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Port Reports - September 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Charlevoix, MI – Tristin Woolf
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 26
September 26, 1930, the schooner OUR SON, launched in 1875, sank during a storm on Lake Michigan about 40 miles WSW of Big Sable Point. Seventy-three year old Captain Fred Nelson the crew of OUR SON were rescued by the self-unloader WILLIAM NELSON. September 26, 1937, the Canadian Seaman's Union signed a tentative wage contract. Sailors would continue a two watch system (working 12 hours every 24 hours) and be paid the following monthly wages: Wheelsmen and Oilers - $72.50, Watchmen and firemen - $67.50, Second Cooks - $52.50, deckhands and coal passers - $50.00, porters - $45.00, Chief Cooks on the Upper Lakes - $115.00, and Chief Cooks on Canal boats $105.00. September 26, 1957, Taconite Harbor, Minnesota loaded its first cargo of 10,909 tons of taconite pellets into the holds of the Interlake steamer J. A. CAMPBELL. On 26 September 1892, JOHN BURT (3-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 348 gross tons, built in 1871, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying grain in a strong northwest gale. Her rudder broke and she was blown past the mouth of Oswego harbor and was driven hard aground. Two died when the vessel struck. The U.S. Lifesaving Service rescued the remaining five crewmembers. The vessel quickly broke up in the waves. CHI-CHEEMAUN cleared the shipyard on September 26, 1974. H. M. GRIFFITH was christened on September 26, 1973 at Collingwood for Canada Steamship Lines. C.C.G.S. GRIFFON (Hull#664) was launched September 26, 1969 by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec for the Canadian Coast Guard. ROGER M. KYES returned to service on September 26, 1984; she had grounded off McLouth Steel and ended crosswise in the Detroit River's Trenton Channel a month before. She was renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. The BELLE RIVER was sideswiped by the Liberian FEDERAL RHINE, of 1977, at Duluth on September 26, 1985. Both vessels received minor damage. On 26 September 1914, MARY N. BOURKE (wooden schooner-barge, 219 foot, 920 gross tons, built in 1889, at Baraga, Michigan) was docked at Peter's Lumber Dock in St. Mary's Bay, 15 miles north of St. Ignace, Michigan. The crew was awakened at 9:30-10:00 p.m. by smoke coming from her hold and they escaped. The BOURKE burned to the waterline and the fire spread ashore, destroying the dock and a pile of lumber. At 3 a.m., 26 September 1876, the steam barge LADY FRANKLIN burned while moored near Clark's dock, about three miles from Amherstburg, Ontario in the Detroit River. One life was lost. This vessel had been built in 1861, as a passenger steamer and ran between Cleveland, Ohio and Port Stanley, Ontario. In 1874, she was converted into a lumber freighter, running primarily between Saginaw, Michigan and Cleveland. The burned hull was rebuilt in 1882. 1979: MAHONI, an Indonesian-registered freighter, went aground on the west coast of Taiwan and was abandoned by the crew. The ship was refloated in June 1980 and sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers for scrapping at Kaohsiung. It had been a Seaway saltie as b) CLARI beginning in 1968 and returned as c) ARNIS in 1970. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New lock moves forward with Phase 2 contract award 9/25 - Detroit, MI – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announce the New Lock at the Soo second phase construction contract is awarded to Kokosing Alberici LLC of Westerville, Ohio. The much-anticipated mega-project will take three phases to construct. Kokosing Alberici will receive more than $111 million to complete phase two. This contract will stabilize the existing approach walls, allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. Construction will begin in spring 2021 and take about two years to complete. "The Corps looks forward to beginning construction on the upstream approach walls next spring, and we continue to work hard to maintain the pace and meet all milestones in bringing our nation's New Lock at the Soo to fruition,” said Detroit District Commander Lt. Col. Scott Katalenich. The project’s first phase to deepen the upstream channel began this summer with expected completion by November 2021. First phase contractor, Trade West Construction’s, focus began with deepening the eastern area of the decommissioned Sabin Lock’s north channel so Kokosing Alberici can begin work immediately in that area during the spring 2021 construction season. “It is so important that we stay on track as work areas for the three phases do overlap and construction needs to be accomplished in a certain order,” said New Lock Project Manager Mollie Mahoney. “Awarding the phase two contract right on schedule sets the clock for phase three work to begin on time in 2022.” The project’s third phase is actually constructing the new lock chamber. It is still in the design phase and expected to be advertised for bid in spring 2021. The Soo Locks are situated on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and allow vessels to transit the 21-foot elevation change at the St. Marys Falls Canal. Over 85 percent of commodity tonnage through the Soo Locks is restricted by vessel size to the Poe Lock. This new lock project will construct a second Poe-sized lock (110' by 1,200') on the existing decommissioned Davis and Sabin locks site. A 2015 Department of Homeland Security study on impacts of an unexpected Soo Locks closure show the Soo Locks are nationally critical infrastructure. This Great Lakes Navigation System critical node is essential to U.S. manufacturing and National Security according to the study. USCOE |
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Port Reports - September 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI- Fred A. Tijan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 25
In tandem tow, MENIHEK LAKE and LEON FALK JR. arrived at Vigo, Spain, on September 25, 1985. The MENIHEK LAKE was scrapped at Vigo, and the FALK was towed to Gijn, Spain, for scrapping. HENRY C. FRICK departed Bay City on her maiden voyage on September 25, 1905 and rammed and damaged the Michigan Central Railroad Bridge at Bay City. On 25 September 1869, COMMENCEMENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 75 foot, 73 tons, built in 1853, at Holland, Michigan) was carrying wood in her hold and telegraph poles on deck from Pentwater, Michigan, for Milwaukee when she sprang a leak 20 miles off Little Sable Point on Lake Michigan. The incoming water quickly overtook her pump capacity. As the crew was getting aboard the lifeboat, she turned turtle. The crew clung to the upturned hull for 30 hours until the passing steamer ALLEGHENY finally rescued them. COMMENCEMENT later washed ashore, a total wreck. 1922: AUBE, on her first trip back under this name, went aground off Carleton Island, while carrying 65,000 bushels of grain. Tugs released the stranded vessel the following day. 1978: FRANQUELIN (ii) went aground in the Seaway below Beauharnois. Once refloated, the ship went to Canadian Vickers in Montreal for repairs and was caught there in a labor dispute. 1980: DERWENTFIELD, a British-flag freighter, first came through the Seaway in 1975. The ship grounded on this date as c) CAVO ARTEMIDI off Brazil, while enroute from Vitoria, Brazil, to Rotterdam, Holland, with a cargo of pig iron and broke in two as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade down 40.3 percent in August 9/24 - Cleveland, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in August, a decrease of 40.3 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also below the month’s 5-year average by 37.9 percent. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 24.3 million tons, a decrease of 25.9 percent compared to the same point in 2019. Through August iron shipments are nearly 23.2 percent below their 5-year average for eight months of the year. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Steel production down more than 20% with capacity utilization of just 65.8% 9/24 - Northwest Indiana – Great Lakes steel production dipped by 3,000 tons last week and remains depressed by more than a fifth so far this year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly in Northwest Indiana, made 527,000 tons of metal in the week that ended Sept. 19, down from 530,000 tons the previous week. Steel production is down by 20.1% for the year, while steel capacity utilization has fallen more than 12 percentage points year over year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel for much of the spring and early summer. Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.446 million tons of steel last week, down 0.9% from 1.459 million tons the previous week and down 19.7% as compared to 1.801 million tons the same time a year prior. Steel demand started plummeting in mid-March when automakers like Ford, General Motors and Honda — some of the largest consumers of steel in North America — temporarily ceased production to curb the spread of COVID-19. It forced Northwest Indiana steel mills to idle operations and temporarily lay off hundreds of workers. Auto plants across the country have come back online and ramped back up production volume, leading local steel mills to restart blast furnaces at Gary Works, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor and ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 56.17 million tons of steel, a 20.1% decrease compared to the 70.33 million tons made during the same period in 2019. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 65.8% through Sept. 12, down from 80.3% at the same point in 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 64.5% last week, which was down from 65.1% the previous week and down from 77.4% at the same time a year ago. Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, was 553,000 tons last week, down from 565,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest dipped to 169,000 tons, down from 172,000 tons the week prior. NW Indiana Times |
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Port Reports - September 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
9/23/20 |
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National Museum of the Great Lakes offers a chance to win a trip on a freighter 9/24 - Toledo, OH - Have you ever dreamed of sailing the Great Lakes on a giant freighter? Well, you have a shot at doing just that and helping a local treasure at the same time. The National Museum of the Great Lakes is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year this Saturday, September 26. Of course, as with most events right now, H2Oh! has gone virtual. The event will feature all kinds of amazing auction items -- like a ride onboard the boat that delivers mail to sailors on the Great Lakes -- plus the Luck of the Lakes raffle where you can win a freighter ride or $10,000. “We have a phenomenal list of Great Lakes memorabilia, and once in a lifetime experiences you can bid on,” explains Kate Fineske, Director of Communications and Development at the museum. “Everything is themed around the Great Lakes.” The goal is to raise more than $200,000 through the event. Our own Lissa Guyton will be the virtual emcee. Registration is free and easy. You can learn more at nmgl.org. WTVG |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 24
The EDMUND FITZGERALD's first cargo of taconite pellets was loaded September 24, 1958 at Silver Bay, Minnesota for Toledo, Ohio. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 entered service September 24, 1924. In early morning fog on the St. Clair River on September 24, 1962, the J.L. REISS was hit three glancing blows by U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY. The AVERY had lost control just below Robert's Landing and crossed the channel from the Canadian side and struck the REISS, which was proceeding slowly by radar on the U.S. side. On September 24, 1952, the CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON entered service. This vessel was renamed b.) ERNEST R. BREECH when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1962, and it was renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT, when it was sold to Kinsman Lines in 1988. Sold Canadian in 2005, and renamed d.) VOYAGEUR INDEPENDENT. She sails today as the motorship e.) OJIBWAY. September 24, 1924 - The PERE MARQUETTE 22 arrived at Ludington, Michigan on her maiden voyage. On 24 September 1902, H.A. BARR (3 mast wooden schooner, 217 foot, 1,119 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was in tow of the saltie THEANO with a load of iron ore in a storm 30 miles off Port Stanley in Lake Erie. She broke her towline in giant waves and foundered. THEANO rescued her crew. On 24 September 1879, the tug URANIA was towing the schooner S V R WATSON into Sand Beach at about noon when the schooner struck the tug amidships, cutting a hole in the hull and sinking her in three fathoms of water. No lives were lost. 1901: M.M. DRAKE was towing the schooner barge MICHIGAN across Lake Superior when the latter began to sink. The steamer came alongside to take off the crew when a towering wave bashed the two vessels together resulting in heavy damage. Both vessels went down, but all except one sailor were rescued by the passing ships NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY. 1915: WESTERN STAR ran aground on Robertson Rock, Georgian Bay, while enroute to Little Current with a cargo of coal. The ship was badly damaged and early attempts to refloat the freighter failed. It was not released until September 18, 1917, and was rebuilt at Detroit. The ship returned to service as b) GLENISLA in 1918 and was scrapped at Hamilton as c) PRESCOTT in 1962-1963. 1937: NEEBING foundered with the loss of 5 lives in western Lake Superior while towing the barge COTEAU in a heavy storm. The crane-equipped ship was approaching the Nipigon Strait, with a load of gravel for Red Rock, ON at the time. Nine sailors were rescued. 1947: MILVERTON, downbound with a cargo of coal, and TRANSLAKE, upbound with crude oil, collided near Iroquois, ON. The latter got caught in the current and veered to port resulting in the collision. The former, one of the few oil-burning canal ships, had the fuel lines rupture, caught fire, drifted downstream and grounded at the head of Rapide Plat. The ship burned for two days and 11 sailors were killed. Despite the heavy damage, MILVERTON was refloated, repaired and later sailed as c) CLARY FORAN and d) FERNDALE (i) before being scrapped at Hamilton in 1963. 1952: BAYTON was loading at Pool 4A Elevator at the Canadian Lakehead when there was an explosion at the elevator and chunks of concrete rained down on the deck of the Colonial Steamship Co. (Misener) steamer. One person was killed and nine more were injured. 2008: DRAGOMIRESTI was a Romanian freighter that first visited the Seaway in 1992 to load a food aid cargo in Thunder Bay for Sudan & Yemen. The ship was driven aground as j) CHUN JIANG, about 22 miles from Macao in Typhoon Hagupit. The crew were removed by helicopter. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes cruise industry prepares for bounce back year 9/23 - Cruising on the Great Lakes is an industry that has been on the rise in Michigan. "Great Lakes cruising has brought more than 100,000 port visits a year," says Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan. "And we've been growing for a while as well." But not in 2020. The industry took a blow at the beginning of the pandemic when Canada closed its port visits. "Right now it's extended through October so there goes the season," says Lorenz. And while the loss of income forced some of the companies to close for good, the ones that remain already look ahead to next year. Lorenz says safety measures are already being prepared for visitors. The biggest change will be requiring masks in all of the ship's common areas, something that he says will take an adjustment. "At first when we started using seat belts long, long ago, people felt a little uncomfortable about them," he says. "After a while, when you don't wear a seat belt it feels really strange. That's how face masks are going to be." Other safety protocols from before the pandemic will continue more vigilantly. Lorenz says places like the ship's buffet have always had employees walking around with hand sanitizer for guests. "Travelers around the world have looked at that and kind of rolled their eyes a little bit in the past," says Lorenz. "The coronavirus has taught everybody that was a good idea then, it's a better idea now." Lorenz hopes when the time comes to hit the open water, guests will take the safety measures seriously. "Whether you're at a grocery store or on a cruise ship, it's your responsibility to be careful to make sure other people don't get sick," he says. The Great Lakes cruising season typically begins in the spring and can last through September. |
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Port Reports - September 23 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher |
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Annual maritime history preservation award goes to William M. Worden 9/23 - Madison, WI – William M. Worden has been chosen to receive the 2020 C. Patrick Labadie Award for the preservation of Great Lakes history by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a major contribution, over many years, to the preservation of Great Lakes maritime history through historical research and in furtherance of the goals of the Association. Criteria for selection included his editorial roles at Telescope and Steamboat Bill magazines, writing applications for landmark status for historic vessels, co-chairing a campaign for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum to acquire D&C Navigation Co. artifacts such as the Gothic Room from the passenger steamer City of Detroit III and serving on the board of directors of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. He is also considered an expert on Great Lakes passenger vessels. The Association for Great Lakes Maritime History is a professional association of institutions and individuals from throughout Canada and the U.S. involved in preserving and interpreting the unique maritime history of the Great Lakes region. The Association sponsors an annual maritime history conference, encourages new research by both professional and avocational historians, financially supports the publishing of new research, and promotes the regular exchange of news and information among its members. |
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Save the River pushes for flexibility in Seaway to prepare for flooding next spring 9/23 - Clayton, NY – A recent letter published by Save the River is urging for flexibility throughout the Great Lakes and Seaway. Clayton-based organization Save the River Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper sent a letter to both the Department of Transportation and Great Lakes Seaway Management Corporation addressing high water levels for the upcoming 2021 season. Although Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River were not faced with flooding during the spring of 2020, Save the River Executive Director John Peach focused on the importance of preparing shippers for a flexible spring opening date if the seaway were to flood again. Peach stated the following: “On behalf of our 1000 members and 15,000 followers, Save The River commends the efforts of the International Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Board (ILOSLRB) and the cooperation of the Seaway during this shipping season in keeping the flows high in order to lower the water levels toward the long term average. “However, with the immense amount of water still upstream of Lake Ontario and flowing towards the St. Lawrence, Save The River believes that the Seaway should put shippers on notice that if high water levels warrant higher flows than are deemed safe for navigation, shippers should prepare flexibility in their scheduling for both closing and spring opening dates of the Seaway. “We understand that an early closure of shipping may cause scheduling and logistics challenges for the shipping industry, and perhaps some supply chain disruption in Great Lakes ports. Many of our shoreline businesses such as marinas, restaurants, hotels, and fishing guides suffered significant losses during the 2017 & 2019 seasons due to the effects of the extreme high water caused by years of record precipitation. Coupled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic this year, it will be difficult for them to make up those losses. Another extreme high water year could force them out of business. We are asking the shipping industry to continue to shoulder their share of the burdens caused by the extreme high water levels. During times of flooding, it is usual for all businesses and stakeholders to lend their support to help those most severely affected recover from their losses. “Building flexibility into shipping schedules at the end of this season and start of next season would allow ILOSLRB to keep flows at the higher levels required, if needed, to try to prevent another extreme high water year on Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River.” The letter, featured in full on the Save the River website, was directly sent to United States Department of Transportation Deputy Administrator Craig Middlebrook and Great Lakes Seaway Management Corporation President and CEO Terence Bowles. Additional letter recipients included IJC Commissioner Jane Corwin, IJC Commissioner Pierre Béland, IJC Public Information Officer Frank Bevacqua, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Premier Ford, Representative Elise Stefanik, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman Mark Walczyk. ABC50 NOW |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 23
September 23, 1922, the 306-foot NEPTUNE loaded the first Head-of-the-Lakes cargo of pig iron at Zenith Furnace, Duluth, Minnesota. The 5,000 tons of malleable pig iron was delivered to Buffalo, New York. September 23, 1975, HERBERT C. JACKSON lost power while upbound on Lake Superior. She was towed back to the Soo by the USS straight decker D.G. KERR. September 23, 1952, the steamer CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON became the first boat christened at Cleveland since the early years of World War II. The 644-foot HUTCHINSON, Captain T. A. Johnson, was the new flagship of the Pioneer fleet and one of 35 boats in the three fleets operated by Hutchinson & Co. Renamed b.) ERNEST R. BREECH in 1962, c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT in 1988. Sold Canadian in 2005, and renamed d.) VOYAGEUR INDEPENDENT. She sails today as the motorship e.) OJIBWAY. On 23 September 1910, the BETHLEHEM (steel propeller package freighter, 290 foot, 2,633 gross tons, built in 1888, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise when she went ashore in a gale on the SW side of S. Manitou Island in Lake Michigan. Lifesavers and the crew unloaded her over several days. Although battered by several storms while ashore, she was eventually pulled free and repaired. She lasted until 1925, when she was scrapped. The scow WAUBONSIE was launched at the Curtis yard in Fort Gratiot, Michigan on 23 September 1873. 1935: HURRY-ON was a Great Lakes visitor in 1934 when it loaded bagged flour at Port Colborne. The ship was lost off Port Hood Island, near Judique, NS, after developing leaks and a list. The lifeboat swamped twice and five were lost. 1961: CRYSTAL JEWEL, inbound for London in thick fog, was in a collision with the B.P. Tanker BRITISH AVIATOR. The captain was seriously injured and his daughter was killed. The vessel first visited the Great Lakes in 1960 and was enroute from Duluth to London with a cargo of grain at the time of the accident. The vessel grounded and, after being released, was taken to Rotterdam where the entire mid-ship superstructure was replaced. The ship made many more trips through the Seaway and returned as b) MELTEMI in 1970. It was scrapped at Busan, South Korea, after arriving as d) TETA on July 17, 1979. 1980: FERNLEAF first visited the Seaway in 1965 and returned as b) AALSUM in 1974. The ship was detained at Basrah, Iraq, in 1981 as c) INICIATIVA on this date in 1980 and declared a total loss in December 1981. It was salvaged in 1993 and renamed d) DOLPHIN V but perhaps only for a trip to the shipbreakers. The vessel arrived at Gadani Beach December 27, 2003, and dismantling began at once. 2000: Vandals attacked the museum ship NORGOMA at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., breaking windows, light fixtures and setting off fire extinguishers, leaving an estimated $15,000 in damage. On September 23, 1991, J.W. MC GIFFIN rescued several people in a 24-foot pleasure craft off Presque Ile State Park. The group had been disabled since the day before. They were taken aboard the McGIFFIN and their boat taken under tow. The MC GIFFIN was rebuilt with a new forward section and renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA in 1999. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas Algoma Innovator arrived 9.19 am Monday, loaded at Compass Minerals, cleared at 6.48 pm Monday upbound for Ferrysburg. Manitoulin arrived 6.22 am Monday and loading at elevators.
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson.
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 22
On September 22, 1958, the EDMUND FITZGERALD entered service, departing River Rouge, Michigan for Silver Bay, Minnesota on its first trip. The FITZGERALD's first load was 20,038 tons of taconite pellets for Toledo. The vessel would, in later years, set several iron ore records during the period from 1965 through 1969. While in ballast, the ROGER M. KYES struck bottom in Buffalo Harbor September 22, 1976, sustaining holes in two double bottom tanks and damage to three others, whereupon she proceeded to Chicago for dry docking on September 27, 1976, for survey and repairs. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. While being towed from Duluth, Minnesota by the Canadian tug TUSKER on September 22, 1980, the D. G. KERR rammed into the breakwater at Duluth causing $200,000 in damages to the breakwater. The tow apparently failed to make the turning buoy leaving Duluth Harbor. On September 22, 1911 the HENRY PHIPPS collided with and sank her Steel Trust fleet mate, the steamer JOLIET of 1890, which was at anchor on the fog-shrouded St. Clair River near Sarnia, Ontario. The JOLIET sank without loss of crew and was declared a total loss. The PHIPPS then continued her downbound journey and collided with the Wyandotte Chemical steamer ALPENA, of 1909, but incurred only minor damage. The T.W. ROBINSON and US.265808 (former BENSON FORD) departed Quebec City in tow of the Polish tug JANTAR bound for Recife where they arrived on September 22, 1987. Scrapping began the next month in October. MATHILDA DESGAGNES was freed from polar ice in the Arctic on September 22, 1988, by the West German Icebreaker Research Vessel POLARSTERN. September 22, 1913 - The ANN ARBOR No. 5 struck bottom in the Sturgeon Bay Canal and damaged her rudder and steering gear. After undergoing repairs at Milwaukee, she was back in service the following October. On 22 September 1887, ADA E. ALLEN (wooden propeller steam barge, 90 foot, 170 gross tons, built in 1872, at Walpole Island, Ontario.) caught fire while moored at Amherstburg, Ontario. She was cut loose and set adrift to prevent the fire from spreading ashore. She drifted to Bois Blanc (Bob-Lo) Island and burned to a total loss. On 22 September 1882, Mr. H. N. Jex accepted the contract to recover the engine and boiler from the MAYFLOWER, which sank in the Detroit River in 1864. He was to be paid $600 upon delivery of the machinery at Windsor, Ontario. He succeeded in raising the engine on 12 October and the boiler shortly thereafter. 1917: The wooden steamer WILLIAM P. REND, a) GEORGE G. HADLEY, foundered off Alpena while carrying livestock. All 9 crewmembers were rescued. 1951: The Liberty ship THUNDERBIRD visited the Seaway in 1959. Earlier, on this date in 1951, the ship received major bow damage from a head-on collision with the Chinese freighter UNION BUILDER (built in 1945 at Brunswick, GA as a) COASTAL RANGER) at the entrance to Colombo, Ceylon. THUNDERBIRD was also a Great Lakes trader as d) NEW KAILING in 1964 and scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1967. 1979: OCEANIC KLIF first visited the Seaway in 1971. The ship stranded near Las Palmas, Canary Islands, while on a voyage from Kamsar, Guinea, West Africa, to Port Alfred, QC with calcinated bauxite and was abandoned by the crew. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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New Soo Lock work shifts to round-the-clock construction 9/21 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Round-the-clock work has begun at the Soo Locks. The Army Corps of Engineers, District Detroit, said last week that phase one of an extensive, multiyear project to update existing locks and to create a new lock at the Upper Peninsula facility shifted into high gear on Sept. 8. To start, Trade West Construction is deepening the north channel of the decommissioned Sabin Lock to a depth of 30 feet and positioning the materials to the northwest pier, which will eventually become a break wall for the new lock. The project, outlined in detail below, has a 2027 target date for completion. The Soo Locks currently has one lock, the Poe Lock, that is capable of accommodating vessels up to 1,000 feet in length and 105 feet in width. Since the Poe’s construction, Great Lakes fleets in the United States and Canada have replaced many of their older vessels with newer, larger vessels, most of which can only use the Poe because of their size. As a result, 89 percent of all the cargo passing though the locks is restricted to using the Poe. According to the Corps, this critical dependency on the Poe presents a significant risk not only to Great Lakes shipping, but to the nation’s overall economy since mechanical failures or other causes at the lock would be felt throughout North America. A second lock capable of handling large ships would alleviate this concerns and funding has finally been secured. Congress reauthorized construction of the new lock in October 2018 with an estimated project cost of $922.4 million (including $32 million spent prior to 2019). The State of Michigan provided $52 million in December 2018 to help advance the project and allow it to rank more highly among national infrastructure needs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also received $32.4 million in federal funds for fiscal year 2019, and fiscal year 2020 budget included an additional $75.3 million. The new lock will replace the closed Davis and Sabin locks, but will have the same dimensions as the Poe and will provide much needed redundancy for the aging Poe. The construction project consists of three main phases:
Deepening the upstream approach channel (2020-2021). This schedule assumes Congress will continue to provide efficient funding for the project. More than 75 million tons of cargo and 3,000 cargo vessels pass through the locks annually. Owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lock system raises and lowers vessels approximately 21 feet to overcome the difference in elevation between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Duluth Tribune |
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Marine Historical Society of Detroit wins state history award 9/21 - Detroit, MI – The Marine Historical Society of Detroit has received a state history award in the Institutions category from the The Historical Society of Michigan. In 1944, history enthusiasts founded the organization to promote Great Lakes maritime history. More than 75 years later, the Marine Historical Society of Detroit has produced a wealth of scholarship, preserving and interpreting Michigan’s rich Great Lakes shipping history. In addition to its 73-years-running newsletter, “The Detroit Marine Historian,” the organization has published many other important works that highlight maritime subjects. Although the society has no building of its own, it facilitates the acquisition of archival materials for the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University. The award will be presented to the society’s president, Roger LeLievre, during the annual Michigan History Conference on Oct. 2-3, a virtual event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The State History Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion of state and local history. The awards are the highest recognition presented by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s official historical society and oldest cultural organization. For more information or to join the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, visit www.MHSD.org Marine Historical Society of Detroit |
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Port Reports - September 21 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron Bruce Mines: Sunday; Cuyahoga arrived to load trap rock and departed at 19:27 for Grand Haven. Calcite: Saturday; 10:13 Defiance/ Ashtabula departed for Burns Harbor. 10:13 Presque Isle proceeded to the dock to load and departed Sunday at 19:20 for Duluth Superior. 19:27 John G Munson arrived to load limestone. Stoneport: Saturday; 0:43 Olive L Moore / Menominee departed for Sarnia. Sunday; 19:02 H Lee White arrived to load limestone. Alpena: Sunday; 19:02 The cement carrier Alpena arrived to load. Port Inland: Saturday; 3:03 American Mariner departed for Duluth Superior. 3:17 Arthur M Anderson arrived to load limestone and departed at 16:21 for Detroit. Sunday; 0:25 Manitowoc arrived to load limestone and departed at 9:17 for Grand Haven.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Obituary: Andrew Charles Anderson 9/21 - Andrew Charles Anderson, 84, of Lexington, MI, passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at Troy Beaumont Hospital. He was born in Highland Park, Michigan on April 17, 1936, son of the late Walter and Dollie (Orcutt) Anderson. Andrew married Nancy Schneider on July 12, 1958 in Detroit. Nancy passed away on March 11, 2006. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Huron and enjoyed being a part of Loomis' Battery, a Michigan Civil War reenactment unit. Andrew volunteered on the NSCS Grayfox, which is moored in Port Huron and liked collecting and refurbishing model trains. He was a member of the International Shipmasters’ Association Lodge #2, Port Huron. Andrew worked for 28 years at Ford Tractor, before his retirement in 1991. He also traveled to Alaska three times. Andrew is survived by his five children, Catherine Grueber, Pete (Dawn) Anderson, Barbara (Kevin) Murringer, Diane (Steve) Ray, and Ellen (Rich) Simons; ten grandchildren, Adam (Chelsea) Grueber, Kaitlynn (Ryan) Sills, Corianna (Steve) Hirsch, Brittany (Kevin) Rogers, Steven (Andrea) Ray, Nicholas (Shelby) Ray, Kaci Murringer, Chessie (Jeremy) Sergey, Hannah Simons, and Jacob Simons; great-grandchildren, Greyson, Jameson, Fiona, Maya, Jason, Connor, and Wade. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Smith Family Funeral Home-Hancock Street. Graveside services and interment will be held on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. in Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery in Saginaw Township, MI . For information and guestbook, www.smithfamilyfuneralhome.com |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 21
On 21 September 1892, the whaleback steamer JAMES B. COLGATE (steel propeller whaleback freighter, 308 foot, 1,713 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co. (Hull #121) at W. Superior, Wisconsin. She only lasted until 1916, when she foundered in the "Black Friday Storm" on Lake Erie with the loss of 26 lives. ALGOWAY left Collingwood on her maiden voyage in 1972, and loaded salt for Michipicoten, Ontario, on Lake Superior. On 21 September 1844, JOHN JACOB ASTOR (wooden brig, 78 foot, 112 tons, Built in 1835, at Pointe aux Pins, Ontario but precut at Lorain, Ohio) was carrying furs and trade goods when she struck a reef and foundered near Copper Harbor, Michigan. She was owned by Astor’s American Fur Company. She was reportedly by the first commercial vessel on Lake Superior. On 21 September 1855, ASIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 108 foot, 204 tons, built in 1848, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying corn from Chicago for Buffalo when she collided with the propeller FOREST CITY off the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay. ASIA went down in deep water in about 10 minutes, but her crew just had enough time to escape in her boat. The schooner HAMLET picked them up. 1907: The passenger ship PICTON, a) CORSICAN caught fire and burned at the dock in Toronto. The hull was later converted to a barge and was, in time, apparently abandoned near the Picton Pumping Station. 1907: ALEX NIMICK, a wooden bulk freighter, went aground near west of Vermilion Point, Lake Superior, and broke up as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Buffalo to Duluth with a cargo of coal and six lives were lost 1921: The 3-masted schooner OLIVER MOWAT sinks in Lake Ontario between the Main Duck and False Duck Islands after a collision with KEYWEST on a clear night. Three lives were lost while another 2 sailors were rescued from the coal-laden schooner. 1924: The whaleback self-unloader CLIFTON, the former SAMUEL MATHER, foundered in Lake Huron off Thunder Bay while carrying a cargo of stone from Sturgeon Bay to Detroit. All 25 on board were lost. 1946: A second typhoon caught the former Hall vessel LUCIUS W. ROBINSON as b) HAI LIN while anchored in the harbor at Saipan, Philippines, on a voyage to China. 1969: AFRICAN GLADE, a Seaway caller in 1963, lost power in the Caribbean as c) TRANSOCEAN PEACE and was towed into Port au Spain, Trinidad. The repaired ship departed for Durban, South Africa, in April 1970 only to suffer more boiler problems enroute. The vessel was sold for scrapping at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, later in the year. 1977: HELEN EVANS suffered steering problems and went aground on Whaleback Shoal while upbound with iron ore in the St. Lawrence. There was minor damage and the vessel was released September 23. 1982: CALGADOC left the Great Lakes in 1975 and saw service in the south as b) EL SALINERO. The ship sank on this date in 1982 on the Pacific off the coast of Mexico. 1985: ELTON HOYT 2ND struck the 95th Street Bridge at Chicago and headed to Sturgeon Bay for repairs. 1988: The small tug MARY KAY sank in a Lake Ontario storm enroute from Rochester to Oswego. The former b) CAPT. G.H. SWIFT had recently been refitted and went down after a huge wave broke over the stern. It had seen only brief service on Lake Ontario after arriving from the Atlantic in 1987. 1993: The tug DUKE LUEDTKE sank in Lake Erie about 12 miles north of Avon Point when the ship began taking water faster than the pumps could keep up. One coastguardsman was lost checking on the source of the leak when the vessel rolled over and sank. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns lake levels will pose similar threats this fall 9/20 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is warning Michigan residents and governmental entities to prepare for similar erosion impacts from high Great Lakes levels as were seen last fall. In its monthly update issued last week, corps officials reported that, despite ongoing seasonal lake level declines, Great Lakes water levels remain at or near record highs as fall storms approach. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,” Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief John Allis said. The Corps’ Detroit District is responsible for monitoring, forecasting, collecting and disseminating Great Lakes water level information. Fall and early winter months typically bring some of the strongest Great Lakes region storms. “Even though lake levels are declining, this active weather can potentially bring tremendous impacts to coastlines, including erosion and coastal flooding,” Allis said. In a report issued in early August, corps officials said all of the Great Lakes except Superior had likely reached their peak for the year, but also predicted that Lake Michigan-Huron and Lake St. Clair would likely set new monthly mean record high water levels in August. And that’s just what happened. According to the Corps monthly lake level summary for August, Lake Michigan and Huron’s monthly mean level fell about an inch from July to August. Nevertheless, the lake’s monthly mean level of 582.09 feet was an inch higher than its August record high monthly mean level set in 1986. This mean level was also 4 inches above last August’s level and 33 inches above long-term average. Contributing to the record-setting level for the month, officials noted that Lake Michigan/Huron experienced precipitation that was around 18 percent above average in August, and it also received “significantly above average net basin supply.” Corps officials noted that Lake Michigan/Huron has remained above record high monthly mean levels for eight consecutive months. Corps officials are predicting the level will fall short of its September record high by an inch. In addition, the lake is forecasted to be 2 to 9 inches below record high from October through February 2021. Current projections call for the two-lake basin to be 4 inches above last year’s level in September near last year’s level in October, then fall 2 to 7 inches below last year’s level from November to February. Finally, the lake’s level is projected to remain 30 to 33 inches above long-term average over the next six months. The combination of high lake levels and wave action has caused erosion issues in many Northern Michigan lakeshore areas — affecting both lakeshore property owners and numerous governmental agencies. A few of the impacts have included a collapse of a section of the Little Traverse Wheelway situation on a slope between Petoskey Magnus Park and Resort Township’s East Park; a smaller collapse of the trail along U.S. 31 in Charlevoix County’s Hayes Township and numerous erosion issues in Petoskey’s Bayfront Park, Boyne City’s Veterans Memorial Park, and along Lakeshore Drive between Boyne City and Advance. In the release, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said projects to alleviate erosion or flooding may require a permit from a corps of engineers regulatory office. A permit may be needed because these projects could potentially impact the nation’s rivers, streams, wetlands and other aquatic resources. Corps of Engineers |
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Port Reports - September 20 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron – Denny Dushane
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Denny Dushane
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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The tugboat Peninsula in Marathon, Ont., set to be dismantled 9/20 - It was supposed to be part of the history of Marathon, Ont., but instead, an old tugboat will be sent for scrap. The Peninsula, purchased by the Marathon and District Historical Society in 2018, was supposed to be put on display in town, honouring the town's forestry heritage. Historic Peninsula tug boat makes its way back home to Marathon, Ont., this weekend Since being purchased, the boat was partially brought ashore in Jellicoe Cove, near the town boat launch. Two years later and a number of failed attempts to get the boat fully onto shore, the boat will now get dismantled. "It feels frustrating from our point of view that a lot of people donated good money, and hard earned money to this project," said Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas. "But, at the same time, we as municipal leaders have to look out for the best interest of all our members of the community." Dumas said the town has concerns over liability, with the tug partially sitting ashore, and environmental concerns if the boat is not moved.. "We kept coming back with we needed some concrete plans. Some financial plans, as well as location plans." Dumas said in August 2020, the town took ownership of the vessel, which was done through a legal process, but outside of the courts. There are still some legal discussions taking place between the town and historical society, which is funded by the town. "We have many other things that we want to get done. Build a new active living centre to replace our recreation complex. Get our plumbing repaired, our streets fixed. Look at other areas of town for parks and enjoyment for our community, and [owning a tugboat] just wasn't part of the plan." The Peninsula, which was originally launched as the Norton for the Canadian Navy in 1943, was acquired by Marathon Pulp in 1946. The tug towed log booms between the town's mill and the Pic River for nearly two decades. The vessel was later used as a tugboat in Thunder Bay. CBC |
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Former saltwater vessel visitor scrapped 9/20 - The saltwater vessel Uni Brothers IMO 8312071 of Sierra Leone flag and registry has recently been scrapped. This vessel is more familiar to some as the Saint Laurent but is also more familiar though to some as the Alam Sempurna. The Uni Brothers was built in 1984 as the Saint Laurent and it first came inland as such In 1984 and held and carried that name from 1984 until 1991 when it was renamed in October of 1991. It returned inland as the Alam Sempurna in 1993 and it held that name from 1991 until 2009 before being renamed again in January 2009 to the Atlantic Cozumel. As the Atlantic Cozumel, the ship carried this name from 2009 until 2012 before being renamed once again. It never returned inland as such and in 2012, the ship received its final name as the Uni Brothers. The ship never returned inland as the Uni Brothers as well. Denny Dushane |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 20
John Jonathon Boland was born on 20 September 1875, in New York. Along with Adam E. Cornelius, he formed the partnership of Boland and Cornelius in 1903, and was one of the founders of the American Steamship Company in 1907. He died in 1956. On September 20, 1986, vandals started a $5,000 fire aboard the laid up NIPIGON BAY at Kingston, Ontario, where she had been since April 1984. GEORGE A. STINSON's self-unloading boom was replaced on September 20, 1983. The boom had collapsed onto her deck due to a mechanical failure on the night of April 19, 1983, at Detroit, Michigan. No injuries were reported. She continued hauling cargoes without a boom until replacement could be fabricated. She was renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. On September 20, 1980, EDGAR B. SPEER entered service for the U.S. Steel Fleet. CHARLES E. WILSON sailed light on her maiden voyage from Sturgeon Bay September 20, 1973, bound for Escanaba, Michigan, to load ore. She was renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. CHARLES M. WHITE was christened at Baltimore, Maryland, on September 20, 1951. On 20 September 1873, W. L. PECK (2 mast wooden schooner-barge, 154 foot, 361 gross tons) was launched at Carrollton, Michigan. On 20 September 1856, COLONEL CAMP (3-mast wooden bark, 137 foot, 350 tons, built in 1854, at Three Mile Bay, New York) was carrying wheat to Oswego, New York, when she collided with the wooden steamer PLYMOUTH and sank in just a few minutes. No lives were lost. 1970: MARATHA ENDEAVOUR, enroute from Chicago to Rotterdam, broke down in the Atlantic and sent out a distress call. The ship was taking water but survived. The 520-foot long vessel had been a Seaway trader since 1965 and returned as b) OLYMPIAN in 1971. The ship arrived at Huangpu, China, for scrapping as c) HIMALAYA on January 9, 1985. 1980: The Canadian coastal freighter EDGAR JOURDAIN was built at Collingwood in 1956 as MONTCLAIR. The ship had been a pre-Seaway trader to the lakes and returned as b) PIERRE RADISSON in 1965, c) GEORGE CROSBIE in 1972 and d) EDGAR JOURDAIN beginning in 1979. It was wrecked at Foxe Basin, off Hall Beach in the Canadian Arctic, after going aground. The ship was abandoned, with the anchors down, but disappeared overnight on December 15, 1982, while locked in shifting pack ice. It is believed that the vessel was carried into deeper water and, at last report, no trace had ever been found. 1982: BEAVERFIR served Canadian Pacific Steamships as a Seaway trader beginning in 1961. The ship stranded off Barra de Santiago, El Salvador, as d) ANDEN in a storm on this date in 1982 after dragging anchor. Sixteen sailors from the 26-member crew perished. 2011: MINER, a) MAPLECLIFFE HALL, b) LEMOYNE (ii), c) CANADIAN MINER broke loose of the tug HELLAS and drifted aground off Scaterie Island, Nova Scotia, while under tow for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey. The ship was a total loss and, in 2013, was still waiting to be dismantled and removed. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 19
Two Harbors-Silver Bay -Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On:
Holland, Mi. -
William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, Mi. -
Detroit-Rouge River - Raymond Hill
Toledo, OH – Jim Hoffman
Lake Erie Ports - Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY - Tom Brewer
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Collectibles offered in on-line auction by National Museum 9/19 - Toledo, Ohio – Each year the National Museum of the Great Lakes holds its annual fundraiser, H2Oh, to raise money for the operations of the museum. The event has always featured some collectibles donated by private individuals specifically to be part of its live and silent auction. This year, because of the Covid 19 pandemic, the in-person event was changed to a virtual event and the auction was made virtual as well. Christopher Gillcrist, Director of the Museum stated “in these challenging times we are trying to use technology to reach our supporters and the on-line auction allows Great Lakes enthusiasts from all over the country to bid on interesting collectibles being offered.” Some of the collectibles include a beautiful boxed gimbled compass, a one-of-a-kind Great Lakes decorative wood table, an incredible rendition of a D&C boat at night and painted on glass, a Chelsea Ships’ Bell Clock from the vessel Oswego Hope, as well as beautiful lithographic prints by James Clary and Robert McGreevey. One of the most amazing items is a print of the new vessel currently under construction—the Mark Barker. This portrait and line drawing of the vessel is beautifully framed and ready for hanging. The print is very unique because it was struck before the vessel had been formally named and there are only eight (8) of these prints in existence. Anyone can preview the auction at https://nmgl.home.qtego.net |
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Security Call Upbound at Welland Dock Wharf 10 9/19 - Mariners of upbound vessels are asked to give a security call to the Traffic Control Center when passing the Welland Dock (Wharf 10) in order to give advance notification to the maintenance crews carrying out work at Bridge 19. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 19
At Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, a hand-operated ferry carried pedestrians across the Chicago River. The ferry operator would pull on a rope, hand over hand, to move the ferry across the river. At a signal from schooners, the rope was dropped and the schooner would sail over it. On 19 September 1856, the rope was dropped but the impatient passengers picked it up to move the ferry themselves. The incoming schooner snagged the rope and the ferry was spun around and capsized. 15 people were drowned. When Cleveland Tankers’ new SATURN entered service and made her first trip to Toledo, Ohio, on September 19, 1974, she became the first of three tankers built for the fleet's modernization program. EDGAR B. SPEER departed the shipyard on her maiden voyage for U.S. Steel on September 19, 1980, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota, where she loaded her first cargo of taconite pellets. The twin-screw rail car ferry GRAND HAVEN of 1903, was laid up in the spring of 1965, at the old Pennsylvania Dock at Cleveland, Ohio and later at dockage on the Old River Bed where she sank on September 19, 1969. September 19, 1997 - officials at Lake Michigan Carferry, Inc. announced that the CITY OF MIDLAND 41 would be converted to a barge. On 19 September 1893, SAMUEL BOLTON (wooden schooner-barge, 150 foot, 330 gross tons, built in 1867, at Bangor, Michigan as a schooner) was loaded with lumber and being towed in fog in Lake Huron. She got lost from the tow and drifted ashore near Richmond, Michigan where she broke in two and was then torn apart by waves. She was owned by Brazil Hoose of Detroit. On Saturday, 19 September 1891, at 11 a.m., the whaleback steamer CHARLES W. WETMORE left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania loaded with the materials to build a nail mill, iron smelter and shipyard for the new city of Everett, Washington. Her skipper was Captain Joseph B. Hastings and she had a crew of 22. On 19 September 1900, the Great Lakes schooner S.L. WATSON foundered off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She had been sent to the Atlantic the previous autumn by her owner, J. C. Gilchrist of Cleveland. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Midseason Tonnage Report: Lows and highs during a pandemic 9/18 - Duluth, Minn. — After an early summer surge, maritime tonnage through the Port of Duluth-Superior slowed atypically in August, amidst a tepid recovery from COVID-induced lows. Total tonnage stood 31 percent behind the 2019 pace through Aug. 31, driven primarily by declines in coal and iron ore tonnage (down 59 percent and 26 percent, respectively). The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed those drops, shuttering industrial facilities and reducing demand for electricity and steel. Despite the reopening of many such facilities and an incremental return to more typical consumption, the United States’ steel capability utilization rate remained at 65.1 percent during the week ending Sept. 12, compared to 80.3 percent during the same period in 2019. The Port of Duluth-Superior’s diminished 2020 tonnage reflects this steel production disparity, as Minnesota provides approximately 80 percent of the iron ore used in America’s first-pour steel. On a more positive note, outbound grain and inbound wind energy cargoes emerged as the season’s first-half highlights in the Port of Duluth-Superior. North American wheat shipments pushed grain tonnage 14.5 percent ahead of the 2019 pace through Aug. 31 and 7 percent above the five-season average. Wind turbine blades, towers and nacelles comprised the breakbulk boost, with Duluth Cargo Connect serving as a premier multimodal distribution hub to multiple sites in North America’s heartland. Nine ships loaded with wind components visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal through Aug. 31, contributing to what could be a record campaign for the renewable energy cargo. “If this pandemic-plagued shipping season was a prospector’s pan, there’d be a lot of black sand and only a few golden nuggets,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “But even a few golden nuggets are cause for excitement, and we’re certainly pleased to see strong grain numbers and potentially record-setting success with wind cargoes.” As the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway maritime navigation season moves into its second half, the rapid pace of wind cargo shipments will continue, with overseas vessels arriving in Duluth from Brazil, India, Spain and Turkey, among other countries. Duluth Cargo Connect manages all of these wind cargo arrivals, offloading with an assortment of heavy-lift machinery and collaborating with regional trucking companies to dispatch the components. Last year, Duluth Cargo Connect achieved a wind energy cargo single-season freight tonnage record, a figure likely to be eclipsed in 2020 with North America’s furthest-inland seaport marking its 15th season as a wind cargo transport hub. “A season like this emphasizes the importance of cargo diversity in a port,” said DeLuca, who late last month began her third year at the Port Authority helm after serving previously as its government and environmental affairs director. “No one expected a pandemic, but the port is weathering the storm, and we’re extremely grateful for all of the hard-working men and women who keep essential cargoes moving through what has been an unprecedented shipping season thus far.” |
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Port Reports - September 18
Duluth - Superior - Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay - Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, Ont. - Bruce Douglas
Marine City, Mi.
