|
Recent rains lead to higher Lake Superior water levels 1 0/31 - Duluth - Rainfall in October and late September has sent the level of Lake Superior way up in recent weeks, with the big lake now closer to normal water levels than it is to record low levels. Torrential rains have ended a 16-month-long drought in the region and have been pushing the level of the lake up over the past two months.Lake Superior is up 3.5 inches from this time last year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and is only a foot below normal. That's the closest to normal the lake has been in more than a year, after having been as much as 20 inches below normal earlier this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Research Laboratory hydrological graph for the lake shows Superior now about halfway to a normal level for this time of year, compared to record low levels seen in recent months. The lake set monthly records for low water in August and early September and appeared poised to break the all-time record low, set in April 1926, sometime next spring. But the drought ended rapidly and the lake has responded faster than expected, said Carl Woodruff, hydraulic engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District. “It’s still low. It’s just not nearly as low,’’ Woodruff said Monday. Duluth received 4.25 inches of rain in September, a quarter-inch above normal. In October, Duluth has received 6.8 inches of rain — an astounding 4.8 inches above normal. Duluth now is less than an inch short of moisture for the year, and more rain is in the forecast. From the Duluth News-Tribune |
|
Port Reports - October 31 Twin Ports - Al Miller Goderich - Jacob Smith Alpena & Stoneport - Ben & Chanda McClain On Sunday the Earl W backed into the coal dock slip at Lafarge and unloaded cargo into the storage hopper. Tuesday morning the tug G. L. Ostrander and barge Integrity was under the silos at Lafarge loading for Milwaukee. Once the Integrity departed the Buffalo came in to unload coal. The Buffalo was outbound in the bay around 6 p.m. The research vessel Spencer F. Baird was out and about, likely releasing fish in certain areas. At Stoneport on Tuesday there was uncommon visitor at the dock, the Algomarine. It loaded cargo throughout the morning. The Sam Laud was due later in the evening. Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Tonawanda - Tom |
|
Updates - October 31 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 31 On this day in 1984, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the International Railroad bridge at the Soo went askew and blocked boat traffic until 3:40 p.m., on 11/2/84. Twelve boats that were delayed up to 41 hours by the incident cost the operators an estimated $350,000. On 31 October 1888, A W LAWRENCE (wooden propeller tug, 72 foot, 51 gross tons, built in 1880, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) blew her boiler at 2:30 a.m. off North Point near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tug quickly sank. Four of the six aboard were lost. None of their remains were ever found. The tug MERRILL rescued the cook and a passenger. The LAWRENCE was owned by Capt. Mc Coy & Banner and valued at $5,000. CANADIAN EXPLORER's sea trials were conducted on October 31, 1983, on Lake Erie where a service speed of 13.8 m.p.h. was recorded. The EDWIN H GOTT was christened October 31, 1978. On October 31, 1973, the H M GRIFFITH entered service for Canada Steamship Lines on her maiden voyage bound for Thunder Bay, Ontario to load iron ore for Hamilton, Ontario. The GRIFFITH was rebuilt with a new larger forward section and renamed b.) RT. HON. PAUL J MARTIN in 2000. The CADILLAC was launched October 31, 1942, as a.) LAKE ANGELINE. ELMGLEN cleared Owen Sound, Ontario on October 31, 1984, on her first trip in Parrish & Heimbecker colors. On October 31, 1966, while down bound in the St. Marys River loaded with 11,143 tons of potash for Oswego, New York, the HALLFAX ran aground on a rocky reef and settled to the bottom with her hold full of water. She had grounded on Pipe Island Twins Reef just north of DeTour, Michigan. The CHARLES L HUTCHINSON, a.) WILLIAM C MORELAND, struck a reef the night of October 31, 1925 three miles south of Manitou Island, off the Keweenaw Peninsula, on Lake Superior. On October 31, 1983, the SYLVANIA was towed out of Toledo's Frog Pond by the harbor tugs ARKANSAS and WYOMING. She was handed over to the tug OHIO for delivery to the Triad Salvage Co., at Ashtabula, Ohio, arriving there on November 1st. Dismantling was completed there in 1984. Thus ended 78 years of service. Ironically the SYLVANIA, the first built of the 504 foot class bulkers, was the last survivor of that class. During her career with Columbia Transportation, the SYLVANIA had carried over 20 million tons and netted over $35 million. On 31 October 1883, CITY OF TORONTO (wooden passenger-package freight sidewheeler, 207 foot, 898 gross tons, built in 1864, at Niagara, Ontario) caught fire at the Muir Brothers shipyard at Port Dalhousie, Ontario and was totally destroyed. She previously had her paddle boxes removed so she could pass through the Welland Canal, and she was in the shipyard to have them reassembled that winter. On 31 October 1874, the tug FAVORITE was towing the schooner WILLIE NEELER on Lake Erie. At about 10:30 p.m., near Bar Point, the schooner suddenly sheered and before the tow line could be cast off, the FAVORITE capsized and sank. One life was lost. The rest of the crew clung to the upper works which had become dislodged from the vessel and they were rescued by the schooner's lifeboats. On 31 October 1821, WALK-IN-THE-WATER (wooden side-wheeler, 135 foot, 339 tons, built in 1818, at Black Rock [Buffalo], New York) was wrecked on Point Abino, on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie during a storm. She was the first steam-powered vessel above Niagara and her frequent comings and goings during her career were very much in the newspapers in Detroit but her loss was not mentioned not at all since this steamer was virtually the only source of news from the east. Her engine was installed by Robert Fulton himself. After the wreck, it went into the steamer SUPERIOR and later ran a lumber mill in Saginaw, Michigan. On 31 October 1880, TRANCHEMONTAGNE (wooden schooner, 108 foot, 130 tons, built in 1864, at Sorel, Quebec) was loaded with rye and sailing in a storm on Lake Ontario. She struck the breakwater at Oswego, New York head-on at about 3:00 a.m. She stove in her bow and quickly sank. The crew took to the rigging, except for one who was washed overboard and rode a provision box from her deck to shore. The Lifesaving Service rescued the rest from the breakwater. The schooner broke up quickly in the storm. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, 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. |
|
Twin Port security system coming 10/30 - Duluth/Superior - Jim Sharrow, facilities manager for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said he expects that by the start of the next shipping season, dockworkers in Duluth and Superior will need federal clearance to continue with their waterfront jobs. The Transportation Security Administration is launching its Transportation Workers Identification Credential, or TWIC, program in an effort to keep the nation’s ports secure from terrorist attack. Thirteen days ago, Wilmington, Del., became the first U.S. port to begin testing the new system. Longshoremen, truckers, mariners and others who have ready access to key port operations will be required to undergo background checks before they can be issued TWIC cards, complete with biometric identification in the form of electronic fingerprint scans. The cards won’t come cheap. Each will cost $132.50 and will remain valid for five years. Lose or damage one, and a replacement costs $60. Workers with valid merchant marine licenses will be eligible for a price break and can buy cards for $105.25. Developing the TWIC program has cost the federal government about $100 million, The program, which has encountered delays, by law was to have gone live at the nation’s 10 highest-risk ports by July and at 40 more by year’s end. Even though pilot testing of the system began Oct. 16 in Wilmington, key pieces of the network remain in development. For instance, the card readers that port facilities are supposed to use to authenticate TWIC ID cards have yet to be produced. In testimony before a congressional subcommittee earlier this year, TWIC Program Director Maurine Fanguy explained that developing a secure and fully integrated system has been a complicated challenge. “Technology programs always require comprehensive testing and TWIC is no different,” she said. “That is why we are focused on a rigorous program to flight-test TWIC before we go out to the ports. All the internal moving parts must work together, and they must work in combination to conduct accurate and timely security threat assessments. Rigorous performance testing is the only way to know for sure that TWIC is ready to go live.” Sharrow said he feels fortunate that the TWIC system won’t arrive in the Twin Ports until it has been tested elsewhere. “I’d rather have someone else go first and work the kinks out of it,” he said. “We breathed a sigh of relief when learned that we we’re not likely to be hit with this before the next shipping season.” The American Maritime Officers, a union representing merchant marine officers aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, has questioned the necessity of an entirely new credential and has instead recommended adding a biometric identifier to maritime licenses. If background checks reveal past convictions for violent or sexual crimes, they may be deemed ineligible to receive a TWIC card. Concerns also have been raised about false matches and inaccuracies to be found in the federal terrorist watch list. It is feared that these flaws could lead to the wrongful flagging and disqualification of applicants. Port facilities, too, could face a steep price associated with the TWIC program. By some estimates, they will need to invest $1.2 billion in additional security equipment to meet new federal standards. Jerry Fryberger, president of the Twin Ports’ Hallett Dock Co., sees massive security investments in bulk facilities such as the ones he oversees as misguided. “We don’t handle anything that’s hazardous or particularly sensitive,” he said, adding that the higher costs of shipping will be passed onto consumers. Sharrow acknowledged that, depending on how it’s implemented, the program could prove a burden to some Twin Ports facilities, but he said the U.S. Coast Guard has been working with dock operators to minimize any disruptions. “There will be growing pains, but I’m confident we’ll get by,” Sharrow said. Fryberger suggested that, instead of taking a wide-sweep approach, the federal government should focus on key infrastructure, such as the Soo Locks and the Welland Canal. Gary Nicholson, president of Lake Superior Warehousing Co. Inc., remains more resigned. Like them or not, he said the Twin Ports ultimately will need to comply with new federal standards. “We’ve all known this was coming,” he said. “It’s just another thing we have to deal with.” From the Duluth News-Tribune |
