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Hamilton - Eric Holmes
Saturday morning the Maritime Trader departed JRI Elevators ( Pier 25 ) with a cargo of wheat for Port Cartier, Que. Algolake departed Dofasco at 10:30 a.m. for the Welland Canal. Halifax departed U.S. Steel also at 10:30 a.m. for Sandusky, Ohio. Algoport arrived at 4 p.m. for unknown repairs at Pier 26. The Ocean Group tug LaPrairie arrived at 4:30 p.m. Petrolia Desgagnes departed the Petro Canada Pier in Bronte at 5 p.m. for Sarnia, Ont. The Federal Weser departed Hamilton at 7 p.m. from Pier 14 for Sorel, Que., and then Antwerp, Germany.

9/7 - Superior - A fundraising event to help preserve the whaleback steamer Meteor, open to the public at Superior, Wisc., will be held Sept. 13 from 4:30-8 p.m. aboard the historic vessel. The fundraiser will include a dinner and silent auction.

In addition, a panel discussion, "Whaleback Ships, Shipbuilding and Shipwrecks," will be held from 1-4 p.m. the same day at the Richard I. Bong WWII Heritage Center in Superior.

For ticket information, call 715-394-5712. All proceeds help fund efforts to restore and preserve the Meteor.

9/7 - Detroit - The Dossin Great Lakes Museum Maritime Auxiliary Group will hold its Fair Winds Fall Dinner Oct. 5 at the Dossin Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle. The dinner will be a 3 p.m., with a program to follow. Featured speaker is Larry B. Massie, author and Michigan historian, presenting his thoughts in regards to "Sand Dunes, Sawdust and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Sunset Shore."

RSVPs are due Sept. 26. Call 313-833-1801 to make reservations. Funds raised will benefit the museum.

Updates - September 7

News Photo Gallery updated

Calendar of Events updated

Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Tin Stackers - The History of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships. We Remember series This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

J. W. Shelley update

10:30 a.m. Update - The Shelley left the Pointe aux Trembles anchorage at 9 a.m., an hour late. The anchorage is located at the east end of Montreal close to the oil docks. She will not show on the Seaway map until she reaches CIP 2, which is the entrance to the Seaway.

9/6 - Montreal - The J. W. Shelley arrived in Montreal at 7:30 p.m. Friday and went to anchor at Pointe aux Trembles Quebec. Custom clearance is the norm after a vessel arrives from a foreign country, and a Seaway inspection must be done, before the vessel can depart up bound for the Seaway. Her destination is still unknown, although the Port of Montreal reports Duluth, MN, as her next port of call.

Reported by Kent Malo and Ron Beaupre

Reported by Kent Malo and Mac McKay

9/6 - Syracuse - The long-awaited dredging of Oswego Harbor will begin Monday. Equipment for the month-long project, including cranes and tugboats, began arriving Thursday. "This is something we've been waiting for a long time," said Jonathan Daniels, director of the Port of Oswego Authority.

The dredging will allow more cargo into the harbor on fewer ships. In recent years, Lake Ontario's lower water levels, combined with a buildup of silt and sediments in the harbor, have made the port too shallow to accommodate some fully loaded ships. Sometimes it has taken four ships to transport the cargo it should take three to carry into the harbor. During the dredging, sediment will be loaded onto barges and taken to federally approved dumping areas in the lake's deeper areas, Daniels said.

Boaters should stay clear of the dredging operation, Daniels said. "Mariners need to be aware of the situation," Daniels said. "Though, with the cranes, barges and tugboats, it's not something you're going to sneak up on." The dredging will cost about $650,000. The harbor was last dredged in 2004.

The dredging almost did not happen this year because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not have the money for the work. In February, Congress allotted the engineers $6.5 million to clear its backlog of Great Lakes dredging.

From the Syracuse Post-Standard

South Chicago - Brian Z.
The Arthur M. Anderson arrived at KCBX Terminals in South Chicago on Friday after taking a lengthy delay coming in and out of U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana. Rough conditions at this end of Lake Michigan sent the Anderson to anchor upon arrival at Gary. A brief letup of wind allowed the Anderson to enter the piers and unload. After discharging, the Anderson attempted to depart, however, lake conditions prevented her from leaving. Finally, things calmed down enough for the Anderson to make South Chicago and load coal for Wyandotte, MI.

9/6 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - Essar Steel Algoma is a beehive of activity these days as it prepares to nearly double steel-making capacity by the end of next year, including building a new dock-face to accommodate hundreds more vessels. "It's very tight. There's not a lot of capacity left," said chief operating officer Armando Plastino.

