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Ice Trials Canceled 2/28 - Cheboygan - The new U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw is all dressed up with nowhere to go. The newest icebreaker in the fleet, looking for an opportunity to experience training in difficult ice conditions, has found none during the warmest overall winter temperatures in years in the Straits of Mackinac area. With a “Charley” maintenance period ending, the ship's crew has given up on hard-core icebreaking for this year, but departed Monday for more familiarization training. “Ice trials are officially canceled, as they were. There's just not enough ice,” said Ensign Matthew Kempe, the ship's public affairs officer. “We even looked at a trip up the St. Lawrence Seaway but it's a two-week trip one-way. So they're planning on doing ice trials next year.” The Mackinaw's operational plans include getting underway today for two weeks, going to Sault Ste. Marie and cruising the St. Mary's River get to know the area a little more. It will be the new Mac's fifth trip out from the Millard D. Olds Memorial Moorings since arriving in Cheboygan Dec. 17. Even if ice conditions change, Kempe doesn't think the crew will get any real icebreaking calls since the ship isn't officially commissioned until June 9. “We're sort of on our own for training and certification purposes leading up to commissioning until then,” he explained. “We're still very new at this, remember, so we probably won't be asked to break ice. It will be a matter of opportunity, but I don't think we'll be officially tasked with Operation Taconite. We could take an emergency call if it made sense geographically and the (original) Mackinaw was too far away or something.” The new icebreaker will also make a fuel stop at Rogers City at some point. Familiarization training, docking, departures and arrivals will be of immediate concern to perfect the art of handling all aspects of the new ship. “That sort of thing is so important,” he said. “The Mackinaw's crew will concentrate on basics for now. For instance, we've found that gale force winds affect this ship greatly because of our large sail area.” The vessel's eventual secondary duties of buoy-tending have also been postponed until well after commissioning day. “We're not supposed to get into buoy work until fall,” Kempe added. “A buoy and deck-training team from Yorktown, Va., will be here in April to evaluate our abilities and teach us how to do it. We'll get a certification in handling buoys and then assist with seasonal change out this fall.” According to Kempe, the recently concluded maintenance duties were as routine as could be for a new vessel loaded with high-tech equipment. “We got a lot of stuff done on the bridge, some software upgrades and things like that,” Kempe said. “We had some manufacturers representatives on board." From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Boatnerd Calendar of Events The Boatnerd Calendar of Events has been started for 2006. If your organization would like to be listed, please use the handy form available on the Calendar of Events page. Click on the icon in the upper right corner, or send the information to news@boatnerd.net |
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Season is Coming. Are You Ready? Only 25 Days until the Soo Locks open for the season. Only 122 days until Engineer's Day 2006 and the Annual Boatnerd Gathering. Do you have your Boatnerd logo stickers? Click here to order today. http://www.boatnerd.com/clothes/sticker.htm |
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Gatherings Scheduled Five Boatnerd Gatherings have already been scheduled for the 2006 season, beginning June 3 in Port Huron. Click here for details. http://www.boatnerd.com/gathering/default.htm Have you made your reservations? |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 28 The VENUS (steel propeller bulk freighter, 346 foot, 3,719 gross tons) was launched on 28 February 1901, by the American Ship Building Company (Hull #307) at Lorain, Ohio for the Gilchrist Transportation Company, converted to a crane-ship in 1927. She was renamed b.) STEEL PRODUCTS in 1958, and lasted until 1961, when she was scrapped at Point Abino, Ontario, the spot where she has run aground and partially sunk while being towed for scrap. The light house tender MARIGOLD (iron steamer, 150 foot, 454 gross tons, built in Wyandotte, Michigan) completed her sea trials on 28 February 1891. The contract price for building her was $77,000. After being fitted out, she was placed into service as the supply ship to the lighthouses in the Eleventh District, taking the place of the WARRINGTON. The MARIGOLD was sold in 1947, converted to a converted to dredge and renamed MISS MUDHEN II. The rail ferry INCAN SUPERIOR (Hull#211) was launched February 28, 1974, at North Vancouver, British Columbia by Burrard Drydock Co. Ltd. She operated between Thunder Bay, Ontario and Superior , Wisconsin until 1992, when she left the Lakes for British Columbia, she was renamed b.) PRINCESS SUPERIOR in 1993. OUTARDE was launched February 28, 1906, as a.) ABRAHAM STEARN (Hull#513) at Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co. In 1929, the Grand Trunk carferry MADISON, inbound into Grand Haven in fog and ice, collided with the U.S. Army dredge General G G MEADE, berthed on the south bank of the river for the winter. Damage was minor. Data from: Max Hanley, Dave Swayze, Steve Haverty, Ahoy & Farewell II and
the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books
includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Possible AK Steel Strike 2/27 - If an agreement is not met by the union workers of some 2,700 and AK Steel of Middletown, Ohio a strike may take place on midnight Tuesday. Local churches in the area are opened tonight for community members to pray for the issue at hand. "Everyone in this town has some connection to AK," City Manager Bill Becker says. "Either they have a family member who works there or know somebody who does. You can't isolate AK from Middletown.'' Due to staffing reductions many are working 80 hours a week causing safety and health risks. The steel industry as a whole has changed over recent years. Among the contract issues, investment analysts have said that AK Steel could be a candidate to be acquired. AK Steel is huge in this community of 52,000. AK workers still generate about 22 percent of the $18 million in revenue from the city's 1.5% income tax. The steamer Middletown of the "up in the air" Oglebay Norton Company is named after this former Armco, another named vessel, now AK Steel town. Reported by Luke Archer from AM 700 WLW |
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MARAD Announces "Maritime Matters" Campaign 2/27 - As a way to underscore the critical importance of the maritime industry to the national transportation network, this year the Maritime Administration (MarAd) and other maritime groups will introduce an awareness campaign designed to focus national attention on the maritime industry. Called, "Maritime Matters," the campaign will help to communicate the value of the maritime industry in relation to the economy, national security, jobs, environmental protection, agriculture, quality of life, recreation and more. For example, according to MarAd, our nation's ports and coastal and inland waterways support the annual movement of more than 2.5 billion tons of domestic and international commerce. They also generate significant local and regional economic growth, support nearly 5 million jobs and annually provide facilities for millions of cruise and ferry passengers. In 1933, Congress decreed May 22 as National Maritime Day, and each year since it has been a day for the United States to observe its proud maritime heritage, honor the men and women who serve and have served as merchant mariners, and recognize the many benefits that result from our American maritime industry. National Maritime Day also follows on the heels of National Transportation Week, which the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced will run the week of May 14-20. To visit the Web site MarAd has developed to help ports and cities announce their National Maritime Day events, go to www.marad.dot.gov and click on the "National Maritime Day" toolbar. This site provides up-to-date information on National Maritime Day commemorative activities across the country, along with a history of why the observance day came into being and how the maritime industry has evolved to touch each and every American life. |
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Port Reports - February 27 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Escanaba - Lee Rowe |
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Updates - February 27 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 27 GOLDEN SABLE was launched February 27, 1930, as a.) ACADIALITE (Hull#170) at Haverton-Hill-on-Tees, United Kingdom by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.. Data from: Steve Haverty, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 26 The completed hull of the BELLE RIVER (Hull#716) was floated off the ways February 26, 1977, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Corp. Renamed b.) WALTER J MC CARTHY JR in 1990. JOSEPH L BLOCK (Hull#715) was launched February 26, 1976, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Corp. On 26 February 1874, the tug WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE JR was launched at Port Huron Dry Dock. Her dimensions were 151 feet overall, 25 foot 6 inches beam, and 13 foot depth. Her machinery was built by Phillerick & Christy of Detroit and was shipped by rail to Port Huron. She cost $45,000. Her master builder was Alex Stewart. On 26 February 1876, the MARY BELL (iron propeller, 58 foot, 34 gross tons, built in 1870, at Buffalo, New York) burned near Vicksburg, Michigan. Data from: Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Little is Named New Skipper of New
Mackinaw 2/25 - Cheboygan - The new commanding officer of the new U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw has plenty of Great Lakes experience. It's the technology and unique systems of the fleet's newest icebreaker that he'll have to catch up with. Cmdr. John Little, 48, will become the third captain of the new Mackinaw yet the first commanding officer to undergo an actual change of command ceremony, the Cheboygan Daily Tribune has learned. Little will receive his command in a full investiture later this spring, succeeding Capt. Michael Hudson - a temporary replacement since Dec. 14 - and Capt. Donald Triner, the Mac's first skipper who was relieved of duty after the ship struck a breakwall in Grand Haven on its way to its Cheboygan homeport. “She's quite a ship, there's no question,” Little said while visiting Cheboygan in January before his assignment was posted. “The Mackinaw has a huge tradition to uphold and will serve the Great Lakes in new ways for many years to come, I'm sure.” Little comes to Cheboygan from a dual job in Portsmouth, Va., where he served as the chief of the Atlantic Area and Fifth Coast Guard District's Aids to Navigation and Waterways Management Branch, a position he has held since 2003. He also serves as program manager for the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol in Groton, Conn. Serving as operational commander for a fleet of seven Coast Guard buoy and construction tenders, his branch oversees the maintenance of nearly 7,000 floating and fixed aids to navigation from Sandy Hook, N.J., to the North Carolina and South Carolina border. He returns to the Great Lakes where he served as the commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mobile Bay, stationed in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. He was previously the commanding officer of the cutter Katmai Bay at the Sector Sault Ste. Marie office from 1994 to 1997, before taking the Mobile Bay. “Yes, I'm a Great Lakes guy, although I was a Mississippi River kid growing up,” said Little, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. “I've always enjoyed this area of the country. ”During his six years as a Great Lakes commanding officer, his cutters accumulated nearly 4,000 icebreaking hours while operating in some of the most severe weather conditions on record in the Ninth District. Little has already spent some time on board the new Mackinaw undergoing training and has been to sea on a few of the trips the ship has taken from the dock at the Millard D. Olds Memorial Moorings to practice procedural drills leading to certification for its commissioning date of June 9. An avowed basketball fan, Little said he is looking forward to becoming part of the community and even spent a recent evening watching the Cheboygan Chiefs play a high school game. “It was fun to watch and they were great,” he exclaimed, smiling. “I'll get used to the cold weather again, I'm sure.” Little and his wife, Michelle, are the parents of two children, Anne and Jack. From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Rouge River Bridge to be Replaced in 2007,
