 |
|
||||
 |
|||||
Updated as the News Happens |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
|||||
Updated as the News Happens |
|||||
|
|||||
|
If you have information to contribute, choose the convenient form to the left or send by e-mail |
 |
|
Port Reports - October 17
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors–Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Dougla
Toledo, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Monday – Barry Andersen
Kingsville:
Nanticoke:
Long Point Bay (off Nanticoke):
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Oakville (Bronte):
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
|
Beloved SS Keewatin volunteer remembered as 'remarkable man' 10/17 - Port McNicoll, Ont. – When visitors boarded the SS Keewatin for tours of the vintage passenger liner, they could thank Gerry Brown for the smooth-running operation of its massive engine. A dedicated volunteer and chief engineer with the Port McNicoll-based historical attraction, Brown was responsible for maintaining the beating heart of the ship. “He loved all things historical that tied to technology, that was based in the ingenuity and stories of humanity,” his son Andy Brown told Simcoe.com. “He saw the Keewatin that way.” The 73-year-old Coldwater resident was en route to an end-of-season gathering at the ship Oct. 9 when his motorcycle collided with a car that police say was conducting a “turning manoeuvre.” He died as a result of the collision, which remains under investigation. In the days following Gerry Brown’s death, friends and family recounted the life of a renaissance man. He was, among other things, a pilot, plumber, farmer, teacher, engineer, artist, musician, poet, carpenter, philosopher, and comedian. Raised in humble circumstances on an Orillia farm, Brown early on built a broad skill set while working at his father’s side. An endless sense of curiosity informed a lifelong thirst for learning through experience. Initially trained as an auto mechanic, Brown later attended teachers’ college and spent his career in education as a technical teacher, the majority of it at Twin Lakes Secondary School in Orillia. In retirement, a tour of the SS Keewatin sparked an interest in the volunteer-run operation and prompted return visits. “We were having terrible problems keeping the engine working properly,” recalled Eric Conroy, president and CEO of Friends of Keewatin, the organization responsible for the 1907 vessel. “We had never been able to find an engineer that not only could make the engine work properly, but could keep staff happy.” Brown “stepped up” and offered to help, putting his talents to work in the engineering department and retraining staff. “He created an atmosphere of learning and sharing, which we didn’t have in the past,” Conroy said. His death touched off a flood of online responses, including messages from students who worked as tour guides on the ship in summer. “He had this uncanny ability to evoke the best from people without them feeling like he was necessarily the leader, which I think is the true definition of leadership,” added Andy Brown. A celebration of Brown’s life will take place Oct. 29 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club. Friends of Keewatin has established a memorial fund with the aim of creating the Gerry Brown Keewatin Engineering Interpretative Centre. Donations can be made at any Royal Bank branch, in memory of Gerry Brown to the R.J. and Diane Peterson Keewatin Foundation, account No. 03082 10-927-3, or by mailing "Friends of Keewatin, in memory of Gerry Brown," P.O. Box 189, Port McNicoll, Ont., LOK 1R0. Simcoe.com |
|
Significant maritime collection comes to Alpena library 10/17 - Alpena, Mich. – Ellen Barr of St. Clair believes her late husband, Leonard’s vast maritime collection of vessel photographs, books and other research materials found the proper home after his passing. She recently donated 31 boxes of materials representing his lifelong passion for ships to the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Research Collection housed at Alpena County Library. “It took me a long time to decide what I really wanted to do with his collection – if I even wanted to do anything with it,” Barr said. In the end, she worked with Special Collections librarian Marlo Broad and maritime historian Patrick LaBadie to make the transfer to Alpena. Multiple factors contributed to her ultimate decision. Chief among them was the reputation of the library for managing its collections and making them digitally accessible to researchers all over the country and even the world. “Len wanted for his collection to be used for research,” Barr said. “He wanted it to be viewed. Marlo assured me that once it’s digitized, people can go online to see it. That makes it very worthwhile and makes me very happy. I know Len would be extremely ecstatic.” Barr lists a second more personal reason for choosing Alpena. More than 50 years ago, LaBadie served as best man at the couple’s wedding. A shared love of maritime history originally brought the two men together back when LaBadie worked at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit and Leonard served in an active marine historical society. Even though they had lost touch over the years, Barr said her husband knew both LaBadie’s reputation as a historian and that LaBadie had donated his own valuable collection of maritime materials to Alpena County Library. “We were married almost 50 years. We were shy by six months,” Barr said. “Len knew Patrick before he knew me. I did this because Patrick’s collection was there. I knew I was doing the right thing.” Both Broad and LaBadie are thrilled to receive the donation of the Leonard J. Barr II Maritime Collection. While LaBadie’s own extensive collection held at the library focuses on ships from the 19th century, the new collection focuses on the next century. “It’s really a step forward because the existing collection is almost exclusively 19th century and this is 20th century, which is more popular with researchers,” LaBadie said, adding that he’s extremely pleased with Barr’s decision to make the donation because he knows of many other historians and collectors whose materials after their deaths didn’t go to a public institution where it could be shared with others. “It’s sad when collections like Leonard’s are split up and sold on eBay,” he said. Assimilating the donated materials into the already existing collection falls to Broad, who shared LaBadie’s enthusiasm for the new addition to the library. She is in the process of storing all materials in acid free folders and books. She plans to inventory everything and then begin the process of digitizing the materials. Several seasoned volunteers already have stepped forward to help with the digitizing process, she said. The new collection includes 50 binders filled with photographs and data sheets on 19th century freighters and tankers as well as 10 boxes of books, six boxes of journals, many original photographs, slides, glass plates and negatives. “The collection really complements Patrick’s because there is so little duplication of materials,” said Broad, who traveled with LaBadie to St. Clair to meet Barr and make the transfer. She hopes one day to bring Barr to Alpena so that she can see firsthand where her husband’s collection now is housed. Doing so would be bittersweet for Barr, who remembers with affection her first date with her late husband. Along with dinner, she said, their unusual date featured a ship meeting at the Port Huron YMCA. “I thought this is interesting. I’ve not quite been on anything like this before,” said Barr. What followed was a long and fulfilling life built together. “My husband and I were one person,” she said. “We did everything that we could together because we were each other’s best friend. If he loved ships and it was important to him, then I loved it. I wasn’t as involved as he was, but I don’t think anyone could have loved it as much as he did, except for maybe Patrick.” Often, she said, they planned vacations to Sault Ste. Marie and Welland Canal in Canada just so they could watch the ships passing through the locks. Barr said her husband’s passion for ships began in boyhood, and even though he enjoyed a rewarding career as a senior executive for Munder Capital Management, he did spend one season back in 1964 working on the Sewell Avery, part of the US Steel Pittsburgh Corp. fleet. “He just always loved the water, always loved the ships,” Barr said. “His hobby was his passion. He was very meticulous and took excellent photos, documenting ships when he could.” Already the collection has paid dividends for others visiting Alpena. When it was announced last month that two new shipwrecks had been discovered north of Presque Isle, family members of the captain of one of those vessels, the Choctaw, traveled to Alpena to find out more about the shipwreck. Thanks to the Leonard J. Barr II maritime collection, Broad was able to locate a historic photograph of the vessel that struck the Choctaw on July 12, 1915, causing it to sink. “It was a very emotional time for the family who came, including the 94-year-old granddaughter of the captain and several other family members,” Broad said. “The timing was perfect.” Barr said she is thrilled to know someone already has benefited from her husband’s collection coming to Alpena. The Alpena News |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 17 On this day in 1889, the whaleback 103 completed her maiden trip by delivering 86,000 bushels of Duluth wheat to Buffalo. On this day in 1936, the 252-foot sand sucker SAND MERCHANT rolled over and sank when a 50 mph gale swept across Lake Erie. The steamer THUNDER BAY QUARRIES, Captain James Healey, rescued three survivors and the steamer MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 1, Captain George Wilson, rescued four additional survivors. Eighteen crewmembers and one female passenger drowned in the accident. On October 17, 1887, Henry McMorran and D. N. Runnels bought the engine and boiler of the tug GEORGE HAND at the U.S. Marshall's sale in Port Huron, Michigan, for $500. The CARLTON (Hull#542) was launched October 17, 1963, at Sunderland, England, by Short Brothers, Ltd., for Chapman & Willan, Ltd. Renamed b.) FEDERAL WEAR in 1975. Purchased by Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. in 1975, renamed c.) ST LAWRENCE PROSPECTOR in 1975. Lengthened to Seaway size and renamed d.) CANADIAN PROSPECTOR in 1979. Scrapped in 2009 at Aliaga, Turkey. The EMS ORE was launched October 17, 1959, for Transatlantic Bulk Carriers, Monrovia, Liberia. Purchased by Hall Corp. of Canada in 1976, reconstructed for lake service and renamed b.) MONTCLIFFE HALL in 1977. Renamed c.) CARTIERDOC in 1988, she sails today as d.) CEDARGLEN. With an inexperienced Taiwanese crew, boiler problems and the collapse of Lock 7's west wall in the Welland Canal on October 17th, SAVIC's (CLIFFS VICTORY) departure was delayed until December 17, 1985, when she departed Chicago under her own power. The carferry PERE MARQUETTE 19 was launched October 17, 1903. In 1893, the FLINT & PERE MARQUETTE NO 1 was damaged by fire while in Ludington. In 1988, the Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee purchased CITY OF MILWAUKEE from the City of Frankfort for $2. On October 17,1871, CASCADEN (2 mast wood schooner, 138 tons, built in 1866, at Saugeen, Ontario) was carrying much needed supplies for the Cove Island Lighthouse keeper and his family who were in desperate straits. But she went ashore 3 miles below Cape Hurd near Tobermory, Ontario, in a storm and was wrecked. On October 17, 1843, the wooden schooner ALABAMA collided with a pier during a storm at the mouth of the Grand River at Fairport, Ohio, and was a total loss. On October 17, 1871, the 42-ton wooden schooner SEA HORSE stranded on Fitzwilliam Island at the mouth of Georgian Bay in a storm. She was a total loss. 1923: The bulk carrier LUZON went aground in Lake Superior, northeast of Passage Island, due to poor visibility from the dense smoke of local forest fires. The vessel sustained serious bow damage but, fortunately, the bulkhead held. It was enroute from Fort William to Buffalo with grain at the time. The ship returned to service as b) JOHN ANDERSON in 1924 and was last known as G.G. POST. 1936: SAND MERCHANT sank in Lake Erie about 13.5 miles off Cleveland with the loss of 19 lives. The ship began taking on water faster than it could be pumped out and only 7 sailors survived. 1951: GEORGE F. RAND and HARVEY H. BROWN collided just below the Huron Cut at Port Huron and the former was beached with a starboard list. After being refloated, this vessel unloaded its cargo of silica sand at Port Huron and then went to Toledo for repairs. The latter later sailed as PARKER EVANS and MARLHILL. 1980: The Canadian tanker GULF CANADA and MEGALOHARI II collided at Montreal with minor damage. The former had been built at Collingwood as a) B.A. PEERLESS in 1952 and was scrapped at Alang, India, as d) COASTAL I in 1990. The latter had begun Seaway trading in 1965 and was scrapped at Alang as b) AGIOS CONSTANTINOS in 1985. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Michigan lawmakers optimistic about Soo Locks upgrade, but long process ahead 10/16 - Michigan's Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a connector for shipping iron, coal, grain and other materials from the shores of Lake Superior to the rest of the country. In 2016, U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters moved 83.3 million tons of cargo, according to the Cleveland-based Lake Carriers Association. Currently, the biggest of the locks, the Poe Lock, is operating normally. But many worry an unexpected breakdown of the lock could throw the shipping industry into chaos. An upgrade to convert two smaller locks into another lock the size of Poe has mostly languished without funding since it was initially authorized 1986. Michigan's Congressional delegation has renewed the push to fund this project by appealing to other members of Congress and President Donald Trump's administration, but it could be a while before that happens. Although there have been no major issues with the Poe Lock in recent years, experts say any major breakdown in the lock would cause a major hit to both the Michigan economy and the U.S. economy as a whole. A Department of Homeland Security report concluded a hypothetical unexpected breakdown at the Poe Lock lasting six months would cripple the United States economy and cost 11 million jobs, and predicted the national unemployment rate would hit 11.3 percent. The report found a shutdown of Great Lakes steel production caused by a sudden halt in ore transportation would in turn shut down almost all North American appliance, automobile, construction, farm and mining equipment, and railcar production within weeks. "In terms of an impact to the North American economy, it is hard to conceive of a single asset more consequential than the Poe Lock," the report author concluded. Read more and view photos at this link |
|
Port Reports - October 16
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors–Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Toledo, Ohio
Toronto, Ont. – Gerry Ouderkirk
Regional and Welland Canal transits Sunday – Barry Andersen
Kingsville:
Nanticoke:
Long Point Bay (off Nanticoke):
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Anchorage off Burlington:
Oakville (Bronte:
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto:
Oshawa:
|
|
Coast Guard rescues 7 off grounded vessel in Western Lake Erie 10/16 - Cleveland, Ohio – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued seven people Saturday evening off their grounded vessel on Buckeye Reef near Middle Bass Island in Western Lake Erie. Shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a report of a 28 foot vessel that was hard aground on Buckeye Reef with five adults and two children aboard. The vessel was reported to be severely listing and one of the adults was experiencing a panic attack thought to be brought on by the situation. A crew from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, aboard a 25-foot response boat, responded. A local commercial salvage crew responded as well. An urgent marine information broadcast was not sent due to concerns for public safety, given the shallow and rocky area. After arriving on scene, neither the Marblehead or salvage crew was able to approach the vessel due to water depth. A crew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit was launched aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter in order to rescue the people. Once on scene, the air station crew hoisted four of the people and took them to the Middle Bass Island Municipal Airport where they were met by the Put-in-Bay police and EMS personnel. The helicopter crew returned to the stricken vessel and hoisted the remaining three people. After being evaluated by EMS, with no reported injuries, all seven people were taken from Put-in-Bay to Station Marblehead by a crew from Station Marblehead aboard a 45-foot response boat. Arrangements for vessel salvage were being made by the owner for Sunday, depending on favorable weather conditions. Pollution responders from Marine Safety Unit Toledo were notified regarding possible pollution and are following up. No pollution has been reported. USCG |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 16
