beginning in May 1986. 1971: DIDO went aground leaving Goole, U.K. for Porsgrunn, Norway, but returned to Goole the next day after being refloated. The 22-year-old Norwegian freighter was listed as a total loss and sold for scrap. It was taken to Hull, U.K., a year later and dismantled. The ship had been a pre-Seaway trader as early as 1951 and made 14 voyages to the Great Lakes from 1959 through 1963. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - October 7
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Limestone Ports
Port Huron, Mich. Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Oct 6 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 6 - Baie Comeau at 0550 and Patras (Mlt) (ex Gan-Sword-10) at 0901, Kaministiqua at 1001, Algoma Equinox at 1902
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 7 On October 7, 1968, the NORMAN P. CLEMENT was damaged in a grounding off Britt, Ontario. The Canadian boat was towed to Collingwood for repairs. However, while in dry dock, an explosion occurred on October 16 that injured 11 workers and further damaged the hull. Rather than repair her, the owners had the CLEMENT towed out into Georgian Bay where she was intentionally sunk on October 23, 1968.On this day in 1939, the E. G. MATHIOTT collided with the steamer CORVUS on the St. Clair River. Damage to the CORVUS totaled $37,647.70. On this day in 1958, the WALTER E. WATSON, Captain Ralph Fenton, rescued the sailing vessel TAMARA on Lake Huron. On October 7, 1871, GEM (wooden schooner, 120 foot, 325 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing up bound in a storm on Lake Erie with a load of coal. She began to leak and was run to shore in an effort to save her. However, she went down before reaching shoal water and settled with six feet of water over her decks. ALGOWOOD was launched October 7, 1980, at Collingwood, Ontario, for Algoma Central Marine, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. PAUL THAYER was launched October 7, 1973, for the Union Commerce Bank Trustee, Cleveland, Ohio and managed by Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland. She was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970, for $12.6 million. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995. The WILLIAM MC LAUCHLAN (Hull#793) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co., on October 7, 1926, for the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) SAMUEL MATHER in 1966, c.) JOAN M. MC CULLOUGH in 1975 and d.) BIRCHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Sydney, Nova Scotia, in 1988. BLACK RIVER, a lake bulk freighter, was built as a steel barge in 1897, by the F.W. Wheeler & Co., she was launched October 7, 1896, as a.) SIR ISAAC LOTHIAN BELL (Hull# 118). HUTCHCLIFFE HALL was raised October 7, 1962, and taken to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. She had sunk after a collision a few days earlier. October 7, 1923 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 went back into service after being overhauled and having new cabins built on her main deck. MADISON suffered a fire on October 7, 1987, while lying idle at Muskegon, Michigan, and was badly damaged. In 1903, ADVENTURE (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 108 foot, 142 gross tons, built in 1875, at Detroit, Michigan, as a schooner) caught fire while tied to the Kelleys Island Line & Transport Co. Dock. The blaze spread so quickly that those on board barely escaped. She was towed from Kelleys Island out into Lake Erie by the tug SMITH to save the dock and the adjacent schooner ANDERSON. In a severe gale and rain/hail storm on October 7, 1858, the 247-ton schooner OSPREY approached Oswego, New York. As she was about to enter the harbor, the vessel struck the east pier broadside. Her masts and rigging were carried away and she started to sink. Capt. John Parsons got his wife and child out of the cabin to try to escape to the pier. His wife was washed overboard and drowned. Capt. Parsons held on to his child, but another wave struck the wreck and swept the child into the water. George Crine, the mate, was also swept overboard. Those three were lost, but the next wave swung the wreck about with her bowsprit over the pier and the captain and the six remaining crewmen scrambled to safety. The entire town and harbor mourned those deaths and held a dockside service two days later with many prayers and all flags at half-mast. Donations were accepted for the surviving sailors since they escaped with only the clothes on their backs. On October 7,1873, the PULASKI was launched at the Archibald Muir yard on the Black River in Port Huron. Her dimensions were 136 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet, 349 gross tons. She was a three mast "full canaller", painted white and her private signal was a red M on a white ground bordered with blue. Her sails were made by Mr. D. Robeson of Port Huron, Michigan. On October 7, 1886, The Port Huron Times reported that "The old side-wheel ferry SARNIA, which was a familiar sight at this crossing [Port Huron-Sarnia] for so many years, and which is said to have earned enough money in her time to sheet her with silver, the hull of which has been for some years back used as a barge by the Marine City Salt Company, has closed her career. She was last week scuttled near the Marine City Salt Works wharf." 1902: ANN MARIA hit a sandbar approaching Kincardine while inbound with a cargo of coal and broke up as a total loss. Four crew and a volunteer rescuer were reported lost. 1917: GEORGE A. GRAHAM was wrecked off Manitoulin Island, Georgian Bay, when the cargo shifted when turning in a storm. The ship ran for the safety of South Bay but stranded on the rocks. All on board were saved but the ship was a total loss. 1919: The wooden steamer HELEN TAYLOR was damaged by a fire in the pilothouse near Hessel, Mich., but was repaired. 1937: M & F DREDGE NO. 14, Hull 39 from the Collingwood shipyard, foundered in the St. Lawrence off Batiscan, QC as b) D.M. DREDGE NO. 14. 1956: The consort barge DELKOTE of the Hindman fleet was adrift for 9 hours in a Lake Superior storm with 13 on board and waves up to 20 feet. The ship had broken loose of the GEORGE HINDMAN but was picked up by the CAPT. C.D. SECORD. 1968: EDWARD Y. TOWNSEND, under tow for scrapping in Bilbao, Spain, broke in two about 400 miles southeast of St. John's, NF, and the bow sank. The stern was apparently retrieved and towed into Santander, Spain, for scrapping on October 28. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse lens will soon retire to a new home 10/6 - Kewaunee, Wis. – After nearly 90-years of service, the Fresnel lens in the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse is about to retire to a new home. By month’s end, the lens will be removed from the lighthouse and moved to the Kewaunee County Historical Society on Ellis Street. Jayne Conard, president of the Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse, says while the lens’s working life is over it will still offer some illuminating maritime history in its new home. The Fresnel lens is one of 70 still in operation in the United States and one of 16 on the Great Lakes. Listen to the full story at this link: https://www.doorcountydailynews.com/2018/10/02/kewaunee-pierhead-lighthouse-lens-will-soon-retire-to-a-new-home |
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Programs announced for Gales of November Nov. 2-3 at Duluth 10/6 - Duluth, Minn. – The annual Gales of November conference, sponsored by the Lake Superior Maritime Museum Association, will be held in Duluth Nov. 2-3. Besides a free Friday night gala, there will speakers, exhibitors and many other events.
Programs include: Friday Luncheon Speaker: Brett Seymour, Deputy Chief, NPS Submerged Resources Center, on a virtual 3D Isle Royale Shipwreck Tour. Saturday Luncheon Speaker: Paul LaMarre III, executive director of the Port of Monroe, Michigan, on Saving the Col. James M. Schoonmaker. Gales of November is the LSMMA's premier fundraising event for the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. What began almost 30 years ago as a small gathering of divers sharing shipwreck pictures, has grown into a two-day educational and networking event. The winners of the annual Cruise of a Lifetime event will also be announced on Nov. 3. Lear more, or register, at this link: To register, or for more information, visit this link: https://lsmma.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=605134&module_id=314236 |
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Port Reports - October 6
Superior, Wis.
