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Northern Michigan in Focus: Tribute to the Carl D. Bradley 7/4 - This story starts in the 1950s when two friends got separated and never saw each other again. Corey Adkins shares the story in this week’s Northern Michigan in Focus. In the small village of DeTour, just around the corner from the Drummond Island Ferry on Elizabeth and Superior streets sits a tribute from Victor Flewelling to a friend he hasn’t seen in 62 years. Victor is 85 years old. “I did it to pay tribute to the people a lost to lives on the boat,” said victor. The boat he’s talking about is the Carl D. Bradley that sank on November 18, 1958. 33 men died that night. His friend, Gary Price, was one of them. “I knew Gary Price very well. We we’re friends. We weren’t in the same grade, but we want the same school. We spent a lot of time together before he went out on the boats,” explained Victor. Victor had enlisted in the Marines Corps in 1956. He learned of the sinking while he was away. On New Year’s Day this year Victor went to work on a one-half scale model of the Bradley. “It was 639 foot long and this is 26 foot 7 inches long within an eighth of an inch should be in that and I wanted to try to get it exactly to scale if I could,” said Victor. And he did this only from pictures off the internet. “The actual measurements were a 30 foot cargo hold, 30 foot high and 65 foot wide, and I got that 32.5 inches wide, so I got it very close.” It has 300 lights and he even enlisted some help from his daughter in Arizona with the life rings. “My daughter in Arizona built those out of model clay, and her daughter put the name of Bradley on each one and there are 64 on now,” explained Victor. Victor put over 700 hours into the model before showing it to the public and he doesn’t mind if you come and see it while it’s in his yard. But he’s hoping it won’t be there long. He wants to give it away. “I would love to have it in Rogers City for obvious reasons, but I have had several people from the U.P. that said they’d rather see a displayed up there because they want to keep it in the U.P., but I’ve had a lot of positive comments,” said Victor. Read more at this link: https://www.9and10news.com/2020/07/01/northern-michigan-in-focus-tribute-to-the-carl-d-bradley |
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Federal Rhine, last of her class for Fednav, sails for the Lakes 7/4 - The oceangoing bulker Federal Rhine cleared Gdansk, Poland, on 27 June 2020 bound for Burns Harbor, Indiana. Her upcoming visit may be one of the last chances to see an example of this particular class of familiar ocean-going visitors on the Great Lakes. Federal Rhine is one of six sister ships which entered service for Montreal-based Fednav Ltd. in 1996 and 1997. The construction of these vessels at a shipyard near Shanghai marked the beginning of a wave of shipbuilding for the Lakes-capable saltwater fleet which continues to this day. These ships in many ways set the standard for subsequent classes of oceangoing bulkers designed for Lakes trading. In the decade before their arrival on the scene only a small handful of Lakes-optimized ocean ships had entered service. The previous boom in construction of such ships hit stride in the late 1970s and came to a close in the mid-1980s. Ships of that previous generation were the norm for international trade on the Great Lakes into the early 2000s. Federal St. Laurent (IMO 9110896) was lead vessel in this new class of ships and the third ship to carry that name for Fednav. She debuted on the Lakes in 1996, followed that same year by Federal Calumet (IMO 9110901) and Federal Saguenay (IMO 9110913). The Federal Rhine (IMO 9110925), Federal Maas (IMO 9118135) and Federal Schelde (IMO 9118147) followed in 1997. After only two seasons of Seaway trading, Federal Calumet was renamed Orsula, remaining a common Lakes trader under various chartering and ownership agreements between Fednav and Dubrovnik-based Atlantska Plovidba. Each of these six ships went on to make dozens of trips to the Great Lakes during two decades of service. Their bold red paint and large, dramatically-flared bows have become familiar sights all along the Seaway. As the newbuilding boom which began with their construction continuesd, the Federal Rhine and her sisters became veterans in the trade. Although they have been eclipsed in capacity and efficiency by newer Lakes-capable ocean bulkers, many of those more modern ships have design lineages which can be traced directly back to the "St. Laurent" class. During recent years the ships of this class have begun to bow out of Great Lakes service. Federal St. Laurent last visited in October-November 2015, delivering cargo to Detroit and loading at Toledo. As previously reported on the Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News