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Resolution Aimed at Returning Fresnel Lens to New Presque
Isle Lighthouse 3/31 - Alpena - The campaign to restore the historic Fresnel lens to its rightful place atop the Presque Isle Lighthouse was given a push Tuesday when Michigan senators adopted Senate Resolution No. 66. The resolution expresses support for the efforts of the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries; the State Historic Preservation Office; and Presque Isle Township to reinstall the lens in the lighthouse. “The light is an important part of the history of Northeast Michigan,” said Sen. Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, who was the primary sponsor of the resolution. Last week, Rogers City Mayor Beach Hall and council member Gary Nowak testified before the Senate committee that approved sending the resolution to the Senate floor. “I think it would be an additional tourist draw, and frankly it belongs up there,” Hall said of the Fresnel lens. The 130-year-old lens served the Presque Isle Light Station until 2003, when it was removed for reconstruction. Repairing the lens was a $61,868 project that was paid for in part with state grants, and in part by Presque Isle Township. Work on the lens was completed in October last year, but now Presque Isle Township officials and several U.S. congressmen are working to receive permission from the Coast Guard to reinstall the lens in the lighthouse. The lens is currently being stored at the Presque Isle Township hall. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich, have all been involved in seeking permission to have the lens reinstalled in the lighthouse, according to Les Nichols, Presque Isle Township Parks and Recreation Committee chair. “Our congressional delegation has done a marvelous job on being active in helping us through the process of talking with the Coast Guard,” Nichols said. Though the Presque Isle Lighthouse is owned and operated by Presque Isle Township, the Fresnel lens is owned by the Coast Guard. In 2002, it was leased to Presque Isle Township for a period of 25 years. Nichols said the reluctance of the Coast Guard to allow the lens to be returned to the lighthouse is likely due to its policy of phasing out Fresnel lenses. He speculated the Coast Guard may want to permanently replace the Fresnel lens with a lens that is cheaper to maintain. Currently, a Vega lens is being used in the historic Fresnel lens’ stead. Nichols said Presque Isle Township has agreed to take responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the Fresnel lens. “As long as the Coast Guard is willing to lease it to us, we will maintain it,” he said. Nichols believes the lens should be returned to the lighthouse not only because of its historical significance, but also because it is a better lens than the Vega lens that has replaced it. “(The Vega lens) is not visible as far as the original 130-year-old historic Fresnel lens is,” Nichols said of the Vega lens. “That could be visible for 26 miles, and this new one is visible, if you’re lucky, for 16 miles.” According to Nichols, Senate Resolution No. 66 is an important milestone in the campaign to have the Fresnel lens reinstalled. “What this does is that is shows from a state standpoint the New Presque Isle Lighthouse has statewide, regional, multi-state impact,” he said. Presque Isle Township Supervisor Peter Pettalia also said he was pleased with the resolution. “(The lens) is truly a jewel for our township, state and nation to enjoy,” Pettalia said. Nichols is hoping the township will have permission from the Coast Guard in time for the lens to be reinstalled this summer. From the Alpena News |
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Canadiana's Engine May Return Home 3/31 - Buffalo - The Triple Expansion steam engine from the scrapped passenger vessel SS CANADIANA should be back on the property where it was built on the Buffalo waterfront within two weeks. $20,000 has been secured by local businessmen Mike Powers, Mark Judd, and Chris Alf to transport the 65 ton engine from Port Colburn, Ontario to the BIDCO Marine Group yard on Ganson St. The Peace Bridge may need to be closed to allow passage of a 32 wheel tractor trailer truck carrying the engine in three pieces. The CANADIANA's pilothouse is already at the BIDCO property, site of the old Buffalo Dry Dock Yard. Both pieces may be partially restored there before being incorporated into the Great Lakes Museum as part of the Erie Canal Harbor/Bass Pro Shop Development Project along the downtown waterfront. Reported by Brian Wroblewski |
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Port Reports - March 31 Goderich - Dale Baechler Port Colborne - Brian Wroblewski |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 31 On 31 March 1971, the American Steamship Company’s RICHARD J REISS grounded at Stoneport, Michigan while moving away from her dock. She damaged her number 9 tank. Christening ceremonies took place at St. Catharines, Ontario on March 31, 1979, for the d.) CANADIAN PROSPECTOR, lengthened by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. ROGER M KYES (Hull#200) was launched March 31, 1973, at Toledo, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. Renamed b.) ADAM E CORNELIUS in 1989. WILLIAM R ROESCH was renamed b) DAVID Z NORTON in christening ceremonies at Cleveland, Ohio on March 31, 1995. The PAUL THAYER was also renamed, EARL W OGLEBAY, during the same ceremonies. JOSEPH S WOOD was sold to the Ford Motor Co. and towed from her winter lay-up berth at Ashtabula, Ohio on March 31, 1966, to the American Ship Building's Toledo, Ohio yard for her five-year inspection. A 900 h.p. bow thruster was installed at this time. She would be rechristened as the c.) JOHN DYKSTRA two months later. The steamer b.) J CLARE MILLER was launched March 31, 1906, as a.) HARVEY D GOULDER (Hull#342) at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., for W.A. & A.H. Hawgood of Cleveland, Ohio. On March 31, 1927, the WILLIAM MC LAUGHLAN entered service for the Interlake Steamship Co. when she departed Sandusky, Ohio for Superior, Wisconsin on her maiden trip. Later renamed b.) SAMUEL MATHER in 1966, sold Canadian in 1975, renamed c.) JOAN M MC CULLOUGH, and finally d.) BIRCHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Point Edward, Nova Scotia by Universal Metal Co. Ltd. On 31 March 1874, E H MILLER (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 30 gross tons) was launched at Chesley A. Wheeler's yard in E. Saginaw, Michigan. The power plant from the 1865, tug JENNIE BELL was installed in her. She was renamed RALPH in 1883, and spent most of her career as a harbor tug in the Alpena area. She was abandoned in 1920. On 31 March 1890, EDWARD SMITH (wooden propeller, 201 foot, 748 gross tons) was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #67). In 1900, her name was changed to b.) ZILLAH. She lasted until she foundered four miles off Whitefish Point on 29 August 1926. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection and the 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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Icebreakers Turn Full Attention to Upper River and Whitefish Bay 3/30 - Sault Ste. Marie - With the lower St. Marys River essentially
free of fast ice, a fleet of Coast Guard icebreakers today turn full attention
on the still-intact icefields of the upper river and Whitefish Bay. Hoerneman said heavy ship traffic around the Saturday opening of the Soo Locks in the lower river moved essentially unimpeded by ice with no ships reported beset. He said while a considerable flow of broken or ³brash² ice remains on the lower river, that ice is steadily moving downstream on its own toward oblivion or the open Lake Huron. Katmai Bay, which has worked the lower river steadily since breakout operations began earlier this month, has been re-assigned to assist Mackinaw on the upper end with two other Bay-Class icebreakers. Joining Katmai Bay will be St. Ignace-based Biscayne Bay and Cleveland-based Neah Bay. A fourth Bay-Class tug, Mobile Bay, was released to return home to Sturgeon
Bay, Wisc. after the initial breakout was completed. Hoerneman said reports
from Mackinaw indicate a well-used steamer track from the Locks to the ice
edge appears to be holding well in eight to 12-inch plate ice. He said that
can change in a hurry if winds shift or large floes of fast ice break off and
drift across the steamer track. The Katmai Bay skipper offered no estimate as to when a general break-up of fast bay and upper river ice will occur. As of late Sunday, a relatively solid sheet of snow-covered ice extended across the full width of eastern Whitefish Bay well past Point Iroquois and Iroquois Island with only the steamer track to interrupt it. A general break-up in continuing warm temperatures this week and into next week may confront the icebreaking fleet with the annual job of re-setting the track as floes shift. Meanwhile, opening day of the new shipping season may not have broken records but a log of first-day passages easily surpasses the norm for the March 25 opener. The Corps of Engineers recorded 24 ship passages on Saturday as vessels found their first trip up and down the Lakes easy going by March standards. Arriving nearly 36 hours in advance of the Locks opening, the up bound steamer Arthur M. Anderson was first through the Poe Lock shortly after midnight Friday. Anderson was followed by four other early arrivals, all up bound. Later in the first day, no fewer than 19 ships made the Locks in both directions, making for a fast start to the new season and a well-groomed track through upper-river ice. Another eight vessels arrived at the Locks on Sunday, Day Two of the new season. From the Soo Evening News |