|
Port Reports - October 30 Cheboygan - Jon Paul Michaels Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Ashland - Chris Mazzella Saginaw
River - Todd Shorkey |
|
Updates - October 30 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 30 On 30 October 1863, TORRENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 125 foot, 412 gross tons, built in 1855, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Little Bay de Noc when she foundered in a storm on Lake Erie, 10 miles east of Port Stanley, Ontario. No lives were lost. On 30 October 1870, JOSEPH A HOLLON (wooden barge, 107 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1867, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was in tow of the tug CLEMATIS (wooden tug, 179 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The barge broke free and drifted off. The waves washed completely over her and the captain was swept overboard. Her cabins were destroyed. The next day the wife of the mate and another crew member were rescued by the bark ONEONTA (wooden bark, 161 foot, 499 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) and taken to Detroit, but the HOLLON was left to drift on the Lake. The newspapers listed her as "missing". Five days later the vessel was found and was towed into Port Elgin, Ontario. A total of four lives were lost: three were missing and the fourth was found "lashed to a pump, dead, with his eyes picked out. The tugs GLENADA and MOUNT MC KAY towed AMOCO ILLINOIS from Essexville, Michigan on October 30, 1985, and arrived at the M&M slip in Windsor, Ontario on November 1st. where she was to be scrapped. The Maritimers CADILLAC and her fleetmate CHAMPLAIN arrived under tow by the Dutch tug/supply ship THOMAS DE GAUWDIEF on October 30, 1987, at Aliaga, Turkey to be scrapped. The ISLE ROYALE (Canal Bulk Freighter) was launched October 30, 1947, as a.) SOUTHCLIFFE HALL for the Hall Corporation of Canada Ltd. (which in 1969, became Hall Corporation (Shipping) 1969 Ltd.), Montreal. On 30 October 1874, LOTTA BERNARD (wooden side-wheel "rabbit", 125 foot, 147 tons, built in 1869, at Port Clinton, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise from Silver Islet to Duluth when she foundered in a terrific gale off Encampment Island in Lake Superior. Three lives were lost. She was capable of only 4 miles per hour and was at the mercy of any fast rising storm. During a storm, the schooner ANNABELLA CHAMBERS was wrecked on the islands off Toronto, Ontario on 30 October 1873. One sailor was washed overboard and lost. The skipper was rescued, but he had the dead body of his small son in his arms. October 30, 1971 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 was laid up due to coal strike. She never sailed again as a carferry. On 30 October 1877, CITY OF TAWAS (3-mast wooden schooner, 135 foot, 291 tons, built in 1864, at Vicksburgh [now Marysville], Michigan as a sloop-barge) was carrying 500 tons of iron ore when she struck a bar outside the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan while attempting to enter during a storm. She drifted ashore with a hole in her bottom and was pounded to pieces. One brave crewman swam ashore with a line and the rest came in on it. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
|
Hamilton Port Authority curtails access to
harbour area 10/29 - Hamilton, Ont. - Post-9/11 security measures are closing a few windows on Hamilton Harbour. The Hamilton Port Authority, following dictates from Transport Canada, is fencing off many of its facilities and installing card-access locks, electronic gates and video surveillance systems to limit access. That means you won't be able to drive freely to the water's edge at Eastport along the Beach Strip, where the former Board of Hamilton Harbour Commissioners once maintained two public parkettes and viewing sites. And you may find it hard to reach the water at the foot of some streets in the bay front industrial area. Danny Slade, manager of marine operations, told city council this week the authority has begun to implement the measures and expects to complete them by year-end. After presenting a general outline, he said, "It would be prudent not to go into greater detail at this time." Linda MacDonald, operations vice-president and harbourmaster, said a public meeting to explain the impact would be held sometime in December. Ward 5 Councillor Chad Collins, whose east-end ward includes the Beach Strip, noted the harbour Remedial Action Plan calls for greater access and expressed concern over the Fisherman's Pier area and plans for a trail on the bay side of the sand strip. MacDonald said the authority would soon be inviting proposals for recreational-commercial development at Fisherman's Pier, but has to secure access to its shipping and industrial areas. "We will be controlling access to all of Eastport," she said. "There will be fencing." She told Collins the two formerly public viewing sites "will be part of the controlled facilities." Chain-link fencing has already gone up between Windermere Basin, which the city is developing as passive parkland, and the authority's road-rail bridge that connects Strathearne Avenue to Eastport across the basin mouth. When Councillor Terry Whitehead asked how the authority plans mesh with the city's vision of access to the waterfront for the general public, Mayor Fred Eisenberger mentioned that he and councillors Collins and Bob Bratina are on a liaison committee with the authority, though it has not met regularly. Councillor Brad Clark said he thought the port security measures were in keeping with tightened security around airports. From the Hamilton Spectator |
|
Port Reports - October 29 Hamilton - Eric Holmes Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Sarnia - Frank Frisk Holland - Bob VandeVusse Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Marquette - Lee Rowe |
|
Milwaukee Clipper to move to Mart Dock 10/29 - Muskegon - Almost 10 years after it was towed to a temporary site in Muskegon, the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper is returning to its original berth at West Michigan Dock & Market, joining LST-393 and the Port City Princess. Ray Hilt, president of S.S. Milwaukee Clipper Preservation Inc., said his organization has finalized plans to move the Clipper from the foot of McCracken Street to the Mart Dock. Plans call for the Clipper to be parked behind LST-393 and the Port City Princess. Ironically, the site is where the Clipper was based when it offered Muskegon-to-Milwaukee service for 39 years before being retired in 1970. Hilt expressed hope the Clipper could be towed to the new site before the end of the year, after the preservation group receives site plan approval from Muskegon and is given the OK by the U.S. Coast Guard to tow the vessel. Because the Clipper technically is considered a building, site plan review and approval is needed from the city's planning commission, he said. The pending move was announced Friday in Grand Rapids by Max McKee, president of West Michigan Dock & Market. The McKee family owned and operated the Clipper through its Muskegon-based Wisconsin & Michigan Steamship Co. "This is very exciting for us," Hilt said. "We're very pleased to see the Clipper going to a new home." Hilt said talks with McKee began in earnest in mid-summer and the two sides were able to hammer out a draft agreement in September. Hilt said McKee signed documents finalizing berthing arrangements Thursday, but details are not being publicly released under a confidentiality agreement. Hilt said the preservation association will be paying a dockage fee that falls within its limited budget. Hilt said the original ticket office, currently used by the Port City Princess, will be remodeled to sell tickets also for LST-393 and the Clipper. The announcement marks a decade-long effort to find a permanent site for the 361-foot-long Clipper. Ever since the ship was towed into Muskegon on Dec. 2, 1997, it has been "temporarily" berthed at the former Grand Trunk Railroad docks, now owned by Andrie Inc. Hilt said through the years, a number of sites for the ship have been considered. In 2004, the preservation group and the city agreed in principle to have the Clipper berthed at Hartshorn Marina. But the ship never moved because making it fully accessible at the site would have cost about $1 million. Hilt said the Mart Dock site does not require major dredging or any modifications to the seawall. Still, the preservation group faces the daunting task of having the Clipper meet building fire, safety and accessibility codes. The Mart Dock site most likely will require the eventual construction of a multi-story access tower off the port side of the ship to provide emergency exits and required elevator service. In addition, the site does not have a nearby supply of water or sewer. But the move is important because it finally gives the Clipper an address, a long-standing requirement for the preservation group to seek restoration grants. "This now allows us to seek grant funds," Hilt said. "The trouble is ... grants are not available right now because of the economy." The pending move also is important because it finally frees up the Grand Trunk property. Hilt said Clipper preservationists are grateful for Andrie Inc., which allowed the ship to stay for close to a decade. "If it weren't for the Andries, the Clipper could not have been saved," Hilt said. "Let's face it, we overstayed. It's time we moved." The Milwaukee Clipper's roots trace back to the turn of the 20th century and the Erie & Western Transportation Corp., a steamship company owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad that launched the steamship Juniata in December 1904. The ship that was to become the Clipper, the Juniata was launched eight years before the Titanic, and began regular service in May 1905. The ship sailed as the Juniata for 31 years, mostly between Buffalo, N.Y., and Duluth, Minn., before it was mothballed in 1937 because of its fire-prone wooden superstructure. In 1940, the Muskegon-based Wisconsin & Michigan Steamship Co. purchased the Juniata and converted it to the Milwaukee Clipper. The Clipper shuttled passengers and cargo from Muskegon to Milwaukee for 39 years before it was retired in 1970. The Clipper remained berthed in Muskegon for eight years before it was sold and towed to Chicago's Navy Pier as a floating attraction. In 1990, the ship was purchased by the Hammond, Ind., Port Authority, which attempted to make it into a centerpiece attraction for its large Lake Michigan marina. The Clipper was towed to Muskegon in late 1997 after being purchased by a nonprofit group now known as the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper Preservation Inc. The ship has been listed on the National Register of Historic Sites since 1983 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. From the Muskegon Chronicle |