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Owen Sound, Ont. – Paul Martin
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Oct 5 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 4 -Tim S Dool at 1920 - Oct 5 - Federal Katsura (Mhl) at 0149, CSL Laurentien at 0352, Federal Ems (Mhl) at 0720, Federal Caribou (Mhl) at 1234, Baie Comeau at 1231
Port Weller anchorage:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Michigan lawmakers fight decision to close EPA facility on Grosse Ile 10/6 - Grosse Ile, Mich. – State lawmakers are fighting a decision to close an Environmental Protection Agency office on Grosse Ile. State Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Twp.) introduced a resolution urging President Donald Trump and acting EPA head Andrew Wheeler to reverse their decision to close the EPA’s Large Lakes Research Station on Grosse Ile. Along with state Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Camilleri also sent a letter to Wheeler on Oct. 4, urging him to reconsider the move. “The EPA station in Grosse Ile plays a critical role in our state’s response to environmental emergencies,” Camilleri said. “At a time when Michigan is experiencing a flurry of environmental crises, closing this facility will result in delayed response times and, in turn, put our families and our state’s natural resources at risk.” The letter outlines several concerns with the closure, which is slated for early 2019 and would relocate operations and personnel to Ann Arbor. The resolution comes on the heels of local opposition led by Grosse Ile Township Supervisor Brian Loftus, who explained his stance to The News-Herald in August. Loftus said the on-scene coordinators currently located at the station are the first responders to any type of incident that could have an environmental impact, such as chemical spills. He pointed out that the EPA has the resources to mitigate and contain such emergencies, but time is of the essence and moving personnel to Ann Arbor could cause delays. “Sixty-five percent of their responses are between the I-75 corridor, between Detroit and Monroe,” he said. “Imagine trying to respond from Ann Arbor on a (Michigan football) game day. They would never get there on time.” The letter from Camilleri and Chang echoes this sentiment. “Every minute is critical in protecting residents in our community and our natural resources, and relocating the personnel will delay emergency response from the previous 20 minutes to over an hour. This delay could not be coming as a worse time, with the McLouth Trenton site’s southern portion potentially being added to the Superfund National Priorities List.” Aside from the vitality of quick response times — the Large Lakes Research Station has responded to 475 oil spills and releases of chemical and hazardous substances over the past 16 years, including emergencies at the McLouth Steel and Marathon refinery sites — the letter says there don’t appear to be any significant cost savings associated with the move. Furthermore, the letter states, the research station’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has played a key role in restoring “biological and physical integrity” to Michigan waterways. “The effectiveness of the Grosse Ile EPA station in mitigating environmental disasters and implementing the highly successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative here in Michigan cannot be overstated,” Chang said. “I hope President Trump and Acting Administrator Wheeler will reconsider their decision to close the station as they reflect on its importance to the people of Michigan.” News Herald |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 6 On October 6, 1893, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) foundered in a gale off Pigeon Bay, Ontario, on Lake Erie. She crew clung to the frozen rigging for 14 hours until saved by the fish tug LOUISE of Sandusky, Ohio. The STEWART was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss.Herb Fraser & Associates completed repairs on the ALGOSOO at the Welland Dock on October 6 1986. She had suffered a serious fire at her winter mooring on the west wall above Lock 8 at Port Colborne, Ontario, on March 7, 1986. The bow section of the barge PRESQUE ISLE arrived Erie, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1972 under tow of the tugs MARYLAND and LAURENCE C. TURNER. The total cost to construct the tug/barge 1,000- footer was approximately $35 million. October 6, 1981, the Reoch self-unloader ERINDALE's bow was damaged when she hit the Allanburg Bridge abutment running down bound in the Welland Canal. Built in 1915, as a.) W. F. WHITE, she was renamed b.) ERINDALE in 1976. In 1980, the LAC DES ILES grounded in the Detroit River just below Grassy Island, the result of a faulty steering mechanism. She freed herself a few hours later. The damage caused by the grounding ended her career. She was scrapped at Port Colborne in 1985. This day in 1870, the schooner E. FITZGERALD was launched at the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard at Port Huron, Michigan. Her dimensions were 135 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet. In 1875, the MERCHANT (iron propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 200 foot, 750 tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef near Racine, Wisconsin. Then she caught fire and was gutted before she could be refloated. She had stranded on that same reef twice previously. She was the first iron cargo ship built on the Lakes and the first one lost. On October 6, 1873, JOHN A. MC DOUGALL (wooden schooner-barge, 151 foot, 415 gross tons) was launched at Wenona, Michigan. She was built at the Ballentine yard in only five weeks. On October 6, 1889, PHILO SCOVILLE (3-mast wooden schooner, 140 foot, 323 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) was sailing from Collingwood for Chicago when a storm drove her into the shallows and wrecked her near Tobermory, Ontario. Her captain died while trying to get ashore through the rocks. The Canadian Lifesaving Service saved the rest of the crew. At first the vessel was expected to be recovered, but she broke up by 10 October. 1910: The wooden freighter MUSKEGON, formerly the PEERLESS, was damaged by a fire at Michigan City, IN and became a total loss. 1958: SHIERCLIFFE HALL hit bottom in the St. Marys River and was intentionally grounded off Lime Island with substantial damage. The ship was refloated and repaired at Collingwood. 1966: EMSSTEIN and OLYMPIC PEARL collided south of St. Clair, MI and the former had to be beached before it capsized. This West German freighter made 19 trips to the Great lakes from 1959 through 1967 and arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as d) VIOLETTA on May 28, 1978. The latter, on her first trip to the Great Lakes, had bow damage and was also repaired. This ship arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as b) AL TAHSEEN on May 6, 1985. 1972: ALGORAIL hit the pier inbound at Holland, MI with a cargo of salt and settled on the bottom about 12 feet off the dock with a gash in the port bow. The vessel was refloated in 24 hours and headed to Thunder Bay for repairs. 1982: CONTINENTAL PIONEER made 8 trips through the Seaway from 1960 through 1964. A fire broke out in the accommodation area as c) AGRILIA, about 20 miles north of Porto Praia, Cape Verde Islands and the heavily damaged ship was abandoned before it drifted aground in position 15.06 N / 23.30 W. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Central cancels order with Uljanik shipyard 10/5 - Zagreb, Croatia – Canada's Algoma Central Corporation last Friday terminated a contract for a bulk cargo vessel that was ordered to be built by the Uljanik Group, the Pula-based shipbuilding company said on Monday. The reason cited for the contract termination was the shipyard's inability to deliver the vessel on time, the shipyard said, noting that actual construction work on the ship had not yet begun. In early September, Uljanik's clients had terminated contracts for four other ships. The Cayman Islands-based Auto Marine Transport had cancelled an order for a car and truck carrier on September 1, after cancelling another order for the same type of ship. On that same date, Norway-based Siem Shipping also terminated contracts for car carriers, the construction of which hasn't been started. The new cancellation add to the shipyard's problems, which is trying to find a new strategic partner willing to finance a restructuring plan intended to save the company, employing more than 4,000 workers, from looming bankruptcy. Total Croatia News |
