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Umiavut remains aground in St. Lawrence River 8/16 - Trois-Rivieres, Que. – The general cargo ship Umiavut remains aground in the St. Lawrence River’s Lac Sainte-Pierre upstream from Trois-Rivieres. The ship was en route from Churchill to Valleyfield, Canada on Aug. 12 when she veered out of the channel after rudder failure. Lightering has begun and tugs will try to pull her off later on this week. Umiavut (IMO 8801591), built 1988, is managed by Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping of Montreal, Que. |
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Welland Canal to close for a day later this month 8/16 - Thorold, Ont. – Work on one of the twinned flight locks in Thorold will see the Welland Canal shut down for a day in late August, said both the manager of engineering and manager of regional services for St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. The work will be carried out on Lock 5 East and will see divers and others install instrumentation to determine what is causing an issue with one of the valves that drain the lock. "We had some issues earlier on in the season with the valve … it was binding as the lock was operating," said Cassie Kelly, the Seaway's manager of engineering. The issue caused a 12 to 14 hour shut down in the middle of June and some adjustments were made to the valve She said the 100-year-old valve, used to drain the lock, was rebuilt four years ago and the adjustment made in June required a shift of only 40,000ths of an inch to make it operational. "It's behaving now," said Kelly. She said the instrumentation to be installed should give the Seaway some insight into why the valve went out of alignment and what is happening in the lock. Kelly and Alvina Ghirardi, manager of regional services, said the work is being done now as early preparation for the upcoming winter work program in January 2019. "We decided for this work it's best to have a maintenance shut down from 6 a.m. to midnight on the 28 to carry it out and get it done all in one shot," said Ghirardi. She said shipping companies told the Seaway all they needed was a bit of notice for the closure. While work on the lock is being carried out, she said the Seaway will look to carry out work on different bridges across Niagara. "The good news is the bridges will be down that day … there'll be no ships," she said of the one-day canal closure.
The Welland Tribune |
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Strong July across Great Lakes gets Seaway tonnage back on course 8/16 - Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping continues to bounce back after a slow start. With strong tonnage numbers in July, particularly shipments of U.S. grain, liquid bulk and project cargo, the 2018 shipping season is right on par with the healthy statistics posted last year. Overall cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway between March 29 and July 31 totaled 16.5 million metric tons. Areas of strength included U.S. grain shipments totaling 888,000 metric tons, up 32 percent over last year. Liquid bulk shipments totaled 2.3 million metric tons, an increase of 25 percent. Dry bulk shipments were down 9 percent, due to decreases in salt shipments from earlier in the season. “St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments have been continuously gaining ground and are now in line with last year’s robust performance,” says Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S. grain shipment increases are coming out of Toledo and heading to European markets. Some of the increase can be attributed to the 2017 soybean crop that did not go out at the end of last year due the weather. Liquid bulk continues a steady performance with asphalt and petroleum products, and it’s promising to see so many project cargo imports and exports too.” Tonnage to date at the Port of Toledo is slightly above the same period in 2017 reaching nearly 4.5 million short tons. A 30 percent increase in coal, and an 89 percent jump in grain shipments lead the way. “We have seen some modest shipments of distiller’s dry grains and canola this year and it is always good when we have new commodities moving through the Port,” said Joe Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “While soybean and corn shipments slowed down a bit from a very busy spring export season, there was still movement of these commodities and we hope to see that activity continue through the fall harvest when things should pick up again.” The Port of Green Bay saw a slight increase in July tonnage from July 2017; up one percent. “Though one percent might sound insignificant, it is a measurement of growth and a strong shipping season so far,” explained Port Director Dean Haen. “Petroleum products, in particular, have been an incredibly high source of tonnage in both imports and exports. That reflects a trend in overall St. Lawrence Seaway traffic where petroleum shipments are up this year.” Shipment numbers are especially high in Green Bay due to indefinite shutdown of the main pipeline between Milwaukee and Northeast Wisconsin. The Port of Cleveland has also been busy this summer shipping project cargo and many large items such as yachts and beer tanks heading to various parts of the U.S. “The Port of Cleveland and our terminal operator, Federal Marine Terminals, continue to grow in the project market segment and handled multiple generators from Siemens in South Carolina destined to a power plant in western Pennsylvania,” said David Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Cleveland. “Our on-dock rail access to both CSX and Norfolk Southern, supported by Cleveland Harbor Belt Railroad, has played a key role in securing these cargoes, providing key advantages for project cargo moving to and from the nation’s heartland.” The Port of Cleveland is in the process of reactivating the Foreign Trade Zone site on Port property, which will be operated by Federal Marine Terminals. Once activated, this general-purpose site will provide multiple users with short and long-term solutions for benefits such as duty deferral and direct delivery of their cargo to an international seaport, bypassing congestion at coastal ports. As the grantee of FTZ #40, the Port is focused on providing solutions to cargo owners that will decrease costs within their supply chains. Shipments through the Port of Duluth-Superior are bouncing back after a slow, ice-laden start to the 2018 season. “While final tallies aren’t in yet for July, tonnage heading into midsummer stood at 11.4 million short tons, nearly on par with 2017,” said Adele Yorde, spokesperson for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Shipments of iron ore and limestone are running ahead of last year; ore is up four percent with an 11 percent increase in limestone. Yorde adds, “This summer we have seen a variety of project cargoes and a shipment of kaolin clay to Duluth Cargo Connect docks, where crews stayed busy coordinating deliveries to paper mills, mines, wind farms and electrical transmission projects across North America.” According to a new study released in July, cargo shipments to ports on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River waterway support 147,500 jobs and generate U.S.$25.6 billion in economic activity in the eight Great Lakes states Marine Delivers |
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Port Reports - August 16
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Aug 15 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Deputies investigating death of diver in Straits of Mackinac 8/16 - A man is dead after a diving accident around a shipwreck in the Straits of Mackinac. At around 12:42 Sunday afternoon, deputies learned that a diver was being transported to the Mackinac Straits Hospital. An investigation showed the man was with another diver and a third person who captained the boat. According to deputies, the two divers made two trips down to the sunken ship Cedarville and rose in tandem. On the second dive, both divers had surfaced when one diver noticed the other struggling and helped him into the boat. The man was then taken to St. Ignace, where he was pronounced dead. At this time, investigators say are not sure what caused the death and will conduct an autopsy as well as inspect the dive equipment. MI News16 |
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Norgoma volunteers implore City Council to save their ship 8/16 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. – The volunteer board of St. Mary's River Marine Heritage Centre has launched an online petition aimed at persuading City Council to drop the eviction notice it served earlier this year on the M.S. Norgoma. "We... implore City Council to reverse its decision to terminate the berthing rights and support the Norgoma's endeavours to be an exciting home of history, culture and community," says the petition, which was posted Tuesday. On April 23, councillors voted to end the museum ship’s berthing rights at Roberta Bondar Marina effective Aug. 31. The last packet ship built for the Great Lakes has been a fixture on the Sault waterfront for the past 43 years. Many see it the 68-year-old former passenger ferry as an important artifact of our marine heritage. Others, including Mayor Christian Provenzano, see only an eyesore. "It's a long time. That boat has to go," the mayor told a City Council meeting last September, indicating he wanted the rusting boat towed out of Roberta Bondar Marina, clear out of downtown Sault Ste. Marie. "We, the undersigned do support the M.S. Norgoma in its entirety and do wish that it stay in its current, and well deserved berth at Roberta Bondar Marina as a tourist attraction, symbol of Sault Ste. Marie's history, culture and heritage, as well as a monument to the significant federal government-mandated historical event of packets travelling the Turkey Trail," states the petition, drafted by the board of St. Mary's River Marine Heritage Centre, which has owned the Norgoma since 1981. As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, 167 supporters had signed the document, which states it's seeking 3,000 signatures. "The petition is a response to community requests," William Hollingshead, a volunteer curator and member of the marine centre board, tells SooToday. "Lots of people have been coming in and asking how they could help, support the ship or make their opinion heard." Late last month. Sean Meades of NORDIK Institute completed a pro bono strategic plan for the Norgoma. Meades' report serves as both a feasibility study and business plan, setting out how Norgoma volunteers can engage better with the community and generate revenue, as well as options for relocating the ship, complete with goals and timelines, Hollingshead said. "We have been evicted by the city, so we do have to consider relocation as our primary option at this point. But with current fundraising opportunities, community partnerships, events, admission by donation, pay-what-you-can and extended evening hours, we hope that we can change some of the negative opinion on the Norgoma," Hollingshead told us. In recent weeks, the ship has become a new base for programming that used to take place at Gore Street Cafe, which was forced out by its landlord at the end of June. Nicole Dyble, the cafe's owner, is now offering musical and other events at the Norgoma under the Dryer Fire name. Norgoma volunteers are still in talks with a number of groups about the possibility of moving the boat. City officials are expected to extend the Aug. 31 deadline to mid-September to better accommodate their plan to remove and replace the marina's wooden docks. Even if the city stands firm on its eviction notice, "we're hoping that we can come up with some sort of a solution if it comes to that," he said. The volunteers are talking to both local and out-of-town groups about moving the Norgoma. Hollingshead says the out-of-town groups are all in Algoma or the Greater Sudbury area. Soo Today |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 16 On 16 August 1890, the ANNIE WATT (wooden propeller, passenger and package freight "packet,” 75 foot, 62 gross ton, built in 1884, at Lion's Head, Ontario) collided with the ship WM. ALDERSON and sank off of Gunn Point, Ontario. Just the previous year (8 November 1889), ANNIE WATT had burned and been declared total loss, but she was rebuilt.The captain of the 2 year old, 125-foot wooden schooner-barge JOHN F. RITCHIE brought his wife, two other women and several small children as guests on a voyage from Bay City, Michigan to Buffalo, New York. The RITCHIE was one of a string of four barges loaded with lumber in tow of the tug ZOUAVE. As the tow entered Lake Erie, they were struck by a terrifying storm. The RITCHIE broke her towline and was cast adrift. The deck load of lumber broke loose and everyone was in danger. The women and children were brought out of the cabin since it was considered to be a death trap and they were lashed on deck for safety. Soon the vessel was waterlogged and the cabin was actually washed away. On 17 August, a passing steamer took everyone aboard and towed the RITCHIE in to Cleveland, Ohio where she was repaired. Amazingly, no lives were lost. August 16, 1902 - The PERE MARQUETTE 18 (Hull#412) was launched at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Pere Marquette Railway. 1921 – The wooden steamer H.N. JEX foundered off Long Point, Lake Ontario, while carrying coal between Sodus and Kingston. All on board were rescued. 1927 – NORTHERN LIGHT, a steel package freighter, left the Great Lakes for saltwater service in two sections in 1917. The vessel was ravaged by a fire that began in the coal bunker, at Mobile, AL. on this date in 1927. The engine was removed in 1928 and the hull converted to a barge. It foundered off the Florida Keys on November 8, 1930. 1966 – The PEAVEY PIONEER, laid up with damage from a May 31, 1966, grounding at Ashland, was traded to the U.S. Maritime Administration by Sea-Land Services for the C-4 transport GENERAL H.G. FREEMAN. 1967 – The third GEORGE HINDMAN went aground and sustained heavy damage in the St. Lawrence off Clayton, N.Y. The ship was inspected at Collingwood and considered beyond economical repair. It was sold to Marine Salvage for scrap and resold to Hyman-Michaels for dismantling at Duluth, arriving there on October 13, 1967. Data from: Joe Barr, Max Hanley, Skip Gillham, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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American Victory scrap tow update 8/15 - The tug VB Hispania, towing the former American Victory to Turkey for scrapping, is currently south of the Azores. |
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Coast Guard warns to steer clear of freighters on Cuyahoga River 8/15 - Cleveland, Ohio – The U.S. Coast Guard is warning boaters and people using paddle craft on the Cuyahoga River to stay out of the way of larger, cargo ships. As more people flock to the revitalized Flats to explore the river and Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said there has been an increase in smaller vessels getting in the way of freighters. “The risk is being in the way of a large vessel that can't stop very quickly or maneuver fast enough, especially in a narrow channel,” said Petty Officer Second Class Lauren Steenson. The owners of Great Lakes Watersports, which rents boats, jet skis and kayaks on the west bank of the Flats, said rentals have been steadily growing since they bought the business in 2016. Increased activity along the river, including new bars and restaurants, have drawn more people to the area. “Business has been fantastic. It's been pretty much a steady increase since we've opened two years ago. It's been on the rise pretty much every month since then,” said manager Pete Dittoe. With increased fun has come increased issues for freighters, according to the Coast Guard. Congestion on the river can make it difficult for freighters to navigate tight corners. The Coast Guard said ships have collided with the west bank twice over the last two years while trying to avoid hitting smaller vessels. “It's dangerous to be in the way of any large ship,” Steenson said. “Stay out of the main shipping lane, which is the middle of the river, and stick toward the edge of the river which is a little bit safer and out of the tankers' ways.” View a video at this link: https://fox8.com/2018/08/13/coast-guard-warns-to-steer-clear-of-freighters-on-cuyahoga-river |
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Port Reports - August 15
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Aug 14 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Coast Guard and agencies to conduct on-the-water exercises in Straits 8/15 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The US Coast Guard, along with partner agencies, is slated to conduct on-the-water exercises in the Straits of Mackinac Wednesday and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of Marine Transportation System (MTS) recovery training. More than 50 participants as well as 10 boats from federal, state, county and local agencies and stakeholders will be participating in the recovery drill. USCG |
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Seaway Port Authority names first female director 8/15 - Duluth, Minn. - The Duluth Seaway Port Authority is celebrating its first–ever female Executive Director, in the port’s 60-year history. On Monday, Deb DeLuca was officially appointed to the position, starting this Thursday, Aug 16th. She’s not new to the Port Authority. DeLuca previously held the title of Government and Environmental Affairs Director since 2014. “The biggest task in front of us is making sure that we develop the Inter-Modal Terminal that we added to our assets,” said DeLuca, seated at her new desk. “We’re always advocating for the importance of transportation and transportation infrastructure, whether it’s at the local level, state level, or nationally. DeLuca was one of dozens candidates from all over the country, but the Board of Commissioners said she rose above the rest. She is now the 14th Female Chief Executive of a U.S. port. Fox 21 |
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Niagara University art museum presents show of model ships by artist Justin Higner 8/15 - Lewiston, N.Y. – The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University will present an exhibition of model ships created from the imagination of artist Justin Higner, opening with a reception from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. "The Higner Maritime Collection: Twenty-Five Years of Ship Building by Justin Higner" will be on display through March 17, 2019. The exhibition celebrates Higner's 25-year shipbuilding career, highlighting the evolution of his model-building techniques and inventive, pseudo-historical nautical allegories. For as long as he can remember, Higner has created all sorts of lived environments for real and imagined figures, from full cities made of brick and found stones to cardboard box villages with streets and a port. In 1994, Higner's passion would take a new direction after watching documentary after documentary about the Titanic and the Edmund Fitzgerald: building worlds by building ships. The exhibition will feature models of cargo ships, cruise ships, salvages, shipwrecks, tankers and tenders (or dinghies), as well as ships repurposed as convention centers, hotels and museums. Drawn from a collection centered on the artist's fictional maritime settings, these works are accompanied by narratives that chronicle not only the vessels' imagined histories, but also the interactions and relationships between the various builders and owners that populate the artist's mythological world. Higner utilizes many of the ships' interiors to display miniature reproductions of works by regionally and nationally known artists, as well as his own artwork. These micro-exhibitions, featuring artwork accompanied by real-world historical documentation, reflect his admiration for the central mission of any given art, history, or cultural museum – to serve the public. For more information, visit www.castellaniartmuseum.org or call 716-286-8286. |
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Updates - August 15 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the BBC Balboa, Erria Swan, Federal Oshima, Happy River, Mamry, Maple Lea, Pia, Victoriaborg and Volgaborg. |
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Survey: The Future of BoatNerd 8/15 - BoatNerd turned 22 last year and is in dire need of a makeover the extent and expense of which has us questioning if the site is still relevant in today’s world. It has grown so large that it is very difficult to remake into a new site, and our outdated technology mkes it almost impossible for us to take on volunteer help. The site is costly to maintain, and our main source of funding, freighter trip raffles, are no longer easy to come by. The rise of social media has made many parts of the site obsolete; our volunteers put a great number of hours into compiling news and photos, much of which has already been posted across social media. The immediacy and ease of use of social media make the use of those platforms attractive. One big drawback of social media is a lack of archiving. Once you see something, it is difficult to locate again. BoatNerd is archived, and posts and photos can be easily revisited at any time. The tentative plan is to continue the site and adjust which features continue based on user feedback. You will still be able to view the information on the site, such as photos and vessel histories, the features that require extensive volunteer hours like the News Page and AIS system will be discontinued unless demand is there. Based on what our users say, and the potential for self-supporting revenue (such as selling ads, or an annual donation drive), we will move forward with the appropriate action by either modernizing or discontinuing the website. While we still have strong viewership, we would like to ask our users if you think BoatNerd is still relevant. Please help us plan for the future by taking this 60 second survey: https://www.questionpro.com/t/AN1MLZcemM |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 15 On this day in 1899, a major blockage of the St. Marys River occurred. The steamer MATOA was towing the barge MAIDA past Sailors Encampment when the steering chain of the MAIDA parted. The MAIDA ran ashore but the current swung her around to completely block the channel, and she sank. The lower St. Marys River was closed for several days and 80 - 90 boats were delayed.The whaleback barge 107 (steel whaleback barge, 276 foot, 1,295 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co., at W. Superior, Wisconsin. She only lasted eight years. In 1898, she broke free from the tug ALVA B in rough weather and stranded near Cleveland, Ohio and was wrecked. JOSEPH L. BLOCK sailed light on her maiden voyage from the Bay Ship Building Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to load 32,600 long tons of taconite ore pellets at Escanaba, Michigan for delivery to Indiana Harbor, Indiana on August 15, 1976. In 1991, ALGOSTEEL was outbound at Superior when a small, smoky fire broke out in the electrical panel. The ship went to anchor and then returned to port for repairs. The trip resumed on August 24. The OTTERCLIFFE HALL, the last "straight deck" Great Lakes bulk freighter built with a pilot house forward, was bare boat chartered to Misener Transportation Ltd. on August 15, 1983, renamed b.) ROYALTON. In 1985, renamed c.) OTTERCLIFFE HALL, d.) PETER MISENER in 1988, and e.) CANADIAN TRADER in 1994. She was scrapped at Alang, India in 2004. Under threat of a strike on August 15, 1978, the uncompleted GEORGE A. STINSON was towed out of Lorain, Ohio by six tugs to River Rouge's Nicholson's Terminal & Dock Co. to finish her fit-out. She was renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. The LEON FALK JR. was laid up for the last time August 15, 1980, at the Great Lakes Engineering Work's old slip at River Rouge, Michigan. On August 15, 1985, the MENIHEK LAKE sailed under her own power to Quebec City (from there by tug), the first leg of her journey to the cutter’s torch in Spain. J.P. MORGAN JR arrived in tow of Hannah Marine's tug DARYL C. HANNAH at Buffalo, New York on August 15th where she was delayed until she could obtain clearance to transit the Welland Canal. Permission to pass down the Canal was refused because of the MORGAN JR's improper condition. By September 5, 1980, the situation was rectified and she was towed down the Welland Canal by the tugs BARBARA ANN, STORMONT and ARGUE MARTIN bound for Quebec City. On 15 August 1856, the WELLAND (sidewheel steamer, wood, passenger & package freight, 145 foot, 300 ton, built 1853, at St. Catharines, Ontario) burned to a total loss at her dock at Port Dalhousie, Ontario. She was owned by Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railroad Co. On 15 August 1873, Thomas Dunford and Frank Leighton announced a co-partnership in the shipbuilding business in Port Huron, Michigan. Their plans included operating from Dunford's yard. When they made their announcement, they already had an order for a large tug from Mr. George E. Brockway. This tug was the CRUSADER with the dimensions of 132 feet overall, 100 foot keel, and 23 foot beam. In 1914, the Panama Canal was officially opened to maritime traffic. Data from: Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jim Olsson, Max Hanley, Skip Gillham, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Conveyor catches fire at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding 8/14 - A handymax bulk carrier under construction at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding's New Yangzi shipyard caught fire on Saturday. According to local reports, the fire started from a ship cabin around 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. The local firefighting department was called in and managed to put out the fire in a few hours. No casualties were reported in the incident. The ship is Canadian owner Algoma's 38,000 dwt Algoma Conveyor which is scheduled for delivery in 2019. The ship was originally ordered at Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry and construction of the ship was taken over by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding after Mingde went bankrupt. The cause of the fire is unknown. |
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Pilots steer debate on lakes 8/14 - Toledo, Ohio – When the Malta-flagged bulk freighter Belasitza ventured up the Maumee River last month to load grain at one of The Andersons’ elevators, it marked the first time Todorov Mihaylov, the ship’s Bulgarian captain, had ever been to Toledo. While Captain Mihaylov was on the bridge for nearly all of the river transit, however, he was not in charge of the ship’s navigation. That responsibility had been taken over by Capt. George Haynes, a ship’s pilot from one of three American pilot organizations that — along with Canadian counterparts — provide navigational direction to overseas-flag vessels sailing the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. During the two-hour trip from near Toledo’s Coast Guard station to the grain terminal on Kuhlman Drive, Captain Haynes gave dozens of orders related to the freighter’s speed and heading — sometimes by as little as 1 degree of compass heading and mere seconds apart when the vessel threaded through three railroad swing bridges and two street drawbridges along the way. The pilot spoke by radio with the captains of two tugboats that assisted the Belasitza’s maneuvers and threw all the muscle they had into turning the 610-foot ship around at the riverbend near Miami Street and Oakdale Avenue before docking it at the elevator next to I-75. Captain Haynes also frequently checked a digital connection to a gauge that monitors the river’s current. “Toledo is probably the most dynamic port on the Great Lakes in terms of [sailing] conditions,” the 22-year veteran mariner said. “You have the current, and the shallow-draft channels, and the lowest bridge, and it’s wide open to crosswinds.” “You get some ugly situations here, when the wind’s blowing and the current’s going,” Captain Haynes said later during the voyage. “We consider Toledo, and the Maumee River, the hardest thing in our district.” Pilots providing such local guidance for foreign shipmasters is practically as old as seafaring itself, and has been required on the Great Lakes by federal law since 1960, the year after the Seaway opened. Canadian and U.S. pilots jointly provide the required service to the foreign ocean-going ships, known in the system as “salties.” While Canadian pilots work for a government agency, the Americans are grouped into three district associations overseen by the Coast Guard. The power those associations wield over foreign-flag Great Lakes shipping has given rise to two controversies in recent years. One, related to the fees ship lines pay for pilot services, has aroused collective unrest among Great Lakes ports, which question whether steep increases the Coast Guard authorized by writing in its pilotage regulations are driving cargo out of the lakes. The other, which has come to its most recent head involving a labor dispute at the Port of Toledo’s International Cargo Docks, involves the lakes pilots’ allegiance to a major labor union representing dock workers and their ability to effectively shut down foreign-flag shipping to selected terminals. Steve Fisher, the executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, said the two issues both emanate from the pilots’ unusual situation of having an effective monopoly over a mandatory function. Great Lakes pilotage, he said, “was enacted in 1960 as a safety program” — not one intended to create leverage in labor disputes. The three American pilots’ associations, which each cover a different geographic area of the Great Lakes/Seaway system, work essentially as partnerships, with each association choosing new members based on a set number of positions authorized by the Coast Guard. New members are required to buy shares of the association in order to pay for common needs, such as the pilot boats they use to shuttle between shore and under-way ships, the pool cars they use to travel to and from boarding points, and dispatching and other support services. Read more and watch a video at this link: http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2018/08/11/Pilots-steer-debate-on-lakes/stories/20180809207 |
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Port Reports - August 14
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Port Inland, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Aug 13 . – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Autonomous Maritime Research: Site to lead quantum leap in shipping 8/14 - Houghton, Mich. – Michigan Technological University unveiled its Maritime Autonomy Research Site last Friday, which the university hopes will spur new developments in unmanned research vessels. The site, located at the Great Lakes Research Center, is believed to be the first freshwater testing spot of its kind. At the same time, officials announced the Smart Ships Coalition. It includes scientists, policymakers, navigators, educators and others from around the Great Lakes looking to develop guidelines for conducting research with autonomous boats. Applications of autonomous technology in the near term will be focused on research, surveying and search and rescue, said David Naftzger, executive director of the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers. The group consists of governors of Great Lakes states, including Gov. Rick Snyder, and premieres from the Canadian provinces. Their goal is to double maritime trade in the Great Lakes, he said. Autonomous technology can be a “quantum leap” in advancing shipping, he said. “Shipping 25 years from now will look very different than it does today,” he said. “In part, that’s going to be because of the work that’s being done here.” In smaller ways, autonomous features are already entering the market, said Travis White, a research engineer at the GRLC and cofounder of ProNav Marine. He pointed out a buoy in the water that can be used to set up a race course via smart course, which ProNav helped develop the GPS controls. “Being fortunate to work here at the Great Lakes Research Center, I’m excited to have an opportunity to work on some of the issues still that face the adoption of autonomous technologies” such as safety concerns, he said. With no crew onboard, a craft could go out in conditions that would preclude a manned trip. The event included the demonstration of a one-third-scale model of a swarming boat, which will be able to work in conjunction with other vehicles and assess wavefields to choose how to maneuver in choppy waters. Interest in the jet ski, which is outfitted with sonar, is also a step toward surveying the Great Lakes without a piloted vessel said Guy Meadows, director of the Great Lakes Research Center. “Surveying on a jet ski is really fun, but if you’re talking about surveying the Great Lakes, our real goal is to get the human out of the loop,” Meadows said. “Human, out of the loop!” he then commanded the pilot, who raised his hands away from the controls as the jet ski sped on. Daily Mining Gazette |
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Fishing operations reporting record catch along Lake Superior's south shore 8/14 - Commercial fishing operations near the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior are reporting record numbers of whitefish and a strong recovery of lake trout from a low in the early 2000s. During a presentation to the state’s Natural Resources Board, Craig Hoopman, of Lake Superior whitefish, said he is seeing record numbers of young whitefish and a strong rebounding of lake trout numbers. Hoopman, who chairs the state Department of Natural Resources Lake Superior Commercial Fishing Board, said fishing has been phenomenal so far this year. "We're averaging between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds of whitefish per day in the traps right now and releasing thousands of sub-legal fish," said Hoopman. "There's just multiple year classes of fish." And while whitefish is the most sought-after species, Hoopman said he is also seeing strong numbers of lake trout as well after a decades-long population decline that began in 1950s. "The lake trout recovery … it's unbelievable. There's around three year classes of lake trout that I'm seeing daily that are extremely large. Very nice, beautiful-looking fish, healthy, the whitefish, the lake trout, all the species that I'm seeing every day, they are feeding well, there just healthy-looking fish," he said. A year class refers to all fish born in the same year. Hoopman credited refuges near the Apostle Islands — where fishing is prohibited and where the fishing season ends Sept. 30, before fish spawn in October and November — for letting the whitefish and trout populations boom. "We have a fishery that is protected here," he said. "It is of such utmost importance of our restricted use areas and the refuge that we have in place that have been there for a long time to protect these fish and also our closed season dates." Brad Ray, a DNR fisheries biologist, said lake trout populations crashed during the 1950s and '60s due in part to the introduction of invasive sea lamprey. The DNR, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission have worked for decades to target spawning lamprey to reduce their numbers, which Ray said has allowed the lake trout populations to recover. He said since 2007, the DNR has noticed a consistent number of young lake trout coming into the population. "The recreational fishery has been booming and we have a higher quota than we did last year and catch rates have been through the roof. Everybody seems to be doing really well on the recreation side and there are a lot of fish out there in terms of lake trout," Ray said. Ray also said he has seen strong numbers of younger year classes of whitefish in recent years. That's not surprising since the two species have similar feeding and spawning behaviors. "There's a lot of smaller whitefish that we catch in our summer assessment that has smaller meshes than the commercial gear, but we see good numbers of fish coming into the fishery population, what can be harvested by the commercial industry," Ray said. At the end of his presentation, Hoopman said if conditions hold and the younger whitefish and lake trout are able to grow to maturity, the Apostle Islands and South Shore region of Lake Superior will get a lot of attention for being a national sport fishing destination. Wisconsin Public Radio |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 14 On this day in 1962, the ARTHUR M. ANDERSON departed Conneaut and headed downbound to become the first Pittsburgh boat to transit the Welland Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway.At 11 p.m., 14 August 1882, the steam barge CHICAGO, 206 foot, 935 gross tons of 1855, was carrying coal on Lake Michigan while towing the barge MANITOWOC, 210.5 feet, 569 gross tons of 1868. In mid-lake, near Fox Island, CHICAGO was discovered to be on fire. Within 15 minutes, she was ablaze. Her crew escaped to her barge-consort MANITOWOC. The CHICAGO burned to the water's edge and sank the following day. Sea trials for the HENRY FORD II took place on August 14, 1924, and shortly after she left on her maiden voyage with coal from Toledo, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota and returned with iron ore to the Ford Rouge Plant at Dearborn. After been sold for scrap, the GOVERNOR MILLER was towed down the Soo Locks on August 14, 1980, for Milwaukee, Wisconsin to load scrap. On 14 August 1873, CHESTER B. JONES (3-mast, wooden schooner, 167 foot, 493 gross tons) was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan. She was built by Chesley Wheeler. The spars and top hamper ordered for her were broken in a logjam, so the 3-master received her spars at Buffalo, New York on her first trip. The 149 foot bark MARY E. PEREW was found floating west of the Manitou Islands by the propeller MONTGOMERY on 14 August 1871. The PEREW had been sailing to Milwaukee with a load of coal when a storm came upon her so quickly on 8 August (nearly a week before MONTGOMERY found her) that the crew did not have time to trim the sails. All three masts were snapped and the mizzen mast fell on the yawl, smashing it. So the crew was stuck on the ship, unable to navigate. The MONTGOMERY towed her to Milwaukee where she was rebuilt and she lasted until 1905. On 14 August 1900, the tug WILLIAM D of the Great Lakes Towing Co. got under the bow of the steamer WAWATAM at Ashtabula, Ohio, and was rolled over and sank. One drowned. August 14, 1899 - W. L. Mercereau, known as the "Father of the Fleet,” became Superintendent of Steamships for the Pere Marquette Railway. 1936: Registration for the wooden steamer MARY H. BOYCE was closed. The ship, which had burned at Fort William in 1928, was scuttled in deep water off Isle Royale in 1936.The vessel had been an early member of the Paterson fleet. 1950: The Canada Steamship Lines passenger carrier QUEBEC caught fire near Tadoussac, Quebec, and was able to reach the dock. Of the 426 passengers on board, 3 lives were lost. The blaze was considered suspicious as it began in a linen closet. The vessel was a total loss. 1961: The wooden diesel-powered tug NORTH STAR IV had visited the Great Lakes as b) ROCKY RIVER and had been used to handle the barges BLACK RIVER and PIC RIVER for the Quebec & Ontario Transportation Co. The vessel was serving under her fourth name when she stranded on a rock in James Bay while doing hydrographic survey work. The crew was rescued but the vessel was a total loss. The rocky area is now called North Star Shoal. 1986: GABRIELLA came through the Seaway in 1975 when only a year old. The ship capsized at Port Kembla, Australia, while discharging a 227-ton heavy lift on this date. The vessel was turned upside down, refloated in November 1986 and towed 30 miles out to sea and scuttled on December 9, 1986. 2004: FEDERAL MAAS was damaged at the Iroquois Lock when the wing of the pilothouse struck the edge of the bascule bridge. 2005: The Cypriot freighter ULLA visited the Seaway in September 1995 with cocoa beans for Valleyfield, QC and returned, in ballast, in November 1996 for Port Robinson. It was in a collision as f) REEF PEMBA with the GAS VISION and sank off Oman on this date in 2005. The crew was saved. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Bid to move Irvin museum ship higher than expected 8/13 - Duluth, Minn. – Moving the William A. Irvin from its current location at Minnesota Slip to Fraser Shipyards and back is going to cost the city of Duluth $250,000 more than expected. The Duluth City Council will consider a resolution Monday that would reappropriate $250,000 of 2018 tourism tax funds, originally assigned to finance the rehabilitation of the Minnesota Slip Bridge, and use it to move the retired freighter. The pedestrian bridge that spans the slip will be pinned in an upright position to provide room for the Irvin to squeeze through the abutments with only 15 total inches to spare. The city already approved an agreement in June to provide half the funding needed to move the laker at a total cost not expected to exceed $600,000. But the agreement also stated that the city will have to pick up any overrun expenses. With the additional cost of more than $250,000, the city is now on the hook for more than $550,000. The extra cost stems from the contract to move the Irvin from the Minnesota Slip this fall to Fraser Shipyards, where its hull will be painted, and back again in the spring, said Jim Filby Williams, Duluth's director of public administration. "We estimated the cost of towing the Irvin to be around $400,000, but the bids came back around $650,000," he said. The resolution to approve the contract to relocate the Irvin is also on the city council's agenda for Monday. The contract is expected to be awarded to Wren Works, LLC for an amount not to exceed $656,968. The Irvin will need to move this fall to allow for crews to begin working on a project designed to stabilize and contain contaminated sediments in the slip. Duluth News Tribune |
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Port Reports - August 13
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Port Inland, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Aug 12 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 13 Operated by a crew of retired Hanna captains, chief engineers and executives, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY departed the old Great Lakes Engineering Works yard in Ecorse, Michigan, under her own power on August 13, 1986, for Lauzon, Quebec. The HUMPHREY cleared Lauzon September 3rd with the former Hanna steamer PAUL H. CARNAHAN in tow of the Dutch tug SMIT LLOYD 109. The tow locked through the Panama Canal, September 27-30, and arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan December 10, 1986 completing a trip of over 14,000 miles. The HUMPHREY was scrapped in 1987, by Shiong Yek Steel Corp.On 13 August 1899, H. G. CLEVELAND (wooden schooner, 137 foot 264 tons, built in 1867, at Black River, Ohio) sank with a full load of limestone, 7 miles from the Cleveland harbor entrance. August 13, 1980 - The ARTHUR K. ATKINSON returned to service after repairing a broken crankshaft suffered in 1973. She brought 18 railcars from Manitowoc to Frankfort. The 272 foot, 1,740 gross ton, wooden propeller freighter SITKA was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull#32) at W. Bay City, Michigan on 13 August 1887. 1986 INDIANA HARBOR set a Toledo and Lake Erie record, loading 55,047 tons of coal at Toledo for Marquette. 1917: The barge MIDDLESEX of the Ontario Transportation and Pulp Company broke loose and stranded at Rapide Plat in the St. Lawrence. The ship was abandoned to the insurers but salvaged and returned to service as b) WOODLANDS in 1918. 1979: IRISH OAK first came to the Great Lakes in 1960 for Irish Shipping Ltd. The vessel went aground near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as c) VEGAS on this date in 1979, while enroute from Piraeus, Greece, to Vietnam. The hull was refloated on October 28, 1979, and reached Jeddah on November 16, 1979. It was sold for scrapping at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, and arrived there on January 29, 1980. 1982: EUTHALIA visited the Seaway for the first time in 1972. It caught fire in the engine room as d) FORUM SPIRIT enroute from Port Said, Egypt, to Piraeus, Greece, and was abandoned by most of the crew. While it was towed into Piraeus on August 14, the vessel was declared a total loss. The ship arrived at Split, Yugoslavia, again under tow, for scrapping on March 6, 1984. 1993: The second CORFU ISLAND to visit the Great Lakes came inland in 1970. This SD14 cargo carrier had been built the previous year and returned as b) LOYALTY in 1980. Later that fall, the ship arrived at Basrah, Iraq, from Duluth with severe missile damage resulting from the Iraq-Iran War. The ship was declared a total loss but remained idle there until being towed away on August 13, 1993. LOYALTY arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping on September 22, 1993. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - August 12
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Aug 11 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 12 The C&O carferry SPARTAN, in a heavy fog while inbound from Kewaunee on the morning of August 12, 1976, struck rocks at the entrance to Ludington harbor. She suffered severe damage to about 120 feet of her bottom plating. She was taken to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay on August 18th for repairs. There were no injuries as a result of this incident.TOM M. GIRDLER was christened August 12, 1951; she was the first of the C-4 conversions. MAUNALOA (Hull#37) was launched August 12, 1899 at Chicago, Illinois by Chicago Shipbuilding Co. for the Minnesota Steamship Co. Sold Canadian and renamed b.) MAUNALOA II in 1945. She was scrapped at Toronto in 1971. WILLIAM E. COREY sailed from Chicago on her maiden voyage August 12, 1905, bound for Duluth, Minnesota to load iron ore. She later became b.) RIDGETOWN in 1963. Used as a breakwater in Port Credit, Ontario, in 1974, and is still there. On 12 August 1882, FLORIDA (3-mast wooden schooner, 352 tons, built in 1875 at Batiscan, Ontario) was carrying 662 tons of coal from Black River to Toronto when she sprang a leak and sank 12 miles from Port Maitland, Ontario. She hailed from Quebec and was constructed mostly of pine and tamarack. 1941: The first EAGLESCLIFFE HALL was attacked by a German bomber from the Luftwaffe and was struck aft. The vessel was two miles east of Sunderland, England, at the time and one member of the crew was killed. The ship reached Sunderland for repairs and, at the end of the war, resumed Great Lakes service for the Hall Corporation. It later joined the Misener fleet as DAVID BARCLAY. 1960: A collision on the Detroit River between the Finnish freighter MARIA and the ALEXANDER T. WOOD damaged both vessels and put the latter aground in the Ballard Reef Channel. After being lightered of some grain by MAITLAND NO. 1, the vessel was released with the aid of the tug JOHN PURVES. MARIA, a pre-Seaway caller to the Great Lakes as BISCAYA and TAMMERFORS, was towed to the Great Lakes Engineering Works at Ecorse for repairs. It was eventually scrapped in Yugoslavia in 1968. ALEXANDER T. WOOD sank as VAINQUER after an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on March 15, 1969. 1980: An explosion in the crankcase of the bulk carrier RALPH MISENER left one crew member killed and another four injured. One of the injured later died. The ship was loaded with coke and on the Saguenay River bound for Port Alfred. Repairs were carried out at Montreal. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Study finds Great Lakes shipping supports 237,000 jobs 8/11 - A new study found that Great Lakes shipping to ports such as the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Port of Chicago on the South Sides pumps $25.6 billion into the economy and supports 237,000 jobs, including 147,500 in the Midwest. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. commissioned the study “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region," which found maritime shipping on Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes generated $10.5 billion in personal income a year and $4.6 billion in tax revenue. “The St. Lawrence Seaway is vital to America’s freight transportation network, job creation and economic growth,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said. Last year, domestic and international cargo that passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes totaled 38 million tons and $7.7 billion in value. Ports on the system handled 285 million tons of cargo like grain, iron ore, coal, steel, heavy lift/project cargoes, and salt that were valued at $15.2 billion. “This study documents the enormous economic contribution the maritime industry provides to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway region,” said Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. “In addition to providing well-paying jobs, maritime commerce is one of the safest, most fuel-efficient, and cost-effective ways to move goods that support key industries such as agriculture, steel manufacturing, and construction in the United States.” NW Indiana Times |
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$610 million contract awarded to convert icebreakers at Davie Shipyard 8/11 - The Canadian Federal government has awarded a major contract to Quebec’s Davie Shipyard – and it’s a relief for the workers, who have been facing an uncertain future. Ottawa signed a $610 million contract with the shipyard, located on Quebec’s South Shore, to convert three icebreakers. The project will change the face of the Canadian Coast Guard’s aging fleet. “The quality of this shipyard, and the quality of the men and women working here is now something that is well known, and certainly well known to the government,” said Steve MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility. The contract is expected to create 200 jobs over the next two years, and protect those who are already working. Negotiations for the contract, however, were complicated. “Clearly you’re not always going to get alignment,” said Spencer Fraser from Federal Fleet Services. “We wanted to do certain things that the government said ‘that’s great from an industry perspective, [but] it’s not what we’re looking for,’ and we’d say ‘that’s great from a government perspective, but not great from an industry perspective,” he said. “But we’re here today, and I think we should be happy.” The Canadian Coast Guard hasn’t had a new icebreaker since 1993. The first icebreaker is expected to be ready to take to the waters by December. CTV Montreal |
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Port Reports - August 11
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis.
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey For the total commercial vessel passages for the year to date, there have been 64 on the Saginaw River as of the end of July. This represents an increase over the 2017 numbers by six passages. Compared to the 5-year average, the 64 total passages for the year to date are also above the average of 55.