|
Doug Fairchild/Boatnerd Memorial Fund The Board of Directors of Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping Online, Inc., the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting this website, has approved the establishment of a Memorial Fund to have a memorial bench installed in Rotary Park, at Mission Point, in Sault Ste. Marie in memory of the late Douglas Fairchild. Fairchild, who died unexpectedly in March, was a dedicated boat watcher and supporter of the Boatnerd website. He also had a great interest in the aviation industry, and shared his experiences and information with everyone he met. The permanent bench will be similar to the present memorial benches in Rotary Park and will be installed in this location favored by boat watchers and photographers from all around the Great Lakes. Donations should be made to the Boatnerd Memorial Fund, and mailed to Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping, 1110 South Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840-2239. Donations may be tax-deductible depending upon your individual circumstances. |
|
Updates - October 29 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 29 On this day in 1924, the LEONARD B MILLER collided with the GLENORCHY in the fog on Lake Huron. No lives were lost but the GLENORCHY sank and the estimated damage to the two vessels was $600,000. The whaleback Barge 127 (steel barge, 264 foot, 1,128 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Company of W. Superior, Wisconsin on 29 October 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at New Orleans, Louisiana. On 29 October 1906, the schooner WEST SIDE (wooden schooner, 138 foot, 324 gross tons, built in 1870, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pulpwood from Tobermory, Ontario to Delray, Michigan when she was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. There was no shelter and the vessel was lost about 25 mile off Thunder Bay Island. The skipper and his crew, consisting of his wife and three sons aged 10 to 18, abandoned in the yawl. They all suffered from exposure to the wind and waves, but luckily the FRANK H PEAVEY (steel propeller freighter, 430 foot, 5,002 gross tons, built in 1901, at Lorain, Ohio) picked them up and brought them to Port Huron, Michigan. ALGOLAKE (Hull# 211) was launched October 29, 1976, at Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd. for the Algoma Central Railway. On October 29, 1986, the JAMES R BARKER, who had suffered an engine room fire, was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J DE LANCEY and towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs. The pieced together CANADIAN EXPLORER (Hull#71) was christened on October 29, 1983, at the Port Weller Dry Docks. She was created from the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE and the stern of the CABOT. The stern of the EXPLORER is now the stern of the CANADIAN TRANSFER. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled on October 29, 1991, that Total Petroleum was responsible for the fire that destroyed the tanker JUPITER because of faulty moorings and exonerated the BUFFALO from primary responsibility. On the afternoon of October 29, 1987, while up bound with coal from Sandusky, Ohio, the ROGER M KYES, went aground on Gull Island Shoal in Lake Erie's Middle Passage and began taking on water. About 3,000 tons of coal was transferred to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC after which the KYES freed herself the next morning. Damage from the grounding required extensive repairs. She was renamed b.) ADAM E CORNELIUS in 1989. The tug portion of the PRESQUE ISLE departed New Orleans, Louisiana on October 29, 1973. The H C HEIMBECKER's last trip started at Thunder Bay, Ontario with a load of grain bound for Owen Sound, Ontario where, on October 29, 1981, it was discovered that one of her boilers was cracked. When unloading was completed on October 30th, the HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio for scrapping. On 29 October 1892, ZACH CHANDLER (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 194 foot, 727 gross tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying lumber from Ashland, Wisconsin in tow of the steamer JOHN MITCHELL when the two became separated in a northerly gale in Lake Superior. The CHANDLER was overwhelmed and broke up on shore about three miles east of Deer Park, Michigan. Five of the crew made it to shore in the lifeboat and the Lifesaving Service saved two others, but one perished. Three years earlier, the CHANDLER stranded at almost the same spot and sustained heavy damage. On 29 October 1879, AMAZON (wooden propeller freighter, 245 foot, 1,406 tons, built in 1873, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying "provisions" - 900 tons of freight plus 7,000 barrels of flour - from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. She struck the notorious bar off of Grand Haven in a gale and broke up. All 68 aboard survived. Her engine was later recovered. On 29 October 1880, THOMAS A SCOTT (4-mast wooden schooner-barge, 207 foot, 1,159 tons, built in 1869, at Buffalo, New York as a propeller) was riding out a storm at anchor one mile off Milwaukee when she was struck by the big steamer AVON (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1,702 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York). The SCOTT sank quickly. She had been bound from Chicago for Erie, Pennsylvania with 44,000 bushels of corn. Three of her crew scrambled onto the AVON while the seven others took to the yawl and were towed in by the Life Saving Service. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ plumb, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U 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. |
|
Port Reports - October 28 Sarnia - Frank Frisk Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Sturgeon Bay - Jeff Birch Bay City - Todd Shorkey |
|
Updates - October 28 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 28 On this day in 1939, the Pittsburgh steamer D G KERR, Captain H. D. McLeod, rescued six men from the cabin cruiser FRANCIS J H that was disabled and sinking on Lake Erie. On this day in 1953, the McKEE SONS loaded her first cargo of 17,238 tons of stone at Port Inland for delivery to East Chicago. Originally built as the C-4 MARINE ANGEL, the McKEE SONS was the first ocean vessel converted to a Great Lakes self unloader. On this day in 1978, a new 420 foot tanker built at Levingston Shipbuilding, Orange, Texas, was christened GEMINI during ceremonies at Huron, Ohio. The GEMINI was the largest American flagged tanker on the lakes with a capacity of 75,000 barrels and a rated speed of 15.5 mph. Sold Canadian and renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. On 28 October 1891, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) was dragged ashore off Fairport, Ohio by a strong gale. She was stranded and declared a total loss. However, she was salvaged and repaired in 1892 and lasted one more year. The CANADIAN PIONEER's maiden voyage was on October 28, 1981, to Conneaut, Ohio to take on coal for Nanticoke, Ontario. The CANADIAN TRANSPORT was launched October 28, 1978, for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. The FRED G HARTWELL (Hull# 781) was launched October 28, 1922, by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio for the Franklin Steamship Co. Renamed b.) MATTHEW ANDREWS in 1951. Sold Canadian in 1962, renamed c.) GEORGE M CARL. She was scrapped at Aviles, Spain in 1984. D M CLEMSON (Hull# 716) was launched October 28, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. CHARLES M WHITE was launched October 28, 1945, as a C4-S-A4 cargo ship a.) MOUNT MANSFIELD for the U.S. Maritime Commission (U.S.M.C. Hull #2369). On 28 October 1887, BESSIE BARWICK, a 135 foot wooden schooner built in 1866, at St. Catharines, Ontario as a bark, left Port Arthur for Kingston, Ontario with a load of lumber during a storm. For more than ten days, her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, a westerly gale drove her into the shallows of Michipicoten Island and she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was sheltered by local fishermen and then made it to the Soo in a small open boat. On 28 October 1882, RUDOLPH WETZEL (wooden propeller tug, 23 tons, built in 1870, at Buffalo, New York) was racing for a tow with the tug HENRY S SILL when her boiler exploded 12 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin. She quickly sank. All three on board were killed and none of the bodies were ever found. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, 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. |
|