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Cheboygan Group Preparing to Accept Cutter 3/30 - Cheboygan - With only a small number of legislative days left on the U.S. Senate's calendar, organizers of a group seeking to keep the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw in the Cheboygan River as a museum ship are confident they've completed the necessary details to formalize acceptance of the ship once the current Coast Guard appropriations bill passes. “Things are coming about,” said Joanne Harrison, treasurer of the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum, Inc. “We feel that the details are in place to receive the ship.” Harrison spoke at Tuesday's meeting of the Cheboygan County Commissioners and updated the panel on the progress of where the Mackinaw will go after its June 9 decommissioning date. She outlined recent developments that will assure legislators the group is ready to moor the vessel. Wording on Senate Bill No. 1280 is being changed to convey the ship directly to the museum group, absolving both Cheboygan County and the city of Cheboygan from liability concerns. The County, perceived in the past by the group as holding up the process with legal issues, was represented as solidly behind the project Tuesday. The city's legal counsel has raised no concerns. The museum group has entered into an option to purchase agreement with GEFS Marine Terminal of Cheboygan to secure the land necessary to permanently moor the vessel. The property, known as “the Point,” is between the Cheboygan County Marina and the Cheboygan Crib Lighthouse. An environmental checklist has been completed to prepare the location to the Department of Environmental Quality's specifications. Sam Fralick, one of the investors who owns the property to be sold to the group, is also offering a temporary mooring site known as the former Coal Dock to park the ship until the Point property is readied for permanent use. The Coal Dock was the original mooring site of the Mackinaw when it first came to town in 1944. Permits are being applied for to install mooring dolphins, utilities and security to keep the ship in safe harbor. Engineering specifications are being prepared by the Mackinaw's crew to define the parameters for storing the vessel while the permanent site is being prepared. The group's finances, which have swelled to more than $100,000 in cash and pledges, are bolstered by donations of in-kind services for marine construction, utility placement and help from local banks in the form of fund-raising challenges. Civic groups have also donated to the cause. Securing the property is seen as a key step in ownership of assets necessary to complete U.S. Coast Guard requirements of proving solvency for the project. The museum group will now begin meeting weekly to assure a timely communication with the parties involved in expediting the process, Harrison said. A comprehensive photo display on CD, business plan and Power-Point presentation have been prepared for business and civic groups. From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Former Boblo Boat Ste. Claire To Leave River Rouge 3/30 - On Tuesday the City of River Rouge Council decided not to extend the welcome of the Historic Steamer Ste. Claire. With this decision, Ste. Claire must find a new home as soon as possible as its agreement to reside in River Rouge expires April 1st. Should a new site to continue the restoration not be found, reality is the Ste. Claire may end up in the hands of a salvage yard. Any group or individual that knows of a site large enough to accommodate Ste. Claire is asked to contact Diane Evon at 216-402-7977 or by email E-mail. Reported by W. Argent |
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Boat watchers return as shipping season officially starts 3/30 - Port Huron - The Soo Locks have opened, and the Hollyhock is busy tending buoys. That means commercial shipping is about to pick up on the Great Lakes - good news for freighter-watching aficionados, a popular pastime for residents and visitors along the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. "We enjoy watching the ships," said Judy Malenich of Croswell. "It's really neat." She and her husband, Jim, plan to visit Port Huron and the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie to watch ships and do some fishing next month. The Soo Locks, which connect Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes, opened March 25. The locks handle about 12,000 ships each year, and their opening heralds the start of regular freighter traffic on the lakes. Ontario's Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway also have opened, which means ocean-going freighters soon will be making their appearance in the local waterways. Another signal that commercial traffic is about to ramp up is the Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock's annual mission to replace winter buoys with warm-weather versions. The ship left its Port Huron berth last week. Frank Frisk, who has run the headquarters of the Great Lakes shipping Web site Boatnerd.com in Port Huron for the past year, said ship watchers now are out in force. "The boats are already running, and we're busier than beavers in a logjam," Frisk said. "It's like NASCAR on the water. They follow them all over." Maritime Center Frederick Smith, 57, of Port Huron had a camera and tripod set up along the boardwalk in front of the maritime center. He was photographing the Algorail, which was stopped at the Imperial Oil fuel dock in Sarnia. The retiree and amateur photographer said the ship-watching building makes the start of freighter season all the more exciting. "I can't wait, with this new facility here," he said. "It's tremendous." Visitors to the center, or anywhere else along the St. Clair River, should expect to see plenty of vessels. Glen Nekvasil is a vice president and spokesman for the Lakes' Carriers Association in Cleveland, which represents 13 companies operating 55 U.S.-flagged commercial vessels on the lakes. He said there are about 175 ships on the lakes on a typical day, and freighter watchers should expect to see the same amount of ship traffic this year as in past years. The maritime center, which opened in the fall, has plenty of resources available for ship lovers. Besides real-time ship position updates on large screens, there are binoculars, tables and chairs, food, books and guides. Large windows stretch along the building's east side, facing the river. Vantage Point is the northern anchor of Acheson Ventures' 77-acre redevelopment of the city's riverfront from the mouth of the Black River south to the refurbished Seaway Terminal. Buoy tending The 225-foot cutter and its 50-person crew was in Lake St. Clair on Tuesday and was expected to head to Detroit overnight. Then it's on to the Saginaw area, Sporer said. He thinks the cutter should be back in Port Huron for Easter before heading back out to complete its six-week mission. The vessel will extend its mission to Lake Ontario for training, he said. "That's kind of a big trip for us," he said. "We hope to be done by May." The relatively mild winter has been kind on the buoys, he said. "We're actually very pleased with the weather. Compared to last winter, this is quite the lamb," Sporer said. "So far, it's been smooth for us. The weather has been relatively reasonable." The $29 million Hollyhock replaced the decommissioned Bramble in 2003. The Bramble, now docked at the Seaway Terminal, has been converted into a maritime museum. From the Port Huron Times-Herald |
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'Know Your Ships' Editor to Sign Books in
Port Huron 3/30 - Mark the beginning of another season of boat watching with a book signing in Port Huron by Roger LeLievre, editor and publisher of the annual "Know Your Ships" guide. LeLievre will be on hand at the BoatNerd.Com World Headquarters in Port Huron from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 15 to sign copies of the 2006 "Know Your Ships." This year's book, hot off the press, will be available for purchase at the event. "Know Your Ships" is often referred to as the "bible of boatwatching" containing detailed information and pictures of Great Lakes ships and the foreign ships that visit the Great Lakes each season. There is no admission charge for the event. Make a day of your trip by visiting the new Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point adjacent to the Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping (BoatNerd.Com) Headquarters and enjoy the spectacular view of the boats passing on the St. Clair River. Vantage Point is located at the end of First Street, on the south side of the Black River in Port Huron. Visit www.boatnerd.com/about/worldhq and www.knowyourships.com for more information. |
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Spring Arriving in the U. P. 3/30 - Marquette — Jack Frost may be ready for a vacation. According to forecasters with the National Weather Service, the weather systems that contribute to the Upper Peninsula snowfall have moved north for the season. “In general from what I’ve seen, we’re pretty much done with winter,” forecaster Andrew Just said. “There is some rain expected this Thursday and Friday, the night-time lows will be above freezing. There may be a faster melt during that time period.” Just said that the area rivers should start seeing an increase in flow from that storm by late this weekend. According to Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist George Madison, that means some streams could see more trout traveling upstream. “They’ll stage in those deep holes,” Madison said. “But any big influx of water is going to make it easier for them to get farther upstream. The rain in the forecast this weekend might have an effect (on the runs).” The few steelhead wandering around the rivers now aren’t moving in a crowd and are more vulnerable to predatory birds. These fish are likely to be wary, according to Madison. “In shallow water, they’re a little more spooked,” Madison said. According to several local anglers, the fish are playing hard to get. More than a dozen fishermen showed up at the mouth of the Carp River at lunchtime Monday to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and try to land a trout or a salmon venturing upstream from Lake Superior. “Ah, look, he’s right there, you see him? He’s thinking about it,” said Rob Grossman, 23, of Skandia as he watched a steelhead trout chase his lure, without biting it. “He’s either angry that he missed it twice now, or he’s on to my lure.” The bright noontime sun lit up the river, and with his polarized sunglasses Grossman could see the fish clearly just feet from where he was standing. The midday temperature of 54 degrees brought more than a dozen anglers to the lower Carp River. “It’s been slow,” he said. “They’re there, but they just don’t seem to want to bite.” “That’s just the way it is sometimes,” said Jim Michaud of Harvey, who was packing up after spending the entire morning on the river. “Last year there weren’t hardly any walleye, but the year before that, we were nailing them. It just depends.” Grossman said fishermen would have to try pretty hard not to catch a fish between Big Bay and Munising with all of the rivers running into Lake Superior. But when you catch fish is entirely up to the fish, he added. Jim Waybrant, a DNR fisheries biologist based in Newberry, said biologists believe trout runs are based on water temperature and light. Runs have started to some extent on Luce County’s Big Two Hearted River, he said. “Their run is going to be based on a combination of water temperature and photo period,” Waybrant said. “If you get a slug of water coming down into the lake, that’s going to be like ringing a dinner bell. There’s a good amount of worms and insects and things that are brought in by the flood waters.” Madison explained why those fishing just offshore in Lake Superior are having a little better luck than those fishing upstream. “Right now a lot of the fish are right offshore,” Madison said. “The smelt are slowly starting to congregate offshore as we get toward late winter and early spring. That brings the (predator fish) offshore.” Saturday marks the day when anglers must possess a 2006 fishing license to fish; 2005 licenses are valid through Friday. In an effort to reduce costs, the DNR has published a two-year fishing guide. The DNR usually makes changes to the regulations each year, but the new rules will be in effect through March 31, 2008. The department reminds anglers to use extreme caution when fishing this early in the season. The frigid water of Lake Superior and the swift, cold waters of area streams, swollen with spring runoff, can be dangerous. From the Marquette Mining Journal |