Sandusky, Ohio – Dan McNeil |
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Port of Ogdensburg sets record for use 8/11 - Ogdensburg, N.Y. – The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority is continuing to break records in the amount of cargo being moved though its port on the St. Lawrence River, according to officials. In a statement this week, OBPA officials announced a record for handling cargo at the Port of Ogdensburg. Longshoremen at the port were able to unload three ships within a one-week period, a first, according to OBPA officials. The ships were each carrying wind turbine components. “Unloading three vessels within a week is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the authority’s longshoremen, International Longshoremen’s Association Local 217A, and Port Director of Operations Steven J. Lawrence.” said Wade A. Davis, executive director of the OBPA. “This is record-breaking and is another excellent example of how past state and federal investments into regional infrastructure create jobs and economic opportunities in the future.” |
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CCGS Samuel Risley completes resupply mission for Thule air base in Greenland 8/11 - From the fresh water of Georgian Bay and the Great Lakes to the salt water of Baffin Bay in the high Arctic, the Officers and crew of CCGS Samuel Risley have successfully completed the first leg of their maiden voyage to the Arctic. CCGS Samuel Risley, a familiar sight on the Great Lakes, answered the call to duty this summer as an Arctic icebreaking resource for the Canadian Coast Guard. Their mission was to escort commercial ships to resupply the Thule air base in northern Greenland. For Commanding Officer John Cork the experience has been excellent, with some notable differences between sailing on the Great Lakes and sailing in the Arctic. “We saw thousands of icebergs big and small, whales, seals and other wildlife that we wouldn't normally get to see. The landscape of Greenland is truly spectacular with many active glaciers.” CCGS Samuel Risley arrived in Iqaluit August 5th. Over the past month more than 5100 nautical miles were sailed, for approximately 500 hours. After a crew change this week in Iqaluit CCGS Samuel Risley will remain in the eastern Arctic for search and rescue, community visits and some buoy tending in Hudson Bay. Icebreaking is one of multiple services the Canadian Coast Guard provides to northern communities. Search and rescue, environmental response, aids to navigation, and marine communications and traffic services are also provided by the Coast Guard. For more information about 2018 Arctic Canadian Coast Guard Season: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-coast-guard/news/2018/06/2018-arctic-coast-guard-season.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 11 On 11 August 1899, the SIMON LANGELL (wooden propeller freighter, 195 foot, 845 gross tons, built in 1886, at St. Clair, Michigan) was towing the wooden schooner W K MOORE off Lakeport, Michigan on Lake Huron when they were struck by a squall. The schooner was thrown over on her beam ends and filled with water. The local Life Saving crew went to the rescue and took off two women passengers from the stricken vessel. The Moore was the towed to Port Huron, Michigan by the tug HAYNES and placed in dry dock for inspection and repairs.The H.M. GRIFFITH was the first self-unloader to unload grain at Robin Hood's new hopper unloading facility at Port Colborne, Ontario on August 11, 1987. She was renamed b.) RT HON PAUL J. MARTIN in 2000. On August 11, 1977, the THOMAS W. LAMONT was the first vessel to take on fuel at Shell's new fuel dock at Corunna, Ontario The dock's fueling rate was 60 to 70,000 gallons per hour and was built to accommodate 1,000- footers. Opening ceremonies for the whaleback tanker METEOR a.) FRANK ROCKEFELLER, museum ship were held on August 11, 1973, with the president of Cleveland Tankers present whose company had donated the ship. This historically unique ship was enshrined into the National Maritime Hall of Fame. The T.W. ROBINSON departed Quebec City on August 11, 1987, along with US265808 (former BENSON FORD in tow of the Polish tug JANTAR bound for Recife, Brazil where they arrived on September 22, 1987. Scrapping began the next month. On 11 August 1862, B F BRUCE (wooden propeller passenger steamer, 110 foot, 169 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York as a tug) was carrying staves when she caught fire a few miles off Port Stanley, Ontario in Lake Erie. She was run to the beach, where she burned to a total loss with no loss of life. Arson was suspected. She had been rebuilt from a tug to this small passenger steamer the winter before her loss. On 11 August 1908, TITANIA (iron propeller packet/tug/yacht, 98 foot, 73 gross tons, built in 1875, at Buffalo, New York) was rammed and sunk by the Canadian sidewheeler KINGSTON near the harbor entrance at Charlotte, New York on Lake Ontario. All 26 on board were rescued. The wooden scow-schooner SCOTTISH CHIEF had been battling a storm on Lake Michigan since Tuesday, 8 August 1871. By late afternoon of Friday, 11 August 1871, she was waterlogged. The galley was flooded and the food ruined. The crew stayed with the vessel until that night when they left in the lifeboat. They arrived in Chicago on Sunday morning, 13 August. 1865: A fire broke out at Sault Ste. Marie in the cargo of lime aboard the wooden passenger and freight carrier METEOR that was involved in the sinking of the PEWABIC on August 9. METEOR was scuttled in 30 feet of water to prevent its loss. The hull was pumped out and salvaged four days later and repaired. 1919: MURIEL W. hit a sunken crib off Port Weller and was partially sunk. An August 15, 1919, storm broke up the hull. 1928: W.H. SAWYER stranded off Harbor Beach Light in a storm. Her barges, A.B. KING and PESHTIGO, were blown aground and broken up by the waves. The trip had run for shelter but the effort ended 100 yards short of safety. The cook was a casualty. 1944: The Norwegian freighter ERLING LINDOE was built in 1917 and came to the Great Lakes for the first time in 1923. The ship struck a mine in the Kattegat Strait, off Varberg, Sweden, and sank with its cargo of pyrites. The number of casualties varies with one report noting the loss at 19 members of the crew, another at 17 and, yet another, had the death toll at 13. There were 6 survivors. 1976: The Panamanian freighter WOKAN was beached off Oman with a fractured hull enroute from the Ulsan, South Korea, to Kuwait. It was declared a total loss and abandoned. The 1952-built vessel first came through the Seaway as b) DAUPHINE in 1968 and returned as d) SPACE KING in 1975. 2001: Bridge 11 of the Welland Canal was lowered prematurely striking the downbound bulk carrier WINDOC taking the top off the pilothouse, toppling the stack and igniting a fire. The massive damage to the ship was never repaired and efforts for find work for the vessel as a barge were not a success. The hull arrived at Port Colborne for dismantling on November 9, 2010. 2004: ONEGO MERCHANT came through the Seaway for the first time in May 2004. Later that summer, the vessel sustained bow damage in a grounding near Larvik, Norway, but was refloated within hours. It returned to the Great Lakes in 2005 and 2006 and has sailed as b) VRIESENDIEP since 2009. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Long laid-up tug Jane Ann IV towed from Toledo Thursday 8/10 - Tug Manitou departed the CSX Frog Pond dock in Toledo at 6:15 Thursday with the dead tug Jane Ann IV lashed alongside. AIS shows a Port Huron destination. Jane Ann IV and her barge, Sarah Spencer, have been laid up and deteriorating since 2009, first in Detroit, and then, since 2014, at Toledo. Their listed owner is TGL Marine Holdings, Toronto, Ont. The tug has sunk at the dock more than once and was recently sold to Grand River Navigation and stripped of her barge coupling system for use on another tug. The 150-foot-long Jane Ann IV was built in 1978 at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Tokyo, Japan. |
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Port Reports - August 10
Superior, Wis.
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Port Inland, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sandusky, Ohio – Amy McNeil
Marblehead, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Aug 9 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Aug 8 - Algowood at 1150 and tug Rebecca Lynn & barge A-397 at 1610 - Aug 9 - CSL Laurentien at 0122, NACC Argonaut at 1457, Frontenac eta 2130, tug Petite Forte & barge St Marys Cement eta 2140
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Seaway – Rene Beauchamp |
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Victory Cruise Lines becomes largest Great Lakes operator 8/10 - Miami-based Victory Cruise Lines, which is the most recent specialist in Great Lakes and St Lawrence River luxury cruises, welcomed the inaugural cruise of its new ship, MS Victory II, to Detroit on Monday. The ship was launched as Cape Cod Light, operated by Delta Queen Coastal Voyages. With Victory I and Victory II both in operation, this marks the first time in more than 50 years that any Great Lakes cruise ship operator has been able to offer two ships at the same time. Although Victory II was finally finished in 2004, it was not placed into passenger service, so the current cruise was ship’s first revenue passenger trip. The most noticeable change to the cruiser is the glass enclosure which now surrounds the former Hot Rock Grill on its stern. Before departure, Port of Montreal awarded commemorative plaque to Captain Giorgios Theodorou, who spent many years with Celebrity and Azamara Cruises, as well as master of sister ship Saint Laurent for Haimark in 2015. MS Victory II embarked guests on July 27 and departed from Montreal on July 28 to head north to visit Quebec prior to continuing to St Lawrence Seaway, Toronto, Welland Canal and Cleveland, and reached Detroit yesterday morning, August 6. Cruisemapper.com |
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Duluth lighthouse unlikely to move, despite Willmar's interest 8/10 - Duluth, Minn. – The city of Willmar, Minn., is interested in relocating a Duluth lighthouse to the landlocked shores of Willmar Lake or Foot Lake – a 200-mile inland voyage from its current location. But that's just not possible. The Duluth Harbor South Breakwater lighthouse, built in 1901, isn't going anywhere, the U.S. General Services Administration confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 8. "If the lighthouse is transferred to a new owner, it will remain in its current location, as it will still be an active aid to navigation," a spokesperson with the GSA, one of the federal agencies overseeing the lighthouse's transfer of ownership, said in an email to the News Tribune Wednesday. In June, the U.S. Coast Guard made the 44-foot light station available at no cost to eligible entities defined as federal agencies, state and local agencies, nonprofits, educational agencies or community development organizations for education, park, recreation, cultural or historic preservation purposes. If the station is not transferred to a public body or nonprofit, it will be sold. The Willmar City Council has entertained the idea of bringing the lighthouse to their city since hearing about the availability in June and unanimously approved a motion to send a letter of interest to the GSA, according to the West Central Tribune. Willmar Mayor Marv Calvin said city councilors heard from two GSA officials that moving the lighthouse was not possible, but a third gave the impression that it was. "We understand that it's a very, very long shot," Calvin said. Sending a letter of interest is the first step in a process overseen by the GSA, U.S. Coast Guard and National Park Service. The agencies will then send applications to "eligible entities." Calvin said it's worth Willmar looking into. "If it doesn't get moved, we understand that, too," Calvin said. "It doesn't cost anything to put the letter of intent in." Even if Willmar gets the OK to relocate the lighthouse, Calvin said it would be up to the council to determine whether or not to pay for it to move across the state. While several lighthouses have been moved, most were relocated within a few hundred to a few thousand feet from their original location, where they were threatened by eroding shorelines. Since the lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Minnesota's State Historic Preservation Office would have to approve any changes or renovations made by the new owner. Sarah Beimers, an environmental review program manager for the State Historic Preservation Office, will receive a copy of any letter of interest. When reached by phone Wednesday morning, Beimers said part of what makes a building historic is its location, which often provides crucial context. The South Breakwater lighthouse's location at the end of the breakwater, along the Duluth Ship Canal and in Lake Superior, is key to its historic significance. Moving it a long distance would risk losing its status on the National Register of Historic Places, Beimers said. "Taking it out of context would be wrong," Beimers said. When asked if Willmar would still be interested in relocating the lighthouse if it meant losing its historic status, Calvin said, "That would be up to the council at that time if they chose to go that direction or not. We haven't talked about that part to know what that answer is." Brainerd Dispatch |
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Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence River are Canada’s Atlantis 8/10 - Deep below the waters of the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall sits Canada’s own version of the lost city of Atlantis. Except, instead of a single city, the remains of nine villages and hamlets are sometimes visible through the water on a clear day. The reason why goes back to the late 1950s. “I saw churches destroyed, schools destroyed, towns completely wiped off the face of the earth,” Jim Brownell said. “For a young lad, it was exciting times. For the elderly though, very sad and depressing times, because these are the folks that knew they could never go back.” From the mid to late 1950s, life changed forever for residents of Aultsville, Dickinson’s Landing, Farran’s Point, Mille Roches, Moulinette, Wales, six villages along the St. Lawrence River, as well as the hamlets of Maplegrove, Santa Cruz and Woodlands. “It was being sold as we were going to be wealthy and industry was going to flood in as a result of the project, which never really happened,” Alan Daye said. The move was done because of the hydroelectric potential of the Long Sault Rapids. “The Long Sault rapids were unbelievable,” former Moulinette resident David Hill said. “It was a place to gather on a weekend. You’d hear a roar, you’d feel the spray. You’d just see those massive waves and the whitecaps — you can’t recapture that.” Read more and view photos at this link: https://globalnews.ca/news/4369620/lost-villages-of-the-st-lawrence-river-canadas-atlantis |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 10 On 10 August 1890, TWO FANNIES (3-mast wooden bark, 152 foot, 492 gross tons, built in 1862, at Peshtigo, Wisconsin) was carrying 800 tons of iron ore on Lake Erie when a seam opened in rough weather. The crew kept at the pumps but to no avail. They all made it off of the vessel into the yawl just as the bark sank north of Bay Village Ohio. The CITY OF DETROIT tried to rescue the crew but the weather made the rescue attempt too dangerous and only two men were able to get to the steamer. The tug JAMES AMADEUS came out and got the rest of the crew, including the ship's cat, which was with them in the yawl.On August 10, 1952, the ARTHUR M. ANDERSON entered service for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Exactly 14 years later, on August 10, 1966, the vessel's namesake, Arthur Marvin Anderson, passed away. In 1969, the EDMUND FITZGERALD set the last of many cargo records it set during the 1960s. The FITZGERALD loaded 27,402 gross tons of taconite pellets at Silver Bay on this date. This record was broken by the FITZGERALD's sister ship, the ARTHUR B. HOMER, during the 1970 shipping season. On 10 August 1937, B.H. BECKER (steel tug, 19 tons, built in 1932, at Marine City, Mich.) foundered in heavy seas, 9 miles north of Oscoda, Mich. In 1906, JOHN H. PAULEY (formerly THOMPSON KINSFORD, wooden propeller steam barge, 116 foot, 185 gross tons, built in 1880, at Oswego, New York) caught fire at Marine City, Mich. Her lines were burned through and she then drifted three miles down the St. Clair River before beaching near Port Lambton, Ont. and burning out. On 10 August 1922, ANNIE LAURA (wooden propeller sandsucker, 133 foot, 244 gross tons, built in 1871, at Marine City, Mich.) beached near Algonac, Mich., caught fire and burned to the waterline. 1899: The whaleback steamer JOHN B. TREVOR was rammed and sunk by her barge #131 in the St. Clair River. The accident was caused by CRESCENT CITY crossing the towline. The sunken ship was refloated and, in 1912, became the ATIKOKAN. 1967: PAUL L. TIETJEN and FORT WILLIAM were in a head-on collision on Lake Huron about 25 miles north of Port Huron. Both ships were damaged but were repaired and returned to service. 1975: CIMBRIA came through the Seaway for the first time in 1965 under West German registry. The ship was sailing as c) KOTA MENANG when it stranded on Nyali Reef, off Mombasa, Tanzania, due to a steering failure on August 10, 1975. The vessel received severe hull damage and was deemed a total loss. 1979: The Indian freighter JALARAJAN and the British flag LAURENTIC sustained minor damage in a collision at Kenosha, Wis. The former was dismantled at Calcutta, India, in 1988 while the latter was scrapped at Karachi, Pakistan, in 1984. 1992: MENASHA was set adrift and then sank in the St. Lawrence off Ogdensburg, N.Y. The former U.S. Navy tug was refloated and repaired. After some later service at Sarnia, the tug was resold and moved for Montreal for work as c) ESCORTE. 2007: NORDSTRAND came to the Great Lakes in 1990 and sank at the stern, alongside the Adriatica Shipyard at Bijela, Montenegro, as c) MEXICA, when the engine room flooded on this date. The ship was refloated on September 1, 2007, and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping on May 5, 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Jody L. Aho, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 9
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Aug 8 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton: Docked - Aug 4 - Algoma Discovery at 2353 - Aug 6 - Federal Kivalina (Mhl) at 0515 and Algoma Equinox at 1233 - Aug 7 - Federal Nagara (Mhl) at 0951, Ojibway at 1618. Anchored - Aug 4 - Shoveler (Cyp) at 0030 - Aug 5 - Federal Hunter at 1840 - Departures - Aug 8 - Victoriaborg (Nld) at 1223 for Chicago
Bronte:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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25 vintage photos of historic Michigan lighthouses 8/9 - With more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, it's no surprise that Michigan claims to have more lighthouses than any other state: We are, after all, smack in the middle of the nation's freshwater seas. Beyond being unique historic landmarks, each with its own story, lighthouses might just be the most significant emblems of Michigan's rich maritime history, shining on as symbols of safety, regional pride, and the warmth of returning home. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/08/historic_michigan_lighthouse_p.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 9 On 09 August 1910, the Eastland Navigation Company placed a half page advertisement in both the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Leader offering $5,000 to anyone who could substantiate rumors that the excursion steamer EASTLAND was unsafe. No one claimed the reward.The keel was laid for the INDIANA HARBOR (Hull#719) on August 9, 1978, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Co. for Connecticut Bank & Trust Co. (American Steamship Co., mgr.). The HAMILDOC (Hull#642) was christened on August 9, 1963. The G.A. TOMLINSON (Hull#370) entered service August 9, 1909. Renamed b.) HENRY R. PLATT JR in 1959. Hull used as a breakwall at Burlington Bay, Ontario in 1971. The SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY with the former CSL steamer ASHCROFT in tow of the Polish tug JANTAR arrived in Castellon, Spain for scrapping in 1969. On August 9, 1989, the tug FAIRPLAY IX departed Sorel with the FORT CHAMBLY and NIPIGON BAY in tandem tow bound for Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping. On the night of August 9, 1865, METEOR met her running mate, the propeller PEWABIC, off Thunder Bay on Lake Huron around 9 p.m. As the two approached, somehow METOER sheered and struck her sister, sinking the PEWABIC within minutes in 180 feet of water. About 125 people went down with her, and 86 others were saved. On 9 August 1850, CHAUTAUQUE (wooden sidewheel steamer, 124 foot 162 tons, built in 1839, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire in the St. Clair River and burned to a total loss. In previous years she had been driven ashore 1844, and sank twice - once in 1846, and again in 1848. In September 1846, she made the newspaper by purposely ramming a schooner that blocked her path while she was attempting to leave the harbor at Monroe, Michigan. On 9 August 1856, BRUNSWICK (wooden propeller, 164 foot, 512 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying corn, scrap iron and lard from Chicago when she sprang a leak in a storm and was abandoned by the crew and passengers. One passenger drowned when one of the boats capsized, but the rest made it to shore near Sleeping Bear in the three other boats. BRUNSWICK went down in 50 fathoms of water, 6 miles south of South Manitou Island on Lake Michigan. On 9 August 1875, The Port Huron Times reported that the schooner HERO, while attempting to enter the piers at Holland, Michigan, was driven two miles to leeward and went to pieces. Her crew took to the boats, but the boats capsized. Luckily all made it safely to shore. August 9, 1938 - The Pere Marquette car ferries 17 and 18 left Milwaukee for Grand Haven carrying 600 United States Army Troops, bound for Army war maneuvers near Allegan and at Camp Custer. On 9 August 1870, ONTONAGON (wooden propeller bulk freight, 176 foot, 377 tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York by Bidwell & Banta) sank after striking a rock near the Soo. She was initially abandoned but later that same year she was recovered, repaired and put back in service. In 1880, she stranded near Fairborn, Ohio and then three years later she finally met her demise when she was run ashore on Stag Island in the St. Clair River and succumbed to fire. The 204-foot wooden side-wheeler CUMBERLAND was launched at Melancthon Simpson's yard in Port Robinson, Ontario on 9 August 1871. She cost $101,000. Too large for the Welland Canal, she was towed up the Welland River to Chippewa and then up the Niagara River to Lake Erie. She operated on the Upper Lakes and carried soldiers to put down the Red River Rebellion. She survived being frozen in for the winter near Sault Ste. Marie in 1872, grounding in 1873, sinking in 1874, and another grounding in 1876. But she finally sank near Isle Royale on Lake Superior in 1877. In 1942, the sea-going tug POINT SUR was launched at Globe Shipbuilding Co. in Superior, Wisconsin and the Walter Butler Shipbuilders, in Superior, launched the coastal freighter WILLIAM BURSLEY. 1968 Labrador Steamships agreed to sell POINTE NOIRE to Upper Lakes Shipping. The vessel was operated by U.L.S. on charter until the sale was approved. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Jody L. Aho, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 8
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Northern Lake Huron
Sandusky, Ohio – Dan McNeil Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Aug 7 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. |
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Enbridge's Line 5 can operate at maximum pressure again after April anchor strike 8/8 - Federal pipeline regulators have authorized Enbridge Energy to restore maximum pressure to segments of Line 5 beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The fuel pipeline had been under a pressure restriction since an anchor strike April 1 severed two underwater transmission lines and dented the east and west spans of Line 5. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration allowed Enbridge to restore the pipelines’ max pressure of 600 pounds per square inch last week after the company fitted composite sleeves over the dented sections, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reported Monday to the state’s Pipeline Safety Advisory Board. “The max pressure limit is back to where it was, but we don’t operate at that pressure anyway,” Enbridge Spokesman Ryan Duffy said. “We still are at 150 to 200 psi day-to-day in the straits.” Line 5 includes twin 20-inch structures and carries about 23 million gallons of oil and liquid natural gas a day from western Canada to eastern Canada. Environmental activists have long called for a Line 5 shutdown, warning an accident like the 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River could devastate the Great Lakes. The April 1 anchor strike released roughly 600 gallons of dielectric fluid, a type of mineral oil, from utility lines owned by Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based American Transmission Company. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed suit against Escanaba-based VanEnkevort Tug and Barge Inc. in April, claiming its tug was responsible for the alleged anchor strike that ruptured the ATC lines. The U.S. Coast Guard has not yet released a report regarding its investigation into the cause of the rupture. Joseph Haas, Gaylord district supervisor with the DEQ, told board members Monday that some ships, while navigating narrow channels, will lower their anchor slightly to ensure it can be deployed quickly if necessary. “From what I heard this ship did that and at some point in time the anchor must have been dropped down and not retracted,” Haas said. The Detroit News |
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'Tidal wave' warning system to be installed on Great Lakes 8/8 - An experimental warning system is being installed around some of the Great Lakes. This warning system will try to predict Great Lakes 'tidal waves', also called meteotsunamis. A meteotsunami is a wave generated by the wind force of a severe thunderstorm. As a severe wind gust pushes out from a thunderstorm over the Great Lakes, it can get force behind a wave. The wave builds in size, and can be significantly higher than other waves at the time. Some of these large waves have even come onshore and killed people along the Great Lakes shoreline. There have been killer meteotsunamis at Chicago, Holland, and Grand Haven. Now an experimental network of weather sensors will attempt to predict meteotsunamis before they strike the shoreline. By this fall there will be 29 specialized air pressure sensors around Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. These air pressure sensors will provide rapid, near real-time measurements. Read more and view a map at this link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2018/08/tidal_wave_warning_system_for.html |
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St. Marys River lighted ice buoy changes proposed 8/8 - C The U. S. Coast Guard is proposing to make the following changes to several year round lighted ice buoys in the St. Mary's River. Comments can be sent to: william.d.sharp@uscg.mil Proposed: St. Marys River - Munuscong Lake To Sault Ste Marie - Chart 14883 Change the following lighted buoys from year-round lighted buoys to seasonal lighted buoys maintained from with nun or can winter marks: Sailors Encampment Channel Lighted Buoy "21" (LLNR 13125) Munuscong Channel Lighted Buoy "29" (LLNR 13217) Munuscong Channel Lighted Buoy "35" (LLNR 13245) Middle Neebish Channel Lighted Buoy "59" (LLNR 13345) Lake Nicolet Lighted Buoy "65" (LLNR 13390) Moon Island Lighted Buoy "13" (LLNR 13965) Lake Nicolet Lighted Buoy "89" (LLNR 14030) St. Marys River - Head Of Lake Nicolet To Whitefish Bay - Chart 14884 Change the following lighted buoy from year-round lighted buoy to seasonal lighted buoy with a nun winter mark: Point Aux Pins Channel Lighted Buoy "8" (LLNR 14335) USCG |
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Updates - August 8 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Amstelborg, Anet, Calypso, Federal Nagara, Federal Seto, Isabelle G, Pia and Victory II. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 8 August 8, 1991 - The excursion ferry AMERICANA has been sold and passed down the Welland Canal bound for the Caribbean with registry in Panama. She was the former East Coast ferry BLOCK ISLAND that arrived in Buffalo just three years ago.On 08 August 1878, the Buffalo (wooden propeller package freighter, 258 foot, 1,762 gross tons) was launched at the yard of Thomas Quayle & Sons in Cleveland, Ohio for the Western Transportation Company. Her engine was a double Berry & Laig compound engine constructed by the Globe Iron Works in Buffalo, New York. She lasted until 1911, when she was abandoned at Marine City, Michigan. The JAMES R. BARKER became the longest vessel on the Great Lakes when it entered service on August 8, 1976. It held at least a tie for this honor until the WILLIAM J. DELANCEY entered service on May 10, 1981. The BARKER's deckhouse had been built at AmShip's Chicago yard and was transported in sections to Lorain on the deck of the steamer GEORGE D. GOBLE. The BUFFALO was christened August 8, 1978, for the Connecticut Bank & Trust Co. (American Steamship Co., mgr.) The E.B. BARBER along with the motor vessel SAGINAW BAY, a.) FRANK H. GOODYEAR of 1917, arrived August 8, 1985, under tow in Vigo, Spain. Demolition began on August 9, 1985, by Miguel Martins Periera at Guixar-Vigo. The Soo River Company was forced into receivership on August 8, 1982. On 8 August 1887, CITY OF ASHLAND (wooden sidewheel tug, 90 feet long 85 gross tons, built in 1883, at Ashland, Wisconsin) was towing a log raft near Washburn, Wisconsin in Lake Superior. Fire broke out near the boilers and quickly cut off the crew from the lifeboat. They jumped overboard and all but 1 or 2 were picked up by local tugs. The burned hull sank soon afterward. The wooden tug J E EAGLE was destroyed by fire at about 4:00 p.m. on 8 August 1869, while towing a raft of logs on Saginaw Bay to Bay City. Her loss was valued at $10,000, but she was insured for only $7,000. August 8, 1981 - The Ann Arbor carferry VIKING took part in a ceremony christening a body of water between Manitowoc and Two Rivers as "Maritime Bay". August 8, 1999 - The KAYE E. BARKER delivered the last shipment of limestone for Dow Chemical, Ludington. The plant later closed its lime plant and began lime deliveries by rail. On 8 August 1813, the U. S. Navy schooner HAMILTON (wooden 10-gun schooner, 112 foot, 76 tons, built in 1809, at Oswego, New York as a.) DIANA, was lying at anchor off the mouth of the Niagara River on Lake Ontario with her armed fleet-mate SCOURGE awaiting dawn when they planned to attack the British fleet. However, a quick rising storm swamped and sank both vessels. Since they were both built as commercial vessels, it has been suggested that their cannons may have made them top-heavy. The HAMILTON was found by sonar in 1975, sitting upright almost completely intact at the bottom of Lake Ontario. The Cousteau organization has dived to her and she was the subject of a live television dive by Robert Ballard in 1990. August 8, 1882 - An August snowstorm was reported by a ship on Lake Michigan, dumping 6 inches of snow and slush on the deck. Snow showers were reported at shore points that day. In 1942, the seven shipyards at Duluth-Superior were in full production and announced three launchings in two days. The submarine chaser SC-671 was launched on August 8, at Inland Waterways, Inc. on Park Point. 1941 An explosion aboard the Canadian tanker TRANSITER at River Rouge resulted in the loss of 2 lives. The ship was towed to Port Dalhousie for repairs and returned to work as b) TRANSTREAM in 1942. It was sold for off-lakes service as c) WITSUPPLY in 1969 and sank in heavy weather off Cabo de la Vela, Colombia, while apparently enroute to Cartagena, Colombia, for scrap, on February 23, 1981. 1964 ELLEN KLAUTSCHE suffered an engine failure while berthing at Toronto and rammed the docked NORDIA after just missing the tugs TERRY S. and WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE. The West German freighter was towed to Port Weller for repairs by the GRAEME STEWART. Later, as b) VARUNA YAN, it was detained in the Shatt-Al-Arab waterway and then, on April 3, 1984, was shelled becoming a CTL. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Society, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Jody L. Aho, Brian Bernard , Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade up 7 percent in July 8/7 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 6.46 million tons in July, an increase of 7 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 11 percent ahead of the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26.6 million tons, a decrease of 3.2 percent compared to the same point in 2017. However, iron shipments are 5.6 percent ahead of their 5-year average for the seven months of the year. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Port Reports - August 7
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Marinette, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Monday August 6 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Feds move to ban anchoring in Straits of Mackinac after oil line dented 8/7 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – The U.S. Coast Guard has proposed an indefinite ban on anchoring in the Straits of Mackinac in an effort to prevent further anchor strikes on lake-bottom utility lines. If implemented, the ban would replace the need for Gov. Rick Snyder to renew the "no-anchor zone" emergency rule he signed in late May. The proposal is open for public comment until Sept. 4. On April 1, a tug and barge dragged its anchor across the Straits floor, denting underwater petroleum lines and rupturing transmission cables. The ruptured cables owned by American Transmission Company spilled an estimated 550 gallons of toxic coolant oil into the Straits. The dented Line 5 oil and gas twin pipelines didn't spill. At the time, there were no restrictions to dropping or dragging anchor in the Straits, only an advisory. The anchor strike renewed calls to shut down the controversial Line 5. Enbridge Energy, the Canadian company that owns Line 5, floated the idea of piling rocks onto the 65-year-old pipeline to protect it from another anchor blow. A worst-case Line 5 spill would spoil 437 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Enbridge Energy officials argued a spill of that magnitude is "extraordinarily unlikely." The Coast Guard's proposed ban on certain ships anchoring and "loitering" encompasses the same area of the Straits as Snyder's current emergency rule, according to Jerome Popiel, the Coast Guard's incident management advisor for the Great Lakes region. Snyder's no-anchor zone is roughly two miles wide and terminates on the western side of the Mackinac Bridge. It runs from shore to shore between the peninsulas. Read more and view maps at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/08/feds_move_to_ban_anchoring_in.html |
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The 'Greyhound bus' at the bottom of Lake Superior 8/7 - Duluth, Minn. – It was built in 1861, sank in 1897 and is now memorialized on the historic register. One of the latest shipwrecks to be added to National Register of Historic Places comes from Ashland County, about seven and a half miles off the coast of Michigan Island, part of the Apostle Island archipelago. "It would run immigrants to come to work the factories as they were blossoming in Milwaukee and Chicago and then it would supply general supplies to the cities," said Tamara Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society. "Then people returning east then would go back aboard the ship. So, it was sort of like the Greyhound bus of the 1860s." Known as the Antelope, it was originally built as a steamship that moved people and cargo from Buffalo, N.Y. to western Great Lakes cities during the second half of the 19th century. Eventually it was converted into a barge that would be towed, before three masts were erected on the hull, turning it into a schooner — a transition Thomsen said was very unusual. Coming in at 186 feet long, 31 feet wide and housing a capacity of 600 tons, it wasn't a rogue wave or some deep sea monster that took down the Antelope. Rather anti-climatically, it sank when it was being towed too fast. "Seams tend to open up in rough seas," said Thomsen. "but, when the Antelope was being towed, the seams opened up, it took on too much water and the pumps couldn't keep it out. So they abandoned it." While some ships rest at the bottom of the lake with gaping holes in the hull and broken planks hanging off the sides, the Antelope is still very much intact. The cabin snapped off when it sank, but the masts and rigging are still standing — even the paint with the name of the ship is still emblazoned on the side. "Everything on the ship was basically a time capsule," Thomsen said. "When it went down, it went down with everything. That gives us a snapshot in time." Read more and see a photo at this link: http://duluthnewstribune.com/news/4481730-greyhound-bus-bottom-lake-superior |
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Duluth’s Marine Tech sold as owner moves on 8/7 - Duluth, Minn. – Ted Smith is the kind of guy who, if he finds a fork in the road, he takes it. In other words, when opportunity knocks, he opens the door. Silly puns aside, Smith has made a career out of making the right decisions at the right time. His latest? To retire and dismantle his 20-year old company, Marine Tech. For Smith, it’s a clean sweep – take down the sign, auction off all the company equipment, lock up the building on Garfield Avenue and simply walk away. At first glance, it’s seems an odd decision for the relatively young 65-year-old businessman, but there’s a method to his madness. Like its owner, Marine Tech is a relative young business when compared with the company from which it evolved, Zenith Dredge, which was formed in 1905 at the foot of Thirteenth Avenue West as a harbor construction company. Later, it converted to shipbuilding and produced eight tankers and 13 cutters. After 95 years as a mainstay Twin Ports business, most of Zenith’s assets were sold off to local businessman Jim Holmgren, who launched Marine Tech. Not long after, Smith came onto the scene. Years before, Smith had been involved in what he described as “vertical construction.” In layman’s terms, buildings. Smith said the transition to land-locked construction to marine was fairly easy. “Opportunity,” Smith said. “Yup, opportunity. A friend of mine owned a company, Ryba Marine Construction, out of Cheboygan, Mich., and he needed help bad, so he recruited me and I went to work for him.” Not long after, Marine Tech came calling, and Smith joined it in 1998, eventually buying the company in 2001, another opportunity that resulted in expanding its operations, which Smith said, were “great.” Then he ticked off the various types of projects in which they’ve participated over the decades: marine construction, dock construction, repair and design, dredging of all types, pile driving, stone placement, salvage and ship-to-ship cargo transfers, contaminated sediment remediation and wetlands restoration. While the company has worked on projects throughout most of the Great Lakes, Smith said it’s rare they venture much outside of Lake Superior. There’s enough work there to keep them busy. “Marine construction is rarely repetitious, except for, perhaps, navigation dredging, where we’re moving stuff from point A to point B,” said Smith. “We have a saying that once you’re proficient at a job, the job is finished. Then we move on to next one that has its own twists and turns. That’s the pleasure of the industry; there’s seldom two jobs alike.” Read more at this link: http://www.businessnorth.com/businessnorth_exclusives/maritime-chief-executive-moving-on/article_0c24def0-6533-11e8-94f9-0366e58658f6.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 7 August 7, 1789 - President George Washington signed the ninth act of the first United States Congress placing management of the lighthouses under the Department of the Treasury. August 7 in now "National Lighthouse Day".On 07 August 1890, the schooner CHARGER (wooden schooner, 136 foot, 277 gross tons, built in 1868, at Sodus, New York) was struck by the CITY OF CLEVELAND (wooden propeller freighter, 255 foot, 1,528 gross tons, built in 1882, at Cleveland, Ohio) near Bar Point near the mouth of the Detroit River on Lake Erie. The schooner sank, but her crew was saved. The JAMES R. BARKER was christened August 7, 1976. She was to become Interlake's first 1,000 footer and the flagship of the fleet for Moore McCormack Leasing, Inc. (Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, mgr.). She was built at a cost of more than $43 million under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. She was the third 1,000-footer to sail on the Lakes and the first built entirely on the Lakes. On 7 August 1844, DANIEL WHITNEY, a wooden schooner, was found floating upside-down, with her crew of 4 missing and presumed dead. She was six miles off mouth of the Kalamazoo River in Lake Michigan. August 7, 1948 - Edward L. Ryerson, chairman of Inland Steel Company announced that the new ore boat under construction for Inland will be named the WILFRED SYKES in honor of the president of the company. Mr. Sykes had been associated with Inland since 1923, when he was employed to take charge of engineering and construction work. From 1927, to 1930, he served as assistant general superintendent and from 1930, to 1941, as assistant to the president in charge of operations. He became president of Inland in May, 1941. He had been a director of the company since 1935. The new ship was to be the largest and fastest on the Great Lakes, having a carrying capacity in intermediate depth of 20,000 gross tons. The ship will be 678 feet long, 70 feet wide and 37 feet deep, and will run at 16 miles per hour when loaded. While lying at the dock at the C & L. H. Railroad Yard in Port Huron on 7 August 1879, the scow MORNING LARK sank after the scow MAGRUDER ran into her at 4:00 a.m., MORNING LARK was raised and repaired at the Wolverine dry dock and was back in service on 20 September 1879. 1912 – A collision in heavy fog with the RENSSELAER sank the JAMES GAYLEY 43 miles east of Manitou Light, Lake Superior. The upbound coal-laden vessel was hit on the starboard side, about 65 feet from the bow, and went down in about 16 minutes. The two ships were held together long enough for the crew to cross over to RENSSELAER. 1921 – RUSSELL SAGE caught fire and burned on Lake Ontario while downbound with a load of wire. The ship sank off South Bay Point, about 30 miles west of Kingston. The crew took to the lifeboat and were saved. About 600 tons of wire were later salvaged. The hull has been found and is upright in 43 feet of water and numerous coils of wire remain on the bottom. 1958 – HURLBUT W. SMITH hit bottom off Picnic Island, near Little Current, Manitoulin Island, while outbound. The ship was inspected at Silver Bay and condemned. It was sold to Knudsen SB & DD of Superior and scrapped in 1958-1959. 1958 – The T-3 tanker GULFOIL caught fire following a collision with the S.E. GRAHAM off Newport, Rhode Island while carrying about 5 million gallons of gasoline. Both ships were a total loss and 17 lives were lost with another 36 sailors injured. The GULFOIL was rebuilt with a new mid-body and came to the Great Lakes as c) PIONEER CHALLENGER in 1961 and was renamed MIDDLETOWN in 1962 and e) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006. 1964 – CARL LEVERS, a pre-Seaway visitor as a) HARPEFJELL and b) PRINS MAURITS, had come to the Great Lakes in 1957-1958. It had been an early Great Lakes trader for both the Fjell Line from Norway and the Dutch flag Oranje Lijn. The ship was cast adrift in a cyclone at Bombay, India, going aground on a pylon carrying electric wires off Mahul Creek and caught fire on August 24, 1964. The vessel was released and scrapped at Bombay later in the year. 1970 – ORIENT TRANSPORTER first came through the Seaway in 1966. It arrived at Beaumont, Texas, on this day in 1970, following an engine breakdown. The 1949 vintage ship was not considered worth repairing and was broken up at Darica, Turkey, in 1971. 1972 – The small Canadian tanker barge TRANSBAY, loaded with liquid asphalt and under tow of the JAMES WHALEN for Sept Iles, sank in a storm on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There were no casualties. 1989 – CLARENVILLE, a former East Coast wooden passenger and freight carrier, came to the Great Lakes in 1981 for conversion to a floating restaurant at Owen Sound. The restaurant declared bankruptcy in May 1989 and a fire, of suspicious origin, broke out on this date. It was a long and difficult blaze to control and the ship sank. It broke apart during salvage in September 1989. The bow was clammed out in December 1989 and the stern removed in April 1990 and taken to the city dump. 1991 – FINNPOLARIS first came through the Seaway in 1985. It struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic off Greenland and sank in deep water the next day. All 17 on board were saved. 1994 – GUNDULIC came inland under Yugoslavian registry for the first time in 1971. The ship caught fire as c) PAVLINA ONE while loading at Mongla, Bangladesh, on this date and was abandoned by the crew on August 8. The blaze was extinguished August 9 but the gutted and listing freighter was beached and settled in shallow water. The hull was auctioned to a local demolition contractor in 1996 but was still listed as a hazard to navigation in 1999. Data from: Skip Gillham, Dave Wobser, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 6
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Aug 5 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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New buoys recording water conditions are 'smartest, smallest' in Lake Michigan 8/6 - Scientists last month deployed two new buoys in Lake Michigan that have begun recording and publishing lake conditions in real-time — for the first time — near a north suburban harbor and marina. The buoys, placed about a mile offshore Waukegan Harbor and Winthrop Harbor’s North Point Marina, are taking a variety of measurements, including wind speed, surface current, wave height and water temperatures, giving scientists and the public the first look at conditions at either location. Equipped with webcams, the buoys will also transmit a photo and a short video clip each hour during the day. Researchers hope the data from the nearshore buoys, which are curated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Great Lakes Observing System, will help them better understand coastal erosion along the northern Illinois lakefront. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state scientists have also been intensively studying how sand moves along the shoreline, a process that is correlated with winds and the current. Historically, sand has drifted south along the Lake Michigan shoreline and accumulated in the present-day Indiana Dunes. However, coastal development, namely harbors and marinas, have disrupted this natural process and caused unprecedented erosion in some areas. “Nearshore waves and currents are a primary driver of shoreline erosion and accretion, thus it is critical that we have high-resolution measurements of these processes that we can compare to the other data we are collecting along the shoreline and in the nearshore,” state coastal geologist Ethan Theuerkauf said in an email. While the buoys were funded by a grant to research this issue, they will also provide observations that will be helpful to boaters, beachgoers and fishermen who head to North Point Marina — the largest marina in the Great Lakes — and Waukegan Harbor, the only commercial harbor between Milwaukee and Chicago. Before these buoys were positioned, there were no real-time observations in these locations. Boaters could use estimates of lake conditions in areas based on a computer model provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. There were some land-based webcams and weather stations. Some ships share reports of lake conditions in real-time on their routes across Lake Michigan, providing perhaps the most reliable measurements, albeit only during a brief window. Read more at this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-lake-michigan-new-buoys-20180727-story.html |