page, Fednav sold her for demolition in the summer of 2016. To date, four more ships in the class have been sold. Federal Maas last visited in October-November 2017, delivering cargo to Port Weller and loading at Hamilton. As previously reported on this news page, she was sold and renamed Omolon in early 2018 and now trades along the Pacific coast of Russia. When Federal Maas was outbound on her farewell transit of the St. Lawrence in mid-November 2017 she may have passed Orsula (ex-Federal Calumet), inbound for what was likely her last visit to the Lakes as well. Orsula delivered cargo to Burns Harbor and then loaded at Duluth-Superior in early December 2017. As reported previously on this site she left the Atlantska Plovidba fleet shortly thereafter, being renamed Epsilon early in 2018 and trading in the Mediterranean and Black Seas for Turkish interests ever since. Two seasons later two more ships of this class made their last visits to the Lakes for Fednav. Federal Schelde delivered cargo to Contrecoeur and Burns Harbor in late July/early August 2019 then went to Thunder Bay to load, clearing Montreal for the deep sea in early September. Federal Schelde has been trading off-lakes ever since and it appears Fednav may have just sold her. She cleared Bremen in late May 2020 under Fednav colors, appearing fully loaded as she sailed down the Weser River. She was in Ravenna ten days later, possibly to discharge her last cargo for her long-time owners. Federal Schelde no longer appears in Fednav's online fleet listing. Since June 18th she has been anchored off Limassol, Cyprus, her AIS now showing the name Yara J with a registry based in Palau. Federal Saguenay was last on the Lakes in October-November 2019. She delivered cargo to Toledo and loaded . These changes leave the Federal Rhine as the last ship of her particular class in the Fednav fleet and the only one of them likely to make any further appearances on the Lakes. One of her sisters has already been scrapped and Fednav appears to have sold three more directly to other shipping companies. It's possible that the parties involved made Great Lakes-specific non-compete agreements as a part of those sales. If that is the case, those ships may be prohibited from further trading on the Great Lakes, meaning the ex- Federal Maas, Federal Saguenay, and Federal Schelde, although still in service on deep-sea routes, won't be seen on these waters again. The situation with Epsilon (ex Orsula, Federal Calumet) is less certain. She was in Atlantska Plovidba's hands before she was sold to her current owners. Atlantska Plovidba does not appear to have any current involvement in the Lakes trade and may not have had reason to pursue such non-compete agreements when they sold her. As a 24 year-old saltwater ship, Epsilon may not have many years in service left. Many aging oceangoing vessels which were once common Seaway traders spend their final years working elsewhere, so the chances of the Epsilon returning to the Lakes seem remote. Federal Rhine's intermediate class survey is due during the middle of 2021. It's possible she'll make several more trips up the Seaway but as Fednav continues building new Seaway-sized ships her long-term prospects as a Lakes visitor are likely diminishing. Federal Rhine is currently due at Burns Harbor on approximately July 15th. If that ETA holds she'll be up-bound past Quebec City and Montreal in around a week and transiting the Welland Canal and Detroit and St. Clair rivers shortly thereafter. She's scheduled to finish her unload at Burns Harbor in late July. If she takes an out-bound cargo as usual she might be spotted at one of the Great Lakes' grain loading ports in early August. Eric Holst |
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Port Reports - July 4 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Northern Lake Huron Calcite: Friday; 1:24 Great Republic departed for Duluth Superior. 20:01American Mariner arrived to load. Stoneport: Friday; 11:45 Clyde S Van Enkevort arrived to load limestone. Alpena: Friday; 8:31 The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load. Port Inland: Thursday; 22:24 Manitowoc departed for Cleveland. Friday; 3:16 Cuyahoga arrived to load limestone and departed at 13:55 for Spragge.
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss Sandusky: The Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin departed for Nanticoke at 08:57 and the Algoma Innovator arrived at 15:33. Cleveland: Manitowoc and Polsteam's Iryda are scheduled to arrive Saturday morning. Ashtabula: Mandarin departed for Hamilton. Conneaut: CSL Laurentian was still in port, loading for Quebec City. Edwin H. Gott was due in at 07:00 Saturday morning. Erie, PA: Calumet arrived at 06:32 and was still in port. Nanticoke: Greenwing was still in port and Robert S. Pierson departed.