Detroit-Rouge River - Raymond Hill
Lake Erie Ports - Bill Kloss
Oswego, NY - Ned Goebricher |
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Lakes Limestone Trade Down 16.6 Percent in August 9/18 - Cleveland – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in August, a decrease of 16.6 percent from 2019. Limestone cargos were also below the month’s 5-year average by 8.4 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 18 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 729,336 tons, a decrease of 10.8 percent. Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16 million tons, a decrease of 17.3 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 12.7 million tons, a decrease of 20 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 4.8 percent. |
Lake Carriers' Association
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 18
On September 18, 1855, SEBASTOPOL (wooden side-wheel steamer, 230 foot, 863 tons, built in 1855, at Cleveland, Ohio) was sailing on Lake Michigan in a gale. Her cargo included copper, tin, lead and iron ingots, safes and general merchandise. Her skipper misread the shore lights while she was coming in to Milwaukee and she stranded 500 feet from shore, broadside to the storm waves which pounded her to pieces. Most of the crew and 60 passengers were saved with the help of small boats from shore, but about 6 lives were lost. This was the vessel's first year of operation. Her paddlewheels were 50 feet in diameter. On September 18,1679, GRIFFON, the first sailing ship on the upper Lakes, left Green Bay with a cargo of furs. She left the explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, behind. GRIFFON never reached her planned destination. E J BLOCK, a.) W. R. WOODFORD of 1908, returned to service on September 18, 1946, as the first large bulk freighter powered by a diesel-electric power plant and one of the first equipped with commercial radar on the Great Lakes. She lasted until scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1988. On September 18, 1959, the HENRY FORD II ran aground in the St. Marys River and damaged 18 bottom plates. LAKE WINNIPEG was the first vessel to enter the Nipigon Transport fleet. She loaded her first cargo of 22,584 gross tons of iron ore clearing Sept Isles, Quebec, on September 18, 1962, bound for Cleveland, Ohio. The Pere Marquette carferry CITY OF MIDLAND 41 (Hull#311) was launched on September 18, 1940, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation at a cost of $2 million. She was named after Midland, Michigan, for one of the Pere Marquette Railway's biggest customers, Dow Chemical Co. She was christened by Miss Helen Dow, daughter of Willard H. Dow, president of Dow Chemical Co. Converted to a barge in 1998, renamed PERE MARQUETTE 41. On September 18, 1871, E. B. ALLEN (wooden schooner, 111 foot, 275 tons, built in 1864, at Ogdensburg, New York) was carrying grain when she collided with the bark NEWSBOY and sank off Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. On September 18, 1900, the large steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON was taken from her launch site on the Black River in Port Huron out to the St. Clair River. The tug HAYNES was at the bow and the tug BOYNTON at the stern. It took an hour and a half to maneuver through the various bridges. Newspapers estimated that a couple thousand persons watched the event. Once the WILSON made it to the St. Clair River, she was towed to Jenks Shipbuilding Company where she was completed and received her machinery. 1909: LACKAWANNA lost steering and sank in the St. Clair River with a hole in the starboard bow after a collision with the wooden schooner CHIEFTAIN off Point Edward. 1918: BUFFALO, formerly the Great Lakes package freighter a) TADOUSAC, b) DORIC, was torpedoed by U-117 and sunk off Godfrey Light and Trevose Head, Cornwall, UK 1942: ASHBAY traded on the Great Lakes for Bay Line Navigation from 1923 until 1935 when it was sold for Brazilian coastal service. The ship was sunk by gunfire from U-516 on this date at the mouth of the Marowyne River, Brazil, as c) ANTONICO and 16 lives were lost. 1942: NORFOLK, enroute from Surinam to Trinidad, was hit, without warning, by two torpedoes from U-175, on the starboard side near the British Guiana Venezuela border. The Canada Steamship Lines ship went down in minutes. Six lives were lost was well as the cargo of 3055 tons of bauxite destined for Alcoa. 1958: ASHTABULA sank in Ashtabula harbor after a collision with the inbound BEN MOREELL. All on board were rescued but there were later two casualties when the captain committed suicide and an insurance inspector fell to his death while on board. 1970: HIGHLINER was heavily damaged amidships as d) PETROS in a fire at Tyne, UK. The vessel was not repaired and, after being laid up at Cardiff, was towed to Newport, Monmouthshire, for scrapping on June 12, 1972. 1978: The British freighter DUNDEE was a pre-Seaway trader into the Great Lakes and returned through the new waterway on 14 occasions from 1959 to 1962. It foundered in the Mediterranean as g) VLYHO near Falconera Island after an engine room explosion caused leaks in the hull. The vessel was enroute from Chalkis, Greece, to Tunis, Tunisia, at the time. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Project cargo, grain aid Seaway in August amidst unusual shipping season 9/17 - As ports along the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System continue to ride the waves of the 2020 shipping season, industry experts see better prospects for the remainder of the season. According to the latest figures, cargo volumes through the bi-national St. Lawrence Seaway (from April 1 to August 31) totaled about 19.3 million tons, down 8 percent from a year ago. One bright spot this season has been Canadian grain, which continues to have an excellent year, up 20 per cent year-over-year through August. Other key cargo segments continue to be impacted negatively by the pandemic, with year-to-date iron ore (down 23%), dry bulk (down 11%), and liquid bulk (down 23%). "Canadian grain has helped Seaway totals immensely, as well as project cargo which is up over 160 percent from this time last year, as many U.S. ports receive wind turbine components and other machinery,” explained Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “While some key commodities remain down, we are expecting good harvests across the U.S. Mid-west and Canada. The Seaway is poised for a big push of grain exports right up to the end of the year. In these precarious times, this binational transportation corridor will be more essential than ever to the economic recovery of both the United States and Canada.” At least 9 U.S. Great Lakes ports have received wind turbine components this season, destined for energy projects across the region and Midwest. This includes the Port of Buffalo which has received five shipments of wind turbine components over the last four months from South Korea and Germany, for the 27 turbine Cassadaga Wind Project south of Buffalo. “It takes five shipments of turbine components to make one whole turbine,” explains Patricia Schreiber, Port of Buffalo Director. “We don’t expect any more turbine shipments in the near future as the Cassadaga Project is complete for now.” The Port of Monroe in Michigan has been benefitting from its largest project in its history this season, handling 14 vessels delivering a total of 560 wind turbine segments from Becancour, Quebec for General Electric’s wind energy efforts in the state. The project has helped offset the pandemic-related scarcity of cargoes at the beginning of the season. General Electric has a partnership with Monroe-based Ventower, which has produced several wind energy components for the company. Ventower has long used the port to move its products. “If there is one word that defines the Port of Monroe during these challenging times it is “resilient.” In the midst of an ever evolving economic and social climate, our team has adapted to new protocols and reinforced longstanding relationships leading to the Port’s most prosperous year in its history,” says Paul LaMarre III, Port Director. “As the home to one of only 4 wind tower manufacturers in the U.S., Ventower Industries, the Port has become a regional congregation and distribution hub for GE Wind.” In July, the Port of Toledo’s tonnage lagged behind 2019 totals by 15 percent; however, the gap was narrowed in August to 8 percent as the port surpassed 5 million tons for the year. The Port welcomed a parade of ocean vessels to Toledo importing and exporting a diverse array of cargo from furnace pieces to liquid fertilizer. “One vessel imported pig iron and then sailed seven miles up the Maumee River to load soybeans,” said Joseph Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “I believe the grain terminals are poised for a good fall. Anytime we can reload vessels that are already here discharging cargo, it is a logistical homerun.” 2020 has been a unique year at the Port of Green Bay, which is feeling the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the struggling economy. Year-to-date cargo for the port is down 19 percent from a year ago, moving 153,168 tons of cargo in August. For the 2020 shipping season, cement imports are up 22 percent, foreign salt imports are up 14 percent and total limestone imports are down 19 percent. “While we got off to a strong start this shipping season with some of our best numbers since 2007, July and August have seen a significant slowdown,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director. “Most cargos have been impacted as the economy languishes due primarily to the impact of COVID-19 around the world.” After an early summer surge, maritime tonnage through the Port of Duluth-Superior slowed atypically in August, amidst a tepid recovery from COVID-induced lows. Total tonnage stood 31 percent behind the 2019 pace through Aug. 31, driven primarily by sharp declines in coal and iron ore tonnage. Outbound grain and inbound wind energy cargoes emerged as the season’s first-half highlights. North American wheat shipments pushed grain tonnage 14.5 percent ahead of the 2019 pace through August. Wind turbine blades, towers and nacelles comprised the breakbulk boost, with Duluth Cargo Connect serving as a multimodal distribution hub to multiple sites in North America’s heartland. Nine ships loaded with wind components visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal through Aug. 31, contributing to what could be a record campaign for the renewable energy cargo. “If this pandemic-plagued shipping season was a prospector’s pan, there’d be a lot of black sand and only a few golden nuggets,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “But even a few golden nuggets are cause for excitement, and we’re certainly pleased to see strong grain numbers and potentially record-setting success with wind cargoes.” Chamber of Marine Commerce |
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Port Reports - September 17 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Salarium name shortened for scrap tow 9/17 - The Salarium’s name has been shortened to SAL for her eventual overseas scrap tow. Yesterday the stack markings were painted out. Jacob Silvan |
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Surging demand for wheat, canola boost struggling Ontario shippers 9/17 - Ottawa, ON – The Chamber of Marine Commerce says that demand for wheat, canola and soybeans is pushing grain shipments up by 20 per cent in some of Ontario ports. The shipping association says that between April 1 and Aug. 31, 5.2 million tonnes of grain passed through a key trade corridor, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. Thunder Bay Port Authority says that the port is on pace to ship more cargo this year than any other single year since 1997, including an increase of one million tonnes of grain compared with this time last year. The strong grain harvest has been a bright spot as ports recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted supply chains this year. Overall shipments in the Great Lakes seaway are still down eight per cent compared to this time last year, as iron ore, dry bulk and liquid bulk shipments have all fallen between 10 per cent and 25 per cent. The Port of Windsor, for example, says its shipments fell 18 per cent this spring as the COVID-19 lockdown halted construction — but now, grain shipments surging there. The Canadian Press |
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Lake Michigan level down, but still a record high for August 9/17 - Detroit, MI – As expected, the level of Lake Michigan declined slightly in August, though it’s no surprise to anyone who lives on or visits the shoreline that it remains extremely high. The average mean for last month was 582.09 feet, which was still a record for August, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. June and July, at 582.19 feet, were all over the previous record high level of 581.99 in July and August of 1986. In 2019, the high was in July at 581.92 feet, .16 feet higher than in June and August of that year, according to ACE records. The record low for August at Lake Michigan-Huron, was 576.67 in 1964, and was around that level throughout the year. The all-time low was set in January 2013 at 576.02. Associated Press |
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Virtual Visitor Center program today: Tragedy and Discovery off the Shipwreck Coast: The Wreck of the Schooner Nelson 9/17 - "First Disaster of the Season". Such was one headline that described the May 1899 shipwreck of the schooner NELSON, which went down so quickly that one eyewitness said that she sank as "quickly as one could snuff out a candle!" She sank on Lake Superior's Southeast shoreline, in the vicinity of the Deer Park Life-Saving Station. What happened to her? How was she discovered? And why has this shipwreck been called "particularly tragic"...when most, if not all shipwrecks have a tragic story? Discover the dramatic story of the schooner NELSON in this exciting program by Bruce Lynn, director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The program is free and begins today at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central), use a Chrome browser to join on the web here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/wreck-of-the-nelson. For users without speakers on their computers dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (571) 317-3116, Canada: +1 (647) 497-9373, Access Code: 522-149-189. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Tanker Jupiter exploded in Bay City 30 years ago 9/17 - Bay City, MI – Three decades ago, “Hell visited the Saginaw River.” That’s how a report in The Bay City Times characterized the MV Jupiter freighter explosion and inferno in the final days of summer 1990. One firefighter later called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” blaze. The tanker was moored on the Saginaw River, not far from where the USS Edson is docked today, when it exploded. The smoke could be seen for miles. Don Morin, vice president of the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society, was driving home from his job at then-Saginaw Steering Gear when he saw the fire. “You could be in Standish and see the smoke,” he said. “You could be a quarter-mile away and feel the heat.” Morin knew people who lived nearby at the time. “They said when the initial blast from the explosion (happened), it shook their houses,” he recalled. It happened on Sept. 16, 1990. The tanker was unloading 2.3 million gallons of unleaded gasoline at Total Petroleum when a freighter passed by and it broke away from its lines. What followed was nothing short of a disaster. “The flames were 20 to 30 feet in the air and the horrendous smoke...it was unbelievable,” Charles Prescott, the vessel’s chief engineering officer, told a Times reporter following the explosion. He later described the sound of the explosion as a “sonic boom.” Morin said artifacts from the ship are part of the permanent collection at the Antique Toy & Firehouse Museum, 3456 Patterson Road. Items in the exhibit include a damaged American flag that had been flying on the ship, a cracked window from the pilot’s house, life jackets, life rings, steel from the smokestack, the fire alarm bell, a piece of steel bearing the ship’s name, and more. “When the ship was scrapped, there were all these pieces we were able to get,” Morin said. “There’s quite a few artifacts.” M Live |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 17
On September 17, 1898, KEEPSAKE (2-mast wooden schooner, 183 foot, 286 gross tons, built in 1867, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying coal from Ashtabula when she was struck by a terrible storm on Lake Erie. Her rudder was damaged, a sail torn away and her bulwarks were smashed. The CITY OF ERIE saw her distress signals at 3:30 a.m. and came to help. With the CITY OF ERIE's searchlight shining on the doomed schooner, a huge wave swept over the vessel taking away everything on deck and snapping both masts. The crew, some only half dressed, all managed to get into the lifeboat. They rowed to the CITY OF ERIE and were all rescued. Three days later, the other lifeboat and some wreckage from the KEEPSAKE were found near Ashtabula by some fishermen. GRIFFON (Hull#18) was launched September 17, 1955, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Beaconsfield Steamship Ltd., Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) FRANQUELIN in 1967, c.) EVA DESGAGNES in 1987. Sold foreign in 1989, renamed d.) TELCHAC, scrapped at Tuxpan, Mexico, in 1992. On September 17, 1985, PATERSON suffered a crankcase explosion as she was bound for Quebec City from Montreal. She was repaired and cleared on September 21. Renamed b.) PINEGLEN in 2002. On September 17, 1830, WILLIAM PEACOCK (wood side wheel steamer, 102 foot, 120 tons, built in 1829, at Barcelona, New York) suffered the first major boiler explosion on Lake Erie while she was docked in Buffalo, New York. 15 - 30 lives were lost. She was rebuilt two years later and eventually foundered in a storm in 1835, near Ripley, Ohio. On September 17, 1875, the barge HARMONY was wrecked in a gale at Chicago, Illinois, by colliding with the north pier, which was under water. This was the same place where the schooner ONONGA was wrecked a week earlier and HARMONY came in contact with that sunken schooner. No lives were lost. On September 17, 1900, a storm carried away the cabin and masts of the wrecked wooden 4-mast bulk freight barge FONTANA. The 231-foot vessel had been wrecked and sunk in a collision at the mouth of the St. Clair River in the St. Clair Flats on August 3,1900. She had settled in the mud and gradually shifted her position. She eventually broke in two. After unsuccessful salvage attempts, the wreck was dynamited. Tragedy struck in 1949, when the Canada Steamship Lines cruise ship NORONIC burned at Pier 9 in Toronto, Ontario. By morning the ship was gutted, 104 passengers were known to be dead and 14 were missing. Because of land reclamation and the changing face of the harbor, the actual site of Noronic's berth is now in the lobby of the Harbour Castle Westin hotel. 1909: The towline connecting the ALEXANDER HOLLEY and SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN broke in a Lake Superior storm and the former, a whaleback barge, almost stranded on Sawtooth Shoal. The anchors caught in time and it took 5 hours to rescue the crew. 1980: HERMION began Great Lakes trading shortly after entering service in 1960. The vessel stranded as d) AEOLIAN WIND, about a half mile from Nakhodka, USSR, during a voyage from North Vietnam to Cuba. The ship was refloated on October 8, 1980, and scrapped in 1981 at Nakhodka. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Salarium prepared for scrap tow 9/16 - Salarium’s stacks have been painted black for an eventual overseas scrap tow. She was launched on December 18, 1979, at Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON, for Canada Steamship Lines Inc. as Nanticoke. In April 2009, Nanticoke was chartered by Societe Quebecoise D'Exploration Miniere, Ste-Foy, QC to replace Algoma Central's Sauniere, which they had held under charter from 1982 until her retirement in March 2009. Nanticoke was fittingly renamed Salarium in Montreal (meaning a 'payment made in salt') and deployed to carry salt between Iles-de-la Madeleine (Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and Quebec ports along the lower St. Lawrence River as well as Great Lakes and East Coast ports. She occasionally made trips to the upper Great Lakes to load coal and iron ore when not required on the salt run. Jacob Silvan |
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Port Reports - September 16 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Oshawa, ON |
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Lake Michigan sets record high water level for eighth month in a row 9/16 - August Great Lakes water level data is out, and Lakes Michigan and Huron again set a record water level. The August Great Lakes water levels forecast also has some encouraging news for those threatened by high water. In August, the only Great Lakes to be officially at monthly record water levels were Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Lake St. Clair, while not a Great Lake, was also at an August monthly water level. Read more and view graphs at this lilnk: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2020/09/lake-michigan-sets-record-high-water-level-for-eighth-month-in-a-row.html |
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Former Grand Hotel owners buy Arnold, Shepler’s freight services near Mackinac Island 9/16 - Mackinac Island, MI – Grand Hotel chairman Dan Musser III has acquired two Straits-area freight shipping companies. Arnold Freight Company and Shepler’s Freight will consolidate and operate under the Arnold Freight Company name. The companies were acquired on Sept. 8 and Sept. 11, respectively. Terms of the acquisitions have not been disclosed. Musser III, who recently sold Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel to KSL Capital Partners, will serve as company chairman while his wife, Marlee Brown, will hold the position of co-owner, working closely with co-owner and CEO Veronica Dobrowolski, who has held leadership roles with Arnold Freight Company since 2016. “Arnold Freight Company has a long history in my family, dating back to when my grandfather purchased it back in the 1930s,” Brown said. “Paired with the long, successful history of the Shepler’s family, we are honored to bring Arnold Freight back into the Brown family to serve the Mackinac Island community once again.” The acquisition of Shepler’s Freight includes the flagship freight vessel Sacre Bleu, which has a new look and a new name – The Senator, in honor of Prentiss M. Brown, Marlee’s grandfather. Arnold Freight Company christened the newest member of the fleet on Tuesday at the Coal Dock on Mackinac Island. The Senator will operate out of the City of Mackinac Island’s Coal Dock and will no longer overlap with passenger ferry service. “While it has been an honor and privilege to have served the freight needs of our guests and the community of Mackinac Island since the spring of 1995, it is now time to move on,” said Chris Shepler, president of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry. “This is a win-win for not only Arnold Freight, but Mackinac Island as well. The freight business is in good hands for many years to come.” Dobrowolski will continue to oversee and drive the day-to-day operations of the company. The combined company has 20 employees, most of whom have been with Arnold Freight Company for 25+ years. “Bringing this critical utility function back under family and female ownership is a great benefit to the Mackinac Island community, as we’re consolidating operations to the coal dock, freeing up coveted space that serves our residents and guests at the passenger docks,” Dobrowolski said. “With this new leadership, guided by deep roots and history in Mackinac Island, we are thrilled to uphold and carry on the Arnold Freight tradition.” M Live |
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Niagara Ports strategy aims to bring the world to Welland, Port Colborne and Thorold 9/16 - Welland, ON – Three multimodal industrial hubs along the Welland Canal could have national and international business implications and opportunities for Welland, says Mayor Frank Campion. Last week, Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey said he worked with mayors of Port Colborne, Welland and Thorold and the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority to advance the development of the hubs along the 43-kilometre-long, eight-lock canal. Badawey is the chair of the federal standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities. In a release, he said the initiative is a positive and practical solution to a long-held belief that many of the region’s marine assets are underutilized, and could be leveraged for positive economic impact, job creation and trade facilitation. “The idea of establishing Niagara as an active trade corridor is a notion that I took to Ottawa with me when I was first elected in 2015. Now, after years of working together with all our partners, the transport committee’s 2019 study on the subject seems to be gaining traction.” He said Niagara is a provincially-designated Gateway Economic Zone and Centre and federally designated Foreign Trade Zone. Three multimodal hubs under a Niagara Ports banner allows communities to take full economic advantage of assets in place. Badawey is working with the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and local stakeholders in making strategic investments, purchasing hub lands, and entering into management agreements so that properties may be developed under a ports banner. Campion said he’s been working on the initiative for the past five years and was pleased to be collaborating with partner municipalities, Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and the federal government on the ports project. “Through this partnership, we become an integral part of the Canadian Trade Corridor with national and international business implications and opportunities for Welland and Niagara,” he said. Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele said it was an exciting announcement that has long been in the making. “The Port Colborne community is thrilled to see this collaborative initiative expand our local economy. By leveraging our existing assets and strengths and building on what we already do well in the community, this development prompts job creation which is a positive for both Port Colborne and the entire region,” said Steele in the release. Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini said the initiative will harness and build upon the solid foundation of industrial and marine assets in his city. Welland Tribune |
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Obituary: Willem “Willy” van Maanen 9/16 - Canada Steamship Lines flags were flying at half-mast Tuesday in honor of Willem “Willy” van Maanen, Second Engineer on MV Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin, who passed away Monday of a heart attack while serving on board his vessel. Over his 34-year career with CSL, Willy, who was known for his big heart and hard work, never missed an opportunity to help someone out or take a beautiful photo of a passing ship. An avid and talented marine photography, Willy took hundreds of thousands of vessel photos over the years. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues at CSL as well as the many friends he made around the Great Lakes. Canada Steamship Lines |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 16
On September 16, 1893, HATTIE EARL (wooden schooner, 96 foot, 101 gross tons, built in 1869, at South Haven, Michigan) was driven ashore just outside the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana, and was pounded to pieces by the waves. No lives were lost. At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, September 16, 1990, the inbound motor ship BUFFALO passed close by while the tanker JUPITER was unloading unleaded gasoline at the Total Petroleum dock in the Saginaw River near Bay City, Michigan. As the BUFFALO passed the dock's aft pilings broke off and the fuel lines parted which caused a spark and ignited the spilled fuel. At the time 22,000 barrels of a total of 54,000 barrels were still aboard. Flames catapulted over 100 feet high filling the air with smoke that could be seen for 50 miles. The fire was still burning the next morning when a six man crew from Williams, Boots & Coots Firefighters and Hazard Control Specialists of Port Neches, Texas, arrived to fight the fire. By Monday afternoon they extinguished the fire only to have it re-ignite that night resulting in multiple explosions. Not until Tuesday morning on the 18th was the fire finally subdued with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard's BRAMBLE and BRISTOL BAY. The tanker, which was valued at $9 million, was declared a total constructive loss, though the engine room was relatively untouched. Unfortunately the fire claimed the life of one crew member, who drowned attempting to swim ashore. As a result the Coast Guard closed the river to all navigation. On October 19th the river was opened to navigation after the Gaelic tugs SUSAN HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY towed the JUPITER up river to the Hirschfield & Sons Dock at Bay City (formerly the Defoe Shipyard) where a crane was erected for dismantling the burned out hulk. Her engines were removed and shipped to New Bedford, Massachusetts, for future use. The river opening allowed American Steamship's BUFFALO to depart the Lafarge dock where she had been trapped since the explosion. JUPITER's dismantling was completed over the winter of 1990-91. Subsequent investigation by the NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard and the findings of a federal judge all exonerated the master and BUFFALO in the tragedy. Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. purchased all nine of the Soo River's fleet on September 16, 1982, for a reported C$2.5 million and all nine returned to service, although only four were running at the end of the season. The NORISLE went into service September 16, 1946, as the first Canadian passenger ship commissioned since the NORONIC in 1913. On September 16, 1952, the CASON J. CALLAWAY departed River Rouge, Michigan, for Duluth, Minnesota, on its maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. On September 16, 1895, ARCTIC (2 mast wooden schooner, 113 foot, 85 gross tons, built in 1853, at Ashtabula, Ohio) was rammed and sunk by the steamer CLYDE in broad daylight and calm weather. ARCTIC was almost cut in half by the blow. The skipper of CLYDE was censured for the wreck and for his callous treatment of the schooner's crew afterwards. Luckily no lives were lost. On September 16,1877, the 46 foot tug RED RIBBON, owned by W. H. Morris of Port Huron, Michigan, burned about 2 miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Capt. Morris ran the tug ashore and hurried to St. Clair to get assistance, but officials there refused to allow the steam fire engine to go outside the city. The tug was a total loss and was only insured for $1,000, half her value. She had just started in service in May of 1877, and was named for the reform movement that was in full swing at the time of her launch. On September 16, 1900, LULU BEATRICE (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 48 gross tons, built in 1896, at Port Burwell, Ontario) was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she was wrecked on the shore near the harbor entrance at Port Burwell in a storm. One life was lost, the captain's wife. 1892 The wooden propeller VIENNA sank in foggy Whitefish Bay after beiing hit broadside by the wooden steamer NIPIGON. The latter survived and later worked for Canada Steamship Lines as b) MAPLEGRANGE and c) MAPLEHILL (i) but was laid up at Kingston in 1925 and scuttled in Lake Ontario in 1927. 1901 HUDSON was last seen dead in the water with a heavy list. The steeel package freighter had cleared Duluth the previous day with wheat and flax for Buffalo but ran into a furious storm and sank in Lake Superior off Eagle Harbor Light with the loss of 24-25 lives. 1906 CHARLES B. PACKARD hit the wreck of the schooner ARMENIA off Midddle Ground, Lake Erie and sank in 45 minutes. All on board were rescued and the hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation. 1937-- The large wooden tug G.R. GRAY (ii) of the Lake Superior Paper Co., got caught in a storm off Coppermine Point, Lake Superior, working with GARGANTUA on a log raft and fell into the trough. The stack was toppled but the vessel managed to reach Batchawana and was laid up. The hull was towed to Sault Ste. Marie in 1938 and eventually stripped out. The remains were taken to Thessalon in 1947 and remained there until it caught fire and burned in 1959. 1975 BJORSUND, a Norwegian tanker, visited the Seaway in 1966. The 22--year old vessel began leaking as b) AMERFIN enroute from Mexico to Panama and sank in the Pacific while under tow off Costa Rica. 1990 JUPITER was unloading at Bay City when the wake of a passing shipp separated the hose connection spreading gasoline on deck. An explosion and fire resulted. One sailor was lost as the ship burned for days and subsequently sank. 2005 Fire broke out aboard the tug JAMES A. HANNAH above Lock 2 of the Welland Canal while downbound with the barge 5101 loaded with asphalt, diesel and heavy oil. City of St. Catharines fire fighters help extinguish the blaze. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 15 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Grand Haven, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 15
On 15 September 1886, F. J. KING (wooden schooner, 140 foot, 280 tons, built in 1867, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. She sprang a leak and sank in a heavy southwesterly gale three miles off Rawley Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew reached shore in the yawl. Her loss was valued at $7,500. The A. H. FERBERT of 1942 was towed out of Duluth by the Sandrin tug GLENADA September 15, 1987; they encountered rough weather on Lake Superior and required the assistance of another tug to reach the Soo on the 19th. On the 21st the FERBERT had to anchor off Detour, Michigan, after she ran aground in the St. Marys River when her towline parted. Her hull was punctured and the Coast Guard ordered repairs to her hull before she could continue. Again problems struck on September 24th, when the FERBERT went hard aground at the Cut-Off Channel's southeast bend of the St. Clair River. Six tugs, GLENADA, ELMORE M. MISNER, BARBARA ANN, GLENSIDE, SHANNON and WM. A. WHITNEY, worked until late on the 26th to free her. The FERBERT finally arrived in tow of GLENSIDE and W. N. TWOLAN at Lauzon, Quebec, on October 7th. The steamer WILLIAM A. AMBERG (Hull#723) was launched September 15, 1917, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Producers Steamship Co., (M. A. Hanna, mgr.). Renamed b.) ALBERT E. HEEKIN in 1932, c.) SILVER BAY in 1955, d.) JUDITH M. PIERSON in 1975 and e.) FERNGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario, in 1985. On September 15, 1925, the JOHN A. TOPPING left River Rouge, Michigan, light on her maiden voyage to Ashland, Wisconsin, to load iron ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) WILLIAM A. REISS in 1934, she was scrapped at Alang, India, in 1994. On September 15th, lightering was completed on the AUGUST ZIESING; she had grounded above the Rock Cut two days earlier, blocking the channel. September 15, 1959, was the last day the U.S. Coast Guard Buoy Tender MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. MIDDLETOWN suffered a fire in her tunnels on September 15, 1986. Second and third degree burns were suffered by two crew members. She was renamed f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006. In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 6 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog. September 15, 1993 - Robert Manglitz became CEO and president of Lake Michigan Carferry Service after Charles Conrad announced his retirement and the sale of most of his stock. On 15 September 1873, IRONSIDES (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 220 foot, 1,123 tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) became disabled when she sprang a leak and flooded. The water poured in and put out her fires. She sank about 7 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. Reports of the number of survivors varied from 17 to 32 and the number lost varied from 18 to 28. On 15 September 1872, A. J. BEMIS (wood propeller tug, 49 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while underway. The fire originated under her boiler. She ran for shore but sank about six miles from Alpena, Michigan. No lives lost. 1882: The wooden passenger steamer ASIA got caught in a wild storm crossing Georgian Bay, fell into the trough and sank stern first. There were 123 passengers and crew listed as lost while only two on board survived. 1915: ONOKO of the Kinsman Transit Company foundered in Lake Superior off Knife Point, while downbound with wheat from Duluth to Toledo. The crew took to the lifeboats and were saved. The hull was located in 1987, upside down, in about 340 feet of water. 1928: MANASOO, in only her first season of service after being rebuilt for overnight passenger and freight service, foundered in Georgian Bay after the cargo shifted and the vessel overturned in heavy weather. There were 18 casualties, plus 46 head of cattle, and only 5 survived. 1940: KENORDOC, enroute to Bristol, UK, with a cargo of lumber was sunk due to enemy action as part of convoy SC 3 while 500 miles west of the Orkney Islands. The ship had fallen behind the convoy due to engine trouble, and was shelled by gunfire from U-48. There were 7 casualties including the captain and wireless operator. H.M.S. AMAZON completed the sinking as the bow of the drifting hull was still visible. 1940: The Norwegian freighter LOTOS came inland in 1938 delivering pulpwood to Cornwall and went aground there in a storm. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine while about 15 miles west of Rockall Island, Scotland, while inbound from Dalhousie, NB for Tyne, UK. 1962” A collision between the HARRY L. FINDLAY of the Kinsman Line and the Greek Liberty ship MESOLOGI occurred at Toledo. The latter began Seaway service that year and made a total of six inland voyages. It was scrapped at Aioi, Japan, as f) BLUE SAND after arriving in November 1969. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Coast Guard inspected ship before Line 5 anchor dragging 9/14 - Less than three weeks before a barge’s 12,000-pound anchor was dragged across Line 5, the barge and its newly installed anchor brake system were inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping. Both inspections on March 12 and March 18, 2018, found the system to be satisfactory. But on April 1, 2018, the improper installment of the anchor brake pad, the unexplained disengagement of two backup brakes, a series of communication errors and icy, rough waters caused the starboard anchor to pay out over the Straits of Mackinac, where it was dragged over dual oil pipeline and severed three transmission cables, according to a U.S. Coast Guard report. In the Coast Guard report, released July 15, the investigating officer recommended the suspension and revocation of the mariner credentials of a crew member on board the Erie Trader barge and Clyde S. VanEnkevort tug. The officer also recommended that a letter of warning be issued to another crew member. "However, upon further review of the facts of the case, relevant federal regulation and Coast Guard policy, the Coast Guard decided to not pursue further action," said Cmdr. Michael Hjerstedt, chief of prevention for Sector Sault Ste. Marie. The severing of the American Transmission Co. cables beneath the Straits released about 800 gallons of dielectric fluid from the cables after the anchor gouged Enbridge’s Line 5 in the midst of a heated, years-long debate over the pipeline’s safety. The state has since decided to encase Line 5 in a tunnel beneath the Straits, but the continued operation of the pipeline remains a subject of litigation between the Canadian oil giant and the state of Michigan. The dielectric fluid spill was considered "minor" by the Coast Guard. Neither PCBs nor benzene compounds were found in the fluid, and no sheen was ever observed on the water's surface. The report also noted U.S. Coast Guard rules do not require ships to install alarms to alert them when an anchor inadvertently drops from a ship, though one was installed on the Erie Trader after the incident. Read more at this link: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/09/13/coast-guard-inspected-ship-before-line-5-anchor-dragging/5770792002 |
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Port Reports - September 14 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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H2Oh! fundraiser to benefit National Museum of the Great Lakes 9/14 - Toledo, OH – This year has seen struggles of historic proportions, especially for museums. With the mission of keeping Great Lakes history afloat, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will present a virtual fundraising gala – H2Oh! – which will consist of a live-streamed production beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 and include an online auction during the week leading up to the event. The production can be viewed over computers, smart TVs and mobile devices, will support the museum’s mission by:
• Setting into motion the Great Lakes Memory Project—a new oral history initiative; “Our Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, contain 84% of the continent’s fresh water and together are a powerful force that has forged destinies, nourished wildlife, sparked wars, taken thousands of ships and continue to provide countless hours of recreation and drive industry and economy,” said Kate Fineske the museum’s director of development and communications. “This year’s gala will highlight Great Lakes stories and how so many individuals have been shaped by their existence.” Beginning Sept. 17 and ending after the live-streamed production on Sept. 27, the museum will also host an online auction featuring once-in-a-lifetime Great Lakes-inspired experiences and memorabilia. All proceeds will help keep Great Lakes history afloat by supporting the National Museum of the Great Lakes and their mission to preserve and make known the history of the Great Lakes. To learn more about the event and register to participate visit: www.nmgl.org/h2oh2020. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 14
September 14, 1962, the HORACE S. WILKINSON was involved in a collision with the Canadian freighter CAROL LAKE in the Welland Canal. Rather than repair the WILKINSON, Wilson Marine had her towed to Superior, Wisconsin, for conversion to a barge. All cabin superstructure, the engine, boilers, and auxiliary machinery were removed. The stern was squared off and notched to receive a tug. The WILKINSON was renamed WILTRANCO I and re-entered service in 1963, as a tug-barge combination with a crew of 10, pushed by the tug FRANCIS A. SMALL of 1966. September 14, 1963, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS, Captain Earl C. Bauman, received a National Safety Council Award of Merit for operating 1,001,248 consecutive man-hours without a lost time accident. This accomplishment required 15 years, 600 round trips, and 1,200 passages through the Soo locks. Captain Albert Edgar Goodrich died on September 14,1885, at the age of 59, at his residence in Chicago. He was a pioneer steamboat man and founded the Goodrich Transportation Company, famous for its passenger/package freight steamers on Lake Michigan. The J. J. SULLIVAN (Hull#439) was launched September 14, 1907, at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Superior Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). Renamed b.) CLARENCE B. RANDALL in 1963. She was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario in 1988. On September 14, 1871, R. J. CARNEY (wooden barge, 150 foot, 397 gross tons) was launched at Saginaw, Michigan. The 203-foot wooden schooner KATE WINSLOW was launched at J. Davidson's yard in East Saginaw, Michigan, on 14 September 1872. The steamer ASIA sank in a storm off Byng Inlet on Georgian Bay September 14, 1882. Over 100 people lost their lives with only two people, a man and a woman, rescued. ASIA was built in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1873, and was bound from Collingwood, Ontario, to the French River and Canadian Sault. 1960: The Bahamas registered vessel ITHAKA stranded 10 miles east of Chhurchill, Manitoba, after the rudder broke and the anchors failed to hold in a storm. The ship had served on the Great Lakes for Hall as a) FRANK A. AUGSBURY and e) LAWRENCECLIFFE HALL (i), for Canada Steamship Lines as b) GRANBY and for Federal Commerce & Navigation as f) FEDERAL PIONEER. 1965: FORT WILLIAM, which recently entered service as a package freight carrier for Canada Steamship Lines, capsized at Pier 65 in Montreal. There was an ensuing fire when part of the cargo of powdered carbide formed an explosive gas and five were killed. The vessel was refloated on November 22, 1965, repaired, and still sails the lakes a b) STEPHEN B. ROMAN. 1970: The barge AFT, the forward part of the former STEEL KING (ii), arrrived at Ramey's Bend, Port Colborne, under tow of the tug HERBERT A. for dismantling. The barge had been part of a tandem tow with the dipper dredge KING COAL but the latter broke loose in a Lake Erie storm and sank. 1998: The Cypriot-registered STRANGE ATTRACTOR first came through the Seaway in 1989 as a) LANTAU TRADER. It returned under the new name in 1996 and lost power on this date in 1998 while leaving the Upper Beauharnois Lock and had to be towed to the tie up wall by OCEAN GOLF and SALVAGE MONARCH. The ship was soon able to resume the voyage and continued Great Lakes trading through 2003. It arrived for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as d) ORIENT FUZHOU on August 7, 2009. Data from: Skip Gillham, Clive Reddin, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Carbide Dock /Alford Park improvements at Sault moving ahead 9/13 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Among major projects upcoming in 2021 are improvements to the long-neglected Carbide Dock and to the attached Alford Park, a popular spot for boatwatchers that has been closed for several years due to safety concerns. The Carbide Dock upgrades will facilitate the unloading/loading of bulk goods from freighters, including materials needed for the construction on the new lock. The Carbide Dock project is estimated to cost $22,300,000. Approximately $20,000,000 of this funding has come from the federal government, $1,000,000 from Michigan Department of Transportation, $1,000,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and $300,000 from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. With this project comes a complete reconstruction of Easterday Avenue to support increased truck traffic to and from the dock. Work will commence near the Carbide Dock on Easterday by Riverside Drive and Portage Avenue and stop at Ashmun Street. This reconstruction will include new utilities, new curb and sidewalk and two new roundabouts. Bidding will occur in winter 2021 and construction will begin in the upcoming spring. The project is expected to be done with grass growing around the site about 2023. The Carbide Dock was once part of the huge Union Carbide Co. plant, opened in 1903 and a mainstay of the economy of the city until it closed in 1962. With these projects underway and construction on the new lock ramping up, the Sault will be a busy place the next few years, with plenty of orange cones expected. |
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Corps of Engineers report Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach 9/13 - Detroit, MI – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials report despite seasonal declines, Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,” Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief, John Allis said. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District |
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Port Reports - September 13 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Tug Ontario returns to service 9/13 - The "G" tug Ontario has departed Cleveland after spending two years laid up. The tug is heading to Detroit and will take up station there. Jacob Silvan |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 13
On 13 September 1894, the GLOBE (steel propeller package freighter, 330 foot, 2,995 gross tons) was launched by the Globe Iron Works (Hull #53) at Cleveland, Ohio. She was lengthened to 400 feet and converted to a bulk freighter in 1899, when she was acquired by the Bessemer Steamship Company and renamed JAMES B. EADS. She lasted until 1967, when she was scrapped at Port Weller Drydocks. On 13 September 1872, the wooden schooner RAPID left Pigeon Bay, Ontario bound for Buffalo, New York with 5000 railroad ties. While on Lake Erie, a storm blew in and Capt. Henderson decided to turn for Rondeau. While turning, the vessel capsized. Annie Brown, the cook, was trapped below decks and drowned. The seven other crew members strapped themselves to the rail and waited to be rescued. One by one they died. Finally, 60-hours later, the schooner PARAGON found the floating wreck with just one man, James Low, the first mate, barely alive. The EDMUND FITZGERALD's sea trials occurred on September 13, 1958. The HOFFMAN (United States Army Corps of Engineers Twin Screw Hopper Dredge) collided with the Japanese salty KUNISHIMA MARU at Toledo, Ohio, September 13, 1962. Reportedly the blame was placed on the pilot of the Japanese salty. Apparently the damage was minor. On September 13, 1968, the AUGUST ZIESING grounded in fog 200 yards above the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River. The grounded vessel swung into the shipping channel blocking it until September 15th when lightering was completed. September 13, 1953 - PERE MARQUETTE 22 made her second maiden voyage since she was new in 1924. She was cut in half, lengthened, had new boilers and engines installed. On 13 September 1875, CITY OF BUFFALO (wooden schooner, 91 foot, 128 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York, as a propeller canal boat) beached and sank after striking a rock in the St. Marys River. The tug MAGNET worked for days to release her before she went to pieces on 19 September. No lives were lost. On 13 September 1871, the bark S D POMEROY was anchored off Menominee, Michigan, during a storm. Archie Dickie, James Steele, John Davidson and James Mechie were seen to lower the yawl to go to shore. Later the empty yawl drifted ashore and then the bodies of all four men floated in. 1967 – The former Great Lakes passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN sank in the Atlantic (40.46 N / 68.53 W) while under tow for a new career as a training ship at Piney Point, Maryland. 1988 – The Cypriot freighter BLUESTONE, at Halifax since August 19, had 3 crewmembers jump ship at the last minute claiming unsafe conditions due to corrosion in the tank tops, but this could not be checked as the vessel was loaded. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 12 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wrobelwski The asphalt barge Delaware was done unloading at Marathon in Tonawanda by the afternoon of the 7th, but they sat at the pier there until the morning of the 9th on a weather delay. The Calusa Coast finally departed with her barge at 9AM that morning. The 10th of September was busy on the Buffalo River. The 664-foot self-unloader Manitoulin arrived around 11AM for the ADM Standard elevator with a partial load of Canadian Red Wheat from Thunder Bay. She was met in the North Entrance by the tug Vermont winded in the Outer Harbor, and was towed in stern first. At the Watson Basin, the tow slowed down a little while two other vessels were allowed to pass by. The tug William C Gaynor came in behind them and passed along the North side of the tow so that they could sneak in for the First Buffalo River marina and pick up a Coast Guard patrol boat. Then, as soon as the Gaynor was in the clear in the City Ship Canal over near the Skyway, the tug Morrish came down the Buffalo River pushing her mud barge out to the CDF. They passed the Vermont - Manitoulin tow at the Naval Park and headed on by without incident. Manitoulin made it up to the Standard elevator and began unloading around Noon. The tug Gaynor moved her patrol boat “on the hip” and over to the Coast Guard base slip for a little while before departing with her in tow during the early afternoon, bound for Duluth. Manitoulin departed at 6AM on the 11th, bound for Hamilton. The Luedtke tug Ann Marie was running barges of large cut stone out to the seawall around the Army Corps CDF at the South Entrance during early September to complete some repairs to the structure. They were using the Union Ship Canal dock at Gateway Metroport to load the barges and to tie up at night. The Coast Guard and DEC revealed some details of the mysterious oil spill that occurred back in July on the Buffalo River on August 10th. They released a statement to the press stating that “degraded” fuel and oil were found to be coming from a sewer outflow at the end of Babcock St. This discharge outlet runs underground past the old Mobil Oil refinery property that was just cleaned up last year in a multi-million dollar remediation project at the site. At the time of the announcement, details remained sketchy about how the old contaminates had made it into the sewer and it was still being investigated by the agencies involved.