On this day in 1950, the JOHN M. McKERCHEY of the Kelley's Island Lime and Transport Company sank at 2:30 a.m. while returning from the pumping grounds with a load of sand. Captain Horace S. Johnson went down with the boat, but the remaining 19 crewmembers were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. On October 16,1855, SENECA (wooden propeller tug, 92 foot, 73 tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the brig LANSING past the foot of Randolph Street at Chicago, Illinois, when her boiler exploded. Her skipper and engineer were killed instantly and several others were injured. The vessel was later recovered. On October 16, 1990, the JOHN B. AIRD's loop belt caught fire while loading mill scale at Inland Steel Mill, East Chicago, Illinois. Fueled by coal dust left over after unloading coal at the mill, 1,400 feet of the rubber conveyor belt burned causing nearly $500,000 in damages. ALGOWEST set a cargo record carrying 27,517 tons of grain down the Seaway October 16, 1982, to Port Cartier, Quebec. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1998, and renamed b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL in 2001. The Cayman Islands-registered tanker RIO ORINOCO grounded off Anticosti Island, Quebec on October 16, 1990, and was abandoned. Later she was salvaged by Le Groupe Desgagnes (1981) Inc., refloated, repaired and renamed d.) THALASSA DESGAGNES. Sea trials of MERTON E. FARR were successfully completed October 16, 1920. On October 16, 1954, the SCOTT MISENER of 1954 became the first laker to load a record 800,000 bushels of grain on the Great Lakes when she was loaded with barley at Fort William, Ontario, for delivery to Port Colborne. WILLIAM G. MATHER of 1925 was towed from her Cuyahoga River berth on October 16, 1990, by the Great Lakes Towing tugs IDAHO and DELAWARE. She was placed next to the 9th Street Pier of Cleveland's North Coast Harbor and now serves as a marine museum. On October 16, 1912, JAMES BUCKLEY (2 mast wood schooner-barge, 161 foot, 442 gross tons, built in 1884, at Quebec City) was carrying coal and being towed by the tug WILLIAM PROCTOR in consort with the barges H B and MENOMINEE in Lake Ontario. The BUCKLEY separated from this group in a storm and was driven into the shallows off the coast of Jefferson County, New York. The tug PROCTOR delivered MENOMINEE to Cape Vincent, then returned in time to take BUCKLEY’s crew out of the rigging - hand over hand on a heaving line - before BUCKLEY finally sank. On October 16, 1855, the brig TUSCARORA was carrying coal from Buffalo to Chicago. She anchored off Chicago's Harrison Street, but a storm dragged her in. Volunteers from shore were unable to get to the stricken vessel. A group of 9 ship captains and 4 seamen then organized a rescue party and took two new "Francis" metal lifeboats out and rescued the entire crew of eleven. By 21 October, TUSCARORA was pounded to pieces. On October 16, 1853, PHILO SCOVILLE (2-mast wooden brig built in 1853, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin) was carrying flour, wheat, pigs and barreled fish when she encountered a gale in the eastern Straits of Mackinac. She was dismasted and drifted ashore where she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was saved by floating ashore while clinging to the floating main mast. 1880: ALPENA, a wooden sidewheel passenger steamer, was lost in Lake Michigan in a violent storm. All 67 on board perished. 1928: PARKS FOSTER ran aground, due to fog, in Lake Huron near Alpena. The ship was lightered, pumped out and refloated. While declared a total loss, the vessel was rebuilt as b) SUPERIOR and eventually dismantled at Port Weller in 1961. 1940: TREVISA was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 while 600 miles off the coast of Ireland. The ship had become a straggler from convoy SC-7 that had been attacked over a period of 3 nights. Seven lives were lost when TREVISA was hit in the engineroom by a single torpedo. 1968: The NORMAN P. CLEMENT was at Collingwood for examination of the grounding damage of earlier in the month when an onboard explosion on this date injured 11. The hull was contaminated with chemicals and declared a total loss. 1969: FREDEN V. came to the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1959. The small tanker was heavily damaged as c) YARIMCA in an engine room fire at Sinop, Turkey, but that was repaired in 1972 and the ship survived until scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as f) ORTAC in 2004. 1971: The Cypriot freighter UNION came through the Seaway in 1971 after prior visits as c) MICA beginning in 1965. Fire broke out in the engine room and the ship was abandoned 130 miles off Freetown, Sierra Leone, on October 10, 1971. The vessel sank on October 16 and had been enroute from Gdynia, Poland, to Chittagong, Bangladesh. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Coast Guard warns mariners of hazardous lake conditions this weekend 10/15 - Cleveland, Ohio – The Coast Guard is urging caution across the waters of the Great Lakes due to potentially hazardous weather conditions throughout the weekend. Gale watches and warnings have been issued for many areas throughout the Great Lakes for Saturday and continuing through the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, a gale watch is issued when the risk of gale force winds of 39 to 54 mph has significantly increased but the specific timing and/or location is still uncertain. It is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans. People visiting shoreline areas should exercise caution while the watches and warnings remain in effect. It is strongly encouraged to stay off rocks, jetties and piers, as high waves and heavy surf can unexpectedly sweep a person into the water. Always check the weather forecast before recreating on or near the water. Staying aware of weather conditions could easily save your life. Even after hazardous weather patterns have moved through the area, it can still take an additional day for lake conditions to calm. USCG |
|
Badger final sailing of the season canceled due to weather 10/15 - Ludington, Mich. – Lake Michigan Carferry has canceled its final sailing of the season, which had been scheduled for Sunday, due to inclement weather. "This decision is made with our passengers comfort in mind, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. This also means service for 2017 has ended, no further crossings will be available this year," the company stated. The National Weather Service has called for up to 55 mph winds on Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan Carferry |
|
Soo Locks Visitor Center closes for winter 10/15 - The Soo Locks Visitor Center closed for the season at 9 p.m. Saturday. |
|
Port Reports - October 15
Two Harbors–Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Regional and Welland Canal transits Saturday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Oakville (Bronte):
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 15 On this day in 1893, according to reports in Buffalo newspapers, First Mate Ben Lewis was washed off the decks of the JAY GOULD during a storm. A succeeding wave picked him up and dropped him back on the deck of the GOULD. On October 15, 1871, LA PETITE (wooden schooner, 94 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1866, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying lumber from Alpena, Michigan, to Huron, Ohio, when she was caught in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The heavy seas carried away the lumber strapped on deck. Then the vessel sprang a leak and turned on her beam ends. Capt. O. B. Smith, his wife, and four other sailors rode out the storm on the wreck until found by the tug BROCKWAY. The schooner was towed to Port Huron and repaired. On her maiden voyage, Branch Lines new tanker LEON SIMARD was spotted traveling eastward on the St. Lawrence River on October 15, 1974. Renamed b.) L'ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN in 1997 and d.) AMARA in 2001. The self-unloader WOLVERINE departed the American Ship Building Co., October 15, 1974, on her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, light to load stone at Stoneport, Michigan, for delivery to Huron, Ohio. HERBERT C. JACKSON cleared Fraser Shipyard on October 15, 1988, after having the 1000 h.p. bowthruster motor installed from the JOHN SHERWIN. The motor from the JACKSON was later repaired and placed in the SHERWIN's cargo hold for future use. The PAUL H. CARNAHAN came out on her maiden voyage October 15, 1961. On October 15, 1984, JOHN O. McKELLAR of 1952, was sold to P.& H. Shipping of Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., and renamed b.) ELMGLEN. Scrapping began on October 15, 1988, of JOHN T. HUTCHINSON at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. C. H. McCULLOUGH JR was laid up on October 15, 1969, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. COVERDALE (Hull#34) was launched at Midland, Ontario, on October 15, 1949, for Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) GEORGE HINDMAN in 1973 and c.) MELDRUM BAY in 1979. Scrapped at Lisbon, Portugal in 1985. SCOTT MISENER of 1954 struck bottom on October 15, 1973, near Whaleback Shoal on the St. Lawrence River reportedly damaging 60 of her bottom plates. She proceeded to the Port Arthur shipyard for drydocking and repairs from October 20th through the 28th. On October 15, 1980, the NIPIGON BAY, loaded with ore for Hamilton, Ontario, grounded at the "crossover" near Brockville, Ontario, on the St. Lawrence River and sustained a 100-foot rip in her bottom plates. She proceeded to Thunder Bay arriving there on October 24th where repairs were made at an estimated cost of $500,000. R. P. MASON (3 mast wooden schooner, 115 foot, 155 gross tons, built in 1867, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Detroit when she struck a rocky reef near Waugoshance Point in the Straits of Mackinac on October 8. 1871. Water gushed in an 8-foot hole. However, she was temporarily patched and her cargo of grain, flour and meat was taken off over the next few days. The tug LEVIATHAN took her in tow, going to Little Traverse Bay when, on October 15, they encountered a gale near Cross Village, Michigan. The MASON broke free and capsized. 5 died and 4 were rescued. The MASON drifted ashore upside down. She was eventually salvaged and sailed for another 46 years. She ended her days when she burned in Lake Michigan in 1917. The tug DOUGLAS caught fire near Wyandotte while going down the Detroit River and sank. The crew all jumped overboard and was saved by the steam yacht JOSEPHINE, except for John Cassidy, one of the firemen, who drowned. A few days later, plans were made to raise and rebuild the DOUGLAS. On October 15,1871, R. G. COBURN (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 193 foot, 867 tons, built in 1870, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying 15,000 bushels of wheat, 3,500 barrels of flour and 30 barrels of silver ore from Lake Superior to Detroit. As she came down Lake Huron, she encountered a terrific gale that had driven most vessels to seek shelter. The COBURN fought the wind at Saginaw Bay throughout the night until she lost her rudder and turned broadside to the waves. Her large stack fell and smashed the cabin area and then the cargo came loose and started smashing holes in the bulwarks. About 70 passengers were aboard and almost all were terribly seasick. As the ship began her final plunge beneath the waves, only a few lifeboats were getting ready to be launched and those were floated right from the deck as the ship sank. 32 people perished, including Capt. Gilbert Demont. No women or children were saved. On October 15, 1900, the wooden 186-foot freighter F. E. SPINNER was sunk in a collision with the steamer H. D. COFFINBERRY in the St. Marys River. She was raised from 125 feet of water, one of the deepest successful salvage operations to that time. She was later renamed HELEN C and lasted until 1922. October 15, 1910 - After the sinking of the PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1902, built at Cleveland, Ohio, the previous September, a new PERE MARQUETTE 18 of 1911, was ordered by the Pere Marquette Railway from the Chicago Ship Building Co. On 15 October 1871, the EXCELSIOR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 374 gross tons, built in 1865, at Buffalo, New York) was struck by a gale near Thunder Bay on Lake Huron. She sailed through the early morning hours only to sink about 4:30 a.m. Only Charles Lostrom survived. He was on the cabin roof, which blew off when the vessel went down. Mr. Lostrom remained on the floating roof-raft for two days and two nights until he was rescued by fishermen near South Hampton light on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. 1916: The wooden bulk freighter L. EDWARD HINES was sold to Nicaraguan owners and left the Great Lakes in 1916. The ship had loaded coal in New Orleans for Venezuela for its maiden voyage on this date in 1916 but got caught in a hurricane and sank with the loss of 17 lives while 45 miles east of Belize, British Honduras. 1971: SINGAPORE TRADER was upbound with general cargo from Japan to Detroit, on its first trip to the Great Lakes, when it ran aground in the Thousand Islands. The vessel was released on November 29 and towed back to Montreal on December 16. The ship was arrested there and offered for sale, by court order. The successful bidder for the 27-year-old vessel was a shipbreaker at Santander, Spain, and the ship arrived there for dismantling on June 22, 1972. 1977: The three-year old Panamanian bulk carrier GOLDEN STAR damaged its rudder when it struck the opposite bank while backing from the dock at Huron, Ohio. The vessel, bound for the United Kingdom, needed four tugs when it was towed out of the Seaway for repairs at Sorel, QC. The vessel was last noted as c) FUN JIN under the flag of Panama in 1993. 1978: The West German freighter FRANCISCA SARTORI made 21 trips through the Seaway from 1959 through 1967. It was lying at Piraeus, Greece, as f) GIOTA S. when the engine room flooded on this date in 1978. The ship departed for Chalkis on October 24, 1979, but further leaks developed and the vessel had to be beached at Laurium, Greece. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, James Neumiller, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Port Reports - October 14
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors–Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Regional and Welland Canal transits Friday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
|
Rand Logistics to donate more than $132,000 to children’s charities 10/14 - Jersey City, N.J. – Rand Logistics, Inc. will donate more than $132,000 to children’s charities designated by its customers as a result of its second annual Marine Miracle Month Program, an increase of more than 5 percent over last year’s program results. In June 2017, Rand announced the company would donate $0.05 for every ton of cargo carried by its fleet during the month of August 2017 to nonprofit organizations with a primary focus on the health and wellbeing of children. For the program’s second year, Rand is providing its customers the opportunity to select the children’s charity of their choice and is making the donations in each participating customer’s honor. The donation amount is based upon the total tons each customer shipped during the month of August. “We are thrilled and inspired by the continued interest and positive response that our customers, employees, and community partners have shown towards the initiative, enabling us to exceed last year’s program results. The donations based on cargo carried in August have been augmented with additional donations from individuals, a silent auction and other activities that help support our goals,” said Aaron Degodny, Rand’s Chief Commercial Officer. “With approximately 30 participating customers again this year, Marine Miracle Month has created a vehicle for Rand to give back to the many communities in which we operate and expand the reach of our corporate social responsibility efforts, while strengthening partnerships with our valued customers.” Qualifying not-for-profit organizations selected by Rand’s participating customers must hold 501(c)(3) status in the U.S. or be a registered charity in Canada providing services and benefits to children. Rand Logistics |
|
Help Wanted: Captains for American Steamship Co. 10/14 - American Steamship Company, a leader in safe, efficient and environmentally responsible waterborne transportation, is looking for experienced Great Lakes Captains for the position of Permanent Relief Captain. The successful candidate will have at least two years’ experience sailing as master aboard large commercial vessels. This is an immediate opportunity with a US flag operator and, as such, the candidate is subject to certain conditions. ASC is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to continuously building value for our parent company, GATX, our customers, our employees and the communities in which we live and operate. Qualified candidates should apply to https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=american+steamship&l=williamsville+ny or call Kathy Elinski, Human Resources Manager, at 716-635-1346. American Steamship Co. |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 14 On this day in 1953, Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, submitted a successful bid of $118,111 for six retired lakers to be scrapped by the U.S. Maritime Commission. The six boats were the CHACORNAC, COLONEL, MUNISING, NEGAUNEE, YOSEMITE and AMAZON. On 14 October 1871, the LEVANT (2-mast wooden schooner, 91 foot, 115 tons, built in 1854, at Chicago, Illinois) was loaded with lumber when she was overtaken by a severe gale and went over on her beam ends off Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan. The 6-man crew lashed themselves to the vessel so as not to be washed away by the waves. Throughout the night the men died one by one. At daylight, the schooner D P DOBBINS found the wreck with floating bodies tied to it and three still alive (two of them were barely alive). One died during the rescue attempt and another died within minutes of being rescued. Only Peter J. Thornum survived. DEAN RICHMOND (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 238 foot, 1,432 gross tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) sailed from Toledo, Ohio, on Friday the 13th of October 1893, with a load of bagged meal, flour, zinc and copper ingots. She encountered hurricane force winds of over 60 mph and battled the storm throughout the night. She was seen on 14 October 1893, off Erie, Pennsylvania, missing her stacks and battling the wind and waves. The following day, wreckage and bodies were washing ashore near Dunkirk, New York. Among the dead were the captain, his wife and three children. A few crewmembers managed to make it to shore however all but one died of exposure. The only survivor was found on the beach near Van Buren Point two days later. During the search for bodies, three volunteers lost their lives. The wreck was found in 1984. The keel to the JAMES R. BARKER was laid on October 14, 1974. She was to become Interlake's first 1000 footer and the flagship of the fleet for Moore McCormack Leasing, Inc. (Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, mgr.). On October 14, 1983, the CHI-CHEEMAUN encountered 48-knot winds after departing Tobermory with 113 passengers bound for South Baymouth. Due to high wind and waves the captain decided to find shelter rather than to continue on or return to port. The ferry made her way around the Bruce Peninsula southeast to Dyer Bay where she dropped anchor for the night, however she had no overnight accommodations. Complimentary meals were served and activities were organized by the crew. The anchor was lifted the next morning and the ferry returned to Tobermory. The GEORGE A. STINSON departed Detroit on her maiden voyage October 14, 1978, light for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore pellets for delivery to the Great Lakes Steel Division of the National Steel Corp. at Zug Island in River Rouge, Michigan. Renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004. On 14 October 1875, it was discovered that thieves had completely stripped the canvass and rigging from the schooner FORWARDER owned by Little & Brown. The schooner was lying about three miles below Port Huron. On 14 October 1822, APPELONA (wooden schooner, 45 foot, 37 tons, built in 1814, at Henderson, New York) was bound from Oswego for Genesee, New York, when she was struck by lightning in Lake Ontario and sank about 15 minutes. All hands were injured but abandoned her for shore and all survived. The tug NELSON burned at Chicago on Saturday, 14 October 1876. She was one of the smaller class of tugs and the damage was so great that she was not considered to be worth repairing. October 14, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground while enroute to Manistique, Michigan, at full speed, damaging several plates. The ANN ARBOR NO 3 pulled her off. On 14 October 1876, NEW YORK (wooden propeller freighter, 183 foot, 704 tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber and towing the schooner BUTCHER BOY and barges NELLIE MC GILVERAY and A. J. CORREY from Cove Island in Georgian Bay to Buffalo when they encountered a severe storm near Pointe aux Barques. The towline parted and the NEW YORK could not regain it in the heavy seas. She then sprang a leak and the water rose rapidly enough to put out her fires. The crew (15 men and one woman) abandoned in the yawl as NEW YORK was overwhelmed and sank. The open boat was adrift for five hours when the 74-foot schooner NEMESIS came upon it. NEMESIS tried twelve times to approach the yawl in the rough seas, losing a portion of her deck load of tanbark each time that she came about, but at last she got alongside the yawl. The NEW YORK's crew managed to get aboard the NEMESIS except for Fireman William Sparks, who fell between the yawl and the schooner and was lost. The other vessels in the tow all made it to Port Huron safely. On 14 October 1883, NELLIE GARDNER (wooden schooner-barge, 178 foot, 567 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) was loaded with 39,000 bushels of corn while being towed by the steamer JOHN PRIDGEON JR in a storm on Lake Huron. The GARDNER released herself from the tow in the heavy weather to run for the shelter of Thunder Bay under sail. However, she was unable to make it, and turned back for Tawas, Michigan, but struck a reef, broke in two and was wrecked 1 mile SE of Scarecrow Island. Her crew made it to shore in her yawl. 1895: The wooden steamer AFRICA struck a reef near Cove Island enroute to Georgian Bay, broke up and sank with the loss of all 13 crew. 1922: ARROW, a steel sidewheeler, partially burned at the dock in Put-in-Bay. 1954: The Dutch freighter PRINS WILLEM V. sank off Milwaukee after a collision with the barge SINCLAIR XII pushed by the SINCLAIR CHICAGO. All 30 sailors on board were rescued but the overseas vessel was never salvaged. It was replaced in 1956 by another PRINS WILLEM V. 1966: The STONEFAX and ARTHUR STOVE collided in the Welland Canal between Allanburg and Port Robinson. The former, a member of the Halco fleet, sank with its cargo of potash and remained on the bottom until November 25. The latter subsequently visited the Seaway as b) TIARET and was scrapped at Nantong, China, as c) CLARET in 1984-1985. 