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Seaway saltie news 7/4 - Arriving in Montreal on July 3 was the saltwater vessel Puna of Liberian registry IMO 9546784. This is the vessel's first inland voyage to the Great Lakes/Seaway system with its current name and they are headed to Nanticoke. The ship was built in 2010 and may be more familiar as the Three Rivers. As such, the ship first came inland as such in 2010 and last visited as such during the 2019 season. In other Seaway salty news, the Industrial Strength IMO 9741140 which first came inland as such in 2019 and last visited as recently as in 2020 has been Bruce of Liberian registration. The ship was built in 2016. Denny Dushane |
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Private trips launch Princess of Ludington tour boat 7/4 - Ludington, MI – The Princess of Ludington was making its final preparations this week as it is starting to accept tours. The boat’s owner, Al Laaksonen, said the goal along is to make the experience for passengers as enjoyable as it can be. “It’s just a very comfortable setting for people to enjoy themselves,” he said earlier this week. “That’s what it’s all about.” So far, the boat has been booked for three private tours, including one that was scheduled for this weekend, and there is a public tour coming this weekend, too. “I’m going to run a trip on Friday night. That’s a cruise for a private party. There seems to be more interest in that than the tours themselves.” The public tour is slated to start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night for a sunset cruise onto Lake Michigan toward Big Sable Point and back to the port. The Princess of Ludington is a tou rboat that was bought by Laaksonen from Apostle Islands Cruises in Bayfield, Wisconsin, along Lake Superior, earlier this year. The boat originally served as a ferry to Mackinac Island in Lake Huron. Laaksonen brought what was dubbed the Island Princess, renamed it and had hopes of having daily cruises on Pere Marquette Lake and Lake Michigan. The boat arrived in the harbor in late May and is docked near Lake Street Marina off of Lake Street in Ludington’s Fourth Ward. Since then, it’s been practicing a variety of maneuvers in Pere Marquette Lake and docking. Laaksonen said they’ve also run up along Epworth Assembly. “We’ve been out the last two days,” he said on Tuesday, “just going through the harbor, going down to Epworth and turning around and coming back. (We) are practicing our maneuvers out there on the lake so the captains are familiar with this boat. And we are practicing docking here and pulling away from the dock.” Laaksonen said if the waves are three to four feet, the Princess of Ludington handles it with little problem. It would not run in an adverse weather, though. “It’s not going to be taken out if it’s foggy or if it’s windy or any of those conditions where it would make people uncomfortable, this boat will not leave the dock,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. “I used to charter for 37 years in some of the worst weather there is. No more of that.” The public tours are something that Laaksonen is still working on. He said he needs to have 20 people booked to be able to go on a given day. He originally had plans to have four tours daily, but the demand has yet to match that. There could be a number of reasons for it, including the COVID-19 pandemic. He had to postpone his online ticketing system, and the reservations are being done by phone. Thursday afternoon, Laaksonen said he had 22 people booked for Saturday night’s sunset cruise and space is being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Laaksonen said the company is doing its part in keeping the boat clean. He said it is cleaning and sanitizing throughout so it can keep patrons safe. “Everything will be sanitized before and after our trips,” he said. His plans for the boat for this summer were upended to a large degree because of COVID-19. “It’s here with us, and we’re going to live with it,” Laaksonen said. The boat can hold 149 passengers, and Laaksonen said the Coast Guard said he should be able to take 70 passengers at a time. “I don’t anticipate having that many. I’m anticipating trips of having 30 to 50 (people),” he said. “This room has more than enough to accommodate those kinds of trips.” An inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard was scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, and he said it’s been good to work with them. More work was completed earlier this week, including the final installation of the dock. The planned liquor license through the Michigan Liquor Control Commission has yet to be approved. The license was still being worked on with the state, and this process has been upended in large part because of the pandemic. Laaksonen is hopeful that the private tours, and however many select public tours, can get him through this summer. “I’m going to try to survive this year as best I can and be around next year to maybe develop the tour business. That’s how I started out (was) developing a tour business (to highlight the area’s history),” Laaksonen said. “If that’s not there, the private parties — there seems to be a lot more interest. “People want to have their weddings, their anniversaries, their family reunions, birthday parties, graduations. I don’t know how much is out there, but it seems there is a demand for that.” |