Man dies after tug capsizes 10/27 - Byng Inlet - A Port Hope man died Sunday morning after the tugboat he was on capsized off the shore of Byng Inlet. Around 8 a.m. Sunday, Donald Orange, 65, of Port Hope, along with Bryan Hogg, 58, of Thornhill, Ronald Orange, 62, and Shawn Orange, 23, both of Penetanguishene, started to drive the 45-foot tugboat to Midland from where is was moored near the Sawmill Lodge. About four miles out, the tugboat started to take on water and eventually capsized after being struck by a wave that put the nose under water, said Britt and area fire chief Larry Olds. All four men were wearing lifejackets and swam for the aluminum boat they were towing, police reported. By the time Donald Orange was pulled into the boat he had no vital signs, said Mr. Olds. An autopsy to determine the cause of death was completed Monday, but results weren't released that afternoon pending notification of next of kin, said Kristine Dawson, West Parry Sound OPP community services officer. The men headed for the Sawmill Lodge where firefighters worked to revive Donald Orange for 90 minutes. The Britt and Area Fire Department were called to the scene at 11 a.m. The father of two was a member of the Newcastle Yacht Club and his sail boat was scheduled to come out of the water for the winter this past weekend, said Richard Christensen, commodore of the club. "He's kind and generous and always (willing) to help," said Mr. Christensen. From the Perry Sound Press Editor's note - This same tug sank while trawling off of Port Dover, Ontario on March 24, 1974. Her crew of two were both lost. Aletha B. was built as a fish tug by Russel Bros in Owen Sound in 1945. |
|
Port Reports - October 27 Toledo - Sheldon Rody Goderich - Menominee - Dick Lund Alpena -
Toronto - Charlie Gibbons |
|
Wisconsin gains 28th shipwreck on historic registry 10/27 - Algoma, Wi - The wooden schooner Daniel Lyons, which has
rested at the bottom of Lake Michigan for nearly 130 years, has been placed on
the National Register of Historic Places. From the Chicago Tribune |
|
Updates - October 27 News Photo Gallery updated Reserve Conversion Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 27 On this day in 1979, the MESABI MINER delivered her first cargo of coal to Port Washington, Wisconsin. The 21 foot draft restriction of the harbor limited the cargo to 39,000 tons. While in tow of the tug MERRICK on 27 October 1879, the NIAGARA (wooden schooner, 204 foot, 764 gross tons, built in 1873, at Tonawanda, New York) collided with the PORTER (wooden schooner, 205 foot, 747 gross tons, built in 1874, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) which was in tow of the tug WILCOX at the mouth of the Detroit River. The PORTER sank but was salvaged and repaired. She lasted another 19 years. The PAUL THAYER, was christened on October 27, 1973, at Lorain, Ohio. Renamed b.) EARL W OGLEBAY in 1995. While the JAMES R BARKER was up bound October 27, 1986, on Lake Huron above buoys 11 & 12, a high pressure fuel line on the starboard engine failed causing an engine room fire, which was extinguished by on-board fire fighting equipment. Fortunately no one was injured. On her maiden voyage the HOCHELAGA departed Collingwood on October 27, 1949, for Fort William, Ontario to load grain for Port Colborne, Ontario. The FRANCIS E HOUSE was laid up at Duluth, Minnesota on October 27, 1960, and remained idle there until April, 1966, when she was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland and was renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. On October 27, 1973, the HENRY LA LIBERT struck an embankment while backing from the Frontier Dock Slip at Buffalo, New York and damaged her steering gear beyond repair. As a consequence she was laid up there. The RED WING and the FRANK A SHERMAN departed Lauzon, Quebec on October 27, 1986, in tandem tow by the Vancouver based deep-sea tug CANADIAN VIKING bound for scrapping in Taiwan. On 27 October 1869, ALFRED ALLEN (wooden schooner, 160 tons, built in 1853, at Pultneyville, New Jersey as J J MORLEY) was bound for Toledo, Ohio with 500 barrels of salt when she went on the Mohawk Reef near Port Colborne, Ontario in a blizzard. She washed free and drifted to the mainland beach where she was pounded to pieces. No lives were lost. During a snow storm on the night of 27 October 1878, the propeller QUEBEC of the Beatty Line ran aground on Magnetic Shoals near Cockburn Island on Lake Huron. She was four miles from shore and one of her arches was broken in the accident. October 27, 1854 - Well-known Pere Marquette carferry captain Joseph "Joe" Russell was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U 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. |
|
Griffon mystery runs deep 10/26 - Traverse City - On its second voyage, the wooden ship Griffon sank and sparked a mystery that has spanned centuries. Built in 1679 north of Niagara, the 60-foot-long, 16-foot-wide ship was dispatched to Green Bay to load a rich cargo of furs. The largest cargo on the largest ship to ever sail the upper Great Lakes — in fact, the first European vessel to do so — vanished shortly after sailing. The disappearance launched a quest that has captivated countless historians, archeologists, divers and amateurs across the ages. Steve Libert is one of those bewitched by the French ship Le Griffon and he has spent 30 years searching for clues both above and below the waves. A senior intelligence analyst with the federal government who lives in the northern Virginia area, Libert discussed his odyssey Saturday evening at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center. His talk was part of the center's "Mysteries of the Lake: Lake Michigan Legends and Lore” exhibit, which runs through December 1. The event drew 125 people and also featured short presentations by Ken Vrana, president of the Center for Maritime and Underwater Resource Management and Richard Gross, a historical researcher from Schaumburg, Ill.. Bottom line: Libert believes that in 2001 he located the Griffon in Michigan waters off of the coast of Wisconsin. "I've been looking into the Griffon for 30 years and it's been a long road and a lot of hardships, I've lost a lot of money and been in a lot of danger,” he said. Although further exploration, documentation, confirmation and preservation of this promising wreck are tied up until the resolution of a federal court case with the state of Michigan, Libert shared what he has learned so far. The legendary French explorer Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle built the Griffon. La Salle envisioned that the Griffon's cargoes of furs would finance his explorations down the Mississippi River as he sought the river's end. The actions of La Salle, who eventually claimed the land west of the Mississippi that later comprised President Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase, are intricately tied to United States and Great Lakes history. Unraveling this mystery, Libert believes, will only deepen our understanding of the country's founding plus the purchase and development of land that comprises two-thirds of the land mass today. "I'm not a treasure hunter, I'm a historical shipwreck hunter,” said Libert. Gathering a team of like-minded people into the Great Lakes Exploration Group, LLC, of which he is the president, Libert has spent years sifting through historical documents, reading first-hand accounts of the ship's maiden voyage to Wisconsin and exploring miles of lake bottom in his quest. Six years ago, the team finally located what may be the bowsprit of the Griffon and other wreckage but has not explored further until the legal issues are settled. "I narrowed it down to a few square miles but it still took 14 years to find the vessel,” said Libert, who became entranced by the Griffon story when he was in eighth grade. "There have been about 52 discoveries of the Griffon and about 90 percent of them have been in Lake Huron.” The Huron Islands clue led those other explorers to the Great Lake of the same name but Libert looked at old charts and a journal wrote by Father Hennepin, who sailed on the maiden voyage. The information in these documents led him to western Lake Michigan and the area where he eventually found the promising artifacts. "How historians missed it, I have no idea,” said Libert. "That was probably one of the most significant factors for me looking where we did.” For more information visit the Griffon project website. From the Traverse City Record-Eagle |
|
Port Reports - October 26 Goderich - Dale Baechler Grand Haven - Dick Fox Toronto - Clive Reddin Lorain - C. Mackin |
|
Tugboat will go back to work in Twin Ports 10/26 - Duluth - A once-retired Great Lakes tugboat, the Forney, soon will return to service in a new home: the Twin Ports. The vessel has been purchased by a Knife River family with a deep ship-handling heritage.Mike Ojard and his sons, Pat and Vince, together purchased the Forney, which last saw service in Manitowoc, Wis., where it has been moored since 2004. The Ojard name is synonymous with tugboats. Mike’s uncle, Adolph Ojard, served as skipper of the Edna G. Mike’s father, Edward “Harvey” Ojard, served as the vessel’s chief engineer. The two brothers worked side by side for 20-plus years, until the Edna G. was retired in 1981. The tug is now a Two Harbors museum boat. (Adolph Ojard was the father of Adolph N. Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.) Mike Ojard, 61, went on to build his own business, London Auto Body, before retiring and handing it over to his sons five years ago. But he never completely turned his back on the marine service industry. “Tugboats have always been one of Dad’s passions since he was 4 years old, and now he’s doing what he always wanted to do,” Vince Ojard said. The Ojards had attempted to purchase the 64-year-old tug Lake Superior earlier this year from the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, but they were outbid by Bob Billington of Billington Construction Co. Vince Ojard declined to say what his family paid for the Forney but said it was significantly more than the $56,000 for which the Lake Superior sold. Mike Ojard plans to rename the Forney the Edward H., in honor of his father and in the style of the Edna G. Vince Ojard said his 19-year-old son, Vince, plans to join the crew of the Edward H. when it begins service in the Twin Ports early next year. If he does, he will become the fourth generation of the Ojard family to work aboard a Great Lakes tug. On Wednesday evening, the Forney had taken shelter behind a breakwater at Whitefish Point and was waiting out poor weather. Paul Von Goertz, a friend of Mike Ojard’s and member of his crew, said the tug set out Sunday morning and encountered rough conditions on Lake Michigan. The National Weather Service reported 12-foot seas at the time. “We’re still learning this tug, and we made a few mistakes. There were a few anxious moments,” said Von Goertz, recalling how the boat’s engine briefly conked out in treacherous waters. But Von Goertz said the Forney’s experienced crew responded adeptly and soon had the vessel restarted and back on course. The tug is powered by its original engine — an 850-horsepower Enterprise diesel. The 86-foot vessel was built in 1944 by a New Orleans shipyard. It served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fleet for many years until its retirement three years ago. Von Goertz said he hoped to leave Whitefish Point this morning, assuming the weather improves. If so, the Forney, with a maximum speed of about 10 mph, probably will reach Duluth on Friday. From the Duluth News-Tribune |