1983: The British freighter HOUSTON CITY visited the Great Lakes in 1966. It ran aground at Mayotte Island, part of the Comoros, while enroute from the Far East to South Africa as c) ALPAC AFRICA. The ship was stuck until October 22 and scrapped at Shanghai, China, in 1984. 1985: FURIA was trapped in Lock 7 when a section of the lock wall collapsed. The Welland Canal was closed until November 7. The vessel arrived at Shanghai, China, for scrapping as b) YRIA on November 1, 2001, after it made a final trip inland as such in 2000. 1987: GEORGE A. SLOAN sustained major bottom damage going aground in the Amherstburg Channel and was repaired at Toledo. The ship is still sailing as c) MISSISSAGI. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Tanker Goeast not sunk; after attack by coast guard it arrives in Malta 10/13 - Contrary to reports earlier this week that the oil tanker Goeast had capsized after it was attacked by the Libyan coast guard off Zuwara last Friday, the vessel arrived off Malta Thiursday. All the crew is safe, Russian officials say. The shipping website MarineTraffic.com shows that it arrived off Malta shortly after midnight Wednesday. This is the former Great Lakes/Seaway tanker Algoeast, which also sailed as Texaco Brave, Le Brave and Imperial St. Lawrence before being sold overseas in 2015. Last Saturday, Libyan navy spokesman Ayoun Gassem said that the tanker, owned by a Crimea based company but Comoros-flagged, had been fired upon after it refused demands from a coastguard boat to stop and be searched. He claimed that it had been involved in fuel smuggling. Video footage of the attack, posted on the coastguard’s Facebook page showed the Goeast being hit twice and liquid then gushing out. According to Gassem, the engine room and fuel tanks were hit and the vessel then started listing. The Russians are presenting a somewhat different reason for the incident. Rather than being involved in smuggling, they say that there had been “financial issues” between the Swiss company that had chartered the tanker and unnamed Libyans. Libya Herald |
|
Port Reports - October 13
Two Harbors–Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
St. Marys River
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard
Fairport, Ohio – John Unterwagner Regional and Welland Canal transits Thursday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
|
ArcelorMittal making major investments in Indiana Harbor steel mill 10/13 - ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, the largest integrated steel mill in North America, is a behemoth jutting out into Lake Michigan that takes 20 minutes to drive across – longer than it does to cross some entire towns in Northwest Indiana. It's home to the longest privately owned bridge in the United States and the largest blast furnace. It's so big because it is in fact two steel mills now consolidated under the same management – the sprawling steelmaking complex along the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal spans the former LTV plant to the west and the former Inland Steel mill to the east. Though trucks and trains still flow in and out nonstop, much of the massive steel mill in East Chicago that dates back to the 19th century lies vacant or underused. ArcelorMittal Indiana Habor Long Carbon got idled two years ago because of imports, and its electric arc furnace remains cold. Two of the smaller blast furnaces are being torn down and sold for scrap. Vast, cavernous buildings on the west side where steel products were once made have been used mainly for storage for more than a decade. The 84 inch hot strip mill on the west side got shut down last year. But ArcelorMittal has been investing in major upgrades, as it aims to make its steelmaking assets as productive and profitable as possible. "Back in the day when I was hired in, the two mills employed 35,000 people and we weren't making much more than people are now," said Wendell Carter, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor general manager. "Since the financial crisis, there's been a 20-percent increase in productivity of tons per man-hour." While ArcelorMittal shrunk its footprint in East Chicago, idling or closing finishing lines that were inefficient or unprofitable, it's been investing heavily in its remaining operations there. Last year, Chicago-based ArcelorMittal USA, a subsidiary of the global Luxembourg-based company, boosted its overall capital investment to $280 million, up from $233 million in 2015, spokesman Bill Steers said. "Our Action 2020 business strategy emphasizes cost-competitiveness with assets running at higher levels of productivity and yield with no loss of volume or market share," he said. Much of the spending took place in East Chicago. The rusting mill that dates back to the late 1800s now has some of the most recently refurbished steelmaking facilities in the United States making some of the most state-of-the art steel products, including stronger grades of steel for cars. The steelmaker agreed with the United Steelworkers union during the most recent contract negotiations to pump more than $200 million into operations at the mill in East Chicago. ArcelorMittal spent $60 million installing a new caster in the No. 3 steel shop on the west side. It's now producing a full-range of Martinsite advanced high-strength steels, which automakers are using to make cars lighter and more fuel-efficient. "There isn't a major vehicle platform without ArcelorMittal steel," Carter said. ArcelorMittal also invested more than $32 million to rebuild the walking beam furnaces at its 80-inch hot strip mill on the east side, which turns red-hot steel slabs into rolls of coil after cooling the metal off a few hundred degrees by dumping an Olympic pool's worth of water from Lake Michigan on it in the course of a few seconds. Major upgrades to "The Mighty 80," which stretches a half mile long, also include a cooling tower, a coil field expansion and improvements in the motor room, positioning the finishing line to crank out up to 5 million tons of steel annually. Such investments are needed to make the steel mill more productive and keep up with changes in the marketplace, Carter said. "With the slabs that go into the modern automobile, more than half of all types of steel in cars today did not exist 10 years ago," he said. "Modern steel is trying to meet the challenge with new types of steel products." NW Indiana Times |
|
Assiginack says Norisle Society’s claim groundless, seeks dismissal 10/13 - Assiginack, Ont. – The Manitoulin Expositor has learned that the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society’s legal proceedings against the Township of Assiginack could cost taxpayers an estimated $775,000. According to a Superior Court of Justice document, affirmed on August 18, the Township of Assiginack’s attorney Ian Flett of Eric Gillespie Professional Corporation estimates the costs of defending the lawsuit will cost between $675,000 and $775,000. Assiginack CAO Alton Hobbs said he was unable to comment on the case, as it is in the hands of the courts. However, Eric Gillespie was able to expand on the legal proceedings. “The estimated costs were submitted to the Superior Court of Justice and we will be asking the court at an upcoming hearing to request the Norisle Steamship Society pay the township’s legal fees upfront if they wish to continue their claim against the municipality,” said Mr. Gillespie. “The litigation will be very expensive and it is the defendant’s view that the taxpayers of Assiginack should not have to pay the costs.” “We have been through the process of discoveries,” continued Mr. Gillespie. “As a result of the process, it has become clear, in the township’s view, that there is little if not any merit to the steamship society’s claim. We feel the case should be dismissed now without a trial, and we believe that there is sufficient information to allow the court to do that.” Mr. Gillespie said that the township has already incurred costs associated with the claim. Based on the schedule, it would be roughly $125,000. Dave Ham, chair of the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society, said he was surprised by the estimated costs of the legal proceedings, but was unable to comment. “The case is in the courts so I cannot comment,” said John Coulter, director of restoration for the Society, regarding the claim. When asked about the potential litigations costs to the town, Mr. Coulter responded, “We didn’t bring this upon ourselves.” “We made the claim because of the actions of the township,” said Mr. Coulter. “If the township hadn’t taken action (to sell the Norisle), the ship would be dry docked and on it's way to being restored.” The Township of Assiginack entered into discussions with the Tobermory Maritime Association (TMA) last year to sell the S.S. Norisle to the TMA, to be sunk and used as a dive site in Tobermory. The Steamship Society responded by launching a lawsuit against the municipality claiming $10 million in damages in addition to an order declaring that the Society is the owner of the Norisle by way of constructive trust. They also claimed $250,000 for aggravated, punitive and/or exemplary damages; an interim order restraining the town from disposing of the Norisle until the matter has been tried; an interim order compelling the township to continue to provide status quo administrative tasks including providing all risk insurance; to maintain its current accessible dockages, road access and snow removal, utilities service and ongoing maintenance at its expense until this matter is tried; full indemnity costs of this proceeding plus all applicable taxes; and “such further and other relief as to this honorable court may seem just,” according to the Statement of Claim. As well the claim goes on to accuse Assiginack of breaching a joint venture agreement between the town and the Society, a breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and constructive trust, negligence and damages. A court date has not yet been set, but Mr. Gillespie said the two parties are looking at a date in December of this year or January 2018. Manitoulin Expositor |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 13 On this day in 1893, Chief Engineer J. H. Hogan left the DEAN RICHMOND in Toledo to take care of some family business. One day later, the DEAN RICHMOND burned off Dunkirk, New York, with a loss of 17 lives including the replacement Chief Engineer. On October 13, 1909, GEORGE STONE (wooden propeller freighter, 270 foot, 1,841 gross tons, built in 1893, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was sailing from Ashtabula, Ohio for Racine, Wisconsin, with cargo of coal when she stranded on Grubb Reef in the Pelee Passage on Lake Erie. She then caught fire and was destroyed. Five of the 18 crewmen were lost. The SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER made her first trip out of Thunder Bay, Ontario with grain on October 13, 1983. Renamed b.) LADY HAMILTON in 1995, sold to Voyageur Maritime in 2006, and now sailing as c.) KAMINISTIQUA for Lower Lakes Towing. The tug GLENADA towed the BROOKDALE from Port Colborne to Newman's scrap yard at Port Maitland, Ontario the week of October 13, 1980. On October 13, 1902, the MAUNALOA collided with her whaleback consort barge 129 on Lake Superior and sank it 30 miles northwest of Vermilion Point, which is between Upper Michigan's Crisp and Whitefish Points. MAUNALOA had been towing the 129, both vessels loaded with iron ore, when the towline parted in heavy seas. While trying to regain control of the barge, they came together and the steamer's port anchor raked the side of the barge, which started taking on water. The crew was taken off the barge before it sank. On 13 October 1875, off Alpena, Michigan, the tug E. H. MILLER had her boiler explode while racing with the tug CITY OF ALPENA - both in quest of a tow. The ALPENA, who was ahead of the MILLER when she blew up, immediately turned around to pick up survivors. The ALPENA sunk in minutes. The engineer, fireman and a boy were rescued, but the captain and cook were lost. The fireman was in such poor shape that it was thought that he would not live. On 13 October 1877, The Port Huron Times reported that the tug PRINDIVILLE and the 2-masted schooner PORTLAND had both gone ashore at the Straits of Mackinac and been pounded to pieces. On 13 October 1886, SELAH CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller steam barge, 212 foot, 1,207 gross tons, built in 1873, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with the 222-foot wooden lumber hooker JOHN PRIDGEON, JR. in heavy fog off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The CHAMBERLAIN had been towing the schooner FAYETTE BROWN. The CHAMBERLAIN sank quickly. Five of the crew went down with the vessel when the lifeboat davits became fouled and they were unable to launch the lifeboat. The rest of the crew made it to shore in the other lifeboat after a 3-hour pull through the fog. 1902: The wooden steamer C. B. LOCKWOOD was swamped in a storm and sank on Lake Erie with the loss of 10 lives. 1927: The ONTARIO, once the largest carferry on the Detroit River, was later reduced to a barge and it foundered on Lake Superior, near Outer Island, while carrying 1100 tons of pulpwood. It had been under tow of the tug BUTTERFIELD and all on board were saved. 1973: SCOTT MISENER damaged 60 bottom plates when it hit bottom near Whaleback Shoal in the St. Lawrence. 1976: The former T2 tanker and now bulk carrier SYLVIA L. OSSA, remembered on the Great Lakes as the MARATHONIAN that was in a head-on collision with ROLWI in Lake Michigan, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with the loss of all 37 members of the crew. 1990: ERNA WITT first visited the Great Lakes in 1958 and returned through the Seaway in 1962. The vessel sank off Port Sudan as k) SHIBA after a collision with the ALTAAWIN ALARABI while inbound from Aqaba, Jordan. Three members of the crew were lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
|
U.S.-flag shipping on Great Lakes up nearly 11 percent in September 10/12 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 10.1 million tons of cargo in September, an increase of 10.7 percent compared to a year ago. September’s shipments also bettered the month’s long-term average by 3.1 percent, or 300,000 tons. Iron ore cargos for steelmaking totaled 4.9 million tons, an increase of 14 percent compared to a year ago. Coal loadings approached 1.9 million tons, an increase of 6.1 percent. Limestone cargos increased 10.1 percent to 2.7 million tons. Year-over-year U.S.-flag cargos total 60.5 million tons, an increase of 2.7 percent over the same point in 2016. Iron ore shipments have increased 7.1 percent to 32.4 million tons. Coal cargos have increased 85,000 tons to 9.4 million tons. The 15.3 million tons of aggregate, fluxstone and scrubber stone shipped have pulled that trade within 3.3 percent of last year’s end-of-September total. Lake Carriers’ Association |
|
Lake Superior is near record high and threatening shoreline 10/12 - Minneapolis, Minn. – Wayne Jensen sat on his narrow strip of Lake Superior shoreline last month, listening to waves crash against his small cliff and soaking in the scent of woods near Port Wing, Wis., his frequent escape from the bustle of his home in Minneapolis. Just then, he watched a piece of his paradise disappear. A chunk of land about 15 feet long and about 6 feet wide slid into the big lake, trees and all, as he sat nearby. “I wanted to start crying. I’m watching this beautiful, pristine shoreline fall into the lake,” Jensen said. “I just stood there in awe.” With Lake Superior just 2 inches short last month of its record high water level, it wasn’t the first chunk of Jensen’s shoreline to erode recently. And if the gales of November come early, before the water level has a chance to go down as it typically does this time of year, the devastation could be widespread, Jensen and others worry. Already, the high lake level is sinking fixed docks and causing problems as water seeps into homes on Duluth’s saturated sandy spit known as Park Point. It’s a big change from a decade ago, when water levels sat at a record low; the lake is now 31 inches higher than it was in August and September of 2007. The Lake Superior water level has been rising for four years. It is now at its highest point since 1997 and is close to the record set in October 1985. Read more and view a graph at this link: http://www.startribune.com/lake-superior-is-near-record-high-and-threatening-shoreline/450346993 |
|
Port Reports - October 12
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
St. Marys River
Grand Haven, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Logan Vasicek
Toledo, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard
Fairport, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Wednesday – Barry Andersen (High winds delaying some vessels at docks or at anchorage.)