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Fight over historic Manitoulin Island ship moves from courthouse to ballot box 10/5 - A citizens group has failed in its legal fight to save a historic steamship on Manitoulin Island. But now the fate of the SS Norisle could depend on who is elected mayor of the small town where it's moored. "I think what we have to do is take a second look at what's going on here," says Dave Ham, a member of the SS Norisle Steamship Society, who is now running for mayor in the Township of Assiginack. The society spent years, and according to Ham over one million dollars, restoring the Norisle, which was a passenger ferry on Lake Huron from 1946 to 1974. In December 2016, the society filed suit against the municipality, which had announced plans to remove the ship from the Manitowaning harbour and have it sunk in the Tobermory area to entertain diving tourists. "Well, I think that's a tremendous waste," says Ham. The lawsuit was recently settled, with the township's ownership of the Norisle reaffirmed and in exchange the municipality is reimbursing the citizens group for $45,000 spent removing asbestos from the ship. Ham, who previously served nine years as the local reeve, says saving the ship was "part of the decision-making process" for throwing his hat into the mayor's race this election. He faces four other candidates, including incumbent mayor Paul Moffatt. He says taxpayers in Assiginack, a municipality of about 900 people on the eastern end of Manitoulin Island, shelled out $250,000 in legal fees to fight the failed lawsuit. "I'm glad that's it's taken care and you can't go back, but it should never have happened," says Moffatt. He says very few voters have asked him about his platform on the Norisle during this campaign. "I don't think you'd find many voters in Assiginack that would support something like that. I think any that I have spoken to are only too happy to see the stern of the Norisle heading up Manitowaning Bay," Moffatt says. It has been a rough retirement for the Norisle and its sister ship the SS Norgoma, which has also been called a rusty eyesore. Sault Ste. Marie city council has ordered that the Norgoma, which has recently served as a museum ship, be removed from the city's waterfront this spring. CBC |
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Port Reports - October 5
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Oct 4 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 3 - Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 1409, Mississagi at 1642 (stopping wharf 12 at 1848 - departed at 2206 for wharf 2) and Algowood eta 2211 - Whitefish Bay at 0657 and Tim S Dool at 1920
Port Weller anchorage:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Port of Oswego upping ante on grain exports 10/5 - This is nothing to be taken with a grain of salt. All types of grain shipments are riding a robust wave this year, according to the latest St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation data. “Grain is, quite frankly, a new sector for us,” said William Scriber, acting executive director of the Port of Oswego Authority. “We’ve never exported this much in the last 50 years. We never reached the pinnacle of what we can actually accomplish,” said Scriber, noting that the port will be turning storage buildings over more frequently as the grain market accelerates. Now we will be turning out buildings over five times a year whereas previously, we only turned them once,” he said. Grain tonnage was up 16.3 percent from January-August this year to 5.4 million metric tons from 4.7 million in the year-ago period on the Seaway. He said the port was recently notified from Purdue Agribusiness to get ready to receive new grain. Soybeans are typically mature by late September and harvested in October and November. “They are starting to cut soybean now, so we will be ramping up in the next week and will receive over a million bushes of soybeans,” he said. The port also handles other grains such as wheat and corn. “There is a huge demand in the market right now for soybeans worldwide,” Scriber said. “Purdue Agribusiness is basically making this their major export focus in New York state.” Scriber said most all soybeans are being diverted to the port to ship. This wave of activity grew as a result of discussions centered earlier this year on creating a United States Department of Agriculture export center at the port. As a result, the port successfully applied for and received a USDA export license. Earlier this year, the port had more than 120 million bushels of soybeans on site. “We scheduled our first ships in August for offloading, and we have loaded two ships with more than 24,000 metric tons of soybean. We have three more scheduled for the remainder of the season, which is October and November,” said Scriber, noting the port — in conjunction with its partnership with Purdue — has exported 60,000 metric tons of soybeans this year Scriber said the goal is to reach 100,000 metric tons within the next year or two. Oswego County Business |
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Rand Logistics announces 2018 Marine Miracle Month program results 10/5 - Jersey City, N.J. – Rand Logistics Inc., a provider of bulk freight shipping services throughout the Great Lakes region, announced the company has raised in excess of $150,000 for children’s charities designated by its customers and vendor partners as a result of its annual Marine Miracle Month Program. Now in its third year, Rand donates $0.05 for every ton of cargo carried by its fleet during the month of August to nonprofit organizations with a primary focus on the health and wellbeing of children. Rand’s customers select the children’s charity of their choice, and Rand makes donations in each participating customer’s honor. The donation amount is based upon the total tons each customer shipped during the month of August and totals in excess of $134,000 this year. New for this year’s Marine Miracle Month, a variety of Rand’s vendor partners operating in the Great Lakes region have signed on to augment the program, donating an additional $18,000 to their own children’s charities in honor of Rand’s Marine Miracle Month. “We are overwhelmed by the continued interest and positive response that our customers, vendor partners, employees, and community organizations have shown towards the initiative, enabling us to expand the program and exceed last year’s program results,” said Aaron Degodny, Rand’s Co-President & Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. “The support of our vendor partners to use Marine Miracle Month as a platform for their own charitable initiatives highlights how industry can collaborate to support the needs of children in our communities. With more than 35 participating customers this year, and four of our key vendor partners, Marine Miracle Month has created a vehicle for Rand to give back to the many communities in which we operate and expand the reach of our corporate social responsibility efforts, while strengthening partnerships with our valued customers and suppliers.” Qualifying not-for-profit organizations selected by Rand’s participating customers and vendors must hold 501(c)(3) status in the U.S. or be a registered charity in Canada providing services and benefits to children. Rand Logistics |
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Demolitions from Journal of the World Ship Society 10/5 - Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connection reported as a casualty or sold for demolition taken from October 2018 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society Casualties: None reported
Demolitions:
Brightway (8116984; Belize) (Rising Star-13, Polydefkis-11 (first trip into Seaway 2006), Arklow Dawn-03, Daisy Green-00, Uri-97, Falknes-93 (first trip into Seaway 1996), Fitnes-88 (first trip into Seaway 1986), Falknes-86- 8,351 / 1983 - general cargo. By Brightway Distribution Ltd (Credo-Plus Navigation Ltd), Belize, to Metco Shipbreakers, Pakistan and arrived Gadani Beach 04/02/2018 - commenced demolition 14.02.2018 Cyber (7721237; Palau) (Aleksandr Suvorov-17 - first trip into Seaway 1986) 16,257 / 1979 - bulk carrier. By Jupiter Shipping Inc. (Nabeel Shipmanagement FZE), St Kitts & Nevis, to Shree Sai Baba Ship Breaking, India and arrived Alang 06.02.2018 - commenced demolition 13.02.2018 Zenith Star (8405438; Panama) (Fair Swan-13, Chem Adriatic-07, Kilchem Adriatic-00 (first trip into Seaway 1993), Andreas Z-90, Shoun Jupiter-89) 4,509 / 1984 - products tanker. By Zenith Fuel & Energy Ltd (Aurum Ship Management FZC), Liberia to Ship Trade Corp India, and arrived Alang 11.02.2018 - commenced demolition 24.02.2018 Report compiled: by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 5 On this day in 1954, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY was christened at Lorain. The HUMPHREY successfully completed her sea trials on 10/6 and carried 191,214 tons of iron ore in nine trips before laying up for the season. Upbound with a load of limestone on Lake Superior on October 5, 1965, the PETER A.B. WIDENER reported broken steering gear and possible damage to steering mechanism and screw after encountering gale force winds and high waves near Isle Royale. Fleetmates HENRY PHIPPS and HENRY H. ROGERS responded to the vessel, and dumped oil on the 10-foot seas to calm them. The USCG WOODRUSH arrived from Duluth, and towed the vessel to Duluth. On October 5,1876, GRACE GREENWOOD (3-mast wooden schooner, 124 foot, 306 tons, built in 1853, at Oswego, New York) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Michigan City, Indiana, when she foundered in a storm while coming in to St. Joseph harbor for shelter. No lives were lost. She was the first vessel built by George Rogers and her launch was initially sabotaged by someone jamming a file into the ways. On Saturday afternoon, October 5, 1997, while passing White Shoal Light on their way to Charlevoix, the MEDUSA CHALLENGER was hit by a waterspout. The only damage reported was a spotlight on the pilothouse bridge wing lifted out of its support and crews bikes stored on deck rose vertically. The 1906, built boat was also reported to have been vibrating in an unusual manner. Another boat in the area reported wind gusts of almost 100 mph in the brief storm. That same day the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan was hit with a violent storm that blew down trees a foot in diameter. The ARTHUR B. HOMER, loaded with ore, was in a head-on collision on October 5, 1972 with the unloaded Greek salty NAVISHIPPER at Buoy 83, in the Detroit River's Fighting Island Channel. NAVISHIPPER reportedly had no licensed pilot aboard at the time, a violation of maritime law. There were no injuries, but the HOMER suffered extensive bow damage up to and including part of her pilothouse. The former was repaired, operated through 1980 and was scrapped at Port Colborne in 1987. The latter was also repaired and eventually towed into Cadiz, Spain, for scrapping as f) CRYSTAL on December 2, 1981, when the tailshaft fractured on November 25, 1981. HUTCHCLIFFE HALL was in collision with steamer RICHARD V. LINDABURY on a foggy October 5, 1962, off Grosse Pointe Farms in Lake St. Clair. The canaller suffered a 12-foot gash on her port side forward of her after cabins and sank. She was raised October 7 and taken to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. On October 5, 1967, while outbound on the Saginaw River after discharging a load of limestone at Saginaw, Michigan, the J. F. SCHOELLKOPF JR's steering failed which caused her to hit the west side of the I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge. The SCHOELLKOPF JR incurred little damage but the southbound lanes of the bridge were out of service for several days until repairs were completed. The ARTHUR H. HAWGOOD (Hull#76) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, by West Bay City Ship Building Co. on October 5, 1907, for the Neptune Steamship Co. (Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) JOSEPH BLOCK in 1911, and c.) GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER in 1969. Scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1980. On October 5,1889, BESSEMER (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 178 foot, 436 gross tons, built in 1875, at St. Clair, Michigan) was carrying iron ore along with her consort SCHUYLKILL (wooden schooner, 152 foot, 472 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) in Lake Superior. They were struck by a rapidly rising gale and ran for the Portage Ship Canal. It became obvious that BESSEMER was sinking. The two collided and went onto a reef at the mouth of the canal and they both broke up quickly. The crews were able to jump onto the breakwater. The wrecks partly blocked the canal until they were dynamited the next September. On October 5,1877, TIOGA (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 549 tons, built in 1862, at Cleveland) was towing two barges in a storm on Lake Erie when she caught fire. The high winds fanned the flames. Her crew escaped to the barges and were later picked up by the steamer BADGER STATE. The burned out hulk of TIOGA sank the next day in 30 feet of water off Point Pelee. This was her first year of service as a bulk freighter; she had been built as a passenger steamer and was converted in 1877. On October 5, 1900, the lumber hooker SWALLOW was involved in a collision in the early morning hours and ended up ashore near Cherry Beach. A week later, she was lightered and freed, then taken to Detroit for repairs. She foundered in a storm one year later (18 October 1901). On October 5,1904, CONGRESS (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 267 foot, 1,484 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland as the passenger vessel NEBRASKA) was seeking shelter at South Manitou Island on Lake Michigan when she caught fire. The fire spread quickly. To prevent it from destroying the dock, a courageous tug skipper got a line on the CONGRESS and towed her out on the lake where she burned for 13 hours and then sank in 26 fathoms of water. No lives were lost. 1904: HUNTER, a wooden passenger and freight steamer, was destroyed by a fire at Grand Marais, MI. There were no injuries. 1932: JOHN J. BOLAND JR., enroute from Toledo to Hamilton with coal, took on water and sank after the cargo shifted. Four lives were lost when the vessel went down about 10 miles off Barcelona, NY. 1941: MONDOC stranded off the east coast of Trinidad on her first trip on the bauxite run. The crew took to the lifeboats and was saved. 1964: DENMARK HILL went aground off the Porkkala Lighthouse in the Baltic Sea enroute from Nicaro, Cuba, for Porkkala, Finland. The vessel was refloated October 7 with considerable bottom damage. 1988: ENERCHEM REFINER struck the #1 East Outer Light while upbound in the Detroit River and received major damage that was repaired at Lauzon. 1999: MONTE AYALA, a Seaway caller in 1975, began to leak in #1 hold and then list while anchored at St. Brieuc Bay while inbound for Brest, France, as d) JUNIOR M. The cargo of ammonium nitrate was unloaded. The ship was arrested, abandoned by the owners, auctioned off for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, on August 21, 2000. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, John Decator, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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18-foot waves predicted for Lake Superior 10/4 - Strong northwest winds behind a severe weather-making storm will also produce huge waves on Lake Superior. Waves are expected to build to 14 to 18 feet in the southeastern part of Lake Superior. Winds are expected to howl at up to 60 mph for the Keweenaw Peninsula. Other parts of Lake Superior should have 45 mph to 55 mph sustained winds. With the northwesterly winds, waves will build as they move across Lake Superior from northwest to southeast. As of 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Stewart J. Cort and Hon James L. Oberstar were anchored in the lee of Whitefish Point. Cedarglen was in the lee of the southern end of the Keweenaw Peninsula, while Joyce L. VanEnkevort was stopped in the lee of the northern tip. American Mariner was anchored off the south end of Washburn Island. Roger Blough and John J. Boland were at anchor north of St. Ignace. Paul R. Tregurtha, Lee A. Tregurtha and Herbert C. Jackson were in the lower St. Marys River north of DeTour and appeared on AIS to be at anchor. Algoma Buffalo was stopped just east of St. Ignace off the lower Michigan shore, with the tug Anglian Lady and barge stopped just to the west of them. An 18-foot tall wave is about as high as a two-story house. View weather maps at this link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2018/10/18_foot_waves_predicted_for_la.html |
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Port Reports - October 4
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports Stoneport: Olive L Moore departed for Marine City. Sam Laud weighed anchor and proceeded to the loading dock. Calcite: 11:28 Lee A Tregurtha departed for Duluth Superior but has gone to anchor in the St Marys River to wait out weather. Port Inland: Joseph L Block departed for Burns Harbor.