|
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service planned for River Rouge 10/26 - River Rouge, MI - A memorial service for the Edmund Fitzgerald will be held in Dr. Henri Belanger Park, in River Rouge, MI, on November 10, the anniversary of the famous sinking. The service will be held at the Mariners Memorial Lighthouse from at 6 to 8 p.m. The mailboat J. W. Westcott will be on hand to take out a wreath to be placed on the river. There will also be a plaque presentation, bell ringing, and lantern lighting. Refreshments will be served following the service. For more information call Tony Laginess at 313-595-6963. |
|
Updates - October 26 News Photo Gallery updated Reserve Conversion Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 26 On 26 October 1878, the new steamer CITY OF DETROIT (composite side-wheel passenger-package freight steamer, 234 foot, 1,094 gross tons, built in 1878, at Wyandotte, Michigan) arrived in Detroit from Cleveland with 276 tons of freight, mostly iron, on deck, and no freight in her hold. This experiment was tried to see if the steamer would show any signs of "crankiness", even under a load so placed. She responded well and lived up to the expectations of her designers. On 26 October 1882, the sunken schooner-barge NELLIE MC GILVRAY was dynamited as a hazard to navigation by the Portage River Improvement Company. She sank at the entrance to the Portage Canal in the Keweenaw Peninsula on 28 August 1882, and all attempts to raise her failed. LOUIS R DESMARAIS was christened October 26,1977. She was reconstructed at Port Weller Drydocks and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN in 2001. On October 26, 1968, the R BRUCE ANGUS grounded in the St. Lawrence River near Beauharnois, Quebec, sixteen hundred tons of iron ore were lightered to free her and she damaged 65 bottom plates. The HUTCHCLIFFE HALL and OREFAX were sold October 26, 1971, to the Consortium Ile d'Orleans of Montreal made up of Richelieu Dredging Corp., McNamara Construction Ltd. and The J.P. Porter Co. Ltd. On October 26, 1924, the E A S CLARKE of 1907, anchored in the Detroit River opposite the Great Lakes Engineering Works because of dense fog was struck by the B F JONES of 1906, near her after deckhouse which caused the CLARKE to sink. No lives were lost. On October 26, 1977, the MENIHEK LAKE struck a lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway sustaining damage estimated at $400,000. On October 26, 1971, the ROGERS CITY's, A-frame collapsed while unloading at Carrollton, Michigan on the Saginaw River. Her unloading boom was cut away and temporary repairs were made at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan. The tug ROUILLE was launched on October 26, 1929, as Hull#83 of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. The schooner HEMISPHERE, which was being sought by the U.S. Marshals at Detroit and the St. Lawrence River, escaped at the Gallop Rapids and has gone to sea. On 26 October 1851, ATLAS (wooden propeller, 153 foot, 375 tons, built in 1851, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying flour from Detroit to Buffalo when she was blown to shore near the mouth of the Grand River (Lorain, Ohio) by a gale, stranded and became a total loss. No lives were lost. On 26 October 1895, GEORGE W DAVIS (wooden schooner, 136 foot, 299 gross tons, built in 1872, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Erie when she stranded near Port Maitland, Ontario. A few days after the stranding, she floated off on her own, drifted two miles up the beach and sank. No lives were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
|
Cutter Mackinaw goes hunting for lake buoys 10/25 - Cheboygan - Another buoy season has arrived for the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw, which has departed for Wisconsin's Door Peninsula. Last week, the Mackinaw's crew completed a week of buoy-deck operations training conducted by the buoy-deck training team from the National Aids to Navigation School in Yorktown, Va. “Approximately 41 buoys will be pulled from Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and stowed for the winter in Cheboygan,” said Cmdr. John Little, the ship's captain. “Depending on the location and waterway, some of the buoys will be replaced with smaller, more ice resilient winter marks - which means that the chain and concrete sinker will remain on station in the lake. Others will be pulled entirely and will include the buoy, chain and sinker.” Little said that in most cases the buoys that the Mackinaw's crew will remove weigh more than 12,000 pounds each; the chain over 4,000 pounds and the concrete sinker in excess of 8,500 pounds. “This critical buoy-deck training involved classroom instruction and hands-on step-by-step procedures on our buoy-deck operations,” Little continued. “Actual buoys were shifted across the deck and placed over the side. The evolution is quite dangerous, especially when you add underway rolling and pitching experienced when working aids to navigation in the open Great Lakes during the ‘gales of November.' Little added that constant training and drills are part of life for Coast Guardsmen involved in buoy work. “It is imperative to hone these buoy-deck procedures pier-side before putting them into practice in the lakes,” Little said. “Once we begin the fall buoy run, the cutter will be working aids as far south as Gary, Ind., in Lake Michigan and Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron. The ship will also be removing all of the NOAA weather buoys from both lakes by the first week in December.” The buoy-deck training team was led by buoy-tending veteran Chief Warrant Officer Dave Merrill, who has more than 30 years of aids to navigation experience, including duties as a temporary new Mackinaw crewmember during last years fall buoy run. Merrill was assisted by Chief Boatswain's Mate Jason Wyglendowski, Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Chris Wilcox, and Boatswain's Mate 1st Class John Bagley. The Mackinaw will return in time for Friday's Haunted Ship display at the Millard D. Olds Memorial Moorings. By Mike Fornes for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune |
|
Port Reports - October 25 Twin Ports - Al Miller Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey & Stephen Hause The American Mariner was inbound Wednesday morning calling on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville to unload coal. She backed from the dock and out to Light 12 to turn Wednesday afternoon. Also on the Saginaw River are crews from both MCM Marine and Luedtke Engineering who are working on separate dredging projects. The tugs Kurt Luedtke and Gretchen B. Luedtke along with three barges arrived on the Saginaw River late Monday evening, tying up at the Essroc dock in Essexville. Toledo - Hamilton - Eric Holmes
Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer |
|
Collingwood-built vessel to be broken up 10/25 - Marine News, published by the World Ship Society, reported in the October edition that the self discharging bulk carrier Baron arrived at Alang, India on August 23 to be broken up. She had been built by Collingwood Drydocks in 1976 as Gypsum Baron. IMO No. 7356525. Reported by René Beauchamp |
|
Updates - October 25 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 25 On this day in 1975, a 96 foot mid body section was added to the ARTHUR B HOMER at Fraser Ship Yards, Superior, Wisconsin. The HOMER became the largest American flagged freighter to be lengthened. This modification increased her length to 826 feet and her per trip carrying capacity to 31,200 tons. On 25 October 1872, the crew of the small tug P P PRATT (wooden propeller steam tug, 14 tons, built in 1866, at Buffalo, New York), went to dinner at a nearby hotel while the tug was docked in Oswego, New York. While they were gone, the tug's boiler exploded. A large piece of the boiler, weighing about five hundred pounds, landed on the corner of West First and Cayuga Street. A six-foot piece of rail impaled itself in the roof of the Oswego Palladium Newspaper's offices. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The hulk was raised the following week and the engine was salvaged. On 25 October 1888, AMETHYST (wooden propeller tug, 14 gross tons, built in 1868, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire and burned to a total loss at Duluth, Minnesota. The ALGOBAY departed on her maiden voyage October 25, 1978, from Collingwood light for Stoneport, Michigan to load stone for Sarnia, Ontario. The STERNECLIFFE HALL entered service for the Hall Corporation of Canada on October 25, 1947. The HURON arrived at Santander, Spain October 25, 1973, in consort with her sister WYANDOTTE towed by the German tug DOLPHIN X. for scrapping. October 25, 1895 - SHENANGO NO 2 (later PERE MARQUETTE 16) was launched in Toledo, Ohio. She was built by the Craig Shipbuilding Company for the United States & Ontario Steam Navigation Company and later became part of the Pere Marquette carferry fleet. The engines of the propeller WESTMORELAND, which sank in 1854, near Skillagalee Reef in Lake Michigan, were recovered and arrived at Chicago on 25 October 1874. ARK was built on the burned out hull of the steamer E K COLLINS as a side wheel passenger steamer in 1853, at Newport, Michigan, but she was later cut down to a barge. On 25 October 1866, she was being towed along with three other barges down bound from Saginaw, Michigan in a storm. Her towline parted and she disappeared with her crew of 6. The other three tow-mates survived. There was much speculation about ARK's whereabouts until identifiable wreckage washed ashore 100 miles north of Goderich, Ontario. On 25 October 1833, JOHN BY (wooden stern-wheeler, 110 foot, built in 1832, at Kingston, Ontario) was on her regular route between York (now Toronto) and Kingston, Ontario when a storm drove her ashore near Port Credit, a few miles from York. Her terrible handling in open lake water set the precedent that stern-wheelers were not compatible with lake commerce. On 25 October 1887, VERNON (wooden propeller passenger/package-freight steamer, 158 foot, 560 tons, built in 1886, at Chicago, Illinois) foundered in a gale 6 miles northeast of Two Rivers Point on Lake Michigan. The death toll was estimated at 31 - 36. The sole survivor was picked up on a small raft two days later by the schooner POMEROY. He was on the raft with a dead body. Most casualties died of exposure. There were accusations at the time that the vessel was overloaded causing the cargo doors to be left open which allowed the water to pour in during the storm. This accusation was confirmed in 1969 (82 years after the incident) when divers found the wreck and indeed the cargo doors were open. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, 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. |