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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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Maritime Academy cadets to depart on two training cruises with safety protocols 7/3 - Traverse City, MI – Cadets at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) will soon depart on training cruises with increased safety protocols in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Thursday, July 2, 12 GLMA cadets, and one faculty member will sail onboard the T/S Kennedy on its voyage from a shipyard in Mobile, AL to its homeport at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. These cadets will be joined by cadets and midshipmen from Maine Maritime Academy, California Maritime Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The ability of the cadets to sail onboard the T/S Kennedy during this evolution was facilitated by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD.) The vessel’s transit is expected to last 14 to 21 days. "It will be a great experience, it will go a long way toward meeting our goal of ensuring cadets have the ability to graduate as per their model schedule, and it will be almost no cost to cadets," said Jerry Achenbach, GLMA superintendent. Monday, July 6, GLMA’s flagship training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, is scheduled to depart, from NMC’s Great Lakes Campus harbor, for the first of three training cruises. In phase one of the training cruise, 17 cadets, and one intern from Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute will be underway for seven to nine days. The ship will not make any non-emergency port calls, and no one will depart or enter the ship to limit the risk of possible exposure to the virus. All cadets and crew for both ships were required to be quarantined and test negative for COVID-19 before they were allowed to sail. GLMA and NMC have adopted increased safety protocols to help protect cadets against COVID-19. These measures are based on stringent industry protocols developed by MARAD, and follow the most stringent procedures being employed by the U.S. maritime industry. Safety procedures for cadet training include single occupancy berths, inspections, continuous sanitization, safe distancing and wearing face coverings in accordance with CDC guidelines. Additionally, the Academy worked with the Grand Traverse County Health Department on the quarantine procedures. These training cruises will help cadets meet program requirements. Earning the required 360 days of sea time during the four-year program was already a challenge due to high Maritime enrollment, few available berths aboard commercial vessels, and academic schedule constraints. Shutdowns due to the coronavirus worsened the situation. GLMA’s training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, would normally have departed in early May on its annual two-month training cruise. Due to the pandemic, the vessel will not get underway until early July. In addition to the new cruise options, GLMA added the tugboat Mississippi to its fleet in June. The NMC Board of Trustees approved leasing the vessel in March as an additional way to help cadets meet required sea time. GLMA |
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Port Reports - July 3 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron Calcite: Thursday; 8:46 Great Republic arrived to load limestone. 11::01 American Mariner departed for the Saginaw River. Stoneport: Wednesday; 22:47 Olive L Moore / Menominee departed for Toledo. Alpena: Thursday; 9:29 Samuel De Champlain arrived to load cement products. 9:55 Undaunted / Pere Marquette 41 arrived to unload at the Lafarge plant. 16:05 Samuel De Champlain departed for Detroit. 20:15 Undaunted / Pere Marquette 41 departed for Bruce Mines. Port Inland: Thursday; 2:40 Kaye E Barker departed for Muskegon. 3:19 Joseph L Block weighed anchor and proceeded to the dock to load. 13:40 Manitowoc weighed anchor and proceeded to the dock to load. 13:46 Joseph L Block departed for Burns Harbor.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss Ashtabula: Philip R. Clarke left for Toledo at 06:10 and the Mandarin is still in port. Conneaut: Algoma Conveyor departed for Quebec, Edgar B. Speer left at 03:09 for Duluth and CSL Laurentian arrived at 20:00.Nanticoke: Greenwing is still in port and Robert S. Pierson arrived at 17:25 from Sarnia. Erie, PA: Calumet is due in Friday morning.
Buffalo, NY – Brian R Wroblewski