2/25 - The time has come to replace the 74-year-old Fort Street drawbridge over the Rouge River. As the thoroughfare that connects Downriver communities like Lincoln Park, River Rouge and Wyandotte with southwest Detroit, Fort Street's linchpin is this drawbridge. The bridge swings high to let freighters move upstream to Henry Ford's Rouge Plant and return to the Detroit River. Federal law requires that the river be kept open to navigation. The bridge is run by a complicated system of motors and counterweights, and an operator is on duty 24 hours a day to raise it for freighters or a family's sightseeing cruiser. Plans for the new bridge are being drawn by engineers at Hardesty & Hanover, a New York-based engineering firm with a Lansing office. The design is to be completed by June 2007, said H & H engineer Jeff Routson. "It will have five lanes like the old bridge," Routson said. Like the old bridge, the new one will have an operator on duty at all times to open for ships. In fall 2007, construction is expected to begin on the new bridge, which is to be built to the east of the old structure or downstream. The river must stay open to freighter and barge traffic during the bridge construction, which is expected to take about two years, said Paul Wisney, Michigan Department of Transportation project manager. Although boats will be able to navigate the Rouge during that process, traffic on Fort Street will be shut down, and vehicles will be rerouted to I-75 or other surface streets. A year ago, MDOT held a hearing and received public comment on its plans to replace the old drawbridge. Last summer, the agency received approval from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to build a new bridge, Wisney said. The price tag for the new bridge is estimated at $35 million. The cost to build the original bridge was $383,442 in 1922, which amounts to roughly $3.9 million in 2005 dollars. "Michigan doesn't have many drawbridges -- less than 10," Wisney said. "This is the first one I've worked on." When the bridge was built, workers, known as muckers, did the digging by hand and struck a bubble of poisonous gas. The bridge was built anyway, but the pilings were set on clay rather than bedrock. That is one reason the old bridge has to be replaced, said MDOT historian Lloyd Baldwin. Ever since construction was finished, the span's two lifting sections, which are called leaves, have been slowly sliding toward each other. The leaves lock when the bridge is in a normal, lowered position carrying traffic. But in hot weather, the metal expands and sometimes won't mesh. When that happens, it has to be hosed down so the metal will contract again and fit together, said Baldwin. But cold water doesn't always do the trick. MDOT also has had to shorten the leaves to make them fit, Baldwin said. MDOT is calling for the construction of another double-leaf bascule bridge. The new bridge will be longer because the Coast Guard required that the river be widened to 135 feet. The new bridge also will be higher to eliminate flooding of its walls during periods of high water, which happened in the mid-1980s, Wisney said. MDOT plans to preserve the drawbridge's control tower as a historic interpretive site that may be part of a small park, Wisney said. What is a bascule bridge? The Fort Street bridge over the Rouge River in Detroit is a classic piece of architecture that qualifies for entry in the federal historic register. It's a bascule bridge, which is a term used by engineers to describe spans that are raised or lowered by pivoting about a fixed point. The bridge has two sections that lift, one from either side of the Rouge
River. The sections are called leaves. Because there are two of them, it's
called a double-leaf bascule bridge. There's a deep pit under each side of the
bridge where two 150-ton blocks of concrete can be rotated by a system of
gears driven by big electric motors. From the Detroit Free Press |
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Tickets Go On Sale for Door County Lighthouse Walk 2/25 - Tickets for the 13th Annual Door County (WI) Lighthouse Walk will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, March 1, 2006. The event, held the third full weekend in May, will take place May 20- 21 this year with highlights including the ability to tour the inside of the Sherwood Point Lighthouse as well as the ability to climb the tower at Cana Island. "Over the past two years, nearly 2,000 lighthouse aficionados have climbed to the top of Cana Island, which is a rare opportunity for both locals and tourists alike" said Brian Kelsey, Executive Director of the Door County Maritime Museum. "We are thrilled that the United States Coast Guard has once again allowed us to open the tower to the public during Lighthouse Walk weekend, thus giving even more individuals the opportunity to climb to the top of Door County. I am certain we will have many repeats coming to Cana to climb her once more." For more information visit the museum's website at www.dcmm.org |
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Algoma Steel Announces Wind Turbine Tower Plant 2/25 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - Algoma Steel Inc. on Friday announced it will build a plant to manufacture wind turbine towers to supply a rapidly growing North American market in alternative energy generation. In a statement, Algoma said it has entered an agreement with SIAG, a German company, to form a Canadian partnership for the manufacture of wind turbines in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Algoma said the plant for building the tower portion of the assembly will be located on the grounds of its steel mill in Sault Ste. Marie. SIAG is a leading supplier of wind turbines in Europe with plants in France, Germany and the Czech Republic. Majority ownership of the SIAG-Algoma combine, to be called SIAG Great Lakes LP, will be held by SIAG. The Sault Ste. Marie wind turbine tower plant will initially be configured for two production lines capable of turning out 180 of the thin, conical wind turbine towers per year. Larger wind turbines now in use extend more than 200 feet off the ground. The towers support a central electrical-generating head and the hub for the elongated turbine blades that capture wind power. SIAG will apparently supply rotors, power heads and blades to complete wind turbine assemblies matched to the locally produced towers. A number of provincial and regional government officials hailed the new turbine tower plant for its impact on the Sault Ste. Marie economy and as evidence of diversification in local manufacturing that has long relied on raw steel production. In the statement, Algoma Steel President Denis Turcotte said the new plant represents a commitment to renewable energy that positions Algoma Steel as a, “world-class company.” Algoma's announcement follows by a few months unveiling of another Canadian company's plan to build as many as 65 wind turbines just outside of Sault Ste. Marie, taking advantage of incentives offered by the Ontario government. Some 1,200 wind turbine units spread over many locations in Ontario are in various stages of planning for the next several years. Experts expect about 10 percent of Ontario's electrical energy needs will be furnished by wind turbines and other alternative energy technology when the several “wind farms” are in full operation. The Sault, Ont. tower plant will initially employ about 20 people, gradually building up to a workforce of 140 when the plant is in full production. The tower portions of high-output wind turbines are currently built overseas and delivered to North American customers by heavy-lift ships over thousand of miles of open ocean and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Towers built in Sault Ste. Marie will enjoy a considerable advantage in delivery time and expense for turbine customers in North America. From the Soo Evening News |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 25 CREEK TRANSPORT was launched this day in 1910, as a.) SASKATOON (Hull#256) at Sunderland, England by Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Data from: Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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SS Badger Receiving Winter Replacement Work 2/24 - Lake Michigan Carferry is making major upgrades to the operating systems of the S. S. Badger in order to maintain the reliability of the vernerable coal-fired steamer. The coal conveyer system has been replaced. This machine carries coal from the bunker into the crusher. At the other end of the boilers, they have also replaced 1,259 generating tubes in the foreword port boiler. According to Lynda Daugherty, Director of Media Relations, "This extensive work is in keeping with our goal of “zero downtime” during the season. We are pleased to say that we have only missed one day of sailing in the past four years and that was due to weather." Pictures of the work are posted in the News Photo Gallery. |
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2004 Accident Report Released 2/24 - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its final investigation report (M04L0099) into the collision between the sailboat Mondisy and the container ship Canada Senator off Saint-Nicolas, Quebec, on August 11, 2004. The investigation revealed that it is likely that the unstructured watchkeeping system aboard the Mondisy led to a sleep debt that caused a crew member to fall asleep while on duty at the helm. Investigators found that the warning signals sounded on the ship's whistle of the Canada Senator did not arouse attention and indicate to the sailboat that it was in danger. Although the Canada Senator did not slow down before the collision to allow more time to assess the situation, alterations of course taken by the vessel did not prevent the collision. No recommendations were issued by the Board. However, the Board is concerned that, in the absence of a formal post-accident relief policy on the part of the Laurentian Pilotage Authority and/or the Corporation des pilotes du Saint Laurent central, a pilot involved in an accident may suffer increased stress and fatigue, creating the potential for increased risk of human error. The Board is also troubled by the fact that pleasure craft operators may not be sufficiently aware that long voyages require a crew that is well rested and alert and that a structured relief system is necessary for safe navigation. The report also states that materials used in the construction of the Mondisy contributed to the rapid sinking upon impact with the Canada Senator. On August 11, 2004, while proceeding on the St. Lawrence River after leaving the port of Montréal, Quebec, on its way to Gioia Tauro, Italy, the bridge team on board the Canada Senator sighted the Mondisy about two nautical miles ahead. The distance between the container ship and the sailboat decreased and, because the pilot of the Canada Senator was in doubt about the intentions of the Mondisy, warning signals were sounded on the ship's whistle on two occasions. Avoidance manoeuvres were carried out by the Canada Senator, but a collision ensued. As a result of the impact, the Mondisy sank almost instantly. Two of the four persons on board the Mondisy were recovered from the water with minor injuries, and the other two died. The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability. Reported by Charlie Gibbons |