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Chicago-area Coast Guard members visit Broadway musical "Hamilton" 8/6 - Chicago, Ill. – Coast Guard members from throughout the Chicago area celebrated Coast Guard Day by attending and visiting with members of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” at the CIBC Theatre in downtown Chicago Saturday. “Hamilton” is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, considered the founder of the United States Coast Guard. This year commemorates the 228th year since Congress established the Revenue Cutter Service on August 4, 1790 with the help of Hamilton, who was then the Secretary of the Treasury. In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the U.S Life-Saving Service and other organizations to form the modern day United States Coast Guard. Coast Guard members also celebrated the Coast Guard’s birthday in other ways around Lake Michigan. One of the biggest area celebrations took place last week in Grand Haven, Michigan with a week-long schedule of events honoring the Coast Guard. The city of Grand Haven was designated the first “Coast Guard City USA” in 1998 for its support of the service. The Coast Guard is one of the five armed services and operates under the Department of Homeland Security. It is responsible for more than 100,000 miles of U.S coastline and inland waterways. The Coast Guard uses its force of 56,000 active, reserve and civilian personnel, as well as more than 31,000 Auxiliarists, to ensure maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship. USCG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 6 On this day in 1953, a record 176 vessels passed through the Soo Locks.Early in the morning of 06 August 1899, the WILLIAM B. MORLEY (steel propeller freighter, 277 foot, 1,846 gross tons, built in 1888, at Marine City, Michigan) and the LANSDOWNE (iron side-wheel carferry, 294 foot, 1,571 gross tons, built in 1884, at Wyandotte, Michigan) collided head on in the Detroit River. Both vessels sank. The LANSDOWNE settled on the bottom in her slip at Windsor, Ontario and was raised four days later and repaired. The MORLEY was also repaired and lasted until 1918, when she stranded on Lake Superior. The BELLE RIVER’s bottom was damaged at the fit-out dock and required dry docking on August 6, 1977, for repairs prior to her maiden voyage. Renamed b.) WALTER J MC CARTHY JR in 1990. On 6 August 1871, the 3-mast wooden schooner GOLDEN FLEECE was down bound on Lake Huron laden with iron ore. The crew mistook the light at Port Austin for the light at Pointe Aux Barques and steered directly for the Port Austin Reef where the vessel grounded. After 200 tons of ore were removed, GOLDEN FLEECE was pulled off the reef then towed to Detroit by the tug GEORGE B MC CLELLAN and repaired. On 6 August 1900, the Mc Morran Wrecking Company secured the contract for raising the 203-foot 3-mast wooden schooner H W SAGE, which sank at Harsen's Island on 29 July 1900. The SAGE had been rammed by the steel steamer CHICAGO. Two lives had been lost; they were crushed in her forecastle. August 6, 1929 - The CITY OF SAGINAW 31 (Hull#246) was launched at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for the Pere Marquette Railway. She was christened by Miss Ann Bur Townsend, daughter of the mayor of Saginaw. On 6 August 1870, the wooden propeller tug TORNADO had her boiler explode without warning four miles northwest of Oswego, New York. The tug sank quickly in deep water. Three of the six onboard lost their lives. Apparently the tug had a new boiler and it had been allowed to run almost dry. When cold water was let in to replenish the supply, the boiler exploded. 1907 – A building fire at the Toronto Island ferry terminal spread to the ferry SHAMROCK and it was badly burned and sank. Running mate MAYFLOWER also caught fire but was pulled from the dock by TURBINIA and this blaze was extinguished. SHAMROCK, however, was a total loss and was towed to Hanlan's Point. The latter ship was replaced by the still-active TRILLIUM in 1910. 1924 – The Lake Ontario rail car ferry ONTARIO NO. 2 went aground in fog on the beach at Cobourg, Ont., but was refloated the next day. 1928 – HURONIC went aground at Lucille Island and needed hull repairs after being released. 1985 – VANDOC, enroute from Quebec to Burns Harbor, went aground in the St. Lawrence outside the channel near St. Zotique, but was released the following day. 1994 – CATHERINE DESGAGNES, outbound at Lorain, struck about 30 pleasure boats when a bridge failed to open. 2000 – ANANGEL ENDEAVOUR was in a collision with the IVAN SUSANIN in the South-West Pass and was holed in the #2 cargo hold and began listing. The ship was anchored for examination, then docked at Violet, La., and declared a total loss. It was subsequently repaired as b) BOLMAR I and was operating as c) DORSET when it arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping on April 24, 2009. The ship first came through the Seaway in 1983. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody L. Aho , Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 5
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Aug 4 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Muskegon cruise ship’s new name a nod to the past 8/5 - Muskegon, Mich. – Aquastar is the new name of the Muskegon Lake-based cruise boat formerly known as the Port City Princess. The vessel's new name was announced at a christening ceremony on Friday, Aug. 3, featuring Miss Michigan 2018 Emily Sioma and Miss Michigan Organization local titleholders. The name was chosen from more than 200 contest entries. It pays homage to the former S.S. Aquarama, a luxury passenger ship that moored in Muskegon for 26 years after operating as a ferry from 1955-1962. The Port City Princess was operated by the Precious family for about 30 years. When matriarch Silvia Precious retired this year, the family business was sold to a local group of entrepreneurs. The boat is now operated by Port City Cruise Lines LLC, a company affiliated with the Mart Dock where the boat is moored. Patrick McKee is heading up operations. Aquastar, a former Mackinac Island ferry, has been painted aqua, gray, red and white with its name on the back. The owners also recently obtained a liquor license. The new owners are also slowly renovating the boat. Regularly scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday cruises will begin soon, said Max McKee, president of Mart Dock Co. View a photo gallery at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2018/08/muskegons_port_city_princess_c.html#incart_river_index |
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At the beginning of August, Lake Superior is 5 inches above average 8/5 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – At the beginning of August, Lake Superior was 13 centimeters (5 inches) above average (1918 – 2017), but 9 centimeters (4 inches) below the level at this time last year. Lake Michigan-Huron is currently 39 centimeters (15 inches) above average, but 4 centimeters (2 inches) below last year’s beginning-of-August level. The level of Lake Superior is expected to remain relatively stable in August, and Lake Michigan-Huron is expected to continue its seasonal decline. The above-average levels coupled with strong winds and waves continue to result in shoreline erosion and coastal damages across the upper Great Lakes system. Additional shoreline erosion and coastal damages may occur this summer and fall should active weather continue. The board obtained approval from the International Joint Commission (IJC) to temporarily deviate from Regulation Plan 2012 from May through November 2018 in a manner similar to that employed in the past three years, which were also marked by high lake levels and outflows. The Board continues to adjust the gate settings at the Compensating Works and release flows greater than those prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012 in order to offset the effects of reductions in hydropower flows due to maintenance activities that occurred this past winter and that are continuing through the summer and fall. Accordingly, the board, under authority granted to it by the IJC, has set the Lake Superior outflow to 2,760 cubic meters per second (cms) (97,468 cubic feet per second (cfs)) for the month of August, which is 150 cms (5,297 cfs) more than that prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012. The additional flow offsets the reductions that occurred this past winter, and August will be the final month requiring increased outflow above plan flow to account for the winter hydropower outage. Actual outflows may vary depending on hydrologic conditions, as well as maintenance activities at the hydropower plants on the St. Marys River. The average St. Marys Rapids flow is expected to be approximately 870 cms (30,724 cfs) in August, which is equivalent to approximately six gates fully open. Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids need to be cautious of the changing flows and water levels that will be experienced in the rapids in August. Furthermore, some flooding of low-lying areas of Whitefish Island is expected as the gates are opened further and flows increase. As a result, some recreational trails and features in these areas will likely be inundated and may sustain damage. Users are encouraged to use extreme caution. Lake Superior News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 5 On 05 August 1958, the tug GARY D (steel propeller tug, 18 tons) was destroyed by an explosion and fire near Strawberry Island Light on Lake Huron.The RICHARD M. MARSHALL, later b.) JOSEPH S. WOOD, c.) JOHN DYKSTRA, d.) BENSON FORD, and finally e.) US265808, entered service on August 5, 1953. From 1966, until it was retired at the end of 1984, this vessel and the WILLIAM CLAY FORD were fleet mates. There is only one other instance of two boats being owned by the same company at some point in their careers with as close or closer age difference. The CHARLES M. BEEGHLY (originally SHENANGO II) and the HERBERT C. JACKSON. The aft section of the BELLE RIVER (Hull#716), was float launched August 5, 1976. She was American Steamship's first thousand-footer and the first thousand-footer built at Bay Shipbuilding Co. She was renamed b.) WALTER J. MC CARTHY in 1990. The G.A. TOMLINSON, a.) D.O. MILLS of 1907, was sold outright to Columbia Transportation Div. (Oglebay Norton Co.), on August 5, 1971, along with the last two Tomlinson vessels, the SYLVANIA and the JAMES DAVIDSON. On 5 August 1850, ST. CLAIR (sidewheel steamer, passenger & package freight, 140 foot 210 tons, built in 1843, at Detroit, Michigan) was reported as lost with no details given whatsoever. The report of her loss was published 3 days BEFORE she was enrolled at Detroit by J. Watkin. The motor vessel BEAVER ISLANDER completed her maiden voyage to Charlevoix in 1962. At the time, she was the largest, fastest, and most advanced ship built for the run. She served as the flagship for 37 years, a record, until the EMERALD ISLE arrived in 1997. August 5, 1907 - A female passenger dived off the deck of the PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1902, on a dare. Two of the 18's officers leapt over to rescue her. One of the officers nearly drowned and was rescued by the passenger. On 5 August 1866, AUTOCRAT (2-mast, wooden schooner, 345 tons, built in 1854, at Caltaraugus, New York) was carrying 15,000 bushels of corn and was lying off Chicago, waiting for a storm to die down. Just before dawn, the schooner J S NEWHOUSE was also seeking shelter when she ran into AUTOCRAT, sinking her in 7 fathoms of water. The crew was rescued by the tug UNION. On 5 August 1869, LAURA E. CALVIN (3-mast wooden schooner, 130 foot, 216 tons, built in 1863, at Garden Island, Ontario as a bark) sprang a leak during a storm and foundered 10 miles off Braddock's Point on Lake Ontario. No lives were lost. 1954 – A sudden blanket of fog descended on a section of the St. Lawrence near Waddington, N.Y., resulting in the two ships SELKIRK and DUNDEE losing their way and going aground. The former, a C.S.L. package freighter, was turned part way around by the current and was stuck until September 2. The latter was a British ship and was also spun by the current. The proximity of the rapids made salvage a challenge. The newly-built DUNDEE continued Great Lakes visits to the end of 1962. It foundered in the Mediterranean as g) VLYHO on September 15, 1978, following an engine room explosion. 1955 – FALCO, a pre-Seaway trader, hit a bridge at Montreal. The vessel later visited the Great Lakes as c) LABRADOR and was scrapped at Piraeus, Greece, as f) BONANZA in 1978 1972 – MANCHESTER VENTURE was built in 1956 and was a regular Great Lakes trader from 1956 to 1961. An explosion in the cargo hold as c) BAT TIRAN on this date in 1972 resulted in a major fire. The damaged hull was refloated in September and scrapped in Turkey in 1973. 1980 – The Liberian freighter BERTIE MICHAELS had been a Seaway trader in 1971 and had returned as the Greek flag c) DIMITRIS A. in 1976. It departed Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on August 4, 1980, for Belize City and reported her position on August 5. The vessel was never heard from again and was believed to have been a victim of Hurricane Allen that was in the area at the time. All 27 on board were lost. 1994 – The recently completed French freighter PENHIR began Great Lakes trading in 1971 and returned as b) MENHIR under Liberian registry in 1979. It arrived off Tolognaro, Madagascar, on this date in 1994 with hull cracks as d) WELLBORN and abandoned as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit |
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Manitoba moved Friday in preparation for eventual scrap tow 8/4 - Montreal – The retired laker Manitoba was towed stern first Friday afternoon to the doom dock, Section 56 Montreal, in preparation for a scrap tow overseas. A departure date or tug has not been announced. Rene Beauchamp |
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Grain shipments surge at Thunder Bay port 8/4 - Thunder Bay – Grain elevators have been busy the past several weeks in the Port of Thunder Bay. For only the second time in 20 years, July grain volumes surpassed 800,000 metric tonnes. The surge brings the grain tally at the port in line with the previous season and 4 percent greater than the five-year average. The jump in grain shipments demonstrates the benefit of Thunder Bay’s available capacity, says Port of Thunder Bay CEO Tim Heney. “The grain elevators in Thunder Bay typically operate well below their capacity. The extra available capacity is critical in times of surge, when farmers are delivering large quantities of grain to market. The Canadian grain industry needs an outlet that can efficiently handle those surges, and Thunder Bay delivers.” Above-average grain carryover on Prairie farms and an anticipated strong 2018 harvest indicate a potentially strong fall for grain movement at the port. Total port cargo shipments in July topped 1 million metric tonnes. Bulk shipments of coal and potash remain ahead of average, although somewhat behind last year’s standout volumes. Project cargo volumes continued at a strong pace, with shipments of modular buildings, steel and windmills keeping cargo handlers busy during the month. Lake Superior News |
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Port Reports - August 4
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Aug 3 –Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Rochester. N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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Salties recently sold for demolition 8/4 - Vessels with Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway connections reported as a casualty of sold for demolition. Taken from the August 2018 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society. Casualties: None reported Sold for Demolition: Bushra VI (8002808; Moldova) (Handsome Ali-16, Vectra-11, Mirica L-08, Christina I-96 (1st trip into the Seaway 1989), Christina Smits-89 (1st trip into the Seaway 1986) 3,720 / 1982 - general cargo. By Reem Shipping Ltd (Info Market Srl), Marshall Islands, to Kamdar & Associates, India and arrived Alang 23.11.2017 - commenced demolition 8.12.2017 Paragon DPDS3 (5314774; unknown) (Noble Roger Eason-14, Neddrill 2-97, Schouwen-77 (1st trip into the Seaway 1963) 18,225 / 1963 - drilling ship. By International Shipbreaking Ltd. LLC, USA to International Shipbreaking Ltd. and arrived Brownsville, TX 17.11.2017 Princess of Acadia (7039567; Canada) (launched as Princess of Nova) 10,051 / 1971 passenger / ro-ro ship (vehicles). By Government of Canada (Transport Canada) (Northumberland Ferries Ltd) Canada to Marine Recycling Corp. Canada and arrived Port Colborne, Ontario 11.4.2017 Compiled by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Former Duluth port director Davis Helberg reflects on his life 8/4 - Esko, Minn. – On a July day when everything was as summer should be, Davis Helberg made his way to a creek off of his yard. A walking stick in one hand, he stepped through a column of sunlight and patch of ferns to the lip of babbling water below. "In the springtime this thing is just roaring," he said, before reflecting: "As a boy, I played in this creek an awful lot." For Helberg, 77, the tentacles of a life devoted to exploring one track and then another have converged again at the place he has always called home. Growing up he lied in the thick grass here, studying the clouds and listening to radio calls of baseball games. On nights in his room, he memorized batting champions as if they were Bible chapters. "I had many, many opportunities to go but this place has got a hold of me," said Helberg, a visitor to 55 countries — a lot of his travel coming while on duty for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Aside from trips to his oncologist in Duluth, Helberg is keeping mostly to his beloved Esko these days, and the family farm upon which he was raised and in all likelihood will die. Helberg's last days are upon him. A once-towering figure in Duluth for being the longest-running director of its port (Helberg Drive is named after him) and a commanding voice for readers of the News Tribune and other publications chronicling the Great Lakes and Northland, Helberg is caught in the grip of small-cell lung cancer. Read more and view photos at this link: http://duluthnewstribune.com/news/4479802-former-port-director-davis-helberg-reflects-his-life |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 4 On this day in 1896, the whaleback COLGATE HOYT became the first boat to transport a load of iron ore through the new Poe lock. The man at the wheel of the HOYT, Thomas Small, was also at the wheel of the PHILIP R. CLARKE when the second Poe lock was opened to traffic 73 years later.On this day in 1910, a mutiny occurred aboard the Pittsburgh steamer DOUGLAS HOUGHTON when a deckhand was confined for peeping into the cabin window of 5 female passengers (relatives of officers of the United States Steel Corporation). It required one hour for Captain John Parke, loaded revolver in hand, to quell the mutiny, confine the ringleaders, and clear away the broken furniture. On the clear, almost perfect night of 4 August 1902, the SEGUIN (steel propeller freighter, 207 foot, 818 gross tons, built in 1890, at Owen Sound, Ontario) collided with the CITY OF VENICE (wooden propeller freighter, 301 foot, 2,108 gross tons, built in 1892, at W. Bay City, Michigan) abreast of Rondeau, Ontario on Lake Erie. The CITY OF VENICE, which was loaded with iron ore, sank and three of her crew were drowned. The U. S. Marshall impounded the SEGUIN for damages Two favorites of many boatwatchers entered service on August 4 – WILLIAM CLAY FORD on August 4, 1953, and EDWARD L. RYERSON on August 4, 1960. Paterson’s ONTADOC, built in 1975, sailed to the Netherlands with a load of bentonite from Chicago on August 4, 1979. Renamed b.) MELISSA DESGAGNES in 1990. The E. J. BLOCK was laid up for the last time at Indiana Harbor, Indiana on August 4, 1984. The E. J. BLOCK was sold for scrap in late May 1987. The D.M. CLEMSON left Superior on August 4, 1980, in tow of Malcolm Marine's TUG MALCOLM for Thunder Bay, Ont., where she was dismantled. HOCHELAGA (Hull#144) was launched August 4, 1949, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., Montreal, Quebec. On a foggy August 4, 1977, POINTE NOIRE went hard aground near the entrance to the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River and blocked the channel. After her grain cargo was lightered by Columbia Transportation's crane steamer BUCKEYE, POINTE NOIRE was released on August 6. She was reloaded in Hay Lake and continued her downbound trip. Repairs to her bottom damage were completed at Thunder Bay. Ontario. August 4, 1935 - The only time the ANN ARBOR NO 7 had the full limit of passengers when she ran an excursion from Frankfort, Michigan around Manitou Island and back with 375 passengers on board. LYCOMING (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1,610 gross tons) was launched on 4 August 1880, at West Bay City, Michigan by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #7) as a 2-deck package freighter. She was rebuilt as a single deck bulk freighter after she burned in 1905. She was one of the few bulk freighters that still carried her arched hog-braces visible above deck. HIRAM W. SIBLEY (wooden propeller freighter, 221 foot, 1,419 gross tons) was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan on 4 August 1890. She only lasted eight years. While carrying 70,000 bushels of corn from Chicago for Detroit, she stranded on the northwest corner of South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan during blizzard on 26 November 1898. The tugs PROTECTOR and SWEEPSTAKES were dispatched for assistance but the SIBLEY re-floated herself during high water the following night, then was stranded on the southwest side of North Fox Island to prevent sinking. She broke in half; then completely broke up during a gale on 7 December 1898. 1985 – REGENT TAMPOPO, enroute from Japan to the Great Lakes with steel, was heavily damaged in the Pacific after a collision with the MING UNIVERSE. The vessel, which first came through the Seaway in 1982, was towed to Los Angeles but declared a total loss. It recrossed the Pacific under tow in 1986 and arrived at Hong Kong for scrapping on October 26, 1986. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Military.com, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Forget about summer: winter road salt piles up at Ogdensburg port 8/3 - Ogdensburg, N.Y. – Dog days of summer aside, officials at the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority are busy stockpiling the tons of salt that will soon be needed to help clear north country roads this winter. The first of what will be several bulk salt deliveries arrived at the Port of Ogdensburg by ship late last week, according to OBPA officials. The winter cargo arrived while boaters, those on jet skis, and swimmers nearby were enjoying an idyllic summer on the St. Lawrence River. The Ogdensburg port serves as a major delivery site and staging area for the multiple tons of salt that will eventually be trucked to state and local highway crews. The salt will then be applied to roads and highways across a major swath of Northern New York — including St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties — during the fall and winter months. Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade A. Davis said that despite the warm seasonal temperatures that are now blanketing the region, there is no escaping the fact that life in the north country always means preparing for the inevitable. Mr. Davis said the first giant shipment of salt via the St. Lawrence River was delivered to the port by a Canadian-flagged bulk cargo ship named the Capt. Henry Jackman. The self-discharging carrier belongs to the Algoma Central Corporation and is capable of discharging up to 5,440 tons of salt per hour. Before leaving the Port of Ogdensburg on Thursday, the vessel unloaded more than 20 metric tons of salt destined for north country roads, according to bridge and port authority officials. Mr. Davis said it was the first of several bulk deliveries of salt slated for the Ogdensburg port this shipping season. Watertown Daily Times |
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US Senate votes to spare Great Lakes program from cuts 8/3 - For the second year in a row, the U.S. Senate has voted to restore Great Lakes funding slated for drastic cuts in President Trump's budget recommendation. President Trump’s proposed budget sought to cut the Great Lakes Restoration initiative from $300 million to about $30 million. “For months, Michigan residents have sent a clear signal that they do not support the administration’s cuts to Great Lakes funding,” U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said in a press release. “Because of those voices, and our bipartisan efforts, we ensured that every penny of this funding was restored so that the work of protecting our Great Lakes can continue.” The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative helps protect the lakes from invasive species and water contamination. Michigan Radio |
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Victory Cruise Lines starts voyage of the Victory II from Montreal 8/3 - Victory Cruise Lines, a specialist in luxury cruises on the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, has officially commenced the inaugural voyage of its new vessel, the Victory II, from Montreal. For the occasion, the Port of Montreal hosted a cocktail reception recently on the terrace of its new cruise terminal, attended by members of the Montreal Cruise Committee and many guests from the business and tourism sectors. A commemorative plaque was given to Capt. Georgios Theodorou. “This is a fantastic day for us as we bring into service, here in Montreal, our second ship in the region. With this ship, we become the largest cruise operator on the Great Lakes,” said Bruce Nierenberg, Chairman of the Board and Founder of Victory Cruise Lines. With its two ships, Victory Cruise Lines offers itineraries that let passengers discover the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence. “Our routes go from Thunder Bay to Halifax. The Port of Montreal is already a major component on our route between Montreal and Detroit, and is set to become a major partner in the development of our cruises to the Maritime,” said Mr. Nierenberg. The Victory II departed from Montreal on July 28 and will reach Detroit on August 6. Oceancrew.org |
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Port Reports - August 3
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Aug 2 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Sights and Sounds: Freighters and Fog 8/3 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – River fog: it’s a phenomena caused by warm air flowing over a colder river. Sometimes, it can create beautiful scenes. In Sights and Sounds, Jim LeHocky takes us to the St. Marys River where freighters and fog together form a special kind of beauty. View the video here: https://www.9and10news.com/2018/07/31/sights-and-sounds-freighters-and-fog |
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Help wanted: Lake Michigan Carferry 8/3 - Lake Michigan Carferry is accepting applications for immediate placement in the engine department aboard the historic S.S. Badger. Candidates must possess a Merchant Mariner’s Credential with QMED endorsement and a valid TWIC card. The QMED can expect to live onboard the ship and stand a 4 hour watch twice a day, 7 days a week for the remainder of our 2018 sailing season (Aug – Oct). The job offers competitive wages and the possibility of rehire in the spring of 2019 for full-season work. Visit our website at www.ssbadger.com scroll down and click on Employment Opportunities to find an on-line application. EOE Lake Michigan Carferry |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 3 On this day in 1960, EDWARD L. RYERSON, new flagship of the Inland Steel fleet, successfully completed her sea trials.Under tow, the AVONDALE, a.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS of 1908, in tandem with former fleet mate FERNDALE. a.) LOUIS R. DAVIDSON of 1912, arrived at Castellon, Spain for scrapping in 1979. CANADOC left the St. Lawrence River on August 3, 1991, in tow bound for Mamonal, Colombia, for scrapping. August 3, 1946 - The third officer of the ANN ARBOR NO 6, drowned while painting her draft marks. He had apparently leaned too far and fell out of the rowboat. On 3 August 1900, FONTANA (wooden 2-mast schooner-barge, 231 foot, 1,164 gross tons, built in 1888, at St Clair, Michigan as a 4-mast schooner-barge) was carrying iron ore in tow of the steamer KALIYUGA. The FONTANA sheared off and collided with the big schooner-barge SANTIAGO and settled in the mouth of St. Clair River in the St. Clair Flats, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. After salvage was given up months later, she was dynamited several times to flatten and reduce her wreckage. Although officially no loss of life was reported, local newspaper reported that one crewman was drowned. The FONTANA was owned by Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. On 3 Aug 1857, R.H. RAE (3-mast wooden bark, 136 foot, 344 tons, built in 1857, at St. Catharines, Ontario) capsized and sank in a "white squall" off Duck's Creek on Lake Ontario. She went down slowly enough for her people to abandon in her small boat. They were later picked up by the propeller COLONIST. There was a big effort to salvage her the next summer, but to no avail. She was a total loss of $20,000. She was reportedly built for the trans-Atlantic trade and looked more like a seagoing schooner. Some sources give the date of the loss as 4 August 1857. The wreck is in very good condition. The Cousteau organization lost a diver on her in 1980. On 3 August 1915, ALEXANDRIA (wooden sidewheel passenger/package freight, 174 foot 863 gross tons, built in 1866, at Hull, Quebec, formerly a.) CONSORT, was carrying foodstuffs in Lake Ontario when she was blown on a bar in a storm and fog. She broke up by wave action under the Scarborough Bluffs, east of Toronto. Lifesavers worked for hours and rescued the entire crew. GARDEN CITY was caught in the same storm as ALEXANDRIA. This ship sustained smashed windows and a hole in the hull but was able to reach safety. 1920 – The wooden steamer MAPLEGROVE sank in the Welland Canal. The vessel was salvaged and sold for further service as JED. It had been built at Marine City in 1889 as CHEROKEE. 1927 – The bulk canaller CASCO of the Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. went aground at Pipe Island in the lower St. Marys River and required lightering before floating free and proceeding for repairs. 1962 – MEDINA PRINCESS, a former “Empire ship,” first came to the Great Lakes under British registry in 1959. It made 5 trips through the Seaway but went aground on a reef near Djibouti while enroute from Bremen, Germany, to China. The hull was refloated August 31 but was laid up at Djibouti. It remained idle until breaking loose and going aground on September 4, 1964. The hull was a total loss and, at last report, the wreck was partially submerged. 1978 – The French freighter JEAN L.D. made 37 trips to the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1967. It was sailing as c) CAVO STARAS when the engine room become flooded during a voyage from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the overnight hours of August 3-4, 1978. The vessel was towed to Dakar, Sierra Leone, on August 14 and sold to Spanish shipbreakers, via auction, on May 8, 1979. It arrived at Barcelona, under tow, on June 18, 1978, and scrapping began July 5 of that year. 2010 – SIDSEL KNUTSEN lost power due to a fire in the engine room and went aground off St. Clair, Mich. It remained stuck until August 9 and was then refloated and cleared to proceed to Montreal. It was operating in Canadian service at the time under a special waiver. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Lower Lakes Towing’s Manitoba renamed in preparation for scrap tow 8/2 - Lower Lakes Towing’s small straight-deck bulk carrier Manitoba, which has been laid up in the Port of Montreal since arriving under its own power on April 17, 2016, had its Canadian registry closed July 31. On Friday, the vessel is expected to be towed to Section 56 from Section 27 at the Port of Montreal to be prepared for a tow overseas. Her name has been shortened to Nito re-registered in Panama, which indicates that the vessel will eventually be towed for scrap, likely to an overseas destination. Manitoba was originally laid up in Hamilton, Ont., at Pier 12 East from Dec. 21-30, 2015 awaiting a dock to unload. Once that became available, the ship shifted over to Pier 25 South and the JRI/James Richardson Grain Elevator and Terminal to unload and lay up, arriving there on Dec. 30, 2015. It remained in lay up there before departing on April 16, 2016 for Montreal, where it arrived under its own power for lay up on April 17, 2016 at Section 27. Manitoba’s last full season of operation on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway was 2015/16. The vessel has a long and interesting history. She was built in 1967 at the Collingwood Shipyards in Collingwood, Ont., for the N.M. Paterson & Sons fleet as Mantadoc, a named it carried from 1967 until 2002. At that point, N.M. Paterson & Sons left the shipping business and sold three of its vessels to Canada Steamship Lines, one of which was Mantadoc. In 2002 the ship was renamed Teakglen, although it did not operate until the fall of 2002 when it made only one trip under that name with a storage load of grain for Goderich, Ont., arriving there in the fall of 2002 for lay-up. The ship was used as a grain storage hull from 2002 until 2005 when it left Goderich and arrived in Hamilton. From there, the ship was then sold to a newly-created company, Voyageur Marine Transport Ltd., which repainted the ship blue and renamed her Maritime Trader, a name it carried from 2005 until 2011. In 2011 the ship was purchased by Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover, Ont., which repainted the vessel gray and renamed her Manitoba. With the pending scrapping of the Manitoba, this leaves only the Cedarglen of the Canada Steamship Lines fleet, formerly the Cartierdoc, as the last remaining member of the Paterson fleet. Denny Dushane, Rene Beauchamp |
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Port Reports - August 2
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Aug 1 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Shipwrecks in Lake Superior near Thunder Bay get new heritage marker buoys 8/2 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Two more shipwrecks in the waters of Lake Superior near Thunder Bay now have heritage buoys to help divers find them, and to provide a spot to moor dive vessels. The Superior chapter of Save Ontario Shipwrecks has been setting up the buoys for about four years now to help promote dive tourism in the region. Divers marked the Gray Oak for the first time this year, and set up a new buoy near the Puckasaw, after the previous one vanished two years ago. In addition to helping divers, the buoys protect the wrecks by alerting fishers and crews of commercial vessels to steer clear of them. It's a benefit that was highlighted in late July when volunteers were setting up the buoy on the Gray Oak, said Richard Harvey, the chapter chair. "We noticed some large drag marks from anchors right around the ship," Harvey said. "It looks like something was anchored near there. It shouldn't have been. But there wasn't a mooring on this one. ... We have seen some significant damage that has been done probably having a chain dragged, one of the large chains from one of the big ships dragged across it." A total of five wrecks in the area, including the Howard, the Green River and the Robert Fryer, are now rigged with the buoys, which are funded in part by the government. CBC |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 2 On August 2, 1991, Paterson's 1961-built lake bulk carrier CANADOC, which had been in lay-up in Montreal since April 6, 1990, and sold for scrapping, cleared the port in tow of the Netherlands Antilles tug DALMAR SPIRIT, bound for Mamonal, Columbia, arriving there on August 26, 1991.On this day in 1880, the new Goodrich propeller CITY OF LUDINGTON was launched at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The CITY OF LUDINGTON was 170 feet loa x 35 feet x 11 feet, had 44 staterooms and a salon. She was built at a cost of $90,000. The CITY OF LUDINGTON was partially dismantled at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1930-1931, and the hull was towed to Big Summer Island, Lake Michigan in 1933, for use as a breakwall. On the morning of 02 August 1869, Deputy U. S. Marshall Insley sold at auction the scow AGNES HEAD to pay for debts incurred when she was repaired that spring by Mr. Muir and Mr. Stewart. Bidding started at $500 and ran very lively. Mr. John Stewart of Detroit purchased the vessel for $1,050. The AMERICAN MARINER (Hull#723) was launched on August 2, 1979, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Co. for the Connecticut Bank & Trust Co., (American Steamship Co., Buffalo, New York, mgr.). She was to be named CHICAGO, but that name was removed before launch. The U.S. Coast Guard's report on the sinking of the EDMUND FITZGERALD was released on August 2, 1977. It cited faulty hatch covers, lack of watertight cargo hold bulkheads and damage caused from an undetermined source as the cause of her loss. The BENSON FORD's maiden voyage was on August 2, 1924, with coal from Toledo, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota and returned with iron ore to the Ford Rouge Plant at Dearborn. On August 2, 1990, the Lightship HURON was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark. LIGHTSHIP 103 had been almost completely restored and was opened to the public in 1974, for tours and remains so at this time. August 2, 1862 - John C. Ackerman was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At the time of his death in 1916, he was commodore of the Pere Marquette carferry fleet based in Ludington. On 2 August 1877, GRACE A CHANNON (wooden schooner, 141 foot, 266 gross tons, built in 1873, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Buffalo when she collided with the propeller tug FAVORITE and sank 12 miles south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The young son of the owner of the CHANNON lost his life in this accident. In 1858, the wooden side-wheeler TELEGRAPH collided with the schooner MARQUETTE and sank 40 miles north of Cleveland. 1909 – GLENELLAH of Inland Navigation struck the east breakwall at Port Colborne, damaging both the ship and the structure. The vessel joined Canada Steamship Lines in 1913 becoming b) CALGARIAN (ii) in 1926. It was broken up at Hamilton in 1960. 1915 – KENORA went aground off Flat Point, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, enroute from Montreal to Sydney. The C.S.L. canal ship was operating on saltwater due to the demands of World War One and was soon refloated. 1931 – The RAPIDS KING took out the gates of Lock 2 of the St. Lawrence Canal at Montreal and SASKATOON was one of 7 ships left on the bottom of the channel. 1967 – The West German freighter JOHANN SCHULTE and the new Canadian self-unloader CANADIAN CENTURY brushed each other in the Welland Canal near Thorold. The former hit the bank and was holed but made it to the tie-up wall before settling on the bottom. The ship was travelling from Duluth-Superior to Poland with wheat. The 4-year old vessel was refloated August 5 and went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. It was scrapped in China as d) SINGAPORE CAR in 1984-1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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International Great Lakes shipping down 2 percent this year 8/1 - International shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes are down 2 percent so far this year after a sluggish start to the shipping season. A total of 12.1 million tons of cargo passed through the Seaway between March 29 and June 30 to Great Lakes ports such as the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Port of Chicago. The Chamber of Marine Commerce attributes the decline to a slight drop-off in salt shipments, and a later and slower start to the shipping season. “Summer is the season for construction projects, and ships have been delivering materials for major building projects across the region,” Chamber of Marine Commerce President Bruce Burrows said. “U.S. grain exports are also up this season and illustrate the importance of marine transportation to so many of America’s economic sectors. This was underlined by a new study released last week showing Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping supports 147,500 jobs and $25.6 billion in economic activity in United States.” So far this year, shipments of asphalt through the St. Lawrence Seaway are up by 38 percent and shipment of grain by 32.1 percent, as compared to the same period in 2017, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce. Liquid bulk shipments have risen by 28 percent and stone shipments by 27 percent. A recent study commission by the Chamber of Marine Commerce found Great Lakes shipping supports 19,518 jobs in Indiana, $1.2 billion in personal income and $13.7 billion in economic activity. NW Indiana Times |
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Port Reports - August 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Grand Haven, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit, Mich.
Ashtabula, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Jul 31 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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On board the USCGC Escanaba as it sails into Grand Haven 8/1 - Grand Haven, Mich. – The 94th Coast Guard Festival is also serving as a special homecoming for the USCGC cutter Escanaba, which was commissioned in Grand Haven on Aug. 29, 1987. The Escanaba is a medium-endurance vessel that's 270 feet long and has a 38 foot beam. A total of 105 men and women make up its crew. "We are the third Coast Guard vessel to bear the name Escanaba," said Michael Turdo, who is the ship's commanding officer. "We displace 1,800 tons." 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the first Escanaba Coast Guard cutter, which went down in the North Atlantic Ocean after a German U-boat hit it with a torpedo. 101 of the 103 sailors on board lost their lives. "It's really an honor to be on this ship and have it at Escanaba Park in Grand Haven and have this crew here," said Turdo. "This ship hasn't been back to Grand Haven since 1999." "For this crew to be able to be a part of this celebration and be a small part of representing the original crew from 75 years ago, and all the Escanaba crews since then, is really special." The Escanaba's transit to Grand Haven began in Boston, which is the ship's home port. It traveled past Quebec City, then Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Montreal before entering the Great Lakes, where it stopped in Cleveland, Ohio, and then Milwaukee, Wis., before ending up in Grand Haven on Monday. The USCGC Escanaba will be docked at Escanaba Park in Grand Haven throughout the Coast Guard Festival. Tours of the ship will happen Monday-Saturday, and the hours each day will vary. View photos and video at this link: https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/coast-guard/on-board-the-uscgc-escanaba-as-it-sails-into-grand-haven/69-578758111 |
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Annual tour of Grosse Ile Lighthouse to be held Sept. 9 8/1 - The 1906 Grosse Ile Lighthouse will be open for tour Sunday, Sept. 9th, from noon to 3 p.m. The lighthouse is only accessible this one time of the year. The bus ride (there is no parking at the site) to the lighthouse includes a narration on some of the history of Grosse Ile. The tour is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Limited to 90 people. The tour sold out last year and did not have any tickets available on the day of the event. So as to not disappoint any prospective attendees, reservations are required. Please call (734) 675-1250 for tour details, reservations, and tickets. The phone is not staffed daily so someone will return your call. Grosse Ile Historical Society |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 1 In 1862, UNION (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 163 foot, 434 ton, built in 1861, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was sold by the Goodrich Line to James H. Mead and J. F. Kirkland for $28,000. This was $9,000 more than Goodrich had paid to have the vessel built just the previous year.On August 1, 1982, the Canadian tanker L’ERABLE NO 1 entered service. Renamed b.) HUBERT GAUCHER in 1982. Sold foreign in 1996, renamed c.) RODIN and d.) OLYMPIC PRIDE in 2000. August 1957 - The PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1911 was sold to Luria Brothers, Chicago scrap merchants, along with the PERE MARQUETTE 14. On 1 August 1871, the construction of the canal through the St. Clair Flats was finished at a cost of $365,000. It was the first real channel built to help ships through the shallow waters where the St. Clair River empties into Lake St. Clair and where there are seven mouths or passes. It took the Canadian contractor John Brown three years to dig the channel that measures 300 feet wide and 8,421 feet long. The water was 18 feet deep. It was protected on most of its sides by piers and dikes. The new channel was considered too small even as it was being dug. At only 300 feet wide, tows of log rafts were encouraged to sue the old shallower channels. Within 20 years, plans were made to deepen the channel to 20 feet. On 1 August 1849, CHICAGO (wooden passenger/package freight vessel, 95 foot, 151 tons, built in 1842, at Oswego, New York) burned in Buffalo harbor. No lives were lost. 1911 – Seven lives were lost when the wooden passenger ship SIRIUS capsized and sank in the St. Lawrence 8 miles from Massena, N.Y. There were 75 passengers on board headed for a picnic when the accident occurred. Apparently, many passengers had rushed to one side of the ship to see a woodchuck as the ship was turning in the current and this led to the ship going over. 1951 – The first SAGUENAY to sail for Canada Steamship Lines was built at Govan, Scotland, in 1913 for service between Quebec City and Saguenay River ports. It left Canada for the Far East as b) KIANG YONG in 1946 and became c) YANGTSE PHOENIX in 1949. The vessel dragged her anchors while riding out a typhoon near Tai Po, Hong Kong, on this date in 1951, went aground and was wrecked. 1969 – The British freighter HOPERIDGE made two trips to the Great Lakes in 1959. It sank on this date in 1969 as b) BETHLEHEM due to a collision with the SHOWA MARU while about 30 miles from Singapore. The ship was enroute from Tokyo to Aden and 7 of the crew were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Ex- American Victory departs Montreal for Turkish scrapyard 7/31 - The tug V.B. Hispania towed Icto (the former American Victory and Middletown) out of Montreal Monday morning bound for the scrapyards at Aliaga, Turkey. |
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Port Reports - July 31
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ludington, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan ports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Detroit, Mich.