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Oct 3 - Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo: (Tonawanda)
Welland Canal: Downbound - Oct 2 - NACC Alicudi (Mlt)(ex Sider Alicudi-18) eta 2155 - Oct 3 - tug Petite Forte & barge St Marys Cement at 0134, Hamburg (Bhs) (ex c Columbus-12) at 0937, Federal Baltic (Mhl) at 1015, tug Sea Eagle II & barge St Marys Cement II at 1056, light tug Kimberly Anne (Ame) at 1232, Rt Hon Paul J Martin at 1409, Mississagi at 1642 (stopping wharf 12) and Algowood eta 2140
Port Weller anchorage:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Corps Values: Army engineers keep things moving 10/4 - Detroit, Mich. – Boats large and small pass through the many harbors along the Great Lakes most days of the year. Who ensures they can navigate those waterways safely? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does. One of the corps’ responsibilities is to maintain navigation by dredging harbors—that is, removing silt from the bottom of rivers to prevent vessels from getting stuck. If something needs repair or replacement, such as a pier, the engineers fix it or build a new one. “We are construction experts,” says Lt. Col. Greg Turner, commanding officer of the corps’ Detroit district. That expertise will come in handy when it’s time to build a new shipping lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The U.S. House authorized almost $1 billion to build a new lock in the Soo, a project that was first proposed in 1986, but never funded. President Donald Trump pledged to “fix” the lock as part of his proposal to improve America’s infrastructure. Turner says it would take at least seven years to build a lock large enough to handle the largest ships on the Great Lakes. Only one lock, the Poe, fits the bill now. Turner says building a new lock is his top priority. “Of the four locks, only two are still in working condition,” Turner says. “The other two are over 100 years old that we’ve put out of service. The remaining locks are 75 years old and 50 years old.” The C.O. notes that nearly all of the domestically produced high-strength steel comes from iron ore that passes through the Soo locks, making the St. Marys River the linchpin of the U.S economy. “It affects the automobile industry, it affects the appliance industry, it affects almost anything that we make in America with high-strength steel,” Turner says. More about the mission Navigation is just one of the Army Corps of Engineers’ responsibilities. It also helps local communities manage their flood risk and works with them on environmental restoration projects. Lt. Col. Turner’s troops are involved in the reconfiguration of Galloway Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River. “What we’re doing is taking what was a creek running through a residential area and a golf course and changing how the creek works, and make it into a more natural stream bed,” Turner says. Not just builders The Army Corps of Engineers employ about 34,000 people, not all of whom are engineers. “There are biologists, financial experts, economists, a lot world-class experts work for the corps,” Turner says. As for the future of a new lock at the Soo, the colonel says the economic benefit would be almost twice the cost to build it. Click on the audio player to hear the conversation with WDET’s Pat Batcheller. https://wdet.org/posts/2018/10/03/87354-corps-values-army-engineers-keep-things-moving |
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Interlake Steamship Co. seeks photos for 2019 calendar 10/4 - Hey Great Lakes photographers, the folks at Interlake Steamship Co. wants you to hit them with your best shots. The company is looking for fabulous pictures of the fleet’s ships taken during the last year (October 2017-the present) to feature on next year's Interlake Steamship calendar. The vessels include the Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker, Mesabi Miner, Stewart J. Cort, Lee A. Tregurtha, Hon. James L. Oberstar, Kaye E. Barker, Herbert C. Jackson, and Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder. Winners will not only have their photo featured on a 2019 wall calendar, they’ll receive either a 4’x7’ or 3’x5’ Interlake house flag. How To Enter: Please email pictures (high resolution preferred) to Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@interlake-steamship.com The Details: In the email, include your full name, address, contact information and any details about the photo. You can submit as many photos as you would like. All photos must be titled with your name (i.e. Smith1, Smith2, etc) Please Note: By submitting a photo, you are giving full permission to Interlake to use this image in its calendar, on social media, website and for any external uses. Whenever possible, Interlake will credit the original photographer. Deadline: All photos must be received by 1200 Friday, October 12. Interlake Steamship Co. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 4 On October 4, 1887, ORIENT (wooden propeller tug, 60 foot, 37 gross tons, built in 1874, at Buffalo, New York) foundered three miles west of Point Pelee on Lake Erie in a storm. She was seen going down by the schooners LISGAR and GLENFORD but neither was able to help. All six on the ORIENT were lost. She was out of Marine City, Michigan.On October 4, 1979, the ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR arrived at the Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, Ontario, where she was lengthened to the Seaway maximum length of 730-foot overall. A new bow and cargo section was installed including a bow thruster and was assigned Hull #66. New tonnage; 18,788 gross tons, 12,830 net tons, 32,279 deadweight tons. She was renamed c.) CANADIAN NAVIGATOR in 1980 and ALGOMA NAVIGATOR in 2012. She sails for Algoma Central Corp. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1997. TEXACO BRAVE (Hull#779) was launched October 4, 1976, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan for Texaco Canada Ltd., Don Mills, Ontario. Renamed b.) LE BRAVE in 1987, c.) IMPERIAL ST LAWRENCE in 1997, and d.) ALGOEAST in 1998. On October 4, 1980, Bethlehem's ARTHUR B. HOMER was laid up for the last time at Erie, Pennsylvania. As a result of the collision between the PARKER EVANS and the SIDNEY E SMITH JR, four months earlier, alternate one-way traffic between the Black River Buoy and Buoys 1 and 2 in Lake Huron was agreed upon by the shipping companies on October 4, 1972 The JAMES E. FERRIS' last trip before scrapping was from Duluth, Minnesota, with a split load of 261,000 bushels of wheat for Buffalo, New York, arriving there October 4, 1974. The JIIMAAN, twin screw ro/ro cargo/passenger ferry built to Ice Class 1D standards had its keel laid October 4, 1991, at Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd. (Hull# 76). On October 4, 1982, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS laid up for the last time in Duluth, Minnesota. She was towed out of Duluth, on her way to Kahoshiung, Taiwan for scrapping, on June 17, 1988. October 4, 1940 - The Ludington Daily News reported "The Pere Marquette car ferries handled approximately 95,000 freight cars last year." (1939) On October 4,1877, BRITISH LION (3 mast wooden bark, 128 foot, 293 tons, built in 1862, at Kingston, Ontario) was carrying coal from Black River, Ohio, to Brockville, Ontario. She was driven ashore at Long Point in Lake Erie by a storm and wrecked. She was the first bark on the Lakes to be wire rigged and she was built for the Great Lakes - Liverpool trade. On October 4, 1883, JAMES DAVIDSON (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 231 foot, 1,456 gross tons, built in 1874, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying coal and towing the barge MIDDLESEX in a storm on Lake Huron. She was driven onto a reef near Thunder Bay Island and ripped up her bottom. The barge was rescued by the tug V SWAIN. No lives were lost. Financially, the DAVIDSON was the most extensive loss on the Lakes in the 1883, season. She was valued at $65,000 and insured for $45,000. Her coal cargo was valued at $8,000. 