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 12
On 12 September 1903, the R E SCHUCK (steel propeller bulk freighter, 416 fott, 4713 gross tons) was launched by the American Ship Building Company (Hull #327) at Lorain, Ohio for the Gilchrist Transportation Company. She was purchased by the Interlake Steamship Co. (Pickands, Mather & Co., Mgrs.) in 1913, and renamed b.) HYDRUS. However, she foundered in the "Big Storm" of 1913, on Lake Huron with all hands; 24 lives were lost. On 12 September 1902, EXPERIMENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 65 foot, 50 gross tons, built in 1854, at St. Joseph, Michigan) was carrying firewood in a storm on Lake Michigan when she went out of control in the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan after swerving to miss an unmarked construction crib. She wrecked and was declared a total loss. Her crew was rescued by the Lifesaving Service. Three days later she was stripped and abandoned in place. ROGER BLOUGH was laid up at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin from September 12, 1981, through 1986, because of economic conditions. CANADIAN PIONEER was christened at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. on September 12, 1981, by Mrs. Louise Powis, wife of the Chairman and President of Noranda Mines for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. Renamed b.) PIONEER in 1987. CARTIERCLIFFE HALL, a.) RUHR ORE, was towed by the tug WILFRED M. COHEN to Collingwood, Ontario for repairs from a June 5th fire and arrived at Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. on September 12, 1979. Renamed c.) WINNIPEG in 1988, and d.) ALGONTARIO in 1994. Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Limited at Collingwood, Ontario closed the yard on September 12, 1986, after 103 years of shipbuilding. Collship was famous for its spectacular side launches. 214 ships were built at Collingwood. While unloading steel in South Chicago from the a.) CANADA MARQUIS on September 12, 1988, a shoreside crane lifting a payloader into the hold collapsed onto the ship. CANADA MARQUIS had a hole in her tank top and damage to her hatch coaming. She sails today on the ocean and lakes as e.) BIRCHGLEN, for CSL. On 12 September 1900, ALBACORE (2 mast wooden schooner, 137 foot, 327 tons, built in 1872, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) had a storm blow out her sails, driving her into the seawall at Fort Bank just east of Oswego, New York where she broke up. The tug J NAVAGH tried unsuccessfully to save her. Her crew of seven was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service. After an extremely dry summer, forests were burning all over the Great Lakes region in the autumn of 1871. The smoke from these fires affected navigation. Newspaper reports stated that on 12 September 1871, 38 ships and four strings of barges anchored near Point Pelee on Lake Erie due to the restricted visibility caused by the smoke from the forest fires. On 12 September 1900, the schooner H. W. SAGE was raised by the McMorran Wrecking Company and was then towed to Port Huron for repairs. She had sunk near Algonac, Michigan in a collision with the steamer CHICAGO on 30 July 1900. 1889: ROTHESAY, a wooden sidewheel passenger vessel, collided with the tug MYRA in the St. Lawrence between Kingston and Prescott. The latter sank with the loss of 2 lives. The former was beached on the Canadian shore where it settled and was abandoned. The wreck was dynamited in 1901 and part of it remains on the bottom in 35 feet of water. 1900: The wooden steamer JOHN B. LYON began taking water in a storm about 25 miles east of Ashtabula and sank in Lake Erie. There were 9 lost with only 6 rescued from the 19-year old vessel. 1917: GISLA was built at Wyandotte, MI in 1916 and went overseas for war duty. The vessel was hit by gunfire from U-64 in the western Mediterranean off Cape Palos, Spain, and sunk by a timed bomb. The ship was carrying nuts and vegetable oil from Kotonou, Dahomey, for Marseilles, France, when it was attacked. 1919: The wooden barge CHICKAMAUGA began leaking in huge seas off Harbor Beach, MI while under tow of the CENTURION and the ore laden vessel sank the next day. The crew of 10 was rescued by the JAMES WHALEN and the wreck was removed the following year. 1928: B.B. McCOLL was virtually destroyed by a fire at Buffalo while loading and had to be abandoned as a total loss. The ship was salvaged, rebuilt and last sailed as h) DETROIT. The ship was scrapped in 1982-1983 at Lake Calumet, IL. 1953: MARYLAND was mauled by a storm on Lake Superior and 12 hatch covers were blown off. The ship was beached near Marquette and all 35 on board were saved. The ship was abandoned but the extensive bottom damage was repaired and the ship resumed service as d) HENRY LALIBERTE. 1989: POLARLAND began visiting the Great Lakes in 1968 and returned as b) ISCELU in 1980, c) TRAKYA in 1981 and d) TRAKYA I in 1982. The ship was lying at Hualien, Taiwan, as e) LUNG HAO during Typhoon Sarah and got loose in the storm prior to going aground. The hull broke in two and was a total loss. 1989: SACHA, Liberian registered SD 14, began Seaway trading in 1973. It returned as b) ERMIONI in 1982. The ship stranded on the wreck of the ORIENTAL PEARL while approaching Bombay, India, from Tampa as d) SAFIR on December 22, 1984, and sustained considerable damage. This was repaired but SAFIR was lost after stranding on a reef off Tiran Island in the Red Sea on September 12, 1989. 2006: TORO went aground in the St. Lawrence off Cornwall Island with damage to the bulbous bow and #2 hold. The ship, enroute from Thunder Bay to Progresso, Mexico, with a cargo of wheat, was released September 18 and repaired at the Verreault shipyard in Les Mechins, QC before resuming the voyage on October 27. The vessel had previously visited the Great Lakes as a) LA LIBERTE, c) ASTART and d) ULLOA. It was still sailing as g) XING JI DA as of 2011. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Federal Ems loses engine power west of Eisenhower Lock in Massena 9/11 - Massena, NY – The vessel Federal Ems lost engine power as the ship was making its approach to the Eisenhower Lock early Thursday morning. Initial reports were that the ship had run aground. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation officials said the ship was not aground but was anchored next to the channel approaching the Eisenhower Lock. “Earlier this morning (Thursday), the vessel, Federal EMS, experienced a loss of main propulsion and is currently anchored next to the channel approaching Eisenhower Lock with navigation temporarily suspended,” officials said in an email statement. There was no pollution, no injuries or no ingress of water, officials also confirmed. By Thursday evening engine power had been restored and the vessel was moored at the northern bollards of the Eisenhower Lock. Divers are scheduled to survey the underside of the vessel at 8 a.m. Friday. Federal Ems is a bulk carrier built in 2002 and operated by the Montreal-based Fednav Ltd. The vessel was enroute to Montreal at the time. USCG |
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Port Reports - September 11 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Charlevoix, MI
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Craig T Speers |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 11
1872, at Milwaukee, the Wisconsin, which was transferred to the Atlantic coast from Lake Erie in 1898, struck Romer Shoal off the shore of Staten Island and was wrecked. She was sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Saco, Maine at the time. Her crew managed to reach the Life Saving Station through the heavy surf. September 11, 1969, the Bethlehem steamer LEHIGH, Captain Loren A. Falk, delivered the first cargo to the new Bethlehem Steel mill at Burns Harbor, Indiana. The cargo consisted of 15,700 tons of taconite pellets loaded at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. On 11 September 1883, EXPLORER (2-mast wooden schooner, 48 foot, 33 gross tons, built in 1866, at Chatham, Ontario) struck rocks and went down on Stokes Bay on the outside of the Bruce Peninsula. Her crew was visible from shore clinging to the wreck until the vessel broke up. All five were lost. The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY, of 1927, was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She had sunk in 80 feet of water after a collision with the steamer D.M. CLEMSON, of 1916, off Old Point Light, on June 15, 1943. On May 6, 1944, the barges MAITLAND NO. 1 and HILDA were employed as pontoons for the salvage operation positioned over the sunken hull. Cables were attached to the HUMPHREY's hull and to the barges. The hull was raised through a series of lifts, which allowed it to be brought into shallower water. Partial buoyancy was provided by the HUMPHREY's ballast tanks, which were pumped out to about 25 percent of capacity. The HUMPHREY was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She was taken to the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. first for an estimate of repairs, which totaled $469,400, and then was towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for reconditioning which was completed at a reported cost of $437,000. Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. assumed ownership on September 18, 1944, and the next year the ship was renamed b.) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN. She re-entered service on May 1, 1945, chartered to the Pioneer Steamship Co. on a commission basis. Renamed c.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948, and d.) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1988. September 11, 2001, the former Bob-Lo boat STE. CLAIRE was towed from Detroit to Toledo by Gaelic's tug SHANNON. In August 2005, she was taken to Belanger Park in River Rouge and in the spring of 2006 she was returned to Nicholson's Slip in Ecorse by Gaelic's tugs PATRICIA HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY. Carrying cargoes off the lakes, CANADA MARQUIS departed Halifax bound for Philadelphia with a cargo of grain. HON. PAUL MARTIN departed Halifax the same day on her way to Tampa with a load of gypsum. HORACE JOHNSON sailed on her maiden voyage light from Lorain, Ohio, on September 11, 1929, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore. On 11 September 1895, S.P. AMES (2 mast wooden schooner, 61 foot, 43 gross tons) was driven ashore at Pointe aux Barques, Michigan, in a storm. She was quickly stripped before she went to pieces. She had been built in 1879, at Montrose, Michigan, in farm country, well inland, on the Flint River by Mr. Seth Ames. He wanted to use her to return to sea, but he died the day before her hull was launched. On 11 September 1876, the schooner HARVEST HOME sank on Lake Michigan while bound from Chicago for Cleveland with a load of scrap iron. She was about 26 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan. The crew was taken off by the schooner GRACIE M. FILER just as the boat was going down. 1942: H.M.C.S. CHARLOTTETOWN, a Canadian naval corvette built at Kingston, ON in 1941, was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 on the St. Lawrence near Cap Chat, QC. Nine of the 64 on board were lost. 1946: The former Hall freighter LUCIUS W. ROBINSON, heading for new service in the Far East as b) HAI LIN, ran into a typhoon on the Pacific during its delivery voyage but was unscathed. 1961: The retired PERSEUS, under tow for scrapping overseas, broke loose of the tug ENGLISHMAN, and was abandoned in rough seas near the Azores. It was later found drifting and taken in tow only to sink on September 21. 1968: GRINDEFJELL, a pre-Seaway and Seaway-era visitor for the Norwegian Fjell Line from 1953 to 1965, put into Mozambique as b) LENRO after fire had broken out in a cargo hold. The flames spread and, at one time the hull glowed red hot. The ship was gutted, later capsized and was abandoned as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Assab, Ethiopia, to Rotterdam, with a cargo of bagged niger seed expellers and had to take the long way around due to the Suez Canal being closed. The hull was either scrapped or scuttled. 1987: An arson fire gutted the bridge and top deck of the laid up former C.S.L. package freighter FORT YORK at Sarnia. There had been another suspicious fire three weeks earlier that had been extinguished. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Soo Locks see a decrease in traffic during pandemic 9/10 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – As the COVID-19 pandemic marches on, the Soo Locks has seen a decrease in vessel traffic this year. According to the Lake Carriers’ Association, shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in July, a decrease of 46.5% compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 41% behind the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 20.7 million tons, a decrease of 22.6% compared to the same point in 2019. Iron ore shipments are 19.8% behind their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year. Additionally, loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 25% compared to 2019. Shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by less than 1% to 807,203 tons. Year-to-date the lake’s limestone trade stands at 12.4 million tons, a decrease of 17.5% compared to one year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 9.8 million tons, a decrease of 20.7%. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 2.9% compared to 2019 According to Penny Carroll of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, from Feb. through July there were approximately 2,770 vessel passages. However, from Feb. 2019 to July 2019, there were 3,297, showing a 16% drop in traffic numbers. According to a press release by the Lake Carriers’ Association, these cargos are essential to ensuring we can all weather the COVID-19 storm. Federal and state governments recognize the critical importance of Great Lakes shipping by including the sailors, dock workers and other key support personnel on the list of workers essential to the U.S. and Great Lakes economy. Soo News |
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Port Reports - September 10 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Wind turbine blades latest large cargo to unload at this Bay City docking terminal 9/10 - Bay City, MI – Large metal arms reach into the sky this week near the mouth of the Saginaw River. They are industrial cranes aboard big cargo ships, and they are unloading a delivery of giant windmill blades to fuel Michigan’s renewable energy industry. For nearly a decade, Bay City Aggregate with parent company Fisher Companies has been hard at work developing Port Fisher Terminals, offering vessel, rail, and highway transportation services. Port Fisher is currently serving as the arrival site for large windmill parts making their way to windfarm projects, especially in the Thumb region. “It was kind of like the Field of Dreams, you build it and they will come, and we started adding in a component every year and wind energy just kind of happened to fall right in the middle of it,” said Fisher Sales Manager Paul Strpko. Strpko explained that friends in the wind industry plus the facility’s location helped to forge the path that the shipping terminal is on now. “When they were looking for places, that made perfect sense and where a lot of the concentration of wind energy was going to be,” he said. "Then we started to develop our site so it could handle that.” As of May, the state has a total of 1,149 operational turbines and the Michigan Public Services Commission is currently tracking progress on 33 wind farm projects, according to the ThumbWind project. Nearby Huron, Gratiot, and Tuscola counties are listed on the site as the top wind energy counties in Michigan. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2020/09/wind-turbine-blades-latest-large-cargo-to-unload-at-this-bay-city-docking-terminal.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 10
On 10 September 1890, the PORTER CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 134 foot, 280 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan) was floated free of the Wolverine Drydock in Port Huron, Michigan where she had steel arches installed. When she floated free, the arches broke in three places and she stayed in Port Huron to have them repaired. September 10, 1952, the forebody and afterbody of the future JOSEPH H. THOMPSON arrived at the American Shipbuilding yard in South Chicago. The two sections were delivered to the lakes via the Mississippi River and Chicago Ship Canal. The afterbody departed Baltimore, Maryland on August 2 and the forebody departed Pascagoula, Mississippi on August 21. On 10 September 1884, the 137-foot steam barge HENRY HOWARD was sailing up bound with the schooner-barge GEORGE WORTHINGTON in tow when she caught fire near Harsens Island at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The fire broke out near the HOWARD's engine room and spread rapidly. The vessel was beached on the island but the WORTHINGTON ran against her and was thus scorched. No lives were lost. The HOWARD was valued at $5,000, but only insured for $3,000 by her owners, B. Hoose and Julia Miner. The whaleback tanker METEOR was towed from Manitowoc, Wisconsin by the tug JOHN ROEN IV to Superior, Wisconsin on September 10, 1972. The KINSMAN ENTERPRISE turned 75 years old on September 10, 2002. When she entered service as a.) HARRY COULBY, on this date in 1927, the 631-foot bulk freighter was the third largest on the Great Lakes. While up bound in the Welland Canal on September 9, 1986, it was noted that the port anchor of the J. W. MC GIFFIN was missing, her chain was almost touching the water. Rebuilt with a new cargo hold section by Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd., in 1999, renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA. On 10 September 1909, COLUMBUS (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 136 foot, 439 gross tons, built in 1874, as the tug JOHN OWEN) burned to a total loss at her dock at Gargantua, Ontario, in Lake Superior. She was cut loose and allowed to drift out into the bay where she sank. The top of her engine reportedly still shows above the water. September 10, 1979 - The SPARTAN was laid up. She remains in Ludington, Michigan. The barge N. MILLS was launched at P. Lester's yard in Marysville, Michigan on 10 September 1870. Her dimensions were 164 feet x 30 feet x 12 feet. 1910: PERE MARQUETTE 18, inbound for Milwaukee with 29 rail cars, began leaking and sank 30 miles off Sheboygan, Wis. There were 33 survivors but 29 were lost including the captain. 1918: The barge SANTIAGO, under tow of the small bulk carrier JOHN F. MORROW, sank in Lake Huron off Pointe aux Barques without loss of life. 1940: A.E. AMES was once part of Canada Steamship Lines. The vessel was sold for saltwater service about 1917 and was lost, via enemy action, as c) GINETTE LEBORGNE on this date in 1940 when it struck a mine on the Mediterranean, west of Sardinia, while returning demobilized troops from North Africa to France. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Minnesota shipwreck hunters locate long-sought Lake Michigan wreck 9/9 - As the crew muscled yet another railroad car off the stern of the ship and into the murky depths of Lake Michigan, Capt. Peter Kilty of the Pere Marquette 18 may have breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a tumultuous few hours out in the middle of the lake early on the morning of Sept. 9, 1910 – 110 years ago this week. The ship, carrying about 60 passengers and crew, and close to 30 rail cars from Ludington, Mich., to Milwaukee, started taking on water faster than its pumps could handle, and Kilty quickly issued orders. Jettison the rail cars to lighten the load. Change course to reach shore more quickly. Broadcast distress calls via wireless telegraph: “Carferry 18 is sinking midlake — help — help” As recounted in the book “Steel on the Bottom” by maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse, other vessels rushed alongside to help, standing by as Kilty and his crew kept on course for the Wisconsin shore. The beleaguered ship was running low in the water, and stress levels undoubtedly still were running high. Yet there was hope that maybe – just maybe – they’d pull through. Then – to the disbelief of eyewitnesses – the Pere Marquette 18’s stern suddenly sank beneath the waves and the bow raised toward the sky. And just like that she was gone, leaving at least 29 people dead and others struggling to escape the swirling wreckage. Exactly what caused the ship to founder became a much-debated mystery. And the Pere Marquette 18’s final resting place was lost to time. It was among the most notable Lake Michigan wrecks to have eluded searchers – until this summer. Armed with century-old accounts of the sinking along with a well-honed feel for interpreting those voices from the past – and making the most of modern-day technology – Minnesota shipwreck hunters Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman located the Pere Marquette 18. It sits in nearly 500 feet of water far offshore from Sheboygan, Wis., and Port Washington, Wis., coated in zebra mussels and, as Eliason put it, “javelined” stern-first into the lake bottom at a sharp angle, the tip of the bow rising nearly 100 feet off the lake bed. "It's pretty dramatic," Merryman said. "It's speared in – we're both guessing around 30 to 40 degrees, that it sits into the bottom. ... And a fair amount of it is buried in the mud." Stonehouse, the author and historian, described it as “an incredible find.” “I find it amazing that Lake Michigan divers have been looking for her forever. And it took the boys from Minnesota to go down and literally in a matter of a couple of days ... discover that wreck,” he said. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/09/08/minnesota-shipwreck-hunters-locate-longsought-lake-michigan-wreck |
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Port Reports - September 9 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Updated saltie transits by the numbers for 2020 9/9 - As of September 1, there were 275 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY, by 187 saltater vessels for the 2020 Great Lakes/Seaway Shipping season from March/April through September 1, 020. The 275 transits is up 7 transits from the same time period in 2019 and is also up 17 transits from the 5-year average time frame and period from 2015-2019. August 2020 showed a huge spike in the number of transits in 2020 and overall during the 5-year time frame and period for that month. In August 2020 there were 62 westbound transits made by vessels at the Eisenhower Lock. The 62 westbound transits is up 15 transits from the 2019 total for August and is also up 13 transits from the 5-year time period and frame during the month of August from 2015-2019. There were no transits in March.
A breakdown of the monthly transits at the Eisenhower Lock for 2020 is as follows:
Denny Dushane |
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Coast Guard conducting training around Mackinac, Beaver Island September 9-14 9/9 - This week the communities of St. Ignace and Charlevoix will see increased Coast Guard activities on the water. U.S. Coast Guard units will be conducting a training exercise near Mackinac Island and Beaver Island from September 9th through 14th. These exercises will involve the use of Coast Guard boats and helicopters conducting law enforcement scenarios on pre-selected commercial vessels in the surrounding waters of Mackinac Island and Beaver Island, as well as activities ashore in the towns of St. Ignace and Charlevoix. These exercises strengthen vital relationships with our government and maritime industry partners and ensure the proficiency of our members so as to remain always ready and able to respond to our nation’s call. Questions about the exercise may be directed to Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie at 906-635-3237. |
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Seaway Queens: Chapter 3 now available 9/9 - – Chapter 3 of the new e-book Seaway Queens takes the measure of mid-century Lakers — 730 to be exact — studying the multi-dimensional impact of the dimension on inland trade. Entitled 730s, The Goldilocks Ships of the Great Lakes-Seaway, the chapter also contains great photos and interactive graphics. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 9
On 09 September 1889, the FOLGER (wooden propeller wrecking tug, 69 foot, 64 gross tons, built in 1881, at Kingston, Ontario) was sailing upbound past St. Clair, Michigan when fire was discovered in her engine room. Her wheelsman stuck to his post as long as possible, trying to beach her at Courtright, Ontario, but the flames engulfed the vessel and all hands had to abandon her. September 9, 1936. For the second consecutive day, boats of the Interlake and Pittsburgh fleets collided. The SATURN collided with the HENRY H. ROGERS in heavy fog above Whitefish Bay. The SATURN continued upbound to repair damage at Superior Shipbuilding. The ROGERS continued downbound to South Chicago where the anchor of the SATURN was removed from the Mate's starboard cabin. September 9, 1940, the steamer MARITANA, Captain Charles E. Butler, went to anchor in Whitefish Bay due to weather. When they retrieved their anchor the next day, they also recovered a second anchor. The second anchor had an oak stock 12 feet across and 17 inches in diameter. The 8 foot forged metal shank was stamped with a date of 1806. On 09 September 1886, GENERAL WOLSELEY (wooden side-wheel steamer, 103 foot, 123 tons, built in 1884, at Oakville, Ontario) caught fire on her way to Dyer's Bay, Ontario. She was run ashore for the crew to escape near Cape Croker on Georgian Bay and burned to the water's edge. The WOLVERINE (Hull#903) was launched September 9, 1974, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Union Commerce Bank (Ohio), Trustee (Oglebay Norton Co., mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio. DETROIT EDISON (Hull#418) was launched September 9, 1954, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) Buffalo, New York. The Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 18 sank on September 9, 1910, with a loss of 29 lives. No cause for the sinking has ever been determined. The PERE MARQUETTE 17 picked up 33 survivors, losing 2 of her own crew during the rescue. The first of two fires suffered by the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND RAPIDS occurred on September 9, 1980. The cause of the fire was not determined. On 9 September 1929, the ANDASTE (steel propeller self-unloading sandsucker, 247 foot, built in 1892, at Cleveland, Ohio) was probably overloaded with gravel when she 'went missing' west of Holland, Michigan. The entire crew of 25 was lost. When built, she was the sister of the 'semi-whaleback' CHOCTAW, but was shortened 20 feet in 1920-21, to allow her to use the Welland Canal. On 9 September 1871, Captain Hicks of the schooner A H MOSS fired the mate, a popular fellow, in a fit of anger the same time that a tug arrived to tow the schooner out of Cleveland harbor. The crew was upset to say the least, and when the towline was cast off and Capt. Hicks ordered the sails hoisted, the crew refused to do any work. The skipper finally raised the signal flags and had the tug tow his vessel back into the harbor. When the MOSS dropped anchor, he fired the entire crew then went ashore to hire another crew. The ROY A. JODREY (Hull#186) was launched in 1965, at Collingwood, Ontario by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd. 1924: A fire aboard the ship SOUTH AMERICAN at Holland, MI destroyed the upper works of the popular passenger steamer. 1964: A collision between the GEORGE R. FINK and the Swedish freighter BROHOLM occurred in zero visibility on Lake Huron just north of the Bluewater Bridge. The latter, on her only voyage through the Seaway, received a gash on the starboard side above the waterline while the former had only minor damage. BROHOLM arrived at Hsinkang, China, for scrapping as d) PROODOS on September 2, 1974. 1977: The British freighter PERTH began service to Canada in 1951 and ooperated into the Great Lakes until 1960. The ship ran aground about 200 miles south of Suez as e) GEORGIOS on this date but was later refloated and taken to Suez. The ship was arrested there and subsequently sank on October 1, 1979. The hull was likely refloated and dismantled at that location. 1993: INDIANA HARBOR received major hull damage when it struck Lansing Shoal. The ship was repaired at Sturgeon Bay. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Walter J. McCarthy Jr. is back in action 9/8 - Toledo, OH – Walter J. McCarthy Jr. resumed her 2020 season on Monday evening when she departed Toledo upbound. She laid up there on June 5 due to the economy. |
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Port Reports - September 8 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Suttons Bay, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 8
September 8, 1936, the Interlake steamer CRETE and the Pittsburgh steamer CORNELL collided in heavy fog above Whitefish Point. After temporary repairs were made in the Weitzel lock, the CRETE proceeded to Chicago Shipbuilding to repair a damaged bow. The CORNELL proceeded to Manitowoc to repair damage to her starboard side just forward of her boiler house. On September 8,1868, HIPPOCAMPUS (wooden propeller, 152 tons, built in 1867, at St. Joseph, Michigan) stranded in a storm off St. Joseph and was pounded to pieces. 36 of the 41 passengers were lost. Litigation continued until November 10,1884, when the owner was held innocent of blame in the U. S. Court at Grand Rapids, Michigan. GEMINI (Hull#745) sailed on her maiden voyage in August, 1978, from Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas, to load fuel oil at Baytown, Texas, for delivery at Detroit, Michigan. Passing up bound the next month on September 8 through the Welland Canal, GEMINI became the largest U.S. flagged tanker on the Great Lakes with a capacity of 76,000 barrels. GEMINI was renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. The W. E. FITZGERALD (Hull#167) was launched September 8, 1906, at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the Chicago Navigation Co., Chicago, Illinois (D. Sullivan, mgr.). The bulk freighter HENRY A. HAWGOOD was launched on September 8, 1906, at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co. for Minerva Steamship Co. (W. A. & H.A. Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland. Renamed b.) C. RUSSELL HUBBARD in 1912, and c.) W. W. HOLLOWAY in 1935. RADIANT departed the shipyard September 8, 1913, light on her maiden voyage bound for Montreal, Quebec. September 8, 1970 - MILWAUKEE CLIPPER made her last run from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On September 8, 1985, the downbound the Panamanian NORCHEM collided with the upbound CANADIAN PROSPECTOR near Kanawake, Quebec. PROSPECTOR had little damage but NORCHEM was ripped open near her port anchor. On September 8,1885, ADVANCE (wooden schooner, 119 foot, 180 gross tons, built in 1853, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying wood when she became waterlogged and capsized in a gale and blinding rain near Port Washington, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. All but one of her crew of seven drowned when her yawl capsized in the surf. On September 8,1871, the schooner MORNING LIGHT was sailing from Kelley's Island on Lake Erie with a cargo of stone for Marquette, Michigan, in heavy weather. Trying to enter the Detroit River, the crew miscalculated their position and ran the ship aground on Pointe Mouille, just below Gibraltar. The crew scuttled the vessel in the shallow water to save her from harm. The following day, the tug GEORGE N. BRADY was sent out with steam pumps and hawsers and the MORNING LIGHT was raised and towed to Detroit for repairs. 1860: The wooden passenger and freight steamer LADY ELGIN sank in Lake Michigan following a collision with the schooner AUGUSTA with an estimated 297 lost their lives. 1979: The Norwegian carrier INGWI first came through the Seaway in 1960 and made about 10 trips inland through 1967. The hull was reported to have fractured as b) OH DAI enroute from Singapore to Calcutta. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal but there was speculation at the time that this was an insurance fraud. 1980: The idle rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS sustained fire damage from a blaze in the pilings at Muskegon, buckling plates on the car deck. It was extinguished by the U.S.C.G. and Fire Department. 2010: The tug MESSENGER came to the Great Lakes for the Gaelic Tugboat Co. in 1984 and was renamed b) PATRICIA HOEY. It was later sold and became c) NEW HAMPSHIRE and then d) SEA TRACTOR II before leaving the lakes, via Oswego, about 1991. It was known as e) SHARK when scuttled as an artificial reef near Miami, on this date in 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Al Miller, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 7 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Lake Superior
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss |
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Obituary: Museum announces the death of USS Edson Chief Mike Kegley 9/7 - Bay City, MI – The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum USS Edson DD946 announced the death of Chief Mike Kegley. According to the museum, Chief Kegley died on Thursday, Sept. 3. People that worked closely with Kegley said he worked tirelessly to bring the USS Edson to Bay City as a museum ship and he devoted much of his life to making things happen at the museum over the past 23 years. Chief Kegley’s viewing will be held at Gephart Funeral Home on Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, he will lie in state at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. with the funeral service to follow. Social distancing guidelines will apply to all services. WNEM |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 7
On September 7, 1978, the ROGER M. KYES lost all power in Lake St. Clair requiring tug assistance from the Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs MARYLAND and MAINE, which escorted her to the Great Lakes Steel dock. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. CADILLAC of 1943 was laid up on September 7, 1981, for the last time at Toledo, Ohio. She was later transferred to a West coast marine operation in preparation for conversion for a proposed container ship for service between Chicago, Detroit and Quebec City. However these plans never materialized. On September 7, 1921, the D. G. KERR pulled up to the ore dock at Two Harbors, Minnesota to load exactly 12,507 gross tons of iron ore in the record-breaking time of 16 and a half minutes. This was accomplished through the cooperation of the dock superintendent, the dock employees concerned, the ship's captain and crew and the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. as a means of "showing up" the competition. Her time of arrival and departure to and from the dock took only 19 minutes. For comparison, a good average loading time at that time was about three hours and 45 minutes. On September 7, 1975, on the St. Marys River loaded with iron ore pellets, WILLIAM G. MATHER, forced out of the channel by a saltwater vessel, struck bottom. Upon proceeding further onto Lake Huron it was discovered that her pumps were unable to cope with incoming water caused by the damage. She was beached at Frying Pan Island (De Tour, Michigan) in 19 feet of water when it became evident they couldn't make dock. On 7 September 1883, LAURA BELL (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 269 gross tons, built in 1870, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying coal from Cleveland, Ohio to Marquette, Michigan when she stranded off Shot Point, east of Marquette in Lake Superior. Her crew spent 3 days in her rigging and all but one was rescued by a tug from Marquette. September 7, 1916 - The PERE MARQUETTE 3 ran aground 10 miles north of Milwaukee. September 7, 1996 - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the propulsion system of the BADGER a mechanical engineering landmark. The launch of the 188-foot wooden schooner ELIZABETH A. NICHOLSON was set for 4 p.m., on 7 September 1872, at E. Fitzgerald's shipyard in Port Huron, Michigan. Just before 4 p.m., a telegram was received at the shipyard from Capt. Nicholson, the owner of the new vessel, which read, "Wait a while. We are coming." The launch was delayed until another dispatch was received which said to go ahead anyway. The boat Capt. Nicholson was on had broken down. The launch went well. The vessel was painted deep green with her name in gilt. All present cheered the sight, but there was no party afterwards. All of the food and beverages for the celebration were with Capt. Nicholson on the disabled vessel. On 07 September 1883, the COLORADO (wooden schooner-barge, 118 foot, built in 1866, at Fairport, Ohio) was in tow of the steamer DON M. DICKINSON along with the schooner-barge N. P. GOODELL in a gale on Lake Huron. As the gale worsened, the string of vessels went to shelter in the harbor at Sand Beach (now Harbor Beach), Michigan. The COLORADO broke loose as they entered the harbor. Deckhand Abbot Way jumped on to the breakwater with a line to secure the COLORADO, but the line broke as soon as it went taut. It broke three times and the barge drifted out into the gale, stranding Mr. Way on the breakwater with six-foot waves washing over it. He managed to get to the harbor light at the end of the breakwater and climbed up above the waves where he was stranded for two hours until the crew of the Lifesaving Station got to him. COLORADO beached herself with no loss of life. She was later recovered and lasted until 1902 when she was abandoned. 1901: WAWATAM ran aground on Gratiot Beach above Port Huron with the whaleback barge #102 in tow. 1929: CHARLES C. WEST went aground on Gull Rock Reef damaging both frames and plates. The repair bill topped $46,000. 1942: OAKTON of the Gulf & Lake Navigation Co. was torpedoed and sunk in the St. Lawrence by U-517 about 15 miles west of Cape Gaspe. It was struck amidships on the port side and went down stern first without any loss of life except the ship's St. Bernard dog. The ship had a load of coal on board from Sandusky, Ohio, to Cornerbrook, NF when hit. Two other Greek ships, MOUNT TAYGETUS and MOUNT PINDUS were struck in the same attack with the loss of 6 lives. 1956: The former Canada Steamship Lines freighter WINONA stranded on a sand bank at Aparii, Philippines, island of Luzon, as b) EDDIE while enroute to Japan with a cargo of logs. The ship broke in two and was a total loss. 1965: AMARYLLIS was driven ashore about 1.5 miles north of Palm Beach Inlet, Florida, during Hurricane Betsy. The crew lived on board for another 4 months keeping up steam in hope of being refloated but the ship was eventually abandoned as a total loss. The vessel, enroute from Manchester, England, to Baton Rouge, LA in ballast, visited the Great Lakes in 1959. The hull became increasingly unpopular with local residents and, in 1975, a gravel road was built to the ship to truck the scrapped steel away. The remains were later floated off and sunk off West Palm Beach as an artificial reef. 1979: INDIANA HARBOR loaded a record 61,649 tons of iron ore at Two Harbors. 1997: NORTH ISLANDS, a Cypriot flag SD14, came through the Seaway in 1994 and loaded peas at Thunder Bay for Cuba. The vessel went aground near San Antonio, Chile, after losing her propeller. The ship broke in two, but all 30 on board were rescued by a helicopter from the Chilean Navy. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Tin Stackers - The History of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships. We Remember series |
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Port Reports - September 6 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Ex-finance director of Lake Michigan Car Ferry sent to prison in $1.7 million scheme 9/6 - Ludington, MI – The former finance director of the Lake Michigan Car Ferry was sentenced Friday, Sept. 4, to five years, three months in prison for stealing $1.7 million from the company. Paul Patrick Piper, 58, of Ludington, stole the money over the course of 11 years. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids said the money Piper embezzled was “a frightening number that caused substantial financial hardship” to owners of the company that operates the SS Badger ferry. The ferry runs between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. “His greed caused significant financial damage to one of the largest employers in the Ludington, Michigan, area,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in a statement. Piper took the money between 2007 and 2018. He would override account systems and write check to himself or two of his affiliated businesses. He would forge signatures of company owners or use a signature stamp without their authorization, the government said. Piper had worked for Lake Michigan Car Ferry and Pere Marquette Shipping for 25 years. He also owned Piper Tax & Accounting and another business. He also served as a trustee for Pere Marquette Township. “Mr. Piper was well-respected in the Ludington community …,” attorney Matthew Borgula wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Regrettably, Mr. Piper took advantage of the car ferry starting in around 2007 in an effort to maintain a lifestyle for him and his family and support struggling business ventures.” Piper cooperated with authorities. He also agreed to pay $380,00 in penalties, far more the cost of restitution, his attorney said. The judge ordered Piper to pay $1,740,037.91 in restitution. He earlier forfeited a 2018 Ram Truck, a 2008 Glacier Bay recreational vehicle and cash. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Stella said that the car ferry had to borrow money for operating expenses while Piper was embezzling. “The facts and circumstances of the offense are particularly egregious,” he said in court records. “Stealing nearly two million dollars from a privately owned company over the course of almost 11 years is reprehensible. Doing so on hundreds of occasions and never stopping to reconsider your conduct is particularly egregious, especially when the embezzlement is occurring not out of necessity, but out of greed associated with remodeling a home, paying employees at your tax preparation business and starting a coffee shop on the backs of the hard-working employees of the car ferry.” The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and Mason County Sheriff’s Department investigated. M Live |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 6
On September 6,1872, nine days after she set sail from Port Colborne for Detroit, the schooner J. W. SARGENT was listed as missing in the Detroit newspapers, probably a victim of a August 29 storm that struck Lake Erie. Later on the same day that the newspaper announcement was published, the SARGENT arrived in Detroit. Captain William Simms stated that the storm drove him south to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he sheltered for a few days. He sent a telegraph message to the ship's owner but the news was not relayed to Detroit. The SARGENT only lasted another three months. In November 1872, a storm got her on Lake Erie. The BADGER was launched on September 6, 1952, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. A christening ceremony included the SPARTAN (launched earlier that year). The BADGER was named in honor of the University of Wisconsin. The BADGER was built by Christy Corporation, and is powered by two Skinner 4 cylinder Steeple Compound Uniflow Marine Steam engines, developing over 7,000 horsepower. She was the last of the large, coal-fired steamers to be built in the United States, and the only ship of her type still operating on the Great Lakes. The BADGER offers seasonal passenger service from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from mid May to early October. BELLE RIVER began her maiden voyage when she loaded 56,073 long tons of western coal at Superior, Wisconsin, on August 31, 1977, and arrived at Detroit Edison Co.'s Belle River power plant at Recors Point on September 6, 1977. Renamed in 1990, she sails today as b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR. On September 6, 1992, H. LEE WHITE was in tow of the "G" tugs COLORADO and LOUISIANA entering the Trenton Channel when she struck a section of the toll bridge at Grosse Ile, Michigan, knocking down a 150 foot span immediately east of the main river channel. The WHITE was not damaged but a new section of the bridge had to be installed at a cost of $1.7 million. The bridge was back in service in late January 1993. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated this casualty and their report states that it was the failure of the bridge tender to operate and open the bridge that caused this casualty. The Coast Guard found that the master of the WHITE was operating his vessel in a prudent and lawful manner including the use of whistle signals. CHARLES E. WILSON completed her sea trials in 1973. Renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. GEORGIAN BAY collided with the steamer CHARLES HUBBARD in the fog-covered lower St. Marys River September 6, 1955. On September 6, 1989, the twin-screw rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS left Muskegon, Michigan, in tow of the tugs ANGLIAN LADY and PRINCESS NO 1, and arrived at Port Maitland, Ontario, on September 11th. Scrapping was completed in the fall of 1994. On September 6, 1887, BLUE BELL (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 84 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1867, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying lumber from Wilt's Bay, Michigan, to Milwaukee when she missed the harbor entrance at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in a storm. She was driven ashore where she broke up. Her crew made it to the beach with the aid of the local U.S. Life Saving crew. The total loss was valued at $5,000. On September 6,1871, the wooden schooner ROSA STEARNS, loaded with coal, was battling a storm for hours off Cleveland, Ohio. The ship was driven on the stone breakwater about 1 a.m. and was pounded to pieces. The crew jumped onto the breakwater and crawled to safety as the waves crashed over them. 1908: The wooden steamer CHAUNCY HURLBUT began leaking and was beached at Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, along a rough and rocky shore. It became a total loss and the hull was removed in August 1910 and sunk in deep water. 2009: ALGOPORT ran into heavy weather from tropical storm DeJuan while under tow of the PACIFIC HICKORY, broke up and sank in the Philippine Sea about a week's tow from the destination of Jiangyin, China. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Jody L. Aho, Max S. Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 5 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 5
September 5, 1899, the DOUGLASS HOUGHTON grounded at Sailors Encampment and sank when rammed by her barge, JOHN FRITZ. The HOUGHTON completely blocked St. Marys River traffic for five days. More than 300 boats were delayed at an estimated loss of $600,000. On 05 September 1898, the MONTGOMERY (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 709 tons, built in 1856, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan as a passenger/package freight steamer) sank in 21 feet of water on Lake St. Clair after colliding with the whaleback barge 137 (steel barge, 345 foot, 2,480 gross tons, built in 1896, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) which was being towed by the ALEXANDER McDOUGALL (steel propeller semi-whaleback freighter, 413 foot, 3,686 gross tons, built in 1898, at West Superior, Wisconsin). The MONTGOMERY was raised and repaired. She lasted another two years before breaking up in a storm in 1901. CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials on September 5, 1974, and then cleared the Collingwood shipyard on September 26th. BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain on her maiden voyage September 5, 1942 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. J. P. MORGAN, JR. returned to service September 5, 1948, after repairs suffered in an accident in June. NEW QUEDOC arrived at McLouth Steel, Trenton, Michigan, on her maiden voyage September 5, 1960, with a load of Labrador iron ore. Renamed b.) QUEDOC in 1963. QUEDOC was scrapped at Curacao Island, Lesser Antilles in 1985. The WYANDOTTE of 1916, a.) CONNEAUT, was towed down the Welland Canal on September 5- 6, 1973, on her way to the cutter’s torch at Santander, Spain. On 5 September 1905, ABERCORN (wooden propeller 'rabbit', 126 foot, 261 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) burned at the dock at Goderich, Ontario, while unloading coal. She reportedly caught fire from the explosion of a signal lamp. The schooner CALEDONIA, wrecked the previous autumn near the Fishing Islands on Lake Huron, was raised and arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, on September 5, 1882, under tow to be rebuilt. 1896: The Canadian passenger ship BALTIC, built in 1867 as FRANCES SMITH, burned at the dock in Collingwood. The hull drifted to shallow water and remained there for several years. 1964: A. & J. MID-AMERICA, a Seaway caller in 1963, was driven ashore at Lantau Island near Hong Kong by typhoon Ruby. The vessel was refloated October 5 but came ashore again days later during typhoon Dot on October 13. Refloated October 21, the vessel returned to service and was scrapped as e) UNION TIGER at Inchon, South Korea, after arriving in April 1968. 1964: The former HEMSEFJELL, a pre-Seaway trader, was also blown aground at Hong Kong as d) PROSPERITY during typhoon Ruby but released on October 5. It was scrapped in Thailand during 1972. 1964: The three-year old bulk carrier LEECLIFFE HALL sank in the St. Lawrence, 65 miles below Quebec City, following a collision with the APOLLONIA. Efforts to beach the ship failed and three lives were lost. The hull was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in 1966. The latter, a Greek freighter, had been a Seaway trader in 1964 and was repaired at Levis, QC. The ship was scrapped at Shanghai, China, as c) MAYFAIR after arriving on May 3, 1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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McKeil Marine adds new bulk carrier 9/4 - Burlington, ON – One of Canada’s leading marine services provider, McKeil Marine Limited, has announced the purchase of the M/V Juliana. Built in 2012, this shallow-draft, geared bulker becomes the latest addition to McKeil’s diversified fleet of tugs/workboats, barges, bulkers, cement carriers and tankers. Equipped with four cargo holds, Juliana measures 152 metres by 22 metres, with a deadweight of 16,737 metric tonnes. Juliana is currently Maltese flagged and is in dry-dock in Europe, preparing for her delivery to Canada. Once her Canadianization and delivery are completed, McKeil’s latest acquisition will be renamed the Harvest Spirit. “Nationally, our grain markets continue to perform well,” said McKeil’s President, Scott Bravener. “In fact, the demand for Canadian grain is booming, which is particularly encouraging news in these challenging times. Our grain exports are bolstering overall cargo shipment volumes in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and the Harvest Spirit will allow for McKeil’s continued growth in this robust domestic market.” The vessel has been on the lakes before, back in 2013 and 2014, as the Zealand Juliana (IMO 9655951). McKeil Marine |
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High water spells trouble for iconic lighthouse near Mackinac Island 9/4 - Round Island, MI – Perched on a spit of sand and rock across from Mackinac Island, some say the Round Island Lighthouse is one of the most photographed old beacons anywhere on the Great Lakes. But it also probably triggers the most smiles each year, too. That’s largely because it’s the first thing a million vacationers each year see when the ferries they’re riding make a sweeping turn into the Mackinac Island harbor, just across the channel from where this vintage red-and-white lighthouse still stands sentry. “You see that, and you are pulling right into the harbor. That lighthouse is your welcome to Mackinac Island,” said Matt McMullen, board chairman of the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, who first got up close to this maritime icon 25 years ago when he was a Boy Scout camping there as part of a work project. He’s been hooked ever since. “That lighthouse is the epitome of a Michigan summer,” he said. “When you’re standing next to it, you can see thousands of people going by you on the ferries, but you are alone. The world is moving all around you, but you are not.” “It’s just enough out of reach that there’s a little bit of mystery to it.” But what Round Island Lighthouse needs now is no secret, its caretakers say. It needs rocks. Big ones, and lots of them. It sits on an uninhabited island in the Straits of Mackinac, where this summer’s historically high water levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge. Without more protective riprap to keep the waves at bay, McMullen and other society members are worried that next spring’s thaw will break up a winter’s worth of ice that will be driven by waves into the structure, which was built in 1895 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They don’t want to see a repeat of the damage done by storms in 1972 that famously took out a chunk of the building’s side, exposing it to the elements. Pictures of that crumbled lighthouse made it onto a postcard – and spurred the first public fundraising efforts to save the lighthouse. Preservation society members are hoping for a repeat performance: They are trying to reach enough people who care about this well-known structure to give it the safety net it needs for what they are describing as the precarious freeze-thaw cycle ahead. Read more and view images at this link: |
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Port Reports - September 4 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Monroe, MI – Port of Monroe
Toledo, OH – Michael G Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Lake Superior generally remained stable in August 9/4 - Thunder Bay, ON – Lake Superior generally remained stable over the course of the month, which is typical for this time of year. Lake Michigan-Huron declined 4 cm (1.6 in) over the course of the month, which is the average water level decline in August. At the beginning of September, Lake Superior is 6 cm (2.4 in) below the record-high beginning-of-month level set in 1950. The level is currently 26 cm (10 in) above average (1918 – 2019). Lake Michigan-Huron is 6 cm (2.4 in) above the previous record-high beginning-of-September level set in 1986. The level is currently 86 cm (34 in) above average. Water levels are expected to remain high over at least the next few months and further record highs are possible if wet conditions continue. Furthermore, there will continue to be a significantly increased risk of shoreline erosion, lakeshore flooding and coastal damages as high water levels persist. The International Lake Superior Board of Control (Board) advises all those that may be affected to prepare for potentially severe coastal impacts, especially during periods of strong winds and high waves. The Board expects the total outflow to be 2,500 m3 /s (88.0 tcfs) in September, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The outflow in September is just 160 m3 /s (5.6 tcfs) above average and the lowest September outflow since 2016, which is in part a reflection of Plan 2012 adjusting to the relatively wetter conditions and higher levels experienced on Lake Michigan-Huron in comparison to Lake Superior in recent months. On Friday, 4 September, the gate setting of the control structure will be adjusted from the current setting equivalent to approximately two gates open to a setting equivalent to approximately one gate fully open. This will be achieved by lowering Gates #11 through #14 to a setting of 74 cm (29 in) open. Shoreline businesses and property owners are reminded that the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee continues to host an online questionnaire to allow for direct reporting on impacts related to recent high water conditions. The 2020 version of the questionnaire is now available: https://ijc.org/glam/questionnaire. Great Lakes Lake Superior News |
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The Erie-based tall ship Lettie G. Howard will not sail this season 9/4 - Erie, PA – The Flagship Niagara League on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the sailing season for the tall ship Lettie G. Howard. The vessel was unable to sail this season because of COVID-19 concerns. Flagship Niagara League officials announced the cancellation of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s sailing season in July. For the past two summers, the Lettie G. Howard has provided the Erie community with public day sails, school-group sails, sunset sails and private sails when the Niagara has been away on its Great Lakes sail-trailing programs. A programmatic collaboration between the Flagship Niagara League and the New York City-based South Street Seaport Museum, which owns the Lettie, has been in place since February 2018. “It is unfortunate that neither of the vessels that FNL operates will sail this year,” said Billy Sabatini, the Flagship Niagara League’s executive director and fleet captain. “We ask the community to continue to support these ships to help ensure they sail on Presque Isle Bay in 2021. Our focus now is to ensure the ships are funded, maintained and ready to sail next summer.” The Niagara and the Lettie G. Howard need to be hauled out and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard in spring 2021 before resuming operation. Haul out and shipyard periods for both vessels will have an estimated total cost of $150,000, Flagship Niagara League officials said. GoErie |
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Saltwater casualties, demolitions 9/4 - – Vessels with Great Lakes – St Lawrence Seaway connection reported as a Casualty of Sold for Demolition, taken from September 2020 issue of Marine News - Journal of the World Ship Society Casualties: None
Demolitions: SEAFROST (8517061; Palau) ( Kapitan Korotaev-06 - 1st trip into Seaway 2000, Kapitan Korotayev-94) 11,013 / 1988 - crude oil products tanker. By Cain Marine Co (Baltmed Reefer Services Ltd), Liberia; to Sanjay Trade Corp and arrived Alang 23.03.2020 - commenced demolition 24.03.2020 Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 4
On September 4,1889, the new steamer CHEROKEE (wooden propeller freighter, 209 foot, 1,002 gross tons) arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, from M. P. Lester's yard in Marine City, Michigan, for the Phoenix Iron Works in Port Huron to installed the engine and boiler. Her outfitting was completed by Carleton and Cole of Port Huron. On September 4, 1876, CITY OF PORT HURON, a wooden steam barge, sank a few miles off shore near Lexington, Michigan, at about noon. She was heavily loaded with iron ore and sprang a leak at about 11 o'clock. Most of the crew managed to get on top of the cabin while two were in the forward rigging as she went down in 6 fathoms of water. The heavy seas washed over those on the cabin. Captain George Davis and two others floated ashore on wreckage while a fish boat picked up the five others. No lives were lost. 1921: The former laker RANDOLPH S. WARNER was cut in two to leave the Great Lakes during World War One. It was rebuilt with the pilothouse amidships and sank on this date about 40 miles off the Bosporus after reportedly striking an unrecovered mine. 1926: HARSEN, loaded with a cargo of sand, capsized and sank in a storm 3 miles northeast of the Pelee Passage Light in Lake Erie. The wooden-hulled vessel was a total loss. 1961: IMPERIAL HAMILTON caught fire while loading ethyl gasoline at Sarnia and sustained considerable damage. Six on board were injured. 1963: The Egyptian freighter SALAH ELDIN, a former Victory ship, caught fire in the crew quarters in Hamilton but the blaze was extinguished before it reached the cargo hold. The vessel almost capsized due to the weight of water but it remained upright. Two crew were injured and the Chief Steward died. The ship was towed out by GRAEME STEWART and JAMES BATTLE on November 22, 1963, for Quebec City and sold as is, where it became d) MERCANTILE VICTORY after a refit at Houston, Texas. Another fire on April 23, 1964, this time in the engine room on the Red Sea shortly after re-entering service in March 1964, led to an eventual resale to Spanish shipbreakers. The vessel arrived at Castellon for dismantling on May 10, 1965. 1967: The tugs MICHAEL McALLISTER and AMERICA towed the retired passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN through the Welland Canal enroute to a new career as a training ship for the S.I.U. at Piney Point, MD. 1972: NORSE CORAL was new when it entered the Seaway in 1962 and returned as b) TOTEM STAR in 1963. The ship opened the Seaway season on April 8, 1964, and returned to our shores as c) SILVERBEACH in 1965. It sustained heavy damage off Victoria, BC while inbound from Hong Kong to Vancouver on this date due to a collision with the C.E. DANT. The two ships were locked together. They were towed to Victoria the next day and then separated September 6. The damage was repaired and the former lakes trader survived until scrapping at Xingang, China, in 1986. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Algoma Intrepid completes sea trials 9/3 - According to a social media post, Algoma Central Corp’s newest vessel, Algoma Intrepid, has successfully completed sea trials in the Adriatic off the coast of Croatia. No information has been released as to when the vessel will depart for Canada. She is a sistership to Algoma Innovator, with a bow-mounted unloader. Algoma Central Corp. |
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Port Reports - September 3 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Monroe, MI
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marine Mart canceled 9/3 - Due to ongoing government regulations with the Covid-19 pandemic, GLMI Board of Directors voted to cancel our Marine Mart scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2020 at VFW Bruce Post in St. Clair Shores, MI. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 16, 2021. Great Lakes Maritime Institute |
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2020 updated list of new saltwater visitors 9/3 - As of September 1, 2020, there were 31 new saltwater vessels making their first inland trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system via the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y. They include Alanis, Amber Bay, Amoenitas, Atlantic Spirit, Aujaq, BBC Gdansk, BBC Mekong, BBC Norfolk, BBC Swift, Caroline, Comet, Fure Ven, Heemskerkgracht, Hilke, Ijborg, Imke, Janet C, Josef, Julie C, Keith, Lagertha, Mick, Nadja, Northern Spirit, Ortolan Beta Strait, Puna, Sider Amy, Sinaa, Spiekeroog, Trito Navigator and Zea Servant. Eleven of the new saltwater visitors have made inland trips with other names. They are the Atlantic Spirit which last visited as the Adfines Star in 2019, while the Northern Spirit also last visited in 2019 as the Adfines Sea. Both vessels are tankers and sisterships. The Caroline last visited in 2019 as the Palmerton and they were renamed while at Sarnia on December 1. The Hilke last visited in 2018 as the Palabora and the Lagertha last visited in 2016 as the Halit Bey on its only visit with that name. The Puna last visited in 2019 as the Three Rivers, while the Ortolan Beta Strait last visited in 2019 as the Pacific Huron. Both are sisterships. BBC Norfolk last visited as the Thorco Alliance in 2015 on its only visit with that name. The Heemskerkgracht has visited twice with former names; thitey first came inland as the Beluga Faculty in 2009 and last visited as such in 2010. It returned inland as the HHL Nile in 2011 and last visited as such in 2015. The Josef first came inland as the HHL Congo in 2012 and last visited as such in 2018. As HHL Congo, the ship was renamed Josef in June 2018 while at Burns Harbor. Finally, the Imke last visited in 2016 as the Palau. Denny Dushane |
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Today’s Virtual Visitor Center: ‘Voyage on the Victory II,’ by Roger LeLievre 9/3 - In August 2019, Roger LeLievre, editor and publisher of the annual Great Lakes shipping field guide "Know Your Ships," booked a trip from Detroit to Montreal on the passenger ship Victory II. Visiting ports of call such as Cleveland, the Welland Canal, Toronto and Quebec City, he shares his experiences, and offers a brief history of passenger ship travel on the Great Lakes, in the Virtual Visitor Center this week. The program, today, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, is hosted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. Join on your Chrome browser at https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/passenger-travel |
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Job opening: Chief Engineer Tug Demolen, Class I XH-4742-14
9/3 -
Pay: $44.32 to $51.74 per hour U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is accepting resumes from candidates to serve as Chief Engineer Tug Class I (XH-4742-14), at the Detroit Area Office in the Floating Plant Branch. This is a Permanent/Fulltime/Seasonal position. Resumes will be accepted from 02 September thru 16 September 2020. Resume must be received by COB 16-September-2020 in order to be considered.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: • Seasonal employment means annually recurring periods of work that typically last ten months each year placed in a non-duty, non-pay status in the off-season and recalled to duty the following work season it may vary depending of management needs. • This position requires the incumbent to lift and carry materials weighing 50 pounds or more and will require a pre-employment physical exam. • This position is covered by the civilian drug abuse testing program. Incumbent is required to sign a DA Form 5019-R, Condition of Employment for certain civilian positions identified as critical under the Drug Abuse Testing Program. • The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states • You may be expected to travel up to 75% of the time • Work duty station is located Detroit, MI and schedule is a 40 hour work week. Unless in a TDY status (travel) status, schedule is subject to change. • Shift work is required during open-water (lake) towing operations. • Must possess and maintain a valid state issued motor vehicle driver’s license • This position requires incumbent to wear safety equipment and/or use personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed. • This position requires incumbent to obtain and maintain a First Aid Certification.