Ashtabula, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Jul 30 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Crucial weather and water info on Great Lakes just a quick text away 7/31 - Important weather conditions and water conditions are available from a large network of buoys on the Great Lakes. You can get the info with just a quick text. Unlike some of your kids, if you text a buoy it will always text you right back. There are 57 buoys across all of the Great Lakes. The network of buoys is deployed and maintained by the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), NOAA, universities and LimnoTech. Find out more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2018/07/crucial_weather_and_water_info.html |
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Coast Guard Great Lakes responds to 16 cases over weekend 7/31 - Cleveland, Ohio – Coast Guard Ninth District crews responded to a total of nine search and rescue cases and seven law enforcement cases throughout the Great Lakes Region over the weekend. Highlights from weekend search and rescue cases include: A 46-year-old male became overwhelmed by weather conditions while transiting from Peche Island to Belle Isle, Michigan, via kayak, Friday. He contacted his father who, in turn, contacted the Coast Guard. Coast Guard Sector Detroit launched a Response Boat-small crew from Station Belle Isle. The crew located the kayaker clinging to a dock, recovered and transferred him and the kayak to shore. A Coast Guard Air Station Detroit MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted and medically evacuated a cargo ship crewmember experiencing severe abdominal pain. The helicopter crew transported mariner from approximately 29 miles north of Cleveland to Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, Friday. An off-duty Coast Guard reservist chief boatswains mate responded to a vessel fire near Catawba Island, Ohio, Friday. He embarked two of the four people onto his vessel and passed his extinguisher to the other two, who were able to extinguish the electrical fire and transit to Put-In Bay. A Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor Response Boat-medium crew responded to a notification of a 25-foot vessel that was disabled and against the rocks with eight people onboard near East 55th Street Marina, Saturday. The Coast Guard crew embarked all eight passengers and towed the vessel back to its marina. Six out of the seven law enforcement cases involved boaters being under the influence of alcohol while operating a vessel. The Coast Guard reminds the boating community that operating a vessel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is dangerous and illegal. Alcohol is a leading contributing factor for boating fatalities. USCG |
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SS City of Milwaukee museum ship to hold Marine Enthusiast Weekend Aug. 4 7/31 - Manistee, Mich. – The museum ship SS City of Milwaukee will be having its second Marine Enthusiast Weekend on Saturday, Aug 4. The public is invited to bring and show their maritime collections, be it ship artifacts, pictures or other collectibles. A drone demonstration will take place at 10 a.m., and a special engine room tour will be conducted at 2 p.m. by a former engineer who worked on the boat. Videos will be shown throughout the day, wrapped up with a slide show in the evening. The public is welcome to bring slides to show. A Silent Auction will also be held, items include a pass for 2 on the SS Badger, a pass for 2 to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, various ship models, and more. The City of Milwaukee is located in Manistee on US31. More info at www.carferry.com |
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Celebrate Port Colborne’s homecoming with Canal Days 7/31 - Port Colborne, Ont. – The Port Colborne community comes together from Friday to Monday August 3 through 6 for the 40th annual Canal Days. This celebration of the Welland Canal was founded in 1979 by the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum and has been continued since then by the City of Port Colborne annually on the civic holiday long weekend. Title sponsorship of this year’s event is provided by Vale, which is celebrating 100 years of operations in the city in 2018, a sponsorship that helps keep the Canal Days celebration free all weekend long for the 400,000 visitors expected to enjoy the festivities. The celebration takes place primarily along West Street in downtown Port Colborne where the street is closed to traffic and is lined with local businesses, vendors and artisans with a direct view of the canal where a number of vessels can be found. Thanks to funding from Celebrate Ontario, the City of Port Colborne has brought in extra vessels, including the Empire Sandy tall ship, Buffalo fireboat Edward M. Cotter, US Brig Niagara, Lettie G. Howard, HMCS Oriole and the Private Robertson. The Empire Sandy, presented by the Chamber of Marine Commerce, welcomes people aboard with paid tickets for a variety of cruises, including to and from the festival via the canal from Port Dalhousie or morning, afternoon, dinner or the Sunday fireworks cruise. The remaining ships will be lined up along West Street with deck tours available. But the canal and West Street aren’t the only places you’ll find things to do during Canal Days. Read more at this link: https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/shopping-story/8743397-celebrate-port-colborne-s-homecoming-with-canal-days |
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Finish line nears for Grand Haven south pier repair project 7/31 - Grand Haven, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ south pier repair project wasn’t completed in time for this week’s Coast Guard Festival, but the finish line is in sight. According to Corps of Engineers Area Engineer Tom O’Bryan, the pier project could be wrapped up as soon as September. “So far this year, we’ve had very few of those bad days,” O’Bryan said. “It has been really helpful in getting this project accomplished.” Work on the project began in the fall of 2016 when the catwalk was removed from the pier and marine contractors began work on the first segment, from the shore to the inner lighthouse. The first segment of work was finished in 2017 and the pier was temporarily reopened. The second segment of work from the inner to outer lighthouse began this past spring. Once the pier repair project is finished, the catwalk can be put back on the structure. “We are on somewhat of a tandem bike with the Army Corps,” said Erin Turrell, who led the Save the Catwalk campaign. “The catwalk can’t get put back up until that project is finished.” Turrell noted that progress is being made in the fabrication process for new “bents” — the arched structures that make up the catwalk. The bents are being manufactured at a facility in Greenville. Turrell noted that the new bents should be completed by the fall so that they can be reinstalled on the pier in spring 2019. “This is a work in motion,” she said. “Unfortunately, you can’t snap your fingers and have it all done. I would like that, but that’s not going to happen.” By the time of the 2019 Coast Guard Festival, the pier and catwalk will be back to normal, noted Turrell. “Everything will be back the way it is supposed to be,” she said. “It’s been a long three years’ worth of work, and the payoff is going to be wonderful when we finally cut that ribbon. Even though people are getting used to it not being on there, I think everybody is excited to have the entrance to our harbor have the iconic structure on it that we need, and want.” Although the campaign has long since reached its fundraising goal, Turrell noted that work is still ongoing to build an endowment fund to help pay for the catwalk’s maintenance and repairs. “The community would not have to go through this large effort to raise money to fix it again,” Turrell said of the endowment. Grand Haven Tribune |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 31 On this day in 1948, in a total elapsed time of 19 hours, the JAMES DAVIDSON of the Tomlinson fleet unloaded 13,545 tons of coal at the Berwind Dock in Duluth and loaded 14,826 tons of ore at the Allouez Dock in Superior.On this day in 1955, Al A. Wolf, the first Chief Engineer of a Great Lakes freighter powered by a 7,000 hp engine, retired as Chief Engineer of the WILFRED SYKES. Chief Wolf started as an oiler on the POLYNESIA in 1911, became Chief Engineer in 1921, and brought out the SYKES in 1948. Sea trials took place for the JAMES R. BARKER this day in 1976. 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.). She was built at a cost of more than $43 million under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. She was the third thousand-footer to sail on the Lakes and the first built entirely on the Lakes. On July 31, 1974, the Liberian vessel ARTADI approached the dock at Trois Rivires, Que. where she damaged the docked GORDON C. LEITCH's stern. The CEDARBRANCH was damaged and sunk by an explosion on July 31, 1965, several miles below Montreal, Quebec resulting in a loss of one life. Repaired and lengthened in 1965, she was renamed b.) SECOLA in 1978, and c.) KITO MARU in 1979, and scrapped at Brownsville, Texas, in 1985. On 31 July 1849, ACORN (wooden schooner, 84 foot, 125 tons, built in 1842, at Black River, Ohio) was struck amidships by the propeller TROY near West Sister Island in Lake Erie. She sank quickly, but no lives were lost since all hands made it to the TROY. On 31 July 1850, AMERICA (wooden side-wheeler, 240 foot, 1,083 tons, built in 1847, at Port Huron, Michigan) suffered a boiler or steam pipe explosion while sailing on Lake Erie. The explosion immediately killed nine persons and scalded others who died later. The vessel was repaired and sailed for three more seasons. Data from: Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 30
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Jul 29 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda dock):
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Montreal, Que. |
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SS City of Milwaukee museum ship to hold Marine Enthusiast Weekend Aug. 4 7/30 - Manistee, Mich. – The museum ship SS City of Milwaukee will be having its second Marine Enthusiast Weekend on Saturday, Aug 4. The public is invited to bring and show their maritime collections, be it ship artifacts, pictures or other collectibles. A drone demonstration will take place at 10 a.m., and a special engine room tour will be conducted at 2 p.m. by a former engineer who worked on the boat. Videos will be shown throughout the day, wrapped up with a slide show in the evening. The public is welcome to bring slides to show. A Silent Auction will also be held, items include a pass for 2 on the SS Badger, a pass for 2 to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, various ship models, and more. The City of Milwaukee is located in Manistee on US31. More info at www.carferry.com |
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MTO dismisses rumors, says Pelee Islander II is fine 7/30 - Kingsville, Ont. – A “vicious rumor” that the new Pelee Islander II ferry is not up to Canadian standards is being dispelled by the Ministry of Transportation. The $40-million ferry arrived in Kingsville June 15 for prep work and crew training before it starts welcoming passengers, likely in late September. Perhaps because of the delay between arriving and going into service — even though the MTO said at the time it would take about three months to launch — rumors began circulating on social media and elsewhere shortly afterward. Some people claimed the new state-of-the-art boat, built by the Asenav shipbuilding company in Valdivia, Chile, was not up to Canadian electrical standards, among other issues. “That is a vicious rumor, concerning the electrical system,” said Pelee Island Mayor Rick Masse. “Absolutely vicious rumor. I don’t know why somebody would put that out there to try to damage a good thing going on here. It’s just not true.” Masse said he remains excited about the new ferry welcoming passengers soon. “I look forward to the Pelee Islander II going into operation,” he said. “I know there are challenges in getting it into service and I expect the MTO and the operator to work things through as soon as they can.” The MTO said Thursday the prep work is proceeding as planned. “The Pelee Islander II’s electrical system was built to meet North American standards and is operating as designed,” MTO spokeswoman Liane Fisher Bloxam said Thursday. “Crew training, vessel inspections and the certification process are ongoing at the Kingsville terminal. The vessel is expected to begin service early this fall.” Fisher Bloxam said there have been no issues with the boat registration process, though it is still in progress. “The vessel registration process began the moment the vessel entered Canadian waters,” she said. “The MTO and the shipyard are currently working with Transport Canada to complete this process. Crew training with the vessel on Lake Erie will begin once the Pelee Islander II is registered with Transport Canada.” Another rumor suggested salt water harmed the vessel, designed for fresh water, on its delivery voyage from Chile to Kingsville. But the MTO said the ship’s internal piping carried fresh water the whole time. And while its hull was exposed to saltwater during the month-long journey, upon its arrival in Kingsville, the vessel was washed of saltwater residue, which did not cause any problems. The Pelee Islander II, accented with navy and sky-blue stripes, will replace the 58-year-old Pelee Islander. The swap-out process, however, could take about two years, as the other ferry serving the island — the Jiimaan, in operation since 1992 — may undergo repairs. The 67.7-metre-long MV Pelee Islander II can accommodate 399 people and 34 cars, or four tractor-trailers and 16 cars. That is roughly the same as the Jiimaan, though the older ship can’t accept tractor-trailers. The Pelee Islander, by contrast, can only take 199 passengers and 10 cars. The docks in Leamington and Kingsville had to be modified to accommodate the bow of the new ship, operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Co., though that work is already complete. The only issue is that the Pelee Islander II won’t initially operate out of Kingsville, as the boat is eased into service. But Masse said he hopes the modern ferry will eventually boost the island. “It’s going to solidify our highway to the mainland for the next 50, 60 years,” he said. “Hopefully, it will spur some tourism and it’s going to alleviate some pent up demand for vehicle spots.” Windsor Star |
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Coast Guard rescues 5 from plane crash on North Fox Island 7/30 - Traverse City, Mich. – An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City rescued five people involved in a two-aircraft collision on North Fox Island, Michigan, Sunday. Three of the five personnel aboard the aircraft reported minor injuries, and the other two reported no injuries. Watchstanders from the Coast Guard Ninth District Command Center received notification from the Michigan State Police about the crash. The International Emergency Response Coordination Center confirmed a plane landing on the North Fox Island had collided with a plane already on the island and was able to communicate with one of the individuals through an alert device. The helicopter crew landed, embarked the five individuals, and transported them to awaiting emergency medical personnel in Traverse City. USCG |
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Updates - July 30 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Alina, Americaborg, BBC Luanda, BBC Mont Blanc, Bluewing, Calypso, Federal Asahi, Federal Columbia, Federal Schelde, Harbour Progress, Irma, Isa, Miedwie, NACC Argonaut, Ruddy, and Shoveler. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 30 July 30, 1996 - CSL's self-unloader H.M. GRIFFITH, which was off Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior, and bound for Nanticoke, Ontario, with a load of 22,775 tons of western coal, had a spontaneous combustion fire in her number 2 cargo hold. Water was used to cool the fire and the GRIFFITH used her unloading boom to dump 3,000 tons of coal into Lake Superior. After an inspection by the USCG at the Soo the following day, revealed only minor damage, the vessel was cleared to proceed on her journey. Reconstructed and renamed b.) RT HON PAUL J. MARTIN in 2000.This News Page on the BoatNerd site was launched in 1996, reporting the coal fire aboard the GRIFFITH. GORDON C. LEITCH (Hull#36) was launched July 30, 1952, at Midland, Ontario, by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd. for the Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker C.C.G.S. ALEXANDER HENRY entered service July 30, 1959. Since 1985, the HENRY has served as a museum in Kingston, Ontario. On 30 July 1871, the 162-foot bark HARVEY BISSELL was carrying lumber from Toledo to Tonawanda, New York. When she was on the Western end of Lake Erie, she sprang a leak. Although the crew worked the hand-powered pumps constantly, the water kept gaining at a rate of about a foot an hour. The tug KATE WILLIAMS took her in tow, intending to get her to Detroit to be repaired, but this proved impossible. So the BISSELL was towed close to Point Pelee and allowed to sink in 14 feet of water. The WILLIAMS then left for Detroit to get steam pumps and other salvage equipment. On returning, they pumped out the BISSELL, refloated and repaired her. She lasted until 1905. On 30 July 1872, the Port Huron Dry Dock launched SANDY, a lighter. Her dimensions were 75 feet x 20 feet x 5 feet. On 30 July 1873, George Hardison of Detroit announced the beginning of a new shipyard in Port Huron, Michigan. It would be located above the 7th Street Bridge on the Black River on land owned by J. P. Haynes, accessible by River Street. Within 30 days of this announcement, the new yard had orders for two canalers three-and-aft rig for delivery in the spring of 1874. Their dimensions were to be 146 feet overall, 139 feet ¬keel, 26 foot beam and 11 foot 6 inches depth. On 30 July 1866, CITY OF BUFFALO (wooden propeller, 340 foot, 2,026 tons, built in 1857, at Buffalo, New York as a side-wheeler) was unloading 72,000 bushels of wheat at the Sturgis Elevator at Buffalo, New York, when arsonists set fire to the complex. The fire destroyed the wharf, the elevator, several businesses and the ship. The arsonists were caught. Incidentally, the CITY OF BUFFALO was converted from a passenger side-wheeler to a propeller freighter during the winter of 1863-64. After the conversion, she was dubbed "the slowest steam-craft on the Lakes". Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Sociery, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 29
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Port Inland, Mich.
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Jul 28 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo (Tonawanda dock):
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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S.S. Badger 7/29 - Checkout this story that aired on PBS, it includes an interview with a passenger who was on the maiden voyage over 60 years ago. Steve Smith heads to the town of Ludington for a sunset cruise on the S.S. Badger. The Badgers is a coal-fired steamship that began transporting people and automobiles across Lake Michigan since 1953. The story includes an interview with Jackie Cleveland who was on board for the maiden voyage of the S.S. Badger over 60 years ago. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 29 OTTERCLIFFE HALL cleared Lauzon, Quebec, July 29, 1969 on her maiden voyage as the last "straight deck" Great Lakes bulk freighter built with a pilothouse forward.While at the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for general repairs and engine overhaul, the CITY OF SAGINAW 31 caught fire on July 29, 1971, destroying her cabin deck and rendering her useless for further use. The blaze was caused by an acetylene torch, and caused over $1 million in damage. She was not repaired. The CITY OF SAGINAW 31 was sold to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne, Ontario, for scrapping. On July 29, 1974 the W.W. HOLLOWAY grounded in Lake St. Clair off the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club while running downbound with stone. Lightering into the J.F. SCHOELKOPF JR was necessary before she was freed by four tugs on July 31st. ENDERS M. VOORHEES departed Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, Michigan, on her maiden voyage July 29, 1942, bound for Duluth, Minnesota, to load iron ore. She was the second of five "Supers" for the Pittsburgh fleet to enter service. July 29, 1974 - PERE MARQUETTE 21 was towed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to be reduced to a barge. The steam barge MARY ROBERTSON burned near Mackinac on 29 July 1872. Her crew escaped to a schooner-barge they were towing. The MATERIAL SERVICE foundered in a heavy summer gale in 1936, off the South Chicago lighthouse. She was a canal motor barge not designed for open-lake use. The side-wheel river steamer DOMINION burned to the water's edge at her dock in the Thames River near Chatham, Ontario, on 29 July 1875. She was built in 1867, at Wallaceburg, Ontario. 1912 – REPUBLIC stranded at Point Louise in the St. Marys River and sustained bottom damage. 1930 – The sandsucker GEORGE J. WHALEN capsized and sank off Dunkirk, N.Y., in heavy seas and 15 sailors perished. Only 6 were rescued and taken aboard the AMASA STONE. 1942 – The first PRESCODOC was torpedoed and sunk by U-160 off Georgetown, British Guiana, with the loss of 15 lives. The bauxite-laden steamer went down quickly, bow first, while enroute to Trinidad and only 5 were saved. 1943 – LOCKWELL and KEYBELL collided above Bridge 11 of the Welland Canal. The former was repaired at Port Dalhousie with $13,450 in damages. 1946 – TEAKBAY went aground on Featherbed Shoal off Carleton Island in the St. Lawrence while bound for Montreal with a load of coal. This member of the C.S.L. fleet was released, with the aid of tugs, the next day and proceeded to Kingston for repairs. 1971 – While undergoing a major refit at Manitowoc, fire broke out aboard the CITY OF SAGINAW 31 destroying the top deck and accommodation area. The damage was listed as between $450,000 and $700,000 and the vessel became a total loss. It was towed to Castellon, Spain, for scrapping. 1979 – The Cayman Islands registered QUIDNET came through the Seaway in 1978 but sank, in a collision with the SEA TIDE at Mamei Curve in the Panama Canal while enroute from Callao, Peru, to Trinidad. The hull was abandoned as a total loss and had to be cut in two before being towed away to a dumping ground. The ship had also been a Great Lakes visitor as b) LUDMILLA C. in 1968. 1993 – The second FEDERAL SCHELDE to visit the Great Lakes was built in 1977 and came inland that year on its maiden voyage with sugar for Montreal and Toronto. The ship received major bow damage after striking the ARARAT in the Orinoco River of Venezuela. It went to Hamburg, Germany, for repairs and resumed service. It became b) TRIAS in 1994 and continued Seaway service until 1999. The ship arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping on December 12, 2000. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jerry Pearson, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, Marine Historical Society of Detroit |
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Port Reports - July 28
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Jul 27 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 28 On July 28, 1973, the ROGER M. KYES (Hull#200) was christened at Toledo, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. by Mrs. Roger Kyes for the American Steamship Co. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989.B.A. PEERLESS (Hull#148) was launched July 28, 1952, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for British American Transportation Co. Ltd. Renamed b.) GULF CANADA in 1969, and c.) COASTAL CANADA in 1984. The JOHN T. HUTCHINSON was delivered on July 28th to the Buckeye Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.), Cleveland. The HUTCHINSON 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. The vessel was the ninth Maritimer and fourth of the six L6-S-Al types delivered. "L6" meant the vessel was built for the Great Lakes and was 600 to 699 feet in length. The "S" stood for steam power and "Al" identified specific design features. On 28 July 1854, BOSTON (wooden propeller, 134 foot, 259 tons, built in 1847, at Ohio City, Ohio) was bound from Chicago for Ogdensburg, New York, with pork, corn, whiskey and produce. On Lake Ontario, about 20 miles off Oak Orchard, New York, she collided with the bark PLYMOUTH and sank in about 20 minutes. No lives were lost. The crew and passengers made it to shore in three lifeboats. The boat that the captain was in sailed 50 miles to Charlotte, New York. In 1900, the freighter PRINCETON (Hull#302) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. On 28 July 1862, CONVOY (2-mast wooden schooner, 130 foot, 367 tons, built in 1855, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing downbound on a dark night on Lake Erie with 18,000 bushels of wheat when she collided with the empty bark SAM WARD and sank quickly in 12 fathoms of water. Her wreck drifted along the bottom and during the shipping season several vessels collided with her. 1922 – The wooden passenger and freight carrier CARIBOU went aground in the North Channel of Georgian Bay near Richards Landing. 1923 – The wooden steamer W.J. CARTER, enroute from Oswego to Cobourg with a cargo of coal, began leaking and sank in Lake Ontario 20 miles south of Point Peter. Nine crewmembers were rescued by the KEYPORT. 1929 – The newly-built canaller C.H. HOUSON was in a collision with the collier WABANA off Cap au Saumon on the St. Lawrence in heavy fog. The investigation of the accident was critical of the operation of both vessels. The former served in the Misener fleet, becoming b) PAUL MANION in 1949, and was scrapped at Deseronto, Ontario, in 1961. 1949 – NORMAN J. KOPMEIER was holed by an underwater obstruction entering Muskegon with a cargo of coal from Chicago. The vessel had to be beached and almost capsized. It was later refloated and repaired. The ship last sailed as e) PINEDALE in 1976 and was scrapped at Hamilton in 1981. 1961 – After loading a cargo of scrap steel for Japan on its first visit to the Great Lakes, the Greek freighter MIHALIS ANGELOS ran aground leaving Toronto harbor. The ship had been one of the “Empire Class” ships of World War Two, being built as a) EMPIRE MASEFIELD. It arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping as f) GLORIA on December 6, 1967. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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U.S. grain exports, construction materials boost Great Lakes-Seaway shipping 7/27 - United States grain exports via the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 32.1 percent this season compared to 2017. Construction materials were also heavily influential in the latest results with a nearly 38 percent increase in asphalt from the same time last year, as well as increases in cement and stone. “Summer is the season for construction projects and ships have been delivering materials for major building projects across the region,” says Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S. grain exports are also up this season and illustrate the importance of marine transportation to so many of America’s economic sectors. This was underlined by a new study released last week showing Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping supports 147,500 jobs and U.S.$25.6 billion in economic activity in United States.” Overall cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway between March 29 and June 30 totaled 12.1 million metric tons, down by 2 percent compared to the same period in 2017. The slight decrease is due to the later and slower start of the season and a decline in salt shipments. Year-to-date U.S. grain shipments via the Seaway (between March 29 and June 30) totaled 681,000 metric tons, up 32.1 percent compared to the same period in 2017. Liquid bulk shipments, which include petroleum and asphalt products among others, totaled 1.8 million metric tons – up 28 percent. Stone shipments were up 32 percent and cement shipments were up 24 percent. Chamber of Marine Commerce |
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Coast Guard, Good Samaritan responds to capsized vessel near Detour 7/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Coast Guard responded to a report of a capsized vessel near Detour Passage Wednesday evening. Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie command center received a call via VHF-FM radio channel 16 from the cargo vessel Lee A. Tregurtha reporting that a 17-foot pleasure craft had capsized with four people onboard. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Buckthorn, launched a Station Sault Ste. Marie response boat crew, and requested an MH-60 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City. The Tregurtha also came about to offer assistance. Approximately five minutes later, a Good Samaritan who heard the urgent marine information broadcast arrived on scene. The Good Samaritan vessel brought all four people onboard their vessel shortly before a response boat crew from Coast Guard Cutter Buckthorn arrived on scene. The four people were transported to the Detour Village boat launch. The capsized vessel sank in approximately 135 feet of water near Detour Passage. The Coast Guard is currently monitoring the area for any possible pollution or hazards to navigation. The Army Corps of Engineers will survey the channel. The Coast Guard reminds boaters to always wear a life jacket. The number one cause of boating fatalities is drowning, most often by sudden, unexpected entry into the water. Wearing a life jacket dramatically increases the chances of surviving a boating accident. USCG |
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Port Reports - July 27
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Jul 26 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Bowmanville:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Education secretary’s $40 million yacht vandalized at Huron dock 7/27 - Huron, Ohio –A boat owned by the family of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was vandalized over the weekend while moored at a Huron dock, according to the Huron Police Department. The Seaquest was moored at the Huron Boat Basin, 330 Main St., according to a police report. The captain of the 163-foot yacht, worth a reported $40 million, called police at about 6 a.m. Sunday, telling them that he and the crew realized at sunrise that someone had untied Seaquest from the dock, setting it adrift. The crew eventually got control of the yacht, but not before it struck the dock, causing an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 in damage from large scratches and scrapes, according to the police report. The Seaquest, according to a number of profiles in national publications, is one of 10 boats owned by the family. It is registered to RDV International Marine LTD., according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection database. That company is at the same location as RDV Corporation, the company that manages the DeVos family's wealth. According to superyachtfan.com, the SeaQuest can accommodate 12 guests and 12 crew members. Toledo Blade |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 27 On 27 July 1884, ALBERTA (steel propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 264 foot, 2,282 gross tons, built in 1883, at Whiteinch, Scotland, by C. Connell & Co.) collided in fog six miles north north west of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior with the JOHN M. OSBORNE (wooden propeller "steam barge", 178 foot, 891 tons, built in 1882, at Marine City, Michigan. The OSBORNE had two barges in tow at the time. ALBERTA stayed in the gash until most of OSBORNE's crew scrambled aboard, then pulled out and the OSBORNE sank. ALBERTA sank in shallow water, 3 1/2 miles from shore. 3 or 4 lives were lost from the OSBORNE, one from ALBERTA in brave rescue attempt while trying to get the crewmen off the OSBORNE. This was ALBERTA's first year of service. She was recovered and repaired soon afterward. She was the sister of the ill-fated ALGOMA which was lost in her first year of service. The wreck of the OSBORNE was located in 1984, 100 years after this incident.On 27 July 1900, the steel freighter RENSSELAER (Hull#402) was launched in Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company. 1897 – SELWYN EDDY and MARIPOSA collided head-on in dense fog off Manitou Island, Lake Superior. The damage was light, as both ships were proceeding slowly due to the conditions. 1912 – G. WATSON FRENCH, later the first ALGOWAY, was in a collision with the MATAAFA in Lake St. Clair and the latter was heavily damaged and almost sank. 1931 – The Canada Steamship Lines bulk canaller BARRIE went aground at Les Ecureuils Shoal in the St. Lawrence while enroute to Quebec City. 1944 – The FORT PERROT was damaged by a torpedo in the English Channel south of Hastings, while providing support for the ongoing invasion of Normandy and the liberation of Europe. As c) DORION, this ship made two trips to the Great Lakes in 1959. The vessel was scrapped at Yokohama, Japan, as e) ANTONIOS S. after arriving on June 17, 1963. 1987 – The ANDREW H. went aground off Cornwall Island, in the St. Lawrence, after experiencing steering problems. The ship, loaded with steel for Dofasco in Hamilton, was lightered by MAPLEHEATH and released on August 2. The cargo was reloaded at Valleyfield. The ship first came inland as EKTOR in 1976. It arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as e) BLUEWEST on January 31, 1998. 1999 – The SPIRIT OF 98 went aground on a rock in the Gulf of Alaska 40 miles southeast of Juneau, forcing the passengers to abandon the ship. Flooding was checked and the ship released and repaired. As c) VICTORIAN EMPRESS, the ship saw passenger service on the St. Lawrence and came into the Great Lakes to Lake Ontario beginning in 1990. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 26
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Jul 25 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Montreal, Que. |
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Historic freighter's wheelhouse moved to final home 7/26 - Port Burwell, Ont. – On Friday, July 20, several residents along with some visitors to Port Burwell watched as the George Barnes Memorial Wheelhouse was moved from the bottom of Pitt Street by the flats next to Otter Creek about 100 metres (328 feet) up the hill and across the intersection at Robinson Street to its final home in front of the Port Burwell Marine Museum. Workers completed the task using specialized equipment including a transport truck fitted with gears for heavy hauling. The move started shortly before 11 a.m. that day and took a few hours. The workers broke off the job to have lunch after the wheelhouse was positioned in front of the concrete pad directly in front of the museum, which will be the exhibit’s permanent resting place. The interior restoration of the wheelhouse is expected to take several more months. The wooden two-story wheelhouse was the navigational control room on the Fernglen (previously Silver Bay and Judith M. Pierson), a large ship that sailed the Great Lakes for almost 70 years. The structure’s name recognizes the patriarch of the family that donated the wheelhouse to the Port Burwell Historical Society. Aylmer Express |
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Cutter Escanaba on her way to Grand Haven, Coast Guard Festival 7/26 - The USCGC Escanaba passed up under the Bluewater Bridge in Port Huron Wednesday just after 2 p.m. headed for Grand Haven and the annual Coast Guard Festival. The Escanaba exchanged salutes with the USCGC Hollyhock as well as the Lightship Huron. As the Escanaba passed under the bridge, they were met by the Huron Lady II tour boat, and they exchanged salutes as well. The Escanaba and other vessels will be open for tours at various times during the Coast Guard Festival, which runs July 30-Aug. 4. Other vessels that are expected to be on hand are the USCGC Morro Bay, USCGC Buckthorn, USCGC Hollyhock and CCGC Constable Carriere. For information on tours, visit this link: https://www.coastguardfest.org/events/ship-tours Denny Dushane |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 26 On July 26, 2005, the salty ORLA ran aground at Kahnawake, Quebec, and the passing rum tanker JO SPIRIT made contact with her. Both vessels were damaged and repaired in Montreal.ALGOWEST sailed on her maiden voyage in 1982 from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Quebec City with a 27,308 ton load of barley. On July 26, 1943 the BRUCE HUDSON caught fire while loading gasoline at East Chicago, Illinois, and four people lost their lives. CONALLISON departed Windsor, Ontario on her first trip for Johnstone Shipping Ltd. on July 26, 1981. WILLIAM A. McGONAGLE (Hull#154) sailed light on her maiden voyage from Great Lakes Engineering Works at Ecorse, Michigan on July 26, 1916, to Duluth, Minnesota, to load iron ore. Renamed b.) HENRY STEINBRENNER in 1986. She was scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario, in 1994. On 26 July 1885, ISLE ROYALE (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 92 foot, 92 gross tons, built in 1879) sprang a leak near Susick Island near Isle Royale on Lake Superior. She sank but her passengers and crew made it to the island. She was owned by Cooley, Lavague & Company of Duluth. She was originally built as the barge AGNES. 1910 ZENITH CITY went aground at Au Sable Reef, near Marquette, due to fog. The ore-laden steamer sustained damage to 60 planes. 1943 The Canadian tanker BRUCE HUDSON caught fire loading high-octane gasoline at Phillips Petroleum in South Chicago. The Captain, his son and 2 crewmen were killed. The ship was rebuilt and eventually scrapped at Cartagena, Colombia, by 1983 as c) WITCROIX. 1948 ROGN, a Norwegian tanker, went aground in the St. Lawrence at Toussant Island, near Iroquois, after the steering gear failed. The tugs SALVAGE PRINCE and SALVAGE QUEEN pulled the vessel free. It was in ballast and operated on charter to the McColl-Frontenac Oil Company. The ship was scrapped at Piraeus, Greece, as c) PIRAEUS III in 1981. 1965 The Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier GEORGIAN BAY stood by the small wooden pulpwood carrier PRINCE QUEBEC on Lake Ontario. Cables were strung to the small ship, enroute to Tonawanda, NY with a cargo of pulpwood, to help keep it afloat. PRINCE QUEBEC was later taken to La Petite Riviere, Quebec, beached and never repaired. Apparently the hull was burned by vandals in the 1970s. 1983 PRA RIVER was registered in Ghana when it came to the Great Lakes in 1963. It went aground, enroute from Las Palmas, Canary Islands, to Lagos, Nigeria, as c) MAYON II on this date in 1983 and was abandoned. 2000 HIAWATHA, a ferry dating from 1895, was sunk by vandals at Toronto. It operated between the mainland and a Toronto Island yacht club. The hull was refloated July 28 and taken to Hamilton for restoration, repairs and a return to service. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, published by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Bluewater ferry owners taking on the feds 7/25 - Sombra, Ont. – Saying they had no other choice, the owners of the Bluewater Ferry are suing the federal government after ice ripped out the causeway that connects the ferry dock to the Canadian shoreline in January. Co-owner Morgan Dalgety says he has video from four multi-directional Canada Customs cameras that show the St. Clair River was completely clogged with dense ice from south of Sombra all the way north to Bickford Line at the time. The icebreaker Samuel Risley was escorting four downbound freighters. “I filed a Freedom of Information request and got their AIS, which is an automatic identification system of all ships that shows their speed, their plotted course and where they’re at,” says Dalgety. “The speed limit in the river just north of the dock is ten knots. Just above lighted buoy 42, they were doing 14. It shows they were doing well over the speed limit. The river’s full of ice and it has nowhere to go.” The Coast Guard says northerly winds flushed a large amount of ice from Lake Huron into the river during the week of January 8 but Dalgety says the video shows the winds were out of the south the day the causeway was ripped out. He says repeated pleas to Ottawa for funding for repairs have fallen on deaf ears so the fifth generation family business had no other choice but to sue. Dalgety says the cost of repairs has risen from $1.5-million to $3-million. The Sombra-to-Marine City ferry generates $3.5-million in taxes and duties for Ottawa each year. He says the family has mortgaged property to try to finance repairs and they’re still waiting for permits to begin, although nothing can begin until spawning season is over. Blackburn News |
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Port Reports - July 25
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont. – Brad Kelch Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Jul 24 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 25 In 1991 the 16-man crew of the ocean-going tug PACIFIC TIDE NO 3 were arrested at Montreal on charges of smuggling drugs. The tug had arrived from the Philippines to tow the damaged Spanish vessel MILANOS to Spain.Algoma Central Marine's former ALGOCEN departed Montreal on July 25, 2005, under tow of the tugs ATLANTIC OAK and ANDRE H bound for Keasby, New Jersey. She was renamed b.) VALGOCEN and was registered in Panama. She later sailed as J.W. SHELLEY and PHOENIX STAR. The bow section of the ROGER BLOUGH (Hull#900) was floated into the new American Ship Building Co. Lorain dry dock on July 25, 1970, and was joined with the 421-foot stern section. The launch of the completed hull was scheduled for July 1971, but a fire broke out in the engine room on June 24, 1971, killing four yard workers and extensively damaging her Pielstick diesel engines. Extensive repairs, which included replacement of both engines, delayed the launch for nearly a year. CANADA MARQUIS was upbound at Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1983, on her maiden voyage for Misener Holdings Ltd. She sails today as CSL's e.) BIRCHGLEN. July 25, 1983 - A wedding was held aboard the BADGER. Chris Gebhart and Pat Sroka of Ludington were married by Rev. John Christensen. The wooden lumber tug CYGNET, which worked on the Shiawassee and Bad Rivers and Lake Huron, was destroyed when her boiler exploded in "Blow-up Bayou" on the Shiawassee River in 1875. The wooden bulk freighter D C WHITNEY was launched at Langell's shipyard in St. Clair, Michigan on 25 July 1882. Her dimensions were 229 feet x 40 feet x15 feet, 1090 gross tons. 1911: Efforts to beach the leaking wooden, coal-laden, freighter RAPPAHANNOCK failed and the ship sank off Jackfish Point, Lake Superior after an unsuccessful battle with 75 mph winds. All on board were saved 1964: SUNNABRIS made 4 trips through the Seaway in 1959 and returned as c) SEA FRIEND in 1961 and d) DEMOKRITOS in 1962. The ship dated from 1929 and it went aground, while inbound at Alexandria, Egypt, on this date and was abandoned as a total loss. The hull was sold to Yugoslavian salvors and cut up for scrap where it was. 1991: YANKCANUCK (ii) went aground in the St. Marys River about four miles from DeTour. The ship was carrying a cargo of scrap steel for Chicago and was operating as a barge under tow of the ANGLIAN LADY. The vessel was lightered and released. 1994: GEORGE A. STINSON, downbound with a cargo of iron ore for Detroit, went aground in the St. Clair River but was refloated. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Canal traffic delayed after vessel loses engine power in Lock 5 7/24 - Thorold, Ont. – An engine issue caused an ocean-going vessel to hit a ship arrester in the flight locks on the weekend, delaying at least three other vessels in the Welland Canal. St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. spokesperson Andrew Bogora said Federal Rideau, owned by Montreal-based Fednav, couldn't slow as quickly as it would have otherwise when entering Lock 5 East. "It contacted the ship arrester … it kept the ship in place. It did its job." A ship arrester, Bogora said, is a steel cable that is put in place by a steel arm inside the lock. It's lowered across the lock chamber and locked into place before a vessel is in its final mooring position. They are put at the bow or the stern depending on whether the vessel is upbound or downbound. Upbound vessels in the Welland Canal are those headed from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, while downbound are those headed from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Bogora said in many instances arrester cables are lowered at the bow and stern of vessels in the locks. The arrester had to be replaced after the incident. What caused the delay, said Bogora, was the nearly 200-metre-long vessel had to be inspected before being authorized to move through the canal. He said there was an unusual delay as the seaway authority waited for a member of the Classification Society — a non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships — to come and inspect Federal Rideau's engines. The ship was eventually cleared after sitting in the lock for an extended period of time. He also said the seaway has been having issues with valves in Lock 5, which are causing the lock to fill up a bit slower than usual. "We've changed the calibration of those valves … once we have the winter shutdown, they will be replaced." St. Catharines Standard |
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Port Reports - July 24
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Jul 23 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto: |
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Great Lakes water levels still trending high 7/24 - The Great Lakes have been showing a trend of higher-than-average water levels for several years, and experts say it would take a fairly drastic change in weather patterns for that to change any time in the next 12 months. Lauren Fry, a hydraulic engineer and forecaster with the Army Corps of Engineers, said the recent high trend in water levels has been ongoing since mid-2013. The Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, keeps track of water patterns in the Great Lakes. Fry said at the start of 2013, Lakes Michigan and Huron, which are recorded together for data purposes, were coming off of much-lower-than-average levels, but over the next two years they saw a record-breaking increase. Fry said that was because of the particularly wet weather experienced during that time frame. Since then, water levels have remained consistently high, year in and year out. In June, the average monthly value was four inches higher than in June of last year, and a full 17 inches higher than the long-term average. That’s not quite as high as the record-breaking year for June, which was in 1986, but it’s still considerable. The other Great Lakes have seen similar trends. Read more at this link: https://www.petoskeynews.com/news/local/great-lakes-water-levels-still-trending-high/article_dc9f9664-d73e-517a-bce0-7359a3d468e7.html |
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'Meet the Mackinaw' event to showcase retired icebreaker 7/24 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – The history of the retired U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Mackinaw – which now houses the Icebreaker Mackinaw Mackinaw Museum – will be showcased during a “Meet the Mackinaw” event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the dockside museum, 131 S. Huron Ave., Mackinaw City. Meet the Mackinaw is intended to be be a fun and educational on-deck celebration. This event will feature a guest speaker, book signings with local authors Jonathan Rand and Mike Fornes, and an opportunity to meet former and active duty Coast Guard personnel who will share insights, stories and history. There will be nautical games, activities for the kids and a hot dog lunch. Rand, the author of the Michigan Chillers series, will be on board from 11 a.m.-noon to sign copies of his book “Great Lakes Ghost Ship” that was written about the ship. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mike Fornes will be there with his book “USCGC Mackinaw, An Illustrated History of a Great Lakes Queen.” “Queen of the Great Lakes” is a nickname for the retired icebreaker. In addition, hot dogs, chips and pop will be available from noon-1 p.m., while supplies last, and there will be nautical-themed kid’s games from 1-2 p.m. Admission is free for ages 5 and younger, $6 for youth ages 6-17 and $11 for adults. For more information on this and other events, “like” Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum on Facebook or visit www.themackinaw.org. Petoskey News Review |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 24 On this day in 1908, the 556-foot ELBERT H. GARY arrived to a 21-gun salute to deliver the first cargo of Minnesota ore at the new United States Steel mill in Gary, Indiana.The keel for the TEXACO CHIEF (Hull#193) was laid July 23, 1968, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Texaco Canada Ltd. Renamed b.) A.G. FARQUHARSON in 1986, and c.) ALGONOVA In 1998. She was sold for further service overseas in 2007. CANADOC sailed on her maiden voyage July 23, 1961. Upper Lakes Shipping Co. Ltd.'s, RED WING was christened on July 23, 1960, as the first all-welded vessel to emerge from Port Weller Dry Docks. On 23 July 1878, H R PRESTON (wooden quarter-deck canal boat built in 1877, at Oneida Lake, New York) was carrying 250 tons of ashes from Picton, Ontario to Oswego, New York, in tow of the tug ALANSON SUMNER along with three other canal boats when they encountered a storm on Lake Ontario. About 15 miles from Oswego, the PRESTON broke her towline and was taken alongside the SUMNER with some difficulty. About a mile out of port she lost her hold tarps and began to sink quickly. She was cut loose from the tug and her two crewmen were saved by the Oswego tug WM AVERY. Though she was lying heavily on the bottom in 50 feet of water, her wreckage came ashore near 4 Mile Point in early September. 1918: PETER REISS and the GLENSHEE were in a collision at the #3 ore dock at Duluth. Fog and the current were blamed for the accident, with only limited damage to both ships. 1934: An explosion and fire aboard the tanker barge EN-AR-CO during fit-out at Toronto resulted in the loss of 4 lives. The ship was rebuilt as a coal barge and was finally scrapped at Hamilton in 1969. 1955: The tug HELENA capsized at South Chicago while taking on coal from a scow and two sailors were lost. The vessel was refloated on July 26. It survives today as c) DANIEL McALLISTER, a museum ship on display in the Lachine Canal at Montreal. 1968: The former tanker ORION was operating as a sand barge when it sank in Lake Erie about 1,000 feet off the Lorain lighthouse due to choppy seas. The hull was raised by the Corps of Engineers, beached August 2 and assumed to have been subsequently scrapped. 1985: FOTINI D.E. first came through the Seaway in 1976 and, in 1980, became the first overseas vessel to load grain at the port of Goderich. It ran aground on this date in 1985, enroute from Venezuela to a U.S. Gulf coast port, and was abandoned as a total loss on July 31. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 23
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday July 22 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 23 On this day in 1908, the 556-foot ELBERT H. GARY arrived to a 21-gun salute to deliver the first cargo of Minnesota ore at the new United States Steel mill in Gary, Indiana.The keel for the TEXACO CHIEF (Hull#193) was laid July 23, 1968, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Texaco Canada Ltd. Renamed b.) A.G. FARQUHARSON in 1986, and c.) ALGONOVA In 1998. She was sold for further service overseas in 2007. CANADOC sailed on her maiden voyage July 23, 1961. Upper Lakes Shipping Co. Ltd.'s, RED WING was christened on July 23, 1960, as the first all-welded vessel to emerge from Port Weller Dry Docks. On 23 July 1878, H R PRESTON (wooden quarter-deck canal boat built in 1877, at Oneida Lake, New York) was carrying 250 tons of ashes from Picton, Ontario to Oswego, New York, in tow of the tug ALANSON SUMNER along with three other canal boats when they encountered a storm on Lake Ontario. About 15 miles from Oswego, the PRESTON broke her towline and was taken alongside the SUMNER with some difficulty. About a mile out of port she lost her hold tarps and began to sink quickly. She was cut loose from the tug and her two crewmen were saved by the Oswego tug WM AVERY. Though she was lying heavily on the bottom in 50 feet of water, her wreckage came ashore near 4 Mile Point in early September. 1918: PETER REISS and the GLENSHEE were in a collision at the #3 ore dock at Duluth. Fog and the current were blamed for the accident, with only limited damage to both ships. 1934: An explosion and fire aboard the tanker barge EN-AR-CO during fit-out at Toronto resulted in the loss of 4 lives. The ship was rebuilt as a coal barge and was finally scrapped at Hamilton in 1969. 1955: The tug HELENA capsized at South Chicago while taking on coal from a scow and two sailors were lost. The vessel was refloated on July 26. It survives today as c) DANIEL McALLISTER, a museum ship on display in the Lachine Canal at Montreal. 1968: The former tanker ORION was operating as a sand barge when it sank in Lake Erie about 1,000 feet off the Lorain lighthouse due to choppy seas. The hull was raised by the Corps of Engineers, beached August 2 and assumed to have been subsequently scrapped. 1985: FOTINI D.E. first came through the Seaway in 1976 and, in 1980, became the first overseas vessel to load grain at the port of Goderich. It ran aground on this date in 1985, enroute from Venezuela to a U.S. Gulf coast port, and was abandoned as a total loss on July 31. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Cement-carrying fleet evolution continues 7/22 - Saturday evening the NACC Argonaut was downbound near mid-Lake Ontario while the McKeil Spirit was loading in Picton. English River was expected at the for Port Colborne piers about 8:15 p.m. According to reports this was her last trip, as she will tie up to be scrapped. This completes the change of an era of shipping cement in the Kingston area, as the Stephen B. Roman is already tied in Toronto. Ron Walsh |
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Port Reports - July 22
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report – Saturday Jul 21 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte: Welland Canal and regional report – Friday Jul 20 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 22 On this day in 1961, the barge CLEVECO, originally lost with a crew of 22 during a December 02, 1942, storm on Lake Erie, was floated by salvagers, towed outside the shipping lanes, and intentionally sunk.PERE MARQUETTE 22 (Hull#210) was launched on July 22, 1924, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for the Pere Marquette Railway Co. One hundred years ago on 22 July 1900, the tug MATT HESSER was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by H. D. Root for Captain Burke of Erie. The M.I. MILLS (wooden propeller tug, 122 foot, 152 tons, built in 1867, at Marine City, Michigan), which sank in a collision with the bark UNADILLA on 9 May 1873, was found on 22 July 1873, in 90 feet of water in Lake Huron off Sand Beach, Michigan. Plans were made to raise her at the cost of $5,000. This effort was unsuccessful as was another abortive attempt in 1895. 1965 MARIVIKI dated from 1940 as a) TEMPLE INN and visited the Seaway in 1960. The ship was beached in Colla Bay, near Mormugao, India, after developing leaks on a voyage from Madras, India, to Constanza, Romania. The hull later broke in two and was a total loss. 1967 A small fire erupted in the machine shop of the West German freighter TRANSAMERICA while a crewman was welding in Milwaukee. The blaze was soon brought under control. The ship last operated in 1978 as f) ARISTOTELES before being broken up at Gadani Beach, Pakistan. 1968 The Paterson bulk carrier CANADOC, loading at the Continental Elevator in Chicago, was struck on the starboard side by the Belgian vessel TIELRODE as it passed upsteam under tow. The latter returned through the Seaway as c) GEORGIOS C. in 1977 and was scrapped at Huangpo, China, as e) OPORTO in 1985. 1970 ULYSSES REEFER caught fire in Toronto resulting in an estimated $30,000 in damage. The ship first came inland in 1969 and returned as c) ITHAKI REEFER in 1972 prior to being scrapped at Blyth, Scotland, in 1973. 1989 MAR CATERINA, downbound at the Snell Lock, struck the fender boom and all Seaway navigation was temporarily delayed. The ship began Seaway trading as b) ASTORGA in 1985. As of 2012, the vessel is apparently still operating as e) ASPHALT TRADER. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Marine Safety Unit Chicago issues first towing vessel Certificate of Inspection 7/21 - Chicago, Ill. – Marine Safety Unit Chicago issued the first Certificate of Inspection (COI) in its area of responsibility to the towing vessel Prentiss Brown, operated by Port City Marine Services, Friday. This is the Ninth District's first Certificate of Inspection issued to a towing vessel under the new regulations and one of the first Coast Guard option COI's issued nationwide. A COI is issued to a vessel after the vessel has completed a thorough examination of safety equipment, machinery, pollution prevention equipment, navigation equipment, life-saving equipment and more. Crew members must also demonstrate their ability to fight fires and take appropriate action in emergency situations. Receipt of a Certificate of Inspection is the result of significant investment into the safety of the vessel on the part of owners and operators. “Shortly after Subchapter M was enacted, Port City Marine started working very closely with Marine Inspectors from USCG MSU Chicago," said Ed Hogan, Vice President of Operations. "Throughout the process, we had an open and transparent relationship with the inspectors, as our crew worked through various issues. The goal all along was safety and compliance, which we achieved through partnership with the Coast Guard.” Subchapter M, as the new towing vessel inspections regulations are called, is coming into force, Friday. Approximately 6,000 towing vessels across the country will become inspected by the Coast Guard under these new requirements. Vessels will have two options, to be inspected under the traditional Coast Guard Marine Inspections program, or to enroll in a safety program with an authorized Third Party Organization (TPO). The Coast Guard hopes to leverage industry partnerships with TPOs to maintain the safety of the vessels and waterways, while reducing the burden to industry. “Subchapter M is a new regulation, but we have a long history of partnerships with many local towing vessel companies,” said Lt. Kate Woods, Inspections Division Chief at MSU Chicago. “It is great to see the results of the hard work of the inspectors and mariners to obtain a COI.” Woods anticipates that MSU Chicago’s fleet of inspected vessels will double by the end of the phase-in period, July of 2022. Other inspected vessels include tank barges, small passenger vessels, and Great Lakes freight vessels. More information about Subchapter M can be found at this link: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/tvncoe |
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Port Reports - July 21
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis.