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Lorain Lighthouse reopening for tours this weekend 7/3 - Lorain, OH – Lake Erie's Lorain Lighthouse will be open to the public beginning this Friday, July 3. Tours will be limited to groups of 10 visitors at a time, instead of the regular 18, to comply with social distancing requirements. Visitors are asked to wear masks for the duration of the visit, including the boat ride there and back. Tours will depart from Dock A at Oasis Marina and cost $20 per person. This Friday's tours are at 11:30 a.m.; 12:15 p.m.; 1 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Tours takes 10 to 15 minutes to reach the lighthouse by boat, and the tour itself is about 45 minutes long. Additionally, sunset dinners at the lighthouse will resume July 14. The dinner includes a four-course meal from Erie Steak and Seafood Co. with wine pairings for each course and seating outside to watch the sunset across Lake Erie. Sunset Dinner tickets are $130 per-person and include the boat ride there and back, dinner, wine and gratuity. Funds raised from tours and dinners go toward the Lorain Lighthouse's maintenance and upkeep, According to Lighthouse Board of Trustees President/Treasurer Ron Mantini that work costs about $20,000 to $25,000 a year for materials and supplies, and is all done by volunteers. This year's tour season will run through early October. To make dinner reservations, call (440) 984-1012. To buy tour tickets, visit lorainlighthouse.com. |
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Scrappings, scuttling from the Journal of the World Ship Society 7/3 - Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connection reported as scuttled or sold for demolition – taken from July 2020 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society
Scuttled:
Demolitions: GRACE (8806682; Palau) (Sea Grace-19. Torill Knutsen-11 - 1st Seaway passage 1994, Vinga Knutsen-90) - 11,425 / 1990 - chemical / products tanker. By Electra Maritime Ltd, Anguilla, to S,M, Ship Breakers, Bangladesh and arrived Chittagong 28.09.2019 - commenced demolition 31.10.2019 GREAT PORTOBELLO (6903981; Panama) (Pacific Trader-12, Algonova-07 - 1st trip into the Seaway 1998, A.G. Farquharson-98 - 1st trip into Seaway 1987, Texaco Chief-86 - 1st trip into the Seaway 1969) - 4,605 / 1969 - products tanker. By Helmar Business Inc, British Virgin Islands, to Panamanian breakers and reported 8.2019 JOHN SPENCE (7218735; Canada) (Arctic Tuktu-94 - 1st trip into the Seaway 1993, Mary B VI-83, Mary B-82, Mary B VI-81) - 774/ 1972 - offshore tug / supply ship. By McKeil Work Boats Ltd (McKeil Marine Ltd) Canada, to Canadian breaker at Hamilton - reported 7.2018 TONY McKAY (7227786; Canada) (Point Carroll-01 - 1st trip into the Seaway 1984) - 373 / 1973 - tug. By McKeil Work Boats Ltd (McKeil Marine Ltd) Canada, to Canadian breaker at Hamilton - reported 1.2018 Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Update: Saltie transits for 2020 7/3 - There were 44 westbound voyages by 26 vessels made at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY, during June. The 44 transits are down 4 from 2019 and also down 5 transits for the 5-year average for June 2015-2019. So far for the 2020 season there have been as of July 1, 159 westbound transits made by 133 vessels at the Eisenhower Lock. The 159 transits are down 13 from the March/April to July 1 time frame in 2019 and it is also down 3 transits during the same time period on the 5-year average. A recap so far of the 2020 season statistic total shows that there were 58 saltwater vessels making westbound voyages in April and there were 49 saltwater vessels that made westbound transits in May and another 26 vessels making westbound trips in June for a total of 133 vessels so far in 2020 as of July 1. As for the 2020 westbound voyages and monthly transits at the Eisenhower Lock, in April there was a total of 59 transits by vessel and 56 for May and 44 for June for a total of 159 westbound transits by July 1. Denny Dushane |
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Seaway Queens: Chapter 1 now available 7/3 - Chapter 1 of the new e-book Seaway Queens takes readers on a short sail through the long history of shipping with the Great Lakes as final destination. The chapter features historic photography, video and some really cool original ship drawings. Thanks to all those who have pre-ordered the chapter, and "permission to come aboard” for all new readers! Enjoy the voyage. |
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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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New owners of former power plant property on Muskegon Lake look to expand shipping 7/2 - Muskegon, MI – The B.C. Cobb Power Plant stood on the easternmost edge of Muskegon Lake for decades, a monument to a time when coal powered the region. The plant closed in 2016, part of owner Consumers Energy’s transition to cleaner sources of power. In January of this year, the remnants came tumbling down in a dramatic controlled implosion. For months, mounds of dirt, sand and aggregate have replaced the iconic smokestack on Muskegon’s skyline. The property has officially transferred ownership, from Forsite Development, Inc., which specializes in remediating industrial properties, to Verplank Dock Co., a port terminal operator and construction aggregate supplier based in Ferrysburg. The goal is to consolidate Verplank’s operations on Muskegon Lake to the site of the former power plant, which has deeper waters and a larger area than its existing docks, Verplank CEO Ron Matthews told MLive. The acquisition of this port allows the company to explore new shipping paths, Matthews added. He declined to say how much his company paid for the property. “With the size of the dock and depth of the water, it kind of opens us to things we haven’t considered previously,” Matthews said. “Things that take deeper boats.” The use of the port could open the area up to cross-lake shipping into Chicago, Matthews said, which is increasingly