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Port Reports - April 30
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bath, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Rochester, N.Y.
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Coast Guard, local partners to combat illegal charter operations around Chicago 4/30 - Chicago, Ill. – Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago and the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee hosted an Uninspected Passenger Vessel and Bareboat Charter Workshop to help deter the growing number of illegal charter operations on the southern tip of Lake Michigan and Chicago Area Waterway System Saturday. The workshop was held at the Chicago Yacht Club and was attended by a standing-room only crowd of more than 120 commercial and recreational vessel operators. Representatives from the Coast Guard, Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Police Department Marine Unit, Chicago Fire Department, City of Chicago and Westrec Marinas participated in the workshop to educate boaters on federal, state and local safety and licensing requirements for taking paying passengers and the dangers of operating illegally. "The safe and legal operation of passenger vessels on Lake Michigan and Chicago Area Waterways System is one of my top priorities," said Cmdr. Zeita Merchant, commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Chicago. "Educating boaters is the Coast Guard’s primary tool for compelling compliance. Forums such as this workshop and the unity of effort from our partnering agencies are critical to preserving the safety of passengers, promoting safe and legal boating practices and facilitating commerce." In addition to education and outreach, Coast Guard stations conduct routine law enforcement boardings to verify vessels are legally carrying paying passengers and have the required safety equipment on board. Upon discovering an illegal passenger vessel operation, the station notifies Marine Safety Unit Chicago to convene an investigation. Marine Safety Unit Chicago is responsible for executing the Coast Guard’s port safety and security, and commercial vessel safety missions on Lake Michigan and the Chicago Area Waterway System. In that role, the unit investigates credible reports of illegal passenger vessel operations. Within the last year, Marine Safety Unit Chicago has investigated 22 reports of illegal passenger vessel operations and the number of reports is expected to significantly increase due to extensive outreach efforts. Vessels proven to be operating illegally can be subjected to fines of up to $42,750 or more per day. Repeated violations or an accident leading to injury or death on non-compliant vessels can lead to felony criminal charges. Legitimate commercial passenger vessels are required to be operated by a Coast Guard licensed captain. The Coast Guard strongly urges potential customers to be mindful of the dangers of using unauthorized boat operators. For your safety and the safety of others, please ensure that your boat operators are licensed by the Coast Guard and are operating vessels with the required safety equipment on board. Anyone aware of an illegal passenger vessel operation should reach out to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago’s Investigations Division at SMBMSUChicagoInvest@uscg.mil or call (630) 986-2155. USCG |
Reservations are now being taken for Soo Boatnerd Cruise
4/30 -
Reservations for the annual Boatnerd Freighter Chasing cruise, on Friday, June 30, are now being taken. This event is part of the annual Engineers’ Day weekend Boatnerd Gathering in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The three-hour cruise will travel through the U.S. and Canadian locks, and the price includes an on-board buffet dinner. Reservations are a must as we are limiting the group to 100 persons. This will afford everyone enough space to take photos and enjoy themselves. Check the Gatherings page for complete details and other events taking place during the weekend.
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Updates - April 30
News Photo Gallery -
Long hours at work has our photo gallery volunteer behind on posting.
But we are working to catch up. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 30 30 April 1894 - The TRUANT (wooden propeller tug, 73 foot, 28 gross tons, built in 1889 at Toronto, Ontario) burned to a total loss near Burnt Island in Georgian Bay. The fire started under her ash pan. On 30 April 1890, the wooden dredge MUNSON and two scow barges were being towed from Kingston, Ontario, by the tug EMMA MUNSON to work on the new Bay of Quinte bridge at Rossmore, Ontario, six miles west of Kingston when the dredge started listing then suddenly tipped over and sank. No lives were lost. IRVIN L. CLYMER returned to service April 30, 1988, after a two-season lay-up. HOWARD HINDMAN of 1910, grounded heavily when her steering cable parted at Little Rapids Cut in the St. Marys River, April 30, 1969. Due to the extensive damage, she was sold in May of that year to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne, Ontario, for scrap and was scrapped at Bilbao, Spain in 1969. The RED WING tow arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on April 30, 1987, for dismantling. On 30 April 1842, the side-wheeler COMMODORE BARRIE collided with the schooner CANADA about 10 miles off Long Point in Lake Ontario. The COMMODORE BARRIE became disabled and then sank about an hour and a half later. Her passengers and crew were rescued by the CANADA. On 30 April 1878, ST. LAWRENCE (2-mast wooden schooner, 93 foot, 111 tons, built in 1842, at Clayton, New York) was carrying timber when she caught fire from the boiling over of a pot of pitch which was being melted on the galley stove. The vessel was well out on Lake Michigan off Milwaukee. The fire spread so rapidly that the crew had no time to haul in canvas, so when they abandoned her, she was sailing at full speed. The lifeboat capsized as soon as it hit the water, drowning the captain and a passenger. The ST. LAWRENCE sailed off ablaze and was seen no more. The rest of the crew was later rescued by the schooner GRANADA. 1909: RUSSIA foundered in heavy weather in Lake Huron not far from Detour, MI. The ship was en route from Duluth to Alpena and ran into a heavy gale. Sources vary on the loss to life. 1929: D.M. PHILBIN ran aground in a high winds and snow 6 miles west of Conneaut after mistaking the airport beacon for the Conneaut Light and stranding on a sandbar off Whitman's Creek. The hold was flooded to keep the hull safe and it was released with the aid of tugs on May 7. The vessel was renamed c) SYLVANIA prior to returning to service 1984: The fish tug STANLEY CLIPPER sank in a storm on Lake Erie southeast of Port Dover, near Ryerson Island and all three men on board were lost. The hull was located, refloated and rebuilt as the tug NADRO CLIPPER. It currently operates as c) A.I.S. CLIPPER and is often moored below Lock 1 of the Welland Canal when not in service. 1991: The hull of BEECHGLEN buckled while unloading corn at Cardinal, ON, with the bow and stern settling on the bottom. The ship was strapped together, refloated and towed to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs arriving at the shipyard on May 26. 1999: GLORY MAKOTOH, a Panamanian general cargo carrier, sank in the South China Sea off Hainan Island as d) FELIZ TRADER on this date in 1999. The vessel had been a Seaway trader in 1983 under the original name. Eight crewmembers were rescued from the lifeboats but 13 sailors were lost. 2000: The small passenger ship WORLD DISCOVERER visited the Great Lakes in 1975. It hit a reef or large rock off the Solomon Islands on April 30, 2000, and had to be beached on the island of Ngella. The 127 passengers and 80 crew were saved, but the ship was a total loss and potential salvors were driven off by a hostile local population. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 29
Marquette, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Milwaukee, Wis. - Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Picton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bath, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Cana Island Lighthouse opens May 1 4/29 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Cana Island Lighthouse opens for the Door County summer season on May 1. One of Door County’s premier tourist attractions, it will be open until October 29. Visitors can travel back in time and explore one of Door County Wisconsin’s most popular lighthouses standing for just short of 150 years. They can investigate the entire 8.7-acre island that includes the 89-foot-tall light tower, the original home of the lighthouse keeper and his family, one of the only working 3rd Order Fresnel Lens in the country and the oil house where fuel for the light was stored. The highlight of any Cana Island visit is climbing the 97 steps of the tower’s spiral staircase to reach the gallery deck. The outside deck delivers a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and the Door County peninsula. Cana Island has been undergoing an extensive restoration project. Phase I of the project is complete and involved restoration of the lighthouse’s exterior and tower. It followed the construction of the mainland parking lot and new restroom facilities. Phases to follow include the restoration of the outbuildings, including what is believed to be the only five-sided oil house in the country. Future plans also call for an interpretive center and interior restoration of the keeper’s. The museum buildings are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily with the last tower climb at 4:30 pm and a minimal admission charge. Door County Maritime Museum |
Coast Guard responds to distressed kayakers on Lake Michigan 4/29 - Chicago, Ill. – The Coast Guard responded to two kayakers in distress in Lake Michigan near Jacksonport, Wis., Friday. At approximately 11:30 a.m., CDT, Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay was notified by the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department of two men who had fallen from their kayaks into the water near Cave Point County Park, about one-half mile offshore The Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Command Center in Milwaukee issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of Station Sturgeon Bay boat crews to locate the kayakers. At about noon, a Coast Guard crew arrived on scene aboard a 25-foot response boat and transferred the two individuals, who had been recovered by the Sturgeon Bay Fire boat crew. The two victims were unresponsive and CPR was administered by the Coast Guard crew as they transited towards shore. To affect the quickest rescue, the Coast Guard boat maneuvered onto the beach at Cave Point and transferred the victims to awaiting emergency responders. Both men were later pronounced dead at a local hospital. USCG |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 29 29 April 1896 - W. LE BARON JENNEY (steel tow barge, 366 foot, 3422 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler & Company (Hull #120) at West Bay City, Michigan for the Bessemer Steamship Company of Cleveland, Ohio. She went through eight owners during her career, ending with the Goderich Elevator and Transit Company, Ltd. who used her as a grain storage barge under the name K.A. Powell. She was scrapped in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1974. On 29 April 1875, the wooden schooner CLARA BELL of Sandusky was wrecked in a gale off Leamington, Ontario. Captain William Robinson was drowned. On April 29, 1975, American Steamship’s SAM LAUD entered service. Launched this date in 1976, was the a.) SOODOC (Hull#210) by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. Renamed b.) AMELIA DESGAGNES in 1990. On April 29, 1977, while inbound at Lorain, the IRVING S. OLDS hit a bridge on the Black River, which extensively damaged her bow, tying up traffic for several hours . A fender boom fell on the pilothouse of the steamer GEORGE M. HUMPHREY in the Poe Lock at the Soo in 1971. On 29 April 1865, L.D. COWAN (wooden schooner, 165 tons, built in 1848, at Erie, Pennsylvania) was driven ashore near Pointe aux Barques, Michigan, in a storm and wrecked. 1909: AURANIA was the only steel hulled ship sunk by ice on the Great Lakes. The vessel was lost in Whitefish Bay after being holed and then squeezed by the pressure of the ice pack near Parisienne Island. The crew escaped onto the ice and pulled a yawl boat to the J.H. BARTOW. 1952: W.E. FITZGERALD hit the Burlington Lift Bridge at the entrance to Hamilton Bay after a mechanical problem resulted in the structure not being raised. The north span of the bridge was knocked into the water, resulting in traffic chaos on land and on the water. 1959: PRESCOTT went aground near Valleyfield, Quebec, while downbound in the Seaway only four days after the waterway had been opened. It got stuck trying to avoid a bridge that had failed to open and navigation was blocked until the CSL bulk carrier was refloated the next day. 1969: HOWARD HINDMAN ran aground at the Little Rapids Cut in the St. Marys River after the steering cables parted. The ship was released and temporarily returned to service but the vessel was badly damaged and soon sold for scrap. It came down the Welland Canal with a cargo of road salt on June 6, 1969, and was towed to Bilbao, Spain, with the HUMBERDOC, arriving on September 6, 1969. 1976: The British freighter GLENPARK was three years old when it first came through the Seaway in 1959. It was sailing as c) GOLDEN LEADER when it ran aground off Goto Island, southwest Japan while on a long voyage from Chungjin, China, to Constanza, Romania. The hull broke in two and was a total loss. 1998: The Panamanian freighter DENEBOLA first visited the Seaway in 1973. The ship was sailing as d) TAE CHON, under the flag of North Korea, when it was in a collision with the YANG LIN in thick fog on the Yellow Sea and sank. The vessel was enroute from Yantai, China, to Chittagong, Bangladesh, when the accident occurred and one life was lost. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Great Lakes steel production keeps trending up 4/28 - Great Lakes steel production rose to 664,000 tons last week, a 2.86 percent increase. It was the second straight weekly increase after a four-week slide. Steel mills in the Great Lakes region cranked out 645,000 tons of metal the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Most of the steel made in the Great Lakes region is produced in Lake and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana. So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced 27.7 million tons of steel, about 3.6 percent more than they did during the same period in 2016. Steel mills have been running at a capacity of 74.3 percent so far this year, up from 71.6 percent through the same time last year. Domestic steelmakers used about 73.6 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended April 22, down from 74.6 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Capacity utilization was, however, up from 72.6 percent during the same time period in 2016. NW Indiana Times |
Port Reports - April 28
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Grand Haven, Mich. – Sam Hankinson
Southern Lake Michigan
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont. – Marc Dease
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Researchers: No more ice cover on the Great Lakes 4/28 - Detroit, Mich. – In another sign that spring has returned in Michigan, the Great Lakes are now ice-free — having cleared out enough to rank among the top 20 earliest thaws in the last 45 years, researchers said Wednesday. The findings were reviewed by the Ann Arbor-based Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which is tied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists there have been studying ice cover and related phenomena for decades. According to the group’s Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis, “the Great Lakes were officially ice-free as of Sunday, 11th earliest ice-out in the last 45 years,” researchers tweeted. Data that scientists compiled going back to the early 1970s show the Great Lakes typically have averaged measurable ice cover through late April or early May. For the 2015-16 winter season, ice cover was last measured on May 5, when 0.09 percent of the basin sported it, according to the data. Ice cover has been reported as late as May 31 (in 2003) but gone — at 0 percent — as early as April 6 (in 1987), the figures show. As recently as 2012, the lakes cleared by April 11. The Detroit News |
Several Seaway salties renamed 4/28 - The following saltwater vessels have been renamed with each having made visits to the Great Lakes/Seaway system. Gadwall, which first came inland in 2007 and last visited as such in 2016, is now Maria G of Malta. The tanker Harbour Kira, which came inland in 2012 on its only visit with that name, is now the Caribe Maria of Liberia. This vessel also carried the name Clipper Kira from 2007-2012 and first came inland as such in 2007 and last visited as such in 2011. HHL Nile, which first came inland as such in 2011 and last visited in 2015, is now the Heemskerkgracht of the Netherlands. This vessel also held the name Beluga Faculty from 2009-2011 and first came inland as such in 2009 and last visited in 2010. The tanker Intrepid Canada, which first came inland in 2012 and last visited as such in 2016, is now the Sloman Helios of Antigua and Barbuda registry. Royal Pescadores, which first came inland in 2000 and last visited as such in 2009, is now Cathy Ocean of Panama. Keizersborg, which first came inland in 1997 and last visited as such in 2008, is now the Platon of Sierra Leone. Denny Dushane |
Obituaries: David Barber 4/28 - David Barber, 65, of Suttons Bay, Mich., died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 27, at Marquette General Hospital. He was a first mate and merchant seaman with VanEnkevort Tug and Barge of Escanaba, Mich., and sailed many times on the waters of the Great Lakes. All services are private and at the convenience of the family. |
Updates - April 28
Saltie Gallery updated
with pictures of the Ardita, Arneborg, BBC Thames, BBC Weser, Blacky, Cape, Edzard Schulte, Federal Barents, Federal Bering, Federal Cedar, Federal Champlain, Federal Churchill, Federal Danube, Federal Kumano, Federal Kushiro, Federal Rideau, Federal Ruhr, Federal Satsuki, Federal Welland, Federal Yukon, Fuldaborg, Happy River, Havelstern, Juno, Marsgracht, Pacific Huron, Reestborg, Sedna Desgagnes, Sten Baltic and Taiga Desgagnes.