With the No. 6 blast furnace now up and running alongside No. 7, Essar aims to be able to ship out four million tons of finished coil and slab by the end of 2009. That means bringing in that much more raw material. Essar currently imports approximately 4.5 to 4.6 million tons of iron ore pellets a year and 1.6 to 1.7 million tons of coal. At next year's capacity, that will go to about 5.7 million tons of iron ore and 2.3 million tons of coal, Plastino said.

Algoma has just under 500 boat deliveries coming in and out over a typical shipping season. Plastino expects that to increase to about 700, with little room for snags, he said. "You've got to get all your raw materials here by Dec. 15, and the locks don't reopen until the end of March. You've got to have enough raw materials to last you through the winter."

The Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority issued Essar a permit earlier this summer to dredge 89,000 cubic metres of sediment at Sawmill Bay Point on the Sault Ste. Marie steelmaker's western grounds. One of eight docking and off-loading locations on the sprawling steelworks, Sawmill Bay Point is about 24 feet deep compared to 28 feet in the surrounding channel.

Dredging another four feet and shoring it up with sheet piling will allow it to handle large lake freighters, which have self-unloaders and dramatically reduce loading times. "It takes the burden away from some of those other docks," Plastino said.

From The Sault Star

9/6 – Amherstburg, Ont. - The 25-year-old dream of a replica 19th century warship based in historic Amherstburg, Ont., luring tourists, offering sunset cruises and sailing lessons to youngsters, is finally dead.
The replica hull of the HMS Detroit was towed Wednesday from its longtime LaSalle berth at Dean Construction and is now headed to Rhode Island.

Amherstburg businessman Ryan Deslippe said the $339,000 (US) sale to Tall Ships Rhode Island formally closed Aug. 25 – almost exactly six years after the christening of the HMS Detroit on Aug. 24, 2002.
Tall Ships Rhode Island assumed all costs of arranging for the Toronto-based tug M.R. Kane to tow it through the Great Lakes to its new home, said Deslippe.

More than $1.5 million of federal, municipal, corporate and community donations went into the HMS Detroit project over its quarter-century history.

Deslippe and business partner Bob Sicolo came to the rescue of HMS Detroit with loans three years ago when more than $300,000 was still owed to Hike Metal Products of Wheatley, which built the steel hull for about $1.2 million.

Every conceivable idea for raising money to complete the project was canvassed in the past three years but nothing worked, said Deslippe. An estimated $4 million to $5 million was needed to complete the ship and build a permanent berth.

In a strange twist of history, the hull will be finished, renamed and used to commemorate U.S. maritime history -in particular the exploits of Oliver Perry, who led the small U.S. fleet on Lake Erie in the War of 1812 and captured the original HMS Detroit. Perry was educated in Newport and is buried there.

The Windsor Star

9/6 – Conneaut - The U.S. Coast Guard says the bodies of three boaters have been recovered after the watercraft they were in capsized off Turkey Creek near Conneaut, Ohio.

The Canadian Coast Guard picked up the initial mayday call from the boat, but could not pinpoint the exact location from which the distress signal originated. U.S. Coast Guard Command out of Buffalo took over the search with the help of crews from Coast Guard Erie and Ashtabula as well as from Air Station Detroit.

Two men wearing life jackets were eventually located about eight miles north of Conneaut. They were unconscious and not breathing when they were found. At around 11 p.m. Wednesday night a third boater was found in the water faced down. The identities of all three boaters have not been released.

The incident remains under investigation.

From WKYC-TV Cleveland

Updates - September 6

News Photo Gallery updated

On August 29, 1872, a storm struck Lake Erie. On September 6,1872, nine days after she set sail from Port Colborne for Detroit, the schooner J. W. SARGENT was listed as missing in the Detroit newspapers, probably a victim of that storm. Later on the same day that the newspaper announcement was published, the SARGENT arrived in Detroit. Captain William Simms stated that the storm drove him south to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he sheltered for a few days. He sent a telegraph message to the ship's owner but the news was not relayed to Detroit. The SARGENT only lasted another three months. In November 1872, a storm got her on Lake Erie.