HOW TO APPLY:
POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ACTION: |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 3
September 3, 1919, the WILLIAM A. McGONAGLE loaded a record 15,160 tons of soft coal at Toledo, Ohio for delivery to Gary, Indiana. The record lasted less than 24 hours as the D. G. KERR, Captain Harry Harbottle, loaded 15,532 tons of coal at the same Toledo dock for delivery to Gary. September 3, 1942, the 250-foot STEEL VENDOR, Captain G. L. Kane, sank at 3:45 a.m. on Lake Superior with a cargo of 3,000 tons of iron ore. The lone casualty was Oiler John N. Sicken. Twenty-two survivors were rescued by the CHARLES M. SCHWAB, Captain Alfred Drouillard, and 2 survivors were rescued by the WILLIAM G. CLYDE, Captain David M. LeRoy. Other boats standing by were the B. F. AFFLECK, ELBERT H. GARY, JOLIET, and EUGENE P. THOMAS. September 3, 1957, the HARRIS N. SNYDER of the Boland & Cornelius fleet, Captain Elmer Murray and Chief Engineer Frank Mc Cabe, rescued 2 from the waters of Lake Michigan. Not only did the crew rescue Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Colby, but the crew used the unloading boom to recover their sailboat and place it on the deck of the SNYDER. The entire maneuver only required 55 minutes. On September 3, 1899, the Great Lakes Towing Company's RED CLOUD (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 40 gross tons, built in 1883, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing on Lake Erie for Lorain, Ohio, when a storm forced her to head for port at Cedar Point, Ohio. However she was thrown on a reef and broke in two - a total loss. The crew made it to Sandusky, Ohio. On September 3, the BELLE RIVER (now WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR.) set a then Great Lakes record for coal when it loaded 62,802 tons of coal at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal on its maiden voyage. This record has since been surpassed many times. At Lorain, Ohio keel-laying ceremonies for the 437-foot bow section of the ROGER BLOUGH (Hull#900) took place on September 3, 1968, and was float-launched December 21, 1968, less ballast tanks because the existing dry dock wasn't wide enough to accommodate her 105-foot width. SOODOC (Hull#210) of 1976, on her maiden voyage from Collingwood, Ontario, loaded salt at Goderich, Ontario, on September 3, 1976. Renamed b.) AMELIA DESGAGNES in 1990. U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY was laid up for the last time September 3, 1981, at Superior, Wisconsin. She was towed to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1987, where the superstructure was removed and the hull was sunk for use as a dock. THOMAS W. LAMONT was laid up for the last time at Duluth’s Hallett dock #6A on September 3, 1981. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1987. H. H. PORTER sailed on her maiden voyage for the Brier Hill Steamship Co. (Pickands Mather, mgr.) on September 3, 1920, light from Lorain, Ohio, to load iron ore at Two Harbors, Minnesota. Renamed b.) WALTER E. WATSON in 1957 and c.) NATIONAL TRADER in 1973. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1978. On September 3, 1985, PHILIP R. CLARKE plowed into the Drawbridge Cove Marina in Lorain's Black River, damaging 5-10 small craft and sinking one at the steel dock. CLARKE managed to stop before hitting the Route 6 drawbridge. On September 3,1887, BULGARIA (wooden propeller, 280 foot, 1,888 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, by J. Davidson, as their hull number 16. September 3, 1910 - The MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 (Hull#450) was launched in Cleveland, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for the Marquette & Bessemer Dock & Navigation Co. She was the replacement for MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 of 1905, (Hull#428), which foundered on Lake Erie, December 7, 1909. On September 3, 1869, the 167-foot wooden propeller BOSCOBEL burned about two miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Three lives were lost. The ship was only about two years old and was in service of the New York Central Railroad, though owned by the Peshtigo Lumbering Co. of Chicago. The burned hulk was raised in 1876 and rebuilt as a schooner-barge at Algonac, Michigan. She lasted until 1909, when she sank on Lake Huron. 1905: The GEORGE STEPHENSON was blown aground at Pointe Aux Pins, Lake Superior and struck by her consort barge JOHN A. ROEBLING. Both were released and returned to service. 1942: DONALD STEWART, a canal trader for Canada Steamship Lines, was torpedoed by U-517 and sunk while in a convoy on the Gulf of St. Lawrence while carrying barrels of aviation fuel and bulk cement for the air base at Goose Bay, Labrador. Three members of the engine room crew were lost. 1944: LIVINGSTON, a former Great Lakes canal ship, was torpedoed and sunk by U-541 in the Atlantic about 80 miles east of Cape Breton Island. Fourteen lives were lost but another 14 were spared and rescued. 1965: The tanker EASTERN SHELL sank the small wooden goelette MONT BLANC in a collision blamed on fog about 20 miles from Trois Rivieres. All crewmembers of the pulpwood carrier were rescued. 1970: KENNETH made a single trip to the Great Lakes in 1959. It caught fire in the engine room on this date off the coast of Israel while enroute from Alexandria, Egypt, to Tripoli, Libya, as h) CHRISTINA MARIA. The ship was abandoned by the crew, towed into Haifa, Israel, September 6 and sold to Israeli shipbreakers later in the year. 1998: ORKANGER, a chemical tanker that first came through the Seaway in 1977, began leaking while inbound at Rio Grande, Brazil, as e) BAHAMAS with 12,000 tons of sulphuric acid and sank in the harbor. The hull was eventually refloated but never repaired although it had subsequent renames and was reported as broken up in 2003 as h) ORIENT FLOWER. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - September 2 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A. Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Monroe, MI
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Oswego, NY – Tom Brewer |
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SS Keewatin’s Eric Conroy bids farewell 9/2 - Port McNicoll, ON – “God speed and good sailing.” That's Eric Conroy's sign-off line at the end of a letter announcing that he is stepping away from his role as chief executive officer and president of the non-profit, Friends of Keewatin. "There are a whole set of new problems facing Keewatin today," writes Conroy in his letter, referring to the Edwardian era ship's fate, which hangs in the balance. "There is also an incredible response to recent media reports. Keewatin has attracted some very talented new volunteers, bringing experience in history, museum science, law, finance, and marketing. This new contingent is fitting well with the existing crew and a new team has been created. "It is therefore time for me to step aside and let this re-energized organization rise to the current challenge and those going forward," he continues. "I am resigning effective Aug. 31, 2020, and will fulfill my obligations and withdraw by Sept. 15, 2020." The ship owes Conroy a debt of gratitude, said David Blevins, communications officer for the Friends of Keewatin. "The ship is him and he is the ship," Blevins said, adding Conroy has given 12 years of his life to making sure the ship is well cared for and maintained as it rests in the waters of Georgian Bay. "He's been part of the ship for decades. (He) started when he worked on the ship. I've never seen dedication to anyone by anyone as deep as his to the Keewatin." Conroy is credited with bringing the ship to its current home at Port McNicoll. According to Conroy's official bio shared by the Friends of Keewatin, he had been engaged in the acquisition and return to Canada of the passenger steamship since August 2011. As a teen, he worked onboard the ship as a waiter as it travelled ran from Port McNicoll to Fort William (now Thunder Bay). The 350-foot-long antique ship was purchased by Skyline Developments as a centrepiece and cultural contribution to a renewed Port McNicoll community. "It's an amazing feat to bring this ship back and to have the original president of Skyline want to gift this to the community," said Blevins. He added somewhere along the line things changed between Skyline and Friends of Keewatin, which is currently locked out of the ship until a decision is made about whether it's being sold to a new owner or being dismantled to be laid to rest forever. "The bigger picture is that we're still locked out," he said. "We're frustrated by that action." He said the presence of the ship in Tay Township honors those that have served the community in the past and that it would be a real hit to the local community to lose the ship. "We've had tens of thousands of people going through the ship since she's been back," added Blevins. "Notwithstanding the thousands of hours of volunteer work that has gone into it." Friends of Keewatin is hoping for a resolution for the community, he said. "We're reaching out to Skyline to open the lines of communication to just ask that very question: what can we do to assure you that this ship can stay here and should stay here?" said Blevins, admitting that the non-profit has financial challenges when it comes to keeping the ship where it is. "There are so many moving parts that we as Friends of Keewatin are not part of," he said. "Over the past, we've had a trusted and valued relationship with them and we want to keep that going." As for Conroy's role, Blevins said, the Friends of Keewatin is forever grateful and thankful for his devotion to the ship. Midland Today |
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Photos: Russian tall ship Pilgrim arrives in Duluth 9/2 - Duluth, MN – The Pilgrim has been sailing the world for two years and arrived in Duluth on Monday, Aug. 31. It originated in Duluth’s Sister City of Petrozavodsk, Russia, where the vessel was built in 2007. The tall ship will spend an indefinite amount of time in Duluth, and is likely to move on to a secondary dock as the expedition needs to raise funds to transport the ship and crew to Seattle, where it will resume sailing for Alaska. View images at this link: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/6641679-Photos-Russian-tall-ship-Pilgrim-arrives-in-Duluth |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 2
On 02 September 1902, the White Star Line’s TASHMOO (steel side-wheel excursion steamer, 308 foot, 1,344 gross tons, built in 1900, at Wyandotte, Michigan) hosted President Theodore Roosevelt when he came to Detroit, Michigan, to speak to Spanish American War veterans. The vessel took the president and his party on a sightseeing tour up and down the river while flying the president's blue and gold flag from the main mast. The BROOKNES (Hull #1177) was launched on September 2, 1970, at Glasgow, Scotland by Lithgows Ltd. for "Langra" Schiffahrsges G.m.b.H. & Co., Hamburg, Germany. Brought to the Lakes in 1976, converted to a self-unloader and renamed b.) ALGOSEA. She sailed most recently as c.) SAUNIERE. ROBERT KOCH's first trip was on September 2, 1977, up the Welland Canal bound for Buffalo with cement. The W. F. WHITE was one of the earliest ships built as a self-unloader on the Great Lakes. On her maiden voyage September 2, 1915, the WHITE loaded coal at Erie, Pennsylvania, and sailed for Menominee, Michigan. She was the largest self-unloading bulk carrier on the Lakes at that time with a cargo capacity of 10,500 tons. The RALPH H. WATSON departed light September 2, 1938, from Detroit, Michigan, upbound to load iron ore at Duluth, Minnesota. She was built as part of a fleet modernization plan for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, of four new "GOVERNOR MILLER' class bulk carriers, the other two were the JOHN HULST and the WILLIAM A. IRVIN. The WATSON was only the fourth steam turbine powered vessel on the Lakes HUBERT GAUCHER ran aground in the lower St. Lawrence on September 2, 1988. It took three tugs to free her; repairs took place at Quebec City. ZIEMIA TARNOWSKA lost her engine while docking at Pier 24, in Cleveland, ramming the dock and caused about $100,000 in damage on September 2, 1988. The Polish vessel had minimal damage to her bulbous bow. On 2 September 1851, BUNKER HILL (wooden sidewheeler, 154 foot, 457 tons, built in 1835, at Black River, Ohio) burned to a total loss at Tonawanda, New York. The COLONEL ELLSWORTH (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 319 gross tons, built in 1861, at Euclid, Ohio as a bark) was beached on Whitefish Point in Lake Superior the entire winter of 1895-96. She was repaired and put back into service late in the summer of 1896. Then, on 2 September 1896, the newly rebuilt vessel collided with the schooner EMILY B. MAXWELL about 6 miles from White Shoals on Lake Michigan and sank at about 4:00 a.m. Her crew escaped in the yawl and was picked up by the MAXWELL. 1905 The large wooden schooner PRETORIA, which cleared Superior with ore under tow of the VENEZUELA, hit a fierce storm and the steering gear failed. The vessel fell into the trough after the tow line snapped and the barge broke up off Outer Island. Five crew were rescued and another five were lost. 1905 IOSCO and the schooner OLIVE JEANETTE foundered off Huron Island, Lake Superior, with the loss of 19 lives on the former and another 7 on the latter. Both were downbound with iron ore and were last seen near Stannard Rock. Also, the SEVONA stranded on a reef in a Lake Superior storm and broke in two as a total loss. Seven drowned from the bow section when they tried to come ashore on hatch rafts. The wreck was dynamited in 1909 after the boilers had been salvaged. 1914 THOS. R. SCOTT became waterlogged and sank during a storm in the deepest part of Georgian Bay off the east coast of the Bruce Peninsula. The ship was swamped in a storm while carrying lumber from Cockburn Island to Owen Sound and all on board were saved. The hull was located using sidescan sonar in 1994. 1926 BURT BARNES, a wooden three-masted schooner, foundered in Lake Ontario while carrying 210 tons of coal from Sodus Point to Picton. The crew abandoned the ship in the yawl boat near Picton and were blown across the lake and came ashore safely 12 miles west of Rochester. 1972 The Cypriot freighter AEGIS WISDOM and the Italian vessel LIBRA collided in fog on the St. Lawrence near Les Escoumins. The former, which had been launched in March, was on her first trip outbound from the Seaway and was heavily damaged aft. The vessel was towed to Lauzon for repairs and survived until scrapping at Alang, India, as d) ANGELIKI II following arrival on January 14, 1997. LIBRA, dated from 1965 but did not come to the Great Lakes until 1975. It was scrapped in Mainland China as b) DEPY in 1986. 1975 CHICAGO TRIBUNE, enroute from Thunder Bay to Collingwood with grain, went aground in Georgian Bay and had to be lightered by the CHARLES W. JOHNSON, working with the tug ROD McLEAN. After being released and unloaded, the ship went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Grain exports bolster foundering Great Lakes shipping volume 9/1 - Booming exports of grain are driving the Great Lakes shipping industry’s rebound, with shipments of Canadian grain up 13 per cent from last year. The demand for grain helps offset downturns among many other products, like coal, steel and iron ore, which have brought the overall amount of cargo shipped on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway down eight per cent year-to-date. “Throughout the year, we’ve seen a surge of Canadian and American grain being shipped out,” said Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, a bi-national association that represents more than 130 marine stakeholders. “The demand, both domestically and internationally, for wheat and canola, is strong.” Burrows said grain is in high demand amid the pandemic because of changes to the food industry, with more people cooking and consuming goods at home. “Global demand this year seems to suggest that they like Canadian grain, soybean and canola products,” he said. Lower-than-normal ocean shipping rates have also made Canadian and American grain more attractive internationally, Burrows said. In July, 3.9 million tonnes of cargo moved through the St. Lawrence Seaway and 15.6 million tonnes have shipped so far this year. Coal is down 16 per cent, dry bulk 12 per cent and liquid bulk 20 per cent, offshoots of the pandemic thrashing the construction, automotive and travel industries. Still, July marked the first month since the COVID-19 pandemic began that Great Lakes shipping showed signs of improvement compared to the same month last year. Shipments of fertilizer are beginning to rise, Burrows said, along with road salt and general cargo. “Some ports for July are up a little bit,” Burrows said. “There’s obviously optimism here that maybe we’ve seen the bottom, but there’s nothing to celebrate yet.” At Port Windsor, one of Southwestern Ontario’s key ports, grain shipments are up 18.9 per cent. Overall, tonnage is down 4.6 per cent year-to-date at Port Windsor, clobbered by a 68 per cent drop off in steel shipments. July 2020, however, was up 7.7 per cent from July 2019. As the Great Lakes freight industry gears up for what it hopes will be a busy fall season — the season typically ends Dec. 31 — grain remains top of mind for many ports hoping to claw back as much missed business as possible. “We anticipate strong grain shipments in fall with Canadian farmers preparing to harvest one of the top five largest crops in history,” said Tim Heney, chief executive of the Port of Thunder Bay. “The Seaway has been a vital export corridor for Canadian farmers to reach world markets during the pandemic,” said Terence Bowles, president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “We’re hopeful that grain numbers will remain strong with the new crop harvests in the autumn.” For Burrows, it’s “no question” shipping on the St. Lawrence will be down this year. It’s nearly impossible to make up that eight per cent decrease in four months, he said, but grain could be a silver lining in an otherwise tumultuous year. “If grain can still see a good fall, it’ll make it a more respectable year,” Burrows said. “That’s what’s going to be saving us to some extent from the damage.” Sentinel Review |
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Port Reports - September 1 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 1
September 1, 1880, the Cleveland Vessel Owners Association, later Lake Carriers’ Association, was created, with Alva Bradley as its first president. September 1, 1892, the upbound WESTERN RESERVE, flagship of the Kinsman fleet, sank approximately 60 miles above Whitefish Point. There were 31 casualties among the crew and passengers. The lone survivor was Wheelsman Harry W. Stewart. On 01 September 1891, EDWARD H. JENKS (wooden propeller freighter, 119 foot over all, 180 gross tons, built in 1882, at Port Dover, Ontario as the passenger/package freight steamer E.M. FOSTER) was carrying limestone up the Detroit River during a foggy night when she collided with GEORGE W. MORLEY (wooden propeller freighter, 193 foot, 1,045 gross tons, built in 1888, at W. Bay City, Michigan) in a misunderstanding of passing signals. Three were killed in the collision and the JENKS quickly sank at Ballard's Reef on the Detroit River. Her cargo kept her in place until she was recovered the following month and rebuilt. Tragedy struck four days after the launch of the AGAWA CANYON, September 1, 1970, when the ship was rocked by an engine room explosion, killing one of the crew and injuring seven more. The AGAWA CANYON entered service in November, 1970, equipped with four 10 cylinder, two stroke cycle, single acting opposed piston diesel engines, built in 1970, by Fairbanks, Morse (Canada), Kingston, Ontario. Total bhp 6,680. Rated service speed: 12 knots (13.8 mph). The TEMPLE BAR (Hull#101G) was launched September 1, 1970, at Govan, Scotland by the Govan Division of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd. for Lambert Bros. (Shipping) Ltd., London, England. Renamed b.) LAKE NIPIGON in 1977, c.) LAKETON in 1984, d.) LAKE NIPIGON in 1986, and e.) ALGONORTH in 1987. Upon her arrival at Quebec City on September 1, 1962, the LAKE WINNIPEG was the first vessel of the Nipigon Transport Ltd. (Carryore Ltd., mgr.) fleet. The self-unloader B.H. TAYLOR (Hull#787) was launched September 1, 1923, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., the third self-unloader built for the Bradley Transportation Co., Rogers City, Michigan. Renamed b.) ROGERS CITY in 1957. Scrapped at Recife, Brazil in 1988. From September 1, 1947, to September 15, 1959, the U.S.C.G.C. MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. On 1 September 1854, ABIAH (2-mast wooden schooner or brig, 134 foot, 353 tons, built in 1848, at Irving, New York) was sailing light from Chicago, Illinois, to Oconto, Wisconsin, when she capsized and sank in a squall about 10 miles off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The schooner L. LUDDINGTON rescued her crew and 2 passengers. The 135-foot wooden schooner JOSEPH E. SPARROW was launched at Bangor, Michigan, on 1 September 1873. On 1 September 1900, the Canadian steamer ADVANCE (wooden propeller package freighter, 168 foot, 1,178 gross tons, built in 1884, at St. Catharines, Ontario) was placed in service. In August 1899, when she was named SIR S. L. TILLEY, she had caught fire off shore, about 7 miles from Fairport, Ohio, and was destroyed. However, the hull was later recovered and used as the basis of the steamer ADVANCE. She lasted in this role until 1903, when she burned again. September 1, 1919 - A switchman was killed in the yard at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, while the ANN ARBOR No. 6 was being loaded. This caused a delay of four hours in her sailing time. September 1, 1931 - W. L. Mercereau retired as superintendent of steamships, a position he had held since 1899. 1916 DRONNING MAUD, a Norwegian freighter visited the Great Lakes on charter to Keystone Transports beginning in 1909. It hit a mine in the North Sea on this date and sank off the east coast of England, between Southwall and Lowestoft. 1929 EDWARD BUCKLEY caught fire and was destroyed in the North Channel of Georgian Bay. The blaze broke out aft while enroute to Little Current to load pulpwood. The hull burned to the waterline and sank near Narrow Island Lighthouse. Local fishermen rescued the crew. 1936 The Canadian canaller BENMAPLE of the Port Colborne & St. Lawrence Navigation Company, sank in the St. Lawrence at about 0400 hours, near Father Point, after being hit in fog by the inbound liner LAFAYETTE. A wheelsman was killed but all others on board were rescued. 1983 INDIANA HARBOR sets a record loading 67,896 tons of iron ore at Escanaba. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 31 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI -
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 31
August 31, 1852 - The U. S. Congress passed an act requiring the president to appoint three officers from the Navy, three engineers from the Army and two civilian scientists to constitute the new Lighthouse Board. The Bureau of Lighthouses succeeded the Lighthouse Board in 1910. On August 31, 1977, the BELLE RIVER entered service, departing Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Superior, Wisconsin. Renamed b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR in 1990. In mid-August 1987, a peregrine falcon that had disappeared from Regina, Saskatchewan, two weeks earlier landed on the deck of a lake freighter on Lake Huron. The bird was captured and taken to a bird sanctuary in Vineland, Ontario. The vessel name is unknown. In mid-August 1985, the Belgium salty FEDERAL THAMES loaded 25,400 tons of low-concentrate chrome ore at Duluth's Hallett Dock and was bound for Sweden. This ore dates back to World War II when it was mined in Montana. Other shipments were to have been made later as well. On 31 August 1906, CAVALIER (3-mast wooden schooner, 134 foot 268 gross tons, built in 1867, at Quebec City as a bark) was carrying cedar lumber when she struck a reef off Chantry Island in Lake Huron and sank. Her crew was rescued by the Chantry Island lightkeeper. She was bound from Tobermory for Sarnia, Ontario. On 31 August 1869, the schooner W. G. KEITH was launched at the Muir & Stewart yard in Port Huron, Michigan. She was named after her skipper/owner. Her dimensions were 126 foot X 26 foot X 8 foot 6 inches. She was built for the Lake Michigan lumber trade. On 31 August 1900, efforts to free the newly-launched steel steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON from the mud in the Black River at Port Huron, Michigan continued throughout the day. The launch had been watched by thousands the previous day and the vessel's stern stuck in the mud. On this date, the tugs BOYNTON and HAYNES tried to pull her free but were unable to do so. Finally 14 hydraulic jacks were used to lift the vessel and at 6 p.m. she was ready to be pulled by tugs. After a 15-inch hawser was broken in the first attempt, the tug PROTECTOR finally pulled the vessel free. In 1982, the sandsucker NIAGARA made its last trip through the I-75 Bridge with a cargo of sand for the Chevrolet Saginaw Metal Castings plant. In 1975, ALGOCEN stranded on South McNair Shoal in the St. Lawrence off Ogdensburg, N.Y. The ship was released and, after unloading at Port Cartier, sailed to Port Weller Dry Dock to spend from September 14 to October 10 on the shelf while a 600-foot section of the bottom of the hull was repaired. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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USCG Hollyhock sets out for southern U.S. to restore storm-battered shipping channels 8/30 - Port Huron, MI – The U.S. Coast Guard Hollyhock set out on a historic mission last week, departing from Port Huron to help southern states battered by tropical storms. Nick Monacelli, the Hollyhock's lieutenant commander, said the ship will replace, repair and locate missing buoys blown away or damaged by tropical storms. Buoys designate shipping channels so boats can safely navigate the water. Open shipping channels are important to establish as soon as possible after a storm or hurricane, Monacelli said. Shipping is an important mode of transportation that delivers relief supplies to storm-damaged areas, especially when other modes of transportation are not available. "After the storms, usually airports are just decimated, roads are washed out, so one of the only ways to bring relief into hard-hit areas is generally through the ports," he said. "But the ports can't open until the mariners are certain in the ability of safety of navigation." Crews work on the USCGC Hollyhock. The ship will replace and repair buoys marking shipping channels following tropical storms during the 2020 hurricane season. This is the first mission of its kind the Hollyhock has ever completed, Monacelli said. "This is unprecedented and historic. This is not a typical mission for the Hollyhock," he said. "We normally stay within the Great Lakes. Of course, she is capable of going out." The Hollyhock is one of 16 Coast Guard seagoing buoy tenders. Several buoy ships on the East Coast are out of commission currently for maintenance, so the Hollyhock is filling in. "We're going in as the bullpen bench strength," he said. Monacelli said he spent several years doing post-storm recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, so he was tapped for his experience. The last time the ship left the Great Lakes was 2013, for maintenance at a dry dock. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2020/08/28/u-s-coast-guard-hollyhock-sets-out-southern-u-s-restore-storm-battered-shipping-channels/3444700001 |
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Port Reports - August 30 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Toronto, ON |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 30
On this day in 1964, the retired Bradley Transportation steamer CALCITE was awarded the National Safety Council Award of Merit. The CALCITE accumulated a total of 1,394,613 man-hours of continuous operation over 17 years without a disabling, lost-time injury. The CALCITE was the first Great Lakes vessel to ever receive this honor. On 30 August 1893, CENTURION (steel propeller freighter, 350 foot, 3,401 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull#100) at W. Bay City, Michigan. The name was a pun to celebrate the ship as Frank Wheeler's 100th hull. The CHARLES E. WILSON was christened August 30, 1973, at Bay Shipbuilding Co., for the American Steamship Co., and completed her sea trials on September 6th. She was renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000. On August 30, 1942, the A. H. FERBERT ran aground in the St. Marys River, just a day old. The vessel returned to the builder's yard in River Rouge, Michigan for repairs. On August 30, 1988, the WILLOWGLEN, a.) MESABI, made its first visit to Duluth-Superior under that name. She loaded grain at Harvest States in Superior, Wisconsin, arriving early in the morning and departing in the early evening the same day. Her last visit to Duluth before this was in 1981 under the name c.) JOSEPH X. ROBERT. The H G DALTON entered service on August 30, 1903, for Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. Later b.) COURSEULLES in 1916, c.) GLENDOCHART in 1922, d.) CHATSWORTH in 1927, e.) BAYLEAF in 1942 and f.) MANCOX in 1951. On August 30, 1985, the tug CAPTAIN IOANNIS S departed Quebec City with MENIHEK LAKE and LEON FALK, JR. in tow, bound for Spain to be scrapped. On 30 August 1873, CAMBRIDGE (3-mast, wooden schooner, 162 foot, 445 tons, built in 1868, at Detroit, Michigan) was bound from Marquette, Michigan for Cleveland, Ohio with a load of iron ore. In rough seas, she was thrown onto the rocky shore near Marquette where she broke up. No lives were lost. On 30 August 1900, thousands of people gathered at the Jenks Shipbuilding Company near the Grand Trunk Bridge on the Black River in Port Huron, Michigan to watch the launching of the large steel steamer CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON. Superintendent Andrews gave the word and the blows were struck simultaneously at the bow and stern. Slowly the vessel started quivering slightly from deck to keel and then with a mighty rush, slid sideways into the river. Her stern stuck in the mud. Mrs. Thomas Wilson christened the ship. 1892: The two-year-old steel bulk carrier WESTERN RESERVE foundered about 60 miles above Whitefish Point with the loss of 26 lives. There was only one survivor. 1903: PITTSBURGH burned at the dock in Sandwich, Ontario. The oak-hulled passenger and freight paddle-wheeler had been built in 1871 as MANITOBA. The hull was towed to Port Dalhousie for scrapping later in 1904. 1942: NEEBING (i), a former bulk canaller that dated from 1903, left the lakes for war service about 1915. It survived the initial conflict and continued in saltwater service into the Second World War. The ship was torpedoed and sunk as c) JAN TOMP in the eastern Black Sea enroute from Poti, Georgia, to Novorossiysk, Russia. 1952: The iron-hulled paddle-wheeler HAMILTONIAN burned at Hamilton. The cause was believed to have been a carelessly discarded cigarette butt in the women’s washroom. The remains were scrapped at Hamilton in 1953. 1975: B.A. CANADA came to the Great Lakes beginning in 1966 after early work for British-American tankers between Venezuela and North America. The ship was sold and returned inland under Liberian registry as b) DIMITRIOS D.M. in 1969 and ran aground in the Panama Canal on this date in 1975. The damaged hull was laid up at Jacksonville, FL and arrived at Panama City, FL. for scrapping on March 10, 1976. 2001: MARLY, a Seaway caller in 1981, began flooding in #2 hold as d) BISMIHITA'LA and developed a severe list. The crew abandoned ship and 25 sailors were picked up by the MURIEL YORK. Three were lost when their lifeboat drifted into the propeller. The ship was 500 miles off Capetown, South Africa. It was taken in tow by the tug SUHAILI but the 25-year old freighter had to be scuttled at sea on September 17, 2001. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Blount Small Ship Adventures ceases operations 8/29 - After indications that Blount may have been shuttering its cruising arm, Blount Small Ship Adventures, the line confirmed on August 25 that it is ceasing operations effective immediately as a result of the ongoing global health crisis. On August 12, a sponsored post on the popular gCaptain website showed the three Blount vessels – Grande Mariner, Grande Caribe and Niagara Prince – as being "currently for sale by owner and open for viewing by appointment at the Blount Boats facility in Warren, Rhode Island." Blount Small Ship Adventures – an offshoot of shipbuilder Blount Boats – has been in business for decades, offering small-ship cruises throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Its three vessels are also listed as being for sale on the Blount Boats website. "Yes, this is confirmation that Blount Small Ship Cruise Lines has ceased operations," Julie Blount, EVP of Blount Boats, told TravelPulse. Blount stated that the company would focus on its small shipbuilding operations in the United States, but would no longer offer cruises. The Blount Small Ship Adventures website, meanwhile, now only displays a splash-page with a generic email address for inquires. The website states the company hopes to resume operations in 2021. Blount Small Ship Adventures was founded in 1966 by Luther Blount as the American Canadian Caribbean Line. It is the first U.S.-based cruise line to fold following the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed the British line Cruise & Maritime Voyages; Royal Caribbean's Spanish arm, Pullmantur; and German operator FTI. Cruise Critic |
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Port Reports - August 29 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Owen Sound, ON – Paul Martin
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Cleveland, OH – Jacob Silvan
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 29
August 29, 1996 - The NICOLET, which had been sold for scrap, left Toledo under tow of the McKeil tug OTIS WACK, arriving in Port Maitland, Ontario during the early hours of the 30th. Last operated in 1990, the NICOLET was built in 1905 by Great Lakes Engineering Work at Ecorse, Michigan as the a.) WILLIAM G. MATHER (25), b) J. H. SHEADLE (55), c) H. L. GOBEILLE. The vessel spent the first 60 years of her life in service for the Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company. After 1965, her ownership was transferred to the Gartland Steamship Company and eventually American Steamship Company. On this day in 1974, unsuccessful negotiations on a major shipbuilding contract resulting in Litton Industries terminating operations at its Erie yard. The Litton yard had built the first 1,000-foot boat on the lakes, the STEWART J. CORT, and the 1,000-foot tug-barge PRESQUE ISLE. It is not often that a schooner tows a tug, but on 29 August 1882, the tug J. A. CRAWFORD was towing the big schooner JAMES COUCH to Chicago when the wind picked up and the schooner passed the tug. Captain Gorman of the CRAWFORD cut the engine and allowed the COUCH to tow him until they got close to the harbor. Then the schooner shortened sail and the tug finished the job of towing her into port. On August 29, 1942, the A. H. FERBERT entered service for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. On her maiden voyage August 29, 1979, the INDIANA HARBOR sailed for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore pellets for Indiana Harbor, Indiana. In August 1982, INDIANA HARBOR became the first U.S. flag laker to receive satellite communication. On August 29, 1972 the lightship HURON was placed in an earth embankment at Port Huron's Pine Grove Park along the St. Clair River and was opened to visitors on July 13, 1974. Canada Steamship Lines' ATLANTIC SUPERIOR returned from Europe on August 29, 1985, with a cargo of gypsum for Picton, Ontario. On 29 August 1871, GEORGE M. ABEL (2-mast wooden schooner) broke up on a reef near Port Burwell, Ontario. On 29 August 1858, CANADA (3-mast wooden bark, 199 foot, 758 tons) was carrying a half-million board feet of lumber to Chicago in bad weather when she settled just north of downtown Chicago. The next day during a salvage attempt, she blew southward, struck a bar off the old waterworks, broke her back, then broke up. She had been built in Canada in 1846, as a sidewheeler and was seized by the U.S. in 1849, and rebuilt as a bark in 1852. August 29, 1998 - The BADGER was designated a spur route on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. 1906: The wooden bulk carrier CHARLES A. EDDY caught fire in Lake Huron enroute to Cleveland with iron ore. The ship later arrived at Port Huron, under her own power, with a salvage crew. 1967: LINDE, a Norwegian flag freighter, first entered the Seaway in 1965. Two years later, on this date, it sank the ARISTOS in dense fog in the English Channel 17 miles off Beachy Head. All on board were rescued. LINDE later stranded as d) ZEPHYR outside of Dunkirk, France, on January 13, 1981, after anchoring due to bad weather. The hull was broken up for scrap where she lay. 1984: A fire in the cargo hold of NANTICOKE broke out while the ship was unloading in Quebec City and damaged the self-unloading belts and electronic components. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Lake Huron Lore Society, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handling one of biggest shipment in its history 8/28 - Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor – The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is handling one of the biggest shipments in its half-century-long history. The deepwater port on Lake Michigan is unloading the primary shipments for a $1 billion power plant at the Indeck Niles Energy Center in Niles, Michigan. Stevedores at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor are handling more than 600 individual pieces of cargo, some of which are 100-feet long and weigh more than 600,000 pounds. A total of six ocean-faring vessels known as salties have been hauling in the cargo, including a Heat Recovery Steam Generator steam recovery system that is 613,000 pounds, 100 feet long, 12 feet high and 15 feet wide. “We have seen an uptick in large project cargo shipments this year for power plants and wind energy components, but the size and scope of this project make it one of the largest shipments in our port’s 50-year history,” Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Port Director Ian Hirt said. “It is not every day you get to see our port companies and labor force handling 600 pieces of cargo for one massive power plant project.” The ocean-going ships BBC Florida, Timgad, Freida, Calypso, BBC Mont Blanc and BBC Greenland traversed the Atlantic Ocean, passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway and entered the Great Lakes. They came to the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor because of its capability for handling heavy lift, oversized and large-dimensional cargoes, and for its proximity to the power plant in Michiana. “The project volume, totaling 25,000 cubic meters, is comparable to 10 Statues of Liberty,” Hirt said. “Watching cargoes this large move through the port is awe-inspiring.” Each shipment takes about two months. Longshoreman load the cargo onto 84-axle semitrailer trucks that take it to its final destination at the next-generation natural gas power plant in Michigan. The Indeck Niles Energy Center will use combined-cycle technology in which electricity is produced through a gas turbine and by recovering excess heat that is converted to steam. Construction started last year, and it's expected to go online in spring 2022. NW Indiana Times |
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Saginaw River closing to boaters for Consumers Energy plant demolition 8/28 - Bay City, MI – Boaters looking to get in an early morning cruise or go fishing this weekend will want to reschedule their plans. The Saginaw River near the Consumers Energy Weadock Plant in Hampton Township will close to all mariners and boat traffic during the final demolition of the structure set for Saturday, Aug. 29. Crews from Bierlein Companies of Midland will use explosives to take down the final structure at the Weadock Plant, prompting the river to close from 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Saturday for safety. Consumers Energy is asking the public to watch the event online at the company’s Facebook page. The livestream will start at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Saturday. The demolition will shift to 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, if weather conditions do not prove favorable for Saturday. The plant was shut down in 2016 and demolition started in 2017 due to a pledge by Consumers to reduce carbon emissions and to eliminate the use of coal to generate electricity by 2040. Coal units one and two in the nearby Dan E. Karn Generating Complex will retire in 2023. Bierlein was selected as the replacement contractor to finish the demolition project after it was halted briefly in 2019 when a contract worker was injured after a water tower and other rooftop mechanical equipment came down prematurely during the demolition process.