Northern Lake Huron
Cleveland, Ohio
Quebec City |
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Callers criticize board that regulates Lake Superior discharges into Lake Michigan 7/21 - Chicago, Ill. – While natural factors — precipitation, runoff and evaporation — have been the main drivers of rising levels, greater releases from Lake Superior have contributed to the swell in the lower lakes. Last year, the amount of water released from Lake Superior into lakes Michigan and Huron was the highest in 32 years. Since 1921, a dam at the head of the St. Marys River has determined how much water is unleashed downstream. Since a period of high lake levels in the 1970s, the International Lake Superior Board of Control, a binational entity that determines how much water is released into the rapids, has vowed to maintain a balance between Lake Superior and lakes Michigan and Huron, which are measured as one lake because they are connected at the Straits of Mackinac. Most recently, the Lake Superior board expects to increase the flow to 2,800 cubic meters per second this month — more than enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool each second — and above the amount called for in the most recent regulatory plan for balancing the lakes. At Thursday’s teleconference, Jean-Francois Cantin, the control board’s Canadian chairman, said the board could raise the levels further in the fall if Lake Superior’s levels rise. Callers to Thursday’s meeting questioned these plans. “That deviation plan doesn't account for the downstream lakes that received extra water,” one caller said about increased rainfall. “So, this is like extra, extra water that's been added. Should any storms occur, anyone who has any property on those shorelines are feeling the impact,” the caller continued. Jamie Dickhout, a Canadian representative for the board, acknowledged the concerns but said much of the rise that the lower lakes were seeing was out of the control board’s hands. “We have to remember it’s a very big system,” Dickhout said. “We can't just focus on local issues.” In the past several years, all three lakes have experienced high lake levels. This month, Lake Superior measured about 9 inches above its long-term average but almost 5 inches below its levels from last July. Lakes Michigan and Huron were recorded at nearly 2 feet above their historical average and 1/2 inch higher than a year ago. U.S. officials say the elevated discharges aren't simply an attempt to drive down Lake Superior's levels, highlighting the need to accommodate hydropower plants, downstream fish-spawning habitat and commercial shipping. In fact, the board has not discharged as much water as it originally planned this year because of an outage at a hydropower plant and an inability to adjust the gates during the winter months, according to board representatives. As a result, the board is increasing flows this summer to “pay back” the roughly inch of water retained on Lake Superior. For every inch Lake Superior loses from outflows, lakes Michigan and Huron gain a half inch, according to experts. Read more at this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-lake-superior-board-public-input-20180719-story.html |
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Study outlines disaster in event of Line 5 rupture at Straits of Mackinac 7/21 - Port Huron, Mich. – The worst case scenario involving the twin-pipeline Line 5 crossing at the Straits of Mackinac could release 32,000 to 58,000 barrels of crude oil into the Great Lakes and affect more than 400 miles of shoreline in Michigan Wisconsin and Ontario, according to a draft independent risk analysis released Thursday by the state Department of Environmental Quality. Line 5, which begins in Superior, Wisconsin, carries up to 540,000 barrels a day of light crude oil and natural gas liquids 645 miles through much of the Upper and Lower peninsulas. Besides the straits crossing, which has caused an outpouring of concern from residents and environmental groups, the pipeline crosses the St. Clair River from Marysville to Sarnia. According to a DEQ news release, a team led by Guy Meadows of Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center submitted the report Tuesday. The report does not consider the probability of events, according to the news release. The scenarios outlined in the report have a very small probability of happening, but they would have high consequences. According to the news release, an analysis of more than 4,300 spill simulations found that a rupture to both pipelines with concurrent failures of primary and secondary safety valves could spill 32,000 to 58,000 barrels of crude oil in Lakes Huron and Michigan. Such a spill could put 47 wildlife species of concern and 60,000 acres of unique habitat at risk, according to the news release. Cleanup and restoration costs in the event of such a spill are estimated at close to $2 billion. The pipeline is owned by Enbrdge Inc., an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. The company released a statement in response to the independent risk analysis. Read more at this link: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/local/2018/07/19/study-outlines-disaster-event-line-5-rupture-straits-mackinac/800615002/ |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 21 The JAMES DAVIDSON and KINSMAN INDEPENDENT arrived under tow at Santander, Spain, on July 21, 1974, for scrapping.On July 21, 1975, the GEORGE D. GOBLE arrived at Lorain, Ohio, with an unusual deck cargo loaded at American Ship Building Company's yard at South Chicago, Illinois. She was carrying the deckhouses for two Interlake Steamship Company thousand-foot self-unloaders being built at AmShip's Lorain yard. These vessels were completed as the JAMES R. BARKER and MESABI MINER. On 21 July 1875, the schooner ELVA, which was built in Port Huron, Michigan, in 1861, for Capt. Sinclair, was sailing from Holland, Michigan, for Milwaukee, Wisconsin loaded with stove bolts. She capsized 12 miles from Milwaukee. Her crew took to the boats and made a landing in Kenosha and then rowed to Milwaukee. A tug was sent for the schooner and she was recovered. In 1900, R. J. GORDON (wooden propeller passenger-package freighter, 104 foot, 187 gross tons, built in 1881, at Marine City, Michigan) was placed back in service carrying freight and passengers between Chicago and Grand Haven. She had burned in September 1899 at Chicago but was rebuilt during the winter. On 21 July 1875, the old barge HURON, which had been in use for a number of years as a car ferry for the Grand Trunk Railroad at Port Huron/Sarnia, was sold to Sandie and Archie Stewart. They planned to convert her to a dry-dock by adding three feet to her sides and removing her arches. The sale price was $1,500 in gold. 1910 TRUDE R. WIEHE was destroyed by a fire at Portage Bay, Green Bay. 1911 Thirty plates were damaged when the WACCAMAW went aground in the St. Lawrence. The ship was later repaired at Buffalo. 1959 A collision in western Lake Erie between the CHARLES HUBBARD and the Swedish freighter SIGNEBORG resulted in damage to both ships. Both were repaired and continue in service. The latter is scrapped at La Spezia, Italy, after arriving as d) ALFREDO, on November 10, 1971. The former was sunk as a breakwall at Burns Harbor in 1966 after being idle at Milwaukee for several years. The hull was reported to have been subsequently scrapped there. 1964 The French freighter MARQUETTE began Great Lakes trading in 1953 and was lengthened in 1959 with the opening of the Seaway. Fire erupted enroute from Chicago to Marseilles, France, and the vessel was abandoned in the Atlantic. The gutted ship was towed to Brest, France, and was sold to French shipbreakers. All on board were saved. 1965 A smoky fire, that could be seen for miles, broke out in the cargo of rubber aboard the ORIENT TRADER at Toronto and the hull was towed into Toronto Bay and beached while firefighters battled the blaze. The Greek flag vessel was sold for scrap but before it departed for overseas, is was used in several episodes of the CBC television series “Seaway.” The hull was towed into Valencia, Spain, on July 11, 1966, for dismantling. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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U.S.-flag cargo movement on lakes steady in June 7/20 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 9.7 million tons of cargo in June, a near mirror image of a year ago. The June float was, however, 3.5 percent below the month’s 5-year average. Iron ore cargos for steel production totaled 4.6 million tons, a decrease of 6.9 percent. Coal loads totaled 1.4 million tons, a decrease of 13.7 percent. Offsetting those decreases was a 21 percent surge in limestone cargos. Shipments of aggregate, fluxstone, chemical stone and scrubber stone totaled 3.16 million tons. Year-to-date U.S.-flag cargo movement stands at 28.6 million tons, a decrease of 6.5 percent compared to the same point in 2017. Iron ore cargos total 16.3 million tons, a decrease of 9 percent. Coal loadings total 3.6 million tons, a decrease of 20 percent. Limestone loads are up to 7.2 million tons, an increase of 10.5 percent. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Former Algoeast arrives at scrap yard 7/20 - The tanker Goeast, which began her days on the Great Lakes, has been beached at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping. Goeast was built in Japan in 1977 as Texaco Brave for Texaco Canada Ltd. She was renamed Le Brave on November 11, 1986, while under charter to Sofati-Soconav Ltd. In 1997, the vessel was renamed Imperial St. Lawrence under the new ownership and management of Imperial Oil. In February 1998, Algoma Central Corporation purchased Imperial St. Lawrence (and her fleet mates Imperial Bedford, Imperial St. Clair and Imperial Acadia), establishing a new corporate division Algoma Tankers Ltd. Shortly after being acquired by Algoma, the tanker entered service under the name Algoeast. She was sold for overseas use in 2015. In October 2017 the vessel survived a shelling by the Libyan Coast Guard. The coast guard suspected the vessel had loaded contraband oil or oil product some two miles off coast, from a pipeline. The tanker was asked to stop, but didn’t obey. She was shelled from 30-mm gun, the shells inflicting holes in cargo tanks and engine room areas, with ensuing water ingress. At the time of the incident, Goeast was one of four vessels owned by Uvas-Trans, a shipping firm based in Russian-controlled Crimea. |
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Port Reports - July 20
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Jul 19 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal: Downbound - tug Everlast & barge Norman McLeod at 1722, Bro Agnes (Sgp) at 1853 and Algoma Spirit at 2024 - Jul 19 - Algoma Enterprise at 0212, Thunder Bay at 0356, Michipicoten at 0807, Harbour Feature (Por) at 0846, tug M R Kane & Radium 604 at 1729, Algoma Sault at 1930 and tug Petite Forte & barge St Marys Cement at 1958 and
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Clarkson:
Oshawa:
Picton:
Bath, Ont. – Ron Walsh
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 20 LEON FALK JR. was christened at Cleveland, July 20, 1961, after one trip to Duluth, Minnesota, for ore.HORACE JOHNSON (Hull#805) was launched July 20, 1929, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. JAY C. MORSE (Hull#438) was launched on July 20, 1907, at Cleveland, Ohio by American Shipbuilding Co. for the Mesaba Steamship Co. (Pickands & Mather & Co., mgr.) Sold Canadian in 1965, renamed b.) SHELTER BAY, used as a storage barge at Goderich, renamed c.) D. B. WELDON in 1979. In 1982, her pilothouse was removed and is used as a museum in Goderich Harbor. The WELDON was scrapped at Thunder Bay in 1984. At the end of June, 1877, the ferry MYRTLE began running between Port Huron and Sarnia. However, on 20 July 1877, The Port Huron Times reported that "The ferry MYRTLE has been taken off the route on account of the extreme dullness of the times." The scow DIXIE burned during the night of 20 July 1875, while lying at Kenyon's dock in East China Township on the St. Clair River. 1940: The first LACHINEDOC ran aground at Ile-aux-Coudres but was refloated the same day after 600 tons of coal were jettisoned. The vessel became b) QUEENSTON in 1946 and was sunk as a dock facing at Bob-Lo Park in 1962. 1963: Thick fog prevailed overnight on the St. Lawrence contributing to three accidents. The TRITONICA sank after a collision with the ROONAGH HEAD off Ile d'Orleans with the loss of 33 lives. To the west, the Swiss freighter BARILOCHE ran into the CALGADOC (ii) and then veered into the CANADOC (ii) before all ships on the water went to anchor. BARILOCHE later visited the Seaway as b) ST. CERGUE in 1967 and as c) CALVIN in 1978. It was scrapped at Shanghai, China, in 1985. ROONAGH HEAD received significant bow damage in her collision but was repaired and operated until she arrived at Castellon, Spain, for scrapping on September 14, 1971. 1964: ZENICA went aground in the Straits of Mackinac enroute to Chicago and was lightered by the MARQUIS ROEN and released. She passed downbound at Port Huron under tow. This vessel was beached at Karachi, Pakistan, for scrapping as f) CONSTANZA on June 1, 1980. 1965: The Norwegian freighter LYNGENFJORD sustained stern damage when it backed into the SALMELA while leaving the dock at Montreal. The former made 35 trips to the Great Lakes from 1959 through 1967 and was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, after arriving prior to May 3, 1980, as c) EASTERN VALOUR. The latter, a British vessel, began Great Lakes service in 1965 and arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping on April 21, 1985, as c) ELENI. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Study: Seaway shipping supports over 237,000 jobs, $35 billion in economic activity 7/19 - Washington, DC – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership announces the release of Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, a year-long study of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system. The study is a definitive and detailed report documenting the many contributions made by the Great Lakes Seaway system* to federal, state/provincial and local economies.
The study reports that in 2017 maritime commerce supported:
The study also highlights the specific economic benefits of key navigation infrastructure, such as the St. Lawrence Seaway locks and the Soo Locks. The study reports that in 2017: • 123,172 U.S. and Canadian jobs were dependent on the Soo Locks • 92,661 jobs were generated by cargo transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway locks “This report validates what we’ve long known – that the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway is crucial to the US economy,” says Craig H. Middlebook, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation “This bi-national waterway not only provides a multitude of well-paying jobs – on land and at sea – it offers a cost-effective, safe and fuel-efficient means of moving goods to and from domestic and global markets.” The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway (comprised of the five Great Lakes – Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario – their connecting channels and the St. Lawrence River) serves the industrial and agricultural heartland of the US and Canada. If the region was its own country, it would be the 3rd largest economy in the world with a combined GDP of more than $6 trillion dollars. In 2017, 143.5 million metric tons of cargo (valued at $15.2 billion) moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. The St. Lawrence Seaway is also the longest deep draft navigation system in the world, extending 2,300 miles from its westernmost point in Duluth, Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean. North American farmers, steel producers, construction firms, food manufacturers and power generators depend on the system to move raw materials and finished products including iron ore, coal, stone, salt, sugar, grain, steel, wind turbine components and heavy machinery. These cargoes become the staples of everyday life – food and other household items; buildings, factories, roads and bridges; vehicles and planes; and provides the energy that powers cities and towns. “The study reflects the enormous contributions the maritime industry provides to the more than 100 ports in each of the Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec,” says Steven A. Fisher, Executive Director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association. “The jobs supported by the maritime industry include not only those located directly on the waterfront – shipyard workers, stevedores, vessel operators, terminal employees, truck drivers and marine pilots – but also grain farmers, construction works, miners and steelworkers. Many of these jobs would vanish if not for a dynamic maritime industry.” Read the full report at this link: http://greatlakesseaway.org/economy |
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Port Reports - July 19
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday July 18 ¬–¬ Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Clarkson:
Oshawa:
Picton: |
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2.75 trillion gallons of extra water has poured into Lake Superior in last 30 days 7/19 - Marquette, Mich. – Heavy rainfall over Lake Superior in the last month has sent 2.75 trillion gallons of additional water into the largest of our Great Lakes. In a typical year, Lake Superior will see its water level increase by 3 inches between June 13 and July 13. This year, it rose by 5 inches during that window, according to the National Weather Service in Marquette. "Several episodes of heavy rain impacted western portions of the Lake Superior basin since the middle of June, resulting in precipitation amounts of 6 to 10+ inches, or 150 to 300 percent of normal," the NWS said. "This heavy rainfall helped to raise the Lake Superior water level by 5 inches. This 5 inch rise equates to 2.75 trillion additional gallons of water added to Lake Superior in the last 30 days." But looking at the big picture, Lake Superior water levels are still running below where they were last year at this time. Right now, the big lake is 4 inches lower than in 2017. Read more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/summer_rains_sent_275_trillion.html |
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Alexander Henry officially welcomed back to Thunder Bay 7/19 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Sixty years after the Alexander Henry was first christened, the former icebreaker officially began its new life at its old home. The ship, which had been a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker for nearly 30 years after it was built in 1958 at the Port Arthur Shipyard, was officially rededicated on Wednesday to serve as a piece of living history at the Pool Six site on the city’s waterfront. Annie Kolisnyk spent nine years working on the ship, serving as a cook for its 30 crewmembers. The 94-year-old was tasked with breaking the ceremonial champagne bottle over the ship’s anchor. “I just looked at it and I said it was good to have you home,” she said. “It was my home for 12 months of the year. I never saw what the summers were here in Thunder Bay because we were on the East Coast. I loved every minute of it.” The decommissioned icebreaker had operated as a bed and breakfast in Kingston following its retirement in 1985. The ship ended up becoming displaced a few years ago with the sale of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes property. With sinking the ship a possible option, local efforts began to try to bring it back to Thunder Bay. The Lakehead Transportation Museum was successfully able to secure funding from both the Thunder Bay and Kingston city councils for the tow across the Great Lakes, and was able to convince the city to showcase the ship at the waterfront. Read more and view a photo gallery at this link: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/alexander-henry-officially-welcomed-back-to-thunder-bay-989109 |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 19 On this day in 1970, ARTHUR B. HOMER established a new Great Lakes loading record when she loaded 27,530 tons of ore at Escanaba. This eclipsed the previous record of 27,402 tons set by the EDMUND FITZGERALD.EDWIN H. GOTT (Hull#718) was float launched July 19, 1978, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Co. for U. S. Steel Corp. CLARENCE B. RANDALL sailed light on her maiden voyage July 19, 1943, from Ashtabula, Ohio, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota. She was renamed b.) ASHLAND in 1962. The ASHLAND was scrapped at Mamonel, Columbia, in 1988. N. M. Paterson & Sons, CANADOC (Hull#627) was christened on July 19, 1961. The registry of GORDON C. LEITCH, of 1954, was closed on July 19, 1985, as 'sold foreign'. She was scrapped at Setubal, Portugal, in 1985. JOHN P. REISS in tandem tow with the carferry CITY OF SAGINAW 31 arrived at Castellon, Spain, prior to July 19, 1973, for scrapping. JOSEPH S. YOUNG, a.) ARCHERS HOPE, was christened at Buffalo, New York, on July 19, 1957. The YOUNG was the first of seven T2 tanker conversions for Great Lakes service. On 19 July 1831, the wooden schooner HENRY CLAY was carrying 800 barrels of salt and passengers from Oswego, New York to the Welland Canal on her maiden voyage when she capsized in a squall and sank about 10 miles off Port Dalhousie, Ontario, on Lake Ontario. About 11 persons were aboard and at least 6 of them lost their lives. Three were saved by the steamer CANADA. On 19 July 1900, the name of the Toledo tug A. ANDREWS JR was changed to PALLISTER. On 19 July 1871, J. BARBER (wooden propeller steamer, 125 foot, 306 tons, built in 1856, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying fruit from St. Joseph, Michigan, to Chicago when she caught fire and sank 14 miles off Michigan City, Indiana. Five lives were lost. 1893: LIZZIE A. LAW stranded in the Pelee Passage, Lake Erie, following a collision with the DAVID VANCE. It was refloated September 14. 1921: After losing her way in fog, the BINGHAMPTON stranded on Gannet Rock Ledge, near Yarmouth, NS enroute from Boston to Reval, France, and Riga, Latvia, with relief supplies. The vessel was abandoned and later caught fire. The ship had been built at Buffalo as H.J. JEWETT in 1882 and left the lakes, in 2 pieces, in 1915 for saltwater service. 1981: BERGFALCK was registered in Singapore when she first came through the Seaway in 1976. The ship was sailing as b) BERGLIND when in a collision with the CHARM off Cape Breton Island. It was taken in tow but sank July 20. The hull was later refloated and taken out to sea and scuttled in the fall. 1982: FARO, a Norwegian freighter dating from 1960, visited the Seaway in 1970. It was gutted aft from a fire that began in the galley at Ghazawet Roads, Algeria, as b) ARGOLICOS GULF. It was sold for scrap and arrived as Castellon, Spain to be dismantled on October 1, 1982. 1992: ROSARIO, a Greek flag SD 14, visited the Great Lakes in 1978. It began leaking in the Indian Ocean as c) AL RAZIQU on this date in 1992 and was escorted into Mombasa, Tanzania, on July 29. The ship was allowed to sail to Alang, India, for scrapping and, after a resale, to Karachi, Pakistan. However, the vessel was sold again, taken to Dubai for repairs, and resumed trading as d) DELTA III. It developed a heavy list as e) CHALLENGE on August 2, 1993, after leaving New Mangalore, India. Attempts to tow the ship to shallow water fell short when the hull rolled over and sank with the loss of 3 lives. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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English River on last trip; replacement vessel takes over cement run 7/18 - English River loaded her last cement cargo in Bath, Ont., for Cleveland, on Tuesday. Following her discharge there, English River will return to the Welland Canal, tie up at Port Colborne and officially be retired. She will eventually be moved to the scrapyard to join the largest fleet of scrap ships ever assembled in Port Colborne. Meanwhile, her replacement, NACC Argonaut, operated by NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers, was on her maiden voyage in the Seaway Tuesday bound for Bath. She is registered at St. Catharines, Ont. She was converted from a general cargo ship last year. |
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Fednav takes delivery of its 60th owned vessel; Arctic to be replaced 7/18 - Montreal, Que. – Fednav Limited has taken ownership of a 60th bulk carrier, an important milestone in Fednav’s history. This vessel, the motor vessel Federal Dee, is the latest in a series of 22 box-hold handysize bulk carriers of 34,500 deadweight tons ordered from Oshima Shipyard of Japan since 2013. As the world’s largest operator of ice-class dry-bulk carriers and Canada’s leading ocean-going, dry-bulk shipowning and chartering group, Fednav operates a modern and high-performing bulker fleet of over 100 ships, the majority of which are owned. The company continues to invest extensively in its fleet rejuvenation and extension program to offer customers the highest quality ocean transportation solutions, while reducing the fleet’s environmental footprint. Earlier this year, Fednav also contracted for the replacement of its motor vessel Arctic by ordering a new 30,000 DWT Polar Class 4 mine support vessel from JMU Shipyard of Japan. The ship will be flagged under Canadian registry and begin service as of 2020. Investing recently more than US $600 million into its newbuilding program, the company clearly demonstrates continued confidence in the shipping markets and its commitment to the Arctic, St. Lawrence, and Great Lakes trades. Fednav |
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Port Reports - July 18
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Soo Locks
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Waukegan, Ill. – Paul Erspamer
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Jul 17 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point Bay:
Buffalo:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Welland Canal shipping traffic halted after bridge incident 7/18 - St. Catharines, Ont. – All Welland Canal shipping traffic was halted in St. Catharines Tuesday afternoon after a van became wedged in the gap between the roadway and the raised Homer Bridge. The red construction van had been parked on the Queenston Street bridge around 1:30 p.m. when it got stuck front end first in the gap for about two and a half hours. St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation's Alvina Ghirardi said maintenance work was being performed on the bridge for cameras by a contractor. No one was in the vehicle at the time and there were no injuries. Ghirardi, manager of regional services and marine facility security officer, said the matter is under investigation to determine how the vehicle became wedged between the reach and roadway. "It certainly got into that slot but how it came to be there, that's being investigated at the moment." The truck, with a smashed window and bent bumper, was yanked from the space by a large tow truck around 4 p.m. and the bridge reopened to traffic again a short time later. Ghirardi said shipping traffic was halted during the event. Three ships were on the canal in the St. Catharines area at the time at lock 1, lock 2 and heading downbound by the Homer Bridge. Shipping traffic upbound to Lake Erie continued to move. The Homer Bridge is operated by the Seaway from a central control operations centre on Glendale Avenue. Welland Tribune |
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Survey shows lack of knowledge, awareness for Great Lakes 7/18 - Windsor, Ont. – A new survey by the International Joint Commission asked more than 4,000 people living around the lakes what they think and how they feel about the Great Lakes. The survey also examined what people know about the current threats facing the lakes and whose responsibility it is to protect one of the world's most vital freshwater sources. "We conducted a similar survey in 2016 and this survey is a follow up," said Raj Bejankiwar, a scientist with the Joint Commission in Windsor, Ont., who works on areas of concerns in the Great Lakes. "The main aim was to understand how citizens feel about protecting the lakes ... and we wanted to know the link between the lake's health and our region's economy and our efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes." He said residents who have more knowledge about the lakes are the ones who will most likely be "driving the policy" and putting "pressure on politicians and policy makers" to make a change. "That's why it's really important to have highly educated citizens who are also highly aware to seek changes in a more positive way," Bejankiwar said. Several questions were asked in the survey including how important the Great Lakes are for recreational use and if people know who is responsible for protecting the lakes. He said approximately 24 per cent of people did not know what the key challenges are facing the Great Lakes, while 19 per cent believed pollution was the biggest issues and 17 per cent thought invasive species was the highest concern. "24 per cent is a large number ... and we are in the middle of the world's largest freshwater resources and it's not a good sign ... more people should know about what are the exact issues and threats that the Great Lakes are facing," Bejankiwar explained. He said two demographics — Indigenous groups and millennials — have shown the highest awareness, as they feel the Great Lakes are highly valuable. "The value of the Great Lakes is more than the economy for them. They think that the Great Lakes should be protected for their seventh generation, so we were not surprised when we saw their awareness and care for the lakes." He said people in Ontario who were surveyed showed that they had more value and awareness about the Great Lakes than residents in other areas. "We would like to reuse this data and go and do more analysis ... and look at how localized issues are affecting people's opinion ... and we would like to conduct a focus group study" to find out how to increase knowledge, awareness and care for the Great Lakes. CBC |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 18 On this day in 1974, Interlake Steamship decommissioned the COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS after 48 years of service due to continuing problems with her boilers and engines.AGAWA CANYON struck an abutment at Welland Canal's Bridge 11, at Allanburg, Ontario, on July 18, 1977, while downbound with salt for Kingston, Ontario, and sustained a 30-foot gash just above the waterline at the port bow. The canal tanker COMET (Hull#705) of the American Ship Building Co., at Lorain, Ohio, entered service on July 18, 1913, for ocean service. Sold Mexican and renamed b.) COMETA in 1928. She returned to the lakes in 1936, renamed c.) COMET for Cleveland Tankers. She was lengthened in 1940. She was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1973. The WILLIAM J. FILBERT was in collision with the KINSMAN INDEPENDENT, of 1907, at the Burlington Northern Dock on July 18, 1970, when the Steel Trust steamer lost control in the current entering the slip. The entire forward superstructure of the b.) JOHN DYKSTRA, a.) BENSON FORD of 1924, including the forecastle deck, was delivered to South Bass Island in Lake Erie on July 18, 1986, on the barge THOR 101 towed by the tug GREGORY J. BUSCH. The superstructure was moved for use as a summer home where it remains. The hull of the DYKSTRA was sold to Marine Salvage, Port Colborne, Ontario and was towed from Cleveland, Ohio, July 10th by the tugs ARGUE MARTIN and GLENBROOK to Ramey's Bend arriving there on July 12, 1986, where she was scrapped. WILLIAM A. REISS was launched July 18, 1925, as a.) JOHN A. TOPPING (Hull#251) at River Rouge, Michigan, by Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Columbia Steamship Co. WILLIAM G. MATHER completed her sea trials on July 18, 1925. On 18 July 1858, ANDROMEDA (2-mast wooden schooner, 112 foot, 568 tons, built in 1848, at Madison Dock, Ohio) was carrying 800 barrels of salt from Oswego to Chicago. She sprang a leak suddenly and foundered 20 miles from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The crew escaped in her boat, many just in their underwear. They arrived at Manitowoc the next day. On 18 July 1872, the schooner D. L. COUCH of Detroit (formerly AVCORN) sank about 10 miles from Long Point on Lake Erie. Two lives were lost. The wooden propeller freigjhter N. K. FAIRBANK (205 foot, 980 gross tons) was launched in Marine City, Michigan by W. B. Morley on 18 July 1874. She was then towed to Detroit, where her engines were installed by William Cowie. She had two direct-acting condensing engines 34 foot x 32 inches on one shaft and her boiler was installed on her main deck. She only lasted until 1895, when she stranded and burned near Port Colborne, Ontario. The remains of the hull were sold to Carter Brothers of Port Colborne and it was rebuilt and enrolled as a new vessel with the name ELIZA H. STRONG. The STRONG lasted until she burned in 1904. 1911: The wooden steamer TAMPA sank in the Detroit River after a collision with the JOHN W. GATES of U.S. Steel. The former was raised and moved to Marine City and then, after being partially dismantled, was sunk in 1915 as a breakwall to halt erosion off the Belle River. 1938: ISLET PRINCE (ii), enroute to Owen Sound for a new service, stopped for the night behind Chantry Island, Southampton, and was struck by lightning. The ship caught fire, but all on board were rescued before the vessel sank the next day. 1954: LAKE GADSDEN was built at Manitowoc, in 1919, and lost near Corrubedo Light, off the coast of Spain, as g) SAN NICOLAS after going aground. The vessel slid back into deep water and sank. 1960: IRISH MAPLE, a Great Lakes visitor beginning in 1966, sank the 479 gross ton DENBIGH COAST in the River Mersey after a collision. IRISH MAPLE remained in service until reaching the scrapyard at Karachi, Pakistan, as c) ANNOOR on October 24, 1981. 1967: NEW YORK NEWS (iii) buckled and sank while loading salt at Pugwash, NS. The ship was raised and towed to Halifax in two sections for repairs. It survives in 2012 as e) WOLF RIVER, but has not operated for years. 1984 PANAGIOTIS S., a Seaway trader beginning in 1975, suffered severe fire damage aft in the Gulf of Aden, while on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium, to Calcutta, India. The ship was a total loss and, while sold and renamed d) OTIS, it was taken to Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping. PANAGIOTIS S. had also visited the Great Lakes as a) VIZCAYA in 1972 and EMILIA LOVERDOS in 1975. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Wilfred Sykes heads downbound; at locks Tuesday morning 7/17 - Wilfred Sykes departed Marquette, Mich., at about 7 p.m. after loading iron ore fines for Burns Harbor, Ind. She was expected at the Soo Locks at 9 a.m. Tuesday. This is a rare trip above Lake Michigan for the Sykes and it has been followed with great interest by ship fans. The Sykes, built in 1949, is one the last few remaining steamers on the Great Lakes. |
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Port of Monroe signs accord for Great Lakes Towing services 7/17 - Monroe, Mich. - The tug Wisconsin, now stationed at the Port of Monroe, is the oldest commercially operating tugboat in the world. The Port of Monroe has come full circle. Last week, the port penned an agreement with Great Lakes Towing Co. and Great Lakes Shipyard to establish towing and shipyard services at the port. “It’s another milestone,” said Paul C. LaMarre III, port director. “This will establish a Great Lakes Shipyard in Monroe.” Great Lakes Shipyard has a full-service shipyard for new vessel and barge construction, fabrication and maintenance and repairs in Cleveland, Ohio. As part of the partnership, Great Lakes Towing has relocated the tug Wisconsin to the port to help with ship assist. The tug has been stationed previously in Wisconsin. “This agreement adds to the port’s ability to offer additional services,” LaMarre said. The towing company has 30 tugs stationed in 11 ports, including Toledo and Detroit. The Wisconsin will be the only tug at the Monroe location for now. Locating a tug here, LaMarre said, is strategic because it cuts down on the travel time for tugs out of Toledo and Detroit to assist a ship. “It can assist in making the port more attractive and can have an economic impact on the port,” LaMarre said. The shipyard will allow for the port to offer fabrication and repair services for a variety of vessels. Additional services include layup and winter work, topside repair, haul out fabrication and emergency services. “As part of this agreement, Great Lakes Towing will bring its floating dry dock ‘Favorite’ to Monroe and will allow us to take vessels of size out of the water for maintenance,” LaMarre said. “It will accommodate tugs and vessels.” The only other floating dock in the region is in Detroit. It will be located at the south end of the port’s turning basin. Joe Starck, president of Great Lakes Towing, said the port’s success in recent years is among the reasons for the partnership. “The port is growing,” Starck said. “The port’s location is key and it is in an expansion and growth mode.” Starck said the shipyard and LaMarre will seek out ships to haul up in the Port of Monroe for the winter. “We saw this as a fantastic opportunity to do the work there that we do here in Cleveland,” Starck said. “Paul has been very accommodating and thought the market there was underserved for this type of service.” In addition to the port’s location, the shipyard was able to come to fruition because of the new riverfront intermodal dock, which was completed last year. The project was $3.6 million and included funds the port received from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Prior to the new dock’s construction, the only dock available to load and unload cargo was in the turning basin. Additionally, the shipyard will create more jobs for the community. “We will make every effort to hire local people,” Starck said. “It might take a while to hire people until we generate business, so we will send people to Monroe from Cleveland until we can get the business established.” Having a shipyard repair service back at the port signals the strides made during LaMarre’s six-year tenure. “In the 1940s to 1960s, the Port of Monroe was a major layup port for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.” he said. “During that time, on any given winter, there would be eight to 12 freighters in Monroe undergoing winter maintenance.” This time around, it will start smaller with up to two unlimited tonnage vessels that can be laid up at the port for repairs. “We hope to come full circle,” LaMarre said. “The port was the epicenter for ship repair in western Lake Erie during the 1940s to ’60s.” Read more and view photos at this link: http://www.monroenews.com/news/20180715/port-of-monroe-signs-accord-for-towing-services |
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Port Reports - July 17
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Cedarville, Mich.
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Northern Lake Huron Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Jul 16 ... Barry Andersen Traffic delayed with east side of flight locks shut down.