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Today in Great Lakes History - April 28 28 April 1856 - TONAWANDA (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 202 foot, 882 gross tons) was launched by Buell B. Jones at Buffalo, New York. On 28 April 1891, the whaleback barge 110 (steel barge, 265 foot, 1,296 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co. in W. Superior, Wisconsin. In 1907, she went to the Atlantic Coast and lasted until she suffered an explosion, then sank after burning, near the dock of Cities Service Export Oil Co., at St. Rose, Louisiana, on March 3, 1932. The 660-foot-long forward section of Bethlehem Steel's a.) LEWIS WILSON FOY (Hull#717) was launched April 28,1977, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Renamed b.) OGLEBAY NORTON in 1991 and c.) AMERICAN INTEGRITY in 2006. Nipigon Transport Ltd.'s straight deck motorship a.) LAKE WABUSH (Hull#223) by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., was christened and launched April 28, 1981. Renamed b.) CAPT HENRY JACKMAN in 1987, and converted to a self-unloader in 1996. On April 28, 1971, while up bound from Sorel, Quebec, for Muskegon, Michigan, with a load of pig iron, LACHINEDOC struck Rock Shoal off Little Round Island in the St. Lawrence River and was beached. On April 28, 1906, Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s J. PIERPONT MORGAN (Hull#68) by Chicago Ship Building Co., was launched. Renamed b.) HERON BAY in 1966. April 28, 1897 - The F&PM (Flint & Pere Marquette) Steamer NO 1, bound from Milwaukee for Chicago, ran ashore just north of Evanston. She released herself after a few hours. The barge LITTLE JAKE was launched on 28 April 1875, at East Saginaw, Michigan. She was owned by William R. Burt & Co. Her dimensions were 132 feet x 29 feet x 9 feet. On 28 April 1877, the steam barge C S BALDWIN went ashore on the reef at North Point on Lake Huron during a blinding snow storm. The barge was heavily loaded with iron ore and sank in a short time. The crew was saved by the Lifesaving Service from Thunder Bay Station and by the efforts of the small tug FARRAR. 1971 ZENAVA, the former REDFERN, ran aground, caught fire and sank off Burin, NF while under tow from Rose Blanche, NF to Marystown, NF. The former bulk canaller was being used to transport, freeze and store fish. 1976 The first ALGOSEA was inbound on its first trip to the Great Lakes when it hit the wall below Lock 1 of the Welland Canal and then, below Lock 2, the ship was blown sideways across the canal after problems with the cables. The ship was enroute to Port Colborne for conversion to a self-unloader; it was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 2011 as SAUNIERE. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 27
Lake Superior
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Milwaukee, Wis.
Southern Lake Michigan
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushanev
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Saginaw River – Gordy Garris
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Clarkson, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Picton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Montreal, Que. – Robert K. Tompsett |
New Federal Ruhr arrives in Sorel; Hamilton next 4/27 - Federal Ruhr arrived in Sorel, Que. on April 21 on its maiden voyage. The Ruhr was built in 2017 at the New Century Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. shipyard in China. After unloading, the vessel is expected to transit the Seaway for the first time with a destination of Hamilton, Ont. Federal Ruhr is a sistership to two other vessels, Federal Alster, which first visited the Great Lakes in 2016, and Federal Mosel, which is still under construction. Five other vessels are near sisterships to the new vessels: Federal Danube, Federal Elbe, Federal Ems, Federal Leda and Federal Weser. All are from the Marshall Islands, with Majuro as their port of registry. Federal Alster, Federal Ruhr and Federal Mosel are each 199.80 meters in length and 23.70 meters in width. Denny Dushane |
Outflows from Lake Ontario to increase as water level threat remains 4/27 - The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board said they are looking to increase outflows from Lake Ontario, as the threat of high water levels is expected to continue into May or June. The board said Lake Ontario has risen 15.4 inches since the beginning of April, and the St. Lawrence River at Lake St. Louis has reached its flood level at 73.3 feet. The board said it can increase outflows as Ottawa River flows peak and floods near Montreal subside. However, it said Lake Ontario levels may increase due to Lake Erie inflows and new wet conditions. “As water levels on Lake Ontario rise, its outflows will increase and high levels downstream at Lake St. Louis will continue,” the board said, in a news release. “Coastal jurisdictions should prepare for the possibility of major coastal flooding as storms frequently occur at this time of year.” The board said lake and river levels this year with the new Plan 2014 regulations would have been nearly identical to previous regulation plans. Watertown Daily Times |
Towns battle erosion as Lake Ontario levels rise 4/27 - Batavia, NY – With Lake Ontario already 19 inches above average with another foot coming on the way, all the towns on the south shore of the lake need is one big storm to be devastated. The towns of Yates, Carlton and Kendall have issued local states of emergencies, which last 30 days and allow local chief executives to issue emergency orders deemed necessary in order to preserve life and property, such as road closures or evacuation orders. “I’m sure the water levels need to be brought down because this is a situation, it’s not good for the residents in our town. I’m sure Carlton and Yates are having the same effects we are as well as Monroe and Niagara County,” said Kendall Supervisor Tony Cammarata. Damage to the break wall have been reported, and while there have been no reports of the rising lake waters harming houses, yards have been flooded and trees planted near the shoreline have eroded away. “A couple of the fire lanes are really low right now — they got maybe 18 inches to two feet clearance before the calm waters would be rising above the shoreline and start to threaten the cottages and homes,” said Yates Supervisor Jim Simon. “With the forecast with the waters continuing the rise and any type of storm, especially a northeastern, we would have some significant damage.” As of about noon on Tuesday, Warren Kruger, Kendall Highway Department superintendent, said the Kendall highway department delivered sandbags to 24 households, with more deliveries on the way, amounting to several thousand sandbags being delivered. While the towns are doing what they can to minimize some of the damage, Kruger said there isn’t a lot they can do to stop the lake itself. “These are emergency measures so to speak, but we really need to happen is to get the lake level down,” he said. Yates said it is lifting the boats restriction for the moment, initially instating it due to worries about waves from the boats. The town will wait for a couple of days before seeing if it needs to be reinstated. “Plan 2014 has been an utter disaster for Lake Ontario taxpayers and communities since it was approved in the final minutes of the Obama Administration,” said Congressman Chris Collins in a press release after inspecting property damage at two homes along Lake Ontario’s southern shoreline Tuesday morning. “Both the property damage and overflow of debris into Lake Ontario that I inspected today could have been avoided. I came here today to assure local officials and Lake Ontario homeowners that I am working with the Trump Administration to reform the IJC and repeal Plan 2014 as soon as possible.” However, International Joint Commission, the American-Canadian organization that developed Plan 2014, said in a statement that “extreme wet weather” in April has resulted in high water levels across the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River system — not Plan 2014. The Daily News |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 27 27 April 1889 - ROMEO (wooden propeller excursion steamer, 70 foot, 61 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #51) at West Bay City, Michigan, for service on the Òinland route (Oden, Michigan to Cheboygan, Michigan & Bois Blanc Island) along with her sister JULIET (wooden propeller excursion steamer, 70 foot, 61 gross tons), launched the following day. The vessels had twin screws for maneuverability along the northern rivers. ROMEO lasted until 1911, when she was abandoned at Port Arthur, Texas. JULIET was converted to a steam yacht and registered at Chicago. She was abandoned in 1912. The H.A. HAWGOOD (4-mast wooden schooner, 233 feet) was launched at 2:00 p.m. on 27 April 1886, at F.W. Wheeler's shipyard in W. Bay City, Michigan. On April 27, 1993, the WOLVERINE ran aground on Surveyors Reef near Port Dolomite near Cedarville, Michigan, and damaged her hull. The ASHCROFT, up bound on Lake Erie in fog, collided with Interlake's steamer JAMES H. REED on April 27, 1944. The REED, fully loaded with ore, quickly sank off Port Burwell, Ontario, with a loss of twelve lives. The ASHCROFT suffered extensive bow damage below the water line and was taken to Ashtabula, Ohio, for repairs. Later that morning on Lake Erie fog still prevailed and the PHILIP MINCH of the Kinsman fleet collided with and sank the crane ship FRANK E. VIGOR. This collision occurred at 0850 hours and the ship, loaded with sulphur, sank in the Pelee Passage in 75 feet of water. All on board were saved. On April 27, 1973, the bow section of the SIDNEY E. SMITH JR was towed to Sarnia by the Malcolm tugs TABOGA and BARBARA ANN. The two sections of the hull were scuttled and landfilled to form a dock facing. Shenango Furnace's straight deck steamer WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR left Ecorse, Michigan, in ballast on her maiden voyage April 27, 1912, for Duluth, Minnesota, to load iron ore. On April 27, 1978, the TROISDOC was down bound with corn for Cardinal, Ontario, when she hit the upper end of the tie-up wall above Lock 2, in the Welland Ship Canal. On April 27, 1980, after loading pellets in Duluth, the ENDERS M. VOORHEES stopped at the Seaway Dock to load a large wooden stairway (three sections) on deck which, was taken to the AmShip yard at Lorain. It was used for an open house on the newly built EDWIN H. GOTT in 1979. On April 27, 1953, the steamer RESERVE entered service. On April 27, 1984, the CHARLES M. BEEGHLY struck the breakwall while departing Superior, Wisconsin on her first trip since the 1981 season. The vessel returned to Fraser Shipyards in Superior for repairs. On 27 April 1876, the Port Huron Times reported, "The steam barge MARY MILLS arrived up this morning and looks 'flaming'. Her owner said he did not care what color she was painted so long as it was bright red, and she has therefore come out in that color." On 27 April 1877, the 40-foot 2-mast wooden schooner VELOCIPEDE left Racine, Wisconsin, for Muskegon, Michigan, in fair weather, but a severe squall blew in and it developed into a big storm. The little schooner was found capsized and broken in two off Kenosha, Wisconsin, with her crew of 2 or 3 lost. 1914 - The BENJAMIN NOBLE disappeared with all hands in Lake Superior. The wreck was finally located in 2004 and it lies 10 miles off Two Harbors, MN. The discovery was confirmed in July 2005. 1915 The COLLINGWOOD stranded near Corsica Shoal while downbound in Lake Huron with a load of grain. 1965 After being forced to spend the winter at Toronto when an early build up of ice prevented it from leaving the Great Lakes, the Greek freighter ORIENT MERCHANT ran aground near Port Colborne and required repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks. The ship had begun Seaway trading in 1960 and was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving on November 17, 1967, as ZAMBEZI. 1970 The Israeli freighter ESHKOL began Great Lakes trading right after being built in 1964. The ship was in a collision with the fishing boat MELISSA JEAN II in the Cabot Strait on this date in 1970. It arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping as ESKAT on September 29, 1982. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Fincantieri celebrates rededication of John G. Munson 4/26 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, along with Keystone Shipping Co. and Canadian National, celebrated the re-commissioning of the vessel John G. Munson last Thursday. The ceremony was to celebrate the repowering of the Munson from steam to diesel propulsion. The Munson is managed by Key Lakes, Inc. out of Duluth, Minn., which is a subsidiary of Keystone Shipping Co. Keystone Shipping Company is part of Canadian National, and the Munson is one of nine vessels of the CN Great Lakes Fleet. During the event, officials representing the companies thanked all of the men and women at Bay Ship who worked on the Munson for their quality and dedication. Officials at the event included Don Kurz, president of Keystone Shipping; Josh Juel, manager of Great Lakes Fleet-Canadian National; Mitch Koslow, vice president of engineering and purchasing at Keystone Shipping; Don Lindquist, Keystone Shipping; Scott McPherson, chief engineer of the John G. Munson; and Ron Buczkowski, captain of the John G. Munson. In attendance from FBS was Stu Fett, production manager; Cheryl Arnott, project manager; and Todd Thayse, vice president and general manager, as well as the FBS production crews. Kurz and Juel both spoke about the history of the Munson, and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding's successful and lengthy business relationship with Keystone, Key Lakes and CN. Kurz said it was the hard work and quality of work at Bay Shipbuilding that has extended the life of the Munson by decades. Juel also said the Munson has provided thousands of jobs since it was first commissioned in 1952 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding; jobs for the ship's captain and crew, jobs for the cities where they make and distribute its cargo, and jobs at Bay Ship. Since the Munson has been repowered, it will continue to provide thousands of jobs for decades, Juel said. The ceremony ended with the presentation of the recommissioning plaque to McPherson and Buczkowski by Thayse and Arnott. Green Bay Press Gazette |
Port Reports - April 26
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Southern Lake Michigan
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Buffalo, N.Y. – Barry Andersen, Brian W.