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Ports of Indiana handled all-time high
$1.5 billion of cargo in 2005 2/24 – The Ports of Indiana handled an all-time high of $1.531 billion of cargo in 2005. This was a 2 percent increase from 2004, which had been the only other year to break the $1 billion mark in the port system's 35-year history. In 2005, Indiana's three ports on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River moved 7.7 million tons of cargo – which was a 2-percent increase from 2004, a 38-percent jump from 2003 and more than every other year since 1998. Top cargoes by volume were grain, coal, steel, limestone, fertilizer, salt, asphalt and cement. As a state, Indiana ranks 14th in the nation for waterborne shipping by volume. The Ports of Indiana operates a system of ports in Mount Vernon, Jeffersonville and Burns Harbor/Portage. Grain remained the largest volume cargo handled at the three ports with 2.2 million tons (+3%), just edging out coal shipments of 2.1 million tons (+21%). Grain and coal made up about 57 percent of the total cargo volume. Cargo value for the Ports of Indiana is largely dependent on steel prices which have nearly doubled in recent years. In 2005, steel made up 16 percent of the port system's total tonnage but more than 40 percent of the total value. Steel shipments are also very labor intensive and generate many additional handling and processing jobs at the ports. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor surpassed its five-year average by 2 percent with 2.2 million tons in 2005. There were shipping increases in magnesite (+166%), cottonseed (+113%), asphalt (+111%), fertilizer (+57%), limestone (+33%), project cargo (+6%) and additional coal shipments. The port handled more than $677 million of steel in 2005 and roughly 15 percent of all U.S. steel trade with Europe. The 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico had a varied impact on the Ports of Indiana. Barge shortages on the Ohio-Mississippi river system forced shippers to look for cargo handling alternatives - usually at an increased cost. While this may have hampered some end-of-year river shipments at all ports, it also rerouted some additional cargo to ships at the state's Lake Michigan port. Due to these shipping disruptions, all three of Indiana's ports experienced increased onsite grain storage totaling about 2 million bushels, an 18 percent increase from the normal capacity. Increases by port were 1 million bushels at Burns Harbor (+20%), 850,000 bushels at Jeffersonville (+53%) and 200,000 bushels (+4%) at Mount Vernon. In addition to operating a statewide port system, the Ports of Indiana also provides foreign-trade zones and development financing for companies anywhere in Indiana. For more information about the Ports of Indiana, visit www.portsofindiana.com. Reported by Tom Milton |
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Seaway Opening Dates Announced 2/24 - St. Lawrence Seaway Notice No. 1-2006 has published the
opening dates and maximum allowable drafts for sections of the Seaway. The
opening of the 2006 navigation season is scheduled to take place on the
following dates and times: Vessel transits will be subject to weather and ice conditions. Restrictions may apply in some areas until lighted navigation aids have been installed. Allowable Draft: Mariners are reminded that for ships loaded to a draft greater than 80.0 dm (26' 3"), speeds will be monitored carefully between St. Lambert Lock and St. Nicolas Island. In the Welland Canal, a maximum allowable draft of 80.8 dm (26' 6") will be in effect from the start of the navigation season for all inland vessels and those ocean vessels equipped with bow thrusters. For all ocean vessels not equipped with bow thrusters the maximum allowable draft will be 80.0 dm (26' 3"). In addition, there will be zero tolerance for vessel drafts in excess of 80.8 dm (26' 6''). Please note that, for vessels loaded to a draft greater than 80.0 dm (26' 3"), speeds will be monitored carefully between the upper entrance to Lock 7 and former Bridge 12 in order to reduce bank erosion in this area. Reported by Ron Walsh |
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Spectacular Inland Waters Cruising aboard the Georgian Clipper. 2/24 - Soon the ice will be off the river and vessels of all shapes and sizes will be plying the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence River. The newly refurbished 18 passenger Georgian Clipper, with its home port now in Kingston, Ontario is offering 5 night - 6 day overnight cruises beginning June 3 through October 11, 2006 in one of the most beautiful inland water destinations in the world, the famous Thousand Islands/Bay of Quinte region of Eastern Ontario. Famous for its magnificent natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, all the waters of the five Great Lakes empty into the St. Lawrence River at the eastern-most end of Lake Ontario and then maneuvers its way around the Thousand Islands beginning the 1920 kilometre (1200 mile) journey to the Atlantic Ocean. Our journey through the Thousand Islands/Bay of Quinte region will take in approximately 250 kilometres (155 miles) round trip of this important inland route, stopping at Kingston, Picton, Brockville, Rockport and Gananoque. A history of First Nations people in what is referred to as the “Garden of the Great Spirit”, the French fur trade, British Loyalist settlements along the north shore, and strategic battles during the American/British War of 1812, give the region a treasure trove of stories to tell and experiences to be had. For more information we invite you to call 1-888-271-2628, email at info@heritagecruises.com or visit www.heritagecruises.com. |
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Port Report - February 24 Sarnia - Frank Frisk |
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Updates - February 24 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 24 The Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s RICHARD V LINDABURY (Hull#783) was launched February 24, 1923, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. Purchased by S & E Shipping (Kinsman) in 1978, renamed b.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT.. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey in 1988. The founder of Arnold Transit Co., long-time ferry operators between Mackinac Island and the mainland, George T. Arnold filed the Articles of Association on Feb. 24, 1900. On 24 February 1920, TALLAC (formerly SIMON J MURPHY and MELVILLE DOLLAR, steel propeller, 235 foot, built in 1895, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was on a voyage from Colon, Panama to Baltimore, Maryland, when she stranded and was wrecked 18 miles south of Cape Henry, Virginia. Data from: Roger LeLievre, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Buckeye Placed on Dry Dock 2/23 - Erie, PA - The 698-foot Buckeye has made its way into the Erie shipyard's dry dock, the first time in nine years the dock has been used in that capacity. "This is just the beginning,"said Ray Schreckengost, executive director of the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority. "This company will keep the shipyard extremely busy." The Port Authority owns the shipyard and leased it to Erie Shipbuilding LLC last fall, just months after Metro Machine left the shipyard. The Buckeye, which was purchased by Erie Shipbuilding owner Dirk Van Enkevort, will be converted into a barge while in dry dock. The entire project will cost $9 million. At the same time, a $5 million engine overhaul will be completed on the tug Joseph H. Thompson Jr. Workers originally planned on only bringing the Thompson into the dry dock after flooding it Monday. But a break in the weather convinced them to bring in the Buckeye as well, said Rob LeGrand, the company's production supervisor. The dry docking was delayed last week because of high winds that strafed the region. But the winds were so calm Monday that it was an ideal day to work, LeGrand said. "We got lucky with the wind so we just went ahead and did it," he said. The dry dock, which sits 26 feet below the level of Presque Isle Bay and is longer than four football fields -- will be pumped out today to allow the Buckeye and the Thompson to settle on 177 two-ton blocks that have been placed to create an outline of the ship's hull. Once the water is gone, the hull will be exposed and the ship will be "dry docked." Work on the Thompson and the Buckeye will be completed by spring. From the Erie Times-News |
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John R. Emery For Sale 2/23 - The 101-year old John R. Emery has an uncertain future. The sand-sucker was sold to foreign interests this past fall and departed for a delivery to Panama. The vessel encountered problems in New York and eventually sunk at the dock. Crews dewatered the vessel and her main engines were found to still be in perfect operating condition. Her current owner has placed the vessel up for sale again. It is currently listed on eBay with a high reserve. Local scrappers have also submitted bids and unfortunately, the historic vessel may be nearing the end of its life. |
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Canadian Stevedore Firm Signs into Chicago Port 2/23 - Chicago - A Canadian stevedoring company has moved into the Port of Chicago as waterborne commerce through Chicago is sharply rising. Port tenants' inbound and outbound cargo totaled 1,940,395 tons last year, up slightly from 1,883,843 in 2004, but more than double the 2002 and 2003 figures. North America Stevedoring, a division of Quebec Stevedoring, has signed a long-term lease with the port district to establish docking facilities at Iroquois Landing, at 95th Street and Lake Michigan. Quebec Stevedoring operates 17 different facilities on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. North America Stevedoring will handle a range of commodities, including steel, iron, ferro alloys, pig iron, coal and coke, as well as cargo and container shipping. The company is upgrading its port facility, which has 3,200 linear feet of berths, 190 acres of outside storage and 210,000 square feet of warehouse space. Port District Executive Director Anthony Ianello said the Canadian company guaranteed annual increases in shipping tonnage and a "significant" boost in rental income. From the Chicago-Sun Times |