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Clarkson:
Toronto:
Oshawa: |
|
Sault, Ont., museum ship Norgoma's future may be sunk 10/12 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. – Matthew Shoemaker and Rick Niro are calling on city staff to pen a report to provide options and costs associated with removing the eyesore. Norgoma from the Bondar Marina and recommend improvements to the marina itself. Susan Myers and Sandra Hollingsworth counter that the Norgoma is a part of history and a small tourist attraction the city should be funding and wants the cultural advisory board and municipal heritage committee to provide their opinion on the cultural and heritage value of the ship. It's not the first time the issue of the Norgoma's location or condition have been discussed by city council. In fact, Shoemaker's research indicates that it was first discussed 17 years ago by the 2002-03 city council when it was decided to allow the ship to remain at its current location and it would be transformed into an interpretive centre. That never materialized. Four years later, another call to remove the ship from the city's waterfront led to promises that it would receive a “major spruce up” but again that didn't materialize, he said. Motions for funding and continued support were discussed in 2007, 2013 and 2014, Shoemaker said, with each occasion council bowing to the ship's not-for-profit organization and giving it an opportunity to make it a success. “It ain't going to happen,” Shoemaker told city council. “It's been given chances for many, many years but the community interest is not there.” Instead, Shoemaker believes that the Bondar Marina can be a showcase for transient travellers and spruced up to be a fledgling and proud waterfront attraction. “Let's take the actions to support tourism in our community,” he said, “not be the ones to kick the problem further into the future.” But an extremely defensive Myers countered that the city relies on small tourist attractions like the Norgoma and Bushplane Museum and the ship should be supported by city council, not sunk. She accused Shoemaker of not doing his homework and suggested he didn't understand the full history of the Norgoma, how it came into the city's position and how the city disposed of it to the non-profit group, leaving them with little to no assistance. The heated debate pitted Myers against Shoemaker in what Ward 1 Coun. Steve Butland called an “uncomfortable” attack that got a little too personal. As “a tourism expert” who spent 30 years in the field, Myers argued that the city doesn't own the ship and in fact sold it to the St. Mary's River Marine Centre without providing any financial or in-kind support to the volunteer organization. She suggested it didn't have the right to move it. “The Bondar Marina was custom designed for the Norgoma to fit,” she told council. “It was the idea of a former council to have a Norgoma Marine Park to tell the past and have a vision . . . get you head out of the sand,” she said. Myers chided councillors for spending more effort to sink the ship than help it float. In its 12 weeks of operation this year it saw 3,700 visitors and employed four students, she said. “Yes, it needs more renovations but help them.” Butland said other ideas including a restaurant, sinking the boat for divers, scraping it for metal revenue and floating it to Manitoulin Island have all been suggested and failed throughout the years. Mayor Christian Provenzano said although he agrees culture is important, all cultural organizations are underfunded and the city has to decide where to invest its limited resources. The ship, he suggested, is not it. “If it was going to be a success, it would have been by now,” he said. “I believe it's in the best interest to move it.” Tom Vair, deputy CAO of community development and enterprise, said that with recent media reports, the city has received correspondence from a person in Chicago who said he was interested in removing the ship and towing it to Chicago to restore it there. He also suggested he would pay the costs to do so. Provenzano noted that the discussions were early and very preliminary and nothing was set in stone or decided upon. While the city does not own the Norgoma, it does own the marina where it is docked and the city does have the right to ask that it be moved, Provenzano said. “It casts a shadow on the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. It does not look nice . . . it is a symbol of decay and not a good symbol in our downtown core,” he said. It's expected that both reports will be presented to council together and a full discussion on the future of the Norgoma will be held at that time. Sault Star |
|
Obituary: Roger J. "James" Chapman 10/12 - Roger J. "James" Chapman, captain and owner of Milwaukee’s Iroquois Boat Line, died Oct. 2. A proud Korean army veteran, he was also the acclaimed dive master on his research vessel The Recovery. He gave of himself in numerous rescue and recovery efforts. A Memorial Celebration of his life will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. until services at noon at the Peace of Mind Funeral Home, 5325 West Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 12 On this day in 1976, three boats discharged a record 108,379 tons of cargo on a single day at the Pinney Dock in Ashtabula, Ohio. The three boats were the JAMES R. BARKER (57,305 tons), the WILFRED SYKES (20,678 tons), and the JOSEPH L. BLOCK (30,306 tons). On the night of October 12, 1871, the grain laden schooner PLOVER struck a reef near Whitefish Point on Lake Superior, put a hole in her hull and sank in deep water. Captain Jones and the crew of eight escaped in the yawl. They spent two days making their way to Sault Ste. Marie. The JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was released October 12, 1981, and returned to service after repairs were completed at the Canadian Vickers Montreal yard. The CLIFFS VICTORY was sold October 12, 1985, to Hai International Corp. of New York for scrapping in the Orient and transferred to Panamanian registry. Her name was changed to c.) SAVIC, utilizing the "S" from CLIFFS, the "VIC" from VICTORY and inserting an "A". All the other letters were painted out. The JOHN A. KLING sailed on her maiden voyage for the Rockport Steamship Co. (Reiss Steamship Co., mgr.) on October 12, 1922, light from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to load stone at Rockport, Michigan. Sold into Canadian registry in 1981, renamed b.) LEADALE. She was scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1983. The keel was laid October 12, 1925, for the Interlake Steamship Co.'s steamer COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS. The SYLVANIA returned to service on October 12, 1967. She sank at the Peerless Cement Co. Dock at Port Huron, Michigan in June of that year after being struck by the Canada Steamship Lines package freight steamer RENVOYLE. The tug EDNA G remained at Two Harbors, Minnesota, until October 12, 1993, when she was towed to the Fraser Shipyard at Superior, Wisconsin, by the Great Lakes Towing Co. tug KANSAS. She is now on display as a floating exhibit for the city. On October 12, 1967, the Papachristidis Company Limited's FEUX FOLLETS entered service with the distinction of being the last steam-powered vessel built on the Great Lakes. The vessel was renamed b.) CANADIAN LEADER when it was sold to Upper Lakes Shipping in 1972 It was scrapped in 2011. At 3:00 a.m., 12 October 1870, the 76-ton tug ONTARIO caught fire and burned to the waterline while lying at Harrow's dock in Algonac, Michigan. On 12 October 1901, ALVINA (wooden schooner-rigged scow-barge, 89 foot, 95 gross tons, built in 1871, at Fair Haven, Michigan) was being towed by the steamer WESTON and had a load of 700 barrels of lubricating oil. They were bound from Cleveland for Manistique. The ALVINA was overwhelmed in a storm and sank near Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. Her entire crew made it to shore in her yawl. Her cargo was salvaged five days later. On 12 October 1880, TRADER (wooden propeller, 115 foot, 169 gross tons, built in 1865, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was battered severely and became waterlogged. Her crew abandoned her with water up to her decks. They were saved by the schooner GUIDE in a daring rescue. A few days later, in the "Alpena Storm,” her wreckage washed ashore near Holland, Michigan and she was erroneously reported as another "all-hands" victim of that storm. On 12 October 1874, on her maiden voyage, the tug MARY passed Port Huron down bound with the bark FAVORITE in tow. The tug was owned by William Hardison of Port Huron. 1912: MARENGO, a wooden schooner under tow of the LLOYD S. PORTER, broke loose in a storm, came ashore west of Port Colborne and was pounded to pieces by the waves. The anchor was salvaged and now sits on the lawn of Port Colborne High School. 1912: S.K. MARTIN began leaking in heavy weather and sank in Lake Erie off Harbor Creek, NY. The coal laden wooden steamer ran for shore but the effort fell short. The crew took to the lifeboat and were saved. The ship went down bow first and rested on the bottom in 56 feet of water. 1918: The wooden tug ELLA G. STONE was destroyed by a brush fire that swept through the town of Cloquet, MN. Several scows, tugs and a dredge as well as over 400 lives were lost. 1941: ENARE, a Great Lakes visitor in 1932-1933, sustained heavy damage in an air attack in the North Sea as h) GLYNN. The ship was subsequently sunk by a convoy escort as a hazard to navigation. It had also been a Great Lakes trader as f) FLAKS in 1933 and 1934. 1991: ZIEMIA GNIEZNIENSKA hit the wall at Lock 7 and dislodged a chunk of concrete. The Welland Canal was closed for three days. 2002: STELLANOVA and CANADIAN PROSPECTOR were in a head-on collision on the Seaway near Cote St. Catherine and both ships sustained considerable damage. The former was repaired at Les Mechins and the latter at Port Weller Dry Docks. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Libyan Coast Guard shells, sinks, former Great Lakes/Seaway tanker Goeast 10/11 - Last Friday the Libyan coast guard shelled and sank the product tanker Goeast off Abu Kammash, Libya, near the border with Tunisia. The vessel spilled an unknown quantity of diesel. The tanker’s hull, tanks and engine room were severely damaged in the incident. The damaged vessel started listing immediately with several reports saying the tanker capsized. The coast guard suspected the vessel was had loaded contraband oil or oil product some two miles off coast, from a pipeline. She was underway when spotted by Libyan Coast Guard in the morning Oct 6. The tanker was asked to stop, but didn’t obey. She was shelled from 30-mm gun, the shells inflicting holes in cargo tanks and engine room areas, with ensuing water ingress. Libyan officials said in a social media post that the vessel had been loading fuel from an offshore loading pipeline. A coast guard vessel reportedly approached and attempted to contact the Goast to prepare for boarding and inspection. When the coast guard received no response, they opened fire, striking the tanker's engine room and one of her cargo tanks, according to spokesman Ayoub Gassem, speaking to Libya Herald. The action was intended to send a firm "message" to any future fuel smugglers. The coast guard did not immediately mention the fate of the Goeast's crew, nor whether pollution control measures were undertaken. According to Libyan officials, the vessel was loaded with about 9,000 tons of diesel, near to its maximum capacity of 9,700 dwt. Goeast was built in Japan in 1977 as Texaco Brave for Texaco Canada Ltd. She was renamed Le Brave on November 11, 1986, while under charter to Sofati-Soconav Ltd. In 1997, the vessel was renamed Imperial St. Lawrence under the new ownership and management of Imperial Oil. In February 1998, Algoma Central Corporation purchased Imperial St. Lawrence (and her fleet mates Imperial Bedford, Imperial St. Clair and Imperial Acadia), establishing a new corporate division Algoma Tankers Ltd. Shortly after being acquired by Algoma, the tanker entered service under the name Algoeast. She was sold for overseas use in 2015. At the time of the incident, Goeast was one of four vessels owned by Uvas-Trans, a shipping firm based in Russian-controlled Crimea. Maritime Executive |
|
Port Reports - October 3
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Grand Haven, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Toledo
Cleveland, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Regional and Welland Canal transits Tuesday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo (Tonawanda):
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Hamilton:
Bronte (Oakville):
Clarkson: |
|
Marinette shipbuilder lands $584 million contract for Littoral Combat Ship 10/11 - Marinette, Wis. – A Wisconsin shipbuilder employing more about 1,500 people will construct the Navy's newest type of warship into the next decade. Fincantieri Marinette Marine was awarded a contract by the Pentagon Friday to build LCS 27, the 14th ship of its type to be built in Marinette. The value of the contract is up to $584 million, with completion by late 2023. The Navy has ordered two versions of the Littoral Combat Ship designed to operate in coastal and shallow waters. The Lockheed Martin design is built in Marinette while the Austal USA design of the ship in produced in Alabama. Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine have delivered five ships to the Navy, most recently the future U.S.S. Little Rock. The yard has seven ships currently under construction. Both variants of the ship are designed to operate as part of a larger naval force in coastal waters, carrying out a number of missions from fighting other boats and ships to mine hunting and anti-submarine operations. When contractors and other people are included, the Fincantieri Marinette Marine yard has about 2,500 people working on site. The program directly and indirectly supports about 7,500 jobs in Wisconsin and Michigan, according to Lockheed Martin. Green Bay Press Gazette |
|
Lake Erie algae bloom touching shores of Ontario, two U.S. states is largest in years 10/11 - Toledo, Ohio - Three years after toxic algae in Lake Erie tainted the drinking water for more than 400,000 people, many are still leery about what’s coming out of their faucets. Some have taken to stockpiling bottled water in the summer months when algae blooms blanket the western end in the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Store shelves were emptied of bottled water a week ago when algae pushed into a river that flows through downtown Toledo into the lake, turning the river fluorescent green and sparking rumors that another “do not drink” advisory was looming. It wasn’t the first time there’s been a run on bottled water even though there have been no water warnings since the first one in 2014. Toledo’s mayor has asked U.S. President Donald Trump for help from the federal government in cleaning up the lake and wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to declare the western end impaired, which would allow for increased pollution regulations. “There is something very wrong with our country when our rivers and lakes turn green,” Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson wrote in a letter sent to Trump last week. “As I look out my office at a green river, I can tell you one thing: the status quo is not working.” A message seeking comment on the letter was left with the White House. Scientists largely blame farm fertilizer runoff and municipal sewage overflows for feeding the algae growth. While there are a number of efforts to tackle the problem, it won’t be solved for years. This year’s algae bloom has stretched along the shores of Ohio, Michigan and Ontario and will be among the largest in recent years. The 2015 bloom was the largest on record, covering an area the size of New York City. The uncertainty some still have about the Toledo’s drinking water, the mayor said in an interview Wednesday, shows there’s a general mistrust about what some hear from government leaders and how easily rumours spread. She pointed to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and how residents there were told the water was safe for months despite dangerous lead levels. “We’re going to do what we can to regain their trust,” said Hicks-Hudson, a Democrat who’s up for re-election in November. “That’s all we can do.” Toronto Star |
|
What to do with Buffalo’s Port Terminal A is a multimillion-dollar question 10/11 - Buffalo, N.Y. – What to do with Port Terminal A? That's the question facing the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. over the future of the mammoth and vacant building on 50 acres of prime Outer Harbor property. The site is eyed for future development, everything from apartments and condominiums to restaurants, bars, and light manufacturing. What happens to it would likely affect other parts of the Buffalo waterfront. Now, a new report spells out options for the terminal. But the price tags are big for a building whose size alone casts doubt over how it could even be reused. Its square footage covers nearly 10 times the space inside the main exhibit hall at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
The options: Tearing it down would cost $13.7 million, with the asbestos-laden roof accounting for $4 million of the demolition work. Mothballing the building – essentially delaying the decision on the building's future for years – would cost $3.1 million. Making one-third of the building code-compliant for storage rentals would cost $1.9 million. The study from Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects projected a rehab cost "far more than we thought it would be," said Sam Hoyt, regional vice president for Empire State Development and an Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. board member. "We now have expert information on what the options are, none of them terribly attractive and all of them expensive," Hoyt said. The state waterfront agency now has to figure out its next steps and a time frame for moving forward, Hoyt said. Read more and view photos at this link: http://buffalonews.com/2017/10/09/mega-sized-outer-harbor-buildings-future-question |