1904: CONGRESS burned at the dock at South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan while loading lumber. The ship was towed away, abandoned, burned to the waterline and sank. 1966: ROBERT J. PAISLEY ran aground in heavy weather off Michigan City, IN. The ship was released the next day but went to Sarnia with hull damage and was laid up. 2008: MERKUR BAY came through the Seaway in 1984. It hit a rock as m) NEW ORIENTAL in heavy weather off Tuy An, Vietnam, and settled on the bottom with a large hole in the bow. The crew abandoned ship on October 18 when it showed signs of sinking. It was enroute from Thailand to China with iron ore and was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes largest cruise welcomes hundreds of Germans to shore 10/3 - Alpena, Mich. – In the distance where Lake Huron connects to the waves crashing against the rocks on shore, the largest Great Lakes cruise ship made its way to the sunrise side on Monday. It carries 420 passengers, 170 employees, all 15–thousand tons anchored in the water with many locals waiting to catch sight of the Hamburg cruise ship. “Tourism is a big thing here, and this will even make it bigger if we get more of these cruise ships coming in,” said Alpena resident Richard Lefevere. It’s been a 12-day journey for hundreds of tourists waiting to touch land. Passengers were loaded on to orange boats called tenders. Ship crews boated groups of 50 through the Thunder Bay River to the edge of the loading dock near the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Peter Wagner was one those passengers on the ship, assisting a number of German travelers to tour parts of Northeast Michigan for a day. “It’s a fantastic experience for us Germans to see the wonderful cities here.” he said, “to meet very nice and friendly people and have such a lot fun here.” The Hamburg is able to visit the Great Lakes because it’s small enough to cruise through small towns like Alpena. “I don’t remember all the places we’ve been,” said Horst Halden, “but we really enjoy where we have been.” Halden traveled with his wife. His family is no stranger to the States. A nephew lives another major city. The tourists flew to Chicago to start their journey and will dock in Montreal at the end of 21 days. “When people are traveling they want to purchase souvenirs,” said Anne Gentry, “They want to buy things from the place that they stopped.” Gentry is the executive director of Alpena’s Downtown Development Authority. She volunteered with the Maritime Heritage Center, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to greet travelers and pass out maps. The town has worked for quite some time to orchestrate this day to fruition. Gentry said, “I think it shows that we are a viable tourist destination.” By the time the sun sets, Alpena’s new friends will be on their way. Until next time. The luxury cruise line will return later this month. WBKB11 |
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Port Reports - October 3
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Oct 2 – Barry Andersen
Long Point Bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo: (Tonawanda)
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Environmental groups say "no" to potential Line 5 tunnel 10/3 - Several environmental groups are stepping up their efforts against an expected plan to build a tunnel for an oil pipeline that passes through the Mackinac Straits. A spokesman for Governor Rick Snyder says the state is still “reviewing studies and working through all possible options” for what to do with Line 5. But environmentalists believe the governor has already decided. “In the waning days of his administration, Gov. Snyder is trying to fast track approvals for Enbridge to build an oil pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac,” says Sean McBrearty with the group Clean Water Action. “Building a tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac would not only be unnecessary, and take too long to complete, it would also come with a significant risk of explosion,” says McBrearty. “If electrical utility lines run through the tunnel as well, everything needed to create a massive explosion under the Straits would be present.” Environmental groups expect the governor will announce the tunnel plan soon. Officials with Enbridge (one of Michigan Radio's many corporate sponsors) say it will take five to seven years to build, and they say it'll cost upwards of a half billion dollars. The company maintains that building a tunnel is one option being considered. “Our focus is and has always been the safe and reliable delivery of energy for Michigan. Line 5 is a vital part of Michigan’s energy infrastructure, having safely delivered energy for more than six decades. Improvements we have already made through our rigorous inspection and maintenance programs, along with ongoing discussions with the state, will make a safe pipeline even safer,” says Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy. Concerns about the aging pipeline have led to calls to shut it down. The fear is the pipeline will break and spew oil into the fragile Great Lakes ecosystem. Michigan Radio |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 3 On October 3,1887, EBENEZER (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 103 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was driven ashore off the breakwater at Holland, Michigan, during a storm. She had sprung a leak in the terrific storm, lost her deck load of shingles and struck the pier trying to get into the harbor. She broke in two but was later raised and rebuilt. She lasted until 1903.On October 3,1887, CITY OF GREEN BAY (3-mast wooden schooner, 145 foot, 346 gross tons, built in 1872, at Green Bay, Wisconsin) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba to St. Joseph, Michigan, on Lake Michigan and having difficulty in a strong westerly gale. She sprang a leak and anchored four miles from South Haven and put up distress signals. The wind and waves were so bad that the crew could not safely abandon the vessel. She slipped her anchor and was driven on to a bar at Evergreen Point, just 500 feet from shore. The crew scrambled up the rigging as the vessel sank. The South Haven Life Saving crew tried to get a breeches buoy out to the wreck, but their line broke repeatedly. So much wreckage was in the surf that it fouled their surfboat. Soon the masts went by the board and the crew members were in the churning seas. Six died. Only Seaman A. T. Slater made it to shore. The ineffective attempts of the Life Saving crew resulted in Keeper Barney Alonzo Cross being relieved of his command of the station. The E. G. GRACE was delivered to the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland on October 3, 1943. The GRACE was part of a government program designed to upgrade and increase the capacity of the U.S. Great Lakes fleet during World War II. In order to help finance the building of new ships, the U.S.M.C. authorized a program that would allow existing fleets to obtain new boats by trading in their older boats to the government for credit. As partial payment for each new vessel, a fleet owner surrendered the equivalent tonnage of their existing and/or obsolete vessels, along with some cash, to the Maritime Commission. October 3, 1941 - The CITY OF FLINT 32, eastbound from Milwaukee, collided with the PERE MARQUETTE 22 westbound. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 headed directly for Manitowoc for repairs while the CITY OF FLINT 32 continued to Ludington where she discharged her cargo, then headed for the shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The barges BELLE CASH and GEO W. HANNAFORD, owned by Capt. Cash of East China Township, Michigan, were driven ashore on Long Point in Lake Erie on 3 October 1875. On October 3, 1900, the steel freighter CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON left Port Huron on her maiden voyage for Marquette, Michigan, where she loaded 6,200 tons of iron ore for Cleveland, Ohio. ARK (3-mast iron-strapped wooden scow-schooner-barge, 177 foot, 512 tons, built in 1875, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) was in tow of the steam barge ALBION (wooden propeller, 134 foot, 297 gross tons, built in 1862, at Brockville, Ontario) on Lake Huron when a terrific storm struck on October 3,1887. Both were loaded with lumber. Both vessels were driven ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan. The U.S. Lifesaving Service rescued the crews. The ALBION was pounded to pieces the next day and the ARK was declared a total loss, but was recovered and was sailing again within the month. 