attractive as trucking congestion around that metro area mounts, and could expand well beyond Lake Michigan, facilitating transport to the West Coast, he said. “It fits in well with our Imagine Muskegon Lake plan,” said Jake Eckholm, the city’s director of economic development. He referenced a long-term vision, developed by city agencies and private stakeholders and released in 2018, to plan for the use and development of Muskegon Lake and its shoreline. “Our goal over the course of time is to move as much industrial or commercial uses of the lake to the eastern portion of the lake,” Eckholm said. Long-term, the city is developing the Muskegon Lake shoreline for increased mixed-use development, including The Docks, a $100 million residential development and marina planned for the old Muskegon Lake Pigeon Hill property, and Windward Pointe, envisioned for the former Sappi Fine Paper plant site, on Lakeshore Drive across from the country club. In some ways, the Verplank project is 26 years in the making. Matthews recalled being shown the Cobb property by his predecessor at the century-old aggregate company when he was just starting out, nearly three decades ago. “He said, ‘If for any reason that dock over there becomes available, you have to try and get it,” Matthews recalled. Read more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2020/07/new-owners-of-former-power-plant-property-on-muskegon-lake-look-to-expand-shipping.html |
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Port Reports - July 2 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putne
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Northern Lake Huron Port Dolomite: Tuesday; 22:10 After taking on a partial load of limestone Joseph L Block departed for Port Inland. Cheboygan: Tuesday; 9:20 The tug Michigan and the tanker barge Great Lakes arrived at the US Oil Co dock to unload petroleum products and departed on Wednesday at 11:40 for Port Huron. Calcite: Wednesday; 17:09 American Mariner arrived to load. Stoneport: Tuesday 21:46 Herbert C Jackson arrived to take on a partial load of limestone and departed Wednesday at 4:14 for Meldrum Bay. 11:40 Olive L Moore / Menominee arrived to load. Alpena: Wednesday; 12:03 GL Ostrander arrived to load cement products and departed at 18:29 for Milwaukee. Brevort: Wednesday; 5:01 Defiance/ Ashtabula departed for Buffalo. Port Inland: Tuesday; 22:34 Calumet arrived to load limestone. Wednesday; 4:49 Joseph L Block arrived and went to anchor.10:31 for Erie. 11:12 Kaye E Barker arrived to load. 20:04 Manitowoc arrived and went to anchor.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, ON – Jacob Silvan
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH Cleveland: NACC Capri left at 05:48 for Bath. American Courage arrived at 06:01, unloaded at ArcelorMittal and went to the Bulk Terminal to load a shuttle. The Federal St. Laurent departed at 19:00 for Hamilton. Dorothy Ann came in from Marblehead to unload at Ontario Stone. Ashtabula: Mandarin was still there and Philip R. Clarke arrived at 17:30. Conneaut: Presque Isle left at 23:45 Tuesday night for Two Harbors. Algoma Conveyor finally came in from anchorage at 00:38 and Edgar B. Speer arrived at 09:00. Nanticoke: Greenwing was still in port and Algonorth left for Sarnia at 00:31.
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Descendant who turned sleuth finds closure at ship’s remains 7/2 - Pulaski, NY – After years of sleuthing, Bonnie Turgeon Borrello found closure, comfort and amazement on the shores of Sandy Pond Beach earlier this month. “It’s been all these years, and it’s just amazing that this thing appeared all of a sudden,” Mrs. Borrello said. “I just can’t get over it.” When she came upon the wreckage of the 19th-century schooner the Hartford on June 16, it concluded a search that began in 1981 with the death of her mother, Elina Turgeon. It was then she began looking into family history, particularly the life of Damas Turgeon, a ship’s mate on the Hartford. After Elina died, Mrs. Borrello routinely traveled from her home in Texas to visit and care for her dad, Charles Turgeon, who died in 1987. She had heard fuzzy family stories about Damas and found time to look into his life. She also hoped to discover the final resting spot of his ship, the Hartford. “I became very intrigued as to what had happened,” Mrs. Borrello said. “It was from there that I developed a real interest in finding out more, and I tried doing that in all kinds of ways.” Locally, she visited Flower Memorial Library, the H. Lee White Marine Museum and the Thousand Islands Museum, seeking newspaper accounts, ship info and family history. She attended lectures by shipwreck experts. In Maine, she took a ride on a schooner to get a feel of the type of boat that Damas sailed on. One year, on their way back to Texas from their summer home on Fishers Landing, Mrs. Borrello and her husband, Sebastian, toured a section of the Welland Canal, which the Hartford regularly passed through on its trips to Lake Erie and ports on that lake. “We got to see how the ships go through the canal,” Mrs. Borrello said. “I know it was a long time back and it was different, but still, it was an experience that seemed to bring me closer to Damas. We also visited Port Dalhousie (St. Catherines, Ontario), which was the last