|
Stellanova loses steering 10/24 - The Jumbo, heavy lift vessel Stellanova, lost her steering while up bound for Toronto at calling in point 7 in the St Lawrence Seaway near Cornwall, Ontario, on Tuesday. Steering regained, Stellanova was ordered to go to anchor at St Zotique, Quebec, for further inspection. This is the same vessel that lost steering October, 14,2002 in the St. Lawrence Seaway at Kahnawake which resulted of Stellanova being in a frontal collision with the Canadian Prospector causing substantial damage to both vessels. By 10 p.m., Stellanova is heading West once more, after losing steering, the Jumboship heavy lift vessel was ordered to go to St. Zotique anchorage . The Netherlands registered vessel is bound for Toronto, Ontario. Reported by Walter Statham & Kent Malo. |
|
Port Reports - October 24 Goderich - Jacob Smith Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer Escanaba - Dick Lund |
|
Fines imposed for pollution spills 10/24 - Montreal – Two separate investigations by Transport Canada recently led to charges in Penal and Criminal Court followed by an imposition of fines. The Italian-flag ship Crystal Rubino and the Canadian-flag ship Catherine Desgagné were both found guilty of hydrocarbon pollution.Under the Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations and the Canada Shipping Act, Judge Pierre Fortin of the Montréal Criminal and Penal Court recently ordered the Crystal Rubino to pay a $15,000 fine for dumping six liters of hydrocarbon residues in the Saint Lawrence River. The discharge occurred April 18, 2004 when the Crystal Rubino was moored in the Port of Montréal and transferring hydrocarbon residues to a tank truck. On the other hand, Judge Anne-Marie Jacques of the District of Richelieu Criminal and Penal Court found the Catherine Desgagné guilty of dumping about 10 liters of oily water from its machine room bilges into the Saint Lawrence River. An $18 000 fine was imposed on the ship. The discharge occurred on July 24, 2004 when the ship was moored at the Sorel wharf. Transport Canada is committed to ensuring that commercial shipping operations in Canadian waters respect the environment and to prosecuting marine polluters whenever there is sufficient evidence. The penalties imposed by the courts serve as deterrents to potential polluters. In addition, under the Health of the Oceans Initiative, the Government of Canada strengthened its commitment regarding the national water strategy announced in the Budget 2007. With an investment of $61.5 million over five years, divided among five federal departments, the Health of the Oceans funds are designated exclusively to protect fragile marine ecosystems and Canada's ocean resources for coastal communities. Transport Canada will use its assigned amounts to increase protection of Canada's navigable waterways by fighting pollution from ships. Source - Transport Canada |
|
Indian firm buys Minnesota Steel; will build steel plant 10/24 - Nashwauk - A financial manager in Grand Rapids offered what’s become an often-heard comment about a $1.6 billion steel mill proposed on Minnesota’s Iron Range. “He was sitting next to me and he said: ‘I didn’t realize that this was going to be such a big project,’ ” said Peter McDermott, president of the Itasca Economic Development Corp. “It’s like a lot of other people. They don’t believe it until they see it.” On Monday, the largest industrial project in the history of the Iron Range gave residents one more reason to believe, taking one of its final steps toward completion. Essar Global Limited, a steelmaker based in India, bought Minnesota Steel Industries and its steelmaking facility proposed near Nashwauk. The project holds potential to transform the region by adding good-paying jobs, creating spinoff businesses, attracting new families to the region and boosting school enrollments. “I think this is pretty exciting, myself,” said Peter Kakela, a Michigan State University professor who studies the iron ore industry. “We’ve been importing about 10 million tons of steel slabs per year over the last 10 years. It would be great to have a domestic source.” “I don’t know if people understand what the magnitude of this is,” Marvin Vuicich, president of American Bank in Hibbing, said of the project. “It’s going to have an absolutely huge impact. It’s going to create a huge housing need in several Iron Range cities, increase property values, rental rates and create a huge need for workers. Maybe it’s going to be a way to keep more young people on the Range.” Minnesota Steel officials would not comment on the sale price. However, the
transaction means construction of the mammoth project probably will begin
early in 2008. “Essar Steel is a global conglomerate and is now going to take
the project to successful fruition,” said Steve Hicks, Minnesota Steel vice
chairman. “Yes, they will be able to construct the project.” Full financial
closure for the steel plant, in which Essar would secure $1.6 billion for
construction, is expected by January. To be built on about 20,000 acres west of Nashwauk and north of Highway 169, the operation would include a new open-pit taconite mine; crushing, concentrating and pelletizing plants; a direct-reduced iron facility; and a steel slab plant capable of producing 2.5 million tons of slabs a year. Steel slabs produced at the plant would range in size from 45 inches to 96 inches wide, 8 to 10 inches thick, and 12 to 30 feet long. Slabs would be shipped by rail to North American steelmakers to be reheated and rolled into steel products. North American steelmakers have been importing steel slabs for years from plants in Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and Mexico. The Itasca County plant would give North American steelmakers access to domestically manufactured steel slabs that company officials say would be produced at the lowest cost in the world. “We haven’t seen anything like this in 100 years,” McDermott said. “Frankly, I see this as the tipping point. Our economy has been flat for 25 years. In the 1980s, our average wage per job [in Itasca County] was more than the state average. But we’ve lost mining and wood products jobs. Now, our average wage per job is $30,779 and the state average is $41,244. This is something that gets the news out to young people who have left the area that there are jobs here.” Itasca County once was a hotbed of natural iron ore mining, in which high-quality iron ore that required little processing was removed from the Earth. But depletion of the high-grade ore led to the closure of nearly all Itasca County mines. Mining and processing of lower-grade taconite ore replaced natural ore mining, but most taconite plants are east of Itasca County. Today, layoffs at wood products plants and other employers within the county have translated into an Itasca County unemployment rate of about 6.4 percent, McDermott said. “We have a high level of unemployment in our area and have been deemed by the state to be a distressed county,” McDermott said. “We need these mining jobs.” Phase I construction at the steel plant would produce about 1.25 million tons of steel slabs annually. Essar announced a $1.5 billion deal on April 16 to acquire Algoma Steel, a Sault St. Marie, Ontario, steelmaking facility. Two days later, Essar announced the deal to acquire Minnesota Steel. Slabs produced at the steel plant could help feed Algoma. Algoma produces sheet steel shipped to U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford. Because the site near Nashwauk has access to two rail lines, water transportation routes and natural gas from Canada, it offers Essar key advantages, Hicks said. Butler Taconite operated a taconite plant at the proposed steel site from 1964 until 1985, when the plant was torn down after a bankruptcy. Before that, natural ore mining had occurred on the proposed steel site since 1902. Much of the land the steel plant will be built on is abandoned Butler Taconite property such as mining dumps and an old tailings basin. An estimated 1.4 billion tons of high-quality iron reserves remain at the site. That’s enough feed for the steel plant to operate for about 100 years. Mining, processing and producing steel at a single site would make the facility the world’s lowest-cost producer of steel, company officials say. A 600,000 metric ton-per-year iron nugget plant also is in development near Aurora. Steel Dynamics of Fort Wayne, Ind., will own and operate the plant. That plant would be the first of its kind in the world. “Both [the steel and nugget plant] are starting out kind of small, but they’re both pretty high up the value chain,” Kakela said. “It’s new stuff. It’s the first time in 40 years that anything new has been made of Iron Range ore.” From the Duluth News-Tribune |
|
Erie Canal recovers from last year's dismal boating season 10/24 - Rochester, NY - Rebounding from a dismal boating season in 2006, the Erie Canal has had one of its best in recent years, officials say, despite an earlier-than-planned closing next month. Through September, 132,838 boats had gone through a canal lock this year, up nearly 30 percent from 102,364 for the same period in 2006, when much of the canal was closed for six to eight weeks due to flooding. This year's total is even 2 percent higher than that for the same time in 2005, considered a good year for canal traffic, when 129,699 boats entered a lock. "Marinas and businesses say it's the best year they've had in decades," said Canal Corp. Director Carmella Mantello. "They were devastated by flooding and rains last year. This year, they have completely bounced back and more." On Oct. 8, state officials announced that the typical closing date of Nov.