1907: The wooden tug PHILADELPHIA dated from 1869 and briefly served in the Algoma fleet. It was wrecked at Gros Cap, Lake Superior, on this date in 1907. 1911: The wooden freighter A.L. HOPKINS had cleared Bayfield the previous day with a full load of lumber and foundered in a storm on this date near Michigan Island, Lake Superior. Buoyed by the cargo, the hull floated a few more days before it disappeared. All 15 on board were picked up by the ALVA C. DINKEY. 1928: The steel bulk carrier M.J. BARTELME ran aground at Cana Island, Lake Michigan. The bottom was ripped open and the ship was abandoned. It was dismantled on site in 1929. 1953: The superstructure of the idle passenger steamer PUT-IN-BAY was burned off in Lake St. Clair and the remains of the iron hull were later dismantled at River Rouge. 1963: The Liberian flag Liberty ship TRIKERI, on her only trip to the Great Lakes, swung sideways in the Welland Canal near Welland, blocked the waterway and delayed traffic for 4 hours. The ship arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping as e) DAHLIA on December 27, 1967. 1963: A fire broke out in the cargo hold of the FRED CHRISTIANSEN while downbound at Sault Ste. Marie. The stubborn blaze took 4 hours to put out and was believed caused by some of the grain igniting as it was close to a steam line. The Norwegian freighter began Seaway trading in 1959 and returned as b) HERA in 1964. It arrived at Pasajes, Spain, under this name for scrapping on May 30, 1974. 1969: JOSEPH H. ran aground at Bic Island, in the St. Lawrence while enroute from Milwaukee to Russia with a cargo of rawhides. The Liberian-flag vessel sustained heavy bottom damage. It was refloated on October 6, taken to Levis, QC, and subsequently broken up there for scrap. The ship was operating under her fifth name and had first come through the Seaway as a) GRANADA in 1959. 1980: POLYDORA first came inland for four trips as a) FERNFIORD in 1963 and returned under her new name in 1964 on charter to Canadian Pacific Steamships. The ship had been at Marina di Carrara, Italy, and under arrest as d) GEORGIOS B., when it sailed overnight without permission. A fire in the engineroom broke out the next day and, while taken in tow, the ship foundered east of Tavolara Island, Sardinia. 1999: MANCHESTER MERCURIO traded through the Seaway in a container shuttle service beginning in 1971. It was abandoned by the crew and sank off the coast of Morocco as f) PHOENIX II on this date in 1999. 2000: The tug KETA V. usually operated on the St. Lawrence for Verreault Navigation but came to the Great Lakes with barges for Windsor in 1993. It ran aground and sank near Liverpool, NS on this date in 2000 but all on board got away safely on life rafts. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Great Lakes freighters moved 10 million tons in August 10/2 - Great Lakes freighters moved 10 million tons of cargo to ports like the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in August, roughly on par with the same time a year ago and with the five-year average float for August. The Lake Carriers' Association reported U.S.-flagged lake freighters have shipped 48.4 million tons so far this year, a decrease of 4.1 percent as compared to the same period in 2017. Iron ore cargoes decreased 3.7 percent to 26.55 million tons and coal by 13.7 percent to 6.5 million tons over the first eight months of the year, while limestone rose 2.3 percent to 12.8 million tons. In August, iron ore cargoes rose 6.8 percent to 5 million tons, the second straight month ore shipments topped 5 million tons. Shipments of iron ore, a crucial steelmaking input that Northwest Indiana's steel mills rely on, outperformed the 5-year average in August, according to the Cleveland metro-based Lake Carriers' Association. Ore cargoes on the Great Lakes are 7.2 percent ahead of the five-year average for the first eight months of the year. Shipments of coal stayed about steady at 1.6 million tons in August, while shipments of aggregate, fluxstone, chemical stone and scrubber stone fell 10 percent to 2.9 million tons. NWI Times |
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Port Reports - October 2
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Alpena, Mich. – Ben Chanda McClain
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Erie, Pa. – Jeff Benson Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Oct 1 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo: (Tonawanda)
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Decision time for Green Bay’s Renard Island 10/2 - Green Bay, Wis. – After years of discussion, the future of Renard Island, a 55-acre island just off Bay Beach in Green Bay, is about to be decided. Created from dredged sediment from the late 1970's through the 90s, it's now crunch time for the island. "It's time to put pencil to paper and make some decisions on what the end-use for that island is long term," says Dean Haen, Brown County Port Director. Haen says input during the month of October will be comprehensive and led by consulting firm SmithGroup, hired to plan and develop the island's future. "Economists, you got environmental engineers, you got waterfront planners, you got just a group of professionals that are going to help us figure out the end-use of the island and with that we'll be talking with the stakeholders, the neighbors in the area, potential users of the island, Convention and Visitors Bureau, PMI and others, as well as the public," says Haen. Public input begins during a listening session next Tuesday, October 2, at 6 p.m. at the Neville Public Museum. Haen says all ideas are welcome, and some already floating around include an amphitheater, walking trails, fishing piers, a boardwalk, an observation tower, an RV park, and miniature golf to name just a few. Haen says it's an exciting time and a unique opportunity for the community. After next Tuesday's listening session, there will be an intense three-day brain-storming session involving the public to finalize the plan. That will be held October 16 through October 18 at the T2 Accelerator space in the Rail Yard Innovation District on Broadway Street. WBAY |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 2 On her maiden trip in 1905, the PETER WHITE grounded outside the Lackawanna breakwall. After lightering 200 tons, she proceeded to the Lackawanna Steel mill where the remainder of the cargo was unloaded.On this day in 1979, the ELTON HOYT 2ND unloaded her last cargo as a straight decker at the Ashtabula & Buffalo Dock, Ashtabula, Ohio. On October 2,1901, M. M. DRAKE (wooden propeller freighter, 201 foot, 1,102 gross tons, built in 1882, at Buffalo, New York) and her consort MICHIGAN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 213 foot, 1,057 gross tons, built in 1874, at Detroit, Michigan) were loaded with iron ore while sailing in a strong gale on Lake Superior. The MICHIGAN began to leak and the DRAKE came around to take off her crew, but the two vessels collided. Both sank off Vermilion Point, Michigan. One life was lost. As the vessels sank, the passing steamers NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY stood by and rescued the crews. Upper Lakes Shipping's new self-unloader CANADIAN OLYMPIC was christened on October 2, 1976, at St. Catharines, Ontario. Her name honored the Olympic Games that were held at Montreal that year. TADOUSSAC (Hull#192) departed Collingwood on her maiden voyage for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. on October 2, 1969, to load iron ore at Fort William, Ontario. The sandsucker AMERICAN last operated in 1956, and laid up at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was scrapped in S. Chicago in 1984. JOHN T. HUTCHINSON and CONSUMERS POWER arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 2, 1988, where dismantling began on October 14t by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. On her maiden voyage October 2, 1943, E. G. GRACE