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Clarkson, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Picton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Obituary: Pamela Jo "Jodee" Nelson 4/26 - Pamela Jo "Jodee" Nelson, 64, passed away Saturday, April 22 in the company of family and friends. She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Lance Nelson, a retired captain with American Steamship Co. Jodee had many friends in the Great Lakes shipping industry and often commented on shipping-related discussions on Facebook. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 26, from 4-8 p.m. at Arch L. Heady at Resthaven, Louisville, Kentucky. A celebration of her life will be held on Thursday, April 27, at 10 a.m. at Arch L. Heady at Resthaven, with interment to follow at Resthaven Memorial Park, 4400 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY. Memorial contributions may be made to the Daughters of the American Revolution, www.dar.org/giving and to the American Cancer Association at www.cancer.org Courier Journal Louisville |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 26 26 April 1891 NORWALK (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 209 foot, 1007 gross tons) was launched by William DuLac at Mount Clemens, Michigan. At first, she was not able to get down the Clinton River to Lake St. Clair due to low water. She lasted until 1916, when she was sold to Nicaraguan buyers and was lost in the Caribbean Sea that autumn. On 26 April 1859, the wooden schooner A. SCOTT was carrying limestone blocks for a large Presbyterian church being built at Vermilion, Ohio. The vessel was driven ashore near Vermilion by a gale and was quickly pounded to pieces. Her insurance had expired about ten days earlier. No lives were lost. Algoma's new straight deck bulk freighter ALGOWEST (Hull#226) of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., was launched April 26, 1982. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1998, and renamed b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL in 2001. Sea trials were conducted April 26, 1984, on Lake Ontario for the CANADIAN RANGER. An unfortunate incident happened on the SEWELL AVERY as four crew members were injured, one critically, when a lifeboat winch housing exploded shortly after a lifeboat drill in 1978. Paterson's CANADOC (Hull#627) by Davie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., was launched April 26, 1961. BENSON FORD (Hull#245) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works was launched in 1924. In 1982, carferry service from Frankfort, Michigan ended forever when railroad service to that port was discontinued and the remaining boats (ARTHUR K. ATKINSON, VIKING, and CITY OF MILWAUKEE) were laid up. CITY OF MILWAUKEE is preserved as a museum ship by the Society for the Preservation of the CITY OF MILWAUKEE. On 26 April 1902, M. P. BARKLOW (wooden schooner, 104 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1871, at Perry, Ohio), loaded with salt, was anchored off South Bass Island in Lake Erie to ride out a gale. Nevertheless she foundered and four lives were lost, the skipper, his wife, their son and one crewman. On 26 April 1926, THOMAS GAWN (2-mast wooden schooner-barge, 171 foot, 550 gross tons, built in 1872, at Lorain, Ohio as a 3-mast schooner) sprang a leak and sank at River Rouge, Michigan in the Detroit River. The wreck was removed the following month and abandoned. She had a 54-year career. 1902 The wooden schooner barge GRACE B. GRIBBLE was holed by ice and sank in Lake Erie off Point Pelee after the hull was punctured by an ice flow. Three sailors were lost. 1958 CIANDRA, a Great Lakes visitor from West Germany as early as 1953, ran aground in the St. Clair River at the south end of Stag Island on this date in 1958. Due to a dispute, there was no pilot on board at the time. The ship was stuck for about 3 hours. It later burned and capsized at Singapore as e) MESONGO on September 9, 1977, and was refloated and then scrapped in 1979. 1981 The Norwegian freighter ASKOT visited the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1962 and returned under the flag of Greece as DIAKAN MASCOT in 1972. It was observed lying off Aden, as c) TYHI with the engine room flooded on this date in 1981. The hull was later refloated and arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakstan, for scrapping on April 28, 1982. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 25
Duluth-Superior
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Marquette, Mich.
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Denny Dushane, John Teichtler
Milwaukee, Wis.
Manistee, Mich.
Southern Lake Michigan
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Ashtabula, Ohio
Erie, Pa. – Gene Polaski
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Tundra (Cyp) remained anchored Monday awaiting Redpath dock in Toronto.
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Seaway – Ron Beaupré, John Tokarz |
Third phase of Interlake’s exhaust gas scrubber installations complete 4/25 - Middleburg Heights, Ohio – The Mesabi Miner sailed Monday from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., becoming Interlake Steamship Co.’s fourth self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test freshwater scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its motor vessel Hon. James L. Oberstar. In 2016, the company outfitted its first 1,000-foot vessel, the motor vessel James R. Barker, and its 826-foot motor vessel Lee A. Tregurtha in its second phase of exhaust gas scrubber implementation. “We are executing on our long-term vision to be the most efficient and environmentally responsible fleet on the Great Lakes,” says Interlake President Mark W. Barker. “Being able to successfully reduce our emissions and lead the way with this technology has been a major undertaking for us over the last four years. It demonstrates our Company’s proud commitment to continuously improve and invest in our ships.” With the 1,004-foot Mesabi Miner back in service, Interlake has equipped nearly half of its nine-vessel fleet with scrubber systems implemented specifically to net emission reductions to a level that meets or exceeds North American Emissions Control Area requirements. Mesabi Miner has been undergoing the retrofit at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding since December 2016. The Sturgeon Bay shipyard handled the successful installation on Interlake’s four vessels which are equipped with the same single-inlet, closed-loop DuPont™ Marine Scrubbers from Belco Technologies Corp. (BELCO), a DuPont company. The scrubber units, which are attached to the exhaust system of each of the ship’s two engines, effectively strip the majority of sulfur from its stack emissions. Here’s how the systems work: Exhaust gas from the engine is sent through a series of absorption sprays that “wash” and remove impurities, specifically sulfur and particulate matter. That washed exhaust gas then travels through a droplet separator before a signature clean plume of white steam is discharged into the atmosphere. As the first U.S.-flag fleet to implement the scrubber technology, the company was not only tasked with proving its emission-reduction capability but also taking the lead in developing a sustainable supply-and-delivery infrastructure to support its widespread use on the Great Lakes. Specifically, the scrubber system relies on an injection of sodium hydroxide -- to neutralize and remove sulfur from the exhaust gas -- and that chemical has to be delivered to the vessel about twice a month. Working with partners, Hawkins Inc., PVS Chemicals Inc., Garrow Oil & Propane and OSI Environmental, the company has established waterfront supply capability at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and Detroit, Mich. Calumet Specialties LLC has become a vital partner and stakeholder in the development of a new supply capability within the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis. A supply-and-delivery infrastructure is expected to be built at ports located near East Chicago, Ill., and Burns Harbor, Ind. A total of five Interlake vessels – including the longest ship on the Great Lakes, the motor vessel Paul R. Tregurtha - will be outfitted with these types of scrubbers by 2018. Interlake Steamship Co. |
Delivering mail, saving lives aboard Detroit’s J.W. Westcott 4/25 - Detroit, Mich. – In its 143rd year on the Detroit River, the J.W. Westcott Co. once again went beyond its normal mail-delivery duties and helped save lives. This time, Senior Capt. Ryan Gazdecki helped rescue a pregnant woman, two Detroit police officers and a medic who had jumped into the water to help the woman on April 17. It’s the third time Gazdecki has been part of life-saving efforts in his 13 seasons at the marine-based mail delivery ship — the only mail ship remaining with its own floating ZIP code. Founded in 1874, the J.W. Westcott Co. has been contracted by the U.S. Postal Service to make deliveries since 1948, said owner Jim Hogan, and headquartered at Riverside Park since 1955. Mostly, during its 24-hour days, the mail ship is just a mail ship, handing off mail to passing freighters on the river, said Hogan, whose family has owned the company since its founding. Counting his son, Jimmy, 32, the company is in its fifth generation in family hands, with fewer than 20 employees. Per the terms of its contract with the Postal Service, the J.W. Westcott II operates 252 days a year, starting in the spring and ending when the ice on the Detroit River gets too thick. The first rescue was in spring 2007, when Gazdecki was making a delivery alongside a freighter. A fisherman was in a boat and “got himself into some trouble, and didn’t realize a ship was sneaking up on him.” Read more and view photos, video at this link: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/04/24/westcott-rescue/100828406/ |
Owner of yacht littering miles of Lake Michigan beach may face legal action 4/25 - Ludington, Mich. – The owner of a now-destroyed yacht that has created an environmental nightmare along miles of protected Lake Michigan beach could be taken to court after declining to take care of the disabled vessel, according to a state official. The 76-foot-long boat was grounded on April 15 after taking on water, and the owner was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Subsequent efforts to get the owner to take care of the disabled vessel were unsuccessful and the boat has since been destroyed and wreckage has littered miles of coastline, said Tim Schreiner, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources parks and recreation supervisor for the Cadillac district. He estimated 70 percent of the wreckage remains in the water, including the boat's diesel engines, and said efforts are underway to contract with an underwater salvage operator to clean it up. Read more and view photos at this link: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2017/04/legal_action_possible_against.html |
What's causing Lake Ontario's high water levels? 4/25 - Syracuse, N.Y. – Residents who live along the shoreline of Lake Ontario have been trying to stay ahead of rising water levels that are threatening their properties. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, water levels in Lake Ontario are up 15 inches in the last month, and are expected to rise another six inches in the next month. A state of emergency has been declared in Wayne County because of the rising water. But what is causing the increase in water levels? Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich met this week with representatives of some of the towns along the Lake Ontario shoreline to talk about the impact of Plan 2014, which is the plan formulated by the International Joint Commission, involving representatives of the U.S. and Canada. That plan allows for wider swings in lake levels. Environmental advocates have argued that the previous plan impacted wetlands and did other damage to the environment. Reilich says he and some of the other officials of communities along the southern shore of Lake Ontario plan to go to Washington soon to lobby against the plan. “This plan would not be in the best interest of our residents in so much as it elongates the period of time that the water levels are higher and every week that you remain with higher water levels is the likelihood that a windstorm or something could cause a lot of erosion and damage and flooding,” Reilich said. Frank Bevacqua, a spokesman for the IJC, says that the lake level plan that was implemented earlier this year really had a negligible impact on the current high water situation. “Plan 2014 took effect on January 7 and it has contributed a very small amount to the situation we’re seeing now,” said Bevacqua. Things would only be marginally better if the old plan were being followed, it’s just a couple of inches difference.” Bevacqua says the main issue has been a very rainy April, as well dramatic swings in temperature over the last few months. Reilich says he is concerned about homeowners in his town who may be impacted soon if the water keeps rising. “We supply the homeowners upon their request,” Reilich said.” Sandbags, we have thousands and thousands of sandbags that we’re prepared to distribute along with the sand that’s necessary. So we’re going to assist them with that effort and hopefully it won’t be required, but we’re prepared if it does.” Residents have been putting down sandbags in other communities as well including in Sodus, in Wayne County. In Oswego and Jefferson counties, officials have been monitoring water levels. The biggest area of concern in Oswego County is in Sandy Pond. WRVO/WXXI |
Fundraiser coming in May for USS Edson ship museum 4/25 - Bay City, Mich. – USS Edson, DD-946, a Vietnam-era, Forrest-Sherman-class destroyer, is the primary focus of the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bangor Township next to Bay City, Mich. The group will host an all-day fundraiser on May 20 featuring live music, food and beverages, vendors, and a large banner that can be signed by visitors to be sent to the men of one of the nation's aircraft carriers. The Edson is the only surface warship in the Midwest, and she can be seen daily from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., seven days a week. The most active ship in Vietnam is located next to Independence Bridge, her permanent location, and has been designated a National Historical Landmark by Congress. For information about tours and the calendar of events, call 989-684-3946. Rick Blasch |
Lake Michigan wave and weather buoy is back in business 4/25 - Cook Nuclear Plant has again launched its high-tech weather buoy in Lake Michigan. The extensive weather and water data can be accessed online at www.greatlakesbuoys.org (select the Cook Nuclear Plant buoy 45026). The buoy is equipped with a range of instruments that can transmit air temperature, wind speed and direction, water current speed and direction, wave height and water temperatures at several depths below the surface. Still images and video clips are taken once each hour and can also be accessed online to see the exact conditions out on the lake at http://www.limnotechdata.com/stations/CookBuoy/. Cook deployed the weather buoy in 2011 to study Lake Michigan water conditions. Since the data was made available to the public for free, more than 2 million requests for buoy observations have been made from boaters, fishermen and others. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 25 25 April 1890 - The Collins Bay Rafting Company’s tug ALANSON SUMNER (wooden propeller tug, 127 foot, 300 gross tons, built in 1872, at Oswego, New York) burned at Kingston, Ontario. She had $25,000 worth of wrecking machinery onboard. The SUMNER was repaired and put back in service. On 25 April 1888, JESSIE MAGGIE (wooden schooner, 63 foot, 49 gross tons) was re-registered as a 2-masted schooner. She was built on a farm in Kilmanagh, Michigan, in 1887, as a 3-masted schooner and she was launched near Sebewaing, Michigan. It took 16 spans of oxen to haul her over frozen ground to the launch site. She lasted until 1904. Interlake Steamship’s WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY (Hull#909) of American Ship Building Co., was christened April 25, 1981. Renamed b.) PAUL R. TREGURTHA in 1990. On April 25, 1973, the self-unloading boom on Canada Steamship Lines a.) TADOUSSAC of 1969, collapsed while she was at Sandusky, Ohio. She sails today as b.) CSL TADOUSSAC. In 1925, the ANN ARBOR 4 was back in service after running aground on February 13th off Kewaunee, Wisconsin. In 1973, it was announced that the CITY OF SAGINAW 31, would be scrapped, after a fire which destroyed her cabin deck in 1971. Hall Corp. of Canada's bulk canaller a.) ROCKCLIFFE HALL (Hull#615) by Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Ltd., was launched April 25, 1958. Converted to a tanker in 1972, renamed b.) ISLAND TRANSPORT, and c.) ENERCHEM LAKER in 1987. Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS (Hull#824) by American Ship Building Co., was launched April 25, 1942. Mutual Steamship Co.'s WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE (Hull#41) by Great Lakes Engineering Works, was launched April 25, 1908. Renamed b.) S B WAY in 1936 and c.) CRISPIN OGLEBAY in 1948. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. The PERCIVAL ROBERTS JR sailed light on her maiden voyage April 25, 1913, from Lorain to load ore at Two Harbors, Minnesota. On April 25, 1954, CSL's, T.R. MC LAGAN entered service. At 714 feet 6 inches, she took the title for longest vessel on the Great Lakes from the JOSEPH H. THOMPSON, beating the THOMPSON by three inches. The THOMPSON had held the honor since November 4, 1952. MC LAGAN was renamed b.) OAKGLEN in 1990, and was scrapped at Alang, India in 2004. Whaleback a.) FRANK ROCKEFELLER (Hull#136) by the American Steel Barge Co., was launched in 1896, for the American Steel barge Co., Pickands, Mather & Co., mgr. Converted to a sand dredge and renamed b.) SOUTH PARK in 1927, and converted to a tanker and renamed c.) METEOR in 1945. On April 25, 1949, CSL's, GRAINMOTOR collided with the abutment of the railroad bridge above Lock 2 of the Lachine Canal. The wooden schooner OTTAWA was launched on 25 April 1874, at Grand Haven, Michigan. She was owned by Capt. William R. Loutill and could carry 180,000 feet of lumber. T S CHRISTIE (wooden propeller, 160 foot, 533 gross tons) was launched at F. W. Wheeler's yard (Hull #22) in W. Bay City, Michigan, on 25 April 1885. She was built for the Bay City & Cleveland Transportation Company at a cost of $45,000. Originally built as a double-deck vessel, she was cut down to a single decker at Chicago in 1902. 1941 The CANADIAN SIGNALLER was built at Collingwood as Hull 63 in 1919. It was torpedoed and sunk as d) POLYANA by U-103 en route from from Sunderland, UK to Freetown, Sierre Leone, with a cargo of coal. It was attacked just before midnight April 24 and sank in the early hours on this date with all 25 on board being lost. 1968 The Misener steamer EVERETTON ran aground in the St. Lawrence on this date in 1968. Although the damage was considered minor, the ship was sold to Marine Salvage for scrap, resold to Spanish shipbrakers and arrived under tow at Bilbao, on September 23, 1968, for dismantling. 1998 The wooden goelettes MONT NOTRE DAME and MONT ROYAL were destroyed by a fire at St. Joseph-de-la-Rive, Quebec, where they were being preserved ashore as museum ships. MONT NOTRE DAME was one of the first units in the Transport Desgagnes fleet while MONT ROYAL was known to have been a Great Lakes visitor. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 24
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Midland, Ont.