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Port Reports - March 30 Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain The tug Manitou left Alpena on Tuesday after a week long stay in the area. The Manitou picked up a barge with cranes that were used for a project at Lafarge. The barge was secured to the front of the tug and the pair left around 4 p.m., cruising at a good pace. On Tuesday the Great Lakes Trader took on cargo at Stoneport. The Philip R. Clarke arrived Wednesday afternoon to load stone. Hamilton - Eric Holmes Goderich - Dale Baechler Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Mid-afternoon Wednesday, Vigilant 1 and Glenevis pulled James Norris from Pier 51 north back to Pier 35 south, where she wintered, even though the Norris appeared to have steam up. Enterprise 2000 returned to Pier 35 South earlier in the day. Unloading of that vessel is almost complete and she is expected to depart soon. Stephen B. Roman departed port while the Norris tow was underway. Shortly there Hamilton energy came in to bunker Pytheas at Redpath. Hamilton Energy will return to Hamilton and Pythesu will head upstream, likely Thursday. The tour boat Wayward Princess ran its first charter of the season Wednesday afternoon. The tour boat River Gambler is slated for its first charter Friday night. Toledo - Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke By mid-morning, the Selvick tugs Jimmy L., Sharon M., William C. Selvick and Cameron O. had moved the Edward L. Ryerson back to the shipyard from the West Side City Dock where it had spent the winter. Detroit - Ken Borg South Chicago/Indiana Harbor - Steve B. |
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Updates - March30 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 30 The c.) CHEMICAL MAR arrived at Brownsville, Texas on March 30, 1983, in tow of the tug FORT LIBERTE to be scrapped there. Built in 1966, as a.) BIRK. In 1979, she was renamed b.) COASTAL TRANSPORT by Hall Corp. of Canada, but never came to the lakes and renamed c.) CHEMICAL MAR in 1981. The ERINDALE was pressed into service after the LEADALE sank in the Welland Canal. She was towed out of Toronto on March 30, 1983, by the tugs G W ROGERS and BAGOTVILLE for repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks. The ERINDALE re-entered service two months later. March 30, 1985 - The CITY OF MIDLAND's departure was delayed when her anchor snagged one which she had lost in Pere Marquette Lake the previous summer. On 29 March 1888, D D JOHNSON (wooden propeller tug, 45 foot, 17 gross tons) was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan. She was built for Carkin, Stickney & Cram and lasted until 1909. 106 years ago today, on March 30, 1900, the carferry ANN ARBOR NO 2, grounded on the rocks east of the approach to the channel at Manistique, Michigan. She was pulled off quickly by the ANN ARBOR NO 3, and the tug GIFFORD. She was found to have bent a propeller shaft and broken her rudder, resulting in a trip to the drydock at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On 30 March 1917, GERMANIC (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 184 foot, 1,014 gross tons, built in 1899, at Collingwood, Ontario) was destroyed by fire at her winter berth at Collingwood, Ontario while she was being prepared for the upcoming season. She was the last wooden ship built at Collingwood. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Shawn B-K, 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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Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Working in Florida The Oak Brook, Il based Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company is currently working a major beach re-nourishment project for Okaloosa and Walton Counties in the NW Florida Pan Handle. Great Lake's trailing suction hopper dredge, Liberty Island, is racing the June First start of the hurricane season to replace the beach berms, small dunes 8 - 10 feet high, lost to the hurricanes over the past two years. These berms, set back from the waters edge, protect the Gulf front homes and condos from foundation washout due to storm surge and replenish the lost beach frontage. The Liberty Island is mining the snow white sand just off the coast at Destin Florida and then discharging it onto the beaches 8 or 10 nm to the East using her bow mounted pressure discharge system. The work continues 24 hours a day. Discharge pipes carrying the sand slurry from deep water to the beach are moved daily by the ground crews. This state-of- the-art Sand Sucker will insure the protection of the beach front private property and the continuing commercial viability of the local tourist industry. Reported by Craig Gleason |
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Port Reports - March 29 Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer Midland - Chris Dunn Hamilton - Eric Holmes The Federal Manitou continues to unload at Pier 23 after shifting from Pier 14 on Monday. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 29 N.M. Paterson & Sons, PRINDOC was sold off-lakes during the week of March 29, 1982, to the Southern Steamship Co., Georgetown, Cayman Islands and was renamed b.) HANKEY. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Paul R. Tregurtha Opens Duluth 3/28 - Paul R. Tregurtha officially opened the Twin Ports navigation season on Sunday by being the first vessel to arrive from the lower lakes. However, fleetmate James R. Barker made three trips earlier in the month on Lake Superior and at least one Canadian vessel arrived on Saturday from Thunder Bay. Stewart J. Cort put in an unusual appearance in Duluth on Monday when it arrived through the Duluth ship canal and fueled at the Murphy Oil dock at the port terminal. The vessel, sporting bright orange Interlake Steamship stripes on its stacks, then proceeded to its usual loading berth at BNSF ore dock. Algocape arrived in Duluth on Tuesday with an early season cargo for St. Lawrence Cement. As the season begins, it appears three familiar vessels in the Twin Ports will again be regular callers at Midwest Energy Terminal. Walter J. McCarthy Jr. has six loads scheduled between the end of March and early April (including an unusual call to Silver Bay); Indiana Harbor has four trips scheduled through April; Oglebay Norton has two trips scheduled and five more indicated with no dates; and Paul R. Tregurtha has six trips scheduled by the end of April. Reported by: Al Miller |
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Goderich Top Hat Ceremony Welcomes First Ship into Port 3/28 - Goderich - When Capt. Jim Leaney climbed down the ladder from the deck of the CSL Niagara to be greeted by Mayor Deb Shewfelt last Thursday, he carried on a decades-old tradition. Ever since Capt. Earl Jenkins arrived aboard the Acadialite on April 5, 1932, the captain of the first ship into the Port of Goderich after the winter freeze has been welcomed with a special ceremony at Town Hall. “Captain,” said Counc. David Yates as Leaney took his seat in the mayor’s chair, “like the sighting of the first robin of spring, the arrival of you and your vessel signals the beginning of the new spring and summer seasons for Goderich.” Following the official welcome from the town, Shewfelt gingerly placed an ancient top hat on the good captain’s head. “In wearing this hat,” continued Yates, “a distinctively Canadian tradition that dates back to the Toronto port in the 1830s, you join a long line of lake captains that are the official inauguration of the new year. Welcome.” The CSL Niagara pushed its way through the ice and into port late on the night of Wednesday, March 15 to beat by a few short hours the old record of March 16 for the first ship set back in 1951 by Capt. Sloane of the Imperial Cobourg. The 740-foot Niagara took on 30,000 tonnes of salt during its short stay in Goderich before setting sail for Ohio. Also joining the official welcoming ceremony was Gord Bell, the general foreman of shipping for Sift Salt. In replying to the words of welcome, Capt. Leaney noted his appreciation for the port and revealed that he comes from a long line of sailors. “Either this is the best job in the world,” said the captain, “or we just aren’t smart enough to do anything else!” The ceremony ended, as it has for almost 75 years, with the captain signing the inside of the old top hat before enjoying lunch with the mayor. From the Goderich Signal Star |
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First Saltie of the Season Arrives in Toronto 3/28 - Capt. Vladimir Kobylkin of the Federal Manitou looked a little puzzled by the frenzy surrounding the 178-year-old beaver top hat. The hat, which was gently placed on Kobylkin's head by Port of Toronto Harbourmaster Angus Armstrong, is part of a rite of spring that marks the arrival of the first ocean-going cargo ship of the season -- otherwise known as a "saltie" for the time spent in salt water. The ship left Antwerp, Belgium, on March 9. "It's a sign that spring has finally arrived," Armstrong said. "This is the first one through the seaway, which opened about two or three days ago." The top hat, made of beaver fur felt, originally belonged to Capt. John Hooper Meade, who moved here from England in 1828. Meade donated the hat in 1861 for the ceremony. When the tradition began, the captain would keep the hat for 24 hours. However, after several mishaps -- once the hat was found filled with beer in a waterfront pub -- the tradition changed. Now the irreplaceable hat is returned after the ceremony. Armstrong said the Manitou, a 185-metre ship carrying 987 tonnes of automotive production machinery, is one of about 100 ships that will make its way to the city, carrying mostly construction material, this year. Yesterday the ship left about 387 tonnes in Toronto. The rest was to be unloaded in Hamilton. Armstrong said he expects an increase in shipping in the next few years. "It's because of all the office towers and condos -- there's been such a need for cement and asphalt," he said. From the Toronto Sun |
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Great Lakes Cruises Gain Popularity 3/28 - Lansing - A hundred years ago, cruising on the Great Lakes was a popular vacation. Could it be making a comeback? "Americans are concentrating more on domestic travel over the last few years," said Maria Prezioso, marketing director of the American Canadian Caribbean Line, a company that runs overnight cruises on U.S. inland waters. "Why cruise anywhere? It's enjoyable," Prezioso said. Michigan's landscapes, lighthouses, historic sites and architecture are big attractions for many travelers. Some port cities don't plan anything special for tourists who come ashore, but other places, like Marquette, are trying to show what makes their city special. The cruise ship, The Columbus, operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, has been coming to Marquette for three years. Pat Black, executive director of the Marquette Country Convention and Visitors Bureau, said her office is putting together itineraries for tourists when they come ashore. She recently sent several of her employees to a seminar to learn how to attract cruises to their communities. Most Great Lakes cruises operate in late summer and early fall. "In late September we have all of this spectacular fall color going on," Black said. Tours of mining operations, lighthouses and trips to iron ore industry and maritime museums are on the list of things to do in the Marquette area. The 205-cabin Columbus is the largest cruise ship on the Great Lakes, and generally carries passengers who are not from Michigan. For example, a large number of Germans visit the Great Lakes on that ship, Black said, and students in local high school German classes meet with tourists. "Down the road, I can see Marquette really getting into it," she said. "The development downtown will be really appealing." When guests arrive in port, it's up to them to decide what activities they will participate in. They can go on guided tours, explore local arts and crafts or travel independently. Ports are picked based on points of interest, Prezioso said. American Canadian Caribbean Line offers Great Lakes cruises of six to 10 nights, beginning in Chicago, with stops in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Michigan ports include Manistee, Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie. The company has been in operation for 40 years, and has been touring the Great Lakes since then. When the company started, it offered a trip through Lake Ontario, but that was discontinued. Currently four to five cruise ships tour the Great Lakes each year. Passengers have seen the Great Lakes from cruise ships since the early 1900s, when it was a faster way to get to Michigan's vacation destinations than driving. Some overnight cruises from Chicago to Michigan were popular for couples on their honeymoon. From the South Bend Tribune |