15 would be moved up to Nov. 7 for commercial traffic and Nov. 1 for
recreational boaters due to persistent dry weather in the Mohawk Valley. The
earlier closing won't affect Lee Poinan, who owns and operates the Colonial
Belle, a boat that offers daily dining excursions on the canal from Fairport.
His last cruise is scheduled on Oct. 31. "We've been told we have to be out of
here by the 7th," Poinan said. About five miles to the east at Macedon Landing in Wayne County, Dan Wiles,
part of a family that owns Mid-Lakes Navigation in Skaneateles, Onondaga
County, was busy power-washing the hulls of canalboats taken out of the water
for the season. His sister, Libby Wing, said rentals of 11 packet boats this
year were popular. "The tourists are taking advantage of the canal more," she
said. This year's problem was a lack of water. The Hinckley Reservoir, which
straddles Herkimer and Oneida counties, provides drinking water for that
region as well as being a major source for water in the canal. When the
reservoir reached drought levels this summer, Oneida County declared an
emergency. "We went to water conservation measures," Mantello said. Locks were
opened only once an hour, the first time that had been done since a drought in
1980. "Every time you open the lock and close it, it's releasing 1.5 million
gallons of water," she said. Water will remain in the canal for about two weeks after it closes as workers remove buoys and winterize floodgates and dams. Fishing and private boating will still be allowed, but the lift bridges and locks won't be operating. More than 680 boats docked overnight this season at Brockport's Welcome Center on the canal, the most in the center's three years of operation, said volunteer Charlene Whipple. The center closed for the season earlier this month. "There were so many nice people from all over the world," Whipple said. "I saw one boat that said 'Hamburg' on the back of it; I assumed they were from the Hamburg here (in Erie County). But they said they were from Hamburg, Germany, and left in 2000 to travel to all of the places they wanted to visit." Gary Rainey of Erie Pa., spent five days this summer taking his 42-foot boat, Panache, from Newport, R.I., up the Hudson River and through the canal to Lake Erie. It was his first trip on the canal and, he said, likely not his last. "It was wonderful," Rainey said. "It's well-maintained, and the lock tenders and all the employees are so courteous. They really want you to use the canal." Rainey said the only possible downside of travel on the canal is the 10 mph speed limit in most sections. "It gives you plenty of time to watch the world go by," he said. "It's a very pretty ride." From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |
|
Updates - October 24 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 24 On 24 October 1886, the wooden steam barge RUDOLPH burned on Lake St. Clair and was beached. She was loaded with lumber from East Saginaw, Michigan for Cleveland, Ohio. On 24 October 1902, W T CHAPPELL (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 39 gross tons, built in 1877, at Sebewaing, Michigan) was carrying stove wood from Grand Marais, Michigan to the Soo in a severe storm on Lake Superior when she sprang a leak. She was blown over and sank 4 miles from the Vermillion Life Saving Station. The Life Saving crew rescued the 2-man crew in the surf boat and took them to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse for the night since the storm was so severe. The THUNTANK 6 (Hull#309) was launched October 24, 1969, at Wallsend, England by Clelands Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., for Thun Tankers Ltd., London, U.K.. Renamed b.) ANTERIORITY in 1972. Purchased by Texaco Canada in 1975, renamed c.) TEXACO WARRIOR. Sold off-lakes in 1984, renamed d.) TRADER, e.) SEA CORAL in 1985, f.) TALIA II in 1985, g.) TALIA in 1985, STELLA ORION in 1995 and h.) SYRA in 2000. The PHILIP D BLOCK along with the W W HOLLOWAY scrap tow arrived at Recife, Brazil. October 24, 1986. The THOMAS W LAMONT and her former fleet mate, ENDERS M VOORHEES arrived at Alegeciras, Spain on October 24, 1987, on the way to the cutters torch. The LAMONT was one of the last bulkers that retained her telescoping hatch covers to the very end. The NIPIGON BAY arrived Thunder Bay, Ontario on October 24, 1980, where repairs were made from damage caused by her grounding earlier in the month On 24 October 1855, ALLEGHENY (wooden propeller, 178 foot, 468 tons, built in 1849, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm, when she anchored near the Milwaukee harbor entrance for shelter. She lost her stack and then was unable to get up steam and was helpless. She dragged her anchor and came in close to the beach where she was pounded to pieces. There was no loss of life. Her engine and most of her cargo were removed by the end of the month. Her engine was installed in a new vessel of the same name built to replace her. On 24 October 1873, just a month after being launched, the scow WAUBONSIE capsized at St. Clair, Michigan and lost her cargo of bricks. She was righted and towed to Port Huron, minus masts, rigging and bowsprit, for repairs. On 24 October 1886, LADY DUFFERIN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 135 foot, 356 gross tons, built at Port Burwell, Ontario) was lost from the tow of the propeller W B HALL and went ashore near Cabot Head on Georgian Bay. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a total loss. On 24 October 1953, the Yankcanuck Steamship Lines' MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1,558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J S KEEFE) ran aground south of the channel into the Saugeen River. The tug RUTH HINDMAN from Killarney pulled her free. No damage was reported. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, 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. |
|
Great Lakes Center Captain Dies While Diving 10/23 - Buffalo - John J. Freidhoff, lead boat captain and field station manager for Buffalo State College’s Great Lakes Center for Environmental Research and Education, died Friday while scuba diving in Lake Ontario near Brockport. Freidhoff, 46, of Angola, was pulled from the bottom of the lake about 1 p.m. and taken to Lakeside Hospital in Brockport, where he died, Monroe County sheriff’s spokesman John Helfer told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Freidhoff, a Coast Guard reservist who was scuba diving with colleague Caleb P. Basiliko, was found with his mask off. The two men were attempting to retrieve sensing equipment used for research by Brockport State College’s Department of Environmental Science and Biology, according to Buffalo State officials. Rochester media reports indicated the equipment was lost when a cable snapped two weeks ago in lake waters about 100 feet deep. Freidhoff, who was affectionately known as “Capt. John,” was a certified scuba diver and a licensed boat captain. In 2004 he was nominated as Coast Guard Junior Officer of the Year “for his outstanding performance of duty.” “He will be remembered for his dedication to improving the environment and for helping to make the Great Lakes Center an important resource for not just Buffalo State College but also for the Western New York/Southern Ontario region,” according to a statement by Phyllis Camesano, public relations director at Buffalo State. “Buffalo State College extends its deepest condolences to Capt. John’s family and friends throughout the community.” A native of Cambria County, Pa., Freidhoff was a 1986 graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pa. Besides his work at Buffalo State College, the father and husband was active in the Angola community as a volunteer for the Lake Erie Beach Fire Department, a Cub Scout leader, softball coach and church youth leader. From the Buffalo News |
|
Port Reports - October 23 Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Grand Haven - Dick Fox Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Marinette - Dick Lund Alpena & Stoneport - Ben & Chanda McClain Calumet - Port Colborne Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Owen Sound - Peter Bowers |
|