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Fuel Costs Ignite Rise in Fast Ferry's Ticket Prices 2/23 - A spike in diesel fuel prices has led to a nearly 12 percent hike in 2006 adult round-trip fares for the Lake Express high-speed ferry service between Muskegon and Milwaukee. And ferry officials say they'll continue to collect a fuel surcharge fee started in 2005. The Milwaukee-based passenger and vehicle ferry service announced its rates for 2006 and began taking reservations today on its Web site. The cost for an automobile one way went up 10 percent. Lake Express and other transportation companies have been hit hard by the increase in fuel prices, especially since the September Gulf Coast hurricanes. Midwest diesel prices today are in the $2.50 a gallon range, up from $1.90 a year ago, but prices rose sharply throughout the summer. The diesel price peaked at well over $3 a gallon in October. The wild swings in fuel prices prompted Lake Express to impose a fuel surcharge on every ticket each way last year. The $5 fuel surcharge per one-way ticket in effect at the end of last sailing season will again be in place when the ferry begins its 2006 season April 29. The company could decide to increase or drop the surcharge as fuel prices rise and fall. "The increase in fuel costs are having ramifications throughout the economy," Lake Express President Ken Szallai said. "Lake Express has similarly been seriously affected. But even with the increase, Lake Express has been and remains a great value." The Ludington-based Lake Michigan Carferry with service on the SS Badger to Manitowoc is currently accepting 2006 reservations at 2005 prices. Badger officials said that 2006 prices will be released shortly and will reflect a "modest" increase as compared to last year. Unlike the Lake Express, the Badger is a steamship operating on coal-fired boilers. The cost of a Lake Express adult round-trip ticket will increase from $85 to $95 in 2006. The cost of taking an automobile one way will go from $59 to $65. However, the children's price of $40 round-trip will be extended to 16 and 17 year olds, who in the first two years of operation paid adult fare. "The price increase is something that Lake Express thought long and hard about -- there was not an increase last year," said company spokesman Jeff Fleming. "Fuel prices are a factor in any organization that transports goods or people. The Lake Express business plan required a rate change." Lake Express is coming off its first two seasons "exceeding" anticipated ticket sales, company officials say. Although not releasing specific ridership numbers, Lake Express was believed to have carried more than 110,000 in its first season of operation in 2004. Last year, company officials said ridership on the 292-foot high-speed catamaran was up 10-15 percent from the inaugural year, to as high as 126,500. "In our third year, Lake Express will continue to build on the success we have enjoyed during our first two years," Szallai said. "Our customers have offered overwhelming positive feedback to us and their loyalty has helped us exceed our anticipated ticket sales in both 2004 and 2005." Scheduled road construction in the Chicago area should give riders more incentives to take the Lake Express in 2006, company officials said. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, a major Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) reconstruction in south Chicago should reduce the major highway's capacity by 50 percent beginning this spring. Lake Express was established in part to eliminate the need for traveling through Chicago at the southern end of Lake Michigan. The 2 1/2-hour trip from Muskegon to Milwaukee directly links travelers from Michigan to Wisconsin. Lake Express market surveys show a majority of those not taking the ferry would drive through Chicago instead, Szallai said. "Driving is our biggest competition," he said of the ferry that carries up to 44 vehicles, several dozen motorcycles and 248 passengers. Lake Express is beginning its season earlier than 2004 and 2005, when it began at the beginning of June and May 15 respectively. The additional weeks in May will be with three round trips a day. That schedule will continue until the beginning of October when the last month will be reduced to two trips a day. As was the case the past two seasons, the sailing day will begin in Milwaukee at 6 a.m. with departures also at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Departures from Muskegon will be 10:15 a.m., 4:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. All times are local. From the Muskegon Chronicle |
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On Great Lakes, Winter Is Served Straight Up 2/23 - Put-In-Bay, Ohio — Two years ago, Sophia Schroeder had the best birthday of her life. She stood on frozen Lake Erie near this town on South Bass Island and ate ice cream. Her father dragged her sled across the ice behind his snowmobile. Later they ate birthday cake around a huge bonfire built right on the ice. "That was my favorite birthday party ever," said Sophia, now 7. This year, Sophia spent her birthday inside, playing video games with friends. "It's really boring here without ice," she said. For the first time that anyone in Put-in-Bay could remember, the Great Lakes were ice-free in the middle of winter. Even Lake Erie, the shallowest of the five lakes and usually the first to freeze over, was clear. "There's essentially no ice at all," said George Leshkevich, a scientist who has studied Great Lakes ice for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, since 1973. "I've never seen that." The unusually warm weather has upset the routine for hundreds of people who live year-round on islands in Lake Erie. On summer weekends, 14,000 tourists turn South Bass, the largest island on the American side of Lake Erie, into a teeming resort. "You either make your money in the summer or you don't make it at all," said Tip Niese, owner of the grocery store in Put-in-Bay, the only town on the island. The first ice usually forms in late November, and by January it locks into place. For islanders, it is the equivalent of summer vacation. "Winter is the only time we get to see our friends," says Maggie Beckford, president of the Put-in-Bay chamber of commerce. "Everybody's too busy during the summer." Once the lake freezes, islanders organize impromptu ice rallies. Families gather to drink hot wine and race all-terrain vehicles across the lake. They also race iceboats, which resemble sailboats on skates. Put-in-Bay even has its own ice yacht club. Many people drive to other islands for dinner with friends. They ride in cars with the roofs and doors chopped off so they can escape if the vehicles fall through the ice. Islanders stab evergreen trees into the ice every 50 yards to mark a route. "We'll drive across the lake to Canada, have a cocktail, then turn around and come home," says Kendra Koehler, editor of the monthly Put-in-Bay Gazette. Even in the coldest winters, there are dangerous patches of thin ice. The cracks are so predictable that the Put-in-Bay Ice Yacht Club prints them on a map. One is called State Park Crack. Another, Green Island Crack, is known to be particularly wide and treacherous. "These big sheets of ice move just like tectonic plates," said Billy Market, president of the Miller Boat Line, a ferry company. Knowing the cracks by heart is a job requirement for ice-fishing guides, who form the backbone of the islands' winter economy. On a normal winter day, the ice is dotted with 2,000 fishing shanties. "It looks like a little city," said Matt Miller, a ferry boat captain who is not related to the family that started the company. Even small, part-time guides bring 10 to 14 people across on weekends. "That's 14 hotel rooms, 14 steak dinners," said Pat Chrysler, a guide. "In a small community, that's a lot." This year, the unusually warm weather wiped out the ice-fishing trade. Many guides tried boat fishing, but strong winds whipped up sediment and clouded the water so the walleyes could not see the lures. "I'm down $40,000," said Bud Gehring, another guide. "It's hurt everybody." With no ice fishing, 1,200 cases of beer sat unsold, stacked to the ceiling inside Niese's Island General Store. A bed-and-breakfast owner, Jean Burgess, has not rented a room all winter. For the first time in its 100-year history, Miller Boat Lines ran a ferry across Lake Erie through the month of January. "We're not making money here," Mr. Market says. "It's our duty to do this." The ferry costs $12, and that means less work for airplane pilots, who charge $80 to fly round-trip to the islands. "This has knocked a big hole out of our business," said Melodie Griffing-Taylor, who has helped run Griffing Airlines since 1962. "I've never seen anything like it." No one has, and that makes some islanders ponder the larger trend. "This winter makes global warming seem more real," Mr. Gehring said. "The weather sure is screwy the last couple years," Ms. Burgess says. "Global warming? Could be." Others are skeptical. "I don't believe in global warming," Ms. Griffing-Taylor said. "Weather cycles. It always has." Whether differences in water temperature or ice thickness from year to year
are symptoms of global warming or merely part of the weather cycle is open to
debate. Even Brent Lofgren, a NOAA climatologist who believes in global
warming, said that "in a small, regional area over a short period of time,
it's hard to know what's happening." |
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Port Report - February 23 Welland Canal - Paul Beesley The level between Locks 2 & 3 has been lowered but not drained. Work is progressing on several bridges as well as in the Locks and the canal proper. A series of photos (News Photo Gallery) shows the canal and some of the work going on. Photos were taken on February 21. Only one month till spring Equinox! |
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Updates - February 23 News Photo Gallery updated with Welland Canal winter work scenes. News Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 23 The e.) U.S.S. ROTARY (YO-148) was commissioned on February 23, 1943, at Sullivan's Dry Dock & Repair Co., Brooklyn, New York and assigned duty with the Service Force, Third Naval District, Atlantic Fleet. The tanker was built in 1915 at Chatham, England by Chatham Dock Yard Ltd. as a.) H.M.S. SERVITOR. Renamed b.) PULOE BRANI in 1922, brought to the Lakes and renamed c.) B B MC COLL in 1927, and d.) A J PATMORE in 1929. After her U.S. Naval Service ROTARY reverted to her previous name f.) A J PATMORE and then g.) PEGGY REINAUER in 1946. Renamed h.) DETROIT early in 1955, she traded on the lakes until 1975. Her partially dismantled hull was abandoned in 1985, in the back waters of Lake Calumet. On 23 February 1843, SANDUSKY (wooden side-wheeler, 148 foot, 377 tons, built in 1834, at Sandusky, Ohio) caught fire at her dock on Buffalo Creek in Buffalo, New York and burned to the hull. She was recovered, rebuilt as a 3-masted bark and lasted another two years. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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New Operator has $10M in Public Funds to use on Toledo Shipyard Renovations 2/22 - Toledo - A Bedford Township company is taking over operation of the Toledo Shipyard, and will have the use of $10 million in public funds to renovate the facility. Tony LaMantia, president of Ironhead Marine Inc., and James Hartung, president of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, said during a news conference yesterday the plan is for Ironhead to build entirely new machine and fabricating shop buildings on the Front Street property and level all existing buildings on the site. Mr. Hartung, whose agency has owned the shipyard since 1985, said that Ironhead's management and the planned facility improvements will "not just restore shipbuilding in Toledo, but take us to a new level of impact in the industry." With the replacement of all buildings, Mr. Hartung said, "we are starting from scratch" to modernize the shipyard. Ironhead, an industrial fabrication company that has been involved in several local bridge construction projects but is new to the maritime scene, replaces Manitowoc Marine Group, the previous shipyard operator which pulled out of the facility at the end of January. The port authority's board of directors still must approve the shipyard operating agreement with Ironhead. A resolution to that effect will be on the agenda for a board meeting tomorrow morning. Two years ago, Manitowoc officials were present when public officials announced a $3.5 million federal grant to start the shipyard's modernization, including construction of a new "high-bay" fabrication shop that would allow large construction components to be built indoors instead of out in the elements. But last year, after a change in management, Manitowoc announced it was exercising an exit clause in its contract with the port authority. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) yesterday announced a second federal grant, of $4 million, toward the shipyard's improvement, which she described as both an economic development and national security project. The city of Toledo has pledged $1.5 million toward the modernization, while Lucas County is providing $1 million. Mr. LaMantia said demolition of derelict buildings on the site will begin almost immediately, so that new facilities can be built. Full-time shipyard employment will grow from a current 20 to between 40 and 80 workers by year's end, and is to reach 150 to 200 within two years, Mr. LaMantia said. Eventually, the operation could double its payroll again, to between 300 and 400, depending on how well it establishes itself in the shipbuilding and repair industry. "We've got to build up our resume and get confidence from the marine industry that we can do this kind of work," Mr. LaMantia said. But some business should naturally gravitate to the local shipyard once it has modern facilities, the Ironhead president said, simply because as currently equipped, it can't handle certain types of repairs or fabrications. Ironhead Fabricating and Contracting Inc., the parent of Ironhead Marine, will move its current fabricating shop on Crabb Road in Bedford Township, which employs about 22 people, to the shipyard in about 18 months, he said. Ironhead yesterday signed seven-year labor contracts with Machinists Local 105 and Boilermakers Local 85. The machinists now represent just seven workers at the yard, but Joe Chaszar, president of the local, said he's confident that the roster will grow under Ironhead's management. "I believe Tony is going to do what he says he will do. He's a very fair individual," Mr. Chaszar said. The Toledo Shipyard dates to 1893, and was acquired by the port authority three years after American Shipbuilding ceased operations there. From the Toledo Blade |