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Port Reports - March 28 Saginaw River - Gordy Garris The Lafayette Bridge in Downtown Bay City is now set to open to car traffic and shipping in the river in early April. Sandusky - Jim Spencer Kingston - Ron Walsh The J. A. W. Iglehart is making her second trip to Bath this spring. She was due at mid-lake at 8:30 p.m. It is interesting to note the English River is still tied in Hamilton. The Stephen B. Roman is active carrying cement out of Picton. The local tour boats Island Star, Island Queen and Island Belle are being readied and will soon be back at Crawford wharf. The small cruise vessel Canadian Empress will soon be ready for the year. Hamilton - Eric Holmes The John D. Leitch departed the Dofasco coal dock at 7 p.m. and is headed to Detroit in ballast. |
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Updates - March 28 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 28 On 28 March 1997, the USS Great Lakes Fleet’s PHILIP R CLARKE set a record for a salt cargo on a U.S.-flag Laker when she loaded 25,325 tons at Fairport, Ohio for delivery to Toledo, Ohio. The previous record was 25,320 tons carried by American Steamship’s AMERICAN REPUBLIC in 1987. On 28 March 1848, COLUMBUS (wooden sidewheeler, 391 tons, built in 1835, at Huron, Ohio) struck a pier at Dunkirk, New York during a storm and sank. The sidewheeler FASHION struck the wreck in November of the same year and was seriously damaged. 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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Dossin Museum Embarks on Rocky Journey 3/27- Detroit - Faced with being laid off last month, John Polacsek decided to retire after 25 years of running Detroit's Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle. He was the last history museum curator on the payroll of a city with two history museums. The retirement underscores the challenges facing the nonprofit Detroit Historical Society as it takes over operations of the Dossin and the Detroit Historical Museum from the financially strapped City of Detroit. Bob Bury, the society's executive director, said the city's history museums embark on their uncertain future with only 11 full-time employees and a host of volunteers. Eventually, says Bury, he will hire some curators. But replacing Polacsek right away is out of the question as the society must raise at least $3 million a year to keep the museums running. "Ten years ago we had a military curator, an industrial history curator, a social history curator, an education specialist and a marine curator -- me. Those positions are all gone," Polacsek said. In recent months, times have been so tough that the city had only one maintenance person to cover the Dossin, the Historical Museum and Historic Ft. Wayne. An Ohio native, Polacsek, 55, has a master's degree in history from Bowling Green State University and is trained as an archivist. He fell in love with the study of the Great Lakes in college when he helped develop a database of 1,500 vessels that have sunk over the centuries in Michigan waters. Since taking control of the Dossin in 1981, Polacsek managed to add permanent features and raise funds and the museum's visibility. Detroit, he notes, was the busiest port on the lakes through much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. "In 1910, there were 12 million people who left the port of Detroit by boat," Polacsek said. In 1992, Polacsek organized the recovery of an anchor from the Edmund Fitzgerald that the ship had lost in Detroit River ice 22 months before its famous sinking in 1975. The operation wound up being a fund-raising bonanza. "I thought that was one of John's finest hours," said Maude Lyon, who served as historical museums director from 1990 to 1999. The anchor rests today outside the Dossin, and Polacsek was standing next to it in a History Channel documentary that aired Wednesday night, discussing the Fitzgerald's disappearance for a national audience. Among the other additions to the Dossin during Polacsek's watch was the pilothouse from the retired freighter William Clay Ford that workers spliced onto the museum so visitors can look out onto the river and pretend they are Great Lakes skippers. He also added a webcam that shows views of passing ships to Internet users, though the camera is currently out of order. Polacsek also helped build the Dossin's archive of Great Lakes information that includes data on 6,000 boats. With 35,000 slides and 55,00 prints, the museum's archives are used by researchers from around the world. In losing Polacsek, the city's museums also lose the knowledge he has developed of a little-known aspect of local history -- the role of African-American sailors and Great Lakes steamships in the Underground Railroad. By reading all the abolitionist newspapers and papers from the various ports, Polacsek has reconstructed how certain steamships before and during the Civil War crisscrossed the lakes, ferrying runaway slaves to freedom in Canada. He hopes to publish a book on the subject. Polacsek, who lives with his wife and teenage daughter on Detroit's east side, plans to work as an archivist, author and consultant. He is happy the Detroit City Council voted last week to spin off the museums to the historical society, but he worries about their future. "I don't see them as serving the same purpose as in the past. They're on a restricted time frame. I'm glad they're still open, but I hope things don't fall through the cracks." From the Detroit Free Press |
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Good Luck John BoatNerd would like to express our thanks to John Polacsek and wish him continued success in what ever lies next. John was the driving force behind the Belle Isle Web Cam at the Dossin Museum and many other projects that allowed the Dossin Collection/Events to be shared through the web and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of viewers. Good Luck John! |
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Port Leader Webber Extends Olive Branch to
Environmentalists Opposing Dredging Plan 3/27 - Bay City, MI - Dredging the Saginaw River is crucial to the tri-county economy, and must be started this year, says William G. Webber, president, Sargent Docks & Terminal and a member of the Saginaw River Alliance. Mr. Webber recommended lessening or elimination of contamination from upstream sources in a recent speech to the Tri-County Economics Club (TCEC). That statement extended the olive branch from industry to environmentalists who are attempting to block the dredging through protests. Mr. Webber said dredging must begin this year or local industries and governments will suffer substantial financial losses. Some experts predict the upper river port in Saginaw could be virtually out of business in two years without dredging. Mr. Webber said costs to government would increase by an estimated $18,770,000 per year without waterborne shipping. For example, both road salt and dry cement for road building would cost about $15 more per ton if they had to be shipped in by truck instead of by ship. He also sketched a vision for the river, noting "synergies may be created for import, export and other opportunities." Exports of agricultural and manufactured products will be enhanced by the dredging project, he said. The Saginaw River handles the second largest volume in the state, following only Detroit. A lawsuit has been filed by Frankenlust Township to block disposal of the spoils dredged from the river on township property. Environmentalist Terry Miller of the Lone Tree Council agrees that dredging must go forward for commercial reasons. But at the same time his group seeks a response to dioxin contamination of the river silt and treatment of the dredged materials in the basin. Silt build-up over the years has made the river near Saginaw so shallow that ships are having trouble turning around. Some of the 700-1000 foot vessels have to back all the way out to the river mouth at Essexville, according to reports last year from Boatnerd.com observers. The Bay County Growth Alliance (BCGA) is attempting to mediate a dispute over dredging spoils from the Saginaw River that threatens the future of port operations. Cliff VanDyke, BCGA president, said he met privately last week with some of the parties involved in the dispute and reports a settlement could be possible. "Things don't look as bad as they did," said Mr. VanDyke. He hopes for an out-of-court settlement so dredging can proceed without any further confrontation. However, Saginaw Public Works Commissioner James A. Koski told The Saginaw News last week that the Lakeshore Group of Highland Park would begin dredging May 11 as scheduled under a permit issued by the federal government. He contends that the dredging is a federal project and as such is exempt from local zoning. A proposed $5.5 million project would build a 281 acre spoils disposal
basin on the Zilwaukee-Frankenlust border to store more than 3 million cubic
yards of river silt. The Upper Saginaw River carries approximately 4 million tons per year, the equivalent of 106,000 truckloads. He cited these advantages of waterborne shipping: highway damage is lessened, road safety is increased, tremendous fuel savings and less pollution, fewer border and security concerns, and tremendous cost savings to consumers. "It's all about supply," he said. The seasonal economy requires large supply all at once. Fertilizer has value only three weeks a year; salt has value only when the weather dictates. Rail and truck shipments could not meet seasonal demand, he said From MyBayCity.com |
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Port Reports - March 27 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Stephen B. Roman finished unloading and departed early Sunday morning. The tug Evans McKeil brought the barge OC 181 in from Humber Bay (where work on the breakwall project is wrapping up) early Sunday and docked temporarily at Pier 28 while they re-rigged the barge for towing. They departed around 11:00 a.m. Late Friday night, Canadian Miner was pulled out of the Redpath slip by Progress and Vigilant 1, and it was shifted to Pier 35 west. The Queen City Yacht Club's workboat Harold Robbins went into service for the season on Saturday. South Chicago - Tom Milton Soo Locks - Gordy Garris Finally with the morning traffic cleared, the Paul R. Tregurtha, which had docked along the East Centre Piers since Friday afternoon, pulled into the Poe Lock around 11:20 a.m. headed upbound light to Duluth (MWE). Soon afterward the Mesabi Miner, docked across