|
Obituary: Gerry Brown 10/11 - Port McNicoll, Ont. – It is with great sadness that the group Friends of Keewatin announce the untimely death of Gerry Brown in a motorcycle accident Monday on the Vasey Road. Gerry, the Chief Engineer on Keewatin, was on his way for a small closing ceremony on the ship when he was hit by a motorist who has been charged by police. Gerry, a retired Director of Technical Education for Simcoe County, came to Keewatin at a time of turmoil and with his calm and diplomatic manner turned the engineering operation into a productive, educational asset that serves Keewatin well, runs smoothly and has a happy crew. Gerry, who resided in Coldwater, leaves his wife, a son and daughter. He will be sadly missed by the many volunteers who worked with him. At the request of family the funeral will be a small family gathering with a celebration of life event to be held at a later date. Friends of Keewatin |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 11 On this day in 1923, the HENRY STEINBRENNER of 1901 collided with the J. McCARTNEY KENNEDY at 4:20 p.m. off Parisienne Island, Whitefish Bay. The accident occurred during thick, smoky weather and both boats were severely damaged. MEDINA (wooden propeller tug, 66 foot, 57 gross tons) was launched by O'Grady & Maher at Buffalo, New York on October 11, 1890. She cost $12,000. Quebec & Ontario Transportation's b.) BAIE COMEAU II cleared Sorel October 11, 1983, as c.) AGIA TRIAS, Panamanian registry #1355. Her Canadian registry was closed on October 12, 1983. Her mission was to carry grain from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mexican and Caribbean Island ports. Subsequently she was renamed d.) OCEANVIEW in 1988, e.) SEA DIAMOND in 1989, f.) GOLDEN CREST in 1990, g.) ATLANTIC WOOD in 1991, h.) LONDON FURY in 1994 and i.) DONG SHENG in 1995. Cleveland Tankers’ MERCURY scraped the South Grand Island Bridge in the Niagara River in heavy fog on October 11, 1974. Her forward mast snapped off, the amidships mast was tilted and her smoke stack was toppled. She proceeded after the mishap to G&W Welding at Cleveland, Ohio under her own power for repairs. Upper Lakes Shipping's WHEAT KING, under tow, arrived at Chittagong Roads, Bangladesh on October 11, 1989, to be broken up. In 1911, the rail ferry CHIEF WAWATAM arrived at St. Ignace, Michigan, and began service shortly thereafter. On 11 October 1913, THOMAS H. CAHOON (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 166 foot, 431 gross tons, built in 1881, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying lumber in tow of the steamer C. W. CHAMBERLAIN. They were bound from Sault Ste. Marie to Byng Inlet. However during a storm, the CAHOON stranded and went to pieces on 'Kenny Shoal' by the southwest corner of Innes Island in Georgian Bay. No lives were lost. On October 11, 1839, DEWITT CLINTON (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 147 foot, 413 tons, built in 1836, at Huron, Ohio) foundered off Milwaukee with the loss of 5 lives. She was recovered the following year and lasted until 1851. She and her near-twin ROBERT FULTON were reportedly the first Lake steamers built primarily as freighters with relatively few passenger accommodations. On October 11, 1866, GREAT WEST (wooden 3-mast bark, 175 foot, 765 tons, built in 1854, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying wheat in a storm on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef. She was reported to be a total loss but she may have been recovered and then lost near Chicago in 1876. When launched, she was the largest sailing vessel on the Lakes and much was made of her beautiful lines. She was diagonally braced with iron. She stood 174 feet tall from her deck to her masthead. So if she were sailing today, although she'd be able to sail under the Mackinac Bridge, she'd be stopped at the Blue Water Bridge whose roadway is only 152 feet above the water. 1923: The canal-sized steamer GLENGELDIE, enroute from Killarney to Welland with a cargo of quartz rock, hit bottom in Georgian Bay and had to be towed to Collingwood for over $15,000 in repairs to the starboard side. The ship later sailed for Canada Steamship Lines as b) ELGIN. 1924: SENATOR DARBYSHIRE, a wooden bulk carrier upbound and in ballast, was destroyed by a fire on Lake Ontario, and sank near Point Petre Light. The crew fought the early morning blaze but eventually had to abandon the ship and was picked up by MAPLEBAY. Capt. J.W. Scarrow was later a master for Canada Steamship Lines. 1942: WATERTON was lost due to enemy action in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The former Misener freighter, operating for the Bowater Steamship Co., was attacked with 2 torpedoes from U-106 and went down in the Cabot Strait in 8 minutes. All on board got off safely. The ship was traveling from Cornerbrook, NF, to Cleveland with newsprint and pulpwood. 1982: The Israeli freighter DAGAN made 18 trips to the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1967. It ran aground on Cay Sal Bank, north of Cuba, as f) CORK and was abandoned the next day as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Lake Superior's high water causing headaches 10/10 - Duluth, Minn. – An incredibly wet year has helped push Lake Superior nearly a foot above its normal water level and inches from its record high level for this time of year while causing headaches for waterfront property owners around the big lake. So much rain has been falling across the region that Lake Superior actually went up an inch in September, a month it usually drops an inch or more. The big lake was more than 11 inches above its average level for Oct. 1, more than 4 inches above the level at this time in 2016 and is just 2 inches short of the all-time September high set in 1985, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data. The current level is 2 feet above the water levels listed on official lake maps and charts. The high water level is made greater at times by the lake's mysterious sloshing, both large seiches and smaller oscillations that can change water levels by 6 inches or more in a matter of minutes. Worse yet are strong winds that can pile water up on one end of the lake "especially during the upcoming November and December periods of strong lake storms,'' said Gene Clark, coastal engineering specialist with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant program. Those gales of November could lead to a "very damaging scenario" along the lakeshore. The higher-than-normal trend started in 2014 and will last at least into 2018, data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show. The lake was higher in both 1986 and 1996, but neither of those high-water periods lasted as long as the current above-normal period. The situation will improve over winter as the lake level drops, part of an annual cycle that bottoms out every April before heading back up, peaking in August. (The lake's all-time low hit in April 1926. The all-time high was in August 1986.) But if water levels remain above normal all winter, and 2018 turns out to be another wet year, record highs are within reach next summer. Residents along Park Point already have had hoses and PVC pipe running from their basements or sumps out toward the street, pumps running almost constantly to remove water that's percolating up through the sand that underlays the entire spit of land. On many days, there's simply no place for that water to go. The water table is so high that water from the bay percolates into the storm sewer system and comes out the storm drains. "It's doing the opposite of what storm drains are supposed to do. It's giving us more water, not taking it away,'' McLoughlin said. City of Duluth engineers say the near-record Lake Superior water level also is causing problems with the sanitary sewer system that moves sewage off Park Point and into the city's collection system. Too much water percolating up has spurred raw sewage overflows along Minnesota Avenue, the city said last week. City crews are planning to re-line parts of the Park Point sewer pipe, and the city is working with residents to make sure they aren't pumping clean water into the sewage system. Great Lakes forecasters for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers say they expect the big lake to continue trending higher than normal into 2018 and that there's a chance it will remain near all-time monthly highs early next year. "Our forecast stays pretty well above average for the next six months, between 8 and 11 inches above average,'' Lauren Fry, a hydrologist in the Corps' Detroit District office, told the News Tribune. "We are not forecasting any record monthly highs during the next six months, but that depends on the water supply." That water supply was 27 percent above average in September. In Duluth, more than 30 inches of rain has fallen this year. That's more than 8 inches above normal, a nearly 30 percent surplus. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. is up 5.5 inches above normal rainfall for the year with Marquette up more than 4 inches. The current high water trend may seem even higher because it follows a drastically low-water cycle that bottomed out in 2007 with record monthly low levels set in August and September. The International Lake Superior Board of Control has ordered more water dumped out of the big lake's outlet. But the board has to balance upstream interests and downstream interests. People downstream on the Great Lakes don't want too much water, either, especially after Lake Ontario saw all-time record highs and damaging flooding earlier this year. So much water is being released out of the lake into the St. Marys River that the International Lake Superior Board of Control last week warned anglers and people who use hiking trails near the river to be aware of rapidly-rising and fast-moving water and possible flooding near the river. Duluth News Tribune |
|
Port Reports - October 10
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Port Inland, Mich.
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan Regional and Welland Canal transits Monday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte (Oakville):
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
|
DEQ to hold hearing on plans to dig marina out of Lake Michigan dunes 10/10 - Saugatuck Township, Mich. – The state is holding a public hearing on a developer's plans to dig a boat marina out of the dunes along Lake Michigan near Saugatuck. The plans for the 300-acre dune property have reignited a debate between conservationists and developers over use of private land on the north side of the Kalamazoo River on Lake Michigan. The land was formerly owned by the late oil tycoon Aubrey McClendon. The land is now in the hands of Jeff Padnos, who is pursuing a home and marina development called North Shores of Saugatuck. Working with local developer Brian Bosgraaf, Padnos' plans call for 23 homes to be built around a 6.54-acre marina basin. There are also seven home sites on Lake Michigan and eight home sites Kalamazoo River that have been listed for sale to date. Prices range from $1.5 million to $2.95 million. Read more and view the plans at this link: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/10/deq_to_hold_hearing_on_plans_t.html |
|
Help a local non profit with your vote 10/10 - There’s an outstanding, local non-profit organization that could really use your vote. Troy Historic Village, in Troy, Michigan, is an historical museum and park that educates visitors of all ages on early pioneer life (including maritime history) of, in, and around the metro Detroit area. The museum recently had author and fellow BoatNerd Bruce Lynn present a program on the Edmund Fitzgerald to just under 100 people at one of their gatherings. They also have author and photographer John Wagner coming on November 30 for a Michigan lighthouses presentation. Let’s help this fellow historical non-profit out: Troy Historic Village is competing with other Oakland County non-profit groups for funding from Bank of Ann Arbor in its Birminghelps campaign. They are currently in 9th place, but with more votes they could make it into the top 5 and obtain $10,000 in funds, which will by matched by another agency. That money will be used to continue and add more youth and adult educational programs. Please vote today through Thursday (the 12th). It’s easy and quick. All you need is an e-mail address (which they will not share with anyone), and you don’t have to opt in to any emails. The link to vote is http://wshe.es/lom2xims For more information on Troy Historic Village and its programs, visit www.TroyHistoricVillage.org |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 10 On this day in 1891, the SUSAN E. PECK collided with the schooner GEORGE W. ADAMS above the Soo Locks. The PECK, loaded with wheat for Buffalo, sank in a matter of minutes and completely blocked the navigation channel. General Orlando M. Poe, in charge of the Soo Locks, estimated that 275 boats lost an estimated 825 days and 5 hours waiting for the wreck to be cleared. On this day in 1956, two F-86 Saber Jets collided over Lake Michigan. The ERNEST T. WEIR, Captain Ray R. Redecker, rescued one of the pilots (Lt. Kenneth R. Hughes) after he spent three hours in the water. ARTHUR M. ANDERSON, WILLIAM A. IRVIN and GEORGE W. PERKINS participated in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the second pilot. On October 10, 1902, GARDEN CITY (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 133 foot, 352 gross tons, built in 1873, at Ogdensburg, New York) caught fire on the Saginaw River between Bay City and Saginaw while sailing up the river for winter lay-up. She sank four miles above Bay City near the old interurban railroad bridge. While downbound with coal in the St. Lawrence River on October 10, 1981, the JEAN PARISIEN suffered considerable bottom damage when she ran aground near Comfort Island about a mile west of Alexandria Bay, New York. She was rebuilt with a new forebody at Port Weller Drydocks and renamed b.) CSL ASSINIBOINE in 2005. BROOKDALE of 1909 was towed out of Toronto on October 10, 1980, by the tug GLENADA, assisted by the tug TERRY S. She was one her way to the cutters’ torch at Port Maitland, Ontario. CHAMPLAIN with her former fleet mate CADILLAC was towed past Gibraltar October 10, 1987, heading for Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling by Cukurova Celik Endustrisi A.S. SAVIC b.) CLIFFS VICTORY cleared New York on October 10, 1986. HULL NO 1, b.) KINSMAN ENTERPRISE, being towed by the Polish tug JANTAR arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, on October 10, 1989, to be scrapped there. October 10, 1906 - The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was sold to The Barry Transportation Co. for $75,000. The PERE MARQUETTE 5 was the last of the "break-bulk" boats operated by the Pere Marquette Railway Co. On October 10, 1905, CHARLES H. BURTON (3 mast wooden schooner, 158 foot, 514 gross tons, built in 1873, at Bangor, Michigan) was carrying coal in a storm in Lake Erie when she was driven ashore 4 1/2 miles east of Barcelona, New York and broke up. No lives were lost. She had been built on the hull of the bark GLENBULAH that had burned in the Chicago fire of 1871. On 10 October 1877, ELIZA R. TURNER (wooden schooner, 156 foot, 409 gross tons, built in 1867, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying wheat from Detroit to Buffalo when a storm drove her aground nine miles west of Long Point on Lake Erie where she was wrecked. The skipper and cook drowned, but the remaining 8 were saved. The tug CRUSADER of Oswego burned and sank in the middle of the Straits of Mackinac about 9 p.m. on 10 October 1878. On 10 October 1877, ABEONA (wooden scow-schooner, 100 tons, built in 1863, at Lambert, Ontario) was carrying lumber and shingles down bound on Lake Huron when she stranded during a storm one mile west of Port Austin where she reportedly later broke up. In 1877, PORTLAND (2-mast wooden schooner, 118 foot, 250 tons, built in 1847, at Pillar Point, New York) stranded and went to pieces north of False Presque Isle on Lake Huron. Salvage attempts only retrieved her anchor and chain. 1923: HURONTON, a Canadian freighter, sank in Lake Superior off Caribou Island following a collision on the foggy lake with the CETUS. The vessel went down in 800 feet of water in 18 minutes but all on board were rescued. 1927: MICHIPICOTEN, of the Owen Sound Transportation Co., was destroyed by a fire at Gore Bay, on Manitoulin Island. 1963: The wooden freighter VAUQUELIN caught fire and sank in the St. Lawrence northeast of Quebec City off Cap Saumon. The vessel had previously sailed as a) LA RIVIERE MALBAIE. 1969: The T-2 tanker CARIBBEAN SKY visited the Seaway for 3 trips in 1960-1961 before being converted to a bulk carrier. The engine exploded and disintegrated during dock trials after repairs at Antwerp, Belgium, as f) LAKE PLACID, with the loss of one life. The hull settled but was pumped out and declared a CTL. It was towed to Rotterdam in 1971, repaired and returned to service as g) GARANDA. The after end again proved to be troublesome and was cut off and scrapped. The bow was joined to after end of the Panamanian tanker AKRON and the ship returned to service under this name. It was finally dismantled in Pakistan during 1981. 1987: The wheat-laden WILLOWGLEN went aground on the north side of Ogden Island in the St. Lawrence. The ship was released on October 13 and later went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Port Reports - October 9
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Port Inland, Mich.
Charlevoix, Mich.