The BADGER was launched on September 6, 1952, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. A christening ceremony included the SPARTAN (launched earlier that year). The BADGER was named in honor of the University of Wisconsin. The BADGER was built by Christy Corporation, and is powered by two Skinner 4 cylinder Steeple Compound Uniflow Marine Steam engines, developing over 7,000 horsepower. She was the last of the large, coal-fired steamers to be built in the United States, and the only ship of her type still operating on the Great Lakes. The BADGER offers seasonal passenger service from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from mid May to early October.

The BELLE RIVER began her maiden voyage when she loaded 56,073 long tons of western coal at Superior, Wisconsin, on August 31, 1977, and arrived at Detroit Edison Co.'s Belle River power plant at Recors Point on September 6, 1977. Renamed in 1990, she sails today as b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR.

On September 6, 1992, the H. LEE WHITE was in tow of the "G" tugs COLORADO and LOUISIANA entering the Trenton Channel when she struck a section of the toll bridge at Grosse Ile, Michigan, knocking down a 150 foot span immediately east of the main river channel. The WHITE was not damaged but a new section of the bridge had to be installed at a cost of $1.7 million. The bridge was back in service in late January, 1993. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated this casualty and their report states that it was the failure of the bridge tender to operate and open the bridge which caused this casualty. The Coast Guard found that the master of the WHITE was operating his vessel in a prudent and lawful manner including the use of whistle signals.

The CHARLES E. WILSON completed her sea trials in 1973. Renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000.

The GEORGIAN BAY collided with the steamer CHARLES HUBBARD in the fog-covered lower St. Marys River September 6, 1955.

On September 6, 1989, the twin screw rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS left Muskegon, Michigan, in tow of the tugs ANGLIAN LADY and PRINCESS NO 1, and arrived at Port Maitland, Ontario, on September 11th. Scrapping was completed in the fall of 1994.

On September 6, 1887, BLUE BELL (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 84 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1867, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying lumber from Wilt's Bay, Michigan, to Milwaukee when she missed the harbor entrance at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in a storm. She was driven ashore where she broke up. Her crew made it to the beach with the aid of the local U.S. Life Saving crew. The total loss was valued at $5,000.

On September 6,1871, the wooden schooner ROSA STEARNS, loaded with coal, was battling a storm for hours off Cleveland, Ohio. The ship was driven on the stone breakwater about 1 a.m. and was pounded to pieces. The crew jumped onto the breakwater and crawled to safety as the waves crashed over them.

Data from: Joe Barr, Jody L. Aho, Max S. Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

At the speed she is traveling, and barring any problems, that should put her at Quebec City, at 0500 hours Friday, with another pilot change at Trois Rivieres, Quebec, she should arrive at Montreal around 1700 hrs Friday.

9/5 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - Essar Steel Algoma Inc. has been dredging this month at Saw Mill Point on the upper St. Marys River. The company is building a new deep water dock at that location because there's currently insufficient draft at the Essar slip for most lake freighters to carry to capacity.

Chief Operating Officer Armando Plastino says dredging began late last month.

"The dredging contractor, Purvis Marine, has acquired new, state-of-the-art dredging equipment that provides for less sediment disturbance and features global positioning system (GPS) devices on the hoist. allowing for very accurate, targeted dredging," says Brenda Stenta, Essar's manager of corporate communications.

Essar is using silt curtains to ensure any sediment that may be disturbed will not be carried downstream. They are disposing of the dredged material in an approved landfill located on Essar property.

The permit, issued through a new one-stop-shopping process, included comments and input from all three levels of government and all appropriate agencies within those governments.

Essar Steel Algoma asked to dredge 89,000 cubic metres of sediment from its slip on the upper St. Marys River because of dropping water levels, rising shipping and receiving demands and expected production increases.

From Sault Today

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
Manistee expected Wednesday for the construction Aggregates dock was canceled.
The Wilfred Sykes backed in thru the pier heads at 4:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon with a load for Verplank's Dock in Ferrysburg.

Co-sponsored by BoatNerd.com and Diamond Jack's River Tours, a special five-hour voyage aboard the Diamond Belle will leave from Bishop Park in Wyandot at 10:00 am., Saturday, October 11.

Click here for reservation form.

Updates - September 5

News Photo Gallery updated

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.

On September 5, 1964, the 730-foot bulk freighter LEECLIFFE HALL sank after colliding with the Greek ocean vessel APPOLONIA in the St. Lawrence River.

The CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials on September 5, 1974, and then cleared the Collingwood shipyard on September 26th.

The BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain on her maiden voyage September 5, 1942 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co..

The J. P. MORGAN, JR. returned to service September 5, 1948, after repairs suffered in an accident in June.