from the Tregurtha on the other side of the East Centre Piers since Friday
evening, pulled into the Poe Lock around 1:00 p.m. headed upbound light to
Two Harbors. The Columbia Star locked through the Poe Lock around 2:35 p.m. headed upbound light to Duluth (MWE). The tanker Algonova locked up bound around 3:12 p.m. with petroleum products to Thunder Bay. At 3:37 p.m. fleetmate Algoville locked upbound light to Thunder Bay. The American Spirit locked through the Poe Lock around 5:08 p.m. headed upbound light to Superior. Fleetmate Indiana Harbor locked through the Poe Lock around 5:45 p.m. headed downbound loaded with ore from Duluth. The CSL Laurentien locked through the Soo Locks around 8:10 p.m. headed downbound with ore from Superior. Finally, after a long first day at the Soo Locks with 14 different vessels over a course of 24 hours ended with the tug/barge combo Presque Isle locking through the Poe Lock at 10:00 p.m. headed upbound light to Duluth. Marblehead - Jim Spencer Saginaw River - Gordy Garris The tug Barbara Andrie and her tank barge A-390 departed from the Triple Clean Liquifuels dock around 2:00 a.m. Monday morning and headed outbound for the lake. She passed the inbound CSL Tadoussac at Light 1 before continuing outbound. The CSL Tadoussac was inbound at the Front Range around 8:00 a.m. headed for the Essorc Cement Terminal to unload a 12-hour cargo. The tug Gregory J. Busch is expected to depart from Carrollton and head downriver to assist the Tadoussac in departing The Lafayette bridge in Downtown Bay City may delay freighters wanting to get an early start on unloading in the upper river in Saginaw early this season unless the bridge is eventually reopened or the bridge spans are opened for river traffic 24-7 during the construction period. This summer, the Saginaw River can be expected to be very busy, with many major events. July 20 - July 23 is the 2006 Tall Ship Festival in Bay City Michigan, the only Tall Ship destination in Michigan. This year's theme for the 2006 Tall Ship Festival is a Pirate theme, with the actual Tall Ship featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie will participate in the 2006 Tall Ship Festival. The Great Lakes only see the Tall Ships every three years. Hamilton - Eric Holmes The Federal Manitou arrived at 8 p.m. from Toronto. Other ships in the harbor are the tug John Spence and barge McAsphalt 401 at Pier 23, and the Algonorth at Dofasco unloading iron ore pellets. Twin Ports - Al Miller |
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Updates - March 27 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 27 The steamer b.) EDWARD S KENDRICK was launched March 27, 1907, as a.) H P MC INTOSH (Hull#622) at West Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. for the Gilchrist Transportation Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Nipigon Transport Ltd. (Carryore Ltd., mgr., Montreal, Quebec) operations came to an end when the fleet was sold on March 27, 1986, to Algoma Central's Marine Division at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. On 27 March 1841, BURLINGTON (wooden sidewheeler, 150 tons, built in 1837, at Oakville, Ontario) was destroyed by fire at Toronto, Ontario. Her hull was later recovered and the 98 foot, 3-mast schooner SCOTLAND was built on it in 1847, at Toronto. On 27 March 1875, the steamer FLORA was launched at Wolf & Davidson's yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her dimensions were 275 foot keel x 27 foot x 11 foot. On 27 March 1871, the small wooden schooner EMMA was taken out in rough weather by the commercial fishermen Charles Ott, Peter Broderick, Jacob Kisinger and John Meicher to begin the fishing season. The vessel capsized at about 2:00 p.m., 10 miles southwest of St. Joseph, Michigan and all four men drowned. C E REFERN (wooden schooner, 181 foot, 680 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #65) on 27 March 1890. 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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Ol' Mac's final crush:
Toledo-built icebreaker headed for mothballs 3/26 - Toledo - When the St. Mary's River locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., opened at 12:01 a.m. yesterday, it was a curtain call of sorts for an icebreaker built six decades ago in Toledo. For a little more than a week beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Mackinaw had been breaking tracks through the frozen channels of the St. Mary's and adjoining Whitefish Bay so that yesterday Great Lakes freighters could resume hauling coal, iron ore, grain, and other commodities between Lakes Superior and Huron after a 10-week winter shutdown. It's the job the Mackinaw was designed for when built during World War II at the Toledo Shipyard and launched in December, 1944, with a purpose of keeping Great Lakes cargo moving all winter long to supply war production with raw materials. But come June, when a replacement icebreaker is expected to complete its sea trials, the 290-foot-long "Mac" will be put into the mothballs. "We are very appreciative of what the Mackinaw did for our industry over the years," said Glen Nekvasil, spokesman for the Lake Carriers' Association, representing U.S. Great Lakes ship operators. "It has kept commerce moving in wartime; it has kept commerce moving in peacetime. You could always rely on the Mackinaw." For a time, the Coast Guard planned to retire the hulking icebreaker without replacing her. In April, 1993, officials declared they could not justify a $15 million overhaul and continuing annual operating expenses of $4.5 million, which included a crew of 75. Icebreaking duties would fall to a fleet of five 140-foot Coast Guard tugs that, if necessary, were to work in teams to tackle the toughest ice. Shipping interests protested. The frigid winter of 1993-94, which was to have been the Mackinaw's last, froze Lake Superior, producing ice five feet thick in places and towering ice formations in Whitefish Bay. The tugs were overwhelmed and the Coast Guard relented, instead starting to plan for construction of a replacement vessel, for which a $90 million contract was awarded in 2001 to the Manitowoc Marine Group in Marinette, Wis. While the winter of 2005-2006 has been relatively mild, Coast Guard officials said this week that there is still plenty of work for the Mackinaw. Ice in Whitefish Bay, at the eastern end of Lake Superior, is between 36 and 40 inches thick, and the windrows - stacks of ice that form as wind blows floes on top of each other - are eight to 12 feet high, said Mark Gill, a traffic supervisor for the Coast Guard. "The ice that the Mac's in, without the Mac, nobody's moving," Mr. Gill said. The crew for the replacement vessel, also named Mackinaw and 240 feet long, is in operational and safety training, said PO Allyson Taylor Feller, a spokesman at the Coast Guard's 9th District headquarters in Cleveland. Although unique to the Coast Guard, officials said the new Mackinaw is based on a proven European icebreaker design. The new Mackinaw requires 25 fewer crew members to operate than her namesake and is more versatile: She is designed to operate as a buoy tender during the warmer months and to respond to distress calls and pollution incidents. The old Mackinaw was ill-suited for purposes other than icebreaking. The veteran icebreaker is expected to remain in the Sault Ste. Marie area for the shipping season's startup to maintain shipping tracks and provide vessel assistance as needed but has been scheduled for port calls in the lower Great Lakes next month, including a call on Toledo from April 14-16. Tours will be available on the afternoon of the 14th, depending on the icebreaker's arrival time, and all day on the 15th, said Ens. Elizabeth Newton, the vessel's public affairs officer. Among those likely to visit is Stan Pinkava, who was a 17-year-old welder at the shipyard when the original Mackinaw was built. "I welded the decks down, I welded the bulkheads," Mr. Pinkava said, adding that Coast Guard inspectors at the shipyard were very demanding about the quality of work done on the icebreaker. The vessel's thick hull plates, designed with ice-smashing in mind, "took many a weld," he said. Mr. Pinkava, now 78, marveled at the Mackinaw's longevity. "She put in some good years," he said. "She held up real well, though. Amazing!" From the Toledo Blade |
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Boatnerd Reporters Wanted The Boatnerd News Channel is always looking for news-worthy articles related Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping. If you would like to be a Boatnerd Reporter, just type up the information and send it to news@boatnerd.net or click on the handy "Report News" form in the upper left corner of the News Channel page. News photos should be sent as attachments to your news article. If you find a newspaper, or website, article that you think would be of interest to other 'Nerds, send along the link. We will check it out and use it if appropriate. |
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Boatnerd Calendar of Events The Boatnerd Calendar of Events has been updated for 2006. New events are being added as they are received. 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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Port Reports - March 26 Sturgeon Bay - Joan & Todd Wilson The Stewart J. Cort departed Bay Shipbuilding at 3:10 p.m., Saturday, bound for the waters of Green Bay. Hamilton - Eric Holmes The Gordon C. Leitch departed winter lay up from Pier 25 at 3pm and headed out to the lake for Thunder Bay in ballast. Goderich - Dale Baechler Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer Indiana Harbor - Gary Clark Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Owen Sound - Ed. Saliwonchyk |
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Updates - March 26 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 26 On 26 March 1922, OMAR D CONGER (wooden passenger-package freight, 92 foot, 200 gross tons, built in 1887, at Port Huron, Michigan) exploded at her dock on the Black River in Port Huron with such violence that parts of her upper works and engine were thrown all over the city. Some said that her unattended boiler blew up, but others claimed that an unregistered cargo of explosives ignited. She had been a Port Huron-Sarnia ferry for a number of years. The CITY OF MOUNT CLEMENS (wooden propeller "rabbit", 106 foot, 132 gross tons) was launched at the Chabideaux' yard in Mt. Clemens, Michigan on 26 March 1884. She was then towed to Detroit to be fit out. She was built for Chapaton & Lacroix. She lasted until dismantled in 1921. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection and the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes. |