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Mackinaw Museum Group Turns to Firms That Built the Cutter 2/22 - Cheboygan - Members of the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum Committee are actively seeking donations towards the planned retirement berth of the soon-to-be-decommissioned ship from some of the maritime industries that built the vessel. “We've sent out letters to companies that dealt with building the Mackinaw and the equipment on board,” said Joanne Harrison, treasurer for the group, following a meeting Monday. “We'll follow up soon with phone calls to gauge their interest.” The committee is exploring the concept of seeking donations from companies whose engines, designs or technical equipment may have been part of the Mackinaw's lore from past years. Some of the companies went out of business long ago or have been sold several times. Other names still operate today as they did in 1943 when the Mackinaw's keel was laid at the Toledo Shipyard. With parts no longer available for some systems built by firms more than 60 years ago, the Mackinaw's engineers have had to contract with a railroad junk yard in Texas at times to get parts and materials to be fabricated for use in the ship's aging power plant. “Roger Schwartz (of the committee) works on some of the freighters and those companies are being contacted,” Harrison said. “We're trying to reach shipping companies that are helped by the Mackinaw today and of course companies that helped to build the Mackinaw.” The idea is that a company such as Fairbanks-Morse, which built the icebreaker's giant engines, may contribute to the preservation of the ship and in turn design display signage for the interior that would tell the company's story and how their product was built for the ship. In addition, the committee has made a request of the Coast Guard to identify what items will be taken from the ship following its June 9 decommissioning and what equipment or items will be left behind. Harrison said there are some equipment items that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may want removed for use on another vessel, but that much of the ship's inventory should remain for all to see as a museum display. “We're saying to the Coast Guard that we realize what they'll want off the ship,” she said. “We've requested from them what we want to stay on the ship. This way it's in writing and we have a chance to identify what we'll have before decommissioning day arrives.” The group is also planning a fund-raising concert by folksinger Lee Murdock for March 11 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Capt. Triner Reassigned to DC Job 2/22 - Cheboygan - Capt. Donald Triner, who served as the first commanding officer of the new U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw from its keel-laying until delivery to Cheboygan, has been reassigned to a new post in Washington, D.C., the Coast Guard confirmed Friday. Triner's new job, while not aboard a ship, appears to be a desk job that will have his finger on the pulse of Coast Guard operations worldwide. The former Mac captain, 43, will become the chief at the Office of Current Operations in Washington. The office houses two divisions: the Coast Guard Command Center and the National Response Center. The position reports to the commandant of the fleet. The Coast Guard Command Center team coordinates operational information flowing to senior Coast Guard and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials, headquarters program managers, and Area and District staffs to ensure their situational awareness. The National Response Center serves as the sole national point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological, biological and etiological discharges into the environment. It has the same responsibility for handling suspicious acts of terrorism and facility security breaches anywhere in the United States or its territories. Triner must complete four major administrative processes to take on the job, a process for which he is presently qualifying and could take a year to finish. He was permanently relieved of the Mackinaw's command January 11 and temporarily assigned to the Milwaukee office of Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan. Triner has remained unavailable for comment since his temporary relief as the new Mackinaw's captain December 12. From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Inside Boatnerd Boatnerd Calendar of Events Boatnerd Gatherings Scheduled We have been able to schedule a tour of the Port Weller Dry Docks as part of the Welland Gathering on October 13. Details to be finalized. Mark your calendar and plan to attend. Other events will be posted as they are added. Boatnerd Trip Raffles |
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Maritime Days Coming Up in Cleveland The annual Great Lakes Marine Community Days and Admiral’s Dinner will be held March 7-8 at the Cleveland Marriot Public Square. Marine Community Day provides a forum for open exchange of valuable information on issues of mutual concern to the Great Lakes marine community and officials from all levels of government and industry. Guest speaker will be Blaine Collins, vice president of Det Norske Veritas (DNV) North America, who will speak on “Maritime Commerce: Lifeline for the World.” For more information, visit www.greatlakes-seawayreview.com Reported by Seaway Review/Great Laker |
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Mittal Buyout Offer Targets 1,000 workers 2/22 - Weirton, W.Va. - Mittal Steel Co. on Monday announced a buyout offer of cash or health care benefits to about 1,000 of its West Virginia employees who are targeted under cutbacks first announced last fall. The reductions are part of the steelmaker's plan to shut down Weirton's blast furnace and essentially make a finishing mill out of an operation that once employed some 13,000 workers and now provides jobs for one-tenth as many people. Neither the company nor the Independent Steelworkers Union would discuss specifics until worker meetings Wednesday to explain the deal. Mittal, based in The Netherlands, took control of Weirton in April through a $4.5 billion deal with former owner International Steel Group of Richfield, Ohio. ISG had won a bidding war for Weirton, the nation's No. 2 tin producer, in bankruptcy court in 2004. |
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Task Force Seeks More Time for Lighthouse Fairport Keeping 2/22 - Fairport Harbor- Lake Erie storms have had more than 80 years to batter a Fairport Harbor lighthouse, and Lake County officials need just a little more time to form their plan to restore it. County leaders have formed a task force to restore the Fairport Harbor West Breakwall Lighthouse, which is at the end of a craggy breakwall just east of Mentor Headlands Beach State Park. Another city lighthouse has been turned into a museum. The two-story breakwall lighthouse, built in 1925, is one of 301 lighthouses made available to nonprofit groups by the U.S. Department of the Interior under its National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Program. Five of the available lighthouses are in Ohio. The goal is to use the buildings for education and provide public access. "It is a landmark with a lot of emotional appeal," said Bob Ulas, executive director of the Lake County Visitors Bureau, one of several agencies trying to preserve the breakwall lighthouse. "There is a certain romance and allure with lighthouses. It draws visitors, some of whom come to just sit and watch them." A task force composed of the visitors bureau, county planning commission, Lake County Historical Society and Lake Metroparks wants a delay in the federal government's March 6 deadline for applications. The lighthouses were offered for free to nonprofit groups with plans and money to preserve the historic buildings. The Coast Guard will maintain lights and foghorns at the lighthouses. Getting into the lighthouses can be challenging. The Fairport lighthouse sits at the end of rocky breakwall that is nearly a mile long. The only ladder is on the opposite side, hanging in the water. "We would have to build an access pier and dock," said Metroparks Recreation Director Brian Fowler, who estimated the group would need about $1 million for the restoration. If nonprofit groups cannot come up with money to save the lighthouse, Fowler said, the government will offer it to private owners. "It is an icon for Lake County. Its image is printed on all sorts of promotional items," Fowler said. "Everyone identifies with it as a part of the lake. It would be silly to get rid of it or see it crumble." Others in the region agree. Melinda Huntley, executive director of the scenic Lake Erie Coastal Highway Trail, last week gathered visitors bureaus and lighthouse preservation groups from Toledo, Cleveland, Lorain and Ashtabula to explore ways to promote tourism and preservation. The coastal highway from Toledo through Ashtabula features views of 18 lighthouses, each with its own charm and mystique, she said. "They are all very majestic," Huntley said. "They are some of the few authentic places we have left to preserve." The group seeks federal grants to link the lighthouses and maritime museums on a coastal tour. "Our goal is to help these gems become more visible," she said. Huntley said in Lorain, the Port of Lorain Foundation raised $500,000 to refurbish the lighthouse interior and install a walkway and landing. "It can help us not only with tourism but with preserving features that make our region unique," Huntley said. "Once they are gone, they're gone." Anyone interested in assisting in the preservation can e-mail Fowler at bfowler@lakemetroparks.com. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer |
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Norgoma to Get a Facelift; Councillors Ready to Jump Ship 2/22 - Sault, Ontario - The Norgoma's about to get a major sprucing up and will be ship-shape for this summer's tourist season. But City councillors didn't know that before last night's council meeting and some of them were ready to jump ship on the slow-moving waterfront attraction. "Beginning March 27, nine employees will be on board to waterproof the decks as well as chipping the paint off then totally repainting the exterior of the ship," St. Mary's River Marine Centre Chair Gordon Smedley told SooToday.com. "That program [to restore the Norgoma's exterior and entryway] is fully in place and supported by our donors and volunteers," he said. The people staffing the project will have their wages paid by Human Resources Development Canada and are on staff until July 1, said Smedley. "It [the Norgoma] will be essentially ship shape by tourist season," he said. Smedley can't understand why none of this information appeared in a report prepared by City Commissioner of Community Services Nick Apostle recommending that City Council deny core funding to the Norgoma. The report, requested by Council on January 9, was presented to councillors last night. Council had asked for information on possibly relocating the vessel to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal Historic Site, or alternatively, scrapping it. Apostle is recommending that Council not provide core funding to St. Mary's River Marine Centre board because it's been unable to develop the Norgoma as a money-making tourist attraction in the 31 years it has been operating the venture. "It appears that most citizens of Sault Ste. Marie do not support keeping the Norgoma, using ongoing municipal tax funding," said Apostle in his report. Mayor Rowswell suggested that the City sit down with the St. Mary's River Marine Centre Board to explore options. Ward 5 Councillor David Celetti vehemently opposed the idea, saying that people are tired of wasting tmoney on the ship and it's time the City moved forward with a plan to improve its waterfront. Ward 1 Councillor Steve Butland said that he had only one phone call supporting maintenance and restoration of the Norgoma with tax dollars. "It seems like it's almost time to abandon ship," said Butland. In answer to Council's questions, Smedley said the St. Mary's River Marine Centre Board is prepared to carry on with or without council's financial support and to meet with the mayor as well as any other interested Councillors to discuss options for the Norgoma. He left councillors a letter of response to Apostle's report. In his letter, Smedley cited a numner of major projects undertaken by the board since its takeover of the Norgoma 31 years ago. Those projects have included asbestos removal, electrical upgrades and repairs as well as restoration of decks, quarters and dining areas, he said. "These works have largely been completed by a committed team of volunteers," he said. "While all this was taking place, over the years we hosted over 100,000 visitors, employed over 100 students and hosted weddings, reunions and other special events." Smedley said that not getting funding for summer students to operate the Norgoma as a tourist attraction set back the board's plan for restoration and development of the ship as a tourist centre. But he says it hasn't scuttled the plan. "The Norgoma is a very important part of our community heritage and its significance in the region and the province is well documented," he said. "There is also considerable recent support for recognition of its national significance." Smedley said that the Norgoma was once the only reliable way to move goods, people and mail around the North Channel and he said the Sault was the heart of all this activity. He said that the vessel played a vital role in the development of communities such as Richard's Landing, Hilton Beach, Coburn Island, Thessalon and Owen Sound. From SooToday.com |
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Environmental Lecture on Sandusky River, Thursday, Feb.23 Dr. David Baker of Heidelberg College will present a lecture on Conservation and Restoration of the Sandusky River Watershed as part of the 2005-2006 AU Environmental Lecture Series. The lecture will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 23, in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public and designed for a general audience. The AU community is cordially invited to attend. Dr. Baker will describe efforts in the Sandusky River watershed to meet requirements of the Clean Water Act and the Total Maximum Daily Load program to support different uses of the river. Factors affecting the Sandusky and other rivers include point and non-point sources of pollution as well as factors affecting stream habitat and hydrology. Dr. Baker played an important role in the formation of the Sandusky River Watershed Coalition (www.riverwatershed.org), which provides leadership for the conservation and enhancement of the Sandusky River watershed and its natural resources through community-based planning, education, and action. Dr. Baker will describe some of the efforts and studies underway for the Sandusky River. Dr. Baker has received numerous career awards from organizations including the EPA Science Advisory Board, The Nature Conservancy, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Baker retired as the director of the Water Quality Laboratory in 1999, but he continues publication and speaking activities associated with the laboratory and serves as a resource person to students in the Water Resources Program. Baker has published more than 50 peer-reviewed and scientific publications on water quality, sediment and nutrient contamination and effects of land use on watersheds. He received a B.S. in biology from Heidelberg College, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in botany (plant physiology) from the University of Michigan. Additional information on the 2005-2006 Environmental Lecture Series is available at http://www3.ashland.edu/academics/arts_sci/envscience/ lecture_series.html , and previous lectures are archived for viewing. |
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Port Report - February 22 Goderich - Dale Baechler |
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Updates - February 22 News Photo Gallery updated News Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 22 On 22 February 1920, the Goodrich Line’s ALABAMA (steel propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 272 foot, 2,626 gross tons, built in 1909, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) ran aground on a concrete obstruction which was the foundation of the old water-intake crib in Lake Michigan off Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The SIDNEY O NEFF (wooden package freighter, 149 foot, 346 gross tons, built in 1890, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) took off the ALABAMA’s cargo and then harbor tugs pulled the ALABAMA free. Repairs to her hull took the rest of the winter and she didn’t return to service until May 1920. February 22, 1925 - The ANN ARBOR NO 7 made her maiden voyage. On 22 February 1878, the 156 foot wooden freighter ROBERT HOLLAND was purchased by Beatty & Co. of Sarnia for $20,000. Data from: Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Toledo Shipyard to Get New Owner 2/21 - Toledo - A new plan could breathe life into the floundering Toledo Shipyard on Front Street near the Mallard Road overpass in east Toledo. The news of new jobs and new development came out Monday, just a few months after the Wisconsin-based Manitowoc Marine Group pulled out of the site. The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is expected to announce Tuesday that Ironhead Marine, headed by Tony and Kathy Lamantia, will take over the shipyard. They have twenty employees already hard at work there, repairing a barge. The Lamantias plan to demolish the current complex, then build from the ground up. After the new facility is finished, they'll have anywhere from 40 to 80 people working there, doing ship repair and metal fabricating. That's welcome news at Boilermakers Local 85, whose workers will get that work. The union's business manager, Fred Keith, says, "It can be as big as the dream, and we got some people there that want to do some big things." Keith thinks it's possible there'll be up to 300 people working at the new facility. He says, "...that would be a great thing." Ironhead Marine is due to receive a multi-million-dollar package from the city, county, Port Authority, and federal government -- money that will be used to revamp the shipyard. While ship repair and metal fabricating is the facility's main focus, News 11 learned that building barges and tug boats could also be part of the mix in the future. A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to officially announce From WTOL.com (Ed Note: It is believed that Ironhead Marine will be the new operator of the shipyard. The yard is owned by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.) |
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Powerful Winds Push Two Lakes' Water to East In a dramatic example of the power of Friday's windstorm, water levels rose 3-1/2 feet in a few hours at the Buffalo end of Lake Erie — and fell nearly that much at the lake's western end. A similar, though less pronounced, change occurred in Lake Ontario. The primary cause: sustained powerful winds from the west-southwest, which piled up the water at the lakes' eastern ends. "Something on that magnitude happens once every three years or so," said National Weather Service forecaster Bob Hamilton. "On a lesser scale, it's maybe twice a winter." Water levels at Erie's eastern end rose 3.6 feet from midnight to 7 a.m., when wind in the region reached its peak. Water levels are recorded by gauges maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which makes the data available online. A gauge in Toledo, Ohio, at Erie's western end, showed a drop of 2.9 feet in the same time span. The water level at Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, had risen just more than 2 feet by 9:30 a.m. Friday. Buildups of water are more common in Lake Erie than Lake Ontario, Hamilton said, because Erie is shallower and is aligned southwest to northeast, the direction typically followed by the fiercest prevailing winds in autumn and winter. The National Weather Service had warned of a potential 6-foot rise at Buffalo and resultant flooding, though none occurred. There was flooding reported along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Jefferson County, Hamilton said. Residents along the Monroe County shoreline reported erosion because of the lake level and wind-whipped turbulence. As the wind abated later Friday, the water levels began to drop at the eastern ends of the lakes. That marked the start of a phenomenon known as a seiche (pronounced "saysh"), in which the water returns from whence it came, and then rebounds. "The initial 2- to 3-foot rise is what you get with a hurricane, a surge. The water then sloshes back to Toledo, and then it sloshes back here again. That's the actual seiche," Hamilton said. By 4 p.m. Friday, for example, the water level in Buffalo had already fallen more than 5 feet from its morning high. The water-in-a-bathtub effect of seiches continues for many hours on a predictable cycle, with levels rising a little less each time, until the lake returns to a state of relative equilibrium. The lore of the Great Lakes include tales of spectacular seiches, including several on Lake Erie that caused the water level in Buffalo to be as much as 15 feet higher than that in Toledo. Lake Michigan also has seen many huge seiches, including one on July 4, 1929, that caused the drowning deaths of 10 holiday beach-goers in Michigan. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |
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Port Report - February 21 Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke Saginaw was placed in the graving dock upon arrival. Assisting were tugs Bayship, and the Selvick tugs William C. Selvick, Jimmy L., Sharon M. Selvick and Susan L. She went over the graving dock sill at noon. The Saginaw had a tough trip through the ice in the Straits of Mackinac while heading to Sturgeon Bay from Sarnia. The vessel became stuck on Sunday and required the assistance of the USCG Mackinaw to pass through the Straits. The Mackinaw spent about 4 hours escorting the Saginaw until reaching the ice edge in the vicinity of White Shoal Light, on the west end of the Straits. |