stop that they made before crossing Lake Ontario and to their deaths.” The 137-feet long, 307-ton Hartford was built at Linn & Craig Shipyard in Gibraltar, Mich., and launched in 1873. It was owned by a conglomerate in Oswego. The three-masted schooner sank in 1894 off Mexico Bay. It struggled in a fierce fall gale and finally succumbed to it. Capt. William O’Toole, 45, Clayton, a native of Constableville and son of Civil War soldier and Irish immigrant, Peter O’Toole, piloted the Hartford. In addition to the captain, also lost when the ship went down were his wife, Mary Manson O’Toole and their 5-month-old child, Mary Kathleen, along with Damas Turgeon and three others: William Donaldson of Theresa, Dennis McCarthy of Oswego and a man named Farquahaurson of Grindstone Island. None of the bodies of the crew washed ashore. “As with the O’Tooles, Damas has a headstone in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Clayton, in the same row,” Mrs. Borrello said. “Damas was 47 years old when he drowned and left a family of six children.” Damas’s descendants, Mrs. Borrello said, lived in Clayton for several years. “His grandson, Tom, was a founder of the Antique Boat Museum,” she said. Mrs. Borrello found articles on the sinking of the Hartford and has shared them with family members over the years. “I have been fascinated with the story and have searched for whatever I could find,” she said. But her search never turned up the resting spot of the Hartford. “Everybody I asked tried to find out more — if that ship had been found and all of this,” she said. “No,’ they would say. ‘They were left down there. A lot had been found, but never the Hartford.’” In March, a 20-by-20-foot section of the Hartford washed ashore after 126 years under water. It was found near the inlet, lakeshore, that heads into North Sandy Pond and where a boardwalk is located. It was discovered by Nicole M. Nicosia, librarian at Mexico High School, who regularly hikes at Sandy Pond Beach area. The find was reported by local media, including an April 11 story in the Watertown Daily Times. After reading the Times story online from her home in Texas, Mrs. Borrello wrote to its author: “Now, after these many years, it has come to light. I can’t believe it!” She was put in contact with maritime historian and diver Mark Barbour, North Syracuse, an expert on Lake Ontario shipwrecks and who is leading a preservation effort on the remains of the Hartford. “I am so thankful for his efforts in trying to preserve the wreck,” Mrs. Borrello said. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would happen. It’s such a wonderful thing for him to do. He’s not a relative or anything and some of us are just not able to do that sort of thing at this point in our lives now.” On June 16, she made the trek to see the wreckage herself. Accompanying her was a cousin, Ann Halback, Watertown. The first leg was arrival at Sandy Island Beach State Park, part of the Eastern Lake Ontario dune and wetland system. The park includes a 17-mile stretch which extends from the town of Richland, Oswego County, north along Lake Ontario to Jefferson County. From the state park parking lot, a person can walk north along the beach for about an hour before coming to where Sandy Pond and Lake Ontario meet. But on their visit, Mrs. Borrello and her cousin brought kayaks because the trek to the wreckage is over some rough terrain. Her husband stayed behind at the parking lot. “We launched at the park and went along the spit of land on the inside of Sandy Pond, the quiet side,” Mrs. Borrello said. “We found somebody there who could tell us how to go up and we would find this board walk. We had to walk across the boardwalk to the lake side. That’s what we did and we walked to the beach and to the wreck.” She was overwhelmed at the sight. “It was just amazing,” Mrs. Borrello said. “I couldn’t believe it. Still, I don’t have words to express the feeling of it.” Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.nny360.com/artsandlife/localhistory/descendant-who-turned-sleuth-finds-closure-at-ship-s-remains/article_b24e8ab7-2f38-5dbc-ac65-d9dc0d7326c7.html?fbclid=IwAR2g4Cec33XgrqBcSH_RI-bxazk1PiQZ8QaqxUPYRhM7GG5ut7AginmdQDc |
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Hidden Shipwrecks of the Twin Ports subject of today’s Virtual Visitor Center lecture 7/2 - Every ship that passes through the Duluth-Superior Harbor has a story to tell. The ships hidden beneath the water on the harbor floor have stories to tell as well. Join Ranger Kasey in the Virtual Visitor Center for an adventure exploring shipwrecks of the Twin Ports and learn what you can do to preserve these hidden treasures. Use a Chrome browser to directly connect on the web at this address: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/shipwrecks If your computer does not have speakers you can get the audio on your phone at this number: +1 (872) 240-3311; Access Code: 452-471-893. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative project between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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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 detail |