Manistee, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Sunday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte (Oakville):
Toronto: |
|
Vessels seek shelter from Lake Michigan storm 10/8 - Algoway, Whitefish Bay and Cason J. Callaway were anchored in the lee of the land just east of St. Ignace, Mich., Saturday afternoon waiting for gale-force winds on Lake Michigan to subside. Great Republic was stopped just west of the bridge. Joseph L. Block, bound for Port Inland where there was another vessel ahead of her, was anchored a few miles to the NE in Good Harbor Bay. Edwin H. Gott had been anchored in Sleeping Bear Bay near Glen Arbor, however she resumed her trip for Gary in the evening. |
|
Sault, Ont., City Council to debate removal of Norgoma 10/8 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. – A 67-year-old package freighter that's been rusting on the Sault waterfront since 1975 is back on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont ., City Council. Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Shoemaker and Ward 4's Rick Niro say the current high water level may provide an opportunity to remove the Norgoma from Roberta Bondar Marina without costly dredging. As SooToday reported last month, Mayor Chrisrian Provenzano has served notice that he wants the Norgoma moved out of the marina and out of downtown Sault Ste. Marie. Councllors Shoemaker and Niro also want the city to look into improvements to the Bondar marina. Options for removing the Norgoma from the Bondar Marina, including the cost of removal, where the ship will be brought, and options for what can be done with the ship on a permanent basis and potential funding sources to achieve this will be discussed at the meeting. SooToday |
|
Port Reports - October 8
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo – Huron, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Saturday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Hamilton:
Bronte (Oakville):
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
|
Why Ottawa yanked a Coast Guard ship out of $4M refit 10/8 - Hamilton, Ont. – The Government of Canada is pulling the plug on the much-delayed refit of the venerable Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson. CBC News has learned the Coast Guard towed the Hudson out of an Ontario shipyard Friday with the $4-million refit unfinished. The ocean science research ship arrived at Heddle Marine in Hamilton, Ont., in December 2016 for maintenance work that was supposed to be completed in May. The Coast Guard won't say what went wrong and can't say when the ship will be back in service. "The Canadian Coast Guard and Public Services and Procurement Canada have worked closely with Heddle Marine to manage delays in the scheduled maintenance of the CCGS Hudson, and to bring her back into service in a reasonable time frame. Despite those efforts, the work has not been completed," spokesperson Vance Chow said in an emailed response to questions from CBC News. On Friday, the 91-metre ship was towed across Hamilton Harbor to the Canada Centre for Inland Waters — a federal facility in Burlington — "to await the completion of the maintenance work required before she can return to service." The Coast Guard says new timelines for the ship's return to service are currently under review. The refit included overhauling the superstructure and masts, blasting and recoating the hull, replacing steel and repairing the rudder. When CBC News revealed the refit delays in August, the company said it had been instructed by the Coast Guard not to discuss the situation. Heddle Marine spokesperson Shaun Padulo emailed a short statement in response to CBC News inquiries on Friday about the end of the refit. "Although there were a number of challenges faced during the dry docking of the CCGS Hudson which led to delays in the completion of the work, Canada has accepted all of the completed work," Padulo wrote. The Coast Guard has not responded to a request to explain the nature of the refit delay, how much work remains on the refit or who will pay. In an update to employees via email this week the department said it is unclear what impact the ship's "sitting around for so long" will have on completing the final stages of the refit. The delay has already forced the cancellation of scientific cruises scheduled for the storied Hudson, which is Canada's premier marine research vessel. The 54-year-old workhorse was supposed to be replaced several years ago, but that too has been delayed. CBC |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 8 On 08 October 1871, PHILO PARSONS (wooden side-wheel steamer, 221 tons, built in 1861, at Algonac, Michigan) burned to a total loss in the great Chicago fire. She burned so completely that her remains were not located in the Chicago River until 1877. She was the vessel commandeered by Confederate raiders in a plot to capture the iron gunboat U.S.S. MICHIGAN on Lake Erie during the American Civil War. The Chicago fire destroyed many fine vessels while they were docked in the harbor. These included the new propeller NAVARINO, the schooner GLENBULA, the schooner ECLIPSE, the schooner BUTCHER BOY, the bark VALETTA, the schooner ALNWICK, the bark A. P. NICHOLS, the bark FONTANELLA, the fore-and-aft schooner STAMPEDE, the schooner N. C. FORD, and the schooner CHRISTINA NEILSON. The only recorded casualties among the sailors were on the ALNWICK; her mate died and the captain burned his hands severely. The keel was laid October 8, 1976, for the 660-foot forward section of the BURNS HARBOR, but was completed as b.) LEWIS WILSON FOY for the Bethlehem Steel Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Purchased by Oglebay Norton and renamed c.) OGLEBAY NORTON in 1991, and d.) AMERICAN INTEGRITY in 2006. The MATHEWSTON (Hull#47) entered service on October 8, 1922. On her maiden voyage she sailed from Port Arthur, Ontario with 11,634 tons of barley and wheat. Renamed b.) RALPH S. MISENER in 1954 and c.) MATHEWSTON again in 1967. Scrapped at Vado, Italy in 1970. The Canadian registry for MENIHEK LAKE was officially closed on October 8, 1985, with the notation "sold Spain." She was scrapped at Gijon, Spain. WILLIAM G. MATHER arrived on October 8, 1988, in tow of the Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs WYOMING and ALABAMA at the G&W Shipyard at Collision Bend in the Cuyahoga River to be refurbished. On 8 October 1906, PASADENA (wooden barge, 250 foot, 1,761 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio as a propeller bulk freighter) was carrying coal, in tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, bound for Superior, Wisconsin. The PASADENA went out of control in a gale and her skipper had the tow line cut. She was thrown against a pier near the upper entry to the Keweenaw Waterway and pounded to pieces in a few hours. Two lives were lost, but 8 made it to shore on the floating wreckage. On 8 October 1854, E. K. COLLINS (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 256 foot, 1,095 gross tons, built in 1853, at Newport, Michigan) caught fire and beached near the mouth of the Detroit River where she burned to the waterline. About 23 lives were lost. About 43 persons were rescued in small boats and by the steamers FINTRY and GLOBE. There was some speculation that arson was the cause. The hull was recovered in 1857, and rebuilt as the barge ARK. On October 8, 2000 the tug UNDAUNTED and barge PERE MARQUETTE 41 departed Calumet Harbor loaded with pig iron for Marinette, Wis., under favorable conditions and were later caught by the heavy weather. During the storm, the 5,000 tons of pig iron and the barge's four pieces of heavy loading equipment were washed into Lake Michigan. Both the tug and barge suffered damage in the incident. 1899: The tug RECORD sank at Duluth after a collision with the whaleback steamer JAMES B. NEILSON and one life was lost. 1906: The barge PASADENA, loaded with iron ore for Cleveland and under tow of the steamer GLADSTONE, was cut loose approaching the Keweenaw Waterway. The anchors fail to hold. The ship smashed into the east pier of the waterway and broke up on the rocks. Seven sailors were rescued but two were lost. 1964: A fire aboard West German-flag freighter ERATO at Detroit left two dead when they were trapped in their stern quarters. Another three sailors were injured. The 2-alarm blaze was brought under control and the ship was eventually repaired at Toledo. It arrived at Bombay, India, and laid up as d) VIJAYA DARSHANA on May 26, 1983, and eventually scrapped there beginning in May 1986. 1971: DIDO went aground leaving Goole, U.K. for Porsgrunn, Norway, but returned to Goole the next day after being refloated. The 22-year-old Norwegian freighter was listed as a total loss and sold for scrap. It was taken to Hull, U.K., a year later and dismantled. The ship had been a pre-Seaway trader as early as 1951 and made 14 voyages to the Great Lakes from 1959 through 1963. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
|
Lake Michigan gale watch issued, Coast Guard urges caution 10/7 - Cleveland, Ohio The Coast Guard is urging caution across the waters of Lake Michigan due to potentially hazardous weather conditions throughout the weekend. A gale watch has been issued for Lake Michigan beginning Friday morning and extending through late Saturday night and into Sunday morning. According to the National Weather Service, a gale watch is issued when the risk of gale force winds of 39 to 54 mph has significantly increased but the specific timing and/or location is still uncertain. It is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans. People visiting the waters of Lake Michigan should exercise caution while the gale watch remains in effect. It is also advised to stay off rocks, jetties and piers, as high waves and heavy surf can unexpectedly sweep a person into the water. Always check the weather forecast before recreating on or near the water. Staying aware of weather conditions could easily save your life. Even after hazardous weather patterns have moved through the area, it can still take an additional day for lake conditions to calm. USCG |
|
Badger cancels Saturday crossings due to weather 10/7 - Ludington, Mich. – In the best interest of passenger comfort and safety, Lake Michigan Carferry has cancelled the Badger's crossings for Saturday, October 7. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast for Saturday is as follows: South gales to 40 kt becoming southwest gales to 35 kt by late afternoon. Showers throughout the day with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Waves 10 to 14 ft occasionally to 18 ft. Lake Michigan Carferry will resume normal operations for Sunday, October 8, departures. Lake Michigan Carferry |
|
Port Reports - October 7
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
St. Marys River
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Waukegan, Ill. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Lorain, Ohio – Drew Leonard Regional and Welland Canal transits Friday - Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Bronte (Oakville):
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
|
Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connections reported as a Casualty or Sold for Demolition 10/7 - The following information taken from the October 2017 issue of Marine News - Journal of the World Ship Society
Casualties: None reported Kanuni (8418734; Cook Islands) Ziemia Gornoslaska-13 - 1st trip into Seaway 2003, Lake Charles-03 - 1st trip into Seaway 1992, Ziemia Gornoslaska-91 17,427 / 1990 bulk carrier - By Emrtrans Maritime & Trade Co Ltd (Emiroglu Deniz Nakliyati ve Ticaret Ltd Sti), Cook Islands to Bangladesh breakers and arrived Chittagong 12/03/2017 - commenced 16/03/2017 Yamak Junior (8308769; Sierra Leone) Stevens Pearl-12, Diana Scan-09, Stevns Pearl-05 - 1st trip into Seaway 1996, CPC Hollandia-95 - 1st trip into Seaway 1992, Conti Hollandia-87 - 1st trip into Seaway 1984 - 4,366 / 1984 general cargo. By Eman Shipping Ltd (Kalesya Shipping Ltd; Marshall Islands, to Shanti Ship Breakers Pvt Ltd, India and arrived Alang 21/03/2017 - commenced demolition 28/03/2017 Submitted by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 7 On October 7, 1968, the NORMAN P. CLEMENT was damaged in a grounding off Britt, Ontario. The Canadian boat was towed to Collingwood for repairs. However, while in dry dock, an explosion occurred on October 16 that injured 11 workers and further damaged the hull. Rather than repair her, the owners had the CLEMENT towed out into Georgian Bay where she was intentionally sunk on October 23, 1968. On this day in 1939, the E. G. MATHIOTT collided with the steamer CORVUS on the St. Clair River. Damage to the CORVUS totaled $37,647.70. On this day in 1958, the WALTER E. WATSON, Captain Ralph Fenton, rescued the sailing vessel TAMARA on Lake Huron. On October 7, 1871, GEM (wooden schooner, 120 foot, 325 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing up bound in a storm on Lake Erie with a load of coal. She began to leak and was run to shore in an effort to save her. However, she went down before reaching shoal water and settled with six feet of water over her decks. ALGOWOOD was launched October 7, 1980, at Collingwood, Ontario, for Algoma Central Marine, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. PAUL THAYER was launched October 7, 1973, for the Union Commerce Bank Trustee, Cleveland, Ohio and managed by Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland. She was built under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970, for $12.6 million. Renamed b.) EARL W. OGLEBAY in 1995. The WILLIAM MC LAUCHLAN (Hull#793) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co., on October 7, 1926, for the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) SAMUEL MATHER in 1966, c.) JOAN M. MC CULLOUGH in 1975 and d.) BIRCHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Sydney, Nova Scotia, in 1988. BLACK RIVER, a lake bulk freighter, was built as a steel barge in 1897, by the F.W. Wheeler & Co., she was launched October 7, 1896, as a.) SIR ISAAC LOTHIAN BELL (Hull# 118). HUTCHCLIFFE HALL was raised October 7, 1962, and taken to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. She had sunk after a collision a few days earlier. October 7, 1923 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 went back into service after being overhauled and having new cabins built on her main deck. MADISON suffered a fire on October 7, 1987, while lying idle at Muskegon, Michigan, and was badly damaged. In 1903, ADVENTURE (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 108 foot, 142 gross tons, built in 1875, at Detroit, Michigan, as a schooner) caught fire while tied to the Kelleys Island Line & Transport Co. Dock. The blaze spread so quickly that those on board barely escaped. She was towed from Kelleys Island out into Lake Erie by the tug SMITH to save the dock and the adjacent schooner ANDERSON. In a severe gale and rain/hail storm on October 7, 1858, the 247-ton schooner OSPREY approached Oswego, New York. As she was about to enter the harbor, the vessel struck the east pier broadside. Her masts and rigging were carried away and she started to sink. Capt. John Parsons got his wife and child out of the cabin to try to escape to the pier. His wife was washed overboard and drowned. Capt. Parsons held on to his child, but another wave struck the wreck and swept the child into the water. George Crine, the mate, was also swept overboard. Those three were lost, but the next wave swung the wreck about with her bowsprit over the pier and the captain and the six remaining crewmen scrambled to safety. The entire town and harbor mourned those deaths and held a dockside service two days later with many prayers and all flags at half-mast. Donations were accepted for the surviving sailors since they escaped with only the clothes on their backs. On October 7,1873, the PULASKI was launched at the Archibald Muir yard on the Black River in Port Huron. Her dimensions were 136 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet, 349 gross tons. She was a three mast "full canaller", painted white and her private signal was a red M on a white ground bordered with blue. Her sails were made by Mr. D. Robeson of Port Huron, Michigan. On October 7, 1886, The Port Huron Times reported that "The old side-wheel ferry SARNIA, which was a familiar sight at this crossing [Port Huron-Sarnia] for so many years, and which is said to have earned enough money in her time to sheet her with silver, the hull of which has been for some years back used as a barge by the Marine City Salt Company, has closed her career. She was last week scuttled near the Marine City Salt Works wharf." 1902: ANN MARIA hit a sandbar approaching Kincardine while inbound with a cargo of coal and broke up as a total loss. Four crew and a volunteer rescuer were reported lost. 1917: GEORGE A. GRAHAM was wrecked off Manitoulin Island, Georgian Bay, when the cargo shifted when turning in a storm. The ship ran for the safety of South Bay but stranded on the rocks. All on board were saved but the ship was a total loss. 1919: The wooden steamer HELEN TAYLOR was damaged by a fire in the pilothouse near Hessel, Mich., but was repaired. 1937: M & F DREDGE NO. 14, Hull 39 from the Collingwood shipyard, foundered in the St. Lawrence off Batiscan, QC as b) D.M. DREDGE NO. 14. 1956: The consort barge DELKOTE of the Hindman fleet was adrift for 9 hours in a Lake Superior storm with 13 on board and waves up to 20 feet. The ship had broken loose of the GEORGE HINDMAN but was picked up by the CAPT. C.D. SECORD. 1968: EDWARD Y. TOWNSEND, under tow for scrapping in Bilbao, Spain, broke in two about 400 miles southeast of St. John's, NF, and the bow sank. The stern was apparently retrieved and towed into Santander, Spain, for scrapping on October 28. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Funding for Soo’s Carbide Dock repairs may come from DOT grant 10/6 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Hoping to tap into the deep pockets of the federal government, the Sault Ste. Marie City Commission unanimously committed upwards of $3 million seeking to tie the needed repairs at the Carbide Dock with road improvements to E. Easterday Avenue. City Engineer Linda Basista described the DOT TIGER as highly competitive and very, very difficult to get. “There are hundreds of applicants per year,” said Basista, adding the grants can award anywhere between $5 million and $25 million fueling the demand. The projects that receive grant money under this program, Basista noted, are usually ones that deliver a high national or at least regional impact and she seemed optimistic that the Carbide Dock would serve as good leverage in the upcoming competition. In the past, the dock has been used by passenger vessels, lake freighters needing repairs or inspection, and vessels unloading cargo such as salt. It was deemed unsafe late last year and closed to vessel and public use. A portion of the dock served as a popular public fishing pier. The application, due Oct. 16, will request $13.24 million for the restoration of the Carbide Dock as well as road reconstruction on E. Easterday Avenue. Under the funding mechanism, federal funds cannot exceed 80 percent of the project costs — estimated to be approximately $17.6 million — requiring a 20 percent match. The city currently has around $1.7 million earmarked for dock improvements and would need to come up with an additional $1.33 million to meet the 20 percent threshold should the DOT Tiger grant be awarded. City Manager Oliver Turner added that if successful, the city would have until Sept. of 2020 to execute a contract for dock improvements and road reconstruction and a deadline of Sept. 2025 for completing this project. Soo Evening News |
|
Port Reports - October 6
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Charlevoix, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Thursday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Hamilton:
Toronto: |
|
GLMA hosts Women on the Water conference 10/6 - Traverse City, Mich. – U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations, Policy, and Capabilities Linda L. Fagen will be the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Women on the Water Conference hosted by the Great Lakes Maritime Academy's Women on the Water Cadet Club Oct. 26-28. Maritime cadets (students) travel to Traverse City from the seven academies across the country for the opportunity to learn more about the unique career. A broad spectrum of maritime officers, human resource directors, industry representatives and government officials will participate as speakers, on panels and in workshops to assist future mariners with their professional development and career options. The conference will include a video welcome from U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and remarks from Maritime Administrator RADM Mark H. Buzby. GLMA will also host concurrent prospective student admissions sessions. Women on the Water, (WOW) was founded at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in 2007 to support women entering the maritime industry and promote professionalism. Chapters now exist at academies from California to Canada. The conference rotates between academies. Great Lakes Maritime Academy |
|
Quebec port business at risk without new icebreakers, documents warn 10/6 - Ottawa, Ont. – Unless the federal government quickly updates its icebreaker fleet it could face considerable economic problems, including the port of Montreal losing container service to competitors in the U.S., according to internal documents viewed by Radio-Canada. The documents prepared for the federal cabinet warn that Ottawa could pay a high price for not replacing the coast guard's aging icebreaking vessels — and that Quebec could bear the brunt of the cost. The internal analysis says the ports of Montreal and Quebec City are at risk of being partly cut off in the winter months, with thousands of direct and indirect jobs at stake. The document also warns that Quebec's maritime strategy, a flagship project for Premier Philippe Couillard, is on the line if Ottawa doesn't replace its aging icebreakers. The $9-billion plan aims to create 30,000 jobs by 2030. Canada's newest icebreaking vessel is 30 years old. Its two heavy icebreakers were launched in 1968 and 1983 respectively. Heavy ice and a lack of reliable coast guard icebreakers have already caused significant delays in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and estuary. The document warns that in a competitive global marketplace these delays are "unacceptable" and maritime transport remains "the backbone" of trade. John Holliday, president of Montreal's Lantic Sugar Ltd., which processes about 500,000 tonnes of raw sugar annually, said he depends on ships arriving from Brazil. "If this corridor is unreliable and the supply disrupted, it could have a catastrophic impact on our plant," he said in an interview in French with Radio-Canada, CBC's French-language service. Holliday said the government needs to understand the risks and the responsibility to invest.A 2016 independent report for Transport Canada also flagged issues with the country's coast guard fleet, saying it is understaffed, desperately in need of new ships and without political support. It warned that coast guard icebreaking services in the Arctic are decreasing, while vessel traffic in the region is increasing. It blames the number of breakdowns on underfunding of maintenance by the previous Conservative government, and a general neglect by politicians in Ottawa. Vancouver-based Seaspan Shipyards has been tapped to build replacement vessels for the coast guard, but work on a heavy icebreaker is not expected to get underway until 2020-21. CBC |
|
Shipwrecks and Scuba Symposium in Sandusky Oct. 21 10/6 - Sandusky, Ohio – Deep Sea Detective Richie Kohler will be the featured speaker at the annual Shipwrecks and Scuba Symposium at The Kalahari Resort on Oct. 21, 2017. Kohler who, along with John Chatterton, identified and researched the German World War II submarine U-869 which resulted in one of the most watched documentaries on public television. Kalahari extended their discount package, which includes four tickets to its water park. Tickets are still available for the 34th annual event, sponsored by the local dive club Bay Area Divers. In addition to the evening banquet program, there will be daytime presentations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by local and out of state divers concerning topics of underwater adventures. For reservations and more information, go to www.shipwrecksandscuba.com. Bay Area Divers |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 6 On October 6, 1893, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) foundered in a gale off Pigeon Bay, Ontario, on Lake Erie. She crew clung to the frozen rigging for 14 hours until saved by the fish tug LOUISE of Sandusky, Ohio. The STEWART was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss. Herb Fraser & Associates completed repairs on the ALGOSOO at the Welland Dock on October 6 1986. She had suffered a serious fire at her winter mooring on the west wall above Lock 8 at Port Colborne, Ontario, on March 7, 1986. The bow section of the barge PRESQUE ISLE arrived Erie, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1972 under tow of the tugs MARYLAND and LAURENCE C. TURNER. The total cost to construct the tug/barge 1,000- footer was approximately $35 million. October 6, 1981, the Reoch self-unloader ERINDALE's bow was damaged when she hit the Allanburg Bridge abutment running down bound in the Welland Canal. Built in 1915, as a.) W. F. WHITE, she was renamed b.) ERINDALE in 1976. In 1980, the LAC DES ILES grounded in the Detroit River just below Grassy Island, the result of a faulty steering mechanism. She freed herself a few hours later. The damage caused by the grounding ended her career. She was scrapped at Port Colborne in 1985. This day in 1870, the schooner E. FITZGERALD was launched at the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard at Port Huron, Michigan. Her dimensions were 135 feet x 26 feet x 11 feet. In 1875, the MERCHANT (iron propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 200 foot, 750 tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber on Lake Michigan when she stranded on Racine Reef near Racine, Wisconsin. Then she caught fire and was gutted before she could be refloated. She had stranded on that same reef twice previously. She was the first iron cargo ship built on the Lakes and the first one lost. On October 6, 1873, JOHN A. MC DOUGALL (wooden schooner-barge, 151 foot, 415 gross tons) was launched at Wenona, Michigan. She was built at the Ballentine yard in only five weeks. On October 6, 1889, PHILO SCOVILLE (3-mast wooden schooner, 140 foot, 323 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) was sailing from Collingwood for Chicago when a storm drove her into the shallows and wrecked her near Tobermory, Ontario. Her captain died while trying to get ashore through the rocks. The Canadian Lifesaving Service saved the rest of the crew. At first the vessel was expected to be recovered, but she broke up by 10 October. 1910: The wooden freighter MUSKEGON, formerly the PEERLESS, was damaged by a fire at Michigan City, IN and became a total loss. 1958: SHIERCLIFFE HALL hit bottom in the St. Marys River and was intentionally grounded off Lime Island with substantial damage. The ship was refloated and repaired at Collingwood. 1966: EMSSTEIN and OLYMPIC PEARL collided south of St. Clair, MI and the former had to be beached before it capsized. This West German freighter made 19 trips to the Great lakes from 1959 through 1967 and arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as d) VIOLETTA on May 28, 1978. The latter, on her first trip to the Great Lakes, had bow damage and was also repaired. This ship arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as b) AL TAHSEEN on May 6, 1985. 1972: ALGORAIL hit the pier inbound at Holland, MI with a cargo of salt and settled on the bottom about 12 feet off the dock with a gash in the port bow. The vessel was refloated in 24 hours and headed to Thunder Bay for repairs. 1982: CONTINENTAL PIONEER made 8 trips through the Seaway from 1960 through 1964. A fire broke out in the accommodation area as c) AGRILIA, about 20 miles north of Porto Praia, Cape Verde Islands and the heavily damaged ship was abandoned before it drifted aground in position 15.06 N / 23.30 W. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Port Reports - October 5
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Charlevoix, Mich.