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Port Reports - August 28 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI ¬
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 28
On this day in 1939, the RICHARD J. REISS collided with the YOSEMITE on the St. Clair River. There were no casualties but damage to the Reiss amounted to $26,593.80 and damage to the YOSEMITE amounted to $23,443.09. The REISS was built in 1901, as the a.) GEORGE W. PEAVEY. Renamed b.) RICHARD J. REISS in 1917, c.) SUPERIOR in 1943. She was scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1947. The YOSEMITE carried her name throughout her career, built in 1901, and scrapped at Buffalo, New York, in 1954. Capt. Frank R. West took his 8-year-old son Robert and the boy's friend, 8-year-old Edward Erickson aboard the new schooner LOUIS MEEKER as guests on a trip carrying 27,000 bushels of oats from Chicago to Buffalo. There was hardly any wind and it took them four days to creep north as far as Pentwater, Michigan. On August 28, 1872, Captain West saw a storm coming and he had the sails taken in as a precaution. The winds came so suddenly and they hit the vessel so hard that the schooner was knocked over on her beam ends. Little Robert West, his dad and three sailors were lost when the vessel sank 15 minutes later near Big Sable Point. Peter Danielson dove and tried to cut away the lifeboat as the schooner was sinking and he almost drowned in that unsuccessful attempt. The mizzen gaff broke free and seven sailors plus little Edward Erickson clung to it until they were picked up by the schooner WILLIAM O. BROWN six hours later. Mr. Edwin H. Gott, 78, of Pittsburgh, died on August 28, 1986. The namesake of the 1,000 footer, he retired as Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Steel in 1973. On August 28, 1962, the EDWARD L. RYERSON set a Great Lakes cargo record for iron ore. The RYERSON loaded 25,018 gross tons of iron ore in Superior, Wisconsin, breaking by 14 tons the record held by the Canadian bulk freighter RED WING that was set in the 1961 season. The RYERSON held this record well into 1965. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 was repowered with two 2,850 ihp four cylinder Skinner Uniflow steeple compound steam engines, 19 1/2", 43" dia. X 26" stroke, built in 1953, by the Skinner Engine Co., Erie, Pennsylvania, and four coal-fired Foster-Wheeler water tube boilers with a total heating surface of 25,032 sq. ft. built in 1953. The repowering work was completed on August 28, 1954. Her 1954, tonnage was 3551 gross tons, 1925 net tons, 2450 deadweight tons. A new starboard tail shaft was installed at this time. Her service speed increased to 18 knots (20.7 mph). The JOHN ANDERSON, a.) LUZON of 1902, was outbound through the Duluth Ship Canal on August 28, 1928, when the vessel struck the north pier suffering $18,000 in damage. Renamed c.) G. G. POST in 1935. The POST was scrapped at Istanbul, Turkey, in 1972. Gulf Oil Corp., tanker REGENT entered service on August 28, 1934. She was built for low clearances on the New York State Barge Canal and was equipped with five cargo tanks and one dry cargo hold. The WILLIAM A. REISS, a.) JOHN A. TOPPING, was laid up for the last time on August 28, 1981, at Toledo, Ohio, and remained idle there until July 15, 1994, when she was towed to be scrapped. On August 28, 1870, CHASKA (wooden scow-schooner, 72 foot, 50 tons, built in 1869, at Duluth, Minnesota originally as a scow-brig) was wrecked in a northwesterly storm near Duluth. Reportedly she's the first vessel built at Duluth. On August 28, 1763, BEAVER, an armed wooden British sloop built the previous year, was carrying provisions to Detroit to relieve the fort there which was under siege by the Indians led by Pontiac, however the vessel foundered in a storm at Cat Fish Creek, 14 miles from the site of Buffalo. 185 barrels of her cargo were salvaged and went on to Detroit on the schooner GLADWIN. 2002: FRASER, the former SELKIRK SETTLER, went aground in fog at Duluth-Superior and was released without damage with the aid of four tugs. The ship now sails as SPRUCEGLEN of Canada Steamship Lines. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, James Neumiller, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Port Reports - August 27 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Michael G. Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Montreal, QC – Rene Beauchamp |
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Canada Steamship Lines passenger ships presentation now on line 8/27 - Cayuga and Her Consorts. If you missed the live presentation presented by John Henry on August 20 for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, you can view the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_B3wvwIDQ The presentation focused on the steamer service that operated between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto for three-quarters of a century, until 1957. The steamers were all acquired by or built for the Niagara Navigation Co. and wound up in the passenger fleet of Canada Steamship Lines. |
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Gallery Updated 8/27 - The saltie gallery has been updated with the following images: Azoresborg, BBC Greenland, BBC Mont Blanc, BBC Rushmore, BBC Switzerland, Bluebill, Calypso, Cape, Federal Ems, Federal Ruhr, Federal Satsuki, Fivelborg, Frieda, Happy River, Harbour Progress, Heemskerkgracht, Imke, Josef, Keith, Ortolan Beta Strait, Redhead, Spiekeroog, Stenberg, Strandja, Trito Navigator and ZEA Servant. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 27
The new Poe Lock at the Soo was first flooded on 27 August 1968. On August 27, 1886, The Detroit Evening News reported that a fireman on the tug J. H. HACKLEY of 1874, was sent to watch for a leak in the boiler, which was being filled with cold water at a dock in Chicago. He fell asleep and the boiler overflowed, very nearly sinking the vessel before another tug could pump her dry. AGAWA CANYON (Hull#195) was launched in 1971, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd. C.C.G.S. SAMUEL RISLEY arrived at Toronto, Ontario, on August 27, 1985, on her way to Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she replaced the retired C.C.G.C. ALEXANDER HENRY. JOHN O. McKELLAR (Hull#12) was launched August 27, 1952, at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for the Colonial Steamship Co. Ltd. (Scott Misener, mgr.), Port Colborne, Ontario. Renamed b.) ELMGLEN in 1984. The WILLIAM CLAY FORD, then renamed b.) US266029, departed her lay-up berth at the Rouge slip on August 20, 1986, in tow of Gaelic tugs and was taken to Detroit Marine Terminals on the Rouge River, where her pilothouse was removed to be displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle. The hull was moved to Nicholson's River Rouge dock on August 27. WILLIAM B. DICKSON (Hull#75) was launched August 27, 1910, at Ecorse, Michigan, by Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) MERLE M. McCURDY in 1969, she was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1989. The U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender MESQUITE (WAGL-305) was commissioned on August 27, 1943, and served on the Pacific Ocean in the 7th Fleet in 1944 and 1945. On August 27, 1940, the WILLIAM A. IRVIN set the Great Lakes record for the fastest unloading of an iron ore cargo using shore side equipment. The IRVIN unloaded 13,856 gross tons of iron ore in 2 hours, 55 minutes (including the time to arrive and depart the dock) in Conneaut, Ohio. This record still stands, and consequently the IRVIN is one of the few Great Lakes vessels to be retired while still holding a Great Lakes cargo record. On August 27, 1929, the MYRON C. TAYLOR entered service. On August 27, 1924, CITY QUEEN (wooden propeller steam tug, 71 foot, 69 gross tons, built in 1900, at Midland, Ontario) burned to a total loss 14 miles east of the Manitou Dock in Georgian Bay. The keel for the tug CRUSADER was laid on August 27, 1873, at the Leighton & Dunford yard in Port Huron, Michigan. The tug's dimensions were 100 foot keel, 132 foot overall, and 23 foot beam. She was built for George E. Brockway. 1909: PRESCOTT, a wooden sidewheel passenger ship used on the Toronto to Montreal run, was destroyed by a fire at Montreal. It burned to the waterline and sank at Victoria Pier. 1940: BOLIVAR, built at Wyandotte as LAKE FACKLER, had returned to the Great Lakes in 1933. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal again known as d) BOLIVAR. 1952: Ten tons of sugar aboard the CITY OF KINGSTON burned in a one-hour fire at Montreal. 1965: The Swedish freighter EVA JEANETTE ran up over the stern of the tug VEGCO in Lock 4 of the Welland Canal, sinking the latter vessel. There were no injuries and the tug was salvaged. EVA JEANETTE arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for scrapping as d) SKOPELOS STAR on January 21, 1984. The tug later sailed as d) NORWICH and became e) SEAGULL in 1998. 2008: GERTJE, a Seaway trader in 1991, sent out a distress call as h) LADY F. with water entering the holds. A tug arrived and removed the six crew members. The vessel was towed into Bougas, Bulgaria, the next day. The ship was repaired and became i) SAMER F. in 2010. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Al Miller, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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First phase of Dossin museum enhancements completed 8/26 - Detroit, MI – The first phase of a $4.9 million outdoor enhancement project at Belle Isle’s Dossin Great Lakes Museum has been completed. Sponsors and supporters of the project are scheduled to mark the occasion on Saturday with a ceremony and ribbon cutting. The museum’s outdoor maritime artifacts, including the famous bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, have been re-displayed and upgraded as part of the project. The freighter sank in 1975 and was immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot’s song. The museum’s outdoor maritime artifacts, including the famous bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, have been re-displayed and upgraded as part of the project. Several new gardens have been planted with a focus on controlling erosion along the waterfront. A new cove also stabilizes the shoreline adjacent to the museum and provides a new launch point for Belle Isle’s water sport enthusiasts. Other phases will include work on a riverfront trail and a landscape that would approximate the natural setting of Belle Isle before it became a park. Belle Isle is located in the Detroit River, just northeast of downtown Detroit. The Associated Press |
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Michigan company awarded $7M contract to replace WWII-era valves at Soo Locks 8/26 - Detroit, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a $7 million contract to replace World War II-era valves at the Soo Locks. J.F Ryba Marine Construction Co. of Cheboygan will replace the tainter valves for the MacArthur Lock for $7,276,650. Tainter valves are used to control the flow of water used for raising and lowering the water level in the lock during a lockage. The MacArthur Lock has two sets of tainter valves, one upstream set and one downstream set. “The Corps takes pride in performing maintenance to keep its existing facilities operational for long durations, while simultaneously planning for replacement and renewal as required to ensure the locks remain a resilient link in the Great Lakes Navigation System,” said Kevin Sprague, area engineer, Soo Area Office. Currently, two of the four locks at the Soo Locks complex are operational. The MacArthur Lock is 800 feet long and was opened in 1943. The Poe Lock, opened in 1969, is 1,200 feet long. Construction began earlier this year on a new lock at the Soo, which will be built in the footprint of the Sabin and Davis Locks. More than 4,500 vessels, carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo, maneuver through the locks annually. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are among the most frequently carried commodities, according to a news release. “The MacArthur lock will continue to be an important asset for many decades, even as we continue to build our new lock, and after that when we complete much needed repairs to our Poe Lock,” said Joanne Gray, chief of construction and technical support, Soo Area Office. “The Corps will continue to invest in maintenance of major components of the Soo Locks.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 84 harbors, including the Great Lakes connecting channels that join Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. M Live |
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Port Reports - August 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH – Michael G. Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Toronto, ON |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 26
In 1791, John Fitch was granted a United States patent for the steamboat. On August 26,1872, wooden propeller steamer LAKE BREEZE of 1868, was steaming from Saginaw to Mackinaw City with freight and about 40 passengers when fire broke out in the kitchen while off Au Sable, Michigan. Captain M. S. Lathrop ordered the engines shut down and the steam pumps activated. The crew battled the blaze with fire hoses and put the flames out. When the LAKE BREEZE pulled into Mackinaw City that night, the partially burned vessel was still smoking. The EDGAR B. SPEER's sea trials were successfully completed on August 26, 1980. The BEECHGLEN was towed out of Owen Sound by the McKeil tug KAY COLE on August 26, 1994, in route to Port Maitland, Ontario, for scrapping. The HENRY C. FRICK (Hull#615) was launched August 26, 1905, at West Bay City, Michigan, by West Bay City Ship Building Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Renamed b.) MICHIPICOTEN in 1964, she foundered off Anticosti Island on November 17, 1972, while being towed overseas for scrapping. EMORY L. FORD entered service on August 26, 1916, to load iron ore at Marquette, Michigan. Renamed b.) RAYMOND H. REISS in 1965. She was scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1980. The GLENEAGLES (Hull#14) was launched August 26, 1925, at Midland, Ontario, by Midland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for the Great Lakes Transportation Co. Ltd. (James Playfair, mgr.). Converted to a self-unloader in 1963. Renamed b.) SILVERDALE in 1978. She was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario, in 1984. The CHIEF WAWATAM (Hull#119) was launched on August 26, 1911, at Toledo, Ohio, by Toledo Ship Building Co. for the Mackinaw Transportation Co. She was built with three large propellers, two in the stern for propulsion and one in the bow for icebreaking. She was sold to Purvis Marine Ltd., of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1988, and cut down to a barge. The Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., built, passenger-cargo ship FEDERAL PALM (Hull#29) was christened August 26, 1961, for the West Indies Shipping Corp., Ltd. She was built on the Great Lakes, but never served their ports. Renamed b.) CENPAC ROUNDER in 1975, she was scrapped in 1979. On August 26, 1934, while on a Sunday sightseeing cruise, MIDLAND CITY of 1871, a.) MAUD 153.2 foot, 521 gross tons, damaged her bottom on a shoal near Present Island in Georgian Bay. She settled with her stern under water and her bow high in the air. On 26 August 1875, COMET (propeller passenger/package freight, 181 foot, 744 tons, built in 1857, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying ore and pig iron in Lake Superior on a foggy night. While trying to pass the Beatty Line steamer MANITOBA, 7 miles SE of Whitefish Point, signals were misunderstood and COMET veered into the path of MANITOBA. COMET was rammed amidships and sank in ten minutes. 11 of the 21 aboard lost their lives. This wasn't the first such accident for COMET. In October 1869, she suffered a similar mishap with the propeller HUNTER and that time both vessels sank. The schooner MATTHEW McNAIR was launched at the Lee & Lamoree shipyard in Oswego, New York, on August 26,1857. Her dimensions were 103 foot keel, 24 foot 6 inch beam and 9 foot 6 inch depth. 1911 CITY OF GENOA, downbound in the St. Clair River with 125,000 bushels of corn, collided with the W.H. GILBERT and sank 100 yards offshore. The crew was rescued and the hull salvaged by Reid on September 20, 1911, but was irreparable and a total loss. 1955 JOHANNA, a West German freighter, went aground at Point Iroquois and received damage to bottom plates. The tugs SALVAGE PRINCE, RIVAL, CAPT. M.B. DONNELLY and lighter COBOURG helped release the vessel on September 3 and it went to Kingston for repairs. JOHANNA was later a Seaway trader and made 18 inland voyages from 1959 to 1965. 1978 The second AVONDALE was damaged by an arson fire in the pilothouse while laid up along the Welland Canal below Lock 8. 1979 QUEBECOIS went aground on a mud bank near the entrance to Lake St. Clair after an electronic malfunction but was released in 9 hours. 1988 A challenging fire in the bowthruster tunnel aboard ALGOMARINE at Port Weller Dry Docks in St. Catharines sent two firemen to hospital. Some plates were buckled. The ship was being converted to a self-unloader at the time. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Reference.com, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Future U.S. Navy warship completes trials on Lake Michigan 8/25 - A future U.S. Navy combat ship completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan over the weekend setting the stage for it to be commissioned in 2021. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, passed several trials including a full-power run, maneuverability testing and surface and air detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship's combat system. Major systems and features were demonstrated, including aviation support, small boat launch handling and recovery and machinery control and automation. The ship is now set to undergo final outfitting and fine-tuning before delivery to the U.S. Navy. LCS 21 is the eleventh Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by Marinette Marine. The ship is designed to support mine countermeasures and anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. It is equipped with Longbow Hellfire Missiles, 30 mm guns and manned and unmanned vehicles. Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute are also onboard. The ship features gas turbines, diesel engines and water jets that together generate 114,000 horsepower making her capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots. M Live |
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Great Lakes cruise ships issue coronavirus safety pledge for 2021 8/25 - With the 2020 season canceled due to coronavirus, Great Lakes cruise ships are looking ahead to 2021 with a “safety pledge.” Cruise the Great Lakes’ “pledge” outlines safety precautions cruise lines will take to keep passengers safe next year. They include health screenings, crew training and streamlined boarding and enhanced sanitation. Those committing to the pledge are Victory Cruise Lines, Pearl Seas Cruises and Blount Small Ship Adventures, as well as multiple ports, including Muskegon, Sault Ste. Marie and Detroit/Wayne County in Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; and Duluth, Minnesota. “Particularly in light of the unprecedented risk presented by COVID-19, CTGL members and partners are working together to promote a safe cruise experience in 2021 and beyond,” the pledge states. Cruise the Great Lakes, or CTGL, is a coalition of states, Canadian provinces, cruise lines, ports and convention and visitor bureaus. The CTGL pledge cites the smaller size of the Great Lakes cruise ships, which must fit through the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway, as a benefit in reducing risk and controlling passenger movement. The largest of the ships can hold about 400 passengers. Among the ports in Michigan that cruise ships frequent are Holland, Muskegon, Detroit, Wyandotte, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette. Read more at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2020/08/great-lakes-cruise-ships-issue-coronavirus-safety-pledge-for-2021.html |
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Port Reports - August 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer
Oswego, NY – Ned Goebricher
Ogdensburg, NY
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Group restoring Northern Michigan inventor’s 1800s steel boat for display 8/25 - Harbor Springs, MI – A rusted, damaged, historically significant boat is now undergoing restoration work with the goal of putting the vessel on display in Harbor Springs. The nonprofit Harbor Springs Area Historical Society began the restorations after city officials requested the removal of the boat, which had been decaying near the city’s Department of Public Works building, according to the Associated Press. The boat, named the Aha, was built in 1891 by Ephram Shay, an inventor, engineer, and prominent Harbor Springs resident. Built out of steel -- a rarity, considering most boats from that time were made of wood -- the Aha echoes another one of the inventor’s local legacies: A stamped-steel, hexagon-shaped house, now a historic site known as the Shay Hexagon House, where Shay lived out the last years of his life. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/08/group-restoring-northern-michigan-inventors-1800s-steel-boat-for-display.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 25
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Ogdensburg, NY |
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The story behind the freighter breakwall Ridgetown 8/24 - Port Credit, ON – I've been visiting this area all my life, and have even had the opportunity to be a frequent boater in the Port Credit Harbour Marina. Everytime I’m there, I look at the freighter Ridgetown, and wonder about the story behind it. To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to dig a little deeper and research the vessel. I was able to uncover the lengthy life it had before it ended up as a breakwall in Mississauga. Breakwall, meaning it breaks the waves from crashing into the marina and stirring up all the boats that are docked here. Read the story at this link: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-look-ferocious-storm-behind-162400931.html |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 24
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Employers, striking dockworkers reach truce, Montreal port to reopen 8/23 - Montreal, QC – Employers and dockworkers at the Port of Montreal have reached a truce after a 12-day strike, paving the way for Canada’s second largest port to reopen Sunday. The two sides have agreed to halt a labor action that has left thousands of containers languishing on the docks. The deal lays out a seven-month period to continue contract talks while port operations carry on without the threat of work stoppage. “We are confident that we will be able to reach a deal between now and that…time,” Maritime Employers Association CEO Martin Tessier said at a news conference Friday. If an agreement is not reached by March 20, the workers can again exercise their right to strike. The last few days saw tensions flare after employers said they were prepared to bring in replacement workers to move some of the 11,500 containers that have piled up on the waterfront — particularly those with essential goods, perishable food products or items linked to the fight against COIVD-19. However, talks late Thursday night and Friday morning hashed out the truce. The 1,125 workers, who have been without a collective agreement since September 2018, say the strike revolved largely around wages and scheduling. The employers have also reached an agreement in principle with the port’s 150-odd checkers, who are responsible for logging the cargo loaded and unloaded from hundreds of ships each year. Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association local, on strike since Aug. 10, will hold a vote on the deal Monday, Tessier said. It will take two to four weeks to move the accumulated containers off the terminals and onto trucks, trains and ships. Global News |
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Port Reports - August 23 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON St. Marys River Upbound traffic on Saturday included Algoma Mariner, Great Republic, Pilgrim (an 18th century tall ship replica traveling from Petrozavodsk, Russia, to Duluth, which docked near the Valley Camp for the night) and Federal Ruhr. Downbound traffic included Burns Harbor early, Algoma Enterprise, Tim S. Dool, Rt. Hon Paul J. Martin and, late, James R. Barker.
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Ogdensburg, NY
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Seaway – Rene Beauchamp |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 23
At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. LEON SIMARD (Hull#413) was launched August 24, 1974, at Sorel, Quebec by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008. On August 24, 1910, the THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates. The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched on August 24, 1907, at West Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. On August 24, 1985, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay up at Nicholson's in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Quebec City and overseas scrapping. The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 foot, 276 gross tons ex-package freighter, burned to the water's edge in the Straits of Mackinac on August 24, 1895. On 24 August 1885, IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 foot, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912. On 24 August 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that "the long looked for launch of the Stave Company's new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o'clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies." She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later. 1901: The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was enroute from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO. 1979: The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo, under tow of the tug MALCOLM, for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1. 1998: CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal for unloading her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks August 31 for repairs. 2005: The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry. Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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As Duluth port cargos lag, 'lost time can't be made up' 8/22 - Duluth, MN – Despite signs of a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior is still down 30% compared to last year. “It’s an old adage, but lost time can’t be made up on the Great Lakes, and we’re seeing that reflected in the port’s 2020 tonnage totals,” Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said in a statement Thursday. As the pandemic has disrupted the global economy, so has it slowed the flow of goods across the Great Lakes. About 10.9 million tons of cargo had passed through the Duluth port through the end of July, compared to 15.1 million tons at the same time in both 2019 and 2018. Taconite shipments, which comprise the majority of the port’s tonnage, reached 7.2 million tons in July, down 20% from last year but up slightly month over month. “It’s good to see the month-over-month improvements, and hopefully the initial indications of a production rebound,” DeLuca said. Iron ore totals could continue to improve as most Iron Range mines resume full production, though Keetac remains idled indefinitely. Three ships were taken offline for the season amid the drop in taconite demand but could be put back into service if business improves. Grain exports and international imports such as wind turbine parts remain a bright spot for the port. Even as total vessel arrivals fell to 260 from last year’s 336 total through July, overseas arrivals were outpacing last year 28 to 25. Across all Great Lakes ports, shipping has “lost a lot of ground due to the pandemic, and continued decreases in areas like dry bulk and iron ore are a reflection of the economy not yet being back up to speed,” said Bruce Burrows, CEO of the industry-backed Chamber of Marine Commerce. “The recent uptick in the auto industry could help in the months ahead.” Star Tribune |
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Clayton Fire Department thanks first responders following tour boat accident 8/22 - Clayton, NY – Following the Uncle Sam’s Tour Boat Island Duchess running aground on August 20, local responders reflected on the team effort. The Clayton Fire Department posted on their Facebook page later Thursday night with photos from the day and crediting several local departments. The department responded to the scene on the St. Lawrence River with a full crew and their vessel Last Chance. Approximately 134 passengers were aboard the tour boat ad all were safely evacuated to another boat. No injuries were reported. “The St. Lawrence River poses many challenges when it comes to providing emergency services,” the Clayton Fire Department stated. “The biggest challenge is getting manpower and equipment where it needs to be. In Clayton we are fortunate to have the Last Chance and good working relationship with our neighboring departments. Many emergencies on the river don’t get resolved without the assistance of our neighbors.” Clayton Fire Department credited Alexandria Bay Fire Department, Wellesley Island Fire Department and Thousand Island Emergency Rescue Service. Island Duchess was towed to Alexandria Bay on August 20. The cause on the incident has not been confirmed |
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Port Reports - August 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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‘Seaway Queens’ publisher designs Edward L. Ryerson poster
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 22
On August 22, 1898, the schooner FANNY CAMPBELL (wooden schooner, 404 tons, built in 1868, at St. Catherines, Ontario) ran ashore near Johnston's Harbor in Georgian Bay. She was sailing light on her way for a load of cordwood. The ALGOPORT left Collingwood, Ontario, August 22, 1979, on her maiden voyage for Calcite, Michigan, to load limestone bound for Spragge, Ontario. R. L. IRELAND (Hull #62) was launched August 22, 1903, at Chicago, Illinois, by Chicago Ship Building Co. for the Gilchrist Transportation Co. Renamed b.) SIRIUS in 1913, and c.) ONTADOC in 1926. The ENDERS M VOORHEES was towed out of Duluth, Minnesota, on August 22, 1987, by the tugs AVENGER IV and CHIPPEWA, and was the first of the 'Supers' towed off the Lakes for scrap. ROGER M. KYES sailed on her maiden voyage on August 22,1973, from Toledo, Ohio, to load iron ore at Escanaba, Michigan. She was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. This program allowed U.S. shipping companies to construct new vessels or to modernize their existing fleet by government guaranteed financing and tax deferred benefits. The KYES was the second of 10 ships launched for American Steamship but the first to enter service under this arrangement. The total cost of the ten ships was more than $250 million. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989. On August 22, 1863, WILLIAM S. BULL (wooden propeller steam tug, 16 tons, built in 1861, at Buffalo, New York) waterlogged and went down in a storm 40 miles east of Erie, Pennsylvania. She was in company of the tug G. W. GARDNER and the canal boat M. E. PAINE, who saved her crew. On August 22, 1876, the Canadian schooner LAUREL sank off Big Sandy Creek on Lake Ontario. The crew made it to shore in the yawl. The LAUREL was bound from Kingston, Ontario, to Charlotte, New York, with iron ore. On August 22, 1900, SPECULAR (wooden propeller freighter, 264 foot, 1,742 gross tons, built in 1882, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying iron ore when she was a "hit & run" victim by the steamer DENVER at 2 a.m. and sank in six minutes in the Pelee Passage on Lake Erie. Fifteen of her crew abandoned in her yawl and were saved. The remaining five scrambled up into the rigging and clung there until they were rescued four hours later by the steamer MARITANA and brought to Detroit. Salvagers worked on the wreck continuously until they gave up on September 28. Wreck lies 3.16 miles SE from Pelee Passage light. She was owned by Republic Iron Co. of Cleveland. 1890: The wooden barge TASMANIA, upbound with coal under tow of the steamer CALEDONIA, sank in the Lake George Channel of the St. Marys River after a collision with the J.H. WADE. TASMANIA was later refloated and repaired only to be lost in Lake Erie on October 18, 1905. 1909: NORMAN B. REAM and SENATOR collided in the St. Marys River above Pipe Island and the latter sank with her masts above water. She was later salvaged but was lost in Lake Michigan, off Kenosha, after a collision with the MARQUETTE on October 31, 1929. 1917: The wooden steamer JOHN S. THOM, enroute to Erie with coal, went aground on a shoal 22 miles west of Charlotte, NY. The vessel was later refloated and taken to Ogdensburg, NY for repairs. 1940: The second THOROLD, sent overseas to assist in the war effort, was attacked and sunk by three German aircraft as she was carrying coal from Cardiff to London. There were 9 lives lost while another 3 crew members were injured. The vessel was under attack for 3 hours before it went down and became the third Canadian merchant ship lost in this, the early stages, of the war. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample. |
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Uncle Sam tour boat runs aground near Alexandria Bay 8/21 - Alexandria Bay, NY – An Uncle Sam’s tour boat went aground in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay early Thursday afternoon. Crews from the Coast Guard, state police, and Alexandria Bay rescue squad had boats in the water responding to the scene somewhere near Deer Island. Jefferson County Emergency Management director Joe Plummer says none of the roughly 130 people aboard were injured. He said another Uncle Sam’s boat was returning them to shore. People who were on the tour said they could feel the boat hit something and that they heard a scraping noise. They say Uncle Sam’s staff told them to put on life jackets and to not be alarmed. Vessel traffic in the area was halted until the situation is stabilized. According to a press release, the Coast Guard is assessing the situation to conduct salvage operations. An investigation into the accident is ongoing. WWNY |
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Latest results: U.S. Great Lakes-Seaway ports still feeling COVID-19 impact 8/21 - The latest results show that Great Lakes-Seaway shipping continues to feel the impact of the global pandemic. According to the latest numbers from the St. Lawrence Seaway, tonnage through the bi-national transportation corridor totaled 3.9 million metric tons in July to bring the year-to-date total (from April 1 to July 31) to nearly 15.6 million metric tons, or just less than 8 percent below a year ago. Year-to-date shipments of iron ore (down 13 percent), coal (down 16 percent), dry bulk (down 12 percent) and liquid bulk (down 20 percent) were offset in part by a strong showing in bi-national grain (up 6.7 per cent) and general cargo like wind turbines (up 4 percent). “It’s good to see overall grain shipments up, thanks mainly to strong Canadian grain exports. We are optimistic that grain shipments, both Canadian and U.S., will have a significant impact in the coming months as the 2020 crops come in,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “But the Great Lakes-Seaway shipping industry has lost a lot of ground due to the pandemic and continued decreases in areas like dry bulk and iron ore are a reflection of the economy not yet being back up to speed. The recent uptick in the auto industry could help in the months ahead.” Climbing from COVID-induced lows in May, Port of Duluth-Superior tonnage totals continued a summer rebound in July. Three of the port’s four major bulk cargos registered month-over-month gains in July, with grain jumping 54 percent from June, coal increasing 49 percent and iron ore up as well. Despite those gains, total tonnage for the Port of Duluth-Superior’s season remains 29 percent behind last year’s pace and the five-season average. “It’s an old adage, but lost time can’t be made up on the Great Lakes, and we’re seeing that reflected in the port’s 2020 tonnage totals,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “With that said, it’s good to see the month-over-month improvements, and hopefully the initial indications of a production rebound.” For the Port of Toledo, cargo tonnage remains approximately 15 percent behind the 2019 cargo tonnage totals. Coal, grain and dry bulk cargo levels were all over 20 percent lower than last year while general cargo and liquid bulk products outpaced last year. “While the season is down compared to last year, it’s still very important to keep things in perspective,” said Joseph Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “More than 3.8 million tons of cargo have been handled on 210 vessel calls through July in the Port of Toledo. The impact of moving all that cargo via marine transportation provides savings for shippers through economies of scale at a time when they need those savings the most.” Cappel adds that the marine mode also minimizes the environmental impact of moving bulky products great distances into the interior of the U.S. and Canada via the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway System. Meanwhile, the Port of Green Bay saw tonnage taper off in July following a relatively strong start to the 2020 shipping season. “Through June we were pretty much on pace with last year, which was a very good year for the Port of Green Bay,” said Dean Haen, Port Director. “The decline in July was primarily due to drops in imports of petroleum products and salt.” Nearly 170,000 tons of cargo was shipped through the Port of Green Bay in July, bringing the year-to-date total to 907,697 tons. That’s a decline of about 10 percent compared to 2019, which was a strong shipping season in Green Bay. “This has certainly been a difficult year to accurately forecast shipping levels,” Haen added. “The impact of COVID-19 is being felt throughout the Great Lakes and beyond. But we remain cautiously optimistic for a good finish for the remainder of the 2020 shipping season.” Chamber of Marine Commerce |
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Port Reports - August 21 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Ogdensburg, NY |
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Negotiations continue as Port of Montreal longshore workers’ strike enters 9th day 8/21 - Montreal, QC – The strike by longshore workers at the Port of Montreal entered its ninth day Tuesday as negotiations continued between management and the union. The Canadian Union of Public Employees has confirmed that discussions with the Maritime Employers Association are expected to continue throughout the week. The CUPE local, which represents the 1,125 longshore workers at the Port of Montreal, launched a general strike on Aug. 10. On Monday, federal Labour Minister Filomena Tassi said in a statement that she was aware that “encouraging progress has been made in recent negotiations between the two parties.” However, neither the union party nor the employer have confirmed that is the case. After a week of strike action, Quebec and Ontario ministers asked for the federal government to “intervene” to resolve the labour dispute on Monday, but Tassi said she was still confident in the ongoing negotiation process. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 21
August 21, 1996 - The former U. S. Army Corps of Engineers tug MARQUETTE was downbound past Detroit on her delivery trip to her new owners, based in Key West, Florida. Renamed MONA LARUE in 1997, she is no longer in documentation. At 7:10 p.m. on August 21, 1901, the whaleback steamer ALEXANDER McDOUGALL (steel propeller modified whaleback freighter, 413 foot, 3,686 gross tons, built in 1898, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) ran into and cut in two the tug GEORGE STAUBER (wooden propeller tug, 55 foot, 43 gross tons, built in 1883, at Buffalo, New York) in the rapids at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The STAUBER sank immediately in about 60 feet of water. No lives were lost. The steam barge IDA assisted in retrieving people in the water. The McDOUGALL did not stop. BUFFALO's sea trials were conducted from August 21 through August 24, 1978. GEORGE A. STINSON was christened at Detroit, Michigan on August 21, 1978. CEDARGLEN, a.) WILLIAM C. ATWATER arrived under tow at Port Maitland, Ontario, on August 21, 1994, where she was scrapped. THE HARVESTER cleared Lorain, Ohio, August 21, 1911, on her maiden voyage loaded with coal for Duluth, Minnesota. IMPERIAL QUEBEC (Hull#161) was launched August 21, 1957, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Imperial Oil Ltd. Cleveland Tankers VENUS was sold to Acme Metals Inc. and was towed to Ashtabula, Ohio on August 21, 1975, where she was broken up in 1976. On August 21, 1971, CHARLES DICK severed two underwater cables in the Maumee River, cutting off power to east Toledo and the Cherry Street Bridge. Massive traffic jams developed on Toledo's streets. The graceful schooner HUNTER SAVIDGE was launched on August 21, 1879, by the Grand Haven Ship Building Company. On August 21, 1856, CHARTER (wooden, propeller vessel, 132 foot, 197 tons, built in 1849, at Huron, Ohio as a sidewheeler), was bound from Cleveland for Buffalo with flour, oats and rye. She swamped and sank in a storm 6 miles above Fairport, Ohio. By the end of August, she had been damaged beyond repair but her machinery was recovered as she lay in relatively shallow water. On August 21, 1861, BANSHEE (wooden propeller freighter, 119 foot, 166 tons, built in 1852, at Portsmouth, Ontario, named HERO in 1860-61) was carrying wheat, flour and butter to Montreal when her engine failed (broken shaft) and she was helpless in a storm on Lake Ontario. She foundered near Timber Island on Lake Ontario. One passenger died, but the crew of 10 made it to Timber Island. She was owned by Howard & Rowe of Quebec. 1954 - The British freighter PERTH, enroute from Toronto to St. John's, N.F., with general cargo, was damaged in a collision with an unidentified vessel off the south coast of Newfoundland. The pre-Seaway trader to the Great Lakes had been built as LOCHEE in 1937 and had also made a total of 3 inland voyages in 1959 and 1960. 1955 - A collision between the CASON J. CALLAWAY and the B.F. JONES occurred above Lime Island in the St. Marys River. The latter, upbound and light, was declared a total loss and taken to Superior. Part of the bottom of the hull was saved for use as the shipyard lighter SCC 1, the cabins were transplanted to the SPARKMAN D. FOSTER and the hatches, hatch lifter and funnel become part of the LYMAN C. SMITH. The three-year-old CASON J. CALLAWAY was repaired, outlasts all of the other ships and remains in service under the same name. 1973 - The first KINSMAN INDEPENDENT lost steering in the Neebish Rock Cut and went aground with heavy bottom damage. After being refloated, the ship was laid up at Lorain and, in 1974, sold to Marine Salvage for scrap. She arrived at Santander, Spain, for dismantling under tow of the Polish tug JANTAR, and in tandem with the JAMES DAVIDSON, on July 21, 1974. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Society, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes iron ore trade down in July 8/20 - Cleveland, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in July, a decrease of 46.5 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 41 percent behind the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 20.7 million tons, a decrease of 22.6 percent compared to the same point in 2019. Iron ore shipments are 19.8 percent behind their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year. Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Lakes visitor rams pier, both damaged 8/20 - The bulk carrier Federal Caribou contacted the pier after she went out of control during berthing maneuvering at Puerto Cortes, Honduras, on the morning Aug 17. Both pier and ship’s bow sustained damages. Fleetmon, Joey Reaume |
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Port Reports - August 20 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Dredging project at Sleeping Bear Dunes island aims to restore ferry service 8/20 - Empire, MI – A long-awaited engineering project has finally kicked off at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with the goal of restoring visitor ferry service to North Manitou Island next year. The project, which started last week after three years of planning with the Army Corps of Engineers, involves removing more than 27,000 cubic yards of sand that have accumulated around the island’s ferry dock. That accumulation of sand has made the water near the dock too shallow for ferry boats to safely land, and was one of the reasons why Manitou Island Transit, the longtime Sleeping Bear Dunes ferry service concessioner, decided to cancel ferry service this year. In a Facebook post today, park officials said the dredging work will continue over the next several weeks and will cost just under $500,000. Meanwhile, South Manitou Island’s dock also remains unusable, on account of Lake Michigan’s high water levels lifting the dock off its pilings. Officials have not yet announced a timeline for fixing the South Manitou dock. M Live |
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Today’s Virtual Visitor Center: “Duluth Ship Canal: 150 Years of Maritime Transits” 8/20 - The ship canal dug through Minnesota Point 150 years ago made Duluth the world-class port it is today. This presentation by Ranger Scott will discuss what led to the canal's construction, the conflict that resulted with Superior, and how it led to modern-day Duluth-Superior harbor. The program begins Thursday at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central), use a Chrome browser to join on the web here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/duluth-ship-canal. For users without speakers on their computers dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (872) 240-3412; access code: 211-493-429. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 20
On 20 August 1881, MICHIGAN (Hull#48), (iron propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 215 foot, 1,183 tons) was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock Company at Wyandotte, Michigan for the Goodrich Transportation Company. She was then taken to Milwaukee for fitting out and completion. She cost $159,212. She was designed by Frank E. Kirby especially for cross-lake winter service. INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORT arrived at Toronto, Ontario, August 20, 1969, on her maiden voyage, with fuel oil. R. BRUCE ANGUS in tandem tow with the ULS steamer GORDON C. LEITCH (i) behind the tug IRVING CEDAR arrived at Setśbal, Portugal August 20, 1985, where they were broken up. The a.) IRVING CEDAR is now Purvis Marine's c.) RELIANCE. August 20, 1920 the WILLIS L. KING, upbound light in Whitefish Bay, was in collision with and sank the down bound Steel Trust steamer SUPERIOR CITY. The SUPERIOR CITY was struck nearly amidships and when the cold water reached her engine room, her boilers exploded. She sank immediately with 29 of her 33 crew members aboard. The US266029, a.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD departed her lay-up berth at the Rouge slip on August 20, 1986, in tow of Gaelic tugs and she was taken to Detroit Marine Terminals on the Rouge River, where her pilothouse was removed to be displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle. On 20 August 1899, the HUNTER SAVIDGE (2-mast, wooden schooner, 117 foot, 152 gross tons, built in 1879, at Grand Haven, Michigan) capsized in a squall or tornado in Lake Huron. 5 survivors, including Capt. Fred Sharpstein, were rescued from the overturned schooner by the steamer ALEX MC VITTIE. However, 5 lost their lives, including the captain's wife and their son, the ship's owner's wife and daughter, and the Mate. Capt. Sharpstein patrolled the beaches looking for the bodies of his wife and son for months but they were never found. The wreck was found in 1987, near Grindstone City, Michigan. On 20 August 1852, ATLANTIC (wooden sidewheeler, 267 foot, 1,155 tons, built in 1849, at Detroit, Michigan) was loaded with immigrants when she collided with the propeller freighter OGDENSBURG and quickly sank south of Long Point on Lake Erie at about 2:30 a.m. Of the 600 on board, estimates of death range from 150 to 250. Numerous salvage attempts have been made through the years up through 1989, since there were supposed to be valuables on board when she went down. 1874 – The CITY OF LONDON, built by Louis Shickluna at St. Catharines in 1865, was destroyed by a fire at Collins Inlet. The engine was later removed for installation in the CITY OF OWEN SOUND. 1900 – CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON was launched at Port Huron for the Wilson Transit Co. 1903 – QUEEN OF THE WEST sank in a Lake Erie storm off Fairport, Ohio but the crew was rescued by the CODORUS. One sailor perished in the transfer between the two ships. 1919 – MOHEGAN was built as a wooden steam barge at Marine City in 1894. It left the lakes for ocean service in 1917. The ship was anchored at Rio de Janiero, Brazil, on this date in 1919 when an explosion and fire destroyed the vessel. All on board survived. 1964 – TEXACO WARRIOR hit bottom and settled in the Welland Canal with a punctured tank at Thorold South near Bridge 10. The ship was refloated and resumed service. It was scrapped at Sorel, QC, in 1978 as LAKE TRANSPORT (i). 1969 – PETER ROBERTSON, sold for scrap and anchored in western Lake Ontario, dragged her anchors in a storm and landed on the beach near Jordan Harbour, Ontario. The vessel was released August 24 and headed down the Seaway August 27 between the tugs SALVAGE MONARCH and HELEN M. McALLISTER on the next leg of the journey to Spain for scrapping. 1972 – VILLE DE QUEBEC was a pre-Seaway trader to the Great Lakes from 1955 to 1958 and returned inland, for three trips, in 1959. The ship sank off the coast of Albania, due to heavy weather, on this date as c) SUZY in 1972. It was enroute from Durres, Albania, to Patras, Greece. Eleven members of the crew were lost while only 7 survived. 1975 – The coastal freighter AIGLE D'OCEAN struck an iceberg off Port Burwell, Labrador, and sank. Only five crew were rescued. The ship had been inland on several occasions. 1977 – CAPO MELE first came through the Seaway as a) PIERRE L.D. in 1959 and again, for 3 trips, in 1960. It was sold and renamed b) CAPO MELE in 1961 and made 22 voyages to the Great Lakes from then through 1967. The ship sustained heavy damage from an engine room fire as e) PAULINA at Banjul, Gambia, and was sold for scrap. The vessel arrived at Santander, Spain, on October 17, 1977, for dismantling. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Randy Johnson, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Cargo ship IMKE departs Ogdensburg after running aground nearly two weeks ago 8/19 - Ogdensburg, NY – IMKE, the cargo ship that ran aground nearly two weeks, officially departed from the Port of Ogdensburg on Tuesday morning. According to veteran ship watcher Michael J. Folsom, the ship departed with the help of two tugs at about 10:17 a.m. Tuesday. The tugs, Duga and Ocean Serge Genois, both flagged out of Canada, will be escorting IMKE down the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Port of Québec. Mr. Folsom said the tugs are needed due to the extensive damage IMKE sustained when running aground. The damage has prohibited the ship to depart on its own. IMKE, flagged out of Malta, ran aground on Saturday, Aug. 8, just off the port while trying to dock. Strong currents and precipitous depth changes makes Ogdensburg a difficult port to approach, Mr. Folsom said. The stern of the ship became lodged in the shallow area parallel to the dock. It arrived carrying wind turbine blade for Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. NNY 360 |
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Long-stalled $2.6 billion Iron Range taconite plant gets dusted off 8/19 - Duluth, MN – A long-stalled and half-built taconite mine and pellet plant in Nashwauk, Minn., is inching forward again as a reissued air permit for the $2.6 billion project goes out for public review. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is asking for comments on the draft permit for the Mesabi Metallics project that would produce up to 7 million tons of taconite pellets per year. The permit was first issued in 2007, and construction began in 2009. Since then the proposed mine has gone through bankruptcy, changed hands several times and missed multiple state construction deadlines and payments, putting its mineral leases at risk. The project, long known as Essar Steel, is about two years from completion once financing becomes available, according to the draft permit. MPCA officials said the permit could be issued by the end of the year. It expired in 2012 and needed a few minor updates. “Any time we are dealing with a reissuance or changes on the company ownership side of things the project can change a little bit, and that’s part of the reason for the permit reissuance as well,” said Jeff Udd, Duluth region manager with the MPCA. “There’s a lot of positive environmental benefits in the permit as well.” As part of the reissued air permit, which the EPA will also review, the MPCA is requiring the company to “re-evaluate the design and best available control technology” for the plant. Proposed production levels have not changed. The public can comment on the draft permit through Sept. 14. Minnesota’s first new taconite production facility in many decades, Mesabi Metallics has promised 350 jobs once it is fully operational. It would be the second plant on the Iron Range to produce direct-reduced iron pellets for modern electric arc furnaces used in steelmaking — critical as the industry moves toward these “mini-mills” and away from blast furnaces. Cleveland-Cliffs’ recently upgraded Northshore Mining started producing the valuable DRI pellets last year. No other MPCA permits are required for the project to move ahead; whether it can continue once the air permit is reissued remains to be seen. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had previously issued all permits needed to build and operate the mine. “If Mesabi were to move forward but want or need to make any modifications to its plans, it’s certainly possible it would be necessary to have amendments,” said DNR Deputy Commissioner Barb Naramore. “We don’t have requests from them at this point.” Mesabi Metallics could not be reached for comment Monday. The state has the right to rescind the company’s mineral leases at any time this year after Mesabi failed to meet a December 2019 construction deadline. Further complicating matters is the major investment stake Essar Global has in the project. State officials are attempting to bar the India-based mining and energy company from doing business in Minnesota after the company initially left the project unfinished and declared bankruptcy in 2016 before buying back into the project last year. “The state has been really consistent all the way along — what we want is a credible operator who can bring a value-added facility online and into operation,” Naramore said. “And that continues to be our focus in all conversations we’re having.” Star Tribune |
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Port Reports - August 19 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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USS Cobia and Manitowoc mark golden anniversary 8/19 - Manitowoc, MI – Twenty-five years after the last Manitowoc-built submarine sailed out of Manitowoc (USS Mero), another submarine sailed into town. USS Cobia arrived in Manitowoc on Aug. 17, 1970. But, how and why did she end up here? USS Cobia (SS 245) was built in Groton, Connecticut in 1943. She served six war patrols in the Pacific Ocean in World War II, sinking 13 ships and rescuing seven downed airmen. After the war, Cobia returned to Connecticut and was decommissioned in 1946. She was placed in the reserve fleet like so many other submarines at that time. In 1951, she was recommissioned to train submarine school students and decommissioned again in 1954. A few years later, the reserve center in Milwaukee was looking for a training boat. Representatives traveled to Connecticut to pick out a sub in the reserve fleet. Captain Albert Becker, the commanding officer on Cobia’s first five patrols, was in charge of the reserve fleet at the time and knew just the sub for them, his old boat, USS Cobia! In 1959, Cobia was towed to Manitowoc through the St. Lawrence Seaway and tied up along USS Tautog in Milwaukee. On Jan. 11, 1968, local civic clubs, veteran organizations and city officials gathered for a meeting. They created the association called the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association. Their main goal was to bring a Manitowoc-built submarine back to Manitowoc as a memorial. At that time, there were still six Manitowoc boats in active service — two in New London, Connecticut, and four on the West Coast. Nearly all of them were scheduled to be scrapped in the next three years. The association was aware of Cobia in Milwaukee and scheduled to be stricken from the Navy Register on June 29, 1969, but she wasn’t a Manitowoc boat. They were hoping the Navy would deliver one to Manitowoc. The Manitowoc-built submarine, USS Redfin (SS 272), was available in Baltimore, but the sub was leaking and in need of repairs. The association was unable to raise enough money to tow the sub to Manitowoc or afford the expense of a dry docking. Their best option was to acquire Cobia. “On the 17th day of August 1970 at 0600 hours” a representative from the Great Lakes Naval Base “delivered and transferred possession of the United States Submarine Cobia (ex-AGSS-245) complete with installed machinery and contents to the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association Inc.” It took nine hours for the tug Lauren Castle to tow Cobia the 75 miles from Milwaukee to Manitowoc. Approximately 500 people lined the riverbank to welcome the sub to Manitowoc. After Cobia was tied up between the Eighth and 10th street bridges, volunteers cleaned the sub in preparation for the ceremony a week later. The dedication ceremony was held on Aug. 23 in the municipal parking lot on Quay Street between Eighth and Ninth streets. After the dedication, Miss Manitowoc Carolyn Blahnik cut the ribbon to the forward torpedo room hatch, and approximately 400 people toured the boat after the ceremony. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.htrnews.com/story/entertainment/2020/08/11/uss-cobia-world-war-ii-submarine-manitowoc-mark-golden-anniversary/5558971002 |
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Presentation about Canada Steamship Lines passenger ships on Zoom Thursday 8/19 - John Henry, author of the book “Great White Fleet: Celebrating Canada Steamship Lines Passenger Ships,” will offer a talk via Zoom at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20. The presentation, hosted by the Niagara Historical Society in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., will focus on the steamer service that operated between there and Toronto for three-quarters of a century, until 1957. The steamers were all acquired by or built for the Niagara Navigation Co. and wound up in the passenger fleet of Canada Steamship Lines. The talk will be based in part on research he did for the book. The talk will be available on YouTube after it is delivered at the Niagara Historical Society Museum's website, http://www.nhsm.ca. Join the Zoom presentation at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OesrtNs8Ru2-eUgxhjwjWQ |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 19