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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Goderich salt mine workers ratify contract, end strike 7/17 - Goderich, Ont. – The salt miners cheered when their Unifor Local 16-0 local union president Gary Lynch told them their new three-year contract was ratified. But with immediate relief came a large dose of disappointment. “I don't say we agree on everything, but we will be back to work,” said Lynch defiantly, standing on the back of a pickup truck at the gates of the Compass Minerals mine at the Goderich Harbour. The vote to accept the three-year deal brings to an end the acrimonious strike – but there are clearly hard feeling left to heal. “This is a democratic organization and you guys have spoken and we respect your wishes,” said Scott Doherty, assistant to Unifor president Jerry Dias. In the crowd, some of the 348 members who had been on strike said quietly after the speeches that they weren't happy with how they've been treated and the ultimate agreement. “Don't forget the guys that cross the line when we were out, right? You know who they are,” one worker called out. Some of them said their fathers and grandfathers had worked in the mine, the biggest underground salt mine in the world. They weren't happy, but wanted to get back to work. The union would not say how many people voted in favor of the contract. Read more at this link: http://www.goderichsignalstar.com/2018/07/16/goderich-salt-workers-ratify-contract-end-strike |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 17 On this day in 1902, the JAMES H. HOYT, the first boat with hatches constructed at 12-foot centers, loaded 5,250 tons of iron ore in 30.5 minutes on her maiden voyage. Several days later, the cargo was unloaded at Conneaut in three hours and 52 minutes.On this day in 1961, the C&P dock in Cleveland set a new unloading record when they removed more than 15,000 tons of ore from the holds of the E. G. GRACE in 3 hours and 20 minutes. The ASHCROFT was towed out of Quebec City on July 17, 1969, in tandem with the steamer SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY by the Polish tug JANTAR for scrapping at Castellon, Spain. The BROOKDALE, of 1909, lost her self-unloading boom overboard in the Detroit River during a wind and rainstorm on July 17, 1980, while loading salt at the Canadian Rock Salt Dock at Ojibway, Ontario. The Cleveland Tanker's COMET was towed from Toledo to Ashtabula, Ohio, on July 17, 1973, where she was broken up during the summer and fall of 1973. WILLIAM J. FILBERT was launched in 1907, as a.) WILLIAM M. MILLS (Hull#348) at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Weston Transit Co. (William M. Mills, mgr.). On her last trip, the COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS arrived at Cleveland, Ohio on July 17, 1974, with a load of iron ore. Mohawk Navigation's GOLDEN HIND loaded her first dry bulk cargo on July 17, 1954. She had been rebuilt from the Imperial Oil Ltd.'s tanker a.) IMPERIAL WOODBEND. On 17 July 1856, TINTO (wooden propeller, 135 foot, built in 1855-56, at Sorel, Quebec) caught fire and burned to a total loss only 2 miles from shore. She was between Snake Island and Nine Mile Point on Lake Ontario. 18 lives were lost. The survivors jumped into the water and were picked up by a boat from shore. A newspaper article stated that she had no lifeboat aboard. Her machinery was later recovered and installed in the AVON. On 17 July 1883, B PARSONS (2-mast wooden schooner, 218 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) struck the north pier while entering the harbor at Charlevoix, Michigan during a gale. She sank crosswise in the channel and blocked passage into the harbor for two weeks until she broke up enough to allow vessels to pass. In December, the steam tug S S COE towed the hulk a half mile down the beach and abandoned it. The Canada Steamship Line's HAMONIC burned at her pier at Point Edward bear Sarnia, Ont., on July 17, 1945. A warehouse next to the HAMONIC 's pier burst into flames from a fire that began from a gasoline motor for conveyor equipment being repaired by workmen. The flames and smoke were carried by a breeze to the HAMONIC. Almost in a matter of minutes the HAMONIC was doomed. She was aflame at dockside. The captain and the engineer were able to move the ship down the dock from the raging flames from the warehouse. Many of the passengers were able to get ashore. Some passengers went ashore by climbing into the bucket of a crane, which hoisted them on shore to safety. Every one of the passengers and crew were saved. 1933: SONORA and WILLIAM NELSON were in a collision in the Bar Point Channel, Lake Erie. The two ships were found at equal fault. The former was scrapped at Ashtabula in 1961 while the latter arrived at Bilbao, Spain, for dismantling as c) BEN E. TATE on July 12, 1969. 1989: SHEILA YEATES, a tall-ship visitor to the Great Lakes, hit an ice pack in fog on the North Atlantic and eventually sank 430 miles south of Greenland after an attempt to tow the leaking ship to safety failed. All on board were saved. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Wilfred Sykes loading Monday at Marquette 7/16 - Marquette, Mich. – Wilfred Sykes arrived at Marquette Sunday evening to load for Burns Harbor. They expect at least a 12-hour load time, if not longer. The Sykes was upbound at Mission Point at dawn Sunday, and through the locks by 8 a.m., greeted by a small but dedicated group of boatwatchers and crew family members, including the captain’s mom. This is a rare trip above Lake Michigan for the Sykes. The last time she ventured above the Soo Locks was on June 13, 2012 when she loaded at the Essar Algoma Export Dock View a video of her Soo passage, complete with two salutes, at this link: youtube.com/watch?v=RVqtSOpMOaQ |
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Port Reports - July 16
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Port Inland, Mich.
Green Bay, Wis.
Northern Lake Huron
Zilwaukee, Mich. Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Jul 15 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo and Tonawanda
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Montreal, Que. – Ron Walsh |
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Watch the Waters: A Great Lakes freighter-spotting primer for boat-nerds-to-be 7/16 - Traverse City, Mich. – Roger LeLievre was practically born a boat nerd. The editor and publisher of the Know Your Ships field guide to spotting freighters on the Great Lakes got a very early start in the hobby that would become his authorship. “My grandfather, early on, worked on the coal docks, putting coal on the freighters,” LeLievre said. “And I used to spend my summers up at my grandparents’ cabin on the water, up in the U.P., between Lake Huron and Lake Superior.” Watching the freighters pass by quickly became a favorite pursuit. And one of the tools LeLievre eventually found to help him with his hobby was the earlier edition of the Know Your Ships guide, which he actually took over from the original publisher. The book was started in 1959 by Tom Manse, who had set a goal for himself of capturing at least one photo of all the big ships sailing the Great Lakes. Manse would later publish the original Know Your Ships, and he updated the book every single year for his fellow freighter watchers. LeLievre took over the book updates when Manse passed away in 1995. Freighter-watchers are a tight knit bunch, and this book is an invaluable tool for identifying and enjoying freighters. It includes the essential statistics, including length, capacity, owner, and former names, for hundreds of ships plying the Great Lakes, as well as additional trivia like what the various boat whistles mean and how to follow the freighters as they travel from port to port. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.northernexpress.com/news/feature/watch-the-waters |
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Carl D. Bradley survivor to host book signing at Sault’s Valley Camp on Tuesday 7/16 - Frank Mays, last surviving crew member of the Carl D. Bradley, which sank in 1958 on Lake Michigan, will be at the museum ship Valley Camp in Sault St. Marie, Mich., for a book signing. The event will be at The Ship’s Store next to the Valley Camp from 2-5 p.m. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 16 DETROIT EDISON, of 1955, departed Quebec City July 16th 1986, along with former fleet mate SHARON, in tow of the U.S. tug PRUDENT, to Brownsville, Texas for scrapping.The SAGINAW BAY departed Quebec City on July 16, 1985, in tandem with the E.B. BARBER, towed by the Polish tug KORAL for scrapping at Vigo, Spain. NORTHERN VENTURE, a.) VERENDRYE of 1944, entered Great Lakes service July 16, 1961, upbound light for the Canadian lake head to load grain. On July 16, 1935, the BRUCE HUDSON capsized on Lake Ontario off Cobourg, Ontario, while in tow of the wooden-hulled tug MUSCALLONGE. Keel-laying of the CHI-CHEEMAUN (Hull#205) was on July 16, 1973, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Ontario Northland Transport Commission. CATARACT (wooden propeller, 15 foot', 352 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo) caught fire on 16 July 1861, 5 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania. She became an inferno astern in just a few minutes and this prevented her boats from being launched. Four died. Some were saved by clinging to floating wreckage and some others were rescued by a small fishing boat. The schooner ST PAUL picked up some survivors. Among those picked up by Captain Mosher of the ST PAUL, were Captain McNally and the CATARACT's carpenter. Capt. Mosher had rescued these same two men in 1858, when the propeller INDIANA was lost in Lake Superior. On 16 July 1873, the new barge MINNEAPOLIS was towed to Detroit for outfitting. She had just been launched four days earlier at Marine City, Michigan. While on the way to Detroit, a Canadian man named Sinclair fell overboard and drowned. On 16 July 1874, The Port Huron Times reported that "the old steamer REINDEER has been rebuilt to a barge by L. C. Rogers at H. C. Schnoor's shipyard at Fair Haven, [Michigan]. Her beautiful horns have been taken down, [she carried a set of large antlers], her machinery and cumbersome side-wheels removed, and she has been fully refitted with center arch and deck frame complex." July 16, 1961, the PIONEER CHALLENGER entered service. Built in 1943, as a T-3 tanker a.) MARQUETTE, renamed b.) U.S.S. NESCHANIC (AO-71) in 1943, c.) GULFOIL in 1947, d.) PIONEER CHALLENGER in 1961, e.) MIDDLETOWN in 1962, and f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006. 1911 ¬ MAINE, upbound with a load of coal, caught fire in the St. Clair River and was run aground on the Canadian shore. The crew escaped. 1958 ¬ The Swedish freighter ERHOLM and the FRANK ARMSTRONG of the Interlake fleet were in a collision in northern Lake St. Clair with minor damage to both ships. ERHOLM had earlier been a Great Lakes caller as a) ERLAND and later came through the Seaway in 1959-1960. It returned inland again in 1961 and 1962 as c) OTIS. The ship arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as h) DIMITRA K. on August 25, 1980. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Wilfred Sykes due at Marquette Sunday evening 7/15 - Wilfred Sykes was approaching DeTour at around midnight Saturday on her rare trip to Lake Superior. She is showing an ETA of 9 p.m. on Sunday. Port Reports |
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Port Reports - July 15
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
North Channel
Goderich, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Jul 14 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Buffalo and Tonawanda
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal: Downbound - Jul 13 - Federal Bering (Mhl) at 1636, tug Petite & barge St Marys Cement at 1821 and Algoma Sault eta 2154 - Jul 14 - Sten Moster (Gib) at 0005, Isa (Cyp) at 0330, Baie Comeau at 0513, USCG Mackinaw at 0817, tug Alice Moran & barge Montville at 0838, G3 Marquis at 1122, G3 Marquis at 1122, tug Leo A McArthur & barge John J Carrick at 1507 and tug Sea Eagle II & barge St Marys Cement II at 2033
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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What happens when Lake Superior has too much water? It dumps it into an already overflowing Lake Michigan 7/15 - Chicago, Ill. – For nearly a century, a dam at the head of the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., has been used like a faucet, controlling the amount of water flowing from Lake Superior into lakes Michigan and Huron. In the past five years, following a swift rise in lake levels, the relatively obscure Lake Superior board that regulates the amount of water released has stepped up these discharges, raising an outcry from a group representing property owners along the shoreline of Lake Michigan and potentially harming seasonal tourism. John Ehret, an Olympia Fields, Ill., resident and a director of the Great Lakes Coalition for Shoreline Preservation, occasionally shows people photos of the broad sandy beaches that once existed outside his cabin in western Michigan. Now, Ehert said, many of his neighbors have fortified their home with boulders, and his property is “damn near in the water.” Several factors have contributed to rising water levels and shoreline erosion, including increased precipitation and runoff, but Lake Superior outflow is exacerbating the problem, data from the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration and the International Lake Superior Board of Control show. Last year, the amount of water released from Lake Superior into lakes Michigan and Huron was the highest in 32 years. This month, Lake Superior measured about 9 inches above its long-term average but almost 5 inches below its levels from last July. Lakes Michigan and Huron were recorded at nearly 2 feet above their historic average and a half inch higher than a year ago. Still, the Lake Superior board expects to increase the flow to 2,800 cubic meters per second this month — more than enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool each second — and above the amount called for in the most recent regulatory plan for balancing the lakes. “They have no right ...,” Ehret, 88, said. “They are having the same problem we are. They've lost a lot of their sand. What they want is to lower their lake and dump it downstream — and we don't want it!” Read more and view videos and graphs at this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-lake-michigan-superior-water-levels-20180709-story.html |
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Hornblower new owner of Straits Express passenger ferry 7/15 - In Saturday’s news we reported that the passenger ferry Straits Express, out of Mackinac City and the last vessel of the now defunct Arnold Line, was downbound at Port Huron headed to new owners in New York City. We can now report that she will join the large Hornblower Cruises enterprise. |
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EUPT, USCG partner to improve winter ferry service in upper Michigan 7/15 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Eastern Upper Peninsula Transit Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a unified goal of improving ferry service during the winter to the St. Marys River’s three island communities in upper Michigan on Friday. Capt. Marko Broz, commander, Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, and Pete Paramski, director of the EUP Transit Authority, signed the MOU aboard the passenger ferry Sugar Islander. Occasionally, ice obstructing the St Marys River halts or delays ferry service to Drummond, Neebish and Sugar Islands. The MOU formally lays out the responsibilities of the Coast Guard for ice breaking support of the three ferries operating on the St. Marys River. The agreement also explains the actions to be taken by EUP Transit Authority officials should any of the ferries become hindered by ice. The western Great Lakes experienced 145 days of ice cover during the last winter season. Ten assets assigned to Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie for ice breaking delivered 3,179 hours of icebreaking representing 888 vessel transits; 386 of those transits required direct ice breaking assistance. These same ice-breaking assets put forth an additional 3,588 hours of preventative icebreaking to establish and maintain tracks in the ice-choked waterways of Green Bay, the Straits of Mackinac, the St Marys River, Georgian Bay, and the western Lake Superior Ports of Thunder Bay, Marquette, Duluth, and Superior. On the St Marys River, ferry service to Drummond Island was never hindered by ice; ferry service to Neebish Island was hampered by ice for 28 days during Spring Break Out, and service to Sugar Island was delayed by ice a total of 76 hours over the 3,504 hours of winter operations. Overall, Sugar Island ferry service availability was 98%. USCG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 15 July 15, 1991 - The Spanish, 1975-built, 7,311 gross ton, ocean motor bulk carrier MILANOS, anchored in the Detroit River since July 2, began the long slow trip home. Auxiliar de Transporte Maritimos, the ship’s owners, decided it would be cheaper to tow the crippled ship home for repairs rather than have the repairs performed locally. The ship's engine seized after the crankshaft broke. She departed Detroit, bound for Montreal under tow of Malcolm Marine's TUG MALCOLM and McKeil's tug ARGUE MARTIN. The tow passed down the Seaway on July 19.On July 15, 1961, the d.) WALTER A. STERLING, now f.) LEE A. TREGURTHA), entered service on the Great Lakes for Cleveland Cliffs Steamship Co., after conversion from a T-3 tanker. The next day, on July 16, 1961, the d.) PIONEER CHALLENGER, now f.) AMERICAN VICTORY, entered service for the Pioneer Steamship Co (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). The CHICAGO TRADER was launched as a.) THE HARVESTER (Hull#391) at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. in 1911, for the Wisconsin Steel Co. In 1946, the NORISLE (Hull#136) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for the Dominion & Owen Sound Transportation Co. Ltd. In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 4 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog. On Saturday, 15 July 1871, an argument between Captain James Bradley and Mate John Reed started while the schooner ROBERT EMMETT was docked at Erie, Pennsylvania unloading iron ore. They were still shouting at each other as the ship sailed out of the harbor. In short order, the ship turned around and anchored in the harbor. At 3 the following morning, Reed rowed ashore, went directly to the police station and charged that Capt. Bradley had assaulted him with a knife. At dawn, as the police were on their way to question Capt. Bradley, they found him stepping ashore from the deck of a tug, fuming that Reed had stolen the ship's only small boat. Bradley and Reed were at each other again and the police arrested both men. Bradley then filed charges against Reed for mutiny, assault and theft of the ship's boat. The case went to court the very next day. Justice of the Peace Foster saw his courtroom packed with curious sailors and skippers. Reed and Bradley were both still fuming and after listening to just a little testimony, Foster found both men guilty, fined them both and ordered both to pay court costs. The matter didn't end there since Reed later had to get a court order to get his personal belongings off the EMMETT. There is no record of what the disagreement was that started this whole mess. The iron side-wheel steamer DARIUS COLE (201 foot, 538 gross tons) was launched at the Globe Iron Works (Hull #10) in Cleveland, Ohio on 15 July 1885. During her career, she had two other names b.) HURON 1906 - 1921, and c.) COLONIAL 1921 - 1925. She burned off Barcelona, New York, on Lake Erie on 1 September 1925, while on an excursion. The hull was beached and later towed to Dunkirk, New York, for scrapping. 1885: The rail car ferry LANSDOWNE and the CLARION were in a collision on the Detroit River. 1895: CIBOLA caught fire and burned at the dock at Lewiston, NY, with the loss of one life. The hull was towed to Toronto and used in a fill project. 1943: GEORGE M. HUMPHREY sank off Old Point Mackinac Light following a collision with the D.M. CLEMSON. The ship was salvaged in 1944 and rebuilt at Sturgeon Bay as b) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN in 1945 and became c) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948 and d) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958. 1977: The ore- laden CADILLAC went aground in the St. Marys River after missing a turn in fog. It was released the next day with the help of 3 tugs. 1986: The C.S.L. self-unloader MANITOULIN went aground at Sandusky, off Cedar Point, after losing power. The ship was released with the help of tugs. 1998: LITA hit the knuckle at the Eisenhower Lock and sustained damage to the starboard side. The vessel later hit bottom of the channel near the Snell Lock but there was no additional damage. The ship was enroute from Toledo to Algeria. The 11,121 gross ton saltwater vessel was still in service as of 2012. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit |
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Straits Express passenger ferry heads for east coast 7/14 - The passenger ferry Straits Express, out of Mackinac City and the last vessel of the now defunct Arnold Line, has been sold to an as-yet-unknown cruise company in New York. She was downbound at Port Huron Friday under her own power. |
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AIS shows Wilfred Sykes heading to Marquette 7/14 - Wilfred Sykes was broadcasting an AIS destination of Marquette, Mich., on Friday night. It is rare to see the Sykes on Lake Superior. |
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Port Reports - July 14
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Goderich, Ont.
Toledo, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Jul 13 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Point bay:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Couples enjoy trip of a lifetime aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha 7/14 - Port Huron, Mich. – Randy Burgett said it is hard to explain what it is like to be a guest on the largest freighter in the Great Lakes. "Everybody I've talked to has said it's a trip of a lifetime and I have to agree with that," the Fort Gratiot man said from aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha Thursday. Burgett and his wife, Lynn, boarded the 1,000-footer Tuesday in St. Clair with friends Bob and Linda Kempf, Janet Knust and Rick Sheffield. The Kempfs won the trip in an auction benefiting the March of Dimes this past winter. "It's been awesome," said Linda Kempf of Marysville. "I have talked to people who have been on this trip and I guess it's like anything else, until you actually experience it, it's unbelievable." The guests have three staterooms on the same floor as the captain on the ship, along with a larger community room with picture windows giving them a view of the ship and waterways. Burgett said after boarding in St. Clair where the ship was offloading coal, they continued to Monroe where more coal was offloaded. They are currently upbound, headed to Duluth, Minnesota. “It's calming and awesome, you're almost lost for words," Linda Kempf said. Burgett agreed. "I've lived here all my 60-plus years and watched plenty of boat traffic come and go, but I had no idea what was truly involved in keeping a vessel like this running," he said. A handful of area fundraisers offer trips on the freighter, including the United Way of St. Clair County. The nonprofit will start selling raffle tickets for its trip in November. View photos and video as this link: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/local/st-clair/2018/07/12/trip-lifetime-aboard-paul-r-tregurtha/778566002 |
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Updates - April 8 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Adfines Sky, Andean, Anet, Arubaborg, BBC Kibo, BBC Mont Blanc, Belasitza, Cape Dawson, Eemsborg, Eemsgracht, Elbeborg, Erin Schulte, Fagelgracht, Federal Barents, Federal Bering, Federal Kushiro, Federal Leda, Federal Yukina, Fraserborg, Furuholmen, Harbour Feature, Irma, Johanna G, Lolland, Maria G, Olza, Patras, Pearl Mist, Rike and Victory |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 14 The AMERICAN REPUBLIC (Hull#724) was launched July 14, 1980, by the Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for the American Steamship Co. She was renamed b) GREAT REPUBLIC in 2011.While upbound in the St. Lawrence River on July 14, 1970, for Saginaw, Michigan, with a load of pig iron from Sorel, Quebec, the EASTCLIFFE HALL, of 1954, grounded in mud near Chrysler Shoal six miles above Massena, New York, at 03:00 hours but was able to free herself. A few hours later, approaching Cornwall, Ontario, she struck a submerged object and sank within a few minutes in 70 feet of water only 650 feet from the point of impact. The submerged object was believed to be an old aid to navigation light stand. Nine lives were lost. Divers determined that her back was broken in two places. After salvaging part of the cargo, her cabins were leveled and her hull was filled. In 1988, the JOHN T. HUTCHINSON and tow mate CONSUMERS POWER passed through the Panama Canal heading for the cutter’s torch in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. On 14 July 1908, MENTOR (wooden propeller tug, 53 foot, 23 gross tons, built in 1882, at Saugatuck, Michigan) burned south of Chicago, Illinois. No lives lost. Her original name was HATTIE A. FOX. On 14 July 1891, T H ORTON (wooden barge, 262 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) anchored off Marblehead, Ohio, on Lake Erie to ride out a storm. She dragged her anchors and was driven ashore where she was declared a total wreck. She may have been recovered though. Just two years earlier, this vessel went through a similar incident at the same spot. 1891: ATHABASCA and PONTIAC collided head-on in the Sugar Island Channel of the St. Marys River and the latter settled on the bottom. The former arrived at Sault Ste. Marie, with wreckage draped across her bow. Both ships were repaired and returned to service. 1931: The bulk canaller TEAKBAY hit a rock in the Brockville Narrows of the St. Lawrence and went aground while enroute from Sandusky to Quebec City with coal. It was refloated but was listing and in need of repairs. 1964: DANIEL PIERCE, a former Great Lakes tanker, ran aground at Guanica, Puerto Rico. The ship was leaking sulphuric acid into the bilges mixing with salt water. The town was evacuated due to the potential for an explosion. The hull was condemned and eventually scrapped. 1966: The Israeli freighter ELAT, on her second trip to the Great Lakes, and LEMOYNE were in a collision near Lock 2 of the Welland Canal, with only minor damage. ELAT arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping by September 7, 1982, while LEMOYNE was broken up at Santander, Spain, in 1969. 1993: CALCITE II lost steering and ran aground in the Amherstburg Channel of the Detroit River. The ship was lightered, released with the help of the tugs PATRICIA HOEY, OREGON and STORMONT and, after unloading at Ecorse, headed for Toledo to be repaired. Data from: Skip Gillham, Dave Wobser, Mike Nicholls, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 13
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Jul 12 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto: |
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Police seek man in Edward L. Ryerson break-in 7/13 - Superior, Wis. – Police are investigating a break-in onboard a bulk carrier docked in Superior. A surveillance camera on the Edward L. Ryerson caught the suspect in the act. According to Central Marine Logistics, the man allegedly stole a fire ax and walked off with a large bag of items. The break-in happened on July 6. The company says it's not the first time there has been a break-in on this particular ship. KBJR6 |
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Stand Up for the Great Lakes trio successfully paddles across Lake Superior 7/13 - Lake Superior – Three men from a Traverse City organization made the trip of a lifetime to raise money for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Joe Lorenz, Kwin Morris and Jeff Guy, from Stand Up for Great Lakes, are paddle boarding across Lake Superior from Sinclair Cove in Canada. “The new goal of this trip is to raise more than $20,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society,” says Morris, age 31, and a teacher in the Elk Rapids School District. After 12 hours and 28 miles into their more than 61 mile trip, the trio laid a wreath at the same spot the Edmund Fitzgerald sank more than 42 years ago. The bio-degradable wreath had 29 white carnations representing the members of the crew that went down in a terrible storm on November 1, 1975 and one single carnation representing all who were lost on the Great Lakes. The idea of paddling across Lake Michigan first struck the guys when Kwin and Jeff were doing a standup paddle together. They later met Joe Lorenz at a Christmas party, who had a similar idea. He said, “Let’s do it!” So, they put together the team and a plan, formed a non-profit and from that point forward worked to make it a reality. In 2015, the trio first crossed Lake Michigan, a 60-mile and 23-hour journey, and raised $10,000 for the Great Lake Alliance. In June 2017, they crossed Lake Huron and raised $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The 90-mile paddle journey took more than 28 hours to complete. Each man carried all of his supplies, which included food, extra clothes and straws that filter drinking water from the lake, on his own paddle board.v There were also two boats following the trio with an emergency medical technician on one and a crew ready to jump in for a rescue on the other. The trio paddled into Whitefish Point in Michigan's Upper Peninsula the site of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, around 6 a.m. Wednesday. “I am proud to know these ‘stand-up’ guys and have been educated to their sincere commitment in keeping the ‘great’ in GREAT LAKES,” says Scott Lorenz, Joe’s father. “They’ve planned it out thoroughly and in great detail. Their paddle boarding journeys are an incredible accomplishment.” Up North Live |
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Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley departs for its first-ever Arctic mission 7/13 - The Canadian Coast Guard’s annual Arctic operational season is underway and includes a maiden voyage to the Arctic by the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley. CCGS Samuel Risley departed Quebec City today with 25 officers and crew on board. Their first task will be to support the annual resupply mission for the United States Air Base at Thule Greenland. “My crew and I will be doing the Operation Pacer Goose mission. We are very much looking forward to seeing and working on the rugged coast of Greenland, a place few people ever get to experience,” said Captain John Cork, who is in command of CCGS Samuel Risley for the first month of its eight week Arctic mission. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the crew, and personally I am thrilled to have this as my last assignment before I retire after 34 years with the Canadian Coast Guard”. 1200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Thule is locked in by ice about nine months out of the year. Icebreaking service is needed to allow for a rapid resupply of food, fuel, construction materials and cargo. After the Operation Pacer Goose mission CCGS Samuel Risley will transit to the eastern Canadian Arctic and the waters of Baffin Bay, the Hudson Strait and northern Hudson Bay. Captain Signe Gotfredsen notes her crew members are truly looking forward to providing Coast Guard service in the north. Captain Gotfredsen will assume command of the ship during the second half of this mission. “For a number of the crew, this will be their first time plying Arctic waters, so there is a sense of exploration onboard,” said Captain Gotfredsen. “Some of our preparation time has been spent on training including Indigenous Engagement, helicopter slinging operations and environmental response.” CCGS Samuel Risley joined the Coast Guard fleet in the fall of 1985. During most of the navigational season, the ship operates out of the Canadian Coast Guard base in Parry Sound Ontario. It is multi-tasked and in addition to its icebreaking and aids to navigation duties on the Great Lakes it has also served on Canada’s east coast. The Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic operational season will run into late November, providing extended vessel presence in the Arctic under investments from the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan. CCGS Samuel Risley joins other coast guard ships serving the Arctic this year including CCGS Amundsen, CCGS Martha L. Black, CCGS Pierre Radisson, CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent and CCGS Henry Larsen. CCG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 13 Algoma's straight-deck bulk freighter ALGOWEST was christened at Collingwood on July 13, 1982. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1998, and renamed b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL in 2001.SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER (Hull#258) was launched July 13, 1983, at Govan, Scotland, by Govan Shipbuilders Ltd. for Pioneer Shipping Ltd. (Misener Transportation Ltd., mgr.). Renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995. Purchased by Voyageur Marine Transport in 2006, she now sails as KAMINISTIQUA. The LIGHTSHIP 103 was opened to visitors on July 13, 1974, at the city's Pine Grove Park along the St. Clair River. The rebuilt BOSCOBEL was launched at the Peshtigo Company yard at Algonac, Michigan, on 13 July 1876. Originally built in 1867, as a passenger/package freight propeller vessel, she burned and sank near Ft. Gratiot in 1869. The wreck was raised, but no work was done until January 1876, when she was completely rebuilt as a schooner-barge at Algonac. She sank again in the ice on Lake Erie in 1895, and was again raised and rebuilt. She lasted until 1909, when she sank in the middle of Lake Huron during a storm. On 13 July 1876, the Port Huron Weekly Times listed the following vessels as being idle at Marine City, Michigan: Steam Barges BAY CITY, D W POWERS and GERMANIA; steamer GLADYS; schooners TAILOR and C SPADEMAN; and barges MARINE CITY and ST JOSEPH. On 13 July 1876, The Detroit Tribune reported that "the captain of a well-known Oswego vessel, on his last trip to Oswego, found that the receipts of the trip exceeded the expenses in the neighborhood of $250, and stowed $210 of the amount away in a drawer of his desk on the schooner. The money remained there some days before the captain felt the necessity of using a portion of it, and when he opened the drawer to take out the required amount he found that a family of mice had file a pre-emption claim and domiciled themselves within the recess, using the greenbacks with the utmost freedom to render their newly chosen quarters absolutely comfortable. A package containing $60 was gnawed into scraps the size of the tip of the little finger, while only enough of the larger package containing $150 remained to enable the astonished seaman to determine the numbers of the bills, so that the money can be refunded to him by the United States Treasury Department. The captain made an affidavit of the facts, and forwarded it and the remnants of the greenbacks to Washington, with the view of recovering the full value of the money destroyed. He is now on the way to Oswego with his vessel, and no doubt frequently ruminates over the adage, "The best laid schemes of mice and men . . .” 1941: The first COLLINGDOC was inbound with coal for the Thames River when it struck a mine off Southend, England, and sank. There were at least two casualties. The hull was later refloated and sunk along with another ship, believed to be the PONTO, as part of the Churchill Barriers off Scapa Flow, in the northern United Kingdom. In time, sand has blown in and covered much of the hull with only the cement-encased pilothouse visible at last report. 1978: OLAU GORM, best remembered as one of 4 freighters that had to spend the winter of 1964-1965 on the Great Lakes due to ice closing the Seaway, ran aground as f) FAST BREEZE in the Red Sea. The ship was enroute to from Piraeus, Greece, to Gizan, Saudi Arabia, and was refloated, with severe damage, on July 16. It was soon sold to Pakistani shipbreakers and was broken up at Gadani Beach in 1979. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Large Dutch ship draws attention on Fox River in downtown Green Bay 7/12 - Green Bay, Wis. – The Port of Green Bay has welcomed a new, large visitor that's expected to become a more common sight on the Fox River. The 469-foot MV Arubaborg arrived Tuesday morning at KK Integrated Logistics's riverside warehouse with a load of wood pulp and newspaper rolls from Itaqui, Brazil. "It's always exciting any time we get a boat with a foreign flag," Port Director Dean Haen said of the Dutch ship. Haen said this is the first time in almost a decade that the port has seen the direct delivery of "forest product." The ship is significantly larger than most vessels that use KK Integrated Logistics' dock south of the Walnut Street bridge. The ship is delivering 9,000 tons of pulp and newspaper rolls, KK Integrated Logistics President Cynthia Kuber said. In past years, Kuber said, wood pulp and other related products were brought into northeastern Wisconsin by truck or railroad from the East Coast. She said KK Integrated Logistics began working in 2015 to begin direct delivery by oceangoing ship. The first trial runs of the direct delivery were done in 2016 and 2017 at the company's Menominee, Mich., location. She said direct shipping dramatically cuts the time it takes for product to get to its destination. While fluctuations in the pulp and paper industry markets can change the economics of shipping products to Green Bay, she anticipates the Arubaborg and other ships like it to more frequently bring loads to the port. The vessel is owned by the international shipping company Wagenborg Shipping. Haen said other Wagenborg ships have passed through the Port of Green Bay, but he believes this is the first time for the Arubaborg. Green Bay resident Chuck Zentmeyer, a self-described "boat nerd" — or avid ship-watcher — went out to the water early Tuesday morning to watch the Auraborg dock, and went back later in the day to snap some photos for his collection. "It's a cool boat," he said. "That fleet comes here every now and then, but not this specific boat. The number of onlookers I've seen is just crazy — 20 to 30 people just watching. The cranes make it look different . . . It's a sight to see." The Arubaborg is scheduled to leave Green Bay on Friday, although Kuber said the unloading process is going rather quickly and the ship could leave on Thursday. View a photo gallery at this link: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2018/07/11/large-dutch-ship-docks-fox-river-downtown-green-bay/774544002 |
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Port Reports - July 12
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Muskegon, Mich. Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday July 11 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Seaway |
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Duluth-Superior Harbor will be dredged by Roen Salvage Co. 7/12 - Detroit, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a contract for dredging at Duluth-Superior Harbor in western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The $1,933,500 contract was awarded to Roen Salvage Co., from Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The firm will dredge approximately 150,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor and deposit the dredged material at the 40th Avenue West placement site, a shallow cove on the Duluth side of the harbor. The dredging will begin in August and will be complete by mid-November. |
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Negotiations set to resume between union and Goderich salt mine 7/12 - Goderich, Ont. – Unifor says the union and Compass Minerals in Goderich have agreed to return to the bargaining table on Thursday in an effort to end a strike that began April 27. Unifor represents 348 members at what's billed as the world's largest underground salt mine on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. Bargaining will resume less than a week after striking workers blocked an access road to the mine to express frustration over the company's use of replacement workers. Unifor alleged the company was flying in workers from New Brunswick while demanding concessions that include mandatory overtime, reduced benefits, and a weakening of contracting-out provisions. In a letter to the community late last month, Compass Minerals said it has used contractors to produce salt to fill long-term orders, and had little choice but to do so in a competitive market. The company said it presented an offer when the strike began to address all outstanding issues, with wage increases and benefit improvements, but accused Unifor's bargaining committee of abruptly leaving the negotiations and taking their members out on strike. Unifor said Tuesday that while picketing at the site continues, non-bargaining unit personnel will have unimpeded access to the mine. Canadian Press |
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Buffalo District and partners sign Cleveland Huletts agreement 7/12 - Buffalo, N.Y. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District, Cleveland Port Authority, and several Cleveland preservation groups signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) June 1, 2018, resolving 20 years of debate over dredging the Cleveland Bulk Terminal and its impact on the Cleveland Huletts. Hulett Iron Ore Unloaders (Huletts) were enormous ore unloading machines, two of which stand where the Cuyahoga River flows into Lake Erie on the Pennsylvania Railway Ore Dock located on Whiskey Island. These Huletts operated continuously from 1912 to 1992, and were designated a Cleveland Historic Landmark in 1993, a National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1998. “The MOA states we have three years to work together as a working group and reach an agreement on what to do with the two Huletts,” said Mark Scalabrino, Buffalo District Chief of the Ohio Application Evaluation Section. “If no agreement is reached, the Port Authority will have the right to move the Huletts.” “We reached a viable solution by considering the wants and needs of each party,” Scalabrino continued. “Everyone did an excellent job improving relationships with the consulting parties, applicant and agencies.” Reaching a solution took nearly two decades. In 1999, the Port Authority’s dredging needs brought the Huletts and numerous organizations into convoluted legal engagements and mitigation decisions. “Nobody agreed on how or where to display the Huletts,” said Scalabrino. “They simply continued to rust and deteriorate, which, I believe, gave people a sense of urgency to find a solution.” “These enormous machines were very influential to the Great Lakes shipping industry,” Scalabrino explained. “Before, people had to offload cargo over several days using wheelbarrows and shovels. Huletts sped up the process to a few hours.” The MOA requires a written report combining previously published scholarly work relevant to the Pennsylvania Railway Ore Dock and Huletts' history into a single resource. The report will then be filed with the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office and the State Library of Ohio. “The MOA is a win-win-win scenario,” said Scalabrino. “Local historic organizations will be able to negotiate a solution for the Huletts, the Port Authority will be able to restore the Cleveland Bulk Terminal to suitable navigational depths, and the Army Corps of Engineers will fulfill its responsibility to make a permit decision.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 12 On this day in 1978, the keel for Hull #909 was laid at Toledo, Ohio, after Interlake Steamship and Republic Steel signed a 25-year haulage contract. Hull#909 was to be named WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY and renamed PAUL R. TREGURTHA in 1990.On July 12, 2005, the DAY PECKINPAUGH, under tow of the tug BENJAMIN ELLIOT, departed the lakes through the New York State Barge Canal to Lockport, New York for a new life as a traveling history museum. The BELLE RIVER, renamed b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY JR in 1990, was christened on July 12, 1977, as American Steamship's first thousand-footer and the first thousand-footer built at Bay Shipbuilding. The H. M. GRIFFITH (Hull#203) was launched July 12, 1973, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards for Canada Steamship Lines. Rebuilt with a new cargo section in 2000, renamed b.) RT. HON. PAUL J. MARTIN. In 1986, when ENDERS M. VOORHEES was chained together with her sisters, A.H. FERBERT and IRVING S. OLDS, a severe thunderstorm struck Duluth, Minnesota, pushing the trio across St. Louis Bay, eventually grounding them near Superior, Wisconsin. It was discovered that the force of the storm had pulled the bollards out of the Hallett Dock No. 5, thus releasing the ships. On July 12, 1958, Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd.'s FRANK A. SHERMAN entered service, departing Port Weller Dry Docks, for Duluth and a load of iron ore on its maiden voyage. On 12 July 1871, ADVANCE (wooden scow-schooner, 49 tons, built in 1847, at Fairport, Ohio), was bound for Detroit from Cleveland with a load of coal. She and the steamer U S GRANT collided near South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay) in Lake Erie and ADVANCE sank. Her crew escaped in the yawl. On 12 July 1852, CITY OF OSWEGO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight vessel, 138 foot, 357 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) collided with the steamer AMERICA and sank off Willoughby, Ohio, a few miles east of Cleveland. 15 lives were lost. This was CITY OF OSWEGO's first season of operation. On 12 July 1889, T.H. ORTON (wooden barge, 262 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) anchored off Marblehead, Ohio on Lake Erie to ride out a storm. She dragged her anchors and was driven ashore where she was declared a total wreck. She was recovered and just two years later, at the same place, this incident was repeated. 190:9 The ore laden JOHN B. COWLE (i) was struck amidships by the ISAAC M. SCOTT off Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, and sank with the reported loss of 11 lives. 1917: GEORGE N. ORR was wrecked at Savage Point in the Strait of Northumberland, Prince Edward Island, on her way to New York City and wartime saltwater service. The vessel had been cut in two and towed from the lakes to be rejoined at Montreal. 1969: The deep-sea tug MISSISSIPPI arrived at Bilbao, Spain, with the lakers DONNACONA (ii) and BEN E. TATE, for scrapping. 1977: The stern section of the former canaller BIRCHTON was raised at Halifax after the two parts, which had been created for use as pontoons in the construction of offshore drilling platforms, sank at the dock. 1985: MONTY PYTHON first visited the Great Lakes as a) MONTE ZALAMA in 1970. It returned as b) MONTY PYTHON after being renamed in 1985. The ship drifted aground in the St. Lawrence off La Ronde while loading scrap at Montreal and had to be lightered to P.S. BARGE NO. 1 before floating free on July 18. This saltwater vessel was sold for scrap before the year was out and arrived at Dalian, China, on November 3, 1985, to be dismantled. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Boblo boat owners vow to restore after fire with GoFundMe 7/11 - Detroit, Mich. – The two owners of the historic Boblo boat SS Ste. Claire that caught fire last Friday have vowed to go forward with its restoration. Now they're asking for help. The boat’s owners, Ron Kattoo and Saqib Nakadar, both Metro Detroit physicians, lamented the destruction of the boat they have worked on for about 10 years. "Like anything that someone has put their own energy into it and blood and sweat, that’s the part you can’t get back," Nakadar said. "Besides that, we also feel the weight of everyone else who supported us and encouraged us, and this boat is something that’s way beyond just him and I." A GoFundMe page was made by a friend of Nakadar and Kattoo on July 6. After concerns from the public asking whether or not the campaign was legitimate, Kattoo decided to end the campaign, which raised $325 over three days, and create another campaign under his own name with the same goal of raising $500,000. The insurance the men purchased for the boat will not cover the fire damage. “Our coverages included coverage for the hull, so had there been damage to the hull, had the ship sank, if those things had happened, we had coverages for those things,” Nakadar said. “But she wasn’t really insurable otherwise.” He said much of the wooden structure had rotted and needed repair. The goal was to repair it and then there would be something to insure. “There won’t be any coverages on that end,” Nakadar said. The Ste. Claire was docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River last Friday when it caught fire. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2018/07/10/owners-boblo-boat-restoration-fire/769091002 |
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Algolake scrap tow arrives at Turkish scrapyard 7/11 - Algolake (IMO 7423093), renamed Gola and registered in Sierra Leone for the scrap tow, arrived at Aliaga, Turkey on July 6 during the late morning for eventual scrapping. This is the last of three former Algoma vessels that were once laid-up in Montreal and were later towed to Aliaga for scrap. The Gola, ex-Algolake, departed Montreal on June 3 under tow of the deep sea tug Diavlos Force of Panamanian registry (IMO 8214023).Still laid-up in Montreal is the former American Victory (ex- Middletown) which has been renamed the Icto of Canadian registry for the scrap tow overseas to Aliaga. Denny Dushane |
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Port Reports - July 11
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Port Inland, Mich.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday July 10 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto: |
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Samuel Risley joins Canadian Coast Guard’s 2018 Arctic season 7/11 -Montreal – The Canadian Coast Guard's annual Arctic operational season is underway and includes a maiden voyage to the Arctic by the CCGS Samuel Risley. The season will run into late November, providing extended vessel presence in the Arctic under investments from the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan. The CCGS Samuel Risley will depart July 11 from Quebec City for her maiden voyage to Arctic waters, where she will participate in Operation Pacer Goose, which is the annual resupply mission for the Thule US Air Force base in Greenland. Six other Coast Guard icebreakers deploy this season to support Coast Guard operational and program commitments, such as providing safe escorts of ships through ice-covered waters.