Goderich, Ont.
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Clarkson, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Picton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bath, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bomanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Seaway |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 24 24 April 1882 - The ferry HAWKINS (wooden propeller ferry, 73 foot, 86 gross tons, built in 1873, at Au Sable, Michigan) was renamed JAMES BEARD. She had received a thorough overhaul and was put in service between Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, on 25 April 1882. She lasted until 1927, when she was abandoned. On 24 April 1872, the 3-mast wooden schooner JENNIE GRAHAM was sailing up Lake Huron to pick up a load of lumber. She was light and at full sail when a sudden squall caused her to capsize. Two crewmembers were trapped below decks and died. Captain Duncan Graham was washed away and drowned. The remaining seven crewmembers clung to the overturned hull for about an hour and then the vessel unexpectedly turned upwards and lay on one side. The crew was then able to cut away a lifeboat and get in it. They were later picked up by the schooner SWEEPSTAKES. The GRAHAM was salvaged and taken to Port Huron for repairs. ONTADOC sailed from Collingwood, Ontario, on her maiden voyage on April 24, 1975, for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to load steel for Duluth, Minnesota. She was renamed b) MELISSA DESGAGNES in 1990. Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s D.M. CLEMSON (Hull#716) of the American Ship Building Co., departed Lorain on her maiden voyage April 24, 1917, to load iron ore at Duluth, Minnesota. The B.F. JONES left Quebec on April 24, 1973, in tandem with her former fleet mate EDWARD S. KENDRICK towed by the Polish tug KORAL heading for scrapping in Spain. The wooden schooner WELLAND CANAL was launched at Russell Armington's shipyard at St. Catharines, Ontario. She was the first ship built at St. Catharines and the first to navigate the Welland Canal when it opened between St. Catharine's and Lake Ontario on 10 May 1828. 1948 A collision between the HARRY L. FINDLAY and the Canadian tanker JOHN IRWIN occurred in the St. Clair River, near Recors Point on this date. The stem bar was twisted and plates set back on the American bulk carrier and these were repaired at Lorain. It later sailed as c) PAUL L. TIETJEN. The tanker saw further service as c) WHITE ROSE II, d) WHITE ROSE and e) FUEL MARKETER (ii). 1975 The Canadian self-unloader SAGUENAY sustained minor damage in a collision in Lake St. Clair with the Panamanian freighter FESTIVITY on this date. The latter had begun coming to the Great Lakes in 1966. It had been damaged in a grounding on July 18, 1977, and arrived at Bilbao, Spain, for scrapping on November 9, 1977. 1989 GENERAL VARGAS arrived at Green Bay and was being towed by the tug MINNIE SELVICK when the latter was crushed against pilings around a railway bridge and sank. All on board were rescued but the tug was a total loss. The Philippine registered freighter had begun Great Lakes trading as a) BRUNTO in 1977 and reacquired that name in 1994. It was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, as f) LINDEN after arriving on July 19, 2011. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Bay Shipbuilding marks re-commissioning of John G. Munson 4/23 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding marked the re-commissioning of the vessel John G. Munson last Thursday afternoon. Representatives of Keystone Shipping Co. and Canadian National (CN) were on hand. The attendees included managers and engineers from associated companies who celebrated the repowering of the vessel from steam to diesel propulsion. The Munson was built in Manitowoc in 1952 and is one of the nine freighters from Canadian National’s Great Lakes Fleet. It is managed by Keylakes Inc. of Duluth, Minn., which is a subsidiary of Keystone Shipping Co. Door County Daily News |
Port Reports - April 23
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Drummond Island, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Bay City, Mich. – Denny Dushane
St. Clair, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Clarkson, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Seaway – Ron Beaupre´ |
Wakes, high water blamed for shore damage along St. Clair River 4/23 - Harsens Island, Mich. – Since mid-March Charles Hahn has watched the aggressive waves of the St. Clair River crash up onto his yard, warp his dock and wash dirt across the road. Hahn said the damage to private properties stems from a combination of unusually high water levels and freighters moving too fast. Hahn said the U.S. and Canadian coast guards should be monitoring freighter traffic up and down the river. Weekly water levels update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that the St. Clair River levels were up seven inches from the previous year. At one time, just off of South Channel drive on Harsens Island, the water was so low that residents had sandy beach area to enjoy. Now that same sandy space is covered in nearly a foot of water. When freighters head down the St. Clair River, towards Lake St. Clair, the wakes from the ships can reach up onto the street. Read more and see photos at this link: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/04/15/shore-damage-st-clair-river/100497868 |
Reservations are now being taken for Soo Boatnerd Cruise 4/23 - Reservations for the annual Boatnerd Freighter Chasing cruise, on Friday, June 30, are now being taken. This event is part of the annual Engineers’ Day weekend Boatnerd Gathering in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The three-hour cruise will travel through the U.S. and Canadian locks, and the price includes an on-board buffet dinner. Reservations are a must as we are limiting the group to 100 persons. This will afford everyone enough space to take photos and enjoy themselves. Check the Gatherings page for complete details and other events taking place during the weekend. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 23 23 April 1907 - The SEARCHLIGHT (wooden propeller fish tug, 40 foot, built in 1899, at Saginaw, Michigan) capsized and sank while returning to Harbor Beach, Michigan, with a load of fish. The vessel had been purchased by Captain Walter Brown and his son from the Robert Beutel Fish Company of Toledo, Ohio, just ten days before. The sale agreement stated that the tug was to be paid for with fish, not cash. All six crew members drowned. On 23 April 1883, STEPHEN S. BATES (wooden schooner, 97 foot, 139 tons, built in 1856, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was bound from Horne's Pier, Wisconsin, with posts and hardware for Chicago when she was driven into the shallows just north of Grosse Point, Illinois, by a storm and broke up. No lives were lost. In 1953, the PERE MARQUETTE 22 was cut in half, then pulled apart and lengthened by 40 feet, as part of a major refit at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Also during this refit, her triple-expansion engines were replaced with Skinner Unaflows, and her double stacks were replaced with a single, tapered stack. The refit was completed August 28, 1953. On April 23, 1966, the b.) JOSEPH S. WOOD, a.) RICHARD M. MARSHALL of 1953, was towed to the Ford Rouge complex at Dearborn, Michigan by her new owners, the Ford Motor Company. She was renamed c.) JOHN DYKSTRA. Canada Steamship Lines’ FORT YORK was commissioned April 23, 1958. On April 23, 1980, the ARTHUR B. HOMER's bow thruster failed while maneuvering through ice at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota, resulting in a grounding which damaged her bow and one ballast tank. The a.) GRIFFIN (Hull#12) of the Cleveland Ship Building Co. was launched April 23, 1891, for the Lake Superior Iron Mining Co. Renamed b.) JOSEPH S. SCOBELL in 1938, she was scrapped at Rameys Bend, Ontario, in 1971. On April 23, 1972, PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived at the Burlington Northern Docks at Superior, Wisconsin, to load 22,402 gross tons of iron ore bound for Detroit, opening the 1972, shipping season at Superior. On 23 April 1859, at about midnight, the schooner S. BUTTLES was fighting a severe gale. She was carrying staves from Port Burwell, Ontario, to Clayton, New York, and sprang a leak while battling the gale. While manning the pumps, one man was washed overboard, but his shipmates quickly rescued him. Capt. Alexander Pollock beached the vessel to save her about 10 miles east of the Genesee River. On 23 April 1882, GALLATIN (2-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 422 tons, built in 1863, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pig iron from St. Ignace, Michigan, to Erie, Pennsylvania, when she sprang a leak in a storm on Lake Erie. She struck bottom on Chickanolee Reef and foundered in shallow water at Point Pelee. Her crew was saved from the rigging by the fishing sloop LIZZIE. 1916 The grain laden COLLINGWOOD stranded in Whitefish Bay due to ice and fog and was not released until April 27. 1929 The canaller IMARI was on its delivery trip from Port Talbot, Wales, to Canada when it lost the propeller blades, due to ice, off Scaterie Island, Nova Scotia. The vessel later sailed the Great Lakes as b) DELAWARE, d) MANICOUAGAN, e) WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD and f) MANITOULIN. 1945 EFTYCHIA, a Greek freighter, came to the Great Lakes for one trip in 1961. Earlier, as the British freighter RIVERTON, it had been torpedoed by U-1023 off southwest England on April 23, 1945, and three lives were lost. The vessel arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as c) BOAZ ESPERANZA for scrapping on March 20, 1969. 1975 WESTDALE (ii) ran aground at the entrance to Goderich harbour while inbound with grain and was stuck for 15 hours before being pulled free. 1988 QUEDOC (iii) was upbound in the Seaway when it was in a collision with the BIRCHGLEN (I) under tow for scrap, and went aground in Lake St. Louis near Buoy 2A. Four tugs were needed to pull the ship free and it went to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. 1991 MARINE TRANSPORT operated around Maritime Canada but had come to the Great Lakes as c) C. OMER MARIE. It ran into ice and sank on April 23, 1991, about 10 miles off Cape Race, NF. The vessel was under R.C.M.P. surveillance when it was lost and all on board were rescued only to be arrested. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Coast Guard continues response for grounded yacht near Ludington 4/22 - Ludington, Mich. – Coast Guard crews continue to monitor salvage operations Friday of a 76-foot recreational vessel that grounded on April 15 in the vicinity of Big Sable Point near Ludington, Michigan. The vessel's superstructure has broken off, with debris scattered along the shoreline in the vicinity of the grounding. The deteriorating condition of the vessel was confirmed by an overflight conducted by Air Station Traverse City, Michigan. Lightering operations were completed Thursday evening with a total of 70 gallons of oily water recovered from the starboard tank. It was determined that no fuel remained in the tank following the recovery. Coast Guard pollution responders from Grand Haven, Mich., are on scene and overseeing the recovery operation. There are no reports of pollution. The operator of the vessel was on his way from Pentwater, Michigan, to Traverse City, Mich., April 15 when he noticed his vessel was taking on water and decided to ground the vessel in about 3 feet of water. A Coast Guard boat crew from Station Ludington responded and safely removed the operator from the vessel after it began listing about 15 degrees. USCG |
Shipping container kiosk on Detroit River to teach students about Great Lakes 4/22 - Detroit, Mich. – The Portal View is a shipping container repurposed to provide an education experience about the Great Lakes and the maritime industry’s past and future. It opens to the public on May 22 (that’s National Maritime Day) and is located right outside of the Port of Detroit, between Hart Plaza and the Renaissance Center. The container will be home to Great Lakes maritime artifacts, educational boards, and an interactive computer provided by BoatNerd.com. “As an economic engine, the Port of Detroit is an integral part of our region’s success,” said John Loftus, DWCPA executive director. “This container project is a great opportunity for the public, and school groups, to learn about the Great Lakes and the shipping industry.” Some lucky students will be able to take a look at Portal View first. On April 24, as part of Science Under Sail, an environmental education program, Detroit Public School and Romulus Community School students in third through sixth grade will be touring the Detroit River on the Appledore IV. That’s a two-masted schooner, docked at the DWCPA facility. The project was made possible through a partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. Support came from General Motors, Three Squared, Inc., the Maritime Recycling Corporation, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, and Boat Nerd, the DWCPA was able lead the production of Portal View. Daily Detroit We are looking for voulenteers to staff the portal and answer vistor's questions. If you are interested in helping out please e-mail moderator@boatnerd.net |
Port Reports - April 22
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio - Denny Dushane
Cleveland, Ohio – Nick Hunter
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Tundra (Cyp) was awaiting her turn at the Redpath dock. Adfines Sea (Mlt) anchored.