Manitowoc, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas Regional and Welland Canal transits Wednesday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Toronto: |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 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. |
|
Cliffs buys U.S. Steel out of Michigan mine 10/4 - Duluth, Minn. – Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. this week announced it was acquiring U.S. Steel’s 15 percent stake in the Tilden iron ore mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The $105 million purchase gives Cliffs 100 percent ownership of the operation. The company reported the transaction closed on Friday. “With the current strength in the Great Lakes iron ore pellet market and anticipated future demand from our (hot-briquette iron) facility, acquiring additional pellet capacity became a top priority for Cliffs,” CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in a statement. The Tilden mine and pellet plant is located near Ishpeming, Mich., and employs about 900 people. Cliffs’ other Michigan operation, the nearby Empire Mine, closed for good earlier this year. Duluth News Tribune |
|
Port Reports - October 4
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Green Bay, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Toledo, Ohio
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer Regional and Welland Canal transits Tuesday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo, N.Y.
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Welland Canal docks:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte: |
|
Clarke tours Iron Range touting Nashwauk project 10/4 - Duluth, Minn. – Tom Clarke, the billionaire health care and coal executive who is trying to become a major player in the global iron ore industry, toured the Iron Range Monday touting the potentially bright future of his big projects. Clarke last winter purchased bankrupt Magnetation operations and is moving to restart the Grand Rapids-area processing plant in coming months as soon as air pollution violations left behind by previous owners are settled at the company's Indiana pellet plant. Clarke this summer also won the rights to take over the bankrupt, half-finished Essar Steel Minnesota project in Nashwauk, and appears to be getting closer to landing the money needed to finish the project. On Saturday, Gov. Mark Dayton gave his blessings to Clarke's Chippewa Capital Partners, agreeing to relax an Oct. 1 deadline for Clarke to have financing secured and start work on the Nashwauk project. Clarke didn't make that deadline, but Dayton has apparently removed the threat of taking back state mineral leases critical for mining operations at the project. "It's a great feeling to be where we are right now. But we're not at the finishing line yet," Clarke told the News Tribune Monday after meeting with employees, Iron Range lawmakers, Nashwauk Mayor Ben DeNucci and other officials. Clarke said he hopes to have all of the key elements in place by the end of 2017 as the Nashwauk project finally emerges from bankruptcy — including purchase agreements for taconite pellets, from a Chinese steelmaker, and for the hot-briquette iron he plans to make, the first directly reduced, added-value iron product ever made on the Iron Range. Other elements include $500 million in equity financing and up to $600 million in bank financing. It will cost another $600 million or so to build the iron plant at the site. Clarke estimates that, in all, Chippewa Capital Partners will pump another $1.6 billion on top of $1.9 billion already spent by Essar for a combined $3.5 billion project, by far the largest private investment in Minnesota history. Construction could resume as early as March, Clarke said, and will take 25 months. It will take another 6 months to "commission" the facilities and sell finished product. That's about mid-2020 before everything is operational, if all goes well. "But before then we'll have more than 1,000 construction workers on the job and a lot of economic activity going on across the Iron Range," Clarke said. Eventually the two facilities at the site could employ about 450 people.
Duluth News Tribune |
|
Interlake seeks 2018 calendar photographs 10/4 - Interlake Steamship Co. is looking for the best photos of our ships from the 2017 shipping season to feature on its Interlake Steamship 2018 wall calendar. Send your favorites for a chance to win one of nine slots. We’re looking for a great picture of each vessel in our fleet, including the Paul R. Tregurtha, James R. Barker, Mesabi Miner, Stewart J. Cort, Lee A. Tregurtha, Hon. James L. Oberstar, Kaye E. Barker, Herbert C. Jackson, and Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder. The best part? Winners will receive a new Interlake house flag (either 4’x7’ or 3’x5’ in size)! Email high resolutions pictures to Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@interlake-steamship.com All submissions must be received by Oct. 10 for inclusion in the calendar contest. By submitting a photo, you are giving full permission to Interlake to use this image in its calendar, on social media, website and for any external uses. Whenever possible, Interlake will credit the original photographer. |
|
Help Wanted: American Steamship Co. 10/4 - American Steamship Company, a leader in safe, efficient and environmentally responsible waterborne transportation, is looking for experienced Great Lakes Masters for the position of Captain. The successful candidate will have at least two years’ experience sailing as master aboard large commercial vessels. This is an immediate opportunity with a US flag operator and, as such, the candidate is subject to certain conditions. ASC is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to continuously building value for our parent company, GATX, our customers, our employees and the communities in which we live and operate. Qualified candidates should apply to https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=american+steamship&l=williamsville+ny American Steamship Co. |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 4 On October 4, 1887, ORIENT (wooden propeller tug, 60 foot, 37 gross tons, built in 1874, at Buffalo, New York) foundered three miles west of Point Pelee on Lake Erie in a storm. She was seen going down by the schooners LISGAR and GLENFORD but neither was able to help. All six on the ORIENT were lost. She was out of Marine City, Michigan. On October 4, 1979, the ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR arrived at the Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, Ontario, where she was lengthened to the Seaway maximum length of 730-foot overall. A new bow and cargo section was installed including a bow thruster and was assigned Hull #66. New tonnage; 18,788 gross tons, 12,830 net tons, 32,279 deadweight tons. She was renamed c.) CANADIAN NAVIGATOR in 1980 and ALGOMA NAVIGATOR in 2012. She sails for Algoma Central Corp. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1997. TEXACO BRAVE (Hull#779) was launched October 4, 1976, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan for Texaco Canada Ltd., Don Mills, Ontario. Renamed b.) LE BRAVE in 1987, c.) IMPERIAL ST LAWRENCE in 1997, and d.) ALGOEAST in 1998. On October 4, 1980, Bethlehem's ARTHUR B. HOMER was laid up for the last time at Erie, Pennsylvania. As a result of the collision between the PARKER EVANS and the SIDNEY E SMITH JR, four months earlier, alternate one-way traffic between the Black River Buoy and Buoys 1 and 2 in Lake Huron was agreed upon by the shipping companies on October 4, 1972 The JAMES E. FERRIS' last trip before scrapping was from Duluth, Minnesota, with a split load of 261,000 bushels of wheat for Buffalo, New York, arriving there October 4, 1974. The JIIMAAN, twin screw ro/ro cargo/passenger ferry built to Ice Class 1D standards had its keel laid October 4, 1991, at Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd. (Hull# 76). On October 4, 1982, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS laid up for the last time in Duluth, Minnesota. She was towed out of Duluth, on her way to Kahoshiung, Taiwan for scrapping, on June 17, 1988. October 4, 1940 - The Ludington Daily News reported "The Pere Marquette car ferries handled approximately 95,000 freight cars last year." (1939) On October 4,1877, BRITISH LION (3 mast wooden bark, 128 foot, 293 tons, built in 1862, at Kingston, Ontario) was carrying coal from Black River, Ohio, to Brockville, Ontario. She was driven ashore at Long Point in Lake Erie by a storm and wrecked. She was the first bark on the Lakes to be wire rigged and she was built for the Great Lakes - Liverpool trade. On October 4, 1883, JAMES DAVIDSON (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 231 foot, 1,456 gross tons, built in 1874, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was carrying coal and towing the barge MIDDLESEX in a storm on Lake Huron. She was driven onto a reef near Thunder Bay Island and ripped up her bottom. The barge was rescued by the tug V SWAIN. No lives were lost. Financially, the DAVIDSON was the most extensive loss on the Lakes in the 1883, season. She was valued at $65,000 and insured for $45,000. Her coal cargo was valued at $8,000. 1904: CONGRESS burned at the dock at South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan while loading lumber. The ship was towed away, abandoned, burned to the waterline and sank. 1966: ROBERT J. PAISLEY ran aground in heavy weather off Michigan City, IN. The ship was released the next day but went to Sarnia with hull damage and was laid up. 2008: MERKUR BAY came through the Seaway in 1984. It hit a rock as m) NEW ORIENTAL in heavy weather off Tuy An, Vietnam, and settled on the bottom with a large hole in the bow. The crew abandoned ship on October 18 when it showed signs of sinking. It was enroute from Thailand to China with iron ore and was a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Interlake Steamship Company joins Green Marine environmental program 10/3 - Cleveland, Ohio – The Interlake Steamship Company has become the first U.S. Great Lakes shipowner to join Green Marine, the largest voluntary environmental certification program for the maritime industry in North America. As the largest privately held U.S.-flagged fleet on the Great Lakes, the Interlake Steamship Company is propelled by a long-term vision to make its vessels the most efficient and environmentally responsible in the shipping industry. “Green Marine certification aligns well with our strategic initiatives regarding the environment,” says Interlake President Mark W. Barker. “We have a long-term vision for our industry and we are investing in our ships and our equipment to offer the most reliable, efficient delivery within an industry that is already the greenest form of transportation available.” “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Interlake,” adds David Bolduc, Green Marine’s executive director. “With its visionary fleet modernization over the past decade and all the investments made towards more sustainable operations, there’s no doubt that Interlake is committed to continual environmental improvement, which is the core of the Green Marine program.” The Green Marine environmental program offers a roadmap for ship owners, port authorities, terminal operators and shipyards to voluntarily reduce their environmental footprint. The comprehensive program addresses key environmental issues using 12 performance indicators. With a quickly increasing membership – especially in the United States – Green Marine has become a leading point of reference in North America for environmental best practices. Green Marine certification is a rigorous and transparent process. All results are independently verified every two years and each company’s individual performance made public annually. |
|
Port Reports - October 3
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Monday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto: |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 3 On October 3,1887, EBENEZER (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 103 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1847, at Buffalo, New York) was driven ashore off the breakwater at Holland, Michigan, during a storm. She had sprung a leak in the terrific storm, lost her deck load of shingles and struck the pier trying to get into the harbor. She broke in two but was later raised and rebuilt. She lasted until 1903. On October 3,1887, CITY OF GREEN BAY (3-mast wooden schooner, 145 foot, 346 gross tons, built in 1872, at Green Bay, Wisconsin) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba to St. Joseph, Michigan, on Lake Michigan and having difficulty in a strong westerly gale. She sprang a leak and anchored four miles from South Haven and put up distress signals. The wind and waves were so bad that the crew could not safely abandon the vessel. She slipped her anchor and was driven on to a bar at Evergreen Point, just 500 feet from shore. The crew scrambled up the rigging as the vessel sank. The South Haven Life Saving crew tried to get a breeches buoy out to the wreck, but their line broke repeatedly. So much wreckage was in the surf that it fouled their surfboat. Soon the masts went by the board and the crew members were in the churning seas. Six died. Only Seaman A. T. Slater made it to shore. The ineffective attempts of the Life Saving crew resulted in Keeper Barney Alonzo Cross being relieved of his command of the station. The E. G. GRACE was delivered to the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland on October 3, 1943. The GRACE was part of a government program designed to upgrade and increase the capacity of the U.S. Great Lakes fleet during World War II. In order to help finance the building of new ships, the U.S.M.C. authorized a program that would allow existing fleets to obtain new boats by trading in their older boats to the government for credit. As partial payment for each new vessel, a fleet owner surrendered the equivalent tonnage of their existing and/or obsolete vessels, along with some cash, to the Maritime Commission. October 3, 1941 - The CITY OF FLINT 32, eastbound from Milwaukee, collided with the PERE MARQUETTE 22 westbound. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 headed directly for Manitowoc for repairs while the CITY OF FLINT 32 continued to Ludington where she discharged her cargo, then headed for the shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The barges BELLE CASH and GEO W. HANNAFORD, owned by Capt. Cash of East China Township, Michigan, were driven ashore on Long Point in Lake Erie on 3 October 1875. On October 3, 1900, the steel freighter CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON left Port Huron on her maiden voyage for Marquette, Michigan, where she loaded 6,200 tons of iron ore for Cleveland, Ohio. ARK (3-mast iron-strapped wooden scow-schooner-barge, 177 foot, 512 tons, built in 1875, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) was in tow of the steam barge ALBION (wooden propeller, 134 foot, 297 gross tons, built in 1862, at Brockville, Ontario) on Lake Huron when a terrific storm struck on October 3,1887. Both were loaded with lumber. Both vessels were driven ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan. The U.S. Lifesaving Service rescued the crews. The ALBION was pounded to pieces the next day and the ARK was declared a total loss, but was recovered and was sailing again within the month. 1907: The wooden tug PHILADELPHIA dated from 1869 and briefly served in the Algoma fleet. It was wrecked at Gros Cap, Lake Superior, on this date in 1907. 1911: The wooden freighter A.L. HOPKINS had cleared Bayfield the previous day with a full load of lumber and foundered in a storm on this date near Michigan Island, Lake Superior. Buoyed by the cargo, the hull floated a few more days before it disappeared. All 15 on board were picked up by the ALVA C. DINKEY. 1928: The steel bulk carrier M.J. BARTELME ran aground at Cana Island, Lake Michigan. The bottom was ripped open and the ship was abandoned. It was dismantled on site in 1929. 1953: The superstructure of the idle passenger steamer PUT-IN-BAY was burned off in Lake St. Clair and the remains of the iron hull were later dismantled at River Rouge. 1963: The Liberian flag Liberty ship TRIKERI, on her only trip to the Great Lakes, swung sideways in the Welland Canal near Welland, blocked the waterway and delayed traffic for 4 hours. The ship arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping as e) DAHLIA on December 27, 1967. 1963: A fire broke out in the cargo hold of the FRED CHRISTIANSEN while downbound at Sault Ste. Marie. The stubborn blaze took 4 hours to put out and was believed caused by some of the grain igniting as it was close to a steam line. The Norwegian freighter began Seaway trading in 1959 and returned as b) HERA in 1964. It arrived at Pasajes, Spain, under this name for scrapping on May 30, 1974. 1969: JOSEPH H. ran aground at Bic Island, in the St. Lawrence while enroute from Milwaukee to Russia with a cargo of rawhides. The Liberian-flag vessel sustained heavy bottom damage. It was refloated on October 6, taken to Levis, QC, and subsequently broken up there for scrap. The ship was operating under her fifth name and had first come through the Seaway as a) GRANADA in 1959. 1980: POLYDORA first came inland for four trips as a) FERNFIORD in 1963 and returned under her new name in 1964 on charter to Canadian Pacific Steamships. The ship had been at Marina di Carrara, Italy, and under arrest as d) GEORGIOS B., when it sailed overnight without permission. A fire in the engineroom broke out the next day and, while taken in tow, the ship foundered east of Tavolara Island, Sardinia. 1999: MANCHESTER MERCURIO traded through the Seaway in a container shuttle service beginning in 1971. It was abandoned by the crew and sank off the coast of Morocco as f) PHOENIX II on this date in 1999. 2000: The tug KETA V. usually operated on the St. Lawrence for Verreault Navigation but came to the Great Lakes with barges for Windsor in 1993. It ran aground and sank near Liverpool, NS on this date in 2000 but all on board got away safely on life rafts. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