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Polsteam Order Bulkers From China Szczecin based Polish Steamship Company (POLSTEAM) is using some of the windfall cash from the good bulker market of recent years to order two more 37,600-dwt ships at the Xingang Shipyard, as well as six approximately 30,000-dwt Lakers at the Hantong Shipyard, China. Polsteam sources confirm that orders are likely to be signed this week. The move means the company will have placed contracts for a total of 10 handy size bulkers at Xingang. It previously ordered eight, of which four have been delivered. (The first three are named Kujawy, Mazury and Warmia) "The remainder are scheduled for completion in 2008 and 2009. Polsteam's latest renewal programme is expected to involve eventually 34 newbuildings costing an estimated $700 million to $800 million. Its investment strategy for the next 10 to 15 years involves the building of around six 76,000-dwt panamax bulkers, four of 37,600-dwt, six of 33,000-dwt to 38,000-dwt, eight of 30,000-dwt and 10 of 15,000-dwt to 18,000-dwt. The 100% state-owned company intends to dispose of an equal number of older ships, many of which will be scrapped. It needs the Lakers to fulfil contracts, including a substantial one with European steel maker Corus. It is likely that the existing six Ziemia type Lakers of around 26,700-dwt from the mid 1980s will be demolished when the newbuildings arrive. (This refers to the Ziemia Chelminska, Gnieznienska, Suwalska, Tarnowska, Zamojska and the Pomorze Zachodnie that were all built in 1984 and 1985. Not affected are Ziemia Gornoslaska which was built in 1990 and Ziemia Cieszynska and Lodzka which were built in 1992). The cost of the latest raft of new buildings has not been disclosed. Polsteam's first handysize new buildings at Xingang cost around $16.7 million each but average prices have since escalated by a further $10 million. The Lakers will add to Hantong's existing backlog of around six 30,000-dwt bulkers for delivery in 2008 to Clipper of Denmark. Reported by Jeff Cameron from Tradewinds magazine |
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Port Reports - March 25 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons The tug Ours Polaire and the water taxi Robert L. brought the tour boat River Gambler into port last night and returned it to it's summer dock. The Gambler spent the winter at Ontario Place, and is now readying for a charter next week. After the tow, Ours Polaire rafted to Radium Yellowknife, which earlier in the day rafted itself to Salvage Monarch, opening up the berth for the tour boat Canadian Empress which normally occupies that spot. Eastern Lake Erie - Brian Wroblewski Goderich - Dale Baechler |
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Updates - March 25 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 25 HENRY G DALTON (Hull#713) was launched March 25, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., for the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio, the company's first 600 footer. FRANK R DENTON was launched March 25, 1911, as a.) THOMAS WALTERS (Hull#390) at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Interstate Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. On March 25, 1927, heavy ice caused the MAITLAND NO 1, to run off course and she grounded on Tecumseh Shoal on her way to Port Maitland, Ontario. Eighteen hull plates were damaged which required repairs at Ashtabula, Ohio. The steamer ENDERS M VOORHEES participated in U.S. Steel's winter-long navigation feasibility study during the 1974-75 season, allowing only one month to lay up from March 25th to April 24th. March 25, 1933 - Captain Wallace Henry "Andy" Van Dyke, Master of the Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 22, suffered a heart attack and died peacefully in his cabin while en route to Ludington, Michigan. 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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Seaway Officially Opens 48th Navigation Season 3/24 - St. Lambert, Québec - The Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened today for its 48th shipping season with the transit of the M/V Beluga Emotion at the St. Lambert Lock. Destined for Valleyfield where the vessel will take on a load of cement pipe, the 9,611 deadweight tonne multi-purpose cargo vessel has a complement of 16 sailors. Today’s ceremonies followed the opening of the Welland Canal on March 21st, the earliest start ever for the Canal, which marked the commencement of its 75th year of operation. Having completed a successful season in 2005 with 43.3 million tonnes of traffic, the Seaway is pressing ahead with a number of initiatives in 2006. “In 2005, we consolidated the gains we made in 2004, while moving into a number of new markets” noted Richard Corfe, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “Given the steep growth in cargo volumes straining land based arteries, we see real potential to use our Hwy H2O for short sea shipping operations as a means to complement existing intermodal connections.” The flexible toll structure introduced in 2005 to encourage smaller shipments via the Welland Canal resulted in over 215,000 tonnes of new cargo coming into our system. In 2006, we have expanded this program to cover our entire Seaway system by eliminating the Gross Registered Tonnage charge for new cargo on the Montreal/Lake Ontario section. Our Hwy H2O campaign will feature a series of workshops on cargo and a conference focusing on, amongst other topics, the means to finance construction of new vessels and infrastructure within the system. In addition, a trade mission to China will explore avenues to route freight via East Coast ports and the Seaway to complement the existing routes that are plagued by congestion. At the ceremony, Richard Corfe was joined by his U.S. counterpart, Albert Jacquez, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, in marking the Seaway’s participation in the Green Marine initiative. “Quality of life should be an important aspect within every policy decision, and our marine highway can make a major contribution to lessening the chronic congestion on our roads and border crossings, improving air quality, and reducing energy consumption, as the marine mode is the most fuel efficient mode of transportation” emphasized Mr. Corfe. Seaway News Release |
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Dossin Museum Transferred by City of Detroit 3/24 - After receiving approval to take over operations of the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, officials at the Detroit Historical Society say they must launch a fund-raising and marketing campaign to secure the institutions' future. The Detroit City Council approved the transfer on a 7-1 vote Wednesday. Unlike the Detroit Zoological Society, which said it would seek a regional tax to help run the Detroit Zoo after it struck a similar operational agreement with the city earlier this month, the historical society said it planned to turn to the private sector, as well as state and federal grants. "We're ready to move forward," said Robert Bury, the historical society's executive director and chief executive officer. He did not provide specifics, but said the campaign will begin soon. He did, however, say he does not foresee any cuts in the museums' hours or increases in admissions prices. As was the case with the zoo, the cash-strapped city, which is facing a potential budget gap that could top $262 million, agreed to the management deal with the nonprofit historical society because it can no longer afford to run the museums. The council's approval saves the city about $1 million and keeps the institutions open for the 250,000 people who visit them annually -- about 40% of them are schoolchildren on field trips -- and the 300 volunteers who have been keeping the museums running since mid-February when the city laid off 12 employees. "We're really, really glad it's done," said Kathy McGraw, who worked as a guide at the Dossin for 10 years and now volunteers coordinating special events. "I don't want to say elated because funds have to be raised, but now the future of both museums ... is more secure." Under the agreement, the city still owns the museums and will give the historical society $500,000 for the next two years to help with the transition. The city will still run Historic Ft. Wayne, although the historical society will operate the Collections Resource Center at the fort, which houses the museums' artifacts. The historical society will need to raise a little more than $1 million this year -- the amount needed to round out the $2.6-million budget needed to operate the museums for a year. The society has about $1 million on hand. Bury said for the long-term, the historical society needs to diversify its fund-raising sources and plans to target state and federal grants, as well as private donors and foundations. He said society officials have not yet specifically identified where the money will come from. The museum also plans to increase its revenues by marketing the museums as places to hold events, from corporate parties to weddings. They started those efforts during the Super Bowl when they held four celebrity parties at the Historical Museum that netted them $20,000. Bury said he was optimistic about the museums' future and he expects the society to rehire six of the laid-off workers, bringing the total number of staff employees for the museums to 25. Councilwoman JoAnn Watson was the only council member to vote against the
deal. Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers was absent for the vote. |
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New Group Looking to Restore Marine Star/Aquarama A new group, Marine Star Seas Project, a ministry of MEDIC International, is proposing a new use for the passenger vessel Marine Star (Ex-Aquarama). The group is promoting the idea of converting the former WWII troop ship into a floating classroom for missionaries. Their website at www.marinestar.org states "The Marine Star Seas (Sustainable Education at Sea) Project is a non-profit partnership venture under the auspices of Mercy Economic Development International Corporation www.medicinternational.org aka MEDIC INTERNATIONAL and Mercy Economic Development International Canada Corporation aka MEDIC Canada www.mediccanada.org . The project is currently looking for a Christian Education Institution or a College consortium to be our on board education Partners and Administrators. Their goal is to restore the Marine Star prior to beginning the education part of the mission. |