• May 25: CCGS Amundsen departed Quebec City for BaySys (Hudson Bay System) Study
Quick Facts
Fisheries and Oceans Central & Arctic Region |
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3 men set to paddleboard across Lake Superior; will pay tribute to Fitzgerald 7/11 - Torch Lake, Mich. – Three men from northern Michigan are about to attempt something that's never been done. They plan to paddleboard across Lake Superior - the largest, coldest and most dangerous of the five Great Lakes. They call themselves the "Three Standup Guys," because they stand on their paddleboards, and because they are co-founders of a non-profit charity called, "Stand Up for the Great Lakes," which was set up to protect the Great Lakes and educate others about freshwater resources. "The waves can pick up like crazy in a matter of seconds on Lake Superior," said Kwin Morris, who will be one of the paddleboarders involved in this adventure. "Superior's weather and waves have taken thousands of sailors and their ships to the grave." Morris, along with Joe Lorenz and Jeff Guy, make up the trio known as "Three Standup Guys." This isn't the first time they will cross one of the Great Lakes on paddleboards. "We decided to cross Lake Michigan in 2015," said Morris. "We started in Algoma, Wisconsin and finished in Frankfort, Michigan. "Then in 2017, we decided to cross Lake Huron. We started in Alpena, Michigan and our destination was Tobermory, Ontario [Canada.]" They plan to paddleboard across all five of the Great Lakes, but chose Superior as their conquest for 2018. "People don't realize, it's 70 degrees on the shore, but when you get out there, the water is 37 degrees," said Morris. "Mentally and physically, this will be the most challenging thing I've ever done." The men have targeted July 9 through July 20 as the best weather window to make their treacherous trek across Superior. "We're making it about the journey and not the destination," said Joe Lorenz, co-founder of Stand Up for the Great Lakes. "I have some fear, but I also respect that lake." The paddleboard journey will begin from Sinclair Cove, Ontario, Canada and will finish at Whitefish Point in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the site of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. If they don't run into any weather or extremely rough seas, Morris says the 57-mile trip should take the three men just over 30 hours to complete. "It's sobering when you're out there," said Morris. "You're paddling all day, then all night, and when the sun comes up you still can't see land." The men will each strap on all the necessary supplies they'll need for the trip. Some of the food items will include Espresso beans (to help them stay away during the night), amino acid drinks, dried mangos and ginger. They will also be taking filtered cups with them so they can drink the lake water to stay hydrated. The men have also taken precautions on the chance there could be a medical emergency during the trip. There will be two boats that will flank them, and one of the boats will have a doctor on board. Prior to their paddleboard treks across Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, the guys secured charities to generate money for. The goal of this trip is to raise more than $10,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. "We plan to make a special stop out on the lake during the paddleboard journey," said Morris. "We will travel over the spot where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. When we arrive at that spot, we will lay a wreath, pause for a moment, then continue on to Whitefish Point." The reason why the three guys all care so much about the Great Lakes is because they all grew up on water. "We want to make sure the Great Lakes and all inland lakes are protected," said Jeff Guy, co-founder of the organization. "The three of us go out paddleboarding all the time cleaning up trash on the lakes. We will continue to do that." Until the weather and lake conditions are conducive for the men to embark on their trip, they'll be practicing on nearby Grand Traverse Bay and Torch Lake, which is close to where all three of them grew up. "I'm super excited, but now that the window is becoming closer, I'm super nervous as well," said Morris. WZZM |
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Great Lakes teachers sail away on a cruise, but it's not a tropical vacation 7/11 - Buffalo, N.Y. – Fifteen teachers, several from New York State, sailed off Monday morning on a research vessel called the Lake Guardian. They'll be doing research on Lake Ontario as part of the Educate Great Lakes Teachers program. The program is hosted by the US EPA and the Sea Grant. The group will be gathering information plankton, bacteria and taking sediment samples. Helen Domske is the Senior Coastal Education Specialist for New York Sea Grant. Domske says the program gives teachers a chance contribute to great lakes research. "Their entire experience is to feel like a scientist a great lakes scientist," she said. Buffalo Science teacher Jim Damon is taking part in the trip. He's excited about the research and says he'll pass it on his students in the coming school year. He says fostering an interest in the science is important for students. "Stem programming is super important," he said. "I think, with our coming generations and the way that society is going, it’s critical for students to be able to understand their role in protecting their environment." The research ship is expected back in a week. WBFO |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 11 On this day in 1962, the EDWARD L. RYERSON carried a record cargo of 24,445 tons of iron ore through the newly opened Rock Cut Channel. The new channel increased allowable depths by 26 inches to 25 feet 7 inches.On this day in 1943, the new MacArthur Lock was formally opened to traffic. The first boat to lock through during the ceremonies was the upbound CARL D. BRADLEY, Captain F. F. Pearse. There were 250 dignitaries and passengers aboard the Bradley during the lockage. The first downbound vessel was the new Leon Fraser of the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet. The INDIANA HARBOR was christened July 11, 1979. On 11 July 1888, the 2-mast wooden schooner JOHN TIBBETS was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she foundered in the shallows near Clear Creek, 7 miles west of Port Rowan, Ontario and then broke up in the storm waves. Her crew made it to shore in the yawl. She was built in 1863, at Clayton, New York on the hull of the Canadian schooner PERSEVERANCE, which was originally built in 1855. The PERSIA, a 150-foot passenger/package freight vessel, was launched at Melancthon Simpson's shipyard at St. Catharines, Ontario, on 11 July 1873. She was built at a cost of $37,000. She lasted until the 1920's when she was converted to a barge and then abandoned. MONTEZUMA (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 341 feet, 2,722 gross tons) was launched at the John Davidson shipyard (Hull #102) in West Bay City, Michigan, on 11 July 1903. She was one of the largest wooden vessels ever built. It was later stated in the press that the reason Davidson's last large vessels took so long to build was the difficulty in obtaining the required large oak timbers and their expense. As steel went down in price, wood went up, and Davidson's last hulls cost as much as comparably-sized steel ones. At the time of launching this vessel the Davidson shipyard announced that it would not build any more wooden freight vessels. 1915: CHOCTAW, enroute from Cleveland to Duluth with a cargo of coal, sank following a collision with the WAHCONDAH in foggy Lake Huron. All on board were saved. 1940: WILLIAM F. STIFEL ran aground in the St. Clair River near Port Lambton and was struck by the ALBERT E. HEEKIN. 1964: CHEMBARGE NO. 4, formerly a) JUDGE KENEFICK and b) H.J. McMANUS was towed out into Lake Huron by ATOMIC and ABURG and scuttled in deep water about 16 miles off Goderich after sulphuric acid began leaking into the bilges of the recently-converted tanker barge. 2007: CANADIAN NAVIGATOR lost power and went aground in mud off Courtright and six tugs were needed to pull the ship free. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port of Monroe establishes partnership with Great Lakes Towing, shipyard 7/10 - Monroe, Mich. – The Port of Monroe has established an exclusive partnership with The Great Lakes Towing Company and Great Lakes Shipyard in an effort to further expand their commercial maritime and transportation offerings with the addition of full service towing and shipyard services. The Great Lakes Towing Company has relocated the tug Wisconsin, and it is now permanently stationed in the Port of Monroe. This strategic positioning will allow for more responsive and efficient operations for harbor assist, ice breaking, and outside towing of project cargos. With the on-site presence of Great Lakes Shipyard, the Port of Monroe now offers fabrication and repair services for a variety of vessels. Available services include layup and winter work, topside repair, haul out, fabrication, emergency service, and more. As a deep-water port with 3,000 linear feet of improved dock space, extensive laydown area, and centralized location on the Great Lakes, this new collaboration capitalizes upon strategic positioning, an underserved regional market, and long-standing industry partnerships. The port and the towing company plan to expand on existing relationships by offering the best location, efficiency, and economics to new and existing customers. “The Port of Monroe is extremely proud to partner with The Great Lakes Towing Company and Great Lakes Shipyard to broaden our maritime service capabilities. With increased waterborne commerce comes an ever-present need for safe and efficient towing services as well as the opportunity for year-round vessel repairs and maintenance. Their highly respected reputation and proactive approach to sustainability make them the perfect partner for our rapidly growing port,” comments Paul C. LaMarre III, Port Director, Port of Monroe. The Port of Monroe is Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie and serves as the gateway to Michigan’s multimodal transportation network. Located on the deep-draft frontage of the River Raisin with direct rail Class 1 rail access and immediately access to I-75, the Port of Monroe represents the closest convergence of major freight assets anywhere in the region. This accessibility coupled with efficient cargo handling, economic freight rates, and a highly accommodating port management team have made the Port of Monroe one of the fastest growing seaports on the Great Lakes. Port of Monroe |
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Port Reports - July 10
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont. Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Jul 9 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto:
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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Mystery of missing lifeboat solved for 90th anniversary of Isle Royale shipwreck 7/10 - Isle Royale, Mich. – The mystery behind a missing lifeboat belonging to one of Isle Royale's most famous shipwrecks was solved earlier this summer - just in time to mark the 90th anniversary of the America's demise. The questions surrounding the ship's lifeboat began in the spring of 2017, when staff prepping the national park in Lake Superior for its annual opening noticed the small boat that had survived the America's 1928 shipwreck was no longer on one of the park's docks. "It was suspected to have been washed off the dock during one of the many winter storms, but there were many possibilities to its fate," park staff said in a recent social media post. This spring, the mystery was solved: "The America Lifeboat was spotted a couple hundred feet north-northwest of the America dock in Snug Harbor in the Rock Harbor Channel. The boat is about 23 feet below the surface, but can be seen from the surface on a clear, calm day." After it was found, there was a bit of debate among the park's ardent fans and shipwreck devotees. Would it be better to leave the America's lifeboat where it was found, giving it the same watery fate as its mother ship? Or should it be raised and put back on display? There's been no word yet on any plans to raise the lifeboat. In the meantime, the National Park Service has shared some pictures of the America before and after its wreck. We'll also share a bit more of the story behind the America, which ferried passengers on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior before her abrupt end. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/07/mystery_of_missing_lifeboat_so.html |
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Historic Boblo Island boat destroyed by fire had Toledo connection 7/10 - Toledo, Ohio – It’s a piece of maritime history with a Toledo connection. The S.S. Ste. Claire went up in flames Friday in Detroit. The Ste. Claire was built at the Toledo shipyard and launched in 1910. The boat, a National Historic Landmark, had been forced to move several times while preservationists tried to raise enough money to restore the vessel. Fire dashed all hope of doing that at a marina where she rested. “They were made with a steel hull but had a tremendous amount of wood on top. That was part of the deterioration of these boats. Massive amount of wood, super structure above the hull,” said Anna Kolin of Toledo’s National Museum of the Great Lakes. Ste. Claire spent her life whisking passengers from Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio to and from Boblo Island, eighteen miles southwest of Windsor. The now defunct amusement park took the boat out of operation in 1993. The island is now a community of homes and condos serviced by a private ferry. The cause of the fire is under investigation. WTOL |
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USCGC Escanaba to return to Grand Haven for Coast Guard Festival 7/10 - Grand Haven , Mich. – The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Escanaba will return to Grand Haven this summer to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its namesake’s sinking during World War II. The ship will be in town for the 2018 Coast Guard Festival, July 27 to Aug. 5. She is expected at Quebec City on July 16 from Boston, en route to the Great Lakes. Festival Director Mike Smith said details and dates of the ship’s visit are still being finalized. “I am beyond thrilled that the U.S. Coast Guard has made this special iconic ship available to serve as the focal point for our celebration as we remember the heroic men who served onboard the original Escanaba,” Smith said. “Commanding Officer Cmdr. Michael Turdo worked closely with the Atlantic Area Command to rearrange an otherwise committed sail plan to ensure that the ship stood stoically in the port of Grand Haven once again.” The third Coast Guard cutter to bear the name Escanaba (WME-907) was commissioned in Grand Haven on Aug. 29, 1987, and sponsored by the late Grand Haven Mayor Marge Boon. From its homeport in Boston, the Escanaba has patrolled the waters off New England to enforce federal and international fishing regulations, to deep in the Caribbean on migrant interdiction patrols, to more recently through the Panama Canal and to the Eastern Pacific for drug interdiction missions. Although it is the third Escanaba, it is just the second vessel of that name commissioned in Grand Haven. The original Escanaba (WPG-77) was commissioned Nov. 23, 1932, in Grand Haven, according to Coast Guard history. The 165-foot vessel was stationed in Grand Haven from 1932-40. Its primary missions were ice breaking and search and rescue on the Great Lakes. Built by Defoe Boat and Motor Works of Bay City, the original cutter was named for the city and the river. It served in Grand Haven until the beginning of World War II. In February 1943, the Escanaba rescued 132 men from a torpedoed transport in the North Atlantic. Four months later, the Escanaba set out on its final mission — an Allied convoy bound for St. John’s, Newfoundland. At 5:10 a.m. on June 13, 1943, convoy members saw a flash of light and dense smoke at the perimeter of their group. The Raritan, which also was stationed in Grand Haven at one time, was one of the two cutters that rushed to the scene. They discovered the Escanaba had been hit by a torpedo and sunk instantly. There was only debris and two survivors: Seaman 1st Class Raymond O’Malley and Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Melvin Baldwin. The ship’s mast and lifeboat were recovered and are part of a memorial display in Escanaba Park along Grand Haven’s waterfront. For many years, the two survivors attended the memorial service held in Grand Haven during the annual Coast Guard Festival. Descendants of both men, who are now deceased, plan to attend the memorial service this year, Smith said. Also expected to attend is Dr. Ralph Nix, son of the ship’s surgeon, also named Dr. Ralph Nix. Smith said the Nix family is coming to town from Mississippi. The family of Yeoman 2nd Class Clifford Burton Skarin, who was among those lost in the Escanaba tragedy, is coming from Colorado. A sibling of another lost shipmate is coming from California, Smith said. Smith said it was the hard work of local historian Wally Ewing and Loutit District Library genealogist Jeanette Weiden that enabled the Coast Guard Festival staff to contact descendants of the sailors lost in the World War II sinking. “The sailors were so young and single,” Smith said. “When they died, they didn’t have families. And their parents and most of their siblings, who would have been in their 90s, are deceased.” Many of those who are coming are cousins, Smith said. “It’s just incredible that there’s so much interest, even from cousins and second cousins who know the legacy of these men and want to come and celebrate with us,” he said. Smith said a tribute dinner for “Heroes and Legends” is planned for the families of the sailors and many of the former commanding officers of the Escanaba. “Part of our legacy as the one and only ‘Coast Guard City USA’ was framed by the sacrifices of the men of the Escanaba,” Smith said. “And to be able to remember them and celebrate with their successors is not only a great honor but in keeping with this year’s festival theme and the Escanaba’s motto, ‘The Spirit Lives On.’” The festival director said plans are being made to dedicate a new memorial for the Escanaba during a community memorial service on June 13. There are no plans, at this time, for families of the sailors to attend this event. The second Escanaba was built in San Pedro, California, and commissioned March 20, 1946. The 255-foot gunboat was ported in Alameda, California, until 1954, when it was decommissioned and put in storage until 1957. It was put back into service in 1957 and stationed at Bedford, Massachusetts. It was decommissioned again on June 23, 1973. Grand Haven Tribune |
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Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland completes change of command 7/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland held a change-of-command ceremony in Cleveland Friday. Captain Joseph Dufresne, commander, Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, presided over the ceremony to transfer command from Lt. Cmdr. Mickey Dougherty to Lt. Cmdr. Steven Elliott. Dougherty assumed command of MSU Cleveland in July of 2015 and will be moving on to Coast Guard's 8th District in New Orleans, Louisiana. During his time as the commanding officer of MSU Cleveland, he led 38 Active Duty and Reserve personnel and played a major role in the Republican National Convention, and significant improvements to safety on the Cuyahoga River. Elliott was previously assigned to Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the office of commercial vessel compliance. While there he served as the outer continental shelf branch chief for four years. MSU Cleveland is Northeast Ohio’s premier maritime safety and regulatory authority. The unit’s area of responsibility stretches from the Pennsylvania/Ohio border to Vermillion, Ohio along Lake Erie and as far south as Akron, Ohio. USCG |
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Children's author reads "Storm Codes" at Marquette July 28 7/10 - Marquette, Mich. – Award-winning children’s author Tracy Nelson Maurer reads her picture-books "Storm Codes" and "John Deere, That’s Who!" on Saturday, July 28, at 11 a.m. at the Marquette Maritime Museum, 300 North Lakeshore Blvd., in Marquette. The event is free with regular admission ticket; books are available for purchase and signing. Children will hear stories of hope and determination, with plenty of fun interaction. "Storm Codes" was inspired by the author’s grandfather, Captain Harvey Almstedt. His last ship before he retired, the Edward B. Greene, is featured in the book and its artifacts are on display at the Marquette Maritime Museum. Captain Almstedt became a painter after retirement, and one of his largest works hangs in the Marquette Maritime Museum. Maurer has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including the recently published picture book "Noah Webster’s Fighting Words." "Storm Codes," published by Windward Publishing in Minneapolis, won the Northeastern Minnesota Children’s Book Honor, the national Mom’s Choice honor, and other awards. "John Deere, That’s Who!," illustrated by Tim Zeltner and published by Henry Holt in New York, was named a Junior Library Guild Selection and the National Agriculture Foundation’s Book of the Year. For more information about the author and her books, visit TracyMaurerWriter.com. Visit the museum’s website, mqmaritimemuseum.com, for more event details. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 10 On this day in 1979, Captain Thomas Small had his license for Master of Steam and Motor Vessel of any gross tonnage renewed at the St. Ignace Coast Guard Station. Captain Small, a retired Pittsburgh Steamship employee and 106 years of age, was the oldest person to be licensed and the issue number of his license is the highest ever issued by the Coast Guard 14-17 (14th masters license and 17th license as a pilot, mate, or master).On July 10, 2005, noted marine photographer Paul Wiening passed away at his residence in Port Washington, Wisconsin. G. A. TOMLINSON (Hull#370) was launched at the American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio, on July 10, 1909, for the Douglas Steamship Co (J.J.H. Brown, mgr.), renamed b.) HENRY R. PLATT JR in 1959. The hull was used as a breakwater in Burlington Bay, Ontario, in 1971. In 1998, the ALGOWEST was re-dedicated at Port Weller Dry Docks. The $20 million conversion of the ship to a self-unloader from a bulk-carrier was completed by 400 shipbuilders at Port Weller Dry Docks during the previous eight months. Renamed in 2001, she sails for Algoma today as b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL. On 10 July 1866, COQUETTE (1-mast wooden scow-sloop, 90 foot, 140 tons, built in 1858, at Perry, Ohio as a schooner) capsized in a storm on Lake Michigan and was lost with her crew of four. She had originally been built for the U.S. Government. On 10 July 1911, JOHN MITCHELL (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 420 foot, 4,468 gross tons, built in 1907, at St. Clair, Michigan) was carrying wheat off Whitefish Point on Lake Superior when she was rammed broadside by the coal-laden steel steamer WILLIAM HENRY MACK (steel propeller bulk freighter, 354 foot, 3781 gross tons, built in 1903, at Cleveland, Ohio). The MACK tried to keep her bow in the hole, but the MITCHELL still sank in 7 minutes. Quick work saved most of her crew and all 7 passengers. Three of the 34 onboard were lost. The MACK got most of the blame for the accident. The MITCHELL's wreck was discovered upside-down on the bottom in 1972. (Note: Bowling Green's database gives the date of this accident as 19 July 1911 and Dave Swayze's Shipwreck database gives the date as 10 July 1911.) 1930 YORKTON was beached with only the top of the pilothouse above water after a head-on collision in fog on Whitefish Bay with the MANTADOC. The ship was later salvaged and repaired at Collingwood. 1938 RAHANE ran aground on a shoal in the American Narrows of the St. Lawrence while downbound with steel, package freight and grain. Some cargo was removed by the lighter COBOURG and the ship was refloated with major bottom damage. The vessel last sailed on the lakes as A.A. HUDSON before departing for saltwater service in the fall of 1965. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series - Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 9
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
North Channel and Georgian Bay
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Jul 8 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay anchorage:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 9 WILLIAM R. ROESCH, renamed b.) DAVID Z. NORTON in 1995, loaded her first cargo in 1973, at Superior, Wisconsin where she took on 18,828 tons of iron ore bound for Jones & Laughlin's Cuyahoga River plant at Cleveland.The BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS and her fleet mate IRVING S. OLDS passed through the Panama Canal on July 9, 1988, under tow of the German tug OSA RAVENSTURM. The pair was on a 14,000-mile journey to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving there on November 8, 1988, for scrapping by Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. On 9 July 1876, ST CLAIR (wooden propeller freighter with some passenger accommodations, 127 foot, 326 gross tons, built in 1867, at Algonac, Michigan) had 14 crew and 18 passengers aboard along with cargo of flour, feed and deck loads of cattle as she sailed on Lake Superior. At 2:00 a.m., she caught fire about five miles off shore from 14 Mile Point. She was a wood burner and had a history of shipboard fires. The fire spread so quickly that only one boat could be launched and being overloaded, it capsized. The cries of those left on the vessel, along with the bellowing of the cattle, were heart rending. Only six survived in the one lifeboat since the cold water took its toll on those who clung to it. Eventually they righted the boat and paddled to shore, leaving the ST CLAIR burned to the waterline. On 9 July 1891, W A MOORE (wood propeller tug, 119 foot, 212 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit, Michigan) burned to a total loss at Cleveland, Ohio. 1917: The bulk carrier WILLIAM S. MACK collided with the passenger freighter MANITOBA in fog off Whitefish Point and had to be beached. It was subsequently refloated and repaired. The ship was renamed HOME SMITH on October 10, 1917, and last sailed as ALGORAIL in 1963 before being scrapped at Toronto. 1967: The NEW YORK NEWS (iii) and the saltwater ship NORDGLIMT collided off Escoumins, QC, with only minor damage. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Former Ste Claire captain battles historic boat's flames as Detroit firefighter 7/8 - Detroit, Mich. – Ken Horner had the honor of being the captain of Boblo Island's S.S. Ste Claire for two years. Now Horner works as captain of Detroit Fire Department's fireboat, the Curtis Randolph, and was one of the firefighters that attempted to save the historic boat. While bystanders watched the vessel from shore, Horner witnessed his own memories burn. "It's my first vessel I've ever stepped foot on," Horner said. The S.S. Ste Claire holds an important place in Horner's heart. He even met his wife on the ship when she was working in the souvenir shop. "I started as a deck hand in 1971," Horner said. "I worked my way to the top." Decades later, Horner is still able to see the beauty in the charred and destroyed ship. "I don't know if you ever saw the dance floor," Horner said. "It was all finished wood." The ship first sailed the 18 miles from Detroit to Boblo Island in 1898. "It was a family thing," Horner said. "It was a Detroit thing." The park closed in 1993 Similar to Detroit, S.S. Ste Claire was on track for a comeback, but the restoration attempts ignited the fire, and memories are all Horner and others can rely on. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do," Horner said. Read more and view a video at this link: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local-4-news-at-11/former-ss-ste-claire-captain-battles-historic-boat-s-flames-as-detroit-firefighter |
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Port Reports - July 8
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Jul 7 ... Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay anchorage:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Oshawa: |
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Historic tugboat Peninsula makes it way back home to Marathon, Ont. 7/8 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – A historic tugboat that was docked in the Thunder Bay harbor for about half a century is getting ready to leave the Lakehead for the final time on Saturday, thanks to the organizers at the Marathon and District Historical Society and Museum. The Peninsula has a long history that dates back to the Second World War, according to Gerald Graham. Graham's father was the shipping superintendent in Marathon when the tug was in operation after the war. "The Peninsula was built originally for the Canadian navy in 1943 ... and it was used out of Halifax," Graham said. During the war, he said, the Peninsula 's purpose was to go out to the north Atlantic and rescue ships that were broken down or had been attacked. After the war in 1945, a mill in Marathon needed a boat and ended up buying the Peninsula the following year. "They named it after the former name of Marathon, which was Peninsula.... and it was used for many years to rack up all the wood that had come down the Pic River." In 1968, after many years of hauling logs through the harbor, the Peninsula was sold to a company in Thunder Bay called Western Engineering. "It's an iconic image of the early days of the pulp and paper industry, which was instrumental in the starting of the town of Marathon," Graham explained, "and I think it's just a connection that's been lost for a long time." On Saturday, Graham said the tug will journey back to its home community of Marathon. Once it arrives, he said, the organizers plan to take the boat out of the water and place it in the heart of the town's downtown core as a way to attract tourists. CBC |
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Coast Guard rescues 26-year-old male swimmer in Duluth 7/8 - Duluth, Minn. – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 26-year-old swimmer in Duluth Harbor Saturday. The man stated that he was swimming alone in the harbor when he became overtaken by the currents. At approximately 7 a.m., local, the Coast Guard received notification of a person yelling for help in Duluth harbor. Coast Guard Station Duluth launched a 29-foot response boat - small crew and within 10 minutes of searching one of the crewmembers was able to see someone bobbing in the water. The crew pulled the individual into the boat and brought him to Pier B in Duluth Harbor where he was transferred to local EMS. In this case, the Coast Guard was notified right away and was able to get on scene quickly, but precautions should always be taken to ensure safety when swimming in the Great Lakes in case first responders are not able to be on scene right away. The Coast Guard reminds swimmers to be aware of water conditions and temperatures and to use the buddy system when swimming. Additionally, telling someone onshore where you are going and when you are coming back can increase the probability of rescue if a swimmer were to become distressed. Having a point to start a search from can make the difference between a successful or unsuccessful rescue. USCG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 8 WILLIAM R. ROESCH, renamed b.) DAVID Z. NORTON in 1995, loaded her first cargo in 1973, at Superior, Wisconsin where she took on 18,828 tons of iron ore bound for Jones & Laughlin's Cuyahoga River plant at Cleveland.The BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS and her fleet mate IRVING S. OLDS passed through the Panama Canal on July 9, 1988, under tow of the German tug OSA RAVENSTURM. The pair was on a 14,000-mile journey to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving there on November 8, 1988, for scrapping by Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. On 9 July 1876, ST CLAIR (wooden propeller freighter with some passenger accommodations, 127 foot, 326 gross tons, built in 1867, at Algonac, Michigan) had 14 crew and 18 passengers aboard along with cargo of flour, feed and deck loads of cattle as she sailed on Lake Superior. At 2:00 a.m., she caught fire about five miles off shore from 14 Mile Point. She was a wood burner and had a history of shipboard fires. The fire spread so quickly that only one boat could be launched and being overloaded, it capsized. The cries of those left on the vessel, along with the bellowing of the cattle, were heart rending. Only six survived in the one lifeboat since the cold water took its toll on those who clung to it. Eventually they righted the boat and paddled to shore, leaving the ST CLAIR burned to the waterline. On 9 July 1891, W A MOORE (wood propeller tug, 119 foot, 212 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit, Michigan) burned to a total loss at Cleveland, Ohio. 1917: The bulk carrier WILLIAM S. MACK collided with the passenger freighter MANITOBA in fog off Whitefish Point and had to be beached. It was subsequently refloated and repaired. The ship was renamed HOME SMITH on October 10, 1917, and last sailed as ALGORAIL in 1963 before being scrapped at Toronto. 1967: The NEW YORK NEWS (iii) and the saltwater ship NORDGLIMT collided off Escoumins, QC, with only minor damage. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Welding possible cause of devastating fire on former Boblo boat Ste. Claire 7/7 - Detroit, Mich. – Officials said former Boblo boat the Ste. Claire is a total loss after flames engulfed the iconic steamer Friday on the Detroit River. A welder working on renovations for the boat may have sparked the fire, officials said. The boat was docked at Riverside Marina in Detroit. Crews had the blaze under control by 1 p.m. Friday, according to Detroit Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell. But it was doubtful the boat could be salvaged, said Detroit Police Chief James Craig and Detroit Fire Commissioner Eric Jones. The owners of the ship - Ron Kattoo and Saqib Nakadar - looked on at their two-year investment with pain on Friday afternoon, vowing to rebuild if possible. “It’s heartbreaking,” said Kattoo watching giant water hoses from the Detroit fireboat douse the historic vessel. The men said they had plans to turn the ship into a dockside attraction for public tours as well as a Halloween Haunted House. “We know everyone loved it and we’re going to do everything we can to bring it back,” Nakadar said Craig, addressing media members nearby, mourned the loss of the former passenger ship. “It’s an iconic piece of history,” Craig said. “A lot of history.” No one was injured in the fire. Jones said a worker was on the boat at the time of the fire, working on a restaurant on the ship. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Mike Nevin, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association union, said calls came in around 11:45 a.m. and firefighters got to the boat as soon as they could. Fornell said those dispatched “went on the defensive,” because fire made the vessel unsafe to board. The Detroit Fire Department also dispatched its fireboat on the river to put out the blaze. Firefighters who man the fireboat are also tasked with operating a fire station, and that could have delayed the fire boat from arriving sooner. Detroit security guard Cliff Jones said he called 911 when he saw the flames and called emergency dispatch. He said it took about 20 minutes for ground forces to arrive. The fireboat took 45 minutes to get to the scene. Within 10 minutes, the fire had already spread, devastating the 25,000-square-foot vessel, Jones said. Locals who had been part of multiple failed efforts to save the ship were also heart- broken Friday, but it wasn’t entirely surprising to some. “It’s a sad day” said Lori Feret, a Madison Heights resident who’d worked through the years to save both the Ste. Claire and her sister ship, the SS Columbia. “I was like ‘Oh my God, it finally happened.’’” The SS Ste. Claire is one of the oldest steamships in the country. The Columbia had been towed to Buffalo, New York, for repairs nearly three years ago. The ships ferried people to the Boblo Island amusement park on the Detroit River for 89 years, but ceased operation in 1991. While the Columbia was saved and moved for restoration in 2015, the future of the Ste. Claire has been uncertain for years. The Ste. Claire was left tattered, but floating, for years in various spots along the Detroit River. Most recently, the ship was stuck in shallow waters near Riverside Marina after being towed from a spot on the Rouge River in Dearborn roughly two years ago. Feret said the volunteer effort to save the boat that emerged in 2015, around the time the Columbia was moved to New York, had mostly disappeared. Bill Worden, a maritime historian and the man formerly in charge of historic designations within the city, said fire was the biggest risk for the antique vessel. “I’m not especially surprised,” he said. “A lot of people think of sinking as the biggest risk. Fire is really the big risk. It’s been 27 years. The loss of a national historic landmark is never a good thing. She and the Columbia together are the last classic excursion boats in the nation. They’re really the last of their type.” Both Worden and Feret said they hope the assumed loss of the Ste. Claire spurs action for the Columbia, which is currently docked in Buffalo, New York, awaiting transport to New York City for a restoration. “We’re all in love with the whole memory of Boblo Island,” Feret said. “This is a very sad end for the poor old Ste. Claire.”
Read more and view photos at these links:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2018/07/06/boblo-
boat-burns-detroit-marina/763257002 |
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Victory II passenger ship about to begin Great Lakes cruises 7/7 - The cruise ship Victory II is expected to arrive at Montreal this weekend. She departed Helsingborg, Sweden, on June 26 where she had been undergoing a refit prior to entering service for the Miami-based Victory Cruise Lines. Her sistership, Victory 1, has been offering passenger service on the lakes for several years. Victory II is the former Cape Cod Light, built in 2004. |
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Port Reports - July 7
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Grand Haven, Mich.
Indiana Harbor, Ind.
Burns Harbor, Ind. Welland Canal and regional report - Friday Jul 6 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay anchorage:
Port Maitland:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Man ordered to pay $116k for littering after yacht broke apart on beach 7/7 - Ludington, Mich. – More than a year after a Grayling man intentionally grounded an aging, 76-foot yacht in Lake Michigan near the shoreline of Ludington State Park - which later broke apart into a massive debris field - he has pleaded guilty in court to littering and agreed to pay more than $116,000 in restitution. Randall West, 51, initially was charged with reckless operation of a vessel after abandoning the Tica when she started taking on water near the Big Sable Point Lighthouse on April 15, 2017. Last week, a Mason County judge dismissed the initial charge in exchange for West’s guilty plea for littering, the Associated Press said. The judge ordered West to pay the hefty fine, and perform 100 hours of community service. Authorities say the debris damaged the Lake Michigan ecosystem. They faulted West for not arranging salvage of the damaged boat, left in 3 feet of water, before Lake Michigan turned it into a pile of jagged junk. West had to be helped off the Tica by the U.S. Coast Guard after the grounded boat began to list from the weight of the water inside it. The boat was headed from Pentwater to Traverse City when it began taking on water. Five to 8-foot waves quickly went to work on the old boat, pulling her apart and sending a flotilla of wooden debris onto the Lake Michigan shoreline for days. Large sections of the boat - as well as sharp screws still anchored in wood - were found half-buried in the sand all the way from Nordhouse Dunes, south to Mears State Park in Pentwater. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/man_ordered_to_pay_116k_for_l i.html |
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Obituary: Harold J. Lawson 7/7 - S Harold J. Lawson, former Area Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Sault Ste. Marie, died June 22. A lifelong resident of Sault Ste. Marie, he graduated from Sault High and then attended Michigan Technological University’s Sault campus (now LSSU) and later transferred to Houghton where he received his B.S. in Civil Engineering. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Army and then he returned to the Sault, joining the Corps at the Soo Locks. He was Assistant Project Engineer during deepening of the rock cut channel at Neebish Island and construction of the Poe Lock. He stayed with the Corps of Engineers and ultimately became the Area Engineer for the Soo Locks. He retired after 30 years of service. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 7, in the chapel at Oaklawn Chapel Gardens, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Burial will follow the service. Sault Ste. Marie Evening News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 7 July 7, 1939 - The Bureau of Lighthouses was merged into the U. S. Coast Guard.The BURNS HARBOR's sea trials were conducted on July 7, 1980. JEAN PARISIEN (Hull#684) was launched July 7, 1977, at Lauzon, Quebec, by Davie Shipbuilding Company Ltd. for Canada Steamship Lines. Port Weller Drydocks replaced her entire forward section and she was renamed b.) CSL ASSINIBOINE in 2005. The DAVID Z. NORTON sailed on her maiden voyage July 7, 1973, as the a.) WILLIAM R. ROESCH. She sailed light from Lorain to Superior, Wisconsin where she loaded 18,828 tons of iron ore on July 9th bound for Jones & Laughlin's Cuyahoga River plant at Cleveland, Ohio. She now sails as d.) CALUMET. In 1971, the CITY OF SAGINAW 31 went to Manitowoc for a thorough overhaul. While there, a fire broke out July 29, destroying her cabin deck and rendering her useless for further use. The blaze was caused by an acetylene torch, and caused over $1 million in damage. On 7 July 1895, IDA MAY BROWN (wooden schooner, 53 foot, 20 gross tons, built 1884, at Charlevoix, Mich.) was carrying gravel when her cargo shifted in heavy weather. She capsized and later drifted to the beach near Michigan City, Indiana. Her crew was rescued by U.S. Lifesavers. On 7 July 1851, GALLINIPPER (wooden schooner, 95 foot, 145 tons, built in 1846 at Milwaukee on the hull of NANCY DOUSMAN) capsized and foundered in a white squall in Lake Mich. The wreck drifted to a point about 10 miles SSE of Manitowoc, where it sank. 1963: The Canadian coastal tanker SEEKONK first came to the Great Lakes in 1951 on charter to the British-American Oil Co. It was later part of the Irving fleet and caught fire in the galley at Charlottetown, PEI. The ship was pulled from the pier by CCG TUPPER and beached at Governor's Island. The blaze burned itself out but the SEEKONK was a total loss and was towed to Buctouche, NB, and scrapped in 1964. 1970: PRINSES EMILIA made 3 trips through the Seaway for the Oranje Lijn in 1967. It sank as c) BOULGARIA on this date 25 miles off Cherbourg, France, after a collision with the HAGEN in dense fog. The vessel was enroute from Hamburg to Istanbul and 17 on board were lost. 1978: The British freighter BEECHMORE began Great Lakes service in 1959 and returned as c) MANDRAKI in 1971 and d) NAFTILOS in 1973. It was sailing as f) MARI when fire broke out on a voyage from Rijeka, Yugoslavia, to Alexandria, Egypt, on July 7. The ship was beached near Dugi Otok Islands the next day and eventually abandoned. The hull was refloated in 1979 and taken to Split with scrapping getting underway on July 19, 1979 1981: CONDARRELL, upbound below Lock 2 of the Welland Canal, lost power and hit the wall, resulting in bow damage. The ship returned to Toronto for repairs but only finished the season before tying up. The vessel, built in 1953 as D.C. EVEREST, has been unofficially renamed K.R. ELLIOTT by International Marine Salvage. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Former Boblo boat engulfed in flames at Detroit marina 7/6 - Detroit, Mich. - Noon Update- A lasting piece of Detroit nostalgia went up in flames Friday: The Boblo boat Ste. Claire caught fire on the Detroit River. The boat was docked outside a marina in Detroit. Crews were working to extinguish the blaze Friday afternoon, according to a Channel 4 live stream. At 12:30 p.m. the fireboat Curtis Randolph had arrived on scene. Shoreside firefighters could do little but watch the Ste. Claire go up in flames as most of their hoses could not reach the dock where the boat was berthed. The Ste. Claire is one of the oldest steamships in the country. Its sister ship, the SS Columbia, had been towed to Buffalo, New York, for restoration nearly three years ago. The ships ferried people to the Boblo Island amusement park on the Detroit River for 89 years. The ferries ceased operation in 1991. While the Columbia was saved, the future of the Ste. Claire has been uncertain for years. When the Columbia was moved for a restoration in 2015, there were some pushing to raise money to save the Ste. Claire. The Ste. Claire was left tattered, but floating, for years in various spots along the Detroit River. The Detroit News |
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Enbridge sues VanEnkevort Tug and Barge for damage to pipeline 7/6 - St. Ignace, Mich. – Enbridge Energy is suing the shipping company whose tugboat anchor allegedly dented their controversial Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac earlier this year. The Canadian energy company seeks to recoup costs of repairs and assessments made after the suspected April 1 anchor strike that renewed calls to shut down the aging pipeline. The strike dented the 65-year-old twin pipelines in three places and scraped it in a fourth. In a company statement on the lawsuit, Enbridge reiterated Line 5 "remains fit for service" and stated work to reinforce the damaged sections is "progressing." Filed Tuesday, July 3 in U.S. District Court for Michigan's Western District, Enbridge's lawsuit is the third such one against Escanaba-based VanEnkevort Tug and Barge Inc. A VanEnkevort spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the company cannot discuss ongoing litigation. American Transmission Company, the owner of two power cables which were severed by the alleged anchor strike and spewed an estimated 600 gallons of dielectric fluid into the Straits, filed suit against VanEnkevort on Tuesday as well. Read more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/07/enbridge_sues_shipping_firm_in.html |
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Algorail tow arrives at scrapyard 7/6 - The tug Tim McKeil arrived at Port Colborne, Ont., wharf 17 at 2154 Thursday, with the tug Vac assisting. She joins her former Algoma Central fleetmate Algoway, which arrived there last month. Both vessels are due to be cut up for scrap. |
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Port Reports - July 6
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey June was a big month on the Saginaw River for commercial vessel cargo deliveries. There were a total of 26 vessel passages for June. This is eleven more passages than June 2017 and seven more than the 5-year average. Looking back even further, June 2018 was 6 passages above the 10-year average of 20. For the total commercial vessel passages for the year to date, the Saginaw River has had 44. This number represents an increase of eleven more then the 33 passages logged in 2017. These 44 vessel passages at the end of June 2018 also represent an increase of seven passages over the 5-year average of 37 and two passages over the 10-year average of 42. Welland Canal and regional report - Thursday Jul 5 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay Anchorage:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Soo applying for $20 million federal grant to fix Alford waterfront park, dock 7/6 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The city of Sault Ste. Marie looking to re-open the waterfront section of the once-popular Alford Park. The city closed off the section in October 2016, and is hoping that if approved, a federal grant will allow them to get it back open. With concrete caving in, the dock and waterfront area were deemed unsafe and a fence was put up, blocking off a very popular fishing and freighter viewing spot. “When they had to close it, it was really, really tough on the community,” Sault CVB Director Linda Hoath, said. Hoath says it feels like a piece of the Sault has been missing. “It’s been very sad for the Sault cause this has been place that people come to just sit and watch the freighters, eat their lunches, eat their dinners, kids are down here fishing,” Hoath, explained. The city has not had the around $17 million it would cost to fix the dock, but now they are working to secure a BUILD grant, part of $1.5 billion in federal money available for infrastructure upgrades. “The goal is to keep part of it waterfront public access,” City Engineer Linda Basista, said. Basista says the city is applying for about $20 million to fix the dock and the nearby road. But the project is not just for recreation, Basista hopes the feds see how this project could help facilitate another potentially major project in the Sault, a new Soo Lock. “For freighters tying up, and especially in anticipation for the lock project, we expect that would be a useful area for construction staging,” she, explained. “We hope that this is right in line with that, so if we can convince Washington that this is a needed project, it would be great to have,” Basista, added. 9 & 10 News |
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Senator pledges support for funding new Eisenhower Lock Visitors’ Center 7/6 - Massena, N.Y. – If U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer has his way, Eisenhower Lock will sport a new visitors’ center in the coming years, replacing a facility that’s been in place for more than half a century. “When a facility has waited half a century for upgrades, you know it’s not going to be tip top,” he said during a Tuesday afternoon stop at Eisenhower Lock. Sen. Schumer said the current building, which was constructed during the Eisenhower administration, is too close to the locks. “That makes it impossible for a crane to safely fit in between the center of the lock, and that’s no good,” he said. He said the facility also “lacks the 21st-century amenities that tourists like, and that makes the experience a little less.” “It needs to be upgraded and upgraded significantly, and everyone can agree here,” said Sen. Schumer, who was flanked by Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, Massena Mayor Timmy J. Currier, Massena Town Supervisor Steven D. O’Shaughnessy and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brooke Rouse. He said Eisenhower Lock was an integral part of the tourism industry in the north country. “Shipping is not the only commerce the Seaway is responsible for. Specifically, Dwight D. Eisenhower Lock Visitors’ Center hosts thousands of visitors every year to the region. It’s great for tourism,” he said. Sen. Schumer said 60,000 visitors from 49 states and 21 countries came to Eisenhower Lock last year. The senator said St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation officials have made investments in the infrastructure “to make sure the locks are in tip-top shape. They ensure safe, reliable and efficient transportation. If one of these locks goes bad, our whole economy would go into a recession.” At the same time, however, they haven’t received funding to take care of other items like the visitors’ center, he said. The new visitors’ center will be constructed an appropriate distance from the lock to ensure operational safety, and will also be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. “The center will be equipped with a full slate of 21st-century amenities — public space for meetings, cultural exhibits, a concession area and, of course, up-to-date running water and restrooms,” Sen. Schumer said. Watertown Daily News |
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Vessels with Great Lakes/Seaway connection reported as a casualty or demolition 7/6 - The following information taken from July 2018 Marine News - Journal of the World Ship Society.