The 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 cutters 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.

Data from: Joe Barr, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

9/4 - A tug in the Gulf of St Lawrence reported hearing a conversation between a Coast Guard aircraft and the J. W. Shelley. The Shelley reported leaving Brooklyn, New York, with a crew of 16, and the next port of call was Sept. Iles, Quebec. The tug crew member reported the J. W. Shelley 50 nautical miles behind the tug at noon Wednesday. The tug and her barge had departed Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec, proceeding to Forestville, Quebec.

Reported by Kent Malo

9/4 - LORAIN — Two recreational boats and a pier at Spitzer Marina were damaged when a freighter went off course in the Black River early Wednesday morning, according to the Ninth Coast Guard District.

The motor vessel Canadian Progress, a 730-foot dry bulk carrier, made a late turn while going up river about 2:30 a.m. in the area of Freshwater Drive and Arizona Avenue.

The late turn produced a wake which caused significant damage to the pier, according to the Coast Guard. The impact damaged docks nine through 15 and their walkways. The boat tied to dock nine was also damaged, the report said. No one was aboard the boat that was damage and no one else was injured.

Yesterday, Matt Edwards, general manager of Spitzer Marina, said there was definite dock damage, but could not offer an estimate at the monetary damage. “We came into this this morning,” he said. “(The freighter) hit where there was not any boats.”

The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing its investigation.

From the Lorain Morning Journal

Twin Ports - Al Miller
Early Wednesday morning found Canadian Ranger loading at CHS elevator in Superior. Nearby, the Buffalo was slowing proceeding into Fraser Shipyards for repair. The saltie Keizersborg was at the Duluth port terminal to unload wind turbines.

Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke
James R. Barker arrived Bay Shipbuilding mid-afternoon Wednesday. She was assisted stern first, from just north of the yard, by Selvick's tug Jimmy L.

South Chicago - Brian Z.
Algoma's Tim S. Dool loaded a cargo of petroleum coke at the Beemsterboer Dock Wednesday, bound for Quebec. Lower Lakes' McKee Sons also loaded a cargo at Chicago Fuels Terminal and was spotted outbound at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

9/4 - WALLACEBURG - The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans has completed extensive tests in Wallaceburg's Sydenham River for possible endangered species such as the rare hickory or round pigtoe mussels. None were detected in the stretch near the Don Truan (Base Line) Bridge and the Bruinsma Dock.

When dredging is completed this fall, it will enable resumption of barge service to Wallaceburg, once a busy port.

During late 2006, the tug Radium Yellowknife barged corn to Toledo ,while 2000 saw the tug Keewatin bring in stone on the barge Stone Merchant. Local officials hope the dredging of the Sydenham River will regain Wallaceburg's status as an inland port.

Reported by Al Mann

9/4 - CLEVELAND - David E. Lewis, 60, retired former shipping agent for many years at Cleveland, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly on August 30. Lewis represented Upper Lakes Shipping Group, Inc. and Seaway Marine Transport. He was the husband of Dorothy (nee-Hunt), and father of Trish.

Memorial service Saturday, Sept. 6, at Messiah Lutheran Church, W. 215 and Lorain Rd., Fairview Park at 11 a.m. The family will receive friends in the Dicicco-Berry Funeral Home, 23040 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake 3-9 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to Messiah Lutheran Church or Great Lakes Historical Society, 480 Main St., Vermillion, OH 44089

Reported by William Carle III

Updates - September 4

News Photo Gallery updated

On September 4,1889, the new steamer CHEROKEE (wooden propeller freighter, 209 foot, 1,002 gross tons) arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, from M. P. Lester's yard in Marine City, Michigan, for the Phoenix Iron Works in Port Huron to installed the engine and boiler. Her outfitting was then completed by Carleton and Cole of Port Huron.

On September 4, 1876, CITY OF PORT HURON, a wooden steam barge, sank a few miles off shore near Lexington, Michigan, at about noon. She was heavily loaded with iron ore and sprang a leak at about 11 o'clock. Most of the crew managed to get on top of the cabin while two were in the forward rigging as she went down in 6 fathoms of water. The heavy seas washed over those on the cabin. Captain George Davis and two others floated ashore on wreckage while a fish boat picked up the five others. No lives were lost.