On this day in 1865, the PEWABIC, Captain George P. McKay, was down bound on Lake Huron when she was rammed by her sister ship, METEOR. The PEWABIC sank with an estimated loss of 125 lives and a cargo of copper ingots, ore and hides valued at $500,000. On 19 August 1902, OMAR D. CONGER (wooden propeller ferry, 92 foot, 200 gross tons, built in 1887, at Port Huron, Michigan) burned at Port Huron, Michigan. The entire upper works burned and the lower deck was also badly burned. She had burned on 20 June 1901, and had been rebuilt over the winter. She was again rebuilt and lasted until 1922. The ROBERT S. PIERSON (i) was sold to P & H. Shipping Ltd. on August 19, 1982, and renamed e) SPRUCEGLEN. The package freighter ARIZONA was launched on August 19, 1868, at Cleveland, Ohio by Quayle & Martin for E.T. & J.C. Evans of Buffalo, New York. The CARDINAL, a.) WINDSOLITE, was towed to the Strathearne Terminal in Hamilton, Ontario on August 19, 1974, for scrapping. On 19 August 1909, CITY OF GREEN BAY (wooden propeller passenger/package freight, 134 foot, 257 gross tons, built in 1880, at Fort Howard, Wisconsin as the sidewheeler M C HAWLEY) caught fire while crossing Saginaw Bay, burned to the waterline and sank. This wasn't her first experience with this type of accident since on 17 November 1887, she had burned to a "total loss" in Lake Michigan. August 19, 1930 - The ANN ARBOR NO 7 towed the disabled tug FRED C GREILING from Frankfort, Michigan to Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. The propeller QUEBEC was launched at the Chisholm & Simpson yard at Chatham, Ontario on 19 August 1874. She was built for the Beatty Line and designed to run between Sarnia and Duluth. 1906 – GOVERNOR SMITH, a wooden package freight carrier, sank in Lake Huron, about 8 miles off Pointe aux Barques, after a collision with the URANUS. All 20 on board were rescued. 1915 – The wooden passenger and freight carrier HENRY PEDWELL burned at Wiarton, ON but was salvaged and rebuilt at Owen Sound in 1916. 1960 – BELLE ISLE II caught fire and sank after a collision with the HOLMSIDE on Lac St. Pierre in the St. Lawrence near Trois Rivieres. The ship had originally been the “Castle Class” corvette H.M.S. WOLVESEY CASTLE and later H.M.C.S. HUNTSVILLE for the Canadian Navy. It was rebuilt for cargo service as c) WELLINGTON KENT in 1947 becoming d) BELLE ISLE II in 1951. The hull was salvaged and towed up the Seaway to Portsmouth, ON on November 2, 1960, and broken up at Whitby, ON during the winter of 1965-1966. HOLMSIDE was later a casualty as b) CABINDA after hitting a jetty while inbound at Casablanca on December 28, 1980, with the loss of 9 lives. 1966 – JOHN E.F. MISENER went aground on Hard Island in the St. Lawrence and had to be lightered before being released on August 21. 1967 – The retired Paterson steamer SASKADOC, which last operated in 1966, was downbound at the Iroquois Lock under tow of GRAEME STEWART and SALVAGE MONARCH enroute to the scrapyard. It arrived at Santander, Spain, on September 24, 1967, along with the AUGUSTUS B. WOLVIN, behind the Polish tug JANTAR. 1988 – The Greek owned, Cypriot flag, freighter BLUESTONE arrived at Halifax to load flour, but the crew reported “hull cracks” and the Coast Guard said repairs must be made. The vessel first visited the Great Lakes as a) ASIA SWALLOW in 1980 and returned as b) BLUESTONE for the first time in 1985. The work was carried out. The ship finally cleared September 13 and operated until arriving at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for scrapping as e) VRITA N. about August 31, 1998. Data from: Joe Barr, Skip Gillham, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 18 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Grand Haven, MI
Musekgon, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 18
On 18 August 1871, GEN. WINFIELD SCOTT (wooden schooner, 114 foot, 213 tons, built in 1852, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying lumber from Menominee to Chicago when she sprang a leak during a gale and capsized off Spider Island near Death's Door on Lake Michigan. The crew clung to her for 13 hours until rescued by the passing schooner ETHAN ALLEN. CANADIAN ENTERPRISE (Hull#65) was float launched on August 18, 1979, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. On August 18, 1972, $50,000 in bottom damage occurred when the CHAMPLAIN, of 1943, hit an obstruction in the Trenton Channel, on the lower Detroit River. The NORMAN B. REAM (Hull#70) was launched August 18, 1906, at Chicago, Illinois by the Chicago Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) KINSMAN ENTERPRISE in 1965. She served as a storage barge in Port Huron from 1979 to 1989. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey in 1989. On 18 August 1907, KATE WHITE (wooden propeller steam tug, 62 foot, 28 gross tons, built at Erie, Pennsylvania in 1885, as a yacht) sank near the harbor entrance at Fairport, Ohio. On 18 August 1878, JAVA (iron twin propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 232 foot, 1,525 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing from Bay City, Michigan for Chicago and Milwaukee with mixed merchandise, including 300 tons of fine household goods, parlor stoves, salt, etc. She was a twin-screw and the main theory of her loss in good weather was that her starboard shaft coupling came loose and the shaft slid out the stern, allowing water to flood through the sleeve. Nevertheless, she sank quickly, 15 miles off Big Sable Point on Lake Michigan in over 300 feet of water. The crew escaped in lifeboats and was picked up by passing steamers. 1919 – The former wooden bulk carrier NEOSHO was sold for off lakes service in 1917 and was operating as a barge, under tow of the tug NORFOLK, when she broke loose in a storm on Delaware Bay, got caught in the trough, struck a reef and broke up. 1927 – The first HENNEPIN foundered in Lake Michigan, 18 miles west of South Haven, enroute to Grand Haven to load. The hull was discovered in 2006 and is upright in 230 feet of water. 1966 – BAYGEORGE knocked off a lock fender in the downbound section of the Welland Canal Flight Locks and delayed navigation. Only the upbound side remained in use to handle traffic pending repairs. 1972 – The ocean going general cargo carrier FELTO caught fire at Bata, Equatorial Guinea, while discharging cement. The blaze broke out in the engineroom and spread to the accommodation area before the ship settled on the bottom as a total loss. The vessel had been a Great Lakes trader in 1968 and had previously come inland as a) FERDIA in 1953 and b) FAIRWAY in 1963. 1985 – CHI-CHEEMAUN went aground due to fog while departing South Baymouth and was released the following day. The Georgian Bay ferry went to Collingwood for repairs. 1996 – HERCEG NOVI, a Yugoslavian freighter dating from 1981, first came through the Seaway in 1989 bringing a cargo of newsprint to Detroit. It sank following a collision with the containership MING GALAXY off Singapore on this date in 1996. Local officials ordered the removal of the hull and this was done, in pieces, later in the year. Data from: Joe Barr, David Swayze, Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
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Saltie IMKE to head for repairs 8/17 - Ogdensburg NY – The damaged saltwater vessel IMKE was still at Ogdensburg, NY, Sunday night but was expected to be towed away for repairs at any time. Tugs Duga and Ocean Serge Genois were on hand. The Industrial Skipper arrived at Ogdensburg Sunday and went to anchor until IMKE departs. IMKE, flagged out of Malta, ran aground last Saturday just off the dock. She was carrying wind turbine blades for Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. |
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Alanis ready to reenter service 8/17 - Port Weller, ON – Saltwater vessel Alanis, her bow damage repaired at Port Weller Drydocks, was preparing to resume her trip to Duluth Sunday night. She was involved in a collision Saturday, July 11, in the Welland Canal with Florence Spirit. |
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Port Reports - August 17 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, OH
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss, Jacob Silvan
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski |
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BBC Hudson goes sideways at Iroquois Lock, frees herself 8/17 - Iroquois, ON – BBC Hudson ran afoul when the wind and/or current caught her while entering the Iroquois Lock on Sunday morning. She got swung sideways with her bow on the south bank, but freed herself and docked along the northwest wall for inspection. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 17
On August 17, 1987, the CADILLAC was towed by the tugs GLENADA and ELMORE M. MISNER, from Toledo's Frog Pond on the first leg of her journey to be scrapped. At 4 p.m. on 17 August 1869, the schooner CARLINGFORD was launched at the Fitzgerald and Leighton yard in Port Huron, Michigan with plenty of spectators on hand. Robert Montgomery of Buffalo, the owner, built the vessel for the grain trade. Her capacity was 30,000 bushels of grain. After launching, she still had to have her masts (96 foot, 98 foot and 94 foot) and rigging installed. At the time, she was the largest sailing vessel built in Port Huron. Her dimensions were 155-foot keel, 165-foot overall, 31-foot-6- inch beam and 12-foot 8-inch depth. 50 men worked on her and she cost $35,000. 1905 – The wooden steamer CALEDONIA sank in Lake Superior while towing the barge JOHN M. HUTCHINSON. It was later refloated and returned to service. 1913 – The whaleback steamer ATIKOKAN went ashore in a spectacular grounding at Marine City but was released and returned to service. 1994 – INDIANA HARBOR went to Sturgeon Bay for repairs after going aground at Muskegon, Mich. Data from: Joe Barr, Max Hanley, Skip Gillam, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - August 16 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss, Jacob Silvan
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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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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The Port of Green Bay sees a dip in cargo shipments in July 8/15 - Green Bay, WI – After a strong start to the shipping season for the Port of Green Bay, tonnage tapered off in July with just less than 170,000 tons of cargo moving through the Port last month. For the 2020 shipping season, which began in mid-March, 907,697 tons of cargo has gone through the Port of Green Bay, down about 10% from a year ago. “Through June we were pretty much on pace with last year, which was a very good year for the Port of Green Bay,” said Dean Haen, Port Director. “The decline in July was primarily due to drops in imports of petroleum products and salt.” June saw nearly 50,000 tons of domestic petroleum products inported to the Port. That dropped to less than 9,000 tons in July. Salt imports accounted for more than 106,000 tons in June, while there were no salt shipments in July. On a positive note, cement imports are up 28% from the same period in 2019 and wood pulp and forest produsts are up 24% year-to-date. “This has certainly been a difficult year to accurately forecast shipping levels,” Haen added. “The impact of COVID-19 is being felt throughout the Great Lakes and beyond. But we remain cautiously optimistic for a good finish for the remainder of the 2020 shipping season.” So far in 2020, 76 vessels have visited the Port of Green Bay, the same number as last year at this time. WisBusiness |
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Canadian tour boats entering U.S. waters lead to turbulence during COVID border closure 8/15 - Clayton, NY – U.S. tour boat operator David Kay is frustrated. He said he's prohibited from entering Canadian waters in the St. Lawrence River, yet he continually sees Canadian tour boats travel along the same river into U.S. waters. "We can't go over there and they can come over here," said Kay, owner of Clayton Island Tours in Clayton, N.Y. "It's kind of an unfair advantage." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada and the U.S. have agreed to shut their shared land border to non-essential traffic, which includes recreational boating. But some U.S. commercial tour boat operators in the St. Lawrence — who are now prohibited from entering Canadian waters — say their Canadian counterparts don't face similar restrictions. "I have no problem with Canadian boats coming into the U.S. waters," said Ron Thomson, owner of Uncle Sam Boat Tours in Alexandria Bay, N.Y. But he said Canada should also let in U.S. tour boats — as long as no one docks and passengers don't disembark. "What [COVID-19] threat do my boats pose by coming into Canada and then going back to my docks?" he said. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York agrees. In a statement earlier this month, he said he sent a letter to the Canadian government asking it to relax its boating restrictions. Schumer said many U.S. boaters have recently reported facing fines when crossing to the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence. Americans caught entering Canadian waters for tourism face up to six months in jail and/or fines of up to $750,000. Schumer said U.S. boaters sailing through Canadian waters pose no health risks and that the rules aren't reciprocal, as U.S. authorities still allow Canadian vessels to pass through U.S. waters. "That type of uneven enforcement puts U.S. boaters — especially tour companies — at a disadvantage and does nothing to protect Canadians from COVID-19 spread," the Senate minority leader said. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBC News that the rules are even because Canadian tour boats actually aren't allowed to enter U.S. waters. "Traversing U.S. waters for recreational purposes is deemed non-essential and therefore not authorized due to the current travel restrictions," CBP spokesperson Mike Niezgoda said in an email. But U.S. tour operators Kay and Thomson said they see two Ontario-based tour boat companies — Gananoque Boat Line and Rockport Boat Line — take Canadian passengers on tours multiple times a day along the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River. "People on [my] boat see the Canadian boat go by and say, 'Well why can they come here if we can't go there?'" Kay said. "We can't really give an answer." Gananoque Boat Line — based in Gananoque, Ont., near Kingston — declined to comment and referred CBC News to Transport Canada. Transport Canada responded in an email that it "respects the authority of U.S. officials regarding vessels entering their waters." Rockport Boat Line, based in Rockport, Ont., confirmed to CBC News that it's still sailing to the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence and said that it has permission to do so. Company president Kathleen Allen stated in an email that Rockport's tour boat is considered a commercial vessel, not a recreational boat, and that U.S. CBP told her the vessel could travel — without stopping — in U.S. waters. "We are not 'crossing into the U.S.' as in some kind of border crossing," Allen said. 'We are travelling nonstop through U.S. waters." When CBC News asked U.S. CBP about Allen's statement, it reiterated its policy that tour boats cannot enter the U.S. at this time. The agency said it's constantly on the lookout for trespassers and that boaters who break the rules could face fines or expulsion. CBP said it couldn't immediately provide information on how many Canadians have been fined for entering U.S. waters since the border closure began in March. Back in Clayton, N.Y., tour operator Kay said he hopes his Canadian counterparts will continue to sail in U.S. waters. "I'm not trying to shut them down. I'm trying to open it up for us." In Schumer's letter to the Canadian government, he proposed that Canada grant U.S. boaters pre-clearance to enter Canadian waters, as long as they adhere to safety rules such as wearing masks and not docking. "Such a system ... would not increase the risk of COVID-19 spread to Canadians," he wrote. But, at least for now, Canada is sticking to its current travel restrictions for U.S. boaters. "These are unprecedented times, and the measures imposed were done so in light of potential public health risks," Canada Border Services Agency said in an email. CBC |
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Cargo ship unable to depart Ogdensburg on its own, second tug called upon for help 8/15 - Ogdensburg, NY – Just being 7 p.m. Thursday, a second tug was called upon to help escort cargo ship IMKE out of the Port of Ogdensburg. The ship has been at the port for nearly a week. IMKE, flagged out of Malta, ran aground Saturday just off the port. The ship arrived in Ogdensburg on Saturday carrying wind turbine blades for Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. The ship sat in the St. Lawrence Seaway for two days before a call for help was made. The ship was unable to make it to the port on its own, so a tug out of Montreal, Québec, Ocean Serge Genois was called upon on Sunday for assistance. Before the tug arrived, the ship was able to make it to the port on its own with the help of winches — hauling or lifting devices. Strong currents and precipitous depth changes makes Ogdensburg a difficult port to approach, Mr. Folsom said. The stern of the ship became lodged in the shallow area parallel to the dock. According to veteran ship watcher Michael J. Folsom, the tug has been docked across the river in Johnstown, Ontario, waiting for IMKE. Because it’s a Canadian vessel, the tug is able to moor there, Mr. Folsom said in a Facebook message Thursday evening. The border between the United States and Canada remains closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The second tug is now needed due to the extensive damage IMKE sustained when running aground, he said. The damage has prohibited the ship to depart on its own. As of 7 p.m., which tug will be coming is unknown. A crew will need to be secured before the tug sets off. Mr. Folsom said he’s unsure if the tug will be departing from Montreal, Québec, or Hamilton, Ontario. NNY 360 |
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Port Reports - August 15 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, MI - Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss, Jacob Silvan
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Sister City ship from Russia sails for Duluth 8/15 - Duluth, MN – An 18th century tall ship replica, Pilgrim, is expected to arrive in Duluth in September, when it will connect with its Sister City after having originated an around-the-world journey in Petrozavodsk, Russia. Duluth and Petrozavodsk, in northwest Russia, were established as sister cities in 1987, during the Cold War, when the nuclear threat hung over both superpowers. Now, in troubled times again, the Pilgrim is two years into fulfilling a mission that figures to finish in Alaska. After laying up for a few weeks in Duluth, the Pilgrim plans to take a train to Seattle, and voyage to Alaska. “They’re primitive sailors,” John Kucko said of the brothers Alexander and Sergey Sinelnik. “It’s a remarkable voyage. The captain (Sergey) has wanted to do this since he was a teenager.” Kucko is a 30-year television journalist for WROC-TV CBS in Rochester, New York. He’s spent most of his career covering the Buffalo Bills professional football team. He employs digital photography in his off time, and in the background of a recent photo he took he saw the wooden, 40-foot Pilgrim. His curiosity sparked, Kucko immediately did some homework and realized what he’d discovered. He’s been chronicling it on Facebook since last weekend. On Thursday, the Pilgrim dropped through Buffalo and into Lake Erie. “It’s now on the open waters of Lake Erie,” Kucko said, his life returning to normal. “I’ve never had anything quite like this come my way. It’s the right time. America, the world, it’s divided. People are angry and depressed. And here’s this inspirational story that winds up right here in western New York. People appreciate an adventure.” After a substantial layup for COVID-19, the Pilgrim pressed ahead. When it stops in port, “they do a lot of good-will stuff, inviting people on board with masks; they’ve got a tiny museum in their tight quarters. It’s really amazing,” Kucko said. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/transportation/6616431-Sister-City-ship-from-Russia-sails-for-Duluth |
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Request for information on integration of automated and autonomous commercial vessels and vessel technologies into the Maritime Transportation System 8/15 - The United States Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register a Request for Information (RFI). The Coast Guard is seeking to better understand, among other things, the intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and automated or autonomous technologies aboard commercial vessels, and to better fulfill its mission of ensuring our Nation’s maritime safety, security, and stewardship. The Coast Guard is interested in hearing from the public on a range of issues related to the potential introduction and development of automated and autonomous technologies aboard commercial vessels or any automated and autonomous vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction and U.S. port facilities. The Coast Guard encourages participation from all interested parties and will consider all information, comments, and material received during the comment period outlined in the Federal Register post. You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2019-0698 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on submitting comments. For full details, view the Federal Register notice. Comments must be received by October 13, 2020. Questions about this document may be directed to Ted J. Kim, U.S. Coast Guard, at (202) 372-1528 or Ted.J.Kim3@uscg.mil. USCG |
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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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Cargo ship unable to depart Ogdensburg on its own, second tug called upon for help 8/14 - Ogdensburg, NY - Just being 7 p.m. Thursday, a second tug was called upon to help escort cargo ship IMKE out of the Port of Ogdensburg. The ship has been at the port for nearly a week. IMKE, flagged out of Malta, ran aground Saturday just off the port. The ship arrived in Ogdensburg on Saturday carrying wind turbine blades for Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. The ship sat in the St. Lawrence Seaway for two days before a call for help was made. The ship was unable to make it to the port on its own, so a tug out of Montreal, Québec, Ocean Serge Genois was called upon on Sunday for assistance. Before the tug arrived, the ship was able to make it to the port on its own with the help of winches — hauling or lifting devices. Strong currents and precipitous depth changes makes Ogdensburg a difficult port to approach, Mr. Folsom said. The stern of the ship became lodged in the shallow area parallel to the dock. According to veteran ship watcher Michael J. Folsom, the tug has been docked across the river in Johnstown, Ontario, waiting for IMKE. Because it’s a Canadian vessel, the tug is able to moor there, Mr. Folsom said in a Facebook message Thursday evening. The border between the United States and Canada remains closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The second tug is now needed due to the extensive damage IMKE sustained when running aground, he said. The damage has prohibited the ship to depart on its own. As of 7 p.m., which tug will be coming is unknown. A crew will need to be secured before the tug sets off. Mr. Folsom said he’s unsure if the tug will be departing from Montreal, Québec, or Hamilton, Ontario. NNY 360 |
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Army Corps gearing up for next phase of Soo Lock construction 8/14 - Sault Ste Marie, MI – Soo Lock construction is set to shift into the next phase, Phase 2, of construction in September. This construction, according to a press release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is to facilitate the construction of a new Poe-sized lock in place of the existing Davis and Sabin Locks. This work is expected to be complete in November 2021. The three major phases of the project remain on track with their timetables and are virtually unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic. Construction/dredging of the new Soo Lock began in June in the upstream channel deepening phase. The next big milestone of the construction, according to Penny Carroll of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be the award of the second phase of work, which is anticipated to happen in September. During the first phase of the project, Trade West, the contractor, began mobilizing equipment to the job site on May 4. On June 4, they began dredging at the western end of the project. On July 16, they began the deepening project, bringing up bedrock. This work began at the east end of the south side of the north channel. So far, the material brought up is all Jacobsville sandstone. According to Carroll, this work on the eastern part of the north channel is important to accomplish first so that this area is properly deepened for the second phase of the project, the upstream approach walls, which will begin next spring. In order to have both contractors working on the same site, there has to be layering of the phases. The contractor is currently bringing up about 1,300 tons per day and production is currently on schedule. “Roughly 300,000 cubic yards of material, mostly bedrock, will be removed from the mile-long approach channel which will be placed on the Northwest Pier, located just north of the Upstream Approach Channel and will actually provide a windbreak for vessels,” said Carroll. “The Northwest Pier is property owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.” The second phase involves rehabilitation of the upstream approach walls, which will stabilize the existing approach walls to allow for modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. This contract has been solicited and is currently meeting source selection qualification boards. The Army Corps aims to have this contract awarded in September, with construction to begin in the spring. The third phase, construction of the new lock chamber, will include rehabilitating downstream approach walls and is nearing its 70 percent design milestone. The Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is conducting a series of industry engagement events from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8 to seek feedback from potential contractors. The intent is for the Army Corps to share the 70 percent plans with contractors on Aug. 28, present an overview of chamber design webinar on Oct. 1, conduct an industry site visit on Oct. 6, and meet individually with contractors to gain feedback from a contractor perspective towards clarity and constructability of the current plan on Oct. 6 through Oct. 8. As stated in a press release by the Army Corps, Detroit District, the Soo Locks are situated on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and allow vessels to transit the 21-foot elevation change at the St. Mary’s Falls Canal. Over 85 percent of commodity tonnage through the Soo Locks is restricted by vessel size to the Poe Lock. This new lock project will construct a second Poe-sized lock, sized 110′ by 1,200′, on the site of the existing decommissioned Davis and Sabin locks. According to a 2015 Department of Homeland Security study on the impact of an unexpected Soo Locks closure, the Locks are nationally critical infrastructure and the reliability of this critical node in the Great Lakes Navigation System is essential to America’s manufacturing and national security. Soo News |
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Hon. James L. Oberstar fitting out 8/14 - C Harbor Lookout has the Hon. James L. Oberstar, which has been laid up since May 20, unloading at Graymont in Superior this coming Tuesday. It shows her loading at CN-Duluth after discharge. |
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Port Reports - August 14 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
Marquette, MI– Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss |
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Still a long way to go for ambitious Norgoma project planned for Tobermory 8/14 - Owen Sound, ON – There are plenty of ideas floating around the historic Norgoma these days, but first, it has to get to Tobermory’s Little Tub Harbour. In a literal sense, Mike Goman of Tobermory Real Estate Investors Inc. (TREII), the company spearheading the proposed move of the M.S. Norgoma from its current location in Sault Ste. Marie to Tobermory believes it would be a five or six-day tow costing about $150,000. In a bureaucratic sense, they’re just now charting the long journey that may end with the ship in Tobermory’s harbour being used as a tourist attraction, coffee shop and museum. Goman said that since he’s gone public with the idea, further creative suggestions have been hurled his way including featuring art displays on the ship, creating a brewpub on the vehicle deck and holding training courses for Georgian College students. Those may be fun things to think about. For now, Goman and TREII are thick in the weeds of planning for financial sustainability, engineering, rehabilitation, and harbour assessments while trying to get an endorsement – and eventually a long-term dockage agreement – from the Northern Bruce Peninsula. “It could be kind of a floating marketplace . . . I wouldn’t rule out those kinds of ideas . . . but I haven’t spent a lot of time figuring that out yet because we have a long way to go here,” Goman said by phone Tuesday. To that end, Goman presented the Norgoma proposal to Northern Bruce Peninsula council Monday. He said that for now, TREII is simply asking council to direct staff to work with them on a feasibility study and evaluate the suggested locations within the harbour. Eventually, council will need to permit TREII to place the massive ship in the popular Little Tub Harbour if it’s determined the harbour can accommodate it. “What we need is permission . . . the municipality owns the docks and what we really need is for them to say, OK, here’s where you can put it. If the question is do I need a subsidy from the municipality? No,” Goman said. TREII wants to enter into a long-term agreement with the municipality before towing the ship across Georgian Bay. “We’d need a long-term agreement. Without that it doesn’t make any sense,” Goman said. Peggy Van Mierlo-West, cheif administrative officer with Northern Bruce Peninsula, said it’s too early to make any kind of statement about a possible agreement or even the municipality’s appetite for the project. “It was a very good presentation and we’re happy he came to council,” she said. “Right now we’ve been requested to review the proposal itself . . . we’re just at the phase of reviewing and having those discussions.” Van-Mielo West said municipal staff will seriously look at the project within the next month before returning to council with recommendations for the next steps. In mid-July Sault Ste. Marie city council approved the sale of the Norgoma to TREII at a cost of $2,500. That sale has several conditions, including making sure the ship can withstand the tow to Tobermory, and making sure it will have a home once it gets there. Goman said he has a few months now to get an agreement in place in Tobermory with the MNBP. “I think we have enough time to see if this makes sense. There isn’t some big long study that needs to be done here, to me it’s pretty straightforward. Can we accommodate the ship within Little Tub Harbour without disrupting the normal operations of the harbour and without making it a financial burden?” Goman said. Despite the ship’s size – about twice the size of the largest tour boats that now operate from Little Tub Harbour – Goman said the primary goal of a study would be to accommodate the Norgoma within the harbour without a reduction in the number of available dock slips. Van Mierlo-West said size and dockage are only a part of the equation. “We’d have to review things such as infrastructure, the requirement for the boat itself, we’d have to look at their business plan. There are a lot of items we’d have to review before we can make any comment,” she said. Goman said he knows the ship, once in Tobermory, would have to support itself financially. “We all have to be clear-headed about it. There has to be enough money in it to pay its way and to set up capital reserves,” Goman said. Goman and his business partner Dr. George Harpur have operated The Sweet Shop in Tobermory for more than 40 years, and more recently The Coffee Shop nearby. He also works in real estate development and with operators of commercial and retail spaces. He’s said he is comfortable there is enough tourist and visitor volume in Tobermory to support the Norgoma. Although the ship eventually failed as a museum in Sault Ste. Marie, the TREII proposal suggests that was because of limited revenue streams, as well as a lack of proximity to major population centres and adjacent attractions. Goman said Tobermory benefits from better geography – situated a two-hour drive from the largest population centres in the province – and the operators could stand to be more creative with the ship’s uses and in creating diverse revenue sources. “I think I know the market pretty well,” Goman said. “I know the volume is there. I know the traffic and visitor volume is there.” Built in the 1950s in Collingwood, the 188-foot Norgoma was a package freighter and passenger ferry once operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company. In 1974, the Norgoma, and her sister ship the Norisle, were replaced by the Chi-Cheemaun, which still does the run today. Sault Ste. Marie bought the vessel for a dollar from the Ontario government in 1975 and the Norgoma has called the waterfront in Sault Ste. Marie home for decades, where it was operated as a museum for much of that time. Last year the city took back ownership of the ship from the volunteer organization that had operated it. It was moved from the city’s Roberta Bondar Marina to a private dock in June 2019 and put up for sale later in the year. Owen Sound Sun Times |
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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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Steel production ticks up as region’s blast furnaces return to service 8/13 - NW Indiana – Great Lakes steel output ticked up last week after U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal brought more blast furnaces that had been sidelined during the coronavirus pandemic back online. But steel production remains depressed nationally. Steel production has dropped by 20.1% for the year, while steel capacity utilization is down by more than 18 percentage points as compared to the same time last year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel in the short term. Great Lakes steel production rose by 9,000 tons last week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly in Northwest Indiana, made 471,000 tons of metal, up from 462,000 tons the previous week, a 1.9% increase. U.S. Steel brought Blast Furnace No. 8 at Gary Works back online a few weeks ago and ArcelorMittal started back up the No. 4 Blast Furnace at the Indiana Harbor steel mill in Indiana Harbor. ArcelorMittal also is working to repair Blast Furnace D at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor after it exploded in an industrial accident last month. Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.354 million tons of steel last week, up 2% from 1.328 million tons the previous week but down 26.5% as compared to 1.841 million tons the same time a year prior. Steel demand started plummeting in mid-March when automakers like Ford, General Motors and Honda, some of the largest consumers of North American steel, temporarily ceased production to limit the spread of COVID-19, forcing Northwest Indiana steel mills to idle some operations and temporarily lay hundreds of workers off. But auto plants across the country have come back online and have been slowly increasing production volume, leading local steel mills to restart their blast furnaces and ramp back up. So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 47.4 million tons of steel, a 20.1% decrease compared to the 59.3 million tons made during the same period in 2019. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 66% through Aug. 8, down from 80.7% at the same point in 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 60.4% last week, which was up from 59.3% the previous week but down from 79.1% at the same time a year ago. Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, was 538,000 tons in the week that ended Saturday, up from 515,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest rose to 146,000 tons last week, up from 145,000 tons the week prior. NWI Times |
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St. Lawrence Cruise Lines to serve Canadian passengers only this fall 8/13 - Kingston, ON: - St. Lawrence Cruise Lines is announcing a new fall vacation opportunity for Canadians. The company will be operating small ship overnight cruises exclusive to Canadian travellers during Fall 2020. Cruises will run on a weekly basis from September 18 to October 20, and will consist of a series of 4 night, 5 day return trips from Kingston, Ontario through the Thousand Islands to Morrisburg, Ontario. These cruises will highlight the spectacular fall colors on the St. Lawrence River and the rich history of the region. The decision to offer a shortened cruise schedule follows months of monitoring the state of COVID-19 in Kingston and across Canada, and has been made in accordance with federal, provincial, and municipal guidelines for business operations. COVID-19 safety measures will be in full effect throughout the cruise, including guest screening, reduced passenger loads, physical distancing and mask protocols, as well as a ship-wide disinfectant regime. “During the planning of this fall schedule, the wellbeing of our passengers and crew has been our number one consideration, and we have designed a number of initiatives to address health and safety on board. We believe that we can deliver a wonderful vacation on the St. Lawrence River with the highest levels of hospitality, while maintaining equally high standards of COVID-19 measures for everyone on board.” said Jason Clark, President of St. Lawrence Cruise Lines The M/V Canadian Empress will be operating with a maximum capacity of only 48 Canadian passengers and 14 crew members. The vessel features 32 staterooms with twin fixed beds and private bathrooms. All staterooms have access to fresh air and a view of the river. Cruise rates will start at $1700 per person and rates include all meals, daily housekeeping service, as well as select shore tours and entertainment. “With over 40 years of cruising experience, we know that the St. Lawrence River is the number one ingredient for our cruises, and the sights and colours of fall on the river is truly a magical experience. We have prepared the ship to showcase the river, leaving our crew to focus their full attention on the care of our passengers.” Bookings for the fall schedule will begin on Tuesday, Aug 11th and booking information is available at 1-800-267-7868. Information on schedule and rates, safety measures, and itineraries are available at www.stlawrencecruiselines.com/cruises/2020-fall-cruise/ |
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Tensions rise at Port of Montreal as longshore workers begin general strike 8/13 - Montreal, QC - This follows a pair of four-day strikes during the last two weeks by CUPE members that led to several ships being diverted to other ports, including Halifax and New York City. Union officials say a general strike was necessary, after the employers association cut overtime pay last week. The employers association previously stated the move was because night and weekend shifts had increased due to daytime strikes. "The employer changed our salary condition last week, they changed the [premium] of the night shift, and the weekend shift," said Michel Murray, a union representative with CUPE. "They put an economic pressure on the longshoremen." Negotiations between CUPE and the Maritime Employers Association have been been ongoing for more than two months. The workers have been without a collective agreement for nearly two years. According to the union, the main sticking points have been scheduling and wages. On Sunday, union officials said they had offered the employers association a 45-day truce to prevent a strike. A spokesperson for the association disputed that account, saying it had been the MEA who offered a truce which had been rebuked. The head of the Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters Association worries the strike will seriously impact Quebec’s economy, calling it 'bad timing'. "It's very unfortunate that the strike happens at this time, with COVID-19, manufacturers are really affected by this crisis," said Veronique Proulx, CEO of the Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters Association. "We're asking both parties of course to work closely and intensively together to have a positive outcome to the situation, but we’re also asking the federal government to see how they can better support and facilitate and to come to a negotiated and positive outcome for both parties." Murray says the strike will continue until longshore workers have a new contract, or until a truce is reached with the employer where both parties are satisfied. CJAD |
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Port Reports - August 13 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
St. Marys River
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner, Darren Hesler
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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RJ Peterson, Tower Marine owner, saver of the Keewatin, dies at 93 8/13 - Douglas, MI – Longtime resident of the Saugatuck-Douglas area, businessman, and owner of Tower Marine Roland “RJ” Peterson died Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, at age 93. Whether it’s from his 500-slip marina, his reviving the Saugatuck Chain Ferry, his saving of the S.S. Keewatin or his involvement in a myriad of community initiatives, Peterson was a known and respected figure in the Saugatuck and Douglas communities for decades. “He was a great brother. He just did so much for everybody, including me,” said RJ’s brother Erik Peterson. “He was very generous. He helped a lot of people, but never tooted his horn about it.” “When you look around that community, his footprints are big,” Allegan County Commissioner Jim Storey said on Tuesday. “He didn’t just live his life for himself, he lived for his community and his people. He will be hugely missed. “He was witty, gracious and generous. Those are all words that describe him in buckets. He’s been such an energizing force in the life of Saugatuck and Douglas. There are not many people he didn’t know in that community.” Peterson grew up in Gary, Ind., and studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University. He enlisted in the Navy after high school at the end of World War II. Prior to coming to the Saugatuck-Douglas area and helping establish Tower Marine, he built up his father’s business that sold house boats. Peterson’s community impact has been wide-reaching. In 1965, Peterson revived the historic Saugatuck Chain Ferry, building a new vessel and naming it Diane, after his wife. Peterson sold it to the city of Saugatuck around 15 years ago and the ferry remains in operation today as a staple of the community. In 1967, Peterson purchased the S.S. Keewatin, a 336.5-foot passenger liner that sailed the Great Lakes from 1907 to 1965. He brought the ship to Douglas, where it served as a museum for 45 years before being sold and returned to Canada where it had come from. “That was a labor of love,” Erik Peterson said. “He really enjoyed that. RJ saved it. If he had not intervened, it was going to the scrapyard.” Tony Amato, who runs the Red Dock Cafe on Kalamazoo Lake by the marina, credits Peterson’s support for helping make the cafe a success. “My wife and I and the Red Dock family are very grateful for the support RJ gave us,” Amato said. “Without it, it wouldn’t be as successful as it is. We’re grateful for everything he’s done and I’m truly said he’s passed on. I tip my hat to him and I’m proud to have been associated with him.” Amaro said he’ll remember Peterson, who he knew for 23 years, as an avid reader, historian and giver to the community. “Whatever the agenda was at the time, cleaning the river up, doing something for the schools, Fourth of July celebrations, they were right there,” Amaro said. “The support was unbelievable.” Peterson was heavily involved in efforts to consolidate the cities of Saugatuck and Douglas into one municipality, an initiative which ultimately failed. In recent years, Peterson tried several times to sell his marina to both Douglas and Saugatuck, which Storey said came from a desire to protect the Kalamazoo Lake Harbor and the local communities. “He felt very strongly that the future livelihood of that harbor, and therefore the livelihood of Saugatuck and Douglas, was tied to there being a public marina,” Storey said. “It didn’t come to pass before he died, but he felt very strongly that a public marina would guarantee, so to speak, public support for keeping the harbor alive and well.” Peterson is survived by his wife, Diane, son Matthew, three granddaughters and two siblings. Holland Sentinel |
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Virtual Visitor Center: Braving the Waves: The Life-Saving Service on the Shipwreck Coast 8/13 - Thursday promises to be another great day in the Virtual Visitor Center. Join the Virtual Visitor Center at 12:30 Thursday for a program about the U.S. Life Saving Service on the Shipwreck Coast. Connect on the web: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCen…/braving-the-waves |
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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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Canada Steamship Lines retires Salarium 8/12 - After a long and productive 41-year career with CSL, the 35,656 DWT self-unloader MV Salarium has been decommissioned. The long-serving vessel reached the end of her usable life earlier this year and will be dismantled at a green ship recycling yard. She was launched on December 18, 1979, at Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, ON, for Canada Steamship Lines Inc. as Nanticoke. In April 2009, Nanticoke was chartered by Societe Quebecoise D'Exploration Miniere, Ste-Foy, QC to replace Algoma Central's Sauniere, which they had held under charter from 1982 until her retirement in March 2009. Nanticoke was fittingly renamed Salarium in Montreal (meaning a 'payment made in salt') and deployed to carry salt between Iles-de-la Madeleine (Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and Quebec ports along the lower St. Lawrence River as well as Great Lakes and East Coast ports. She occasionally made trips to the upper Great Lakes to load coal and iron ore when not required on the salt run. Canada Steamship Lines |
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Thunder Bay grain shipments remain strong 8/12 - Thunder Bay, ON - – The Port of Thunder Bay continues to experience above-average grain shipments as international demand for wheat remains high through the global pandemic. As of July 31, year-to-date grain tonnage sits 26% higher than last year. July grain shipments were 100,000 metric tonnes higher than the same month last year. Strong shipments are anticipated this fall, as well. Canadian farmers are preparing to harvest one of the Top 5 largest crops in history, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s most recent outlook. Demonstrating confidence in the future of the Canadian grain trade, both CN and CP railways have recently announced further investment in their hopper car fleets to accommodate larger harvests, which, owing to technological advancements and longer growing seasons, are likely to last. CN has also stepped up its railcar allotment for grain services by 150 extra cars per week for the 2020-21 crop year. Elsewhere in the port, there was a rise in other dry bulk shipments in July. These were imported road salt and aggregate for regional consumption. Lake Superior News |
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Port Reports - August 12 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On.
St. Marys River
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
No report.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss |
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Floating into Canada this year could mean hefty fines, arrest 8/12 - Port Huron, MI – While a few years ago neighborly Canadians bused hundreds of wayward Americans back across the St. Clair River following a botched Float Down, they aren't promising such a warm reception if it happens again this year. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a statement urging people not to participate in the Float Down this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The statement recalled the 2016 event in which more than 1,500 Americans unintentionally floated into Canada due to strong winds. "Crossing the marine border into Canada for optional or discretionary purposes such as touring, sightseeing and recreational fishing may result in fines of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months," according to an RCMP statement provided by spokesperson Diane Jennings. The U.S.-Canada border has been closed since March due to COVID-19. It has been open only to essential traffic, which does not include Float Down participants riding inner tubes and rafts. The RCMP warned that people unlawfully floating to Canada will be required to submit to a COVID-19 health screening and customs examination. They will be subject to Canadian laws regarding firearms, controlled substances, alcohol, immigration, customs and more. Anyone arriving in Canada must provide photo ID. Those who refuse screening under the Quarantine Act will be arrested, the statement said. U.S residents landing in Canada will be transported back to the United States and released to authorities in Port Huron. Read more at this link: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2020/08/10/us-canada-border-port-huron-float-down-2020-covid/3333777001 |
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Historic international shipments earn Port of Monroe 2019 Pacesetter Award 8/12 - Washington, DC – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership applauds the Port of Monroe for earning a 2019 navigation season Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, which recognizes their efforts in increasing international Seaway cargo during the 2019 navigation season. The Port of Monroe received the Pacesetter Award five times out of the last seven seasons beginning in 2012. “Above all else, it is important to the Port of Monroe and myself to be a leader and contributor in the broader Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. We are proud to receive the award, but we’re also proud of the other Great Lakes ports receiving the award because we will succeed or fail as a system,” said Paul C. LaMarre III, director of the Port of Monroe. “The 2019 Pacesetter Award is truly a testament to the Port of Monroe’s resilience. We’re exceptionally proud to receive the Pacesetter Award because it is symbolic of the work ethic and professionalism of the people who breathe life into this place.” The Port of Monroe’s noteworthy international inbound and outbound cargo handlings during the 2019 navigation season were crowned by a historic shipment. In October 2019, the Port of Monroe handled a generator stator, which is the single most valuable piece of project cargo that ever moved through the Seaway system. For almost two years, the Port of Monroe worked hand in hand with General Electric and DTE to plan the move and construct a new on-dock, heavy lift rail spur before the M/V Happy Ranger delivered the stator from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Monroe, Michigan. That very same ship was then loaded with 42 wind tower segments manufactured at Ventower, a wind energy manufacturing company based in Monroe, and shipped to Peru, exemplifying what can only be described as “logistics perfection.” For LaMarre, the movement of the component represents the Port of Monroe coming full circle, paying homage to the Port’s movement of similar cargoes in the late 1970s. “It was a win on all levels. It achieved an investment in port infrastructure, the development of new and valuable cargo through the Seaway and benefited the community that we call home,” said LaMarre. In addition to the Seaway-wide historic shipment, the Port of Monroe also celebrated their own momentous achievement. For the first time ever, three vessels unloaded at the same time on three separate docks. The “Queen of the Lakes”, the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha, unloaded at DTE’s Monroe Powerplant, the M/V Gagliardi unloaded Egyptian salt at the Port’s Riverfront Dock, and the Barge Delaware and Tug Calusa Coast unloaded liquid asphalt at the Port’s Turning Basin Dock. Great Lakes Seaway Partnership |
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Proposed marine sanctuary may extend to St. Lawrence County shipwrecks 8/12 - Canton, NY - Two shipwrecks off the coast of the town of Hammond in St. Lawrence County may have the chance to be included in the proposal to establish a national marine sanctuary on Lake Ontario. Officials overseeing the projects presented that possibility to the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators on Monday. Currently, the boundaries of the marine sanctuary would encompass a large swath of eastern Lake Ontario to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, but there’s been interest in possibly extending that upriver to include two easy-to-access shipwrecks, the America and the Keystorm. Some St. Lawrence legislators appeared largely in favor of extending the sanctuary to include two known shipwrecks in the St. Lawrence river near the Town of Hammond. Legislator James E. Reagen, R-Ogdensburg, even inquired about the possibility of extending the sanctuary all the way to the Moses-Saunders Dam as a way to capitalize on the opportunity to teach history on the river. “Too many of our families have no idea that shipping was the lifeblood of the early communities in St. Lawrence County as well as Jefferson and Oswego Counties,” Mr. Reagen remarked. “This seems like a terrific opportunity to help reeducate our communities about the resources that are just below the surface of the water.” Ellen Brody, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the Marine Sanctuaries program touted the benefits of increased aquatic tourism and educational opportunities in her presentation to legislators Monday. She said the opportunities and potential are really driven by local stakeholders. “I really want to emphasize that every one of these places is different,” Ms. Brody said. “That our approach to designating a sanctuary, that we recognize that every place is different, that every community is different. So, we don’t come in with a prescribed way of how we’re proposing to manage it.” Several concerns about the project were raised about the potential project. Legislator Tony J. Arquiett, D-Helena, asked about the potential disruption divers or any newly discovered shipwrecks could have on traffic in the river’s channel. Ms. Brody indicated that the sanctuaries are meant to encourage access and any regulations don’t create zones that could hamper traffic on the channel, but rather deal with just the wrecks themselves. Organizers of the project are hoping to submit paperwork for an environmental review later this year. When they do so, they would like to have a final determination of whether the sanctuary’s borders extend into St. Lawrence County. If approved, the sanctuary would become the 15th such area in the United States and the second in the Great Lakes region. Under the current plan, roughly 1,700 square miles would be included in the designation, which would encompass 21 known shipwrecks and a downed aircraft spanning a period of over 200 years. Organizers note that the designation could open up the possibility for the locating of an additional 49 shipwrecks and aircraft known to be downed somewhere in the proposed area. nny360 |
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Obituary: R.J. Peterson 8/12 - R.J. Peterson died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday at the age of 93. He was the man who saved the SS Keewatin from being scrapped in 1967. He read in a book that she was one of the last of her kind, so he borrowed the funds and dragged her to a shallow lake in Michigan on the Kalamazoo River at Saugatuck/Douglas. There he put her on display as a "mini" Titanic, and for 45 years visitors came. In 2011 he decided that he would like to see the ship returned to Canada where her heritage lay in Port McNicoll, ON, and worked with Gil Blutrich, a developer, to accomplish that. He loved the Keewatin. Not a week went by over the nine years she has been in Port McNicoll that he didn't call to see how she was doing. Arrangements to follow. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 12
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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Cargo ship IMKE that was stuck, has been freed 8/11 - Ogdensburg, NY – A cargo ship that was stuck off the Port of Ogdensburg in the St. Lawrence River has apparently been freed without the help of a tug. The IMKE ran aground a short distance from the dock after the freighter apparently went outside the channel leading to the dock late Saturday afternoon. Monday evening, veteran ship watcher Michael Folsom reported in his Twitter feed that the IMKE had apparently been pulled alongside the port with winches. That, as a tug from Montreal was making its way upriver on the St. Lawrence. The tug had been summoned to help free the IMKE, and continues on its way to the ship. Folsom tweeted the tug may be needed to escort the ship for inspection. Part of the ship’s cargo: turbine blades for the Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. This is the fourth of seven scheduled turbine blade deliveries for Roaring Brook. Even after the vessel went aground, officials said, it was not blocking the St. Lawrence Seaway shipping channel. This marks the first time in at least 20 years that a ship has gone aground coming into port at the Ogdensburg port. Boaters say they watched the IMKE try to back in through the port channel as many as six times. Allan Hutchcroft was boating with others when he saw the whole thing unfold. “He was going around in circles. Going up the river. Turned around. Come back down, try again. He kept trying. He just couldn’t do it,” said Hutchcroft. WWNY |
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Blount Cruise ships, which often visited the Great Lakes, listed for sale 8/11 - Blount Small Ship Adventures is selling its cruise ship division of three ships: Grande Mariner, Grande Caribe, and Niagara Prince. They have been regular visitors to the Great Lakes. Blount designed its boats to sail where others cannot. The shallow 6-foot-draft vessels can traverse inland waterways and canals. The vessels glide under low bridges with retracted pilot houses. The bow ramps permit bow landings on virtually any beach. A post on their website said the company is ceasing operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fleet of three ships are open for viewing by appointment at the Blount facility in Warren, RI. gCaptain |
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Port Reports - August 11 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On.