Casualties: None reported Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Help wanted: Deck Officer 7/6 - Full time, long term employment on tug/barge unit. 2 month on/1 month off. Require some experience in dry bulk cargo handling. Medical plan under Collective Agreement. High, competitive wages. Candidate must be able to travel to United States, mush have a valid passport and all applicable Transport Canada certification and valid medical certificate by Transport Canada. Please forward your resume to magdag@on.aibn.com or fax to 905 333-6588. Contact Fettes Shipping Inc. at 905 333-1600 HR Department |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 6 CACOUNA's bow was damaged in a collision with the Greek tanker CAPTAIN JOHN on the fog-shrouded St. Lawrence River July 6, 1971. The CACOUNA of 1964, was repaired by replacing her bow with that of her near sistership the SILLERY, which was being scrapped. Later renamed b.) LORNA P and c.) JENNIFER, she foundered 20 miles Northeast of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 1, 1974.Canada Steamship Lines’ ASHCROFT was used to haul ore, grain and coal only on the upper Great Lakes until July 6, 1932, when she was able to enter Lake Ontario through the newly expanded Welland Canal. On that trip ASHCROFT, loaded with grain from Fort William for Kingston, Ontario, was the largest vessel to traverse the canal to date. The keel was laid for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s, GOVERNOR MILLER (Hull #810) in 1937, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Company. COLUMBIA STAR set a record for the Head-Of-The-Lakes coal trade. The vessel loaded 70,903 net tons of low-sulfur coal at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin, on July 6, 1997. She was renamed b.) AMERICAN CENTURY in 2006. On 6 July 1836, YOUNG LION (2-mast, wooden schooner, 73 foot, 83 tons, built in 1830, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying railroad iron and lumber. About 12 miles from Erie, Pennsylvania, in rough weather, her seams opened and she quickly sank with just her topmasts left above the water. 3 died, but 5 managed to clamber up the masts and hold on until the schooner NEW YORK rescued them. On 6 July 1871, CASTALIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 119 foot, 242 gross tons, built in 1847, as a brig at Sandusky, Ohio) was on her way to pick up lumber at the camp at Bying Inlet, Georgian Bay, when she came too close to Cove Island Reef and stranded in 3 feet of water. Although not badly damaged, she was about a mile from deep water. Tugs could not get to her and she was sailing light, so there was no cargo to lighten. She was stripped and abandoned. She finally broke up in a storm on 12 July 1871. On 6 July 1871, the Detroit newspapers (Detroit Free Press and Detroit Daily Post) both published articles stating that there were rumors on the docks regarding the tug TAWAS having her boiler explode on Saginaw Bay. The rumors originated with sailors from Port Huron and proved to be unfounded. However, in a sense this rumor turned into a prediction since TAWAS did blow her boiler about three years later (14 May 1874) on Lake Huron off Rock Falls, Michigan. At that time 6 crewmembers perished. 1893: ROSEDALE, upbound and light, ran aground off Knife River, Lake Superior, in dense fog and was almost on dry land. The vessel was released July 10 and went to Superior for repairs. It combined Great Lakes and ocean service until sunk in the Bristol Channel, via collision, on April 8, 1919. 1941: RAPIDS PRINCE, enroute from Prescott to Montreal, went aground in an awkward position in the Lachine Rapids and was stuck for 2 months. The 218 passengers were removed in motorboats. 1965: LAKE TRAVERSE, built at Duluth in 1918, sank off Tortuga Island, in the Caribbean after hull plates were sprung. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 5
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
North Channel
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Wednesday Jul 4 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay anchorage:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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Thunder Bay port improvements get multi-million dollar boost from Ottawa 7/5 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Federal officials have announced over $7 million in funding for the Thunder Bay Port Authority that Ottawa says will help improve the country's transportation network during a period of trade uncertainty with the United States. The money comes from the federal National Trade Corridors Fund, a $2 billion initiative that the government said is designed to help improve the national transportation network and better Canada's ability to trade internationally. The improvements are designed to help reduce "bottlenecks" and congestion in the system, according to a written release issued on Tuesday in conjunction with the funding announcement. Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters in Thunder Bay that improving the ease with which goods are transported helps Canada stay competitive in the global market. "The movement of goods across the country ... how effectively we do that is literally counted almost down to the hour," he said. "There are ships waiting, and when ships don't get the goods that need to arrive and to be transported very efficiently, they lose money, their customers get annoyed, and we potentially lose business." In Thunder Bay, the money is earmarked for a pair of projects: the construction of a 50,000 square foot heated storage facility to house a variety of cargo while en route through the port, and an expanded rail yard that will increase the port's capacity to load and unload rail cars. The total cost of the project is about $15 million, port CEO Tim Heney said. Ottawa is covering $7.5 million. The province in 2016 committed $1 million, and the port will pay for the rest. The improved rail capacity will help the port make further inroads in handling steel, Heney said. "More car spots, it means you can load more cars in one day more efficiently," he said. "It takes a lot of room, a lot of rail lay-down area, so that's what we're shooting for in the future." With steel coming from the United States now subject to tariffs of 25 per cent, Heney said diversifying where Canada gets the material from will be beneficial. "Our [steel] imports are directly from Luxembourg and Europe," he said. "Interesting the way trade's going right now, Canada gets most of its structural steel from the U.S., so this could actually increase our shipments through Thunder Bay to Western Canada. Garneau added that type of thinking is part of the reason the government is committing to improving the country's transportation system, with more focus being put on European and Asian markets. "Our whole objective — because we're a trading nation — is to do it as efficiently as possible," he said. "We continue to diversify our markets and there is a great demand for Canadian products. That's good for our economy, good for Canadians, good for jobs." CBC |
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2 oldest freighters on Great Lakes pass each other at Soo Locks 7/5 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Great Lakes' two oldest freighters shared a special moment this week, passing each other at the Soo Locks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the massive lock system, shared a picture of Tuesday's meet-up of the 826-foot Lee A. Tregurtha and the 519-foot Alpena. View the image at this link: https://articles.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/2_oldest_freighters_on_great_l.amp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 5 PAUL H. CARNAHAN was launched in 1945, as a.) HONEY HILL, a T2-SE-Al World War II tanker, for U.S. Maritime Commission.July 5, 1991 - Charles Conrad announced he had formed a corporation to purchase the Ludington, Michigan, carferry operation from Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company. JUSTIN R. WHITING was launched on 5 July 1874, at Langell's yard at the mouth of the Pine River in St. Clair, Michigan. Her dimensions were 144 feet X 26 feet 2 inches X 11 feet 6 inches. Although built to be a self-powered steam barge, she was towed as a regular barge during her first season of operation. IDA CORNING (2-mast wooden barge, 168 foot, 444 gross tons) was launched in East Saginaw, Michigan, on 5 July 1881. She was built for L. P. Mason & Company of East Saginaw. In 1858, her rig was changed to that of a 2-masted schooner. She lasted until abandoned at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1928. 1940: MAGOG, part of convoy HX-52, was hit by gunfire from U-99, torpedoed and sank stern first. The crew was eventually rescued by the Finnish freighter FIDRA. There are conflicting dates for this event but many sources agree on this date for the loss of the former C.S.L. canaller. 1969: The crew of the W.F. WHITE rescued eight from a foundering pleasure boat off Southeast Shoal, Lake Erie. 1973: The British freighter TRELEVAN visited the Seaway in 1961. It caught fire while pumping oil bilge in the engineroom at Halifax as d) BAFFIN BAY and was a total loss. The ship was sold for scrap to Marine Salvage of Port Colborne but resold to Spanish shipbreakers and arrived at Valencia, Spain, under tow for dismantling, on October 4, 1973. 1975: The T-2 tanker NASSAU CAY, formerly the IMPERIAL TORONTO, visited the Seaway in 1960. It was converted to a dry bulk carrier in 1961 and was abandoned by the crew, in sinking condition, as f) NICHOLAS C. some 200 miles off Beira, Somalia, and was not seen again. The ship was enroute from Sorel to Basrah, Iraq, when it ran out of fresh boiler water and had been drifting. 1979: The Swedish freighter MONICA SMITH was built in 1952 and came to the Great Lakes that year. It returned on a regular basis through 1966 and again, as b) MONICA S. in 1967. It sank in the Mediterranean soon after leaving Cartagena, Spain, for Port Said, Egypt, as c) MESSINA II. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Algorail scrap tow due in St. Clair, Detroit rivers today 7/4 - The Algorail scrap tow departed Goderich at 8:20 p.m. Tuesday. The tug Cheyenne will be the stern tug for the tow when it enters the St. Clair and Detroit rivers. The scrap tow will be a sunrise arrival on Wednesday at Port Huron and in the late morning/early afternoon on the Detroit River. Algorail arrived in Goderich, Ontario for winter layup on Christmas Day 2016 and did not operate in 2017. She was a regular visitor to the Compass/Sifto Salt Dock in Goderich for many years. Algorail was launched in 1968 at Collingwood Shipyards in Collingwood, Ont. To track the Algorail tow, look for the tug Tim McKeil on AIS maps. Denny Dushane |
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Port Reports - July 4
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Tuesday Jul 3 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Long Pt. Bay anchorage:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 4 July 4, 1996 - The veteran Buffalo fireboat EDWARD M. COTTER, built in 1900, was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U. S. National Parks Service.The WILLIS B. BOYER museum ship was opened to the public at Toledo, Ohio in 1987. She was built by Great Lakes Engineering Works (Hull#82) in 1912 as a.) COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER. Renamed b.) WILLIS B. BOYER in 1969 and COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER in 2011. In 1976, the SAM LAUD grounded entering Buffalo, New York. She was dry docked at Lorain, Ohio, for repairs to bottom plates of No. 1, 2 and 3 port and starboard tanks. Also on this day in 1976, the H. LEE WHITE struck the Algoma Steel plant dock at the Canadian Soo resulting in damage to her stern amounting to $108,000 at the repair yard of Sturgeon Bay. The JOSEPH S. YOUNG, a.) ARCHERS HOPE of 1945, was commissioned July 4, 1957. She was the first of seven T-2 tanker conversions for Great Lakes service. The YOUNG was renamed c.) H. LEE WHITE in 1969 and d.) SHARON in 1974. She was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in 1986. On July 4, 1953, the JOHN G. MUNSON set a Great Lakes record for limestone by loading 21,011 tons of limestone at Calcite, Michigan. This record for limestone stood until being broken by the Canada Steamship Lines self-unloader MANITOULIN late in the 1966 season. July 4, 1952 - The PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1911, was laid up due to railroad strike. She was never to operate again and was scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1957. The wooden propeller freighter MAINE, owned by Northern Transportation Co., had sailed from Chicago and was on Lake Ontario on 4 July 1871, when Fireman Orsebius Kelley stoked the fire at 8 p.m. and went to the porter's room to get a lamp. When he returned, the boiler exploded with such force that Kelley was mortally wounded. The blast also killed Engineer M. H. Downer, deckhand Joshua Kelley (the fireman's brother), Halbert Butterfield (a 13 year old passenger) and his mother. The MAINE still floated after the blast. She was repaired and put back in service. Including this boiler explosion, she had four major mishaps in her career. She sank in 1872, burned in 1898, and finally burned again in 1911. On 4 July 1900, during her maiden voyage from St. Clair, Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio, the wooden steam barge ALFRED MITCHELL ran aground at Bar Point Light. It was claimed that the steering gear broke which rendered the boat unmanageable. Later that same day the MITCHELL was released by the wrecker SAGINAW. About 9 p.m. on 4 July 1874, the steam barge W H BARNUM, with the schooner THOMAS W FERRY in tow, collided with the bark S V R WATSON near Point Pelee on Lake Erie. The WATSON sank in 28 feet of water. She was raised about two weeks later by the Coast Wrecking Company. July 4, 1958 - The keel for the second of two new bulk freighters for Interlake Steamship Co. was laid at Great Lakes Engineering Works shipyard at River Rouge, Michigan on Wednesday morning June 25. Assigned Hull 302, the ship will be 689 feet long, 75 feet beam and 37-1/2 feet molded depth with a designed maximum cargo capacity of about 24,000 tons. H. C. Downer & Associates of Cleveland did the design work. The ship will be powered by a 6,000 shp steam turbine main engine with coal-fired boilers. Hull 302 was eventually named HERBERT C. JACKSON. Interlake's other new ship, the 710-ft. flagship JOHN SHERWIN (Hull#192) at Toledo, Ohio, joined the Great Lakes bulk cargo fleet in May of that year. 1959: The tug GRAND BANK, pushing a barge, sank in Lock 4 of the Welland Canal and the captain was lost. The vessel, built at New Orleans in 1940 as SST-123, was salvaged and, as of 1997, was operating out of Delta, BC. July 4, 1995 - While the United States celebrated its Independence Day, a small fleet gathered 20 miles off of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior as the bell from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was raised and taken aboard the Purvis Marine Tug Anglian Lady. The bell would later be taken to Michigan State University in Lansing where it would be cleaned with the name EDMUND FITZGERALD applied on the bell once again. The bell was later to taken to the museum at Whitefish Point and put on display as a memorial to remember the 29 men crew. The next day divers placed a new bell inscribed with the names of the 29 men lost in the sinking. 1973: The Liberian flag bulk carrier Florence visited the Great Lakes in June 1973. The ship was outbound when it collided, in fog, with the tanker St. Spyridon, inbound from Venezuela with 32,500 tons of Bunker C oil, off Les Escoumins, QC. Both ships were damaged. All on board were rescued and the two vessels were ultimately repaired. Florence was scrapped at San Esteban de Pravia, Spain, in 1976 and St.Spyridon at Vigo, Spain, as f) Globe Maritima in 1982. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Denny Dushane, Lake Huron Lore Society, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Tug heading to Goderich to tow Algorail away for scrap 7/3 - The McKeil Marine tug Tim McKeil was approaching Goderich late Monday evening. She is expected to tow the scrapyard-bound Algorail to Port Colborne, Ont., for scrapping. No departure time has been listed, however waterfront reports indicate the tow may leave on July 4 timed for a daylight transit of the St. Clair River. |
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Ongoing union dispute at Toledo port shuts down overseas cargo shipments 7/3 - Toledo, Ohio – Labor strife has effectively shut down overseas cargo shipments to and from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s general-cargo docks. “Just in the last month we’ve lost seven or eight vessels,” Alex Johnson, president of Midwest Terminals of Toledo International, said last week. With others in the process of canceling local bookings and determining alternative ports to handle their shipments, Mr. Johnson said the total ship diversions related to his company’s dispute with International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1982 could exceed 20. A member of the port authority’s board of directors, meanwhile, has enlisted an outside lawyer to review the contentious labor dispute that has resulted in harbor pilots’ refusals to guide overseas-flag ships — known on the Great Lakes as “salties” — to and from the port-owned docks Midwest manages on the authority’s behalf. “I will present what he brings to me and what the lease says we can legally do,” David Fleetwood, the business manager for Laborers’ Local 500, told his fellow port directors. At issue is the years-old failure of Midwest and Local 1982 to negotiate a new labor contract for dock workers represented by the union. In recent weeks, Midwest and Local 1982 have sent dueling memoranda to the port authority describing divergent versions of their contentious relationship. Midwest’s timeline portrays a union in disarray whose officers twice have been thrown out by ILA leadership and has had racial discrimination issues within its own ranks. The local is now, for the second time, being run by a trustee from an ILA regional office in Cleveland. Local 1982, meanwhile, alleges racism on Midwest’s part as the root of the impasse. Its membership historically was overwhelmingly black while other unions with which the company has maintained labor peace are mostly white, although trustee William Yockey said in mid-May that it’s now about 40 percent black and 60 percent white. Mr. Yockey last week disputed Mr. Johnson’s estimate of the potential lost business, arguing that only 14 salties visited the Midwest dock during all of last year, but said he’s “not shedding any tears for Midwest or the people not getting work” because he represents Local 1982 members that were “denied training” on equipment now used to handle cargo at the docks. “The point of the exercise is to cause financial disruption to Midwest so they’ll see their way clear to sign a contract with us,” he said, repeating that Midwest’s tactics represent “complete and total discrimination.” Mr. Johnson, in response, accused the union of urging its members to refuse equipment training that was offered to everyone qualified to work at the terminal. The two sides can’t even agree now that Local 1982 still represents the dock workers. Midwest withdrew recognition of the 32-member union early this year after it said it received signatures from a majority of members disavowing representation. Local 1982 has challenged that decertification to the National Labor Relations Board and since then has set up minimal picket lines that have, on occasion, included a boat in the Maumee River. The waterborne picket has proved to be the biggest thorn, as the pilots — legally required to escort the salties and provide navigational guidance to their foreign crews — have refused to pass it. In May, that action resulted in three salties being delayed, one by more than a week, at the dock after unloading their cargoes. They finally left after their owners or agents negotiated a legal work-around with the Coast Guard under which tugboats were summoned and towed them away from the dock as “dead ships,” after which pilots then boarded the vessels without having to cross the ILA picket line. Marc Gagnon, director of government affairs and sustainability at Fednav Ltd., said that company now will only accept cargoes destined to the port authority dock if the shipper or receiver will indemnify the company for daily detention or other costs that might arise from labor-related disruption. Two Fednav ships were affected by the mid-May standoff: the Federal Champlain, which took the longest delay, and the Federal Kumano, which spent several unplanned days in port. “Since then, we have had no ships going to Midwest,” Mr. Gagnon said. “We may have a cargo in the next week or so, but we have to discuss with our client that that ship could be struck, and that would cost money.” The dispute has not affected Fednav vessels calling at other docks in Toledo’s port, such as the upriver grain elevators. Nor does it affect Canadian or United States ships or barges calling at Midwest, because they are not legally required to use pilots for navigational assistance. But John Szuch, the port authority directors’ chairman, said that for salties calling at the port-owned docks, “this year is shot” — an assessment with which Mr. Johnson concurred. Lost cargoes include shiploads of imported pig iron, salt, bauxite, industrial minerals, and a shipload of bagged and bulk fertilizer that may be sent to Canada instead, Mr. Johnson said. Midwest also has 50,000 to 60,000 tons of petroleum coke from a local refinery destined for northern Europe that may need to be loaded onto trains to go to another port, he said. Mr. Gagnon said Fednav is disputing pilot charges that were assessed to his company’s ships even though the pilots refused to cross the ILA picket line. The Lakes Pilots Association, which represents vessel pilots working in the Lake Erie sector, did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo Blade |
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Michigan governor vetoes ballast water bill, signs DEQ oversight legislation 7/3 - Lansing, Mich. – Governor Rick Snyder will not lower the state’s standards for dumping ballast water in the Great Lakes. He vetoed a bill with the changes last Friday because he’s concerned about invasive species. Ballast water is collected by large ships in one body of water to help stabilize the ship. Then it’s dumped into other bodies of water, along with whatever plant and animal species collected with it. The bill sat for months in the House – that’s because Snyder was hesitant to sign it. Lawmakers pushed it through on their last day of session before their summer break – and the governor still wasn’t on board. Ari Adler is a spokesperson for the governor. “We want to make sure that those protections are solid and in place when you’re dealing with something as important as ballast water discharge in the Great Lakes,” he said. The governor also signed legislation that creates new oversight advisory boards for the state Department of Environmental Quality. WNMU |
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Port Reports - July 3
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Welland Canal and regional report - Monday Jul 2 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda) and (Lackawanna)
Welland Canal:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Mississauga:
Oshawa: |
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Lighthouse keepers shift attention to empty nesters, modern marketing 7/3 - Larry Stowitts said his mood was dreary during his first few days on an offshore lighthouse in 1959. He’d imagined a lawn to keep tidy and neighbors nearby. Instead White Shoal Lighthouse offered a 72-square-foot concrete base and miles of open water. Stowitts sometimes heard cars rumble across the distant Mackinac Bridge, but dry land was nowhere in sight. He remembers the moment his mood finally shifted: “There was a front porch on White Shoal, and the officer in charge came around, and he had a bucket and a brush in his hand and I thought, ‘Oh crap, I’m in trouble,’” Stowitts said. “We walked around the north side of the light, and he lit a cigarette and pointed out into Lake Michigan, and said, ‘There and there. See those two steamers out there? There’s about 30 people in each one of those, and you are keeping them alive.’ “That changed my whole attitude about being out there. Instead of being isolated it became something productive,” he said. Stowitts, who now lives in St. Ignace, served at the White Shoal Lighthouse until 1963. His duties included inspecting the foghorn, keeping the light operating properly and dangling from scaffolding to paint the lighthouse’s iconic red-and-white barber shop stripe. His legs and lungs grew strong from frequent 11-level climbs to reach the light. To pass time, Stowitts played cards, watched television, fished and told ghost stories with the other two guardsmen there. “Every lighthouse is haunted,” he said. White Shoal’s “ghost” was named Timothy. “My first week as a member of the crew and I’m just waking up, and I heard someone coming down the steps. Bang. Bang. Bang,” he said. “And I came out of my room, but there was nobody there.” Read more and view photos at this link: http://greatlakesecho.org/2018/07/02/lighthouse-keepers-shift-attention-to-empty-nesters-modern-marketing |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 3 On this day in 1943, the J. H. HILLMAN JR (Hull#524), the 14th of 16 Maritime-class ships being built for Great Lakes Service, was launched at the Great Lakes Engineering yard at Ashtabula, Ohio. After having the stern of the CANADIAN EXPLORER, ex CABOT of 1965, attached, her forward section still exists today as the ALGOMA TRANSFER.The JOHN B. AIRD was christened June 3, 1983, at Thunder Bay, Ontario for Algoma Central Marine, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. U.S. Steel's ROGER BLOUGH was moved out of the dry dock at Lorain, Ohio, on June 3, 1972. In 1954, CLIFFS VICTORY successfully completed her sea trials. FRANK ARMSTRONG departed light from Ashtabula, Ohio, on her maiden voyage in command of Captain H. Chesley Inches June 3, 1943, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore. PATERSON (i) entered service on June 3, 1954, with 440,000 bushels of wheat from Port Arthur, Ontario. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1985. On 3 July 1872, the wooden steam barge MARY MILLS was launched at P. Lester's yard at Marysville, Michigan. On 3 July 1872, GRACE DORMER (wooden propeller passenger & package freight ferry, 71 foot, 66 gross tons, built in 1868, at Buffalo, New York) had just finished loading a cargo of fish at St. James, Beaver Island, when she caught fire and burned. One life was lost. The vessel was rebuilt and lasted until she burned at the bone-yard at Grand Island, New York in 1925. 1964: The A. & J. FAITH, idle at Cleveland and under arrest, was struck by the MIKAGESAN MARU when the latter was caught by a wind gust. The former sustained $5,000 in damage. This ship was sold and renamed c) SANTA SOFIA at Cleveland in August 1964. It arrived for scrapping at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as d) COSMOS MARINER in August 1970. The latter, a Japanese freighter that made 6 trips to the Great Lakes from 1962 to 1966, was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as b) UNION SINGAPORE in 1979. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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Port Reports - July 2
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Green Bay, Wis.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio Welland Canal and regional report - Sunday Jul 1 – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Oshawa:
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 2 In July 2, 1966, the SIMCOE entered service for Canada Steamship Lines. Renamed b.) ALGOSTREAM in 1994, she was scrapped at Alang, India in 1996, as c.) SIMCOE. The railroad carferry TRANSIT was launched at Walkerville, Ontario, on 2 July 1872, at the Jenkins Brothers shipyard.Before noon, Saturday, 2 July 1870, several attempts were made to launch the barge AGNES L POTTER at Simon Langell's yard at St. Clair, Michigan. Nothing happened until 3 p.m. when the vessel moved about 100 feet but still was not launched. The tug VULCAN arrived at 8 a.m. the following day and broke the line on the first attempt to pull the vessel off the ways. A 10-inch line was obtained in Port Huron and at 2 p.m. a second effort only moved the barge about four feet. Finally, on the third attempt, the VULCAN pulled her into the water. The POTTER's dimensions were 133 feet X 27 feet X 9 feet, 279 gross tons and she was built for the iron ore trade. She was named for the daughter of the general superintendent of Ward's Iron Works of Chicago. She lasted until 1906. 1990 CUNARD CAVALIER first visited the Great Lakes in 1978 and returned later that year as b) OLYMPIC HARMONY. The ship went aground off Port Muhammad Bin Asimov, Pakistan, on this date in 1990 as d) VILLA while en route to West Africa. It was abandoned July 13. The hull was refloated November 30, 1990, and arrived at Singapore, under tow, on May 16, 1991. The ship was declared a total loss and reached Alang, India, for scrapping on February 2, 1992. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, Marine Historical Society of Detroit. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Effort to upgrade Soo Locks gets boost from new federal study 7/1 - A new study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could move efforts to upgrading the Soo Locks forward, members of Michigan's Congressional delegation say. Currently, the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie is made up of four locks, only one of which is big enough to accommodate the largest ships used for transporting iron and other materials throughout the Great Lakes. Michigan officials and members of the shipping industry have long pushed for a plan to combine two of the oldest, smaller locks into another large lock to complement the Poe Lock. A plan to do that has stalled for decades, but the latest U.S Army Corps of Engineers study released to members of Congress Friday gave the project a benefit cost ratio of 2.42, up from a .73 in a study of the project released in 2005. The benefit cost ratio needed to be over 1 for the Soo Locks project to get serious consideration for funding, which the report estimated would cost roughly $922 million. "The information released today...reflects a more realistic picture of the enormous value and benefit of the Soo Locks," U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, said in a statement. "Previous studies and analysis have failed to take into account national security implications and many economic realities." Armed with an updated study, Michigan lawmakers are now looking to secure the necessary funding in water infrastructure legislation. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and other state officials have also called for the project to get started, pledging a $50 million commitment towards upgrading the Soo Locks earlier this year. "After a long bipartisan effort, we have great news that the Army Corps is releasing the critical economic analysis today that is needed to upgrade the Soo Locks," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. "Today's news, along with the language I have included in the Senate water infrastructure bill, brings us another step closer to moving this important project forward." Upgrading the Soo Locks is a top priority for Michigan's Congressional delegation. Here's why. The study confirms what officials and stakeholders have been saying for more than a decade, said U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Dryden: "Any failure would have a devastating ripple effect on our nation's economy and national security." U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, said Trump and everyone in Michigan already knows how important the Soo Locks are, and said he considers the Army Corps report to be a "greenlight" for the project as he works to secure funding. "It's time to get this done and improve our country's aging infrastructure," he said in a statement. Michigan's Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a connector for shipping iron, coal, grain and other materials from the shores of Lake Superior to the rest of the country. In 2016, U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters moved 83.3 million tons of cargo, according to the Cleveland-based Lake Carriers Association. A Department of Homeland Security report concluded a hypothetical unexpected breakdown at the Poe Lock lasting six months would cripple the United States economy and cost 11 million jobs, and predicted the national unemployment rate would hit 11.3 percent. The report found a shutdown of Great Lakes steel production caused by a sudden halt in ore transportation would in turn shut down almost all North American appliance, automobile, construction, farm and mining equipment, and railcar production within weeks. M Live |
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Desgagnes’ new ship named Miena Desgagnes 7/1 - On June 28, Transport Desgagnes registered its latest acquisition, the cargo vessel Miena Desgagnes (IMO # 9700380). She was formerly the Jan of Antigua-Barbuda registry. The vessel was built in 2017 by China’s Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. She is 461 feet in length, 74.8 feet in width and 37.8 feet in depth. Her gross tonnage is 11492 and her net is 4474. AIS shows her docked in Quebec City, likely being refitted for the Canadian trade. |
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Former American Victory name changed again 7/1 - American Victory renamed the Victo for its tow from Superior, Wis., to Montreal has been renamed yet again. According to the Port of Montreal’s website within the past day or so her name has been shortened to Icto with the removal of the letter V. Her agent is listed as Gresco Ltd., which also owned and towed the Oma ex-Algoma Olympic, Oste ex-Algosteel and the Gola formerly the Algolake to Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping. Denny Dushane |
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Port Reports - July 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Silver Bay, Minn. – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
North Channel Welland Canal and regional report - Saturday Jun 30 - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Welland Canal:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa:
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
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Sixteen salties pay first visits to Seaway so far this season 7/1 - As of June 30, the number of saltwater vessels making their first trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York, totaled 16. The list includes Adfines Sky, Arsland, Atlantik Miracle, BBC Polonia, Cape Dawson, Emanuele S, Erin Schulte, Falstria Swan, Isabelle G, Johanna G, Kitikmeot W, Lolland, Momentum Scan, Rike, Sten Fjord and Tasing Swan. Two vessels have had changes since entering the system for the first time. The Kitikmeot W was reflagged Canadian on or about June 9 and was not renamed. Sten Fjord was renamed at St. Johns, Nl., on or about June 14 as the Kivalliq of Canadian registry for the Coastal Shipping Co. of Goose Bay, Nl. Although not entering the Seaway yet with its new name, the familiar HHL Congo was renamed Josef on June 11. Denny Dushane |
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2018 Seaway salties statistics; Transits continue to rise sharply 7/1 - As of June 30, the total amount of transits by vessel at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y., totaled 192 transits. This number is up sharply from the 5-year average from March-June in which the average number of transits by vessel in this period was 142. Therefore in 2018, Seaway transits totals are up between 49 and 50 transits on average. During the same period in the month of June alone, transits by vessel in 2018 totaled 61 and for the month of June this number and total is also up 19 transits from the 5-year average for the month of June and between 41 and 42 transits as well on 5-year average. During the March-June timeframe in 2018, there were 141 vessels that made transits through the Eisenhower Lock, and this number is also up as well from the 5-year average and also during the same time period last year. Thusfar, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the best seasons in recent memory for saltwater vessels and their transits into the Great Lakes/Seaway system. So far there’s been a consecutive streak of four years straight of 400 or more transits by vessel through the Eisenhower Lock and the 2018 season thus far is on par to repeat itself with another 400+ transits by vessel which would make five consecutive years that this has taken place. The last time there was a consecutive streak of 4 years or more of 400 or more transits occurred from about 2003 or 2004 until 2007 before the economic collapse in 2008. A breakdown of the 2018 monthly transits by vessel at the Eisenhower Lock is as follows: March/April: 68, May: 63 and June 61. For 2018, the June transits are up 13 transits alone just from the 2017 total of 48 for that month. Denny Dushane |
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What’s next for historic tug Edna G? 7/1 - Two Harbors, Minn. – When it comes to the future of the historic retired tug the Edna G, Tom Koehler of Two Harbors is pragmatic. “We can save it, sink it or sell it,” he says. “We” being the city of Two Harbors, which owns the iconic vessel. Listed on the National Historic Register and docked in the harbor, the Edna G was open for tours until 2015, when needed maintenance led to closure. Built in Cleveland in 1896, the Edna G has been in the water nearly continuously since it arrived in Two Harbors in 1897, which means the all-steel boat is suffering from extensive corrosion. In places, corrosion has reduced the thickness of the steel hull by half. Koehler, a local volunteer who serves on the city council-appointed Edna G Commission, works to keep the boat afloat, pumping the bilge regularly and doing minor repairs and maintenance to prevent further deterioration. He says that the city devotes a portion of its lodging tax to the Edna G. Unfortunately, far more money is needed to perform the necessary repairs. Enter the Friends of the Edna G. Formed this year, the new nonprofit hopes to act as a fundraiser for restoring the boat, if that is what the city chooses to do, says founding member Carl Shaffer. The first step is to have an engineering firm assess the boat’s current condition, especially the strength of the hull. With that assessment, discussion can begin on how to best move forward. Currently, there are at least two schools of thought regarding the Edna G’s future. Koehler believes the tug should be hauled out of the water and placed on a cradle, where it can be enjoyed by people without concerns about further deterioration. “The water is a terrible place to keep a boat,” he says. Schaffer thinks the restored boat should remain docked in the harbor. “A boat belongs in the water,” he says. Both men agree the decisions of the Edna G’s future are up to the Two Harbors community. When it was built, the Edna G was a marvel of the time. It was the first all steel tug. With a length of 110 feet and a 23-foot beam, it was propelled with a coal-fired, two-cylinder reciprocating steam boat engine that was originally 700 horsepower. When a new boiler replaced the original in 1943, the engine became 1,000 horsepower. The tug was used to tow ore carriers into and out of the harbor, and to the ore docks. Later, when bow thrusters on carriers made it possible for them to reach the docks without assistance, the Edna G was made redundant. The tug retired from service at the end of 1980. Its last tow was the Cason J Calloway, on December 30, 1980. Built and owned by the railroad, it was also available throughout much of its working life to provide excursions for railroad executives and other dignitaries. To accommodate this use, the captain’s quarters and mess were more elaborate than other working tugs. Koehler says the Edna G played a little noted, yet significant role in Minnesota history. Two Harbors was a primary port for iron ore leaving Minnesota’s Iron Range. Steel produced from that ore was used in two world wars, as well as much of the nation’s industrial and infrastructure development during the 20th Century. Northern Wilds |
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Tour Grosse Ile Lighthouse Sept. 9 7/1 - Grosse Ile, Mich. – Nearly every year the Grosse Ile Historical Society sponsors a tour of the 1906-vintage Grosse Ile Lighthouse. This year’s tour will be Sunday, Sept. 9, from noon to 3 p.m. The lighthouse is only accessible this one time of the year. The bus ride (there is no parking at the site) to the lighthouse includes a narration on some of the history of Grosse Ile. Call (734) 675-1250 for tour details, reservations, and tickets. The phone is not staffed daily so someone will return your call. The tour sold out last year and did not have any tickets available on the day of the event. So as to not disappoint any prospective attendees, reservations are required. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members and is limited to 90 people. Grosse Ile Historical Society |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 1 July 1, 1991 - The automobile/passenger ferry DALDEAN celebrated its 40th year in operation between Sombra, Ontario and Marine City, Michigan. She was built by Erieau Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Erieau, Ontario, for Bluewater Ferry Ltd. Service started between the two communities on July 1, 1951.On this day in 1943, the nine loading docks on Lake Superior loaded a combined 567,000 tons of iron ore into the holds of waiting freighters. At 16:00 hours on July 1, 2005, an explosion hit the Cargill elevator in Toledo, Ohio, which collapsed on one of the silos and fire was found in five of the silos. On July 1, 1940, the HARRY COULBY became the first Great Lakes vessel to load in excess of 16,000 tons of iron ore when it loaded 16,067 tons of iron ore in Ashland, Wisconsin. Renamed b.) KINSMAN ENTERPRISE in 1989, she was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario in 2002. On 1 July 1927, ROBERT C. WENTE (wooden, propeller, bulk freighter, 141 foot, 336 gross tons, built in 1888, at Gibraltar, Michigan) burned to a total loss in the St. Clair River. In 1911, she sank in Lake Michigan, but was raised and refurbished. July, 1983 - The C&O sold its remaining 3 car ferries to Glen Bowden and George Towns. They begin operating cross-lake service between Ludington and Kewaunee under the name Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Co. (MWT) On 1 July 1852, CASPIAN (wooden side-wheeler, 252 foot, 921 tons, built in 1851, at Newport, Michigan) foundered a short distance off Cleveland's piers. Some of her gear and structural material were salvaged in the Spring of 1853, and the wreck was then flattened with dynamite. July 1, 1900, the new wooden steam barge ALFRED MITCHELL started her maiden voyage from St. Clair, Michigan for Cleveland, Ohio, to load coal. She was owned by Langell & Sons. On 1 July 1869, the wooden schooner GARROWEN was carrying coal from Cleveland to Toronto when she sprang a leak and sank in 60 feet of water about 10 miles from shore off Geneva, Ohio. The crew escaped in the yawl. She was only 19 years old and some of the crew claimed that she was scuttled as an insurance scam. However, a number of divers visited the wreck on the bottom of the Lake at the time and that claim was refuted. On 1 July 1875, the iron carferry HURON (238 foot, 1052 gross tons, built at Point Edward, Ontario, with iron plates prefabricated in Scotland) made her trial voyage between Fort Gratiot, Michigan, and Point Edward, Ontario, across the St. Clair River. This vessel served the Grand Trunk Railway and ran between Windsor and Detroit for over a century. In 1876, a 25-square-mile ice field was still floating at the head of Lake Superior in northwest Wisconsin. 1918: The wooden steam barge CREAM CITY stranded on Wheeler Reef in upper Lake Huron due to fog while towing the barge GRACE HOLLAND. All were rescued but the ship was abandoned. The hull caught fire and was destroyed in 1925. 1939: ALGOSOO (i) arrived at Collingwood for hull repairs after hitting bottom, in fog, near Cape Smith, Georgian Bay. 1964: WHITEFISH BAY went aground off in the St. Lawrence off Whisky Island while bound for Montreal with a cargo of grain. Six tugs pulled the ship free on July 3. 1975: VALETTA first came to the Great Lakes in 1962 and returned as c) ORIENT EXPORTER in 1966 and d) IONIC in 1972. The leaking ship was beached at Cheddar, Saudi Arabia, with hull cracks. It slipped off the reef July 11, 1975, and sank. 1972: H.M.C.S. COBOURG was built at Midland as a World War Two corvette and rebuilt as a merchant ship about 1947. It caught fire and burned as d) PUERTO DEL SOL at New Orleans while undergoing repairs and the upper works were gutted. The ship was sold for scrapping at Brownsville, TX, later in the year. 1980: The Swedish-flag freighter MALTESHOLM first came through the Seaway in 1963. It began leaking in the engine room as c) LITO on this date while bound from Kalamata, Greece, to Vietnam with bagged flour. It was abandoned by the crew and then sank in the eastern Mediterranean. The ship had been sold to Taiwan ship breakers and was likely bound for Kaohsiung after unloading in the Far East. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series – Marine Historical Society of Detroit. |
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