cleared Lorain, Ohio, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore. HOCHELAGA of 1949 departed Toronto October 2, 1993, in tow of the McKeil tugs GLENBROOK and KAY COLE for Montreal, Quebec, and then to the cutter’s torch. October 2, 1954 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 sailed into Ludington, Michigan, on her second maiden voyage of her career. On October 2,1888, OLIVER CROMWELL (wooden schooner-barge, 138 foot, 291 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was being towed by the steamer LOWELL in a storm in Lake Huron when she broke her towline. She rode out most of the storm at anchor, but then she snapped her anchor chains and she was driven ashore at Harbor Beach, Michigan, where she broke up. The 183 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner QUEEN CITY was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan, on 2 October 1873. The Port Huron Times reported the following shipwrecks from a severe storm that swept the Lakes over 2-3 October 1887: Schooner CITY OF GREEN BAY lost near South Haven, Michigan; the schooner-barge CHARLES L HUTCHINSON, lost near Buffalo, New York; the steam barge ALBION and her consort the schooner-barge ARK ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan; the 3-mast schooner EBENEZER ashore near Holland, Michigan; the wooden package freighter CALIFORNIA sunk in the Straits of Mackinaw; the schooner HOLMES ashore at Middle Island on Lake Huron; the schooner GARIBALDI ashore near Port Elgin on Lake Huron; the barge MAYFLOWER disabled near Grand Haven, Michigan; the schooner D. S. AUSTIN ashore at Point Clark; and the schooner HENRY W HOAG ashore at Erie, Pennsylvania. 1891: WINSLOW ran aground in fog while inbound at Duluth. The hole in the wooden hull was patched and the ship was released and able to be docked. The vessel caught fire while unloading the next day and destroyed. 1938: The first WINDOC was struck when Bridge 20, a railway bridge across the Welland Canal, was lowered prematurely and removing the stack, spar and lifeboats of the N.M. Paterson steamer. 1953: A collision occurred between PIONEER and WALLSCHIFF in the St. Clair River on this date and the latter, a West German visitor to the Great Lakes, rolled on its side and settled in shallow water. One crew member perished. PIONEER, a Cleveland-Cliffs steamer, was repaired for further service and was later scrapped at Genoa, Italy, in 1961. WALLSCHIFF, on her first and only trip to the Great Lakes, was refloated and departed for permanent repairs overseas in 1954. The vessel was still sailing as g) GOLDEN MERCURY in 2011. 1973: A head-on collision in fog off Gull Island, Lake Michigan between the T-2 tanker MARATHONIAN and Norwegian freighter ROLWI left both ships with massive bow damage. The former had begun Seaway service as f) MARATHON in 1960 and was repaired at South Chicago. It disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle as h) SYLVIA L. OSSA in October 1976. ROLWI, a Norwegian salty, was also repaired and returned inland as b) DOBERG in 1974 and c) LORFRI in 1976. It arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as e) PEROZAN on February 6, 1996. 1992: The Canadian coastal freighter SIR JOHN CROSBIE was built in St. Catharines by Port Weller Dry Docks in 1962. It sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida as c) HOLSTEN on this date but all on board were rescued. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - October 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Muskegon, Mich.
Lake Michigan
Limestone Ports
Northern Lake Huron
Cleveland, Ohio
Fairport, Ohio
Erie, Pa. Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Sep 30 – Barry Andersen
Long Point bay anchorage:
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Windsor Port Authority planning new outdoor marine museum 10/1 - Windsor, Ont. – Soon, a new community space will open in West Windsor that celebrates the city’s maritime and economic history. The Windsor Port Authority is teaming up with the Sandwich Teen Action Group to create an outdoor marine museum that will display indigenous and marine artifacts along a tree-lined path that will open up into a space for community events, socialization, relaxation and an annual Christmas Tree display. “More than a dozen display panels will trace port development from the traditional lands of the First Nations to the arrival of European settlers, to the major port of national strategic interest that is Windsor today,” the port authority said in a news release. The project is made possible with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Port Windsor has contributed to a dozen community projects over the past year including neighbourhood cleanups, the Sandwich Teen Action Group, Open Streets, and sculptures of Chief Tecumseh and Hiram Walker. It is the third largest port in Ontario. Blackburn News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 1 In 1986, the HERBERT C. JACKSON rescued Carl Ward and his nephew after they had been adrift on lower Lake Michigan for 80 hours.On October 1,1888, the ST CLAIR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 296 gross tons, built in 1859, at Montreal as a bark) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Huron as part of a 5-barge tow of the tug CHAMPION. She broke loose and came to anchor off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The anchor dragged and she sank near the mouth of the harbor. The crew was rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. However, this rescue was ill fated since all were taken in the lifesavers surfboat and the boat was rowed 23 miles to Port Sanilac. 100 yards from shore, just a half mile from Port Sanilac, the surfboat capsized and five lives were lost. The wreck of the ST. CLAIR was later lightered, raised and towed out into the lake and re-sunk. CHICAGO TRADER, a.) THE HARVESTER of 1911, was laid up on October 1, 1976, at the Frog Pond in Toledo, Ohio. Dismantling commenced October 1, 1974, on the KINSMAN INDEPENDENT a.) WILLIAM B. KERR of 1907, at Santander, Spain. October 1, 1997 - The CITY OF MIDLAND 41 was towed out of Ludington to be converted to a barge. On October 1, 1843, ALBANY (wooden brig, 110 tons, built in 1835, at Oswego, New York) was carrying merchandise and passengers when she went aground in a storm and was wrecked just a few miles from Mackinaw City, Michigan. The steam barge C. H. GREEN was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan, for Mason, Green & Corning of Saginaw on October 1, 1881. She was schooner rigged and spent her first year as a tow barge. The following winter her engine and boiler were installed. Her dimensions were 197 feet X 33 feet X 13 feet, 920 tons. She cost $70,000. On October 1,1869, SEA GULL (wooden schooner, 83 tons, built in 1845, at Milan, Ohio) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was driven ashore and wrecked south of Grand Haven, Michigan. The wreck was pulled off the beach a few days later, but was declared a constructive loss, stripped and abandoned. She was owned by Capt. Henry Smith of Grand Haven. 1918: The Canadian bulk carrier GALE STAPLES was blown ashore Point au Sable about 8 miles west of Grand Marais. All on board were saved but the wooden vessel, best known as b) CALEDONIA, broke up. 1942: The former CANADIAN ROVER, Hull 67 from the Collingwood shipyard, was torpedoed and sunk as d) TOSEI MARU in the Pacific east of Japan by U.S.S. NAUTILUS. 1946: KINDERSLEY, loaded with 2074 tons of excess munitions, was scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. The former C.S.L. freighter had been on saltwater to assist in the war effort. 1984: ANNEMARIE KRUGER arrived at Finike, Turkey, as e) BANKO with engine damage on this date and was laid up. The ship, a frequent Seaway visitor in the 1960s, was sold for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, under tow on August 3, 1986, and was dismantled. 1998 The tank barge SALTY DOG NO. 1 broke tow from the tug DOUG McKEIL and went aground off Anticosti Island the next day. The vessel was released and it operated until scrapping at Port Colborne in 2005. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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