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Great Lakes town raises money online to save harbor 4/22 - Leland, Mich. – Leland Harbormaster Russell Dzuba is walking down a metal gangway to get a look at the harbor in this northern Michigan town. Normally, there would be some activity this time of year – but the harbor is empty. “We’re looking at water that’s about six inches deep right over there,” he says. This channel should be about 12 feet deep. But it silts up every year, as waves and storms push sand and sediment along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. That’s bad news for this small town, which explodes with tourists every summer. Many are drawn to Fishtown, a historic village of wooden fishing shanties that stands as a monument to Leland’s heritage. Until recently, it looked like the town would be closed to anyone coming by boat, including tourists from Chicago or Milwaukee. Now Leland is fighting back with a special new boat. It’s outfitted with what looks like a huge straw with a drill bit on the end, and sucks the sand from the lakebed. This week, the boat is scheduled to start working to open the harbor. Small harbors like Leland don’t usually have their own 28-ton dredge boat. But with no federal money available, the town got another idea – an online crowd-funding campaign. Restaurant owner Kate Vilter led the campaign that raised $275,000 to help Leland buy the equipment. “Fifty-thousand dollars from one … twenty-five from another,” she says. “So people really got behind this project, I think mainly because it was a permanent solution.” Vilter says that thanks to the deep pockets of some of the town’s summertime residents, the money was raised in less than a month. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used to dredge Great Lakes harbors every year. But now the agency focuses on major ports like Detroit and Cleveland. Marie Strum, chief of engineering for the Detroit District of the Corps of Engineers says there are 80 recreational harbors on the Great Lakes. They range from Cape Vincent at the eastern edge of Lake Erie to Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. “Recreational harbors are important to us,” Strum says. “They’re federal harbors, and we understand we have that responsibility. It’s simply a matter of not enough funds.” Chuck May disagrees. He runs the Great Lakes Small Harbors Coalition. And he says dredging is supposed to be covered by a special tax paid by shippers. “The tax has a very specific purpose – to maintain the harbors. The simple solution is start doing that,” he says. Instead, the $1.5 billion or so collected by the tax every year has been going directly into the federal budget. Three years ago, Congress mandated that the tax be spent on things like dredging. But that’s being phased in over eight years, and Leland’s residents decided their harbor couldn’t wait. On a recent day, a big crane lifted the dredge boat off a flatbed truck and into the cold, crystal clear Lake Michigan waters. Harbormaster Dzuba is relieved he’ll no longer have to rely on the federal government to keep his harbor open. “So there won’t be the helter-skelter that goes on in January, trying to locate funding,” he says. “That’s all done and over with. We’re all done begging.” Dzuba and a crew of community volunteers hope to finish the dredging by mid-May. Of course, not every harbor town on the Great Lakes has the money to buy its own dredging equipment. A few have asked to borrow Leland’s boat. Dzuba says he’s sympathetic, but the equipment is just too difficult to move. WBFO |
Superfunded: Keweenaw Lower Entry declared multi-level hazmat site 4/22 - Chassell Township, Mich. – The pier at the Lower Entry of the Keweenaw Waterway has been listed, at least for now, as a Federal superfund site. Jeromy Kowell of the United States Coast Guard Station’s Marine Safety Unit from Duluth, said in addition to raising the fishing boat Dawn from the entry floor Tuesday, there is additional work to be done to clean up the area along the 2,000-foot-long concrete pier within the harbor of refuge. “We’ve got three federalized projects,” Kowell said. “One is the boat Dawn, which sank on April 1st of this year. The second is another fishing vessel, Katherine, which sank in December 2016, and the third is hazardous material in addition to oil and similar petroleum products being released by the two vessels. Kowell said during inspection of both vessels, they discovered hazardous material on the floor of the lake, removal of which has already begun. Divers discovered hazmat materials, including loose batteries, dumped tires and “other miscellaneous materials.” “We federalized the Dawn first,” Kowell said, “and then when we were conducting cleanup operations, removing oil and hydraulic oil off of the vessel, we noticed that the Katherine was sheening (leaking fluids such as fuel and oil), so we federalized that and removed product that we could off of that one.” The cost of remediation of the hazmat materials, Kowell said, will be paid through EPA CERCLA (Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) funding, which Kowell said was opened specifically for hazardous materials. “Both vessels are OSLTF (Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund),” Kowell said. “OS (Oil Spill) Field Response funding, for the EPA comes from Coast Guard funding, and any hazmat response funding comes through the EPA, so we use each other’s fundings.” Mining Gazette |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 22 22 April 1873 - ST. JOSEPH (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 150 feet, 473 gross tons, built in 18,67 at Buffalo, New York) was sold by the Goodrich Transportation Company to Charles Chamberlain and others of Detroit, Michigan, for $30,000. On 22 April 1872, Capt. L. R. Boynton brought the wooden propeller WENONA into Thunder Bay to unload passengers and freight at Alpena, Michigan. The 15-inch-thick ice stopped him a mile from the harbor. The passengers got off and walked across the ice to town. Later, because of the novelty of it, a couple hundred people from Alpena walked out to see the steamer. In the evening, Capt. Boynton steamed back to Detroit without unloading any of the cargo. American Steamship Co.'s, ST. CLAIR (Hull#714) was christened April 22, 1976, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Bay Shipbuilding Corp. CHICAGO TRIBUNE of 1930, laid up for the last time at Toronto on April 22, 1986. CSL's HOCHELAGA lost her self-unloading boom during a windstorm at Windsor, Ontario, on April 22, 1980. As a consequence, she made 10 trips hauling grain as a straight-decker. CHARLES M. WHITE was commissioned April 22, 1952, at South Chicago, Illinois. She was soon recognized as one of the fastest ships on the Great Lakes because of her ability to reach speeds in excess of 17 knots (19.6 mph). On 22 April 1871, the 210-foot, 4-masted wooden schooner JAMES COUCH was launched at Port Huron, Michigan. She was named for a prominent Chicago businessman of the time. On 22 April 1872, EVA M. CONE (wooden schooner, 25 tons, built in 1859, at Oconto, Wisconsin) was carrying lumber from Port Washington to Milwaukee on an early-season run when she struck on ice floe, capsized and sank just outside of Milwaukee harbor. Her crew made it to safety in her lifeboat. 1917: NEEPAWAH, formerly part of Canada Steamship Lines, was captured by U53 a German submarine and sunk by timed bombs. The vessel had been carrying pyrites from Huelva, Spain, to Rouen, France, and went down about 120 miles west of Bishop's Rock. 1924: BROOKTON lost her way in heavy snow and ran aground on Russell Island Shoal near Owen Sound. The vessel was released the next day with the help of a tug. Her career ended with scrapping at Hamilton as g) BROOKDALE (i) in 1966-1967. 1947: HARRY YATES (ii) stranded on Tecumseh Reef, Lake Erie, but was soon released. The vessel became c) BLANCHE HINDMAN (ii) in 1960 and was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1968. 1955: Fire destroyed the historic wooden passenger steamers MAID OF THE MIST and MAID OF THE MIST II at their winter quarters in Niagara Falls, ON. The blaze broke out due to an errant welding spark during the annual fit-out and the Niagara Falls Fire Chief suffered a heart attack and died at the scene. 1968: ALHELI, a Lebanese registered Liberty ship, made three trips to the Great Lakes in 1964. The vessel began leaking 900 miles east of Bermuda while en route from Almeria, Spain, to Wilminton, DE, with fluorspar on this date and was abandoned by the crew. The ship went down April 24. 1972: CHAMPLAIN arrived in Canada from overseas in 1959 and saw occasional Great Lakes service. It became f) GILANI in 1970 and toppled on her side at Vercheres due to the swell from a passing ship on April 22, 1972. The ship was refloated several days later. 1973: An explosion in the engine room of the C.P. AMBASSADOR blew a six-foot-hole in the side of the hull during a storm about 420 miles east of Newfoundland. The ship was abandoned, save for the captain and chief engineer, and was towed into St. John's, NF on May 4. It had been a Great Lakes visitor as a) BEAVEROAK beginning when new in 1965. The damage was repaired and the vessel resumed service on July 14, 1973. It was eventually scrapped as f) FLAMINGO at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, following arrival on April 30, 1984. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Quebec ship gives up after 6-day battle with ice, passengers fly home 4/21 - Quebec, Que. - A ship that transports people and supplies to Quebec's Lower North Shore was forced to abandon its efforts to get to the isolated community of Blanc Sablon, near the border with Labrador, after extraordinarily thick ice made the journey impossible. Three Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers tried to clear a path through the ice for the Bella Desgagnés to the community beginning last Friday, but all efforts failed. "Not being able to complete the mission successfully, it's hard on everyone," said Julie Gascon, assistant commissioner for the Canadian Coast Guard, Central and Arctic Region. The Bella Desgagnés had been trying to bring nine passengers and much needed supplies, including perishable goods, to the village, which has no connection by road to the rest of Quebec. On Tuesday, the ship was forced to make an emergency trip to St. Barbe, Nfld., because a diabetic passenger was running out of insulin after an unexpected five days at sea. "The time was very long. Very stressful, too," said the passenger, Jordan Nadeau, who was travelling from nearby Harrington Harbour. He had only expected to the journey to Blanc Sablon to last one day, and was down to his last day's worth of insulin when the ship made the detour. The light icebreaker, CCGS Earl Grey, was the first to attempt to cut a path to the shore. When it failed, the medium-sized CCGS Henry Larsen was called in, which also couldn't get through. The coast guard then sent the strongest icebreaker it has, CCGS Terry Fox, but the ice proved too thick. Chunks of glaciers from Greenland are crowding the narrow Strait of Belle Isle, the coast guard said, and could cause problems for weeks. Blanc Sablon Mayor Armand Joncas said he has not seen ice like it in 25 years. "The Bella Desgagnés was designed for 18 inches of fresh ice — ice that was made this year — but the ice we got here is maybe a couple thousand years old," he said. When the ship abandoned hope of reaching Blanc Sablon yesterday, it brought Nadeau and three other passengers back to Newfoundland. From there, they were to catch a flight to Blanc Sablon. Five other passengers were taking a round-trip voyage and are returning with the ship as it heads back to the coastal communities of La Romaine and Rimouski. Food and supplies will be either be flown to Blanc Sablon, or transported there by truck on a road that links the community to Labrador, Quebec's ferry agency said. CBC |
Port Reports - April 21
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Drawsko (Bhs) departed anchorage for Toronto. Tundra (Cyp) was awaiting her turn at the Redpath dock. Adfines Sea (Mlt) anchored at 0940
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
More ship activity means bridges up often on Welland Canal 4/21 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Drivers waiting to cross the Welland Canal bridges have had to be more patient than usual this season as shipping is experiencing a surge. Canal traffic is up 23 per cent from this time last year due to shipments of grain and iron ore. “We are witnessing a very healthy level of traffic,” said Andrew Bogora, spokesman for St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. The good news for drivers in St. Catharines is that Carlton Street bridge repairs are on schedule to be completed by the end of the month and the bridge will be back in service. Bogora said it’s always a balancing act to accommodate everyone’s needs. “I simply want to underline our thanks to the community for the understanding during both the maintenance that has been done and the current surge in traffic,” Bogora said. Bogora said the iron ore market is highly price sensitive and the canal is seeing export movement from the upper lakes downbound that accounts for part of the increase in traffic. Shipments from the Mesabi Range in Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are destined for markets overseas. He said there’s a natural synergy in terms of moving iron ore on a laker for its initial transit and then transferring it to a larger ocean vessel in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Rail companies may not have the facilities to transfer cargo at certain ports. “In terms of efficiency, both energy efficiency and cost efficiency, moving iron ore by ship is the option that is virtually the only option,” he said. Grain from the previous year’s harvest is also being moved to various markets. Bogora said the harvest was late last year in certain areas of the Prairies due to weather. That meant it had to be stored and there wasn’t an opportunity to move it to market. As well, some farmers store grain until they get the price they want. “What we will witness throughout the year are certain bursts of activity coinciding with price opportunities for the sale of grain,” Bogora said. St. Catharines Standard |
Marine Career Awareness Day to be held in Hamilton June 27 4/21 - Hamilton, Ont. – A Marine Career Awareness Day will be hosted by the Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario, The Hamilton Port Authority and The Marine Club June 27 at the Hamilton Convention Centre. The event will consist of a Career and Job Fair in the afternoon from noon- to 4 p.m. Employers and educators representing the varied aspects of the marine community will be available to those interested in learning about opportunities for employment and education leading to a career in the diverse environment of the marine and marine industry related companies. (A 2010 study found that cargo handled by the Port of Hamilton is connected to 38,000 jobs and $6 billion in economic activity throughout Ontario.) In the evening from 5:50 to 8:30 p.m., the marine industry will get together to network and enjoy an evening of entertainment including live music, a silent and live auction. This is an opportunity to bring customers, guests and staff and celebrate the accomplishments of the industry. For more information on how to become an Exhibitor/Attendee at the career fair or to order tickets to the celebration evening, please email Judith Alltree at: mtsso2017@gmail.com. |