Data from: Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

J. W. Shelley reaches Canso Causeway

9/3 - The J. W. Shelley passed through the Canso Causeway, which spans Cape Breton Island and mainland Nova Scotia, at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The 1968-built vessel, which formerly sailed the Great Lakes as Algocen, is reportedly returning to the lakes for further service after several years of use as a spoils barge on the U.S. East coast. In June she was reflagged Canadian and ownership was changed to Vanguard Shipping Ltd of Ridgeville, ON.

Port Reports - September 3

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The ATB Invincible/McKee Sons came in at 2 a.m. with a load of stone for Meekhof's D & M dock next to the power plant on Harbor Island in Grand Haven.
The Manistee is expected at 8 a.m. on Wednesday to take out a load of sand from the Construction Aggregates dock.

South Chicago - Steve Bauer
The Tim S. Dool was inbound, stern first, at the 92nd Street bridge Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m., with the assistance of the "G" tug South Carolina on the stern and the Colorado on the bow. Her destination was KCBX to load coal.

Update on Lake Superior outflow

9/3 - Detroit - The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, has set the Lake Superior outflow to 2,250 cubic metres per second (m3/s) (79.5 thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of September. This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of September and is a decrease from the August outflow, which was 2,460 m3/s (86.9 tcfs).

The September outflow will be released by discharging about 2,122 m3/s (74.9 tcfs) through the three hydropower plants and passing most of the remaining flow through the control structure at the head of the St. Marys Rapids. The gate setting of the control structure was decreased to the equivalent of one gate half open on September 2. As a result, the flow and water levels have decreased in the St. Marys Rapids.

This past month the water supplies to the lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron basins were well below their long-term averages for August. Lake Superior is currently 19 cm (7 inches) above its chart datum level.

The level of Lake Superior is expected to remain stable in September. Currently, the Lake Superior level is about 16 cm (6 inches) below its long-term average beginning of September level, but is 39 cm (15 inches) above the level recorded a year ago. This past month the level of Lake Superior fell 5 cm (2 inches), while on average the level rises by 1 cm (1/2 inch) in August.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron fell by 8 cm (3 inches) this August, while on average the level falls by 4 cm (2 inches) in August. The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 36 cm (14 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-September level, and is 19 cm (7 inches) higher than it was a year ago, and 18 cm (7 inches) above chart datum. The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is expected to decline in September.

Additional information can be found on the Internet at: http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/superior_lake/en/superior_home_accueil.htm  or, at http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/glhh

Updates - September 3

News Photo Gallery updated

Today in Great Lakes History - September 3

September 3, 1919, the WILLIAM A. McGONAGLE loaded a record 15,160 tons of soft coal at Toledo, Ohio for delivery to Gary, Indiana. The record lasted less than 24 hours as the D. G. KERR, Captain Harry Harbottle, loaded 15,532 tons of coal at the same Toledo dock for delivery to Gary, Indiana.

September 3, 1942, The 250 foot STEEL VENDOR, Captain G. L. Kane, sank at 3:45 a.m. on Lake Superior with a cargo of 3,000 tons of iron ore. The lone casualty was Oiler John N. Sicken. Twenty-two survivors were rescued by the CHARLES M. SCHWAB, Captain Alfred Drouillard, and 2 survivors were rescued by the WILLIAM G. CLYDE, Captain David M. LeRoy. Other boats standing by were the B. F. AFFLECK, ELBERT H. GARY, JOLIET, and EUGENE P. THOMAS.

September 3, 1957, the HARRIS N. SNYDER of the Boland & Cornelius fleet, Captain Elmer Murray and Chief Engineer Frank Mc Cabe, rescued 2 from the waters of Lake Michigan. Not only did the crew rescue Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Colby, but the crew used the unloading boom to recover their sailboat and place it on the deck of the SNYDER. The entire maneuver only required 55 minutes.

On September 3, 1899, the Great Lakes Towing Company's RED CLOUD (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 40 gross tons, built in 1883, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing on Lake Erie for Lorain, Ohio when a storm forced her to head for port at Cedar Point, Ohio. However she was thrown on a reef and broke in two - a total loss. The crew made it to Sandusky, Ohio.

On September 3, the BELLE RIVER (now WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR.) set a then Great Lakes record for coal when it loaded 62,802 tons of coal at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal on its maiden voyage. This record has since been surpassed many times.

At Lorain, Ohio keel laying ceremonies for the 437 foot bow section of the ROGER BLOUGH (Hull#900) took place on September 3, 1968, and was float-launched December 21, 1968, less ballast tanks because the existing dry dock wasn't wide enough to accommodate her 105 foot width.