Updates - October 23 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 23 On this day in 1949, the new Canada Steamship Line steamer HOCHELAGA successfully completed her sea trials in Georgian Bay. She departed Collingwood the next day to load her first cargo of grain at Port Arthur. On 23 October 1887, the small wooden scow-schooner LADY ELGIN was driven ashore about one mile north of Goderich, Ontario in a severe storm that claimed numerous other vessels. By 26 October, she was broken up by the waves. The CARL GORTHON, was launched October 23, 1970, for Rederi A/B Gylfe, Helsingborg, Sweden. Sold Canadian in 1980, renamed b.) FEDERAL PIONEER and c.) CECILIA DESGAGNES in 1985. In 2000, she was used as a movie set, unofficially renamed LADY PANAMA. The rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS was launched October 23, 1926, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the Grand Trunk-Milwaukee Car Ferry Co., Muskegon, Michigan. She entered service in December of 1926. WILLIAM B SCHILLER (Hull#372) was launched October 23, 1909, at Lorain, Ohio for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. October 23, 1953 - The steamer SPARTAN arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain Harold A. Altschwager was in command. On 23 October 1868, F T BARNEY (wooden schooner, 255 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) collided with the schooner TRACY J BRONSON and sank below Nine Mile Point, Northwest of Rogers City in Lake Michigan. The wreck was found in 1987, and sits in deep water, upright in almost perfect condition. On 23 October 1873, the wooden steam barge GENEVA was loaded with wheat and towing the barge GENOA in a violent storm on Lake Superior. She bent her propeller shaft and the flailing blades cut a large hole in her stern. The water rushed in and she went down quickly 15 miles off Caribou Island. No lives were lost. This was her first season of service. She was one of the first bulk freighters with the classic Great Lakes fore and aft deck houses. On 23 October 1883, JULIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 89 foot, 115 gross tons, built in 1875, at Smith's Falls, Ontario) was coming into Oswego harbor with a load of barley when she struck a pier in the dark and sank. No lives were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Russ Plumb, 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. |
|
Ice-cutting fees may prompt ferry shutdown 10/22 - Marine City - Southern St. Clair County residents and tourists traveling to Canada may have to go the long way around - through Port Huron and over the Blue Water Bridge - to get to Ontario and back. The Bluewater International Ferry, which is located just east of state highway M-29, provides the fastest, most convenient rout to Canada; but, due to high marine service fees, ferry management is threatening to close for the winter. The Canadian-owned Bluewater Ferry docks in Sombra, Ontario, and Marine City. Ferry manager Capt. Morgan Dalgety said exorbitant ice-breaking charges from the Canadian Coast Guard's Oceans and Fisheries Division are putting a financial squeeze on the company. To make matters worse, Dalgety doesn't believe the ferry is receiving any benefits from the Coast Guard's services. He also believes the freighters that regularly pass through the area - which don't pay any de-icing fees - get preferential treatment from the Canadian Coast Guard. Ice-cutters routinely escort freighters through ice-jammed waters, he said, yet they won't clear a path from Sombra to Marine City for the ferry. "We were told they go across the channel, but they don't go up and down," Dalgety said. Currently, he is in litigation with the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa for refusing to pay $168,000 in ice-breaking fees for the past three years. The ferry company is claiming financial hardship. "We make our money in the summer from tourists, vacationers and cottagers; but we lose money through the winter," Dalgety said. "It might be cheaper for us to lay the boat up in the winter."Authorities are in the process of investigating and "rethinking" the situation, he added. Marine City Commissioner Tony Wren owns the duty-free store at the city's ferry dock. He and many other local Marine City businesses will be greatly impacted if the ferry does not keep running in the winter, he said. "If the ferry closes, this will have a serious impact on the retail economy of Marine City. Not only will I have to lay off six people but also our bars, restaurants and antique shops will suffer," Wren said. "The village of Sombra, on the Canadian side, will suffer even more as they rely on U.S. business." Jaime Caceres, manager of the Canadian Coast Guard's Central-Artic Marine
Division, agreed the fees are expensive and said the Coast Guard is working to
come to "some kind of arrangement" due to Dalgety's present circumstances.
Each time the Canadian Coast Guard goes out, shipping companies and other
commercial operations along the waterway are charged $3,100, he said. In
defense of the fees, Caceres said ice-breaking rates for marine businesses
operating in the Great Lakes region are only about 10 percent of coast guard
costs. Caceres agreed that the CCG's efforts to help one region sometimes makes it worse for another. "Lake Huron is not a small lake," he said. "When the weather conditions are shifting, working in concert with the U.S. Coast Guard, we try to break the ice the best we can to keep the shipping channels as clear as possible. We also get information from the ice services and work with the regional operations center in Sarnia. In the end, we have to assess our information and plot a particular route." CCG Superintendent of Operations Sam Babisky also explained the service they perform with a bigger picture in mind. "The waterway here is at the southern base of Lake Huron," he said. "It creates a lot of ice flow from the shorelines." Although the current moves quickly, he said, ice starts to build up while the water is still moving underneath. "It builds up like a glacier," Babisky said. "Left on its own, the ice would scour the shoreline, breaking up docks, boathouses and houses. Ice is tremendously powerful if it builds up enough weight. "Our primary responsibility is to keep the channel open, flushing it into Lake Erie; keeping it flowing so that it does not destroy shoreside property at facilities on the riverbank." According to Babisky, the CCG's efforts directly benefit the ferry whether they realize it or not. "It's hard to see when you're fixed in one spot. He doesn't see the ice banking in front of his ferry, but it's because we are flushing the ice so it never builds up," he said. "It's not an act of God when the waterway is open." He added that while marine operations have a right to the benefits of Coast Guard icebreakers, they are not able to service ferry docks where the water is not deep enough to navigate the cutters. "We can't go in shallow water under 18 feet. We get as close to the shore as we possibly can," Babisky said. "We also can't get in at the Algonac ferry. They might have to use a little tug." The Coast Guard monitors conditions using radar satellite photography, long
before the river plugs up, Babisky said. The equipment checks water and air
conditions 24 hours a day and provides the latest marine forecast. The information is available to all shippers and carriers doing business or
traveling the waterways - all part of the marine service fee. "We have 45
full-time marine clients," he said. "Shipping, salt and steel companies, tugs,
coal ports and coal shippers are using our service." He added that the
forecasting service is also available at no extra charge to the Bluewater
Ferry to help them prepare for crises or holdups due to the weather. |
|
Port Reports - October 22 Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
Marquette - Lee Rowe Owen Sound - Peter Bowers Goderich - Dale Baechler
Twin Ports - Al Miller |
|
Fitzgerald memorial service scheduled 10/22 - Whitefish Point - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will host the annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial Service on November 10, at the Whitefish Point museum. The service will begin at 7:00 p.m. and a reception will follow. Additional information is available at the Society's website. |
|
Dossin Museum to host Lost Mariners Remembrance 10/22 - Detroit - On November 10, 1975, the Great Lakes ore
freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a furious storm off Whitefish Point in
Lake Superior, taking the lives of all 29 crewmen. Another ore freighter,
William Clay Ford, was the first boat to arrive on the scene. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here. |
|
Detroit Marine Mart planned for December 8 10/23 - Detroit - The Detroit Historical Society will host an annual
marine mart on Saturday, December 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Grosse
Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms. |
|
Updates - October 22 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
|
Today in Great Lakes History - October 22 On 22 October 1903, while being towed by the GETTYSBURG in the harbor at
Grand Marais, Michigan in a severe storm, the SAVELAND (wooden schooner, 194
foot, 689 gross tons, built in 1873, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was torn away
and thrown against some pilings which punctured her hull. She sank to her main
deck and was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. No lives were lost. |
|
Port Reports - October 21 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons
|