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Monroe, MI – Sam Hankinson
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Take a tour of Wisconsin's anchors, which tell the story of state's rich maritime history 8/11 - Manitowoc, WI – Over the decades, Lake Michigan has become a cold, watery grave for hundreds of ships, each with a fascinating story to tell of how it met its fate. Those adventurous enough can don scuba gear and explore their sunken remains to learn the interesting history that sank with them. Those who prefer to remain on land can learn their tales by searching for their anchors. Over the years, hundreds of anchors have been salvaged from the depths and can be found throughout Wisconsin’s shores. Some anchors are used as historical markers, others as memorials to those who lost their lives when their ship went down. Many are used as lawn ornaments, some as monuments to Navy heroes, while others are used as part of a nautical motif for a maritime museum or business such as a marina, seafood restaurant, scuba shop or yacht club. Read the story and view images at this link: https://www.htrnews.com/story/life/2020/08/10/wisconsin-anchors-tell-of-lake-michigan-shipwrecks-maritime-history/3318994001 |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 11
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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Lake Erie water levels to decline soon, reports shows 8/10 - Monroe, MI – Finally, some good news for Lake Erie shoreline residents. It appears that the water levels are starting to back off from their seasonal and record highs. That’s the report that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released this week, with its monthly review and forecast for Great Lakes water levels. Lake Erie’s water levels were high in July, but did not set a record, the report said. In comparison, it added, lakes Huron and Michigan set a new monthly mean record high water level and likely will do so again in August. The 2019 water levels were so high for Lake Erie that new monthly records were set May through September, according to the U.S. Army Corps data. Previous record highs were set in the 1980s. “While we expect water levels to decline across most of the Great Lakes, levels still remain extremely high,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District. The water levels can be aggravated by day to day weather; as winds blowing inland will cause high waves and flooding on top of the existing conditions. As a result, Monroe County’s shoreline residents have noticed the impact of numerous Lakeshore Flood Warnings since spring, 2018. In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated its Emergency Operations Center in 2019 and has provided technical assistance to communities affected by flooding. Monroe News |
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Cargo ship runs aground off Port of Ogdensburg 8/10 - Ogdensburg, NY – The IMKE, a general cargo ship flagged out of Malta, ran aground Saturday afternoon just off the Port of Ogdensburg. The 134-meter ship, which was built in 2010, was traveling to Ogdensburg from Montreal, Québec, carrying wind turbine blades for the Roaring Brook Wind Farm in Lewis County. Veteran ship watcher Michael J. Folsom reported on Twitter that the ship had trouble making it through the narrow access to the port on Saturday afternoon. “Strong current at @Ogdensburg_NY gives docking ships a hard time. IMKE took multiple attempts at getting into the port today (Saturday) before running into trouble just off the dock,” Mr. Folsom tweeted at 11:42 p.m. Saturday. Strong currents and precipitous depth changes makes Ogdensburg a difficult port to approach, and the IMKE could have used the assist of a tug, Mr. Folsom said in a subsequent tweet. As of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the ship was listed as “aground,” on MarineTraffic.com Mr. Folsom tweeted just after 5 p.m. Sunday that no pollution or injuries have been reported. Crews have attempted to pull IMKE into the dock and the bow has drawn closer. Stern damage to the ship is presumed, Mr. Folsom added. NNY 360, Mardy Howe |
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Port Reports - August 10 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On.
Marquette, MI– Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Menominee MI – Chuck Zentmeyer
Sturgeon Bay, WI
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf Picton, ON – Tom Brewer. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 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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H. Lee White, Stewart J. Cort return to service 8/9 - H Lee White came out of layup at Bayship on Saturday. Stewart J. Cort departed Fraser Shipyards heading over to BN#5 in Superior to load. She was in for repairs, not for layup. |
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Port of Montreal dockworkers set to strike and "shut down the port" on Monday 8/9 - Montreal, QC – The union representing dockworkers at the Port of Montreal announced it will file a notice with management on Friday that an unlimited strike will begin Monday. And the Syndicat des débardeurs du port de Montréal, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, told reporters that unless some breakthrough is reached with management after 65 sessions of contract talks, they will “shut down the port of Montreal” Monday morning. “The ball is in management’s court,” union counsellor Michel Murray said during a press conference. However the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) said in a communiqué issued Friday that it was “disappointed” by the strike threat, adding that it had made an offer to reach a truce in the dispute but that it was rejected by union’s executive. The strike threat is the latest in an escalation of tensions between the port’s unionized workers and the MEA. Last Monday, management sent the union a notice that changes would be made to certain monetary conditions in the collective agreement. The changes would affect night and weekend shift dock and maintenance workers and went into effect on Thursday. The union has already walked off the job twice for four-day periods. Since last Monday, ships destined for Montreal have been re-routed to ports in Halifax, New York and Saint John. Negotiations at the port have been stalled principally over the issue of work schedules. The contract expired at the end of 2018. Last week, five local employers’ groups expressed their concern over the economic impact the labour crisis could have on Montreal, and urged the federal and provincial governments to intervene quickly to reduce the fallout a prolonged conflict would inflict. CBC |
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Port Reports - August 9 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Port Reports - August 8 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On.
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Lake Superior's current warm-up less dramatic than other Great Lakes 8/8 - Thunder Bay, ON – A hot summer has helped to push Lake Superior's average water temperature several degrees above the long-term normal for this time of year. Scientists say it's part of a trend across the Great Lakes that raises concerns about harmful algae blooms and damage to ecosystems. Environment and Climate Change Canada reports that the average surface temperature of the largest of the Great Lakes was 13.6 C in July, or 2.2 degrees warmer than the average between 1995 and 2019. Superior's surface water temperatures currently ranges from 12 C in the middle of the lake to as high as 24 C along the shoreline. Water temperatures on all the Great Lakes including Superior have been running well above average for weeks, according to Andrew Bramburger, vice-president of the International Association for Great Lakes Research and a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Records were set last month on Lakes Ontario, Erie and Michigan. "The interesting thing about that is, usually they don't hit their maximum temperature until a week or so into August, and the lakes were hitting temperatures higher than those historical maximums by mid-July this year. Just the timing of the warm-up came a bit earlier," Bramburger said. He added that there's still potentially three or four weeks of continuing warming ahead. Bramburger said the general absence of brisk wind this summer has also contributed. "When you don't have that wind creating waves and mixing the warm surface water down into the lake, those surfaces can get really hot," he said. Compared with this year, Lake Superior has recorded higher average surface temperatures in July on five occasions since 1998, including 2012 when it reached 18.3 C. It has been identified as one of the most rapidly-warming large lakes on the planet. Bramburger said "It's a big lake and it takes a lot of energy to heat up. So it seems it It should be a bit of a mystery as to why Lake Superior is warming as quickly as it is." However, he noted Superior's contrast with a water body such as Lake Erie, where the temperature plateaus before cooling of the surface water occurs due to evaporation. "Lake Superior has a lot more room to absorb that heat before it starts hitting that upper limit where it starts evaporating. So its able to absorb heat, year after year and summer after summer, despite the fact it's a colder lake than the other ones," Bramburger explained. Scientists are concerned that the warming of the Great Lakes will stress fish populations and increase the development of toxic blue-green algae blooms. After sporadic occurrences along the southern shore of Lake Superior in recent years, the first documented blue-green algae bloom on the Canadian side developed 35 kilometres east of Thunder Bay in September 2019. Bramburger said "It seems that the bacteria responsible for harmful algae blooms respond to changes in temperature even if the lake is not super-hot...It could be that as we see the warmer temperatures in the summer, particularly this year when the lakes heated up pretty quickly, we're having a water mass that is a lot more hospitable to those cyanobacteria than the other algae in the lake." He added that "the near-shore areas of Superior are quite a bit warmer than they used to be...Looking at Thunder Bay and some of the other inlets up there, it is in that same range of temperatures. Anytime you're getting into the 20s for Lake Superior, it's a bit of a departure from what, historically, it would be...this is part of a trend." Bramburger cautioned that it's easy to get complacent about the huge lake. "As Canadians who live in the Great Lakes basin, we're really spoiled with having better access to clean, fresh water than probably anyone in the world." He said the lakes are arguably the most precious natural resource on the globe. "This is a big deal to see these warming trends, and the potential implications, even with all the weird stuff going on around the world in 2020. This is an important thing to keep track of," Bramburger said. |
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2020 updated list of new saltwater visitors 8/8 - As of August 1, 2020, there were 24 new saltwater vessels making their first inland trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system via the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY. They include Alanis, Amber Bay, Amoenitas, Atlantic Spirit, Aujaq, BBC Gdansk, BBC Mekong, BBC Norfolk, BBC Swift, Caroline, Comet, Fure Ven, Hilke, Ijborg, Janet C, Josef, Julie C, Lagertha, Mick, Nadja, Northern Spirit, Puna, Sinaa and Zea Servant. Since August 1, there has been one more new visitor, the Spiekeroog. Another new visitor, the Imke, is expected to be making her first inland trip sometime in August. Imke is formerly the Palau that last visited as such in 2016. Six of the new saltwater visitors in 2020 made inland trips with other names. Among them are Atlantic Spirit which last visited as the Adfines Star in 2019, while the Northern Spirit also last visited in 2019 as the Adfines Sea. Both are sisterships. The Caroline last visited in 2019 as the Palmerton and they were renamed while at Sarnia on December 1. Three other new visitors that visited with former names are the Hilke which last visited in 2018 as the Palabora, and the tanker Lagertha which last visited in 2016 as the Halit Bey on its only visit with that name then. Finally, the Puna which last visited most recently in 2019 as the Three Rivers. Denny Dushane |
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Keel laying ceremony & naming announcement of new Mark W. Barker 8/8 - Watch to see the keel laying ceremony and naming announcement of Interlake Steamship Co.’s new build, the 639-foot Mark W. Barker. This was June 23, 2020 at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. |
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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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Port Reports - August 7 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, MI– Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Oswego, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Delong, Michels making large investments in Port of Milwaukee 8/7 - Milwaukee WI – Milwaukee’s 467-acre port will see two major upgrades through investments by the DeLong Company and Michels Corp. Both mean new buildings and increased activity at the port. The DeLong deal calls for a $31 million agricultural export facility that will be used to ship a byproduct of ethanol manufacturing that is used as animal feed in other markets. It would be the first facility of its kind on the Great Lakes. “This is one of the highlights of my career,” said Port Milwaukee executive director Adam Tindall-Schlicht on his second anniversary with the city. “DeLong’s investment at the port is the biggest at least since the 1950s.” The Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved a 4.42-acre lease agreement with DeLong that would pay approximately $3.5 million in lease payments over 30 years. The company would occupy three unused parcels on the inner harbor with direct access for Seawaymax vessels, the largest that operate on the Great Lakes. “Vessels from all over the world can come to this property,” said Tindall-Schlicht. And that’s the plan. The indoor facility will be used for transloading train and truck loads of “dry distillers grain with solubles” (DDGS) and other agricultural products onto ocean-going vessels. The material is a by-product of the ethanol production process whereby corn is converted into fuel. Global demand for DDGS, which is used as a nutrient supplement for livestock, is growing according to a city report. The project partners hope to export 200,000 metric tons annually, approximately $40 million worth of the product, from which the port will collect a tariff fee in addition to lease payments. “This is a brand-new tenant to the port and we welcome the DeLong family,” said Tindall-Schlicht of the Clinton-based company. A new rail line servicing the AMEF will directly connect the system to Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific‘s rail network. An ethanol export facility already exists at the port. Approximately 20 percent of DDGS exported is expected to come from Wisconsin ethanol plants, with the remainder coming from Iowa and Minnesota. The city will borrow $4.3 million to contribute to the capital cost of the project. DeLong is investing $6.2 million in the facility’s construction. Federal and state grants, first announced in February, are anticipated to cover the remainder. DeLong would pay approximately $30,000 per buildable acre it leases. The facility, located at 1711 S. Carferry Dr., is expected to be completed in 2023. Michels Deal Infrastructure contractor Michels Corp. has leased a portion of the port’s “Grand Trunk” site since 2016 and used it for staging for area projects. That lease was scheduled to expire in June 2021. The company, which is building a $100 million mixed-use complex with an eight-story office building upstream on the Kinnickinnic River, will now lease even more of the Grand Trunk property after winning a competitive request-for-proposals process. “What we know at this point is that there is going to be some construction of office buildings and loading and unloading at this site,” said Tindall-Schlicht. David Stegeman, Michels chief legal officer and vice president of business administration, was present at the virtual meeting, but didn’t elaborate on the plan. In a brief phone interview after the meeting, Stegeman told Urban Milwaukee the plan isn’t on the scale of the $100 million River One plan. “We are very excited, but are not sharing any details until we are through the approval process,” said Stegeman. Tindall-Schlicht said more information would be available in September when the proposal is reviewed by the Common Council. “This is an excellent use of a piece of land that we have been trying to find what to do with for at least the last 20 years I have been around,” said commissioner Ron San Felippo. The property, a portion of which is being restored as a publicly accessible wetland, is named for the Grand Trunk Railroad which once used the site for loading train cars onto ships designed to bypass Chicago. Michels will lease 17.40 acres, 13.5 of which are buildable, for up to 99 years. An initial lease period is for 20 years with extensions offered every decade. “We tried to extend the lease to the likely tenure of Adam’s as port director, so it’s a 99-year lease,” said San Felippo. Michels is estimated to pay $23,130,000 over the life of lease, about $17,000 per acre. Commissioner Craig Mastantuono asked how such a long lease could be calculated. “I have no idea what competitive rent is going to look like 57 years or 74 years from now,” he said. Tindall-Schlicht said the lease had inflation adjustments, tied to the Producers Price Index, scheduled every five years. Commissioner Claude Krawczyk asked why the rent was nearly half that of the DeLong deal on a per-acre basis. “The dockwall at Grand Trunk requires significant repair,” said Tindall-Schlicht. Michels will pay to remediate that in the first three years of its a lease, one of the terms of the deal. The site, addressed as 432 E. Bay St., is also accessible only by smaller ships, primarily tugboats and barges. “Location, location, location,” said Krawczyk. The Michels lease was unanimously approved. “Today’s votes and agreements have awoken what many think is a sleeping giant,” said Borkowski. Milwaukee scored a win when Viking Cruises announced in January it will bring new cruise ships to the Great Lakes. The company plans to enter the Great Lakes market in 2022 and will use Milwaukee as a turnaround point 10 times in the opening year, bringing an estimated 8,000 visitors through the city. UrbanMilwaukee.com |
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Northern Michigan: Salty – ‘The Colorful Adventures of a Well-Seasoned Sea Dog Pt. 1’ 8/7 - It was only supposed to be a part-time job, but then one man soon found himself traveling the world. “Forty-five years later I was still out there. I promised my folks I was going to get a real job someday, and maybe someday I will,” said Lon Calloway. “Oh man, talk about a life. “My name is Lon Calloway and I am a retired merchant mariner and I’ve spent over 45 years working all over the United States, Alaska, Gulf of Mexico working on a variety of vessels, 85 in total,” explained Lon. It all started when Lon simply wanted to make some money for college. That all changed when he found that if he worked as a relief worker, working on the boats gave him a lot of freedom. “The money and the flexibility of being able to work when I wanted, I pick and choose my jobs. I would get relationships with dispatchers from all these different companies and then I could call them up and tell them I was available, and they would tell me if they needed somebody. I could usually get a job within 24 hours of making a phone call,” explained Lon. He learned quickly that not all these jobs were smooth sailing. “You had to work it. I had to make sure that they knew that I would take a bad job to get a good job, and I would because I knew that they had to service their contracts. I had some pretty horrible boats from time to time. For instance, the tugboat in Alaska name the Lutak Pride, it had garbage bags taped up to the ceiling to keep the water from leaking through to the deck and running on you when you were in in your bunk. You didn’t dare take your shoes off, because you might have to run for it if something happens and it started to sink,” said Lon. Time is money for the boat companies. Just getting on the freighters can be an adventure. “The Ojibway is the story of the first time I ever stepped aboard a freighter. They took supplies and crew members out to the freighters and the Ojibway would swing up alongside of it and, with a crane, they would boom over all the supplies and then the relief guys will jump on and then the guys getting off would get on the boat and head back into town. For a new guy, it’s a pretty intimidating experience pulling up alongside that big sled that’s rumbling down the river and seeing all the action on there, climbing over the rail and when the Ojibway pulls away, you’re stuck, there you go,” explained Lon. Lon has so many stories about his 45-year-career he was convinced to write some of them down in his new book. “The book I just wrote is called ‘Salty: The Colorful Adventures of a Well-Seasoned Sea Dog.’ It has some of my better ones in there. I think it has 27 stories about my life at sea and some of the 85 boats that I’ve been on and some of the just insane people I’ve met along the way,” said Lon. Read more at this link: https://www.9and10news.com/2020/08/05/northern-michigan-in-focus-salty-the-colorful-adventures-of-a-well-seasoned-sea-dog-pt-1 |
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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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ArcelorMittal restarting blast furnace at Indiana Harbor 8/6 - ArcelorMittal is restarting a blast furnace at ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor East Chicago that was idled because of the coronavirus and repairing another blast furnace that was damaged in an explosion at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. "ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor has begun preparations to restart Indiana Harbor #4 blast furnace," spokesman William Steers said. "The flexibility afforded by our ArcelorMittal USA assets allows the company to continue matching production with customer demand." In May, the Luxembourg-based steelmaker idled the #4 Blast Furnace at its Indiana Harbor steel mill after automotive plants nationwide shut down for a deep cleaning to slow the spread of coronavirus that's killed more than 155,000 Americans. The steelmaker blew down the blast furnace to adapt to the drop in demand "while maintaining the flexibility of our operations" and "with necessary precaution to preserve the asset for future production." The steelmaker also is making repairs to Blast Furnace D, which was damaged in an explosion last month at its Burns Harbor mill. A stove dome failure two weeks ago caused a fire that forced the company to take the blast furnace offline. Videos posted to social media showed the blast showering the mill with the shrapnel of big chunks of burning hot refractory, the interior lining that protects the blast furnace shell from super-heated temperatures during the steelmaking process. "ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor is currently working through repairs on D blast furnace which are anticipated to take a couple of weeks," Steers said. "We do not anticipate any significant changes in employment as a result of the production changes at these facilities." Demand has been rebounding, with steel production in the Great Lakes region rising 4.6% last week to 471,000 tons, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. U.S. Steel, Northwest Indiana's other major steelmaker, has restarted two blast furnaces at Gary Works that had been idled after the auto plants were shut down. It fired back up the No. 6 Blast Furnace right after the Fourth of July weekend and started the No. 8 Blast Furnace this past weekend. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Meghan Cox said the steelmaker was starting to see strong demand from the auto, appliances, packaging and construction industries. NW Indiana Times |
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Marathon seeks court approval to dispose of tug Peninsula 8/6 - Marathon, ON – A large tugboat leaning precipitously to one side on a Marathon public beach has become a “blight” and a “public safety hazard” and needs to be removed. So says the town of Marathon, which earlier this month applied to Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice for an order that would allow the municipality to dispose of the 140-tonne vessel, possibly having it dismantled “The (Peninsula) tugboat is not part of the (town’s) plans moving forward,” town chief administrator Daryl Skworchinski says in an affidavit filed with the court. “It is merely taking up space next to a public boat launch and devolving into a blight on the community’s image.” Chronicle-Journal |
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Great Lakes water levels reaching peaks for the year 8/6 - Detroit, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces each of the Great Lakes, except Lake Superior, have likely reached their peak water levels for the year and are predicted to decline. Lakes Michigan-Huron set another new monthly mean record high water level in July, however the water level is expected to slowly drop the rest of the year. Water levels on Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario all continued to decline last month, with no new records set on those lakes in July. The water level of Lake Superior is expected to peak next month before entering its period of typical seasonal decline. “While we expect water levels to decline across most of the Great Lakes, levels still remain extremely high,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District. The Corps most recent forecast projects that Lake Michigan-Huron will likely set another new record high monthly mean water level next month in August before dropping back beneath record highs in September. With the continued high water on many of the lakes, and the approaching active fall storm period, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urges those impacted by the high water levels last fall to be preparing for similar or worse impacts over the next few months. During response operations, Detroit District, Emergency Management Office conducts emergency operations to save lives and protect public facilities and communities. USACE can provide technical assistance in the form of advice and expertise in the construction of temporary flood protection measures such as sandbagging, or direct assistance by providing flood fight. supplies to state, county, or local public officials. Assistance is supplemental to local and state efforts and at the request of the state. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, activated its Emergency Operations Center May 2019 in response to high water on the Great Lakes. July 2020 marks more than 450 consecutive days of providing support. In that time, Detroit District has conducted many on-site assessments under our technical assistance authority in 16 approved counties, and has provided flood fight supplies under our direct assistance authority in two counties. To date, Detroit District has given out 350,000 sandbags to counties to assist them in their flood fighting efforts. In addition, citizens of Indiana and Michigan may decide to work on personal construction projects to alleviate erosion or flooding, which could potentially impact the nation’s rivers, streams, wetlands and other aquatic resources. These projects may require a permit from the USACE, Regulatory Office. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Port Reports - August 6 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay On
Marquette, MI– Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, OH – Michael G Hopkins
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Thunder Bay museum group receives tug 8/6 - Thunder Bay, ON - The Dryden III tugboat arrived at the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society site last Friday morning and Charlie Brown, the museum society president says they are happy to have her and she will need a lot of work. He says because of COVID-19, it’s a “staycation” this year for many so if they’d like to come down and help out, they will be welcomed. “We can give you a paint brush and we have both left and right-handled paint brushes,” he laughed. The tug that comes from the city of Dryden is a steel craft tug, built in 1947 by the Russel Brothers Limited in Owen Sound, Ont. She is 11.5-metres in length with a three metre beam and was used to pull log booms around. Since the museum society is not exclusive to Thunder Bay and includes the region, Brown says it is fitting that the tug, which was the same kind used in the Thunder Bay harbour, will rest at this museum. “It was generously donated by Sandy Smith at Garden Lake Timber,” said Brown. “It sat up there on his property for a number of years and he contacted us and asked, ‘Do you think you guys can use this?’ I said ‘Absolutely.’ We had Tower Light Ltd. (tower) come in today, another great crew who brought in the crane and big transport truck. “They went up to Garden Lake Timber, brought it down for us, positioned it on our property for us and we are going to clean her up – she’s in a little rough shape as you can see. She needs a paint job and some new windows and we are going to use her as a static display as part of our overall (installation).” Brown says they are developing the area and are hoping to pour some concrete pads this summer. “Then we will be bringing in the Brill trolleys . . . hopefully later in the year,” he added. Discussions are ongoing with the city to have the James Whalen tugboat and the VIA train brought to the museum site where all historical transportation can be housed on one common site. “We have a number of things on the go and we are waiting on the city to allow us to do certain things,” he said, adding that the city has been supportive in the past and the cash-strapped museum has asked for rent relief after losing revenue to inaccessibility due to road construction last year and COVID-19 restrictions this year. For more information or to volunteer, people can email ltmstb@gmail.com, go online at ltmstb.com or call 355-5277 or 623-6550. The museum society also has a Facebook page. Chronicle-Journal |
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Chapter two of e-book Seaway Queens – Art Decko – now available 8/6 - Chapter two of the new e-book Seaway Queens has been launched. It takes a look at the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne design influences on Laker construction in the mid-twentieth century. The iconic Wilfred Sykes and Edward L. Ryerson are featured. Mix yourself a cosmo and enjoy! Order your copy today at www.seawayqueens.com |
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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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Great Lakes water levels reaching peaks for the year 8/5 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces each of the Great Lakes, except Lake Superior, have likely reached their peak water levels for the year and are predicted to decline. Lakes Michigan-Huron set another new monthly mean record high water level in July, however the water level is expected to slowly drop the rest of the year. Water levels on Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario all continued to decline last month, with no new records set on those lakes in July. The water level of Lake Superior is expected to peak next month before entering its period of typical seasonal decline. “While we expect water levels to decline across most of the Great Lakes, levels still remain extremely high,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District. The Corps most recent forecast projects that Lake Michigan-Huron will likely set another new record high monthly mean water level next month in August before dropping back beneath record highs in September. With the continued high water on many of the lakes, and the approaching active fall storm period, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urges those impacted by the high water levels last fall to be preparing for similar or worse impacts over the next few months. During response operations, Detroit District, Emergency Management Office conducts emergency operations to save lives and protect public facilities and communities. USACE can provide technical assistance in the form of advice and expertise in the construction of temporary flood protection measures such as sandbagging, or direct assistance by providing flood fight supplies to state, county, or local public officials. Assistance is supplemental to local and state efforts and at the request of the state. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, activated its Emergency Operations Center May 2019 in response to high water on the Great Lakes. July 2020 marks more than 450 consecutive days of providing support. In that time, Detroit District has conducted many on-site assessments under our technical assistance authority in 16 approved counties, and has provided flood fight supplies under our direct assistance authority in two counties. To date, Detroit District has given out 350,000 sandbags to counties to assist them in their flood fighting efforts. In addition, citizens of Indiana and Michigan may decide to work on personal construction projects to alleviate erosion or flooding, which could potentially impact the nation’s rivers, streams, wetlands and other aquatic resources. These projects may require a permit from the USACE, Regulatory Office. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Port Reports - August 5 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay Ont.
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf 8/4/20 Algoma Strongfield was the first arrival on Tuesday morning, bringing in ore from Port Cartier at 00:21 EST. Next, at 2:33 EST, the tanker Rosy departed light for Montreal after unloading UAN solution. At 7:33 EST, Algoma Transport departed light back towards Toledo. At 17:47 EST, te Elbeborg had finished unloading Ferro Manganese and departed for Chicago. At 18:19 EST the ATB combo Leo A. McArthur/John J. Carrick arrived from Valleyfield light to load asphalt. In addition to Tuesday's traffic, the Torrent and COE Leni both spent the day loading grain. |
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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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Horne’s Ferry takes solo trip, lands on Carleton Island Monday morning 8/4 - Cape Vincent, NY – High winds blowing from Lake Ontario broke Horne’s Ferry, the William Darrell, free from her mooring on Wolfe Island early Monday morning, sending the ferry floating freely until the northwest shore of Carleton Island caught her. The ferry, which in normal times carries a maximum of 10 cars and 90 passengers across the St. Lawrence River between Wolfe Island and Cape Vincent, rested bow first into a dock, where it stayed through morning. Cork Martusewicz pulled the ferry off the dock by 11 a.m. after about an hour of tries. He also towed an outboard boat from the shore, where it was beached parallel to land. He said he heard about the wayward ferry from people on Carleton Island, so he called the ferry owner George Horne, who’s a friend, and offered to help. “I went over and hooked on, that’s all,” Mr. Martusewicz said. “It probably took only an hour. It was fun. I broke a bunch of lines; thank God the D-rings didn’t break. I broke some tow ropes, but took one of his and got it off, just nudged it.” George Horne, of Wolfe Island, drove the ferry back to his dock after it was freed, about eight hours after its landing, which is estimated to be about 3 a.m. “It is all taken care of, all put away,” he said Monday afternoon, nothing it was not damaged. The forecast didn’t call for such sudden bursts of wind early Monday morning, but the high gusts were more than the lines tying the ferry down could handle. According to the National Weather Service, high winds sustained at over 30 knots overnight, gusting to 40 knots, caused waves of up to 10.5 feet, as recorded by a weather buoy off Prince Edward Island. The winds peaked from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. “They did not say it was going to be that strong,” Mr. Horne said. “It reminded me of that microburst.” Mr. Horne said he was awakened by the wind about midnight, but he didn’t check on the ferry. “I should have looked out last night, but I didn’t think of it,” he said. “I had a whole bunch of rope on it, a bunch of extra ropes. I thought it would be OK, but they were all parted this morning.” He learned the ferry was missing Monday morning. “When I looked out the window, I didn’t see it,” Mr. Horne said. His first thought: “I’ve got to go get it. Land is all around here, it is not far away.” He went looking, setting off from Wolfe Island in a rowboat, and found the ferry nosed in to a dock in Big Bay, inside Ironman point, on the Canadian side of Carleton Island. The ferry drifted nearly four miles. Mr. Horne said the people who live near the dock where the ferry landed were very understanding. He said it pulled some cleats out of the dock. |
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Port Reports - August 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, Ont.
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Salties sold for demolition 8/4 - C Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connections reported as sold for demolition taken from August 2020 issue of Marine News - Journal of the World Ship Society: Casualties: None Demolitions: CAPE ALEXANDER (5004257; United States of America) - (AFRICAN METEOR-80 - 1st Seaway trip 1977) - 11,580 / 1962 - general cargo ship. By the United States of America (Department of Transportation - Maritime Administration) (MARAD) United States of America to International Shipbreaking Ltd., and arrived Brownsville, TX 18.11.2019 CAPE ARCHWAY (5004283; United States of America) - (AFRICAN NEPTUNE-80 - 1st Seaway trip 1978) - 11,310 / 1963 - general cargo ship. By the United States of America (Department of Transportation - Maritime Administration) (MARAD) United States of America to International Shipbreaking Ltd., and arrived Brownsville, TX 11.11.2019 Report prepared by: Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
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Coast Guard, sheriff rescue missing jet skier off Drummond Island 8/4 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – On Saturday night, Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Station Sault Ste. Marie, Station St. Ignace, and the Chippewa County Sherriff rescued a missing jet skier who had left from Drummond Island earlier in the evening. At approximately 9:50 p.m. EST on Saturday August 1st, the Sector Sault Sainte Marie Command Center received a call that a boater on a jet ski had departed from Drummond Island and not returned as planned. Response boats from Station Sault Ste. Marie, Station St. Ignace and the Chippewa County Sherriff responded to the scene to begin a search of the area. An MH-60 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City was also launched to the scene. The MH-60 helicopter located the missing boater, lowered their rescue swimmer to evaluate their condition, and remained on scene until a response boat from Station Sault Ste. Marie arrived. The survivor was taken to Drummond Island to be evaluated by EMS and reunited with their family. “It is always important to tell someone where you are going and to have all necessary safety and communications equipment, even for short trips,” said Captain Amy Florentino, Deputy Sector Commander. “In this incident, the boater’s family was able to quickly notify us that something was wrong, which allowed search and rescue resources to respond as quickly as possible. We are grateful to the Chippewa County Sherriff’s office for their assistance with searching for the missing boater. USCG |
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Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse’s Second Floor Now Open to the Public 8/4 - If you’re a sucker for history and love a great view— we’ve got the place for you. Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City has a breathtaking view of the bridge and the straits of Mackinac. Old Mackinack PointMackinac State Historic Parks (M.S.H.P.) has now opened the second floor to the public. Craig Wilson, the Curator of History at M.S.H.P. says, “We’ve spent a lot of time, over the last year getting this space ready creating the new exhibit that you see here as well as some period settings to recreate what this would have looked like just over 100 years ago.” The upstairs is the “keepers apartment” where the housekeepers would stay. The Marshall family called the lighthouse home just over 100 years ago. M.S.H.P. is celebrating big this year. It’s their 125th anniversary and they have special events to commemorate this milestone. “We have a variety of special events including guided hikes guided bike rides. We have movies shown outdoors at the Fort on a weekly basis we do that over here as well in the parks surrounding the lighthouse.” 9 & 10 News |
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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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Port Reports - August 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
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer. |
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Updates - July 3 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the The saltie gallery has been updated with the following vessels: Arsland, BBC Gdansk, BBC Hudson, BBC Norfolk, Brant, COE Leni, Federal Kivalina, Federal Mayumi, Federal Nagara, Federal Yoshino, Harbour Feature, Helena G, Johanna G, Josef, Lake Erie, Maccoa, Mamry, Puna, Rodopi, Spiekeroog, Sten Iden, Tundra and ZEA Servant. |
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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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Port Reports - August 2 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI- Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI– Jon
Holland, MI – William Van Appledorn
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer. |
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Friends of the Edna G planning 125th anniversary celebration 8/2 - Two Harbors, MN – The Friends of the Edna G would like to announce that the Edna G will be 125 years old in 2021. We have confirmed that July 17, 2021, will be the date that we will celebrate her birthday. The event will be held at Paul Van Hoven park in Two Harbors, MN, just above where the tug Edna G is docked. Any suggestions that you may have to make this a great event would be appreciated. Friends of the Edna G |
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Obituary: Captain Albert D. Nelson 8/2 - Manitowoc, WI – Captain Albert D. Nelson, age 85, a resident of Manitowoc, entered eternal life while surrounded by family on Monday, July 20, 2020 at his residence. He was born on August 22, 1934 in Menominee, MI, to the late Gustav and Beatrice (Schomer) Nelson. He attended elementary school in Menominee, MI and graduated from Lincoln High School in Manitowoc with the class of 1952. He then began his maritime career on the Great Lakes. Al had served in the United States Army as a Radio Operator and was stationed in Italy for 18 months. He received his honorable discharge while achieving the rank of Sergeant. Upon returning to the United States, Al obtained his 1st Class Pilots License, Great Lakes, from the Burns School of Navigation in Buffalo, NY. He then went to the University of Minnesota Duluth where he obtained his Unlimited Masters License, Great Lakes. Al had worked for US Steel, Great Lakes Fleet from July 1952 to October 1993 where he served as Seaman, Deck Officer, and Master on 26 different Vessels until his retirement at age 59 from M/V Edwin H. Gott, 1004-foot ore carrier. On June 13, 1959, Al married Diane Bieberitz at Christ the King Church in Duluth, MN. He was a member of the Manitowoc Kiwanis Golden K where he founded The K Kids and also served three terms as president and one term as Lieutenant Governor for the Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula Michigan District. Al was active in the Clipper City Model Railroad Club where he chartered the club as a non-profit and had served four 2 year terms as President. His passion for trains led him to own and operate Lakeshore Choo Choo. Al was also a member of the Manitowoc County Historical Society and a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church in Manitowoc. He enjoyed volunteering for the Lakeshore Weekend for Kids which benefited the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Survivors include Al's wife of 61 years, Diane; two daughters, Lynn (Randy) Kirt and Lori Waniger, all of Manitowoc; two sons, David (Eileen) Nelson, Tampa, FL; and Steven Nelson, Waddell, AZ; seven grandchildren, Eric (Deanna) Waniger, David "DJ" Waniger, Jeffrey Kirt and his girlfriend, Leena, Kimberly Kirt, James Nelson, Katelyn Nelson and her boyfriend, Ryan, and Alexis Nelson; brother, Captain John R. (Beverly) Nelson, Boulder City, NV; also other relatives and many friends. Al was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Randy Waniger. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at Grace United Church of Christ, 2801 Garfield Street, Two Rivers, WI. |
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Obituary: Cyril Francis Hudson 8/2 - Cy Hudson passed away at Fiddick’s Nursing Home, Petrolia, ON, on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at the age of 90. He was an avid follower of Great Lakes and Seaway shipping and belonged to nearly every marine society and club on the lakes. He was also a past member of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit advisory council. Above all, Cy was a sailor. He started sailing when he was very young and sailed all over the world before moving to Canada with his family in the mid-1960s. Born in Yorkshire, England on January 14, 1930, Cy was the son of the late Francis & Jane Ann (Turner). He was the beloved husband of the late Thomasina “Ena” (nee Maggs) for over 60 years and father of Steven Hudson, Susan Van Hooft (John), Jane Ann Hudson, all of Sarnia, and Mary Rottmann (Paul) of Calgary. He worked at Dow Chemical as a millwright for over 30 years. Arrangements are private. |
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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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Sturgeon Bay construction company tapped for $2 million dredging project 8/1 - Sturgeon Bay, WI - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District awarded a Sturgeon Bay construction company a more than $2 million contract to dredge the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Roen Salvage Co. will clean out the harbor's bed using the method that scoops materials from the mostly sand bottom, according to a Corps press release. Dredged material, totaling about 52,000 cubic yards, will help rebuild eroded shoreline and dune habitat along North Minnesota Point. Another 68,000 cubic yards, approximately, will restore tern nesting damaged by erosion at Interstate Island. Dredging also provides watercrafts a clearer path through the harbor situated in western Lake Superior, according to Project Manager Melissa Bosman. A Corps fact sheet described the Duluth-Superior Harbor as a major international port on the Great Lakes, as well as a port of call for Great Lakes cruise vessels. Each year, about 110,000 cubic yards of material must be dredged from the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Dredged materials have been reused to aid endangered and damaged habitats since 2013, according to the fact sheet. Roen Salvage has taken on that duty since 2012. Green Bay Press Gazette |
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Port Reports - August 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 – Jon
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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The greatest of the Great Lakes has a Twitter account with a Superiority complex 8/1 - There are more than 100 million lakes on the planet, only a handful of which can lay claim to the label of “great.” And of those, there is just one GLOAT. If you don’t know that GLOAT stands for “greatest lake of all time,” you’re probably not following “Lac Supérieur” on social media. Lac Supérieur is the Twitter handle for Lake Superior, an account run by a human who speaks not on behalf of the lake but as the lake, in a brash, anthropomorphic way, brimming with a mix of swagger and silliness. Hey, you’d be feeling yourself, too, if you were the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area). “Some would say I have a superiority complex,” said Lac, which is how we’ll refer to the guy behind the account in order to maintain his secret identity. (He was once caught out by a friend, and said it felt a bit like the unmasking of Batman.) What we can reveal is that apart from his college years, Lac has spent pretty much his entire life living within a mile of Superior. The Twitter account may be written with a tongue-in-cheek style, but Lac’s passion for the lake is the real deal. “I just kind of have a feeling my soul is buried out there in Superior. I’m just drawn to it,” he said. “It’s just so massive and awe-inspiring. Even on a map, it doesn’t do justice to how big it is. It has this mythological kind of feel to it.” Size is one thing, but it’s the lake’s remoteness, particularly in relation to its Great Lakes siblings, that lends Superior its mystique, Lac said. There’s no Chicago, no Buffalo, no Toronto or Cleveland hugging its shores. It’s less knowable, wilder, more temperamental and unpredictable, with a ferocity that’s the stuff of legend. “The weather is so severe and raw, it requires a toughness to deal with the conditions,” he said. “It calls to a certain person. I love the storms and the excitement of the changing conditions.” Lac took over the Twitter account in 2010 from its originator, and as he became more comfortable with the medium he began to evolve Supérieur’s voice. “For lakes called the Great Lakes, I thought, why not have this lake with a sassy, cocky, self-righteous attitude,” he said. Part of the schtick he developed includes taking regular potshots at Lake Erie and stoking a rivalry with Lake Michigan. (Don’t get Lac started on the movement to treat Michigan-Huron as a single lake. “I think it’s b.s.,” he said. To say there are only four Great Lakes “would be like when Pluto was not a planet.”) “There’s always an ongoing argument of what the ‘best’ Great Lake is. Michigan will always win because of the population. There’s Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay, all those people to cast a vote,” said Lac. “That’s fine, you can have a favorite. But there’s only one ‘best’ and that’s clearly Superior.” Lac puts in the work to maintain Superior’s and Supérieur’s dominance, having grown the Twitter feed’s audience to more than 37,000 followers. For comparison’s sake, Twitter accounts devoted to Lake Baikal in Siberia and Africa’s Lake Tanganyika — the only freshwater lakes that top Superior in terms of volume — have 85 and five followers, respectively, and are essentially inactive. “It’s a little addicting,” said Lac, who’s a small business owner in real life. “I spend too much time doing this.” Summer is his busiest season, retweeting mentions and photos of the lake, with winter’s storms and ice conditions running a close second. But it’s not all trash talking, puns and glamour shots. Lac also weaves in content about climate change, water levels and conservation. “I really try to elevate the voices of the scientists,” he said. “I’ve heard feedback from scientists that when I retweet something, they get more attention.” There’s something to be said for the way Lac speaks to his followers as the lake, in that people have formed a bond with Superior as if it were a sentient being. “When we have a strong connection to nature, we care more and want to protect it,” he said. “Every time I tweet about something like rising lake temperatures, people apologize to the lake.” The only downside to raising the profile of Lake Superior is that it will attract more tourists and development, thereby ruining the unspoiled landscape that makes the lake and its shoreline so appealing. It’s a conundrum, Lac acknowledged, one for which he, as his alter ego, suggested a Supérieur solution: “I’ll just whip up a big snowstorm and scare them all away.” Read more at this link: https://news.wttw.com/2020/07/22/greatest-great-lakes-has-twitter-account-superiority-complex |
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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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Minntac Mine back to full pellet production 7/31 - Two iron ore pellet production lines are back in operation at U.S Steel's Minntac Mine in Mountain Iron after being idle since May. Lines 6 and 7, the newest pellet production lines at Minntac Mine, are producing iron ore pellets at full capacity, said Steve Bonach, president of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1938 at Minntac. “We're at full production in the plant,” said Bonach. “It's all pretty good news for our group.” About 250 Minntac steelworkers were impacted by the idling of the two lines amid the national economic downturn. The last six steelworkers who went on involuntary layoff return to work on Monday, said Bonach. Production in the mine isn't up to full speed yet, he noted. Thirty-eight steelworkers who took voluntary layoff from mine operations, remain out of work. That group includes some shovel operators, drill operators and blasters. Full production in the mine is expected to resume in late August or early September, Bonach said. With Lines 6 and 7 back in operation, Minntac currently has all five of its pellet production lines operating. That includes Lines 3, 4 and 5. Line 5 is scheduled to be idled the second week of September for a rebuild, Bonach said. USW leaders are meeting with U.S. Steel officials to discuss utilizing some maintenance workers from Keetac in Keewatin to assist with the rebuild, Bonach said. “Right now, we are working trying to get Keetac help with that,” Bonach said. Keetac, a U.S. Steel iron ore facility in Keewatin, is indefinitely idled. Minntac Mine is North America's largest iron ore pellet facility. Business North |
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Hibbing Taconite poised to resume pellet production 7/31 - Iron ore pellets will in a few days be traveling through Hibbing Taconite Co. furnaces. Pellet production begins this weekend, said Chris Johnson, president of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2705. “It takes a couple of days to warm up the furnaces,” said Johnson. “We're thinking pellet production will probably begin Saturday night or Sunday.” Operations at the iron ore plant were idled in early May due to the national economic downturn. As of Sunday, all 600 USW members eligible to return to work at Hibbing Taconite were back on the job, said Johnson. However, during the idling about 15-20 USW members either retired or decided to move on to other jobs, he said. “We lost some to other jobs because of our mine life outlook and some retired,” said Johnson. “In talking to the other mines, they're getting some Keetac people and some of ours. It's a competitive market out there for these jobs and I don't blame our guys. They're looking out for their families.” Hibbing Taconite is the second largest iron ore pellet producer in Minnesota. But the facility is in danger of running out of crude ore. Without new ore reserves, the mine could run out of ore in the first quarter of 2025, Johnson said. USW members are becoming increasingly concerned about the future of the plant and their jobs, said Johnson “We keep telling them we're going to lose more and more (workers),” he said. ArcelorMittal is majority owner and manager of Hibbing Taconite. U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs also hold ownership. Company officials say the plant is expected to run at full capacity for the remainder of the year. That would mean a total 2020 production of about five million tons, down from a typical 7.8 million-ton annual production level, he noted. The Hibbing Taconite restart, coupled with the recent start-up of two idle pelletizing lines at U.S. Steel's Minntac Mine in Mountain Iron, are big economic boosts, said Kelsey Johnson, president of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota. “Anytime a mine comes off an idle, it's a positive sign for the industry and the region,” she said. “Each mining job creates two jobs in other vendor businesses, so when the mines are doing well, the region's economy is doing well too.” Nationally, raw steel production inched up for the week ending July 25 with 1,320,000 net tons produced at a steel mill capability utilization rate of 58.9%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It's a small increase of 1.1 percent in steel production from the previous week, but both domestic steel production and the capability utilization rate have in recent weeks been trending upward. “For the most part, everyone is going to be out there making as much as we can,” Chris Johnson said of Hibbing Taconite. Business North |
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Port Reports - July 31 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI– Jon
Grand Haven, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Toledo, OH – Denny Dushane
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer |
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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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Welland Canal ship collision investigation could take more than a year, says TSB 7/30 - An investigation into the collision between two vessels on the Welland Canal earlier this month could take to 450 days to complete, says the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). The collision involved Florence Spirit, headed down the canal toward Lake Ontario, and Alanis headed toward Lake Erie. They collided starboard to starboard around the anchor ports on both ships at 3:55 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. Crew members on both vessels — 16 on the Alanis and 14 on the Florence Spirt — were not injured in the collision, captured on video by two men walking alongside the canal. A map provided by the TSB on its investigation page showed the incident took place south of the East Main Street tunnel, east of Welland’s Memorial Park. Three investigators from the TSB’s Quebec City-based office interviewed crew members on both vessels and downloaded data from the black boxes on each ship. The black boxes capture navigation information, and what crew members were saying on the bridges of both ships during the incident. The collision left the 16-year-old Florence Spirit, a 136.4-metre-long bulk carrier owned by Burlington-based McKeil Marine, damaged on the starboard, or front right side. The 138-metre-long Alanis, owned by dship Carriers, suffered bow damage, including a visible hole on the starboard side near the anchor port. Florence Spirt was carrying a load of coal and bound for a port in Quebec at the time, while Alanis was bound for Duluth, Minn., with a load of wind turbine parts. Tuesday afternoon, Alanis was headed down the canal with a destination of Port Weller marked on its automatic identification system (AIS). AIS is used to show the location of a vessel and its speed and course. Florence Spirit, which docked at Wharf 10 in Welland after the collision, was shown entering the harbour at Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., which has a ship repair/building facility. In a previous interview, Patrick Bourke, McKeil Marine’s chief financial officer and commercial lead, said the company was looking at multiple options to repair the vessel and get it back in service. Welland Tribune |
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Great Lakes steel production surges by 21,000 tons but down 20% this year 7/30 - Steel production has dropped by 20% for the year, while steel capacity utilization is down more than 20 percentage points as compared to the same time last year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel in the short term. But steel manufacturing seems to be picking back up, at least locally. Great Lakes steel production rose by 21,000 tons last week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly in Northwest Indiana, made 471,000 tons of metal, up from 450,000 tons the previous week, a 4.6% increase. While Blast Furnace D at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor exploded in an industrial accident two weeks ago, U.S. Steel brought Blast Furnace No. 8 at Gary Works back online last week. The blast furnace, which can make up to 3,300 tons of pig iron per day, had been idled in late August of last year because of deteriorating market conditions. Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.32 million tons of steel last week, up 1.1% from 1.306 million tons the previous week and down 28.5% as compared to 1.847 million tons the same time a year prior. Steel demand started plummeting in mid-March when automakers like Ford, General Motors and Honda, some of the largest consumers of North American steel, temporarily ceased production to limit the spread of COVID-19, forcing Northwest Indiana steel mills to indefinitely idle blast furnaces. But auto plants across the country have come back online and have been slowly increasing production volume, leading Gary Works to recently restart Blast Furnaces No. 6 and 8. So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 44.5 million tons of steel, a 20% decrease compared to the 55.7 million tons made during the same period in 2019. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 66.1% through July 25, down from 80.9% at the same point in 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 58.9% last week, which was up from 58.3% the previous week but down from 79.4% at the same time a year ago. Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, was 524,000 tons in the week that ended Saturday, up from 521,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest fell to 129,000 tons last week, down from 135,000 tons the week prior. NW Indiana Times |
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Algoma Central fleet updates 7/30 - The latest edition of Algoma’s Bear Facts newsletter reports that Algoma Intrepid, undergoing finishing touches in Croatia, is expected to be in Canada late 2020. The vessel is a sistership to Algoma Innovator with a bow-mounted self unloader. The fleet’s next Equinox-class vessel, to be named Captain Henry Jackman, will be delivered in spring 2021. |
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Port Reports - July 30 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Grand Haven, MI
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Welland Canal
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today’s Virtual Visitor Center: Stories of the Twin Ports’ steel visitors 7/30 - Like people, ships have their own unique backgrounds and stories. Ranger Sara of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center will share the stories of several of the vessels that visit the Twin Ports. Join us in the Virtual Visitor Center to learn about the designs, owners and histories of these fascinating vessels. Use a Chrome browser to join on the web here:https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/steel-visitors-stories For users without speakers on their computers dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (646) 749-3117; Canada: +1 (647) 497-9373; access code: 547-074-525. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - 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 of Montreal dock workers set for 4-day strike starting Monday 7/29 - Montreal, QC – A group of Port of Montreal workers plans to walk off the job for four days next week as negotiations over a new labour contract drag on. Work will cease Monday at 7 a.m. and resume Friday at 6:59 a.m., Local 375 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said Friday in a statement posted on Twitter. Union officials have sent a 72-hour notice confirming their intention to strike, said a spokesperson for the Maritime Employers Association. “While discussions were ongoing, the Maritimes Employers Association was not only surprised, but disappointed by the executive committee of the Longshoremen’s Union to go ahead with means of pressure like a strike,” the association said in an emailed statement. The walkout will also affect operations at the port’s Contrecoeur terminal. The port serves Canada and several U.S. states, and its sites extend over 26 kilometres on the island of Montreal and four kilometres in Contrecoeur. Dockers have been without a labour agreement since Dec. 31, 2018. Negotiations had resumed recently after a ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board on essential services to maintain in the event of a strike. The employers’ association “continues to believe in the actual process of negotiation and wishes to reach an agreement that will be mutually beneficial,” it said. “The executive committee decision forces the Association to consider different possible options, even if the negotiation is still the preferred option.” Montreal Gazette |
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Port Reports - July 29 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON.