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U.S. Steel to restart blast furnace at Gary Works as demand improves 7/1 - Gary, IN – U.S. Steel idled the No. 6 Blast Furnace at Gary Works in late April after the coronavirus pandemic shut down automotive plants and undercut the demand for steel. But now the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of Northwest Indiana's largest employers, said demand has picked up enough that it's restarting the blast furnace, a jolt that will benefit Northwest Indiana's ailing steel industry. "U.S. Steel will commence restarting Gary Works No. 6 Blast Furnace after the holiday weekend consistent with the growth we have been seeing in customer demand," U.S. Steel spokeswoman Meghan M. Cox said. "We remain ready to serve our customers as they adjust to changing market conditions by utilizing the flexibility of our banked blast furnaces, including, if needed, adjusting operations intermittently to accommodate changes in our order book." The No. 4 Blast Furnace remains idled at Gary Works. U.S. Steel also idled operations in Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Texas after posting a $391 million loss in the first quarter. The steelmaker expects to lose $315 million in the second quarter as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and the economic turmoil it caused. U.S. Steel earlier warned it could temporarily lay off up to 6,500 employees nationwide, or more than a third of its total workforce of 16,000 in North America. After the viral outbreak resulted in widespread shutdowns, including of automotive factories that rank among the largest consumers of steel, U.S. Steel issued WARNs to about 3,800 employees who faced temporary layoffs at Gary Works and the Midwest plant in Portage. NW Indiana Times |
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Coast Guard helps disabled Duluth cruise boat Vista Star back to port 7/1 - Duluth, MN – The U.S. Coast Guard helped the Vista Star back into port Tuesday after it became disabled outside of the Duluth entry. The Vista Fleet leadership said there was a small mechanical failure while under the lift bridge. Dozens of passengers aboard the tourist boat, wearing life jackets, watched as other vessels nudged the ship and people on shore helped pull the Vista Star into place behind the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. About 32 passengers disembarked from the vessel shortly before 12:30 p.m. Petty Officer Trevor Matelski, from Coast Guard Station Duluth, said they received a report that the boat was disabled out of the Duluth entry. "We went over there to make sure everyone was safe. We were going to leave it to commercial towing to take care of it. They were doing a stern tow taking them through the Duluth entry, when they started drifting towards the wall. So we stepped in, and did a side tow, and assisted them safely under the lift bridge with the help of another vessel. All three of us moored them up safely," Matelski said. Vista's assistant general manager, Colleen Smith, said in a statement, "We had to drop anchor and call the Coast Guard for assistance to be towed back into our dock. Our crew is trained for emergency situations like this on a monthly basis and did great handling the situation. Everyone on board left smiling, and we are hoping to be back up and running for the holiday weekend." The Vista Star is part of the Vista Fleet, which offers tours of the Twin Ports area. View a video at this link: https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/coast-guard-helps-vista-star-back-to-port/5777264 |
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Port Reports - July 1 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Northern Lake Huron Bruce Mines: Monday; 22:15 Mississagi departed for Chicago. Meldrum Bay: Tuesday; 13:44 Algoma Innovator arrived to load limestone. 14:53 Cuyahoga arrived and went to anchor.18:26 Saginaw arrived and went to anchor. Port Dolomite: Tuesday; 15:31 Joseph L Block arrived to load limestone. Calcite: Tuesday 8:10 Great Republic departed for Detroit. Stoneport: Tuesday 4:04 American Courage departed for Cleveland. Brevort: Tuesday; 5:08 Defiance/ Ashtabula arrived to load limestone product. Port Inland: Tuesday; 4:55 Philip R Clarke departed for Ashtabula.
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H. Tuesday Arrivals: Sea Eagle 2/St. Marys Cement 2-arrived at the St. Marys Cement dock to unload cement. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder-arrived at the St. Clair Aggregates dock to unload stone. Damia Desgagnes-arrived at the Waterfront Petroleum Terminal. Calusa Coast and Delaware-arrived at the Marathon Asphalt Terminal to load.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss Cleveland: NACC Capri arrived at 06:31 and went to Lafarge to unload. Federal St. Laurent remained at the Port docks. Ashtabula: The salty Mandarin arrived at 06:44. Conneaut: Whitefish Bay left for Quebec City at 14:11, the Presque Isle came in at 10:30 and the Algoma Conveyor is still at anchor. Nanticoke: Algonova departed Monday night for Sarnia. Atlantic Huron left for Windsor at 18:41, Algonorth was still in port and the salty Greenwing arrived at 18:10.
Port Colborne, ON – Jacob Silvan
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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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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