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Updates - February 21 News Photo Gallery updated News Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 21 The EDWIN H GOTT arrived at Two Harbors. Minnesota (her first trip) February 21, 1979, with the loss of one of her two rudders during her transit of Lake Superior. Also the other rudder post was damaged. She was holed in her bow and some of her cargo hold plating ruptured as a result of frozen ballast tanks. Even the MACKINAW suffered damage to her port propeller shaft on the trip across frozen Lake Superior. At Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. the keel of the new bow section for the HILDA MARJANNE was laid on February 21, 1961, while at the same time the tanker hull forward of her engine room bulkhead was being cut away. On 21 February 1929, SAPPHO (wooden propeller passenger ferry, 107 foot, 224 gross tons, built in 1883, at Wyandotte, Michigan) burned at her winter lay-up dock in Ecorse, Michigan. She had provided 46 years of service ferrying passengers across the Detroit River. She was neither repaired nor replaced since the Ambassador Bridge was nearing completion. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Updates - February 20 Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 20 On February 20, 1959, Interlake Steamship Co.’s HERBERT C JACKSON (Hull#302) was launched at Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan. The Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker DES GROSEILLIERS (Hull#68) was launched February 20, 1982, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. On 20 February 1903, the straight deck steamer G WATSON FRENCH (steel propeller, 376 foot, 3,785 gross tons) was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. (Hull#608). She lasted until 1964, when she was scrapped by Lakehead Scrap Metal Co. at Fort William, Ontario. The other names she had during her career were b.) HENRY P WERNER in 1924, c.) JOHN J BOLAND in 1937, and d.) ALGOWAY in 1947. Data from: Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Inside Boatnerd Boatnerd Calendar of Events Boatnerd Gatherings Scheduled Boatnerd Trip Raffles |
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Port Report - February 19 Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Goderich - Dale Baechler St. Clair River - James Taylor, Gordy Garris & Frank
Frisk |
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Updates - February 19 News Photo Gallery updatedNews Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 19 The b.) TROY H BROWNING, c.) THOMAS F PATTON was towed from the James River with two other C4s, the LOUIS MC HENRY HOWE, b.) TOM M GIRDLER and MOUNT MANSFIELD, b.) CHARLES M. WHITE, to the Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, Maryland, February 1951, to be converted to a Great Lakes bulk carrier according to plans designed by J.J. Henry & Co., New York, New York. Wolf & Davidson of Milwaukee sold the JIM SHERIFFS (wooden propeller, 182 foot, 634 gross tons, built in 1883, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) to Kelley Island Line on 19 February 1887. Data from: Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Erie Shipyard opens dry dock for first time in 9 years 2/18 - Erie Shipyard opens dry dock for first time in 9 years According to an article in the Erie Times-News, the Buckeye will enter the Erie shipyard's graving dock sometime in the next few days, officially bringing the ship repair and building industry back to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's been nine years since a ship has been dry-docked at the Erie shipyard. The dry dock -- set 26 feet below the bay's water level -- is longer than four football fields and is one of two on the Great Lakes capable of holding a 1,000-foot ship. The facility works like a bathtub, first filling up with water so the ship can pull into the dock, and then being drained so that the hull of the ship is exposed. "This is what this place was built for," said Bob Brown, who has worked for three businesses at the shipyard, including the new Erie Shipbuilding LLC. "Everyone's excited to see it happening." Erie Shipbuilding moved into the former Litton shipyard in October, just months after Metro Machine left. Company President Dirk Van Enkevort, a former ship captain, impressed the Port Authority with his company's hefty lineup of projects, including $100 million worth of work in five years. The largest project will start this fall, with the construction of a new 740-foot barge and 135-foot tug. But Erie Shipbuilding's first project starts now, as the Buckeye is brought into the dry dock. It will be turned into a barge in a $9 million conversion. The Buckeye, built in 1952, was known as the Sparrows Point until 1991. It hauled iron ore and stone all over the Great Lakes. In addition to working on the Buckeye, a tug for another barge will also be pulled into the dry dock and undergo a $5 million engine conversion at the same time work on the Buckeye is being done. It will take welders, electricians and laborers to do the work at the shipyard. Already, 35 have been hired. Van Enkevort expects to hire another 25 once the ship and tug are in dry dock. He is hoping to have the massive shipyard buzzing with 200 workers or more by the end of 2006. "We'll ramp up as we go," Van Enkevort told the Erie Times-News Bob Brown was one of the first to be hired by Erie Shipbuilding. He's far from a newcomer to the shipyard, however. He's worked here before, first for Erie Marine and then for Metro Machine. Both times he lost his job when the companies went out of business. For more than 50 years, crews of about 25 men slept in bunk beds on the Buckeye, took their meals in the galley and played cards in the lounge. Ghostly reminders of their presence are still everywhere. You can find them in a drawing of a forest scene left taped to the wall in the equipment room. They're in the gray lockers, where a yellow raincoat hangs, and in the logbook that still hangs on a nail near the captain's quarters. The shipyard was built in its current location in 1968. That was the year construction of Litton Industries' $20 million Erie Marine Division began. The plant operated only five years but it constructed part of two vessels, including the Stewart J. Cort in 1971 and the Presque Isle tug and barge in 1973. The Presque Isle is being laid up this winter in Presque Isle Bay. Tenants have come and gone ever since Litton departed. But the size and type of jobs Erie Shipbuilding is undertaking has many business leaders hopeful that the shipyard has found a tenant that will last, and be profitable for the entire community. Beyond that, watching the dry dock used for the first time in nine years will be a thrill, said Jake Rouch, the chief executive of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. "Erie Shipbuilding is exciting for two reasons," Rouch said. "First, for the number and high quality of the jobs it brings to the region. But also, they're bringing a real-life shipbuilding experience back to the Erie region. Shipping is such a huge part of our history it's exciting to have our waterfront active in that way again." The dry-docking process will start as soon as weather permits, Van Enkevort said. Workers are hopeful weather will allow them to flood the dock Saturday and bring the Buckeye in sometime early in the week, he said.
The projects are expected to be completed by spring.
Reported by Erie Times-News |
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Updates - February 18 News Photo Gallery updatedNews Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 18 IMPERIAL ST CLAIR participated in an historic special convoy with DOAN TRANSPORT, which carried caustic soda, led by C.C.G.S. GRIFFON arriving at Thunder Bay, Ontario on February 18, 1977. The journey took one week from Sarnia, Ontario through Lake Superior ice as much as six feet thick, and at one point it took four days to travel 60 miles. The trip was initiated to supply residents of the Canadian Lakehead with 86,000 barrels of heating oil the reserves of which were becoming depleted due to severe weather that winter. The b.) JOSEPH S YOUNG, a.) ARCHERS HOPE, was towed to the Great Lakes via the Mississippi River and arrived at the Manitowoc Ship Building Co., Manitowoc, Wisconsin on February 18, 1957, where her self unloading equipment was installed. This was the last large vessel to enter the Lakes via the Mississippi. She was the first of seven T-2 tanker conversions for Great Lakes service. Renamed c.) H LEE WHITE in 1969, and d.) SHARON in 1974. SHARON was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in 1986. The Murphy fleet was sold on 18 February 1886. The tugs GLADIATOR, KATE WILLIAMS and BALIZE went to Captain Maytham, the tug WILLIAM A MOORE to Mr. Grummond, the schooner GERRIT SMITH to Captain John E. Winn, and the tug ANDREW J SMITH to Mr. Preston Brady. Data from: Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Ashtabula Man Sentenced for Hoax Distress Callls 2/17 - Cleveland - An Ashtabula native was sentenced Feb. 7 for making hoax distress calls to Coast Guard Station Fairport Harbor. Shawn T. King was sentenced by Judge Donald C. Nugent to the Bureau of Prisons for 18 months with three years supervised release. King was ordered to pay resititution of $84,000 to the Coast Guard at the rate of 25 percent of gross monthly income. "False distress calls not only cost taxpayers money and place Coast Guard members at increased personal risk, but more importantly, they divert limited resources from mariners who are in actual distress," stated Capt. Paul Preusse, chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland. USCG News Release |
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Duluth Seaway Port Authority Extended
Tonnage Figures Released; 2/17 - Duluth — Total 2005 season waterborne commerce through the Port of Duluth-Superior reached 41.7 million metric tons, a one percent increase from last season’s 41.2 million tons and the Port’s highest tonnage level reached since 1979’s 43.8 million tons. Strong performance in western coal shipments and increased international grain shipments boosted Port tonnage above last year’s level despite slightly reduced iron ore shipments. Highlighting bulk cargo activity was Midwest Energy Resources Company’s record-breaking year of low-sulfur coal shipments as its Superior facility moved 18.8 million metric tons. This was nearly 13 percent above the previous season’s 16.7 million tons and the highest level reached for the facility since it began operations in 1976. According to the Farm Service Administration, about 166,000 metric tons of wheat and beans (six transshipment laker vessel loads) were rerouted this season through the Port of Duluth-Superior from the Mississippi River due to hurricane damage along the Gulf Coast. Coupled with a strong fall wheat harvest, Port grain exports reached 2.8 million metric tons, nearly 12 percent above last season’s 2.5 million tons. Iron ore shipments of 16.6 million metric tons reflected a decrease of seven percent from last season’s 17.9 million tons, due mainly to a third-quarter softening of the domestic steel industry. Industry experts forecast a strong production year in 2006, with worldwide demand, a weakening dollar and a stabilized economy contributing to steady production. Total international cargos of 12.7 million metric tons surpassed last season’s 12 million tons by nearly six percent. Domestic trade of 29 million tons represented a less than one percent decrease from last year’s figure of 29.1 million tons. Coal surpassed iron ore in 2005 as the Port’s tonnage leader, representing 45 percent of total commerce. The Port’s three principal cargoes of coal, iron ore and grain combined represented 92 percent of total commerce, with iron ore’s shipments of 16.6 million tons making up 40 percent and grain movements of 2.8 million tons contributing seven percent. The Port continued during the 2005 season to see the development of major distribution and trans-loading activity within the pulp/paper and lumber industry, and to serve as the entry point for major project cargoes related to Canadian tar sands and Midwest wind farm developments. The 2005 season’s first commercial vessel arrival was Interlake Steamship Company’s Lee A. Tregurtha on March 26. The Bahamian-flagged Utviken was the first full Seaway transit, arriving April 11. The season’s last vessel to transit the Seaway was the British West Indies-flagged Federal St. Laurent on December 19. The Montreal Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway System saw it last vessel traffic December 29, and the Welland Canal closed December 30. The Port’s last outbound cargo vessel of the season down bound through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was Interlake Steamship Company’s Mesabi Miner, which left January 13. The Soo Locks officially closed to vessel traffic at midnight January 15, and will open again to spring vessel traffic March 25. Interlake Steamship Company’s James R. Barker marked the Port’s last vessel movement of the season, arriving for winter berthing on January 17. There were 11 vessels wintering in the Port this season. Information on the 2006 First Ship Contest will soon be available on the Port Authority’s website at www.duluthport.com . The winner of the contest will receive a “Visit Duluth” weekend, including hotel accommodations, meals and passes to local attractions. The annual contest is sponsored by Visit Duluth, 92 KQRS Minneapolis and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Total vessel arrivals in 2005 of 1,138 represented an increase of 49. There were 755 U.S.-flag, 253 Canadian-flag and 130 overseas vessels. From BusinessNorth.com |