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Daniel Lindner
Northern Lake Huron Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas Algoma Conveyor arrived 5am Tuesday loading at Compass Minerals. Algoma Sault expected next.
Sarnia, ON – Marc Dease
Toledo, OH – Jacob Sylvan
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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Coast Guard and Mackinac Marine Rescue MEDIVAC 4 from Mackinac Island Harbor 7/29 - Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. – This morning, Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Station St. Ignace, and Mackinac Marine Rescue MEDIVAC’d four people from Mackinac Island after their boat allided with the harbor break wall. At approximately 11:30 p.m. EST, Sector Sault Sainte Marie Command Center received a call that a recreational vessel with four persons on board allided with the break wall in Mackinac Island Harbor. The four occupants were thrown onto the breakwall after the allision. Mackinac Marine Rescue and a response boat from Station St. Ignace responded to the scene to evaluate the condition of the victims. An MH-60 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City was also launched to the scene. One victim sustained critical injuries and was hoisted by the MH-60 and transported to Munson Medical Center. The other three victims were transported to Munson Medical Center and McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital with major injuries. There was no reported pollution from the vessel, which has been hauled out of the water. Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating the accident. “It is important to be familiar with the area you are boating in, especially at night as it is harder to see hazards,” said Captain Amy Florentino, Deputy Sector Commander. “As always, we are grateful for our rescue partners and the assistance they provide. In this case, Mackinac Marine Rescue was able to maneuver their vessel close to the breakwall, which allowed first responders to access and treat the victims as quickly as possible.” |
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COVID-19, road construction give double blow to Alexander Henry museum ship 7/29 - Thunder Bay, ON – First, it was road construction in Marina Park last year. Then came COVID-19. The past two seasons have been challenging for the operators of the Alexander Henry museum ship on Thunder Bay's waterfront. The Lakehead Transportation Museum Society is waiting to hear if the City of Thunder Bay will grant some financial relief and other assistance so it can continue to grow the attraction. Society president Charlie Brown says "It's going to be a tough season for us." Currently, only external tours of the ship are available to visitors, for $5, or half the regular admission cost. "We're steady, but we're slow. We're not making a fortune by any stretch of the imagination," Brown said. He added some people are making donations, including a recent contribution of a quantity of paint that will be used this summer for a maintenance project. However, in an interview, Brown expressed concern over the time it's taking for the city to respond to requests for help. "We've asked for rent relief, and we've asked for an extension of the property and a whole bunch of other things, and that's been over a year in the works," he said. Brown made a deputation to city council last November, seeking a break on rent for the Pool 6 docking site because of road construction which he said "really hurt us quite a bit." "Then this year, with the COVID, we're looking for rent relief. And the new piece of property where the tugboat sits [the recently-acquired former logging tug Dryden 3], we're looking for an extension on that, but still haven't heard a word," he said. "The site that we have now is extremely small and we would like to extend it down to the waterline," he explained. Brown said city officials have noted that would interfere with plans for a walking path, but "if it's left the way it is, it splits our property in two, which makes it really difficult to manage." An extension of the property, he said, would make it easier to bring buses to the site. The society would also like access to drinking water and washroom facilities in the former Pool 6 office building, and is seeking permission to establish its gift shop in the Baggage Building at Prince Arthur's Landing. "Then we could funnel people down to where we are, because people are still having a hard time with the road, and finding where we are." Brown said he's been told a city staff report on the society's requests won't go before council before September. Revenue should improve soon, however, as a fire inspection of the ship is imminent. Once that's done, complete tours of the vessel will once again be available, and normal admission prices will be restored. But regardless of how the rest of this season turns out, Brown said the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society is not currently giving any thought to acquiring another ship with historic ties to Thunder Bay, the SS Keewatin. The 113-year old vessel once ferried passengers from Owen Sound to the Lakehead. It was retired from service in 1966, and since 2012 has served as a maritime museum at Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay. Recent media stories in the Midland area have renewed speculation that the company that owns the Keewatin may transfer her to a new owner at another Ontario port such as Kingston, the site of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes. The Keewatin is closed for the season because of COVID-19. Built in Govan, Scotland in 1907, Keewatin is the world's last UK-built, Edwardian-era passenger steamship in existence. Around 2001, the City of Thunder Bay considered acquiring the ship from its U.S. owner when it was in storage in Douglas, Michigan, but ultimately abandoned the idea. Brown said he's aware there's talk of the Keewatin being on the move again, but multiple obstacles stand in the way of any bid coming from his group. These include the absence of a spot to dock her, the cost of restoration that still needs completion, and financing. "I can't see it being feasible," Brown concluded. tbnewswatch.com |
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Milwaukee to install trash-eating device to keep Lake Michigan cleaner 7/29 - Milwaukee, WI – People working to make Milwaukee’s harbor cleaner plan to install a trash interceptor in the Kinnickinnic River. The idea is to catch floating trash before it reaches Lake Michigan. And the group Harbor District, Inc., won a federal grant to bring the project to life. We recently met Harbor District’s Natural Environment Program Manager Aaron Zeleske as close to the future home of the trash interceptor as we can get – a fence blocks our path and trees and overgrown bushes block the view. “We’re out here on the Kinnickinnic River just south of Becher Street, we’re on the west side ... It’s the future home of our trash collector," he explains. The harbor district is in a state of evolution — from a bleak, forbidding corridor to a place people want to work and recreate. You see an example just downstream from the trash project site where a 6-acre gleaming commercial project is taking shape. A large utility contractor will be making its corporate home where the Kinnickinnic curves east. As for the trash diverter site, Zeleske says there’ nothing to see — yet. The project is very much in the design phase, including how it will incorporate solar power. “It will be sort of docked. It’s in the stream. It’ll be docked right on the shoreline. And this is gonna be 30-40 feet long. It's gonna be a big conveyer belt with a dumpster on land that will deposit the trash up on land, where the dumpster can be taken away. There will be some in-stream structures, probably some sort of floating booms that will funnel the trash into the machine,” Zeleske says. Read more and view images at this link: https://www.wuwm.com/post/milwaukee-harbor-project-install-trash-eating-device-keep-lake-michigan-cleaner |
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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 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss Nanticoke: Algosea left at 01:49 for Sorel-Tracy and Algoma Enterprise departed for Quebec City. At anchor off of Port Dover is the Algoscotia and Algocanada.
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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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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Financial Storm Clouds Brew Above S.S. Keewatin 7/27 - "Friends of Keewatin has been working toward what we understood was a shared goal with Skyline Investments since the ship’s return in 2012; restore S.S. Keewatin and secure her longevity as a museum in the village she and her four sisters worked from for 53 years.” But Rob Waxman, chief financial officer for Skyline Investments, said the moves are based on Skyline’s decision in March not to open the ship for 2020 due to COVID-19. “The fence is just precautionary security to protect our asset while it is closed,” Waxman said. But Coombes said there might be more at play. “Now, for no apparent reason, volunteers are denied access to the ship to perform necessary maintenance for the ship and donated artifacts, access business information and resale merchandise or recover personal property,” he said, noting outside work that was to start this week was ordered halted with the contractor standing down and the materials off-loaded from the ship. Earlier this month, the property that Skyline once held for development surrounding the Keewatin was sold to a Chinese firm under a power of sale. The ship was not part of the deal that closes August 17. “Friends of Keewatin understands (new owner) China Paula’s intentions relative to S.S. Keewatin are similar to what (previous owner) CIM’s were,” Coombes said at the time. “In brief, they see the presence of our historical attraction as beneficial to their planned development, and are supportive.” But Coombes said there are now renewed concerns the ship might now be leaving with one possible suitor, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, topping the list. “It heightens my concern that there are ulterior motives and intentions,” he said. “I can tell you that the new owner of the property fully expected SS Keewatin to be here, especially since they inherited a lease for water rights for the ship Friends of Keewatin entered into with CIM, and they’ve told us they want the ship here.” Coombes said the company has also told the Friends’ group it is prepared to cover the ship’s operating costs until “we are able to run a normal season and will stand as our guarantor against operating cost overruns” to the tune of $100,000 for 10 years. “Financial stability is one requirement for achieving Category B designation and negotiating a tax receipt in return for the donation of the ship to a museum,” Coombes said, referring to a federal government Canadian heritage designation. Skyline spent around $4-5 million on the ship, including the cost of bringing it back to Port McNicoll in 2012. With an estimated value of close to $48.7 million, the ship is considered one of the finest historic vessels anywhere on the planet and “the world’s last Edwardian passenger steamship, a remarkable working demonstration of the first half of the twentieth century, and contributor and link to the cementing of Confederation," said Coombes, whose group is also urging Tay Township to get actively involved in keeping the ship in its home port before it’s too late." Midland.com |
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Port Reports - July 27 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI ¬ Fred A Tijan
Muskegon, MI - Brendan Falkowski
Holland, MI - William Van Appledorn
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf 7/26/20 At 3:12 EST, the Algoma Conveyor arrived with a load of salt from Goderich. At 3:39 EST, the ATB combo Everlast/Norman McLeod departed for Detroit after a week long layup/delay in port. The Algoma Conveyor was the next vessel to depart for the day, clearing the channel at 13:30 EST, headed back towards Goderich. The next departure was the Tim S. Dool who finished unloading ore and cleared at 17:16 EST for Thunder Bay. The tanker Sten Idun was the final departure thus far today, clearing at 19:46 EST with a posted destination of New Orleans.
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer |
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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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Ocean-going vessel damaged in Welland Canal to be repaired in Port Weller dry dock 7/26 - One of the vessels involved in a collision on the Welland Canal earlier this month will be repaired in a Port Weller dry dock, says a company speaking on behalf of its owners. Tom Adams, of Navigate Response, said dship Carriers’ Alanis is awaiting a detailed investigation to determine the extent of damage, in line with the company’s procedures and processes for such matters. Navigate Response is a global crisis communications network specializing in the international shipping, port and offshore industries, headquartered in London and Singapore. The collision took place July 11 at 3:55 p.m. and saw McKeil Marine’s Florence Spirit, headed down the canal toward Lake Ontario, and the Alanis headed toward Lake Erie, collide starboard to starboard around the anchor ports on both ships. The crash was captured on video by two men, Alex Stewart and his friend, who did not want to be named. Both posted their videos to social media. Stewart said it was his first ship-watching experience along the 43-km long canal. In Stewart’s video, an alarm sounds before the two vessels hit, then there’s a loud crunch and scraping noise as the Florence Spirit slides down the hull of the 138-metre long Alanis. The two vessels come to a stop before the ocean-going Alanis is pushed back toward the east bank of the canal and the Florence Spirit heads bow first toward the west bank. The Florence Spirt, a 136.4-metre-long bulk carrier owned by Burlington-based McKeil Marine, was carrying a load of coal and bound for a port in Quebec at the time. dship Carriers’ Alanis — the company has offices in Hamburg, Houston, Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore — was carrying wind turbine parts and bound for Duluth, Minn. “The cargo will be discharged in Duluth,” said Adams in an email to The Tribune. He said dship Carriers has made several successful voyages into the Great Lakes region in recent months, primarily delivering other wind turbine-related cargos. Adams said the company’s vessels also carry other project cargoes and bulk products. The Standard |
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Port Reports - July 26 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit, MI – Raymond H
Lake Erie Ports for Saturday – Bill Kloss
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Financial storm clouds brew above S.S. Keewatin 7/26 - Port McNicoll, ON – "Friends of Keewatin has been working toward what we understood was a shared goal with Skyline Investments since the ship’s return in 2012; restore S.S. Keewatin and secure her longevity as a museum in the village she and her four sisters worked from for 53 years.” But Rob Waxman, chief financial officer for Skyline Investments, said the moves are based on Skyline’s decision in March not to open the ship for 2020 due to COVID-19. “The fence is just precautionary security to protect our asset while it is closed,” Waxman said. But Coombes said there might be more at play. “Now, for no apparent reason, volunteers are denied access to the ship to perform necessary maintenance for the ship and donated artifacts, access business information and resale merchandise or recover personal property,” he said, noting outside work that was to start this week was ordered halted with the contractor standing down and the materials off-loaded from the ship. Earlier this month, the property that Skyline once held for development surrounding the Keewatin was sold to a Chinese firm under a power of sale. The ship was not part of the deal that closes August 17. “Friends of Keewatin understands (new owner) China Paula’s intentions relative to S.S. Keewatin are similar to what (previous owner) CIM’s were,” Coombes said at the time. “In brief, they see the presence of our historical attraction as beneficial to their planned development, and are supportive.” But Coombes said there are now renewed concerns the ship might now be leaving with one possible suitor, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, topping the list. “It heightens my concern that there are ulterior motives and intentions,” he said. “I can tell you that the new owner of the property fully expected SS Keewatin to be here, especially since they inherited a lease for water rights for the ship Friends of Keewatin entered into with CIM, and they’ve told us they want the ship here.” Coombes said the company has also told the Friends’ group it is prepared to cover the ship’s operating costs until “we are able to run a normal season and will stand as our guarantor against operating cost overruns” to the tune of $100,000 for 10 years. “Financial stability is one requirement for achieving Category B designation and negotiating a tax receipt in return for the donation of the ship to a museum,” Coombes said, referring to a federal government Canadian heritage designation. Skyline spent around $4-5 million on the ship, including the cost of bringing it back to Port McNicoll in 2012. With an estimated value of close to $48.7 million, the ship is considered one of the finest historic vessels anywhere on the planet and “the world’s last Edwardian passenger steamship, a remarkable working demonstration of the first half of the twentieth century, and contributor and link to the cementing of Confederation," said Coombes, whose group is also urging Tay Township to get actively involved in keeping the ship in its home port before it’s too late." Midland.com |
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Obituary: Dave Wobser arrangements announced 7/26 - David J. Wobser, age 81, of Findlay, Ohio, died at 3:03am on Thursday, July 23, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Toledo. A long-time volunteer board member of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit and Boatnerd.com, Dave was active for many years in organizing BoatNerd as a nonprofit, served as news page editor and board member and planning the various Boatnerd gatherings around the Great Lakes. He also maintained the site’s winter layup list and had numerous other roles. He was considered an authority on lighthouses. He was a friend to many and will be sorely missed by the BoatNerd and wider community. Dave Wobser was born in Toledo, Ohio, on March 23, 1939, to the late Walter F. and Geraldine M. (Gassman) Wobser. He had been married to Barbara M. Wobser who survives in Findlay, and later married Janet R. Frederick on September 16, 1989 and she survives. Also surviving are his son: Jeffrey D. (Jane, deceased) Wobser of Findlay and two nephews: Andrew (Michelle) Wobser of Cincinnati, Ohio and Steve (Holly) Wobser of Columbus, Ohio. He was preceded in death by a brother: Ralph A. Wobser. Wobser graduated in 1957, from Toledo Libbey High School and attended Bowling Green State University majoring in Math and Biology. From 1965-1980, he sold major appliances with Mainline Distributors out of Toledo, then the Commercial Electric Company and finally General Electric. He was the Director of Public Safety-Service for the City of Findlay, Ohio from 1980-1996. From 1996-2001, he was the manager of the Sherman House Apartments for the Blanchard Valley Health Association. He had been elected to Findlay City Council for the then Fifth Ward from 1974-1977. He served on the Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center Bd. of Trustees from 1993-1995. He had been the Board President of the Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors from 1987-1988. From 1985-1988, he was a Board Member of the State of Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and the Jail Advisory. He was an Advisory Board Member from 1990-2012 of the Great Lakes Seaway Shipping Online Inc. From 2003-2012, he was a member of the Advisory Council of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. In retirement, Dave pursued his passion for history, genealogy, Great Lake ships, railroads and lighthouses. He and his wife Janet enjoyed many trips exploring the historic areas around the Great Lakes taking pictures of lighthouses around the lakes. He especially enjoyed the annual trip to Sault Sainte Marie for the opening of the Soo Locks in the spring, ad well as the annual Engineer’s Day in June. He also worked for the Hancock County Board of Elections, heading up the team that managed the voting machines at all of the county voting locations. In fact, on the day he died, he attended two meetings in preparation for the August 8th special election. In the last few years, Dave was an usher at the First Lutheran Church of Findlay where he was an active member. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 from 1-3 and 5-7pm at COLDREN-CRATES FUNERAL HOME in Findlay. A Christian Memorial Service will be held at 10:00am on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at First Lutheran Church, located at 109 East Lincoln Street, Findlay with additional visitation at the church, one hour prior to the service from 9-10am and organ music beginning at 9:30am. Pastor Bob Cochran will officiate and interment will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery. Memorials may be given to either the First Lutheran Church (www.1lutheranchurch.org). or to the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, 12505 C.R. 99, Findlay, Ohio 45840 (http://www.nworrp.org/). Online condolences are welcomed at www.coldrencrates.com. |
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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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Fence installed in front of SS Keewatin heightens fears ship could soon leave 7/25 - Port McNicoll, ON - Fears the SS Keewatin might not be long for Port McNicoll heightened Wednesday after the ship’s owner installed fencing around the ship and asked for its keys back. “In my judgement, there is no justification for this behaviour, and it makes no sense either,” Friends of Keewatin marketing and communications manager Wayne Coombes said, referring to the ship's owner Skyline Investments. "Friends of Keewatin has been working toward what we understood was a shared goal with Skyline Investments since the ship’s return in 2012; restore S.S. Keewatin and secure her longevity as a museum in the village she and her four sisters worked from for 53 years.” But Rob Waxman, chief financial officer for Skyline Investments, said the moves are based on Skyline’s decision in March not to open the ship for 2020 due to COVID-19. “The fence is just precautionary security to protect our asset while it is closed,” Waxman said. But Coombes said there might be more at play. “Now, for no apparent reason, volunteers are denied access to the ship to perform necessary maintenance for the ship and donated artifacts, access business information and resale merchandise or recover personal property,” he said, noting outside work that was to start this week was ordered halted with the contractor standing down and the materials off-loaded from the ship. Earlier this month, the property that Skyline once held for development surrounding the Keewatin was sold to a Chinese firm under a power of sale. The ship was not part of the deal that closes August 17. “Friends of Keewatin understands (new owner) China Paula’s intentions relative to S.S. Keewatin are similar to what (previous owner) CIM’s were,” Coombes said at the time. “In brief, they see the presence of our historical attraction as beneficial to their planned development, and are supportive.” But Coombes said there are now renewed concerns the ship might now be leaving with one possible suitor, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, topping the list. “It heightens my concern that there are ulterior motives and intentions,” he said. “I can tell you that the new owner of the property fully expected SS Keewatin to be here, especially since they inherited a lease for water rights for the ship Friends of Keewatin entered into with CIM, and they’ve told us they want the ship here.” Coombes said the company has also told the Friends’ group it is prepared to cover the ship’s operating costs until “we are able to run a normal season and will stand as our guarantor against operating cost overruns” to the tune of $100,000 for 10 years. “Financial stability is one requirement for achieving Category B designation and negotiating a tax receipt in return for the donation of the ship to a museum,” Coombes said, referring to a federal government Canadian heritage designation. Skyline spent around $4-5 million on the ship, including the cost of bringing it back to Port McNicoll in 2012. With an estimated value of close to $48.7 million, the ship is considered one of the finest historic vessels anywhere on the planet and “the world’s last Edwardian passenger steamship, a remarkable working demonstration of the first half of the twentieth century, and contributor and link to the cementing of Confederation," said Coombes, whose group is also urging Tay Township to get actively involved in keeping the ship in its home port before it’s too late. Built in Scotland, the vessel was launched on July 6, 1907, five years before the Titanic. It was retired in 1966 after spending almost 60 seasons transporting passengers on the Great Lakes. |
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Port Reports - July 25 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI – Fred A Tijan
St. Marys River
Green Bay, WI ¬ Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Friday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Today in Great Lakes History - July 25
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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Obituary: Dave Wobser 7/24 - David J. Wobser of Findlay, Ohio, a long-time volunteer board member of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit and Boatnerd.com, died suddenly Wednesday night of a ruptured aorta. He was active for many years in organizing BoatNerd as a nonprofit, News Editor, Board Member, planning the various Boatnerd gatherings around the Great Lakes, maintained the site’s winter layup list and numerous other roles. He was also considered an authority on lighthouses. Arrangements are unknown at this time. A full obituary will be printed when available; he was a friend to many and will be sorely missed by the BoatNerd and wider community. |
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Port Reports - July 24 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Green Bay, WI – Jon
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Thursday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf |
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Manitowoc Shipbuilding's last lake freighter, Edward L. Ryerson, departed 60 years ago 7/24 - Manitowoc has a long and beautiful history of shipbuilding. One chapter in Manitowoc’s rich shipbuilding heritage closed on July 28, 1960. On that date, Manitowoc Shipbuilding’s last lake freighter, the Edward L. Ryerson, left its berth at Manitowoc Shipbuilding about to embark on its lifetime on the lakes. This July will mark 60 years since Ryerson departed Manitowoc shipbuilding. The Edward L. Ryerson was the last lake freighter built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, and it was the largest at 730 feet long and 75 feet wide. At the time of its departure from Manitowoc, it was the largest bulk carrier ever built to operate on the Great Lakes. The vessel was built to hold a total of 26,600 tons with a top speed loaded of 16-and-a-half hours. People from Manitowoc and the surrounding area gathered down by the river to watch it depart Manitowoc Shipbuilding on July 28, 1960. It was estimated that around a few hundred people from the surrounding areas gathered to watch the vessel leave. Moving the Ryerson from Manitowoc Shipbuilding to the lake was only supposed to take two hours with work starting at 5 a.m. and finishing at 7 a.m. Delays caused moving the vessel to take until close to lunch hour. The whole ordeal ended up lasting four hours. A Manitowoc Herald Times article from July 28, 1960, described getting the Ryerson out to the lake as “like building a cruiser in the basement and then engineering it through a door too small for its shortest dimension.” Read more and view images at this link: https://www.htrnews.com/story/entertainment/2020/07/21/manitowoc-shipbuilding-lake-freighter-ryerson-departed-60-years-ago/3286930001 |
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What life has been like aboard Great Lakes freighters during COVID-19 7/24 - When the COVID-19 crisis began, marooned passengers on virus-stricken cruise ships on the high seas grabbed the early headlines. Soon, that huge industry ground to a halt. The worry quickly rippled out to others who make their living on the water, those who operate the freighters that ply the Great Lakes through Southwestern Ontario on a 3,700-kilometre marine highway linking the Atlantic Ocean to North America’s industrial heartland. “That was the biggest fear of our members. If this (virus) gets on board, it’s going to run through us,” said James Given, president of the Seafarers International Union (SIU), which represents shipboard workers. “It was very important to keep our industry moving and COVID-free.” The first ship through the Welland Canal this season made its way into the system just as Ontario moved to shut down its economy in late March to all but the most essential work. Four months later, no outbreaks have been reported on any Canadian freighters. But it’s been anything but smooth sailing for the industry. Some ships have been idled in COVID-19’s fallout. Social distancing on them is tough, and until recently, when shore leave began to open up, crew members couldn’t leave the ships. “It takes a special kind of person to be on 700-foot ship with 20 other people for three months,” Given said. “If you do that without being able to step foot on shore, that mentally is just tiring.” Even before the March lockdowns began, steps were taken to prevent the virus on ships. The number of contractors aboard was limited, personal protective wear was provided, crews were isolated for 14 days before being allowed aboard and shore leave – often called a “sacred right” for ship workers – was halted. “It was pretty much a full-out lockdown on our ships,” Given said. Another early policy, sailors filling out medical questionnaires and being temperature-checked before reporting for work, remains. Most freights have crews of 15 to 21. Sailors often work for three months at a time, then a month off. It’s tight aboard the ships, making physical distancing next to impossible. The right to shore leave began to loosen about three weeks ago, with sailors allowed off ships in port cities where COVID-19 cases are low. There’s still no shore leave in major cities such as Toronto, Windsor and Montreal, and absolutely none in the United States. That takes a toll, said Brooke Cameron, fleet personnel manager with Algoma Central, Canada’s largest Great Lakes fleet, with 30 vessels and 1,100 full- and part-time employees. “Working onboard a vessel and being away from home . . . is already difficult and often stressful,” said Cameron, so losing free shore liberty has only added to that strain. As the head of a team coordinating travel for Algoma’s workers, Cameron has had to adapt to different provincial guidelines as she works to get crews to and from ships. For some, especially those from the Maritime provinces, a mandatory 14-day isolation must be followed after they return home, which can eat into their 30 days off. Crew members understand, she said, since the priority is keeping the entire ship safe. “Captains in our fleet have revealed a strong sense of pride in having kept their vessels free and clear of the COVID-19 virus, which could only be accomplished through the diligence of every crew member.” Read more and view images at this link: https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/covid-19-aboard-great-lakes-freighters-virus-free-status-has-meant-huge-sacrifice-from-all-crew |
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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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U.S. Steel restarting another blast furnace at Gary Works as steel industry recovers 7/23 - Gary, IN – U.S. Steel is restarting another blast furnace at Gary Works as the steel industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the temporary layoffs of thousands of steelworkers. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of Northwest Indiana's largest industrial employers, idled blast furnaces as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that shuttered many auto plants, some of the largest end users of steel products. But it fired back up the No. 6 Blast Furnace at Gary Works right after the 4th of July weekend and is now bringing the No. 8 blast furnace back online. "U.S. Steel will restart No. 8 blast furnace at Gary Works, effective Aug. 1, to meet the increased demand we are seeing in our contracted business," spokeswoman Meghan Cox said. "As a major supplier of steel for the auto industry, Gary Works is restoring this capacity to satisfy the very strong demand we are seeing from key contract customers with the reemergence of the auto industry. This action also supports the continued demand we are experiencing from appliances, packaging and construction." The announcement comes at a time when production has been picking back up after auto factories like the Chicago Assembly Plant went back to work and ramped back up to three shifts. Steel production in the Great Lakes region climbed up to 450,000 tons last week, up from around 400,000 a week a few weeks ago, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It also comes a week after an explosion at Blast Furnace D at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. Video showed the blast showered the steel mill in Porter County with the shrapnel of large chunks of burning hot white refractory, suggesting significant damage. ArcelorMittal said it was still able to meet customer orders, but it was not immediately clear how long the blast furnace would remain offline. "Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have utilized the flexibility afforded by our banked blast furnaces to accommodate changes in our order book as needed," Cox said. "This restart is allowing us to effectively respond and meet the growing needs of our customers." The No. 4 Blast Furnace remains idled at Gary Works, as do U.S. Steel operations in Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. The steelmaker, which expects to lose $315 million in the second quarter as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, 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. nAs many as 3,800 employees faced temporary layoffs at Gary Works and the Midwest plant in Portage after the pandemic spread worldwide. |
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Port Reports - July 23
Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Wednesday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Toronto, ON – Tom Brewer.
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Annual Gales of November event at Duluth canceled for 2020 7/23 - The LSMMA Board of Directors made the hard decision to cancel ¬– for 2020 only – the Gales of November program celebrating our maritime heritage. Still, we hope to have some great virtual presentations at about that same time and are exploring other alternatives … plus we're already planning for 2021. The board considered the health and well-being of the members, volunteers and staff plus the expense of preparing for an uncertain event if the risks of congregating, especially come autumn, continue to be high. Thanks for your help and encouragement though these times. Lake Superior Marine Museum Association |
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Illustrated history of the Soo Locks in the Virtual Visitor Center today 7/23 - Using hundreds of historic images, some dating from the 1860s, Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs leads an exploration of the history of the Soo Locks in the upcoming episode of the Virtual Visitor Center. To learn more about this National Historic Landmark, use a Chrome browser to join here: https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/soo-locks-history. For users without speakers on their computers dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (646) 749-3117; Canada: +1 (647) 497-9373; access code: 547-074-525. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - 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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Lake Huron’s temp spikes above normal 7/22 - Manitoulin, ON –– Lake Huron is five degrees warmer than average for this time of year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Water levels and water temperatures are important and interrelated indicators of weather and climate change in the Great Lakes. While water levels can be influenced by many factors that include precipitation, snowmelt runoff, evaporation rates or drought, water temperatures are primarily affected by air temperature. “Water temperatures naturally fluctuate just like lake levels naturally fluctuate,” says Hannah Cann, coastal stewardship co-ordinator with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, “but what we’re seeing now is warmer temperatures across all the Great Lakes on the whole including, of course, Lake Huron.” This is an indication of climate change. “When water temperatures change drastically in a short period of time it can also affect the reproductive abilities of certain fish,” says Ms. Cann. “Just like certain animals, chickens for example, they need so many hours of light to go into their reproductive phase and create eggs. The same thing happens with fish and with some species at risk fish, like lake sturgeon, their eggs will only be viable within a 2 C to 3 C range.” This means these temperature fluctuations won’t trigger their reproductive systems to begin laying eggs or to go into mating season. It might actually kill off some species’ eggs, she adds. Monitoring lake temperatures is thus important to tracking species in certain coastal environments. “This high 5 C change, it’s 5 C higher than average for this time of year. This is indicative of a warming climate and can have serious consequences to these fish communities that rely on coastal wetlands and the nearshore environments to spawn.” A 2016 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that, “since 1995 the average surface waters have increased slightly for each of the Great Lakes. Recent increases in water temperature have mostly been driven by warming during the spring and summer months.” Trends could also relate in part to earlier thawing of winter ice; these are all indicative of a warming climate. Altered spawning cycles are only one aspect of Great Lakes biodiversity affected by increased lake temperatures. The range distribution of species can be altered; this in turn can lead to the introduction of novel species into to ecosystem and impact the food chain within the lake. There have been some suggestions that warmer temperatures can possibly lead to an increase in the prevalence of waterborne pathogens which could lead to more and more frequent beach closures or algal blooms. The Manitoulin Expositor |
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Port Reports - July 22 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
Marquette, MI– Fred A Tijan
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Toledo, OH – Richard Gozinya
Lake Erie Ports for Tuesday – Bill Kloss
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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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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Edgar B Speer lays up at Toledo 7/21 - Edgar B. Speer arrived in Toledo Monday for layup and is now moored at the CSX #1 Dock. This makes four 1,000 footers that are laid up in Toledo. American Century is at CSX #3 dock and has not sailed yet this year. At CSX #2 Dock is American Spirit and Walter J. McCarthy Jr. Toledo is now starting to look like a giant parking lot. Denny Dushane |
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New Seaway tugboat arrives in Massena, New York 7/21 - Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) announced the arrival Monday of its new tugboat, Seaway Guardian, in Massena, New York. The vessel has been on a three-week journey through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up the Atlantic seaboard from the Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, where it was constructed. Seaway Guardian will be the first new American-built tugboat to join SLSDC since the Seaway opened 61 years ago. Construction of the Seaway Guardian, which is capable of operating in difficult ice conditions, began in 2018. The keel was laid on June 26, 2018 and the vessel launched on September 12, 2019. Sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico were completed in June of this year and the tug began its delivery voyage to SLSDC’s marine base in Massena on July 2. Seaway Guardian’s primary missions will be buoy maintenance and ice management. It will also assist in firefighting and emergency operational response on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The new tug cost $24 million to construct as part of the SLSDC’s Asset Renewal Program. The tug will replace the 62-year-old vessel, Robinson Bay, which the SLSDC will maintain as back-up for the foreseeable future. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation |
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Great Lakes shipping stays afloat amid COVID-19 7/21 - Detroit, MI – The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt many sectors of the economy, but Great Lakes shipping appears to be mostly staying afloat.
Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. released a report Thursday showing total tonnage of goods down 8.4% in the first half of this year, but U.S. and Canadian grain up 3.3% from a year ago. Iron ore, steel and iron shipments are down from last year but started to rebound last month with month-over-month increases. "Through June, we saw shipments stabilizing, with traditional Seaway cargos including grain and steel on an uptick," said Craig H. Middlebrook, deputy administrator of the U.S. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., in a release. "General cargo tonnage continues to be strong, attributable in large part to increasing movement of wind turbine components.” Overall tonnage was at 11.7 million metric tons, down 8.4% compared to this time last year, according to the report. U.S. and Canadian grain was at 3,554,000 metric tons this year, a 3.3% increase. Dry bulk cargo was down 9.9% compared to last year and includes coke, stone, cement and clinkers, ores and concentrates and pig iron. Iron ore was down 14% compared to this time last year. The top-performing commodities were grain, salt, gypsum, steel slab and asphalt. Sri Talluri, professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, said the report is good news. He said he attributes the freight activity in part to Europe and Asia flattening the curve with respect to COVID-19. "So certainly recovery is unfolding in those parts of the world," he said. "Also, given that the trajectory of the disease is quite different in different parts of the U.S., it might be helping as well." The Port of Monroe is among eight American ports across five Great Lakes states to handle shiploads of wind-related components. The domestic side of the port had a slow start to the season in April with the temporary shutdown of heavy industry, but picked up in May, said Paul C. LaMarre III, the director of the Port of Monroe, the state’s only seaport on Lake Erie. The port’s international shipments are largely project-driven. The port is working with Spliethoff Group’s BigLift Shipping and Ventower Industry to move, handle and manufacture wind towers for a General Electric project in Isabella County. The Port of Monroe is handling the tower section, machine heads and the hubs, LaMarre said, adding that the wind project “has had us exceptionally busy. We're having the most fruitful season in the port's history," he said. "That isn't necessarily the story that is spanning the entire system, but one thing is for sure is that the Great Lake's St. Lawrence Seaway System is resilient." Work continues on at the port with workers socially distancing, wearing masks, taking temperatures and looking out for one another, LaMarre said. “That has kept us in a position where we really haven’t missed a beat,” he said. “It’s allowed us to be efficient, safe and to this point, very successful despite some very challenging circumstances.” The Detroit News |
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Port Reports - July 21 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Monday – Bill Kloss
Hamilton, ON – Tristin Woolf
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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$474M pig iron plant gets permit for Ashtabula site 7/21 - Ashtabula, OH – The Ohio EPA has approved an air permit for construction of the $474 million pig-iron manufacturing plant that a South African company proposes to build on 30 acres at the Kinder Morgan Pinney Dock Terminal here. The permit replaces one issued Feb. 6, 2019, OEPA said. Petmin USA Inc., a subsidiary of Johannesburg-based Petmin, announced in January 2019 that it intended to produce 425 tons of nodular pig iron annually at the plant, and employ 100 workers. At the time, construction was expected to begin as soon as July 2019, according to published reports, with production beginning in 2021. On March 4 JobsOhio announced it was providing a $5 million economic development grant and a $5 million revitalization grant to help finance the project. The city of Ashtabula is assisting as well with road improvements. The OEPA air permit authorizes Petmin to install and operate production equipment for the manufacturing of merchant pig iron. “Modeling shows allowed emission levels will not cause or contribute to [exceeding] National Ambient Air Quality Standards, ensuring that local air quality will be protected,” the agency said. “Emissions from the facility will include nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and greenhouse gases.” Before issuing the air permit, Ohio EPA said it reviewed the draft permit to ensure it would comply with federal and state air pollution standards, laws and regulations. The agency reviewed and considered public comments received at the public hearing in May, and during the extended public comment period. The high-purity nodular pig iron the plant is slated to produce is a niche commodity that is low in manganese, sulphur and phosphorous. The metal casting industry requires the product in order to produce ductile iron, a unique engineering alloy, according to Petmin’s website. In announcing the project, Petmin said it selected Ashtabula from 11 potential North American sites. Business Journal |
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Obituary: Captain Mark Vogt 7/21 - On Saturday, July 18, 2020 Captain Mark(us) Vogt, loving husband and father of 3 boys comfortably passed away at the age of 92. Mark was born on September, 16 1927 in Feldsted, Denmark to Jorgen and Helena Vogt. He immigrated to Canada in 1948, arriving at his aunt’s farm in Nova Scotia. He soon settled in Montreal, found his passion on the ships of the Great Lakes and started on what was to become a successful and respected career. He travelled back to Denmark and married a childhood friend Ruth (Rasmussen) March 1, 1953. Together they raised 3 boys, Henrik, Chris (Mark) and Danny. Mark, a young immigrant with limited education, worked hard to educate himself in the skills and knowledge to become a respected Inland Waters Captain on the M/V Senneville. His hard work and dedication to doing things the right way landed him the promotion to Director of Navigation and Safety for Misener Transportation, St. Catharines, Ontario, responsible for the operations and safety of the fleet of vessels. After Mark’s retirement in 1987, he and Ruth were Snowbirds and spent the better part of 13 winters in their second home in Acadia, Florida. Mark loved to be active waterskiing to age 76, shingling his house at 78, and always having fun chasing his grandkids around the backyard pool. He played golf with his boys until his late 80’s. He completely restored a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle which can still be seen driving around St. Catharines. Mark instilled a strong work ethic in his boys which has carried down the generations. Arrangements are entrusted to the George Darte Funeral Home, 585 Carlton St., St. Catharines. A private ceremony for family will be held at a later date. |
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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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Bad news from lightship Huron museum 7/20 - After rain Sunday morning, more water has entered around the base of the Huron Lightship. The water raised the ship where it sits several inches and further eroded the sand that has encapsulated the ship since 1972. This has resulted in a broken gas line and serious erosion problems on the land side so the ship cannot be occupied will be closed until the issues can be addressed. Operators of the museum ship will be working with partners at the City of Port Huron, as well as insurance company to try to resolve this as quickly as possible. If you would like to help, donations are always accepted at www.phmuseum.org. Our other sites will continue to be open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 4. Port Huron Museums |
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Port Reports - July 20 Port reports are compiled from volunteer reader observations and AIS transmissions. Please send information about vessel arrivals and departures from your port to news@boatnerd.net by 9 p.m. (Eastern) nightly for them to be included in the next day's news. Please include name of vessel, arrival time, day and dock it went to (if known); please do not type boat names in all capital letters. We welcome new reporters. If your port is not included, we would welcome your contributions.
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, ON
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Northern Lake Huron
Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Marine City, MI – Rich Larson
Detroit-Rouge River – Raymond H.
Lake Erie Ports for Sunday – Bill Kloss
Buffalo, NY – Brian R. Wroblewski
Rochester, NY – Tom Brewer
Picton, ON – Tom Brewer |
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Dramatic lightning show over Lake Superior, video by crew of 1,000-foot freighter 7/20 - Thunderstorms producing lightning strikes over the Upper Peninsula late Saturday night turned into quite the dramatic light show for one freighter crew. Kyle Coburn, a mate aboard the Indiana Harbor, took some stunning video as the 1,000-foot freighter was making its way across Lake Superior. He shared it with Andrea Guerriero, owner of Dre Designs - Great Lakes Marine Products, who runs a popular Facebook page for ship enthusiasts. The big diesel-powered freighter, owned by American Steamship Company, today is headed east across Lake Superior and will be making its way downbound through the Soo Locks with a load of iron ore. From there, it will travel south down Lake Michigan until it reaches Burns Harbor in Indiana. At the time this video was taken, the Indiana Harbor’s crew said they had slowed to about 9 knots from their typical 12 to 13 knots, so they could navigate safely through the storm, Guerriero said. View the video here: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2020/07/dramatic-lightning-show-over-lake-superior-video-by-crew-of-989-foot-freighter.html |
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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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Soo Locks receiving $123 million for construction for Poe Lock 7/19 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Last week it was announced the Soo Locks will be seeing $123 million for the ongoing construction of the new deep-water navigational lock as approved by the House Appropriations Committee. So far, this is the largest single year amount received in a fiscal year for one of the largest infrastructure projects in the Great Lakes region. The Lake Carriers’ Association applauds the House Committee for the approval of the “Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021.” To give some background, the Lake Carriers’ Association has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargo annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power — iron ore, stone, coal, cement and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt and sand. The project has a very good chance of competing for additional funding as well with the Committee adding $59.2 million for construction of “locks not on the inland waterways system.” This funding is crucial for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain construction timelines with the goal of completing the new lock project possibly within the next seven years. The current 62-year old Poe Lock, the only one large enough to handle 1,000-foot U.S.-flag ships, has experienced numerous outages over the past years as aging components have begun to fail. The Poe Lock is a single point of failure for the entire Great Lakes maritime system as well as a large portion of American manufacturing, and construction. The new large lock, under construction, will ensure against a national economic disaster should the Poe Lock fail. “It’s difficult to overstate just how vital the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie are to the Great Lakes region, our people, and our economies,” said Rep. Kaptur, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. “As a life-long resident of Toledo, home to one the busiest commercial ports in the Great Lakes, our city – like many Ohio cities along Lake Erie – rely heavily on commercial shipping. Our cities receive goods like iron ore, which pass through the Soo Locks on their way from ports on Lake Superior, and which is then used by northern Ohio workers to forge the best iron and steel in the world. As Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, investing in the Soo Locks has been among my highest priorities. I’m glad to have secured this critically needed funding.” Association President Jim Weakley praised Kaptur and the entire House Committe on Appropriations for their continued support of the new lock in the Sault. He also said that efficiently funding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers so the project can remain on track is crucial to the overall health of the Great Lakes Navigation System. In addition to the lock funding, the bill provides an additional $17 billion in emergency funding to accelerate work on Army Corps projects around the county, putting Americans back to work and improving water infrastructure while reducing the current backlog. Soo Evening News |
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Plan in works to bring Norgoma to Tobermory 7/19 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The plan to bring the Norgoma to the Bruce Peninsula involves turning the ship into a restaurant, museum and tourist attraction in Tobermory’s Little Tub Harbour. Mike Goman said last Wednesday that the idea to bring the Norgoma to the tip of the peninsula was born out of the desire to expand The Coffee Shop business he owns with Dr. George Harpur, and provides an opportunity to preserve a part of the area’s history. “The captain’s quarters and the first and second mate’s quarters and the bridge and wheelhouse are in good shape, and kids don’t get an opportunity to see that kind of thing anymore,” Goman said. “I think it would be really cool to be able to open it up and let people go on it and see it. “We could find some volunteers to talk about the history of the boat and how things operated. That would just be a lot of fun.” Goman said the ship served Georgian Bay and the Tobermory area for many years and it would be a shame to see it go to waste after being preserved for as long as it has. He sees it as another possible economic development driver for Tobermory, helping to keep visitors in the community longer. “I thought it would be a real shame to tow it to the scrapyard and take it apart. It is a beautiful old ship and I was on it many times as a kid,” Goman said. “I thought maybe there was a way to solve my problem with my coffee shop and also bring a niece piece of marine history to Tobermory.” Last Monday, Sault Ste. Marie city council approved the sale of the Norgoma to Goman’s business, Tobermory Real Estate Investors Inc., at a cost of $2,500. Goman’s company will be responsible for moving the vessel. Goman and Harpur have been business partners for more than 35 years. Together they operate The Sweet Shop and more recently The Coffee Shop. Goman said they had been exploring options to expand The Coffee Shop, located in the approximately 600-square-foot former post office in Tobermory. “There is a limited amount of real estate available in the harbour in Tobermory,” said Goman. “We have been struggling with how do we expand it, how do we grow that business.” Goman said the idea of using a ship to expand the business just came to him one day. At first he looked into the Normac, another former OSTC ship, which had served in the past as a floating restaurant in Toronto and then Port Dalhousie. Goman’s inquiries about the Normac turned up dead ends, so he turned his attention to the Norgoma and got in contact with officials in Sault Ste. Marie. The negotiations between Goman and Sault Ste. Marie were kept mostly quiet, while the COVID-19 pandemic also left both parties with other matters to deal with. The talks eventually progressed and a deal was reached between the two sides. But Goman said the work to bring the vessel to Tobermory still has a long way to go. The discussions with Northern Bruce Peninsula are in the very early stages. Goman said they would need to find an appropriate spot in the harbour for the ship, which is about twice the size of the largest tour boats that are located there now. He understands there will be existing agreements to work around, but feels there is the space in the harbour. “The township has to think about this and decide whether they think this is a worthwhile idea,” he said, adding that if he can’t find agreement with the municipality then he will have to look at other options. Read more and view images at this link: |
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New commander takes over U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw 7/19 - The Coast Guard held a change of command ceremony Friday morning. It was private with public viewing virtually because of the pandemic. Commander Kristen Serumgard has taken over command from former commander John Stone. During the change of command ceremony, Stone thanked the cutter’s crew for making his time there great and said they are in great hands. Serumgard had a message for that crew. “My success over the next two years hinges on my service to the crew and the ship. My commitment to you is to work tirelessly every day to be worthy of the title Mackinaw and represent you to the best of my abilities.” Commander Serumgard said the new role is a dream come true. View the news report at this l |