Obituary: Chief Engineer Wallace "Wally" J. Haske 4/21 - Retired Chief Engineer Wallace "Wally" J. Haske died April 8 at age 89 in Manitowoc, Wis. He retired from the steamer Rogers City in 1977 after 30 years of service to Great Lakes Fleet, United States Steel. He and his family moved to Manitowoc, Wis., at that time where he was employed for an additional 13 years as head boiler operator for Manitowoc Engineering. Services have already taken place. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 21 21 April 1907 Peter West, a fireman on the JOHN C. GAULT (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 218 foot, 519 gross tons, built in 1881, at Buffalo, New York, converted to a bulk freighter in 1906, at Detroit, Michigan) fell overboard and drowned in Lake Huron. The news was reported to Capt. J. W. Westcott when the GAULT sailed past Detroit, Michigan, on 23 April 1907. On 21 April 1863, SEABIRD (wooden side-wheel steamer, 638 tons, built in 1859, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was purchased by Capt. A. E. Goodrich from Capt. E. Ward for $36,000. She served primarily on the Lake Michigan west-shore and Lake Superior routes until she burned in 1868. EDWIN H. GOTT cleared Two Harbors, Minn., with her first cargo, 59,375 tons of iron ore, on April 21, 1979, bound for Gary, Indiana. Interstate Steamship's a.) WILLIS L. KING (Hull#79) by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, departed on her maiden voyage with a load of coal from Toledo, Ohio on April 21, 1911, bound for Superior, Wisconsin. Renamed b) C. L. AUSTIN in 1952 and was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1985. On April 21, 1988, P & H Shipping Ltd.'s, d.) BIRCHGLEN, a.) WILLIAM MC LAUGHLIN, was towed off the Great Lakes by the tugs ELMORE M. MISNER and ATOMIC bound for Sydney, Nova Scotia, to be scrapped. Panda Steamship Co., G. A. Tomlinson, mgr.'s a.) WILLIAM H. WARNER (Hull#784) by American Ship building Co., was launched April 21, 1923. Renamed b.) THE INTERNATIONAL in 1934, c.) MAXINE in 1977, d.) J. F. VAUGHAN in 1981 and e.) OAKGLEN in 1983. Scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1989. Pittsburgh Steamship Co's, HOMER D. WILLIAMS (Hull#720) by American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio, was launched in 1917. April 21, 1998 - PERE MARQUETTE 41 (former CITY OF MIDLAND 41) was towed to Sturgeon Bay from Muskegon for the remainder of the conversion. She was towed by the tugs MARY PAGE HANNAH and the CARL WILLIAM SELVICK. On 21 April 1868, GERTRUDE (2-mast wooden schooner, 137 foot, 268 tons, built in 1855, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying corn from Chicago to Buffalo when she was cut by the ice four miles west of Mackinaw City and sank in deep water. Her crew made it to shore in the yawl. 1963: The hull of the Swedish freighter HELGA SMITH cracked en route from Montreal to Kristiansand, Norway, and the crew abandoned the ship. The vessel was taken in tow but sank April 23 while ten miles off Cape Broyle, Newfoundland. The ship had been completed in December 1944 and had been a Seaway trader since 1960. 1981: The Italian freighter DONATELLA PARODI first came inland in 1965 at the age of 8. It was sailing as f) MARIKA K. when a fire broke out in the engineroom on this day in 1981. The vessel was en route from Varna, Bulgaria, to Karachi, Pakistan, when the blaze erupted on the Mediterranean some 60 miles east of Crete. The ship was abandoned by the crew but towed to Eleusis, Greece. It was laid up, later put under arrest and was partially sunk. Following an auction, the hull was pumped out, towed into Aliaga, Turkey, on May 18, 1987, and broken up. 1986: ALGOPORT was inbound at Grand Haven, MI with a cargo of salt when it hit the seawall. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Great Lakes water levels expected to stay above long-term average 4/20 - Washington, D.C. – Water levels on the Great Lakes are likely to remain above the long-term average through the spring and summer, according to forecasts assembled by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the US Army Corps of Engineers. But none of the Great Lakes are expected to reach record high water levels set mostly in the 1980s or 1950s. While each lake is unique, they all tend to follow a similar cycle based on seasonal changes. Water levels typically reach their seasonal low during the winter months before increasing in the spring due to snowmelt and precipitation. Water levels tend to peak during the summer months, before beginning to drop in the fall and early winter. There are three main factors that impact lake water levels, said Drew Gronewold, physical scientist with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory: the precipitation over the lakes, evaporation of water on the lakes into vapor, and the runoff that comes into the lakes. These variables, in turn, are affected by changes in air and water temperatures. For example, Gronewold said the timing of big runoff pulses is dependent on the amount of snow building up in the winter months and when it melts in the spring. A water level decline in the fall is generally driven by evaporation, as air temperatures drop while surface water temperatures are still relatively warm. While water temperatures were relatively warm during the fall and winter months of 2016-2017 – leading to a lack of ice cover – evaporation amounts have been typical for this time of year due to a relatively mild winter air temperatures, Gronewold said. These recent conditions, coupled with historical data, lead agencies to expect the water level rise to remain fairly typical this spring and into the summer. As water levels are already above their long-term average for this time of year, researchers expect that they’ll remain above average in the coming months, Gronewold explained. There is still plenty of uncertainty, he added, as the amount of snow on the ground is less than it has been in some recent winters. It’s also difficult to predict continental-wide meteorological and climate patterns that impact Great Lakes weather patterns and temperatures. These can range from an El Niño effect like the one seen in the winter of 2015-2016 or a “polar vortex” that hit the region in the winters of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. This uncertainty is expressed as a range of possible water levels in the forecasts released by the US Army Corps and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Great Lakes water levels also can be influenced by human management. Hydropower plants and a gated dam on the St. Marys River are used to manage outflows from Lake Superior into Lake Michigan-Huron, while a hydropower plant on the St. Lawrence River is used to manage outflows from Lake Ontario. Outflows through these structures are managed binationally by boards and according to orders and criteria established by the IJC. Nonetheless, the control of water flows through these lakes is limited, and weather conditions and water supplies remain the most significant factor affecting water levels. Water levels are measured based on the International Great Lakes Datum, defined as the height above sea level at Rimouski Quebec on the St. Lawrence River. Agencies have been measuring lake levels since the 1860s, with more reliable levels going back as far as 1918. They base the lakes’ long-term average water levels on that information. “We expect a range of water level conditions depending on water supplies,” said Jacob Bruxer, senior water resources engineer with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “There’s a lot of variability and uncertainty in weather and water supply forecasts, particularly when looking beyond a few weeks’ time, so we don’t try to forecast any specific trends and instead consider a full range of water supply scenarios that could be expected.” According to recent forecasts, through September 2017 Lake Superior is likely to remain at or above seasonal averages, with a small chance of falling below its long-term average in July. There is less uncertainty for the spring months; water levels were about 5.5 inches (0.14 meters) above the long-term average by the end of March, and by May that range could be between 2.7 inches to 10 inches above the average (0.07 meters to 0.27 meters). By September, water levels could be as high as 1 foot (0.3 meters) above the long-term monthly average for Superior. Lake Michigan-Huron, considered as one lake hydrologically, was about 9.4 inches (0.24 meters) above the March long-term average by the end of the month. By September, Michigan-Huron is expected to remain above the long-term average, in a range of 1-16 inches (0.02-0.4 meters). Gronewold said Michigan-Huron saw water levels fall slightly more during the fall months of 2016 than is typical, but that is unlikely to make a discernible difference during this spring and summer. Higher-than-average water levels are anticipated on Lake Erie, which has seen water levels on the rise in recent months, reaching more than 17 inches (0.44 meters) above the long-term average by the end of March. Water levels are expected to continue to remain above average this spring, before starting to fall around June to a range of 3.9-16 inches above average (0.10-0.41 meters). Lake Ontario has a slight chance of being just barely below its long-term average going into summer, but will more likely be above it by up to 15 inches (0.38 meters). The forecasted peak is in May, when water levels could be 3.9-21 inches above average (0.10-0.55 meters). Water levels are then expected to fall at about the same degree as they usually do, according to the long-term average. The US Army Corps publishes 12-month forecasts for Lakes Erie, Huron-Michigan and Superior, as well as Lake St. Clair, based on current conditions and similar historical weather data. Uncertainty grows substantially more than six months out, but most outcomes for Lakes Erie and Michigan-Huron suggest a greater likelihood of continued higher-than-average water levels through the year. Lake Superior also has a better chance of higher-than-average water levels, but faces a substantial possibility of being below that long-term average, too. International Joint Commission |
Port Reports - April 20
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Denny Dushane
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
Manistee, Mich.
Indiana Harbor, Ind.
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Drawsko (Bhs) was awaiting dock at Redpath Wednesday. Tundra (Cyp) was also awaiting her turn for Redpath dock.
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 20 On 20 March 1885, MICHIGAN (Hull#48), (iron propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 215 foot, 1,183 tons) of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railroad was sunk by ice off Grand Haven, Michigan. The sidewheeler NEW YORK was sold Canadian in 1877, hopefully at a bargain price, because when she was hauled out on the ways on 20 March 1878, at Rathburn's yard in Kingston, Ontario, to have her boiler removed, her decayed hull fell apart and could not be repaired. Her remains were burned to clear the ways. On 20 March 1883, the E. H. MILLER of Alpena, Michigan (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 30 gross tons, built in 1874, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was renamed RALPH. She was abandoned in 1920. 1938: ¬ A fire of an undetermined cause destroyed the passenger steamer CITY OF BUFFALO while it was fitting out for the 1938 season at the East 9th St. Pier in Cleveland The blaze began late the previous day and 11 fire companies responded. The nearby CITY OF ERIE escaped the flames, as did the SEEANDBEE. 2011” ¬ The Indian freighter APJ ANJLI was built in 1982 and began visiting the Great Lakes in 1990. It was sailing as c) MIRACH, and loaded with 25,842 tons of iron ore, when it ran aground 3 miles off the coast of India on March 20, 2011. Four holds were flooded and the crew of 25 was removed. The hull subsequently broke in two and was a total loss. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Escanaba ore dock ships last load 4/19 - Escanaba, Mich. – The last load of ore was shipped from Escanaba, Mich., Tuesday aboard the steamer Wilfred Sykes. Dock owner Canadian National (CN) Railroad announced in March the facility would be closed due to low activity at the dock since the closure of the Empire Mine last year. Ore has been shipped from the Escanaba port for 165 years. It was the only iron ore port on Lake Michigan and allowed ore to shipped earlier and later in the shipping season, after the Soo Locks closed for the season. The port was also an alternative for ore shipments in the region if the Soo Locks were damaged or shut down. The Sykes, operated by Central Marine Logistics for ArcelorMittal, arrived in the morning and departed in the mid-evening, headed for Indiana Harbor, Ind. Lee Rowe, John Chown |
J.W. Westcott crew helps save drowning pregnant woman 4/19 - Detroit, Mich. – After an allegedly suicidal pregnant woman jumped into the Detroit River, and two Detroit police officers and an EMS worker jumped in to save her, the woman is in stable condition and the baby boy she was carrying is safe after being delivered via C-section, authorities said. It was just before 11 p.m. Monday night when authorities received a 911 call that a woman fell into the water at Riverside Park, which is on Detroit’s west side, below Jefferson and at the end of West Grand Boulevard. Two Detroit police officers jumped in to help. A boat owned by the J.W. Westcott Co., which handles marine-based mail delivery for the freighters that use the Port of Detroit, made a major assist. Ryan Gazdecki, 32, a senior captain at the J.W. Westcott company, had just finished his 3-11 p.m. shift when he heard the commotion at the park. "I ran down to where things were happening, and saw one person coming out of the water, and asked if anyone else was down there," Gazdecki said on Tuesday. "There was, a woman who was struggling." Gazdecki sprinted some 500 yards to where the pilot boat Huron Maid was docked near the Westcott office. He got the boat in position and Dispatcher Joe Buchanan threw a life ring to the woman, which she grabbed. They pulled her onto the boat and out of the water. The Huron Maid, Gazkecki said, has a "really low freeboard," which makes it easier to place someone who has been pulled out of the water. A medic who had "exhausted all of his energies" was also pulled up onto The Huron Maid, Gazdecki said. For Gazdecki, who is in his 13th season with the company, this was the third save he's taken part in. In the end, the two police officers, the medic and the woman were all taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital to be treated for hypothermia, said Dave Fornell, deputy fire commissioner for the Detroit Fire Department. The medic was treated and released, while the woman and the two officers were in stable condition at last report. The baby boy is fine. Whether the woman will face charges was not immediately known, said Officer Jennifer Moreno, a Detroit Police Department spokeswoman. “Right now, our concern is getting her the help she needs,” Moreno said. Detroit News |
Port Reports - April 19
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Milwaukee, Wis. – Paul Erspamer
St. Joseph, Mich. – John Burzynski
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Owen Sound, Ont. – Paul Martin
Toledo, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio – Nick Hunter
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Drawsko (Bhs)wa awaiting dock at Redpath Tuesday. Tundra (Cyp) was also awaiting her turn for Redpath dock;
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
Waves keep salvage crews from grounded yacht 4/19 - Hamlin Township, Mich. – Crews on Lake Michigan still haven’t been able to recover a yacht from where it ran aground north of Ludington over the weekend. Saturday, a man was taking the 76-foot yacht from Pentwater to Traverse City, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. When he realized the boat was taking on water, he ran it aground in about three feet of water near Big Sable Point. The boat started to tip about 15 degrees to the side, but the Coast Guard was soon able to retrieve the man. He wasn’t hurt. Monday, the yacht remained abandoned in the water. The Coast Guard said waves more than four feet high kept commercial salvage crews from getting close enough to deploy a boom around and pump fuel off the boat. Coast Guard pollution responders out of Grand Haven will oversee the recovery. There are no reports of pollution so far. WOOD |
Muskegon WWII ship to reunite with christening bottle for 75th birthday 4/19 - Muskegon, Mich. – The beribboned bottle neck that christened the USS LST 393 will be part of a display celebrating the ship's 75th "birthday" this summer. The ship was christened by an 11-year-old shipbuilder executive's daughter, Lucy Sorenson Pape, in 1942. Pape has the neck of the champagne bottle to be displayed with other artifacts that mark the World War II ship's beginnings, and the beginning of its 13th year as the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. Opening for the season will be on Saturday, April 29. It will be open weekends through May 20, and then will be open every day through mid-September. The museum closes for the winter at the end of September. On June 3, the museum will celebrate "D-Day Plus 73," as the 73rd anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, approaches. The event will include dozens of World War II reenactors with authentic garb and weaponry who will defend the LST in"Air Raid Muskegon" during a warbird flyover. Read more and see photos at this link: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2017/04/wwii_ship_to_reunite_with_chri.html |
Maritime Academy to offer public ship tours Saturday 4/19 - Traverse City, Mich. – The Great Lakes Maritime Academy is inviting the public to tour its training ship State of Michigan from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (April 22). The event will include guided free tours of the T/S State of Michigan, interaction with current maritime cadets and an opportunity to learn more about the Maritime Academy and the maritime industry. Tours will begin at the pier security gate entrance on the north side of NMC's Great Lakes campus at 715 E. Front Street. Low-heel, closed-toe, soft-soled shoes are highly recommended. The event will occur rain or shine. |
Lake Ontario property owners prepare for rising lake levels 4/19 - People in the Thousand Islands are watching the high spring waters of the St. Lawrence River. Upstream, residents are trying to protect their shoreline property from potential flooding as water levels continue to rise on Lake Ontario. Residents along the lakeshore are preparing for flooding. Sodus Town Supervisor Steve LeRoy maintains the higher than normal levels are the early effects of the recent agreement between the U.S. and Canada to change the way Lake Ontario water levels are controlled. After years of heated debate and revisions, the plan went into effect several months ago. Leroy’s a vocal critic: "The effects of that plan are evident. We're already seeing a very possible flood. We know at 247 feet above sea level we'll begin to flood. I believe we're within two inches of that now, and the water's still coming up," Leroy said. Keith Korawlewski of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not believe the new management plan is a factor in the rising lake levels. "Basically what we've been seeing so far since the implementation of Plan 2014 is that the levels as would have been likely similar (before) to what we are seeing right now," he said. "The biggest factor has been the wet spring that we have had, including the rainfall we have had in the last couple of weeks." Town supervisor Steve LeRoy said sandbags are being filled to create a break-wall to protect against surges from passing boat traffic or high winds. North Country Public Radio |