|
Marquette Lighthouse plan being finalized 10/2 - Marquette, Mich. – The future of the historic Marquette Lighthouse will be decided soon, though financial constraints mean the plans will likely take time to carry out. The iconic red lighthouse by McCarty’s Cove was deeded to the city by the U.S. Coast Guard last July. The Marquette-based architecture firm Sanders and Czapski Associates was awarded a contract to conduct a land use plan for the lighthouse parcel last September. The property has been thoroughly assessed, public input has been gathered, and a draft plan is being finalized that’s expected to go before the Marquette City Commission in October. The commission recently held a work session on the plan. Director of Community Services Jon Swenson said final costs are being assessed for the capital plans before the final draft is submitted to the commission for consideration. “Overall what the draft included was pretty well received (by commissioners),” Swenson said. “The biggest contentions were whether we should remove all the fences on the property” or just portions of the fencing. Another conversation piece was the future use of the captain’s residence and Lifesaving Service Building, which is a barracks that housed U.S. Coast Guard officers until the 2000s, according to museum staff. There is discussion of using the facilities for short-term rentals and/or an artist in residency program, Swenson said, for which there was both support and apprehension among commissioners. Swenson said whatever happens to the property, it will require a revenue-generating aspect in order to maintain the historic site, which is extremely expensive. The lighthouse is one of the oldest historic structures in Marquette, according to Maritime Historian Fred Stonehouse. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1866 with subsequent additions and improvements, including a second floor added in 1910. Architect Ken Czapski, who is writing the lighthouse plan, said at an event earlier this summer that the lighthouse was painted “heart throb red” in the 1960s. The 10-acre parcel has four major structures, the lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling, captain’s residence, USCG station building and a small brick pump house on the western side. An elevated walkway stretches east from the lighthouse to a former fuel tank bunker, a stone rubble barrier wall, the foundation of a former fog signal building and a former boat landing crib. Stonehouse, president of the museum’s board of directors, said the museum first obtained a lease for lighthouse tours from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2002 after they had “effectively abandoned it” in 1991. He said the museum has spent about $200,000 maintaining the property. Mining Journal |
|
Port Reports - October 2
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont. -
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Cedarville, Mich. Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio Regional and Welland Canal transits Sunday – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson (Mississauga):
Toronto: |
|
Lake Michigan marine sanctuary skeptics question federal NOAA motives 10/2 - Manitowoc, Wis. – Riparian rights would remain unchanged for people who own land within the boundary of the proposed Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Regional Coordinator Russ Green said Thursday at a Manitowoc County Lakes Association meeting. Green gave a presentation to the association addressing various aspects of the sanctuary proposal. The sanctuary would cover 1,075 square miles of Lake Michigan from Manitowoc to Ozaukee counties to protect historic underwater resources. Recent opposition has called various details of the sanctuary into question, including any changes to riparian rights, increased public access to their land via Lake Michigan, federal oversight on a state resource and the sanctuary's actual impact on tourism. “The proposal doesn’t change state sovereignty over the water, this really is about co-managing historic resources through a memorandum of understanding with the state,” Green said. Don Zimmer, a Manitowoc County Supervisor and the president of the Manitowoc County Republican Party, has been outspoken in his opposition to the proposed sanctuary. After Thursday’s Lakes Association meeting, Zimmer said: “Considering the benefits that Mr. Green cited, they are redundant because we already do those — protection of shipwrecks, education of kids and we have a wonderful Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. We are going to give up our sovereignty, our sovereign control of the lake for activities that we are already engaging in.” Zimmer said he felt the federal money spent to designate and maintain the Lake Michigan Marine Sanctuary would be wasted taxpayer dollars. Green said he expects the sanctuary could be run on as little as $250,000 per year to a little more than $1 million per year, depending on federal funding allocations. Many of the people who attended the Manitowoc County Lakes Association meeting Thursday spoke about concerns such as rules for metal detecting activities, if the public would be allowed to walk on private beaches and the potential for increased oversight from NOAA in the future. “Why can’t NOAA do all that they have proposed without federally taking over our shore and 1,200 square miles of our water?” one woman asked. “That’s giving up our state sovereignty to the federal government who then will, as administrations change, do as they please and increase it. It is mind-boggling that our state would even consider that.” Green said the sanctuary will focus on creating partnerships with surrounding businesses, organizations and the State of Wisconsin. “It is the stories that are embedded in these places that are a big part of the equation,” Green said. “We are protecting the physical places, but those physical places are stories. Our Wisconsin stories are in there. … The idea that we can do more together than we can separately is really a big part of this.” Jane Hamilton, a Manitowoc County resident who recently shared her experience in visiting Alpena, Michigan — the site of the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary — at an Aug. 29 forum hosted by the Manitowoc County Republican Party said she was still concerned about an economic impact study done by the University of Michigan in 2013 that concluded more could be done to capitalize on the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary. “I find it interesting that after 12 years, there wasn’t a lot of ‘productive tourism,’ shall we say. … If we start tomorrow with the sanctuary, are we going to be waiting 12 years for any kind of activity as well?” she asked. Green said it would be up to each city to figure out how they will take advantage of the resources a sanctuary would provide. “The idea is to figure out how to capitalize on these places to drive good things to the economy … how you connect the greater public to the sanctuary,” he said. According to Green, the sanctuary could be designated as early as 2018 or the process could take a few more years, depending on its approval by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. A recent executive order by President Donald Trump placing a moratorium on designating sanctuaries is also delaying the process. Learn more about the proposed sanctuary at this link: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 2 On her maiden trip in 1905, the PETER WHITE grounded outside the Lackawanna breakwall. After lightering 200 tons, she proceeded to the Lackawanna Steel mill where the remainder of the cargo was unloaded. On this day in 1979, the ELTON HOYT 2ND unloaded her last cargo as a straight decker at the Ashtabula & Buffalo Dock, Ashtabula, Ohio. On October 2,1901, M. M. DRAKE (wooden propeller freighter, 201 foot, 1,102 gross tons, built in 1882, at Buffalo, New York) and her consort MICHIGAN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 213 foot, 1,057 gross tons, built in 1874, at Detroit, Michigan) were loaded with iron ore while sailing in a strong gale on Lake Superior. The MICHIGAN began to leak and the DRAKE came around to take off her crew, but the two vessels collided. Both sank off Vermilion Point, Michigan. One life was lost. As the vessels sank, the passing steamers NORTHERN WAVE and CRESCENT CITY stood by and rescued the crews. Upper Lakes Shipping's new self-unloader CANADIAN OLYMPIC was christened on October 2, 1976, at St. Catharines, Ontario. Her name honored the Olympic Games that were held at Montreal that year. TADOUSSAC (Hull#192) departed Collingwood on her maiden voyage for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. on October 2, 1969, to load iron ore at Fort William, Ontario. The sandsucker AMERICAN last operated in 1956, and laid up at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was scrapped in S. Chicago in 1984. JOHN T. HUTCHINSON and CONSUMERS POWER arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 2, 1988, where dismantling began on October 14t by Li Chong Steel & Iron Works Co. Ltd. On her maiden voyage October 2, 1943, E. G. GRACE cleared Lorain, Ohio, bound for Superior, Wisconsin, to load iron ore. HOCHELAGA of 1949 departed Toronto October 2, 1993, in tow of the McKeil tugs GLENBROOK and KAY COLE for Montreal, Quebec, and then to the cutter’s torch. October 2, 1954 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 sailed into Ludington, Michigan, on her second maiden voyage of her career. On October 2,1888, OLIVER CROMWELL (wooden schooner-barge, 138 foot, 291 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was being towed by the steamer LOWELL in a storm in Lake Huron when she broke her towline. She rode out most of the storm at anchor, but then she snapped her anchor chains and she was driven ashore at Harbor Beach, Michigan, where she broke up. The 183 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner QUEEN CITY was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan, on 2 October 1873. The Port Huron Times reported the following shipwrecks from a severe storm that swept the Lakes over 2-3 October 1887: Schooner CITY OF GREEN BAY lost near South Haven, Michigan; the schooner-barge CHARLES L HUTCHINSON, lost near Buffalo, New York; the steam barge ALBION and her consort the schooner-barge ARK ashore near Grindstone City, Michigan; the 3-mast schooner EBENEZER ashore near Holland, Michigan; the wooden package freighter CALIFORNIA sunk in the Straits of Mackinaw; the schooner HOLMES ashore at Middle Island on Lake Huron; the schooner GARIBALDI ashore near Port Elgin on Lake Huron; the barge MAYFLOWER disabled near Grand Haven, Michigan; the schooner D. S. AUSTIN ashore at Point Clark; and the schooner HENRY W HOAG ashore at Erie, Pennsylvania. 1891: WINSLOW ran aground in fog while inbound at Duluth. The hole in the wooden hull was patched and the ship was released and able to be docked. The vessel caught fire while unloading the next day and destroyed. 1938: The first WINDOC was struck when Bridge 20, a railway bridge across the Welland Canal, was lowered prematurely and removing the stack, spar and lifeboats of the N.M. Paterson steamer. 1953: A collision occurred between PIONEER and WALLSCHIFF in the St. Clair River on this date and the latter, a West German visitor to the Great Lakes, rolled on its side and settled in shallow water. One crew member perished. PIONEER, a Cleveland-Cliffs steamer, was repaired for further service and was later scrapped at Genoa, Italy, in 1961. WALLSCHIFF, on her first and only trip to the Great Lakes, was refloated and departed for permanent repairs overseas in 1954. The vessel was still sailing as g) GOLDEN MERCURY in 2011. 1973: A head-on collision in fog off Gull Island, Lake Michigan between the T-2 tanker MARATHONIAN and Norwegian freighter ROLWI left both ships with massive bow damage. The former had begun Seaway service as f) MARATHON in 1960 and was repaired at South Chicago. It disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle as h) SYLVIA L. OSSA in October 1976. ROLWI, a Norwegian salty, was also repaired and returned inland as b) DOBERG in 1974 and c) LORFRI in 1976. It arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as e) PEROZAN on February 6, 1996. 1992: The Canadian coastal freighter SIR JOHN CROSBIE was built in St. Catharines by Port Weller Dry Docks in 1962. It sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida as c) HOLSTEN on this date but all on board were rescued. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
|
Port Reports - October 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two Harbors-Silver Bay – Gary A. Putney
St. Marys River
Milwaukee, Wis.
Grand Haven, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit, Mich. Regional and Welland Canal transits Saturday – Barry Andersen
Buffalo:
Nanticoke:
Welland Canal upbound:
Welland Canal downbound:
Port Weller anchorage:
Port Colborne anchorage:
Hamilton:
Bronte:
Clarkson:
Toronto: |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 1 In 1986, the HERBERT C. JACKSON rescued Carl Ward and his nephew after they had been adrift on lower Lake Michigan for 80 hours. On October 1,1888, the ST CLAIR (3-mast wooden schooner, 156 foot, 296 gross tons, built in 1859, at Montreal as a bark) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Huron as part of a 5-barge tow of the tug CHAMPION. She broke loose and came to anchor off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The anchor dragged and she sank near the mouth of the harbor. The crew was rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. However, this rescue was ill fated since all were taken in the lifesavers surfboat and the boat was rowed 23 miles to Port Sanilac. 100 yards from shore, just a half mile from Port Sanilac, the surfboat capsized and five lives were lost. The wreck of the ST. CLAIR was later lightered, raised and towed out into the lake and re-sunk. CHICAGO TRADER, a.) THE HARVESTER of 1911, was laid up on October 1, 1976, at the Frog Pond in Toledo, Ohio. Dismantling commenced October 1, 1974, on the KINSMAN INDEPENDENT a.) WILLIAM B. KERR of 1907, at Santander, Spain. October 1, 1997 - The CITY OF MIDLAND 41 was towed out of Ludington to be converted to a barge. On October 1, 1843, ALBANY (wooden brig, 110 tons, built in 1835, at Oswego, New York) was carrying merchandise and passengers when she went aground in a storm and was wrecked just a few miles from Mackinaw City, Michigan. The steam barge C. H. GREEN was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan, for Mason, Green & Corning of Saginaw on October 1, 1881. She was schooner rigged and spent her first year as a tow barge. The following winter her engine and boiler were installed. Her dimensions were 197 feet X 33 feet X 13 feet, 920 tons. She cost $70,000. On October 1,1869, SEA GULL (wooden schooner, 83 tons, built in 1845, at Milan, Ohio) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She was driven ashore and wrecked south of Grand Haven, Michigan. The wreck was pulled off the beach a few days later, but was declared a constructive loss, stripped and abandoned. She was owned by Capt. Henry Smith of Grand Haven. 1918: The Canadian bulk carrier GALE STAPLES was blown ashore Point au Sable about 8 miles west of Grand Marais. All on board were saved but the wooden vessel, best known as b) CALEDONIA, broke up. 1942: The former CANADIAN ROVER, Hull 67 from the Collingwood shipyard, was torpedoed and sunk as d) TOSEI MARU in the Pacific east of Japan by U.S.S. NAUTILUS. 1946: KINDERSLEY, loaded with 2074 tons of excess munitions, was scuttled in the deep waters of the Atlantic. The former C.S.L. freighter had been on saltwater to assist in the war effort. 1984: ANNEMARIE KRUGER arrived at Finike, Turkey, as e) BANKO with engine damage on this date and was laid up. The ship, a frequent Seaway visitor in the 1960s, was sold for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, under tow on August 3, 1986, and was dismantled. 1998 The tank barge SALTY DOG NO. 1 broke tow from the tug DOUG McKEIL and went aground off Anticosti Island the next day. The vessel was released and it operated until scrapping at Port Colborne in 2005. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
News Archive - August 1996 to present
Return to Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping
Comments, news, and suggestions to: news@boatnerd.net
Copyright 1995 -
2017 Boatnerd.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Due to frequent updates, this page will automatically reload every half hour