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Port Report - February 17 Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke Also this week the former Washington Island Lines C/F Voyageur came out of the building where she was being renovated for her new/present owners, Shoreline Marine, Chicago. Still with much work to go and repainting needed, she has a distinctive hull configuration change. Her after deckhouse has been lowered down (with a dining area added within) by a deck in height to fit under the Chicago bridges and her bulwarks has been wrapped. Quite classy looking. Once painted and placed in the water later on, she should make a nice looking addition to Shoreline Marine's fleet. |
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Updates - February 17 News Photo Gallery updatedNews Photo Gallery Seaway Traffic page Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 17 In heavy weather on February 17, 1981, the WITSUPPLY, b.) TRANSTREAM foundered in the Caribbean Sea off Cabo de la Vela, Colombia. She was being towed to the scrap yard at Cartagena, Columbia when she sank. February 17, 1977 - The CITY OF MIDLAND 41 shortly after departing Ludington encountered a heavy ridge of ice that snapped all the blades off her starboard propeller. One of the blades ripped a hole two feet long by three inches wide which caused the 41 to take on water, but pumps were able to keep her afloat. SPARTAN came out to free her but also became mired in the ice. On February 18 the cutter MACKINAW freed them. Data from: Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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St. Helena Island Lighthouse Gets Thorough
Polishing 2/16 - Mackinaw City - The lighthouse on St. Helena Island in the Straits of Mackinac never stopped shining, but certainly needed a polish. Two decades of lighthouse restoration nears completion, although continued maintenance remains a priority, said Dick Moehl, president of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association. The Mackinaw City-based group works with 370 lighthouses in the Great Lakes, but has owned St. Helena Island Lighthouse since 1997. "It was automated in 1922 and it's still a major navigational aid," Moehl said. Although it continued to operate, the lighthouse building was reduced to shambles by the time restoration began in 1986. Vegetation was overgrown, and two fires scorched the interior of the structure that was missing the roof and all windows and doors. "It really was a mess," Moehl said of combined deterioration and vandalism. About $1.3 million so far has been spent to return the dilapidated lighthouse to its original splendor, with volunteers each summer working on the building and grounds. Two projects are scheduled this summer, including work on the interior of the lantern room and rebuilding trolley tracks from the shoreline to the restored boathouse. The transformation was splendid enough to draw the attention of an anonymous retired couple from northwestern Lower Michigan, avid boaters who stopped by the lighthouse a couple of times. They pledged money to fund continued work and maintenance at St. Helena Island Lighthouse, a $2 match for every $1 donated in 2006, up to $25,000. "This will preserve this thing for another 100 years," Moehl said. The donors were impressed to see the vintage lighthouse was not restored for tourism, he said, and remains without running water or electricity. Boy Scouts and other youth groups return to the isolated island for service projects and there's also an annual workshop staged for maritime heritage educators. The island is in Lake Michigan, just offshore from Gros Cap, west of St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula's Mackinac County. However, the lighthouse can easily be seen from Mackinaw City on clear days. Both federal and state tax deductions are available for donations made to the St. Helena Island Lighthouse Endowment Fund. Call (231) 436-5580 for more information. From the Traverse City Record Eagle |
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Port Report - February 16 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons The Port Authority began hauling construction trailers to the island airport today using the derrick barge T.H.C. 50 and tug William Rest. Construction of the new ferry terminals should begin shortly. The tug Radium Yellowknife came into port from the Humber Bay breakwall project and tied up at Pier 27. Late Tuesday evening the McKeil tugs turned Canadian Ranger around in the Redpath slip. Unloading of the Ranger's sugar cargo continued today. |
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Inside Boatnerd Boatnerd Calendar of Events Boatnerd Gatherings Scheduled Boatnerd Trip Raffles |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 16 The EDWIN H GOTT sailed on her maiden voyage February 16, 1979, in ballast from Milwaukee, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota. This was the first maiden voyage of a laker ever in mid-winter. She was in convoy with three of her fleet mates; CASON J CALLAWAY, PHILIP R CLARKE and JOHN G MUNSON, each needing assistance from the U.S.C.G.C. MACKINAW to break through heavy ice 12 to 14 inches thick the length of Lake Superior. The GOTT took part in a test project, primarily by U.S. Steel, to determine the feasibility of year around navigation. The JAMES E FERRIS was launched February 16, 1910, as the ONTARIO (Hull#71) at Ecorse, Michigan by Great Lakes Engineering Works. On February 16, 1977, a four hour fire caused major damage to the crews' forward quarters aboard the W W HOLLOWAY while at American Ship Building's South Chicago yard. February 16, 1939 - The state ferry CHIEF WAWATAM was fast in the ice in the Straits of Mackinac. She freed herself the next day and proceeded to St. Ignace. The little tug JAMES ANDERSON burned on Long Lake near Alpena, Michigan on the morning of 16 February 1883. Arson was suspected. Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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New Mackinaw Gets its Feet Wet in Lake Huron 2/15 - Cheboygan - Two short trips out into Lake Huron have helped the new U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw's crew to continue gradually easing its way into familiarity with new surroundings and systems for handling the ship. The training comes just in time for certification by a District Nine evaluation team from Cleveland, scheduled to arrive Tuesday. “We're ready to proceed with certification drills and evaluation by the District,” declared Ensign Matthew Kempe, the Mackinaw's public affairs officer. “A team comes up and checks us out to see how well we get underway and how well we run drills, how good a job we do at training ourselves, really. It should take three or four days. The process will verify that we are well on our way to becoming a fully commissioned Coast Guard cutter.” One short trip last week took the new Mac up the St. Mary's River to Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich., where the ship docked for the night at the Sector Sault
Ste. Marie Coast Guard Base before returning the next day. The cutter did not
transit the Soo Locks, which are currently closed. The new icebreaker also took on fuel at Rogers City, and had the experience of backing out of the fuel dock through a light ice mass. “We backed through some ice in Rogers city and that was a good learning situation for us, too,” Kempe said. More recently, the high-tech cutter spent a few days in Northern Lake Huron, staying east of Bois Blanc Island and south of DeTour Passage. While there, the vessel confined itself to an 18-mile long navigational box to make turns, test systems and conning officer training well out of the shipping lanes in deep water. “We learned a whole lot,” Kempe confirmed. “It was a success in every sense. We got a lot of training done and met all our objectives for training.” Kempe said the Mackinaw's crew performed training drills for damage control, navigational training, man overboard situations and conning officer training, all done to help them feel more comfortable with the equipment. “We did engineering casualty drills for the guys in the engine room, too,” he added, “just to be ready if something breaks. What happens if the power management system goes down and you have to do it by hand? Well, now we can do it.” Kempe said the environment was perfect for concentrating on training. “We had no deadlines for port calls or anything like that,” he continued. “We all feel better about our ability to respond with the ship.” From the Cheboygan Daily Tribune |
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Port Report - February 15 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Work continues on the new Humber Bay breakwall project, just to the west of Ontario Place. The mild winter weather has allowed to project to move ahead faster than anticipated. McKeil tugs turned Canadian Ranger late Tuesday to facilitate unloading the stern hatches. No ice in the harbor, but buildups along the shores. Police patrol boats, the fire tug Wm. Lyon Mackenzie, and the Island Yacht Club tender are still running, along with the Island airport ferry Maple City and the Island ferry Ongiara. Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain |
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Today in Great Lakes History - February 15 In 1961, the HARRY R JONES, a.) D G KERR arrived at her final port of Troon, Scotland where she was cut up for scrap the same year. Data from: Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Lake County Ohio Leaders Trying To Save
Historic Lighthouse 2/14 - An ad hoc assembly of Lake County agencies and organizations is looking to find someone to carry the torch in saving the historic Fairport West Breakwater Coast Guard lighthouse on Lake Erie. The 61-year-old structure is about midway along the federal government's breakwater at the mouth of the Grand River just east of Headlands Beach State Park in Painesville Township. The group is working against the clock. It has until March 6 to apply to the federal government after having already exhausted two 60-day extensions. The two-story structure is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, which maintains a navigational foghorn and light system on the building. However, the federal government wants to divest itself of the structure, keeping only the duties of maintaini |