Inversion allows observers to see for miles and miles 4/19 - Sheffield Lake, Ohio – Canada and other places and things that normally wouldn’t be visible from Lorain County’s lakeshore communities were visible Monday thanks to an atmospheric inversion. Mark Mullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Cleveland office, said an inversion occurs when cold air on the water interacts with increasingly warm layers of air from land on a calm day, causing far off objects to appear larger and closer. Mullen said Lake Erie water temperatures were 45 degrees Monday and the air temperature was 65 degrees. When such conditions are present, the light that filters through the layers bends and makes it possible for things on the lake which are normally obscured by the curvature of the lake, to become visible, according to other news reports about the phenomenon. “Today was a quiet weather day with a strong inversion over the lake,” Mullen said. “I can’t say that this happens a lot, but it does happen and is not rare.” The Associated Press reported about the phenomenon in 2006 and quoted a 1906 Plain Dealer article which Cleveland residents said the entire Canadian shoreline stood out for about an hour as if it were less than 3 miles away. People in Sheffield Lake and Lorain said Monday they were able to see the Canadian shoreline, Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point. The islands and Canadian shoreline were still visible from the Sheffield Lake boat launch as of 6 p.m. The Chronicle-Telegram |
Fundraisers set to help save Grand Haven’s catwalk 4/19 - Grand Haven, Mich. – Organizers of Grand Haven’s Save the Catwalk effort continue to push toward their fundraising goal as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors begin work on the pier itself. “We’ve raised over $550,000, and the money keeps on rolling in, which is great,” Save the Catwalk organizer Erin Turrell said. Current costs to replace the necessary portions of the catwalk total $1 million. The city has already given the green light for the first two phases of the five-phase project. Phase 1 involved removing the catwalk from the pier for $84,000. The second phase includes the purchase of steel and restoration of type 1 catwalk bents at a cost of $310,000. Phase 3 involves the restoration and replacement of type 2 bents at a cost of $250,000. Phase 4 includes restoration and replacement of type 3 bents at a cost of $220,000. Phase 5 is the installation of the catwalk on the repaired pier at a cost of $136,000. With the exception of six bents — two of each kind — the entire catwalk will be rebuilt. “We need to make sure we have enough money so they can finish,” Turrell said. “I don’t want another winter without the catwalk on the pier.” Turrell noted that support for the catwalk has continued to pour in even after the city and the Save the Catwalk committee announced their $550,000 milestone during a special event earlier this year at Grand Haven’s Central Park. “People in the community are taking it upon themselves to do this without having to be prompted or anything,” Turrell said. Turrell noted that local businesses and organizations host special days when they donate portions of their profits to the fundraiser, student groups have planned fundraisers for the catwalk, and local charitable organizations and service groups continue to plan fundraisers for it, as well. “There’s going to be a 10-mile bike ride and a 33-mile bike ride that is going to end at City Beach,” Turrell said, noting the city and the Grand Haven High School Student Senate’s Tour de Grand Haven. “There’s going to be food and entertainment. It’s an all-day event.” Set to take place Saturday, May 13, rides will begin at the YMCA and end at the beach. Registration will be done online. Other fundraisers are also scheduled. The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation has established a fund to hold and administer the tax-deductible donations. To make a donation, visit the foundation’s donation webpage and designate “Catwalk”; or send a check with "Save the Catwalk" in the memo line to the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, 1 S. Harbor Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417. Donors of $2,500 or more will be memorialized with a personalized bronze plaque that will be placed on the pier. To learn more about the catwalk project, visit the Save the Catwalk Facebook page or call City Hall at 616-847-4888. Grand Haven Tribune |
Multiple weekend rescues prompt Coast Guard warning about cold water 4/19 - Chicago, Ill – The Coast Guard is reminding people who plan outdoor recreation activities about the continued dangers of cold water despite warmer air temperatures. As temperatures approached 80 degrees in some areas of the Midwest Saturday and Sunday, people took to the water, and the Coast Guard responded to multiple cases on the Great Lakes involving boaters in distress, including four people who were rescued from dangerously cold water. “As the air temperatures continue to get warmer, it’s important to remember that the water temperature throughout the Great Lakes is still very cold and dangerous," said Cmdr. Leanne Lusk, search and rescue coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. "Hypothermia can set in very quickly. If you plan to go out on the water, the Coast Guard recommends you dress for the water temperature to increase your cold-water functional time should an emergency arise.” USCG |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 19 19 April 1884 - The KASOTA (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 246 foot, 1660 gross tons, built in 1884 at Cleveland, Ohio) was launched by Thomas Quayles & Sons at Cleveland, Ohio for Capt. Thomas Wilson of Cleveland, Ohio. The hull was painted green with white bulwarks and upper works. On 19 April 1956, the newly-converted cement carrier E.M. FORD had her steering equipment break when she was abeam of Harsens Island on the St. Clair River. She plowed head-on into the down bound freighter A.M. BYERS which was loaded with dolomite for Buffalo, New York. The BYERS sank in just 17 minutes and the FORD anchored. No lives were lost. Sea trials were completed for Upper Lakes Shipping's CANADIAN TRANSPORT on April 19, 1979, and she departed Port Weller Dry Docks Ltd., on her maiden voyage the next morning. The GEORGE A. STINSON's self-unloading boom collapsed onto her deck due to a mechanical failure on the night of April 19, 1983, at Detroit, Michigan. No injuries were reported. She continued hauling cargoes without a boom most of the year until it was replaced on September 20. She sails today as b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT. On April 19, 1951, the CLIFFS VICTORY began her much publicized 1,000 mile journey up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers through the Illinois Waterway pushed by a towboat to Lockport, Illinois where two Great Lakes Towing Co., tugs took up the tow through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Hall Corp. of Canada's a.) HUTCHCLIFFE HALL (Hull#261) by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, was launched April 19, 1954. Pittsburgh Steamship's steamer RICHARD TRIMBLE (Hull#707) of the American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio, was launched April 19, 1913. She was scrapped at Duluth, Minnesota between 1978 and 1981. On April 19, 1950, the WILFRED SYKES entered service, departing Lorain, Ohio for Toledo to load coal on her maiden voyage. The SYKES also became the largest vessel on the Great Lakes, taking the honor from Pittsburgh Steamship Company's LEON FRASER class (the "Supers"), which had held it since June 21, 1942. April 19, 1917 - ANN ARBOR NO 5 broke off her starboard shaft and bent the rudder stock on the rocky corner of the old Goodrich dock in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On 19 April 1880, the Port Huron Times reported the results of a severe gale: "The schooner CHRIS GROVER, ashore near Oscoda, Michigan, is reported going to pieces. The crew is aboard. The schooner ATHENIAN, lumber laden, is reported to have gone ashore off Au Sable and to be a complete wreck. The schooner HATTIE JOHNSON is abandoned on Goose Island shoal. The cabin and part of her deck are gone. The stern is gone from her mizzen and the gale probably broke her up completely and her outfit and cargo may prove a total loss." The GROVE and the JOHNSON were later recovered and put back in service. On 19 April 1884, EUROPE (wooden propeller, passenger/package freight vessel, 136 foot, 628 gross tons, built in 1870 at St. Catharines, Ontario) was almost totally destroyed by fire at St. Catharines. The remains of her hull were later rebuilt as the barge REGINA. 1915: PALIKI of the Algoma Central Railway fleet was carrying steel rails to Chicago when it ran aground on Simmons Reef near the Straits of Mackinac. 1922: LAMBTON, a steel lighthouse tender, was last seen on the date by the MIDLAND PRINCE. It was lost with all hands on Lake Superior somewhere south of Michipicoten Island while delivering lighthouse keepers to their stations. Wreckage was later located but no bodies were ever found. 1927: DAVID S. TROXEL was damaged in a storm on Lake Superior. Plates and rivets worked loose and there were problems with the rudder. The ship was renamed c) SONOMA later in 1927 and was scrapped by Stelco in Hamilton as d) FRED L. HEWITT in 1962. 1938: REDRIVER had loaded coal at Charlotte, NY and was crossing Lake Ontario when it ran aground, due to fog, near Point Petre. 1939: VALLEY CAMP ran aground on Cole's Shoal, near Brockville, due to fog and part of the cargo of coal had to be lightered before the ship was refloated with the help of the tug SALVAGE PRINCE on April 24. 1940: SANDLAND battled through heavy ice to open the port of Port Colborne on this date in 1940. The ship had a cargo of scrap steel from Detroit for the Algoma Steel mill. 1956: A.M. BYERS was loaded with limestone and bound from Drummond Island to Buffalo when it sank in the St. Clair River following a collision with the E.M. FORD on this date in 1956. The ship was hit on the port side abreast of the pilothouse but all on board were rescued. The ship was later salvaged and repaired becoming b) CLEMENS A. REISS (ii) in 1959 and c) JACK WIRT in 1970. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 18
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Erie, Pa.
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Port Weller anchorage: Drawsko (Bhs) awaiting dock at Redpath in Toronto. Tundra (Cyp) - arrived Sunday at 2330 and is awaiting her turn for Redpath dock.
Bowmanville, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
See 20 monster boats of the Great Lakes in gorgeous photos 4/18 - Cleleland, Ohio – They're called Boatnerds, people who relish the commercial ships that navigate the Great Lakes, delivering iron ore, coal and other aggregates from one port, or one lake, to another. All of us have a little bit of Boatnerd in us. The site of a floating, steel-hulled monster nudging its way up the Cuyahoga River is especially captivating. Now that the ice (what little we had this year) has melted away and the shipping season has begun with the opening of the Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, we offer up a colorful look at several of the boats that call the Great Lakes home. Read more and view photos at this link: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/04/see_20_monster_boats_of_the_gr.html |
Obituary: Chief Lock Master John J. Papineau 4/18 - John J. Papineau passed away April 11 at the age of 97 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., where he had lived all his life. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, he began a long career at the Soo Locks (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and worked his way up over 38 years from a lineman to Chief Lock Master. He could tell all the statistics of any freighter that traveled the Great Lakes. He also had the distinction of locking the first freighter through the new Poe Lock. He retired in 1979. The family asks friends to give “three longs and two short toots, which is the master salute of freighters, as you pass by the locks in honor of our dad, grandpa and Chief Lock Master and the career he loved.” Visitation will be held from 12-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at Clark Bailey Newhouse Funeral Home in Sault Ste. Marie. A mass of Christian burial will be held 11 a.m. Friday, April 21, at St. Marys ProCathedral, also in Sault Ste. Marie. |
Updates - April 18 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the BBC Weser, Brant, Chestnut, Drawsko, Edzard Schulte, Eemsborg, Exeborg, Federal Bering, Federal Clyde, Federal Danube, Federal Kivalina, Fuldaborg, Labrador, Reestborg and Tundra. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 18 18 April 1907 - At least 20 freighters were anchored at De Tour, Michigan, waiting for the frozen St. Marys River to break up. The vessels found their provisions running low after waiting for about a week and they bought everything edible in De Tour. The U.S. Lighthouse Service Tender ASPEN (steel propeller tender, 117 foot, 277 gross tons, built in 1906, at Toledo, Ohio) was sent to Cheboygan, Michigan to get more provisions. De Tour did not have railroad facilities at this time and therefore was compelled to stretch the provisions from the last boat in the fall through winter until a boatload of supplies was delivered in the Spring. On 18 April 1889, the CITY OF RACINE (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 220 foot, 1,041 tons) was launched by Burger & Burger at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Goodrich Transportation Company. The vessel was ready for service three months later. Her total cost was $125,000. On her maiden voyage April 18, 1980, the AMERICAN MARINER left Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in ballast for Escanaba, Michigan to load 31,322 gross tons of taconite pellets for Ashtabula, Ohio and arrived there on April 26th. Hall Corp. of Canada’s b.) MONTCLIFFE HALL began trading on the Great Lakes on April 18, 1978. Renamed c.) CARTIERDOC in 1988 and d.) CEDARGLEN in 2002. Built in 1959 in Germany as the a.) EMS ORE, she was purchased by Hall Corp. in 1977. Converted to a bulk carrier with the addition of a forward cargo section at Davie Shipbuilding in Lauzon, Quebec. PATERSON (Hull#231) was launched April 18, 1985, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. She was the last straight deck bulk freighter built on the Lakes and was built to the maximum size permitted to lock through the Seaway. Renamed b.) PINEGLEN in 2002. Johnstown Steamship's a) MIDVALE (Hull#167) of Great Lakes Engineering Works was launched April 18, 1917. Renamed b.) BETHLEHEM in 1925 and scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974. Problems occurred on the ALASTAIR GUTHRIE's first trip of the year on April 18, 1979, when she began taking on water in the engine room while loading grain at the International Multifoods elevator at Duluth, Minnesota. Her stern settled to the bottom of the slip with 12 feet of water in the engine room. Upper Lakes Shipping's RED WING was sold for scrap on April 18, 1986. On April 18, 1960, the ROBERT C. STANLEY struck Vidal Shoal in St. Marys River about 1.5 miles above the Soo Locks, and tore a hole in her bottom. Superior Steamship Co.'s a.) SINALOA (Hull#609) of the West Bay City Shipbuilding Co., was launched April 18, 1903, as a straight deck bulk freighter. Renamed b.) WILLIAM F. RAPPRICH in 1924, c.) SINALOA in 1927. Converted to a self unloader in 1931. Renamed d.) STONEFAX in 1960. Scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1971. April 18, 1936 - Albert W. Ackerman, chief engineer of the Pere Marquette car ferries for 35 years, died (Friday afternoon) at the Paulina Stearns hospital. On 18 April 1848, the wooden schooner TRIBUNE went missing in lower Lake Michigan. Her fate was unknown until native fishermen discovered her masts standing upright off Cathead Point in November 1849. All 10 of her crew were lost. On 18 April 1885, the schooner-barge ELEANOR was launched at Mount Clemens, Michigan. Her dimensions were 185 foot overall, 32 foot beam and 11 foot 3 inch depth. She had three spars and was the consort of the steam barge A WESTON. She was built for the Tonawanda Barge Line and was named after Capt. William Du Lac's wife. 1945 The steel barge GEORGE T. DAVIE, en route from Oswego to Kingston with 1,100 tons of coal and under tow of the SALVAGE PRINCE, began leaking and sank off Nine Mile Point, Lake Ontario, in 85 feet of water. The hull was located by divers in 1999. The ship had once been part of Canada Steamship Lines. 1989 ENERCHEM AVANCE spent 7 hours aground in the St. Marys River below the Soo Locks on this day in 1989. At last report the ship was under Nigerian registry as e) ERINGA. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port Reports - April 17
Duluth-Superior
Two Harbors, Minn.