SOODOC (Hull#210) of 1976, on her maiden voyage from Collingwood, Ontario, loaded salt at Goderich, Ontario, on September 3, 1976. Renamed b.) AMELIA DESGAGNES in 1990.

U.S. Steel's SEWELL AVERY was laid up for the last time September 3, 1981, at Superior, Wisconsin. She was towed to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1987, where the superstructure was removed and the hull was sunk for use as a dock.

The THOMAS W. LAMONT was laid up for the last time at Duluth’s Hallett dock #6A on September 3, 1981. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1987.

The H. H. PORTER sailed on her maiden voyage for the Brier Hill Steamship Co. (Pickands, Mather, mgr.) on September 3, 1920, light from Lorain, Ohio, to load iron ore at Two Harbors, Minnesota. Renamed b.) WALTER E. WATSON in 1957 and c.) NATIONAL TRADER in 1973. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1978.

On September 3, 1985, PHILIP R. CLARKE plowed into the Drawbridge Cove Marina in Lorain's Black River damaging 5-10 small craft and sinking one at the steel dock. CLARKE managed to stop before hitting the Route 6 drawbridge.

On September 3,1887, BULGARIA (wooden propeller, 280 foot, 1,888 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, by J. Davidson, as their hull number 16.

September 3, 1910 - The MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 (Hull#450) was launched in Cleveland, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for the Marquette & Bessemer Dock & Navigation Co. She was the replacement for the MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 of 1905, (Hull#428), which foundered on Lake Erie, December 7, 1909.

On September 3, 1869, the 167 foot wooden propeller BOSCOBEL burned about two miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Three lives were lost. The ship was only about two years old and was in service of the New York Central Railroad, though owned by the Peshtigo Lumbering Co. of Chicago. The burned hulk was raised in 1876 and rebuilt as a schooner-barge at Algonac, Michigan. She lasted until 1909, when she sank on Lake Huron.

Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

9/2 - Cape Cod - The J. W. Shelley (Ex-Algocen) was observed transiting the Cape Cod Canal Sunday around 2 p.m.

Reported by Bob Richards

Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
tug Karen Andrie and barge A-397 was unloading at the Noco Oil Product Terminal in Tonawanda on the Sunday evening. The pair departed around 10 a.m. for Toledo.
The installation of the exterior part of the new self-unloader hopper at the Lake & Rail Elevator seems to be pretty much complete as of Monday. The work equipment was still on the dock but it looked to be ready for a boat soon.

St. Joseph - Greg Barber
On Labor Day morning the Sam Laud entered the St. Joe breakwall at 7:30 in the morning with a load of stone for dock 63.

9/2 - Ishpeming -Cleveland Cliffs Inc. announced at 8:15 p.m. Sunday that work will continue unhindered at the Empire and Tilden mines.

From the Marquette Mining Journal

Updates - September 2

News Photo Gallery updated

Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

9/1 - NYC - The J. W. Shelley, the former Algocen, is reported to be returning to the lakes. She laid up for what was thought to be the final time in Montreal on January 4, 2005. Before the end of the month, her registry was changed with a new owner, Recycling Technologies, Inc. (subsidiary of Bayshore Recycling) in New Jersey. She was used as a spoils storage barge.

Though no official announcements have been made, her color scheme matches that of the Maritime Trader which is owned by Voyageur Marine Transport Ltd., also of Ridgeville, ON.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
BBC Plata was at the Midwest Terminals Dock on Sunday.
The tug Sea Service with the barge Energy 6506 was at the B-P Dock.
Calumet and Herbert C. Jackson, that were due into the CSX Docks to load coal on Sunday were cancelled out. The Calumet ended up at Marblehead, Ohio to load stone while the Herbert C. Jackson ended up at Sandusky, Ohio to load coal.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Docks has the Catherine Desgagnes and American Republic due in Tuesday followed by the Halifax on Wednesday.
The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Ore Docks has the Kaye E. Barker due in Monday followed by the CSL Assiniboine on Thursday.

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons
The barge Exiderdome with tugs Evans McKeil and Ivory Coast did not get underway Saturday as expected and were still sitting at Pier 51 Sunday afternoon.

Updates - September 1

News Photo Gallery updated

Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, James Neumiller, Jody L. Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.

Co-sponsored by BoatNerd.com and Diamond Jack's River Tours, a special five-hour voyage aboard the Diamond Belle will leave from Bishop Park in Wyandot at 10:00 am., Saturday, October 11.

Click here for reservation form.