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Itasca County Faced with Big Decisions 3/24 - Grand Rapids — Itasca County will face a number of decisions in the coming two months about just how far it wants to go in financially supporting the proposed Minnesota Steel and Excelsior projects. The Minnesota Steel project proposal has the ambition of developing an iron ore processing and steel production facility near Nashwauk. The Excelsior Energy Project proposes a coal gasification plant near Taconite. Minnesota Steel officials have estimated that the project brings to the table 700 permanent jobs. Excelsior Energy officials have previously stated that its project will bring 100 permanent jobs to the area. Several infrastructure elements needed for the proposed developments to move forward will be discussed with county commissioners in the weeks ahead. On Tuesday at a special meeting of the board, commissioners listened to an update from Short, Elliott and Hendrickson officials, with which the county has contracted to oversee the infrastructure for the proposed projects, on where the challenges are and what decisions will likely lie ahead. According to Chuck Michael of SEH, major infrastructure elements required for the economic development projects to move forward include railroad, roadway, gas pipeline, fresh water supply and wastewater treatment. Roads and railways will be the main county elements of involvement — gas pipeline, water and wastewater treatment will largely be under the jurisdiction of the cites of Nashwauk and Taconite. Already, however, the county faces potential financial outlay for the projects in the form of required aerial photography, which must be completed before infrastructure planning can begin. The current estimated pricetag for that service is about $210,000 for both projects and there is some question about if the county footed the bill if reimbursement would be possible. While the governor has included $7 million in his bonding proposal for infrastructure for both sites, a number which falls far short of the $92.4 million requested by the county, bonding money may not be a source of reimbursement for aerial photography — unless expressly written into legislation. County Attorney Jack Muhar noted that reimbursement for upfront costs was an issue with the bonding money allocated for the MSI project. The difficulties with determining just how far the county wants to risk its own financial resources was put into focus by Michael, who noted that financial contingencies could delay development. "If the bonding bill passes contingent on financial close, it puts the (construction) schedule six months behind," he said. Financial close of the Minnesota Steel project is expected to take place in December of this year and hinges on completion of environmental review and the permitting process, according to Howard Hilshorst of Minnesota Steel. It is unlikely that the timetable can be moved up, but infrastructure construction needs to begin this summer to keep the project on schedule. The question then for the county, said Michael, becomes how far the county wants to go in its financial commitment. "How much does the county want to jump the gun to help meet the timeline?" Michael asked commissioners. Michael suggested that going back to aerial photography vendors for potential reduction in price was one option which would potentially pose less risk to the county. The aerial photography would likely need to be completed by the end of April to keep the Minnesota Steel project on schedule for production to begin at the outset of 2009. Commissioner Catherine McLynn also suggested that perhaps the county could look at aerial photography for the Minnesota Steel project only, which has a tighter timeline than Excelsior Energy. That move could bring the potential cost down to just more than $60.000. From the Mesabi Daily News |
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Port Reports - March 24 Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke Twin Ports - Al Miller Vessels in the Twin Ports lay up fleet continued to get under way Thursday. Charles M. Beeghly and Philip R. Clarke both departed overnight for Two Harbors. Indiana Harbor left its berth to fuel at Murphy Oil dock before loading coal at Midwest Energy Terminal and leaving port. At this point, the entire Great Lakes Fleet is active. The first trips are: Edgar B. Speer loaded at Two Harbors and is due at Conneaut on Sunday; Edwin H. Gott is due at Gary Sunday; Presque Isle is due at DMIR Duluth on Sunday; Roger Blough is due in Gary on Sunday; Arthur M. Anderson is due in Two Harbors on Sunday; Cason J. Callaway is due in Green Bay on Saturday; Philip R. Clarke is due in Conneaut on Monday; and John G. Munson is due in Duluth on Sunday. As indicated above, Sunday will be a busy day in Duluth and Superior, with the season’s first wave of up bound vessels expected to arrive. Those scheduled for that day include Columbia Star, Paul R. Tregurtha, Herbert C. Jackson, and Canadian Enterprise, all for Midwest Energy Terminal; John G. Munson and Presque Isle for DMIR; and American Spirit for BNSF ore dock. Soo Locks - Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain Goderich - Dale Baechler Grand Haven - Jim Lindholm Marquette - Lee Rowe |
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Updates - March 24 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 24 ALPENA (Hull#177) was launched on March 24, 1909, at Wyandotte, Michigan by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the Wyandotte Transportation Co. IRVIN L CLYMER was launched March 24, 1917, as a.) CARL D BRADLEY (Hull#718) at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. the third self-unloader in the Bradley Transportation Co. fleet. The SAMUEL MATHER was transferred on March 24, 1965, to the newly formed Pickands Mather subsidiary Labrador Steamship Co. Ltd. (Sutcliffe Shipping Co. Ltd., operating agents), Montreal, Quebec to carry iron ore from their recently opened Wabush Mines ore dock at Pointe Noire, Quebec to U.S. blast furnaces on Lakes Erie and Michigan. She was renamed b.) POINTE NOIRE. PETER ROBERTSON was launched March 24, 1906, as a) HARRY COULBY (Hull#163) at Wyandotte, Michigan by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the L. C. Smith Transit Co., Syracuse, New York. On 24 March 1874, the 181 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner MORNING STAR was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan by Crosthwaite. On 24 March 1876, CITY OF SANDUSKY (wooden side-wheel passenger/package freight vessel, 171 foot, 608 gross tons, built in 1866, at Sandusky, Ohio) burned and sank in the harbor at Port Stanley, Ontario. On 24 March 1876, MINNIE CORLETT (wooden scow-schooner, 107 gross tons, built before 1866) was sailing light from Chicago, Illinois to Two Rivers, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan when she stranded and then sank. No lives were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Hallett Relocating Dock to Superior 3/23 - More than $2.2 million will be invested in the Port of Superior as Hallett Dock Co. relocates its upstream West Duluth bulk terminal to Wisconsin. Gov. Jim Doyle was scheduled to announce the project this afternoon in Superior, presenting city officials a $1.8 million Harbor Assistance grant to help complete harbor improvements for Hallett, which will contribute more than $400,000. The bulk commodities firm is being forced out of Slip 6, located just upstream of the former Arrowhead Bridge in West Duluth, because the slip has become part of the Stryker Bay cleanup project. Contaminated sediment in the Stryker Bay Superfund site is being dredged and deposited in Hallett's slip, where it will be permanently capped. Hallett will retain its upstream West Duluth property, however, for development into a non-maritime industrial park, and will continue to operate its terminal near the DM&IR docks. Moving to Superior "gives us an opportunity to expand," said Hallett Operations Vice President Bill McGiffert. Dock and channel improvements will allow larger vessels to have better unloading access to the property, said Jason Serck, Superior Port and Planning Director. For more than a decade, access to Hallett's West Duluth dock has been hindered by insufficient St. Louis River channel depth, limiting the amount of cargo that visiting ships could load. A plan to dredge the channel was rejected when Superiorites objected to having the dredge spoils deposited in the city's Municipal Forest. "It will enable larger ships to come in, and it couldn't be done without state help," said Rep. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, who encouraged Doyle to support the investment. The Harbor Assistance grant, according to a statement released by Doyle's office, will pay for construction of dock walls and for dredging the harbor channel to 27 feet. Hallett is providing the required 20 percent local match. Work on the project should be completed by fall. "Through my Grow Wisconsin plan, we have put a strong emphasis on strategically investing in our transportation infrastructure so that we can support economic growth," Doyle said in a news release before his 2 p.m. scheduled appearance at the Hallett site. "And the investments we're making here in Superior offer tremendous economic benefits, not only for Hallett Dock, but for the entire region." Initially, Hallett will handle three commodities, McGiffert said: Blast furnace slag from the Lower Great Lakes, which is needed in the Twin Cities. Limestone for sugar beat processing along Minnesota's Red River Valley. Road salt for use during the winter. "We hope to add more products over time." McGiffert said. "We'll retain our current jobs and hopefully add more." Hallett is confident about the investment. "We think railroads are having problems moving products, and traffic is moving toward ships," McGiffert said. That's becoming a growing problem, said Dr. Richard Stewart, director of the Transportation and Logistics Research at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. "Right now, many railroads on several corridors are operating at or near capacity," he said, noting the United States currently has just half of the railroad track it had in the 1960s. Also during that period, little capacity has been added to the interstate highway system. Today, the cost to build four lanes in a rural area is $25 million per mile. "In comparison, we have a 100-lane highway called the Great Lakes that costs the state nothing to build or maintain," Stewart said. Some development already has occurred at the site, formerly used by the Incan Superior, with a scale house and shop in place. A rail connection to existing Burlington Northern Railroad tracks is part of Hallett's expansion plan. Reported by Al Miller from the Superior Daily Telegram |
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Minntac Eyes St. Louis River 3/23 - Officials of U.S. Steel's Minntac operations are drafting a plan to pump 7.2 million gallons of water every day out of its taconite tailings basin into the St. Louis River. Minntac has decided the St. Louis River is a better option than the Dark River, a trout stream that was the company's original choice, or the Sandy River, which would have sent the excess water into Lake Vermilion. The company revealed its decision to local groups and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in recent weeks, said John Armstrong, spokesman for U.S. Steel. It expects to submit the plan to the state as a draft permit application in June or July. "We don't have anything formal from them yet, but that's the way they are leaning at this point," said Jeff Udd of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's industrial permitting office in Duluth. But the St. Louis River option is far from a done deal and has opponents. The plan faces several public hearings and must be approved by the MPCA staff and citizens board. Minntac has been asking to let more water out of its tailings basin for years. The plant uses about 250,000 gallons of water every minute to make taconite -- separating ore from rock, cleaning air pollution scrubbers, then moving waste rock into the tailings basin. The giant storage basin is ringed by more than nine miles of dikes and can hold 18 billion gallons of water. For 30 years, Minntac has recycled much of that water back through the plant. But the repeatedly recycled water is becoming choked with solids and corrosive chlorides. Using cloudy water to make pellets can affect quality and foul plant equipment, the company says. The basin isn't in danger of overflowing, but company officials say discharging more water -- 7.2 million gallons a day, or 2.6 billion gallons per year -- would extend the basin's life. Besides containing sediment, chlorides and sulfates, the water's sheer volume makes it an issue no matter where the company looks for an outlet. The PCA finished its Environmental Impact Statement on the issue in September but didn't decide which direction the excess water should flow. Public comments criticized the Dark River and Sandy River options because of increased water flow, higher temperature, sediments, sulfates and possibly mercury that could affect fish, wild rice and people. The company's new, preferred option would send the water south, into the West Two Rivers Reservoir system, which flows into the St. Louis River and, eventually, into Lake Superior. "That's the direction the EIS essentially pushed them, the option with the least environmental impact," Udd said. "Of course, that doesn't mean there's no environmental impact." The PCA could decide to do nothing, allowing no additional diversion out of the Minntac tailings basin. Another option would be to require a treatment plant to clean the water before it's released. Only one other Minnesota taconite plant, Northshore Mining in Silver Bay, is required to treat water that leaves its tailings basin. Sulfates are considered a possible human health issue because they can trigger mercury in the streams to become toxic. That mercury, called methyl mercury, can build up in fish and in people who eat fish. Environmental groups are expected to oppose the discharge south because the St. Louis River is the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, which has stringent mercury emission limits. But company officials say they can meet those limits because tests show taconite tailings effectively bind mercury and take it out of the water. The company also is testing a reverse osmosis treatment system for water going into the tailings basin in an effort to remove sulfates before they become an issue, said Scott Vagle, a Minntac environmental manager. "The mercury discharge will be below the Great Lakes standard of 1.3" parts per trillion, Vagle said. About 4 million gallons of Minntac water seeps out of the tailings basin each day, allowed under a current permit. Most of that flows north. The revised PCA permit would allow the company to make a direct discharge into a river. A public meeting on Minntac's plans are expected April 20 in Virginia. PCA staff is expected to make a decision on the permit by November when more public hearings will be held before any staff decision goes to the PCA citizens board for a final vote, probably in about a year. From the Duluth News Tribune |
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Rochester in
No Hurry on $30 Million Ferry Bid 3/23 - An overseas investor interested in Rochester's high-speed ferry said he is willing to pay more than the $30 million he offered for the ship earlier this month, but the city does not appear interested. "As it looks like right now, they are not going to give it to us," John Paul Airs, CEO of Shikara Holdings LLC, said in a phone interview. "I think it's become too political now, and I think they're looking for a blue chip operation. We're a new company ... but you've got to start somewhere." Shikara is the investment arm of Navmed Limited, based in Folkestone, England. How city officials view Navmed's bid for Rochester's Spirit of Ontario ferry is unclear. But the company's vocal interest mirrored in the foreign press has sparked a flurry of media attention here. Navmed plans a three-ship operation crossing the English Channel, with the Spirit of Ontario tagged for a route between Dover, England, and Boulogne, France. City officials have declined to comment on specific interest shown in the ferry. Mayor Robert Duffy said Tuesday that the ship has not been sold but the city continues to negotiate with several potential buyers. He has said the city is not negotiating with Navmed, which would be the ship operator, but it is unclear whether Shikara has a seat at the table. "We are having a lot of activity," Duffy said. "We certainly have negotiations going on with a number of parties. ... I really can't put a timeline on it. The deal has not been finalized yet — any deal." The city backed a $40 million loan last year and created Rochester Ferry Co., which bought the ship in February 2005 for $32 million. But ticket sales for the resurrected Rochester-to-Toronto service lagged and the venture lost $10 million in 10 months. Duffy announced Jan. 10 that the city was pulling the plug and would sell the ship, which remains docked at the Port of Rochester. Airs, who also is Navmed's CEO, said he signed and submitted a $30 million bid to the city more than 10 days ago to meet a city deadline but the city has yet to respond. "We have never snubbed or directly not answered an offer from a serious buyer," city spokesman Gary Walker said, describing the city's negotiating efforts as professional, forthright and honest. "But we can't really control how other folks or other entities characterize this." Airs said he has "proven" to the city his company has $30 million available, and to Port of Dover officials that it has the equivalent of $54 million (U.S.). Shikara formed in April 2005 and gets its money from Middle Eastern investors, Airs said. Navmed formed last month. He said the Spirit of Ontario is "like a pair of Italian shoes, handmade and a perfect fit." "We would like to discuss our bid," said Airs, who has yet to inspect the ship but claims to have reviewed all pertinent documents and drawings. He planned to come see the ship once he was on solid footing with the city. "We're waiting. I keep hearing they (Rochester officials) are going to write." One broker who claims to have spoken with Duffy and Corporation Counsel Tom Richards says there should only be one qualification: "Money. M-O-N-E-Y," said ship broker Bill Mollard with Jacque Pierot Jr. & Sons in New York. Mollard said he last spoke with Richards on Feb. 2 but has not heard back. Selling the ship should take 30 to 60 days, he said. "It isn't complicated. It's a piece of steel that's sitting on Lake Ontario," he said, adding that the ship's attributes and good condition would make for a quick sale but buyers must be able to deliver the money up front. Overseas, Navmed is reportedly one of two potential operators — the other reportedly a company called Fidentia — vying to start up a new service at the already busy Dover port. Keith Southey, spokesman for the Port of Dover, said discussions have been ongoing for some time with unresolved details that include berthing slots to dock the ships. "When this sale is done, and we're counting the money ... we'll be willing to share every step of the negotiations with the public and the media," Walker said. "But we're not going to share that information in the middle of negotiations. It's too important ... we want to get the most we can for this boat." From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |
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Wreck of the Griffon is 'Holy Grail' of Great Lakes Lore 3/23 - The ''Holy Grail'' of the Great Lakes may lie 100 feet underwater in the Upper Peninsula's Delta County. But a legal fight over rights to the wreck so far has prevented anyone from confirming whether a shipwreck near Poverty Island in northern Lake Michigan is indeed the fabled Griffon. The state of Michigan, shipwreck explorer Steve Libert, The Field Museum of Chicago - even the French government - need to reach a settlement that will allow researchers to determine if the Griffon has at last been found. The little ship is one of the most enduring legends of the Great Lakes. Built in 1679 near Niagara, N.Y., it was the ship of French explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. The little ship, loaded with furs, supposedly sank in a storm that same year after bringing La Salle to Green Bay. If the timbers that Libert found in 2001 are the Griffon, the wreck would be the oldest in the Great Lakes. And a cherished piece of Great Lakes history. For now, put aside the legal wrangling over who owns the wreck. Let the experts determine whether this wreck is the lost Griffon. Worthy of a fight. And a prominent place in Great Lakes history. Editorial from the Bay City Times |
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Port Reports - March 23 South Chicago Steve B. St. Lawrence Seaway - René Beauchamp Sturgeon Bay - Wendell Wilke Hamilton - Eric Holmes Hamilton - first ship in port - Brian Officials from the Port of Hamilton clamored on board an hour later to present Captain Darryl Brain with the traditional top hat signifying the opening of the port to navigation. "It's a fairly momentous day for us," said authority spokesman Brent Kinnaird. "It signifies the start to a new year." He said the authority believes it's on track to increase tonnage accepted at the port this year. In 2005, it received 12.4 million tonnes. Over the last five seasons the port has accepted about 12 million tonnes per year. The port is visited by more than 700 vessels each year. The Assiniboine arrived from Sandusky, Ohio, with a cargo of coal for the steel company. The self-loading vessel is set to leave the port sometime this morning. Linda MacDonald, the port's new harbourmaster, welcomed Capt. Brain to Hamilton. From the Hamilton Spectator Holland - Bob VandeVusse Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Twin Ports - Alan Miller Marquette - Rod Burdick Sturgeon Bay -Wendell Wilke At 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning the St. Clair left winter lay up at Bay Shipbuilding and headed southbound through the ship canal for Lake Michigan. |
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Updates - March 23 News Photo Gallery updated. Public Photo Gallery updated Calendar of Events has been updated. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - March 23 The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously voted on March 23,1978, to reject the U. S. Coast Guard's official report supporting the theory of faulty hatches in their EDMUND FITZGERALD investigation. Later the N.T.S.B. revised its verdict and reached a majority vote to agree that the sinking was caused by taking on water through one or more hatch covers damaged by the impact of heavy seas over her deck. This is contrary to the Lake Carriers Association's contention that her foundering was caused by flooding through bottom and ballast tank damage resulting from bottoming on the Six Fathom Shoal between Caribou and Michipicoten Islands. On 23 March 1850, TROY (wooden sidewheel passenger/package freighter, 182 foot, 546 tons, built in 1845, at Maumee, Ohio) exploded and burned at Black Rock, New York. Up to 22 lives were lost. She was recovered and rebuilt the next year and lasted until 1860. On 23 March 1886, Mr. D. N. Runnels purchased the tug KITTIE HAIGHT. The 3,280 ton motor vessel YANKCANUCK commanded by Captain W.E. Dexter, docked at the Canadian Soo on 23 March 1964, to officially open the 1964 Navigation Season for that port. Captain Dexter received the traditional silk hat from Harbormaster Frank Parr in a brief ceremony aboard the vessel. The ship arrived in the Sault from Windsor, Ontario. Captain Dexter said the trip from Windsor was uneventful and he had no trouble with ice. This was the first time a ship from the Yankcanuck Line won the honor of opening the Sault |