St. Marys River
Muskegon, Mich.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Detroit, Mich.
Cleveland, Ohio – Nick Hunter
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Bath, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Port Weller anchorage – Barry Andersen |
Updates - April 17 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 17 17 April 1871 - The wooden brig ST. JOSEPH was carrying lumber from Ludington, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. Her hold was filled and lumber was stacked on deck so she was indeed overloaded. A gale developed and the deck load shifted, then was lost. ST. JOSEPH became waterlogged in mid-lake. Her crew remained with her until 19 April when the propeller ST. LEWIS found them 35 miles southwest of Pentwater, Michigan, and took them there. The tug ALDRICH towed the waterlogged brig in for repairs. The first vessels through the Straits of Mackinac for the 1870 season were the CITY OF BOSTON and the CITY OF NEW YORK, both owned by the Northern Transportation Company. They passed through the Straits on 17 April 1870. The following day they passed Port Huron but could only go as far as Algonac, Michigan, since the St. Clair River had an ice jam which raised the water level by two feet and was causing flooding. The Collingwood-built, 610-foot aft section of the JOHN B. AIRD passed up bound through the St. Marys Falls Canal on April 17, 1983, in tow of the tugs WILFRED M. COHEN and JOHN MC LEAN heading for Thunder Bay, Ontario, where it was assembled with the 120-foot bow section. Canada Steamship Lines a.) STADACONA (Hull#24) was launched April 17, 1929, by Midland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. She was renamed b.) NORDALE in 1969 and was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1983. She was the first vessel scrapped at the old Algoma Steel Dock in Port Colborne. April 17, 1970 - CITY OF FLINT 32 was sold to the Norfolk & Western Railway for $100,000. On 17 April 1840, the wooden side-wheeler CATARAQUI was burned to a total loss during a great fire, which destroyed much of the waterfront area of Kingston, Ontario. On 17 April 1874, CHARLES J. KERSHAW (wooden propeller, 223 foot, 1,324 gross tons) was launched at the Ballentine shipyard at Bangor, Michigan. 1961: FREEMAN HATCH was built at Sturgeon Bay and completed in December 1942. It left the Great Lakes the following spring for service for the British Ministry of War Transport. It was sold and renamed b) CHARLES M. in 1950 and became c) HOUSTON in 1953. The vessel was sunk on this date in 1962 during the attempted, anti-Castro, Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. 1982: CHEMICAL TRANSPORT ran aground in the St. Lawrence near Dark Island as channel markers were out of position due to the wind and ice conditions. The vessel lightered some cargo to fleetmate JAMES TRANSPORT and then went to Sorel for repairs. In 2009, the ship was reported as lying burned out and derelict near Lagos, Nigeria, after an explosion and fire as c) REAL PROGRESS on June 1, 2001. 1990: RESERVE ran aground in the St. Marys River while downbound with a load of iron ore for Toledo on this date in 1990. The ship stranded in a snowstorm and had to be lightered to the WILLIAM R. ROESCH before going to Fraser Shipyard for repairs. 1997: ALGOLAKE got stuck on Vidal Shoal, St. Marys River while bound for Algoma Steel with a cargo of iron ore. The ship was lightered and released. After unloading, the vessel went to Thunder Bay for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Tug service returns to Two Harbors for first time since 1981 4/16 - Two Harbors, Minn. – For the first time since 1981, people who visit Two Harbors will have a chance to see a tugboat working in the port, as tug service has returned to Agate Bay. The last tugboat that serviced Two Harbors was the Edna G., which still is docked in Agate Bay as a museum. Now the Edna G. has some company as the Nancy J. is docked on the north side of Canadian National Railway Ore Dock 1. The Nancy J. is owned and operated by Heritage Marine in Duluth and its owner, Mike Ojard, has a long history with tugboats — and specifically the Edna G. Ojard grew up on the Edna G. His father was the chief engineer and his uncle was the captain, and he went to work with his dad every day. “There was no mother in the family, so it was just me and my dad,” Ojard said. “I would go to work with him and I knew that Edna from stem to stern.” As a tribute to the Edna G., the four tugboats currently in the Heritage Marine fleet all are painted the same color as the historic tug, and Ojard is now picking up where his family left off by providing tug service for Two Harbors once again. Tug service has returned to Two Harbors because CN wants to better serve its customers that visit the Two Harbors port, said CN spokesman Patrick Waldron. According to Ojard, when there is a strong north-northeast wind, it can be hard for some of the larger vessels to navigate into the port. “A lot of times they have to run across the lake and sit near the Apostle (Islands) anchored or come all the way to Duluth and anchor and wait for the weather to die down,” he said. Though weather is the main reason the tugboat will be used, Ojard said that it also will be used when the ore boats are having bow thruster problems. “If CN and Key Lakes Inc. and the rest of the shipping companies are not moving pellets and product they don’t get paid, so that’s why they made the decision to move to a tug service,” he said. The current contract between CN and Heritage Marine is for one year, with the hope that time delays will begin to lessen with the tug on hand. Ojard wasn’t the only one happy to see tug service return to Two Harbors — so was former Edna G. crew member John Klug. “It’s the right color,” Klug joked as he made the comparison to the Edna G. Klug, 70, worked on the Edna G. from 1972 to the day it was retired. He said he often goes down to the parking lot near the boat ramp along Agate Bay in the summer to watch the boats, and he hopes to be able to catch the Nancy J. in action this summer. “It’s good to see it and I think that’s one of the most powerful tugs on the lake,” Klug said. Ojard started Heritage Marine from the bottom up about 10 years ago, and said he wishes he would have started it earlier. “It’s very rewarding and a lot of hard physical work, but it’s something I really enjoy doing,” Ojard said. “I’m not a kid anymore, either. I’m 71 years old… so you’ve got to have a love for it.” Before starting Heritage Marine, Ojard spent 11 years as a teacher and owned three businesses, but his passion is with his tugboat service. Ojard started his business with just one tugboat, and around mid-June this year he will be adding a fifth one. The tugboat business has been a family affair for Ojard, so naturally all of the tugs are named after family members — with the Nancy J. being named after his wife. Along with running his business, Ojard has recently joined Two Harbors’ Edna G. Commission is hopes of using his knowledge of the tug to help the city find a way to pull the deteriorating, historic tug out of the water. The commission is actively working on finding a feasible way to save the historic tug and put the Edna G. on land. Duluth News Tribune |
Newfoundland ferry stuck in ice for over 24 hours near Quebec gets escort to port 4/16 - Blanc-Sablon, Que. – Crews are assisting a Newfoundland and Labrador ferry that has been stuck in the ice-choked waters near Quebec for more than 24 hours. The Canadian Coast Guard tweeted Friday afternoon that an icebreaker is escorting the Apollo ferry to port after being stranded near Blanc-Sablon, Que., since Thursday. The ferry departed from St. Barbe on Newfoundland’s northern peninsula Thursday morning, but the normally less than two-hour trip to Blanc-Sablon was delayed when the ship got stuck in the ice in the Strait of Belle Isle. The coast guard sent an icebreaker to help the ferry, but says it could not help the vessel due to a mechanical issue. An operations manager with Labrador Marine says all 70 passengers on board the ferry are safe, food is available and there were cabins for people to sleep in overnight. The delay has caused a “major disruption” to people’s travel plans over the Easter weekend. The Canadian Press |
Port Reports - April 16
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oswego, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Coast Guard recovers operator off grounded, flooding vessel near Ludington 4/16 - Chicago, Ill. – A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Ludington, Michigan, assisted an operator off of his vessel that he grounded off Big Sable Point Saturday. The operator was on his way from Pentwater, Michigan, to Traverse City, Michigan, aboard a 76-foot pleasure craft when he noticed his vessel was taking on water so he decided to ground the vessel in about 3 feet of water. The boat crew, which was already underway on patrol when the Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan command center directed it to assist, arrived on scene in about 20 minutes. The operator was removed from the vessel after it began listing about 15 degrees. There were no injuries and no report of pollution. A commercial salvage company is planning to place boom around the vessel Sunday and position a barge with a vacuum pump to remove all of the fuel and oil from the vessel. USCG |
Bollards could draw boat nerds 4/16 - Port Colborne, Ont. – One Port Colborne resident has an idea that he says will attract tourists and “boat nerds.” Jeffery Dwor’s idea involves the installment of 30 marine bollards along the Welland Canal pathway with information plaques describing where they came from and with a bit of their history. “I felt it will be interesting to walk through H.H. Knoll (Lakeview) Park following the canal, both on the east and west side down to Derek Point memorial gardens and have resting and information areas,” he said. He said areas along the path would have a selected number of bollards that people could stop and look at and read about. Dwor said he’s prepared to restore the bollards to be placed along the canal. They’re anywhere from 540 to 1,125 kilograms and stand to just under a metre tall. Most of the ones he has, which he’s salvaged over the years through Dwor Metal and Marine Salvage, have a stamp embedded into the top of them that indicates where they came from. When Dwor Metal and Marine Salvage got involved with scrapping ships in the early 1950s, he said they acquired bollards from various shipyards, including one from Superior Shipbuilding Co. which dates back to 1936 and a more recent one from a Manitowoc shipyard dating back to 1968. “This will be an attraction that no one else has,” he said, adding that it will highlight the history of the canal, the craftsmanship of lake ship building and repair while also sharing a bit about the canal’s history. Dwor shared this idea with Port Colborne council on Monday night. Councillors responded positively to the idea, seeing it as an opportunity not to be missed. He said his goal with this is to share with the community and educate them about how these played into local history. He added that they’re not doing any good just sitting in his yard. In his idea proposal, he didn’t have any notion of cost, but was asking for a barn to work out of to do the restoration and an assistant to help with computer work. City staff have been instructed by council to work with Dwor to work out details for the project and come back to council with a report at a later date. Niagara Falls Review |
Updates - April 16 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 16 16 April 1907 - In a blinding snowstorm, the LOUIS PAHLOW (wooden propeller package freighter, 155 foot, 366 gross tons, built in 1882, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was towing the DELTA (wooden schooner, 134 foot, 269 gross tons, built in 1890, at Algonac, Michigan) on Lake Michigan. She went off course and ran onto the rocks at the Clay Banks, six miles south of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The DELTA made it to anchorage before she also grounded. The Lifesaving Service rescued both crews. Both vessels were eventually freed, repaired and put back in service. On 16 April 1872, the THOMAS W. FERRY (wooden schooner, 180 feet) was launched at the J. Jones yard at Detroit, Michigan. She cost $40,000 and was owned by P. J. Ralph & Son and A. C. Burt. ALGOWOOD departed on her maiden voyage April 16, 1981, from Owen Sound, Ontario, in ballast for Stoneport, Michigan, taking on limestone there for Sarnia, Ontario. ALGOLAKE's sea trials were held April 16, 1977. BURNS HARBOR's keel was laid at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as (Hull#720) for Wilmington Trust Co., Bethlehem Steel Co., manager, on April 16, 1979. CEMENTKARRIER (Hull#175) of the Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd at Haverton Hill-on-Tees, England, was launched April 16, 1930, for Canada Cement Transport Ltd. Reiss Steamship Co.'s a.) W.K. BIXBY entered service on April 16, 1906. Renamed b.) J. L. REISS in 1920 and c.) SIDNEY E. SMITH JR in 1971. She sank in a collision with the Hindman steamer PARKER EVANS under the Blue Water Bridge on June 5, 1972. On April 16, 1986, U.S. Steel's steamer WILLIAM A. IRVIN was sold for $110,000 to the Duluth Convention Center Board. On 16 April 1870, the fore-and-aft schooner L.W. PERRY was launched at the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard in Port Huron, Michigan. She was owned by J. L. Woods of Lexington, Michigan and commanded by Capt. M. Hyde. Her dimensions were 128 foot keel, 133 foot overall, 26 foot beam and 9 foot depth. She cost $29,000 and was built for the lumber trade. On 16 April 1873, DAVID BALLENTINE (wooden propeller, 221 foot, 972 gross tons) was launched at Bangor, Michigan. She was built by Thomas Boston. 1897: The wooden schooner INGEBORG FORREST was a total loss in a spring gale near the entrance to Pentwater, Michigan, on this date in 1897. 1906: EUGENE ZIMMERMAN was upbound with coal on its maiden voyage when it collided with the SAXONA in the Mud Lake section of the St. Marys River on this day in 1906. The new bulk carrier was hit on the port bow and sank. The hull was raised on May 20, repaired and returned to service. It was renamed b) GRAND ISLAND in 1916 and last operated in 1960. After work as a grain storage hull named c) POWEREAUX CHRIS, the vessel was towed to Hamburg, West Germany, for scrapping in 1964. 1959: T.R. McLAGAN of Canada Steamship Lines ran aground on a shoal off Amherst Island, Lake Ontario, and was released on April 18. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Port Reports - April 15
Superior, Wis.
Silver Bay, Minn.
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Escanaba, Mich. – Lee Rowe
Grand Haven, Mich. – Sam Hankinson
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Port Huron, Mich. – Sarnia, Ont.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Bronte, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Nanticoke, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Corps of Engineers resumes dredging a section – but not all – of Cuyahoga River 4/15 - Cleveland, Ohio – Dredging resumed this week in the Cuyahoga River shipping channel after a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey showed sediment buildup in the lower stretch nearest to Lake Erie and Cleveland Harbor. Dredging in the upper channel nearest to the ArcelorMittal steel mill's docks is expected to begin later this month, said Luciano Vera, a spokesman for the Army Corps. The five-mile stretch in between, however, will only be dredged where necessary. That's because, in a policy reversal from previous years, the Army Corps will "prioritize" its work. "We will work with the contractor to address shoaling areas throughout the entire channel," Vera said. "Some sections will not require dredging at this time based on survey results." Last year marked the first shipping season in more than 30 years that the Army Corps did not dredge the entire river. After delaying dredging until December, the Corps' contractor was forced to shut down the $3.7 million project due to inclement weather and after a pump on an excavator-mounted barge broke down. Only the channel in the vicinity of the steel mill docks was cleared. "Our dredging efforts were cut short last fall due to both equipment and weather challenges that created unsafe conditions for our contractor," said Lt. Col. Adam Czekanski, the Army Corps' district commander. "We are happy to begin dredging again to complete this critical work in support of the community in Cleveland." Port of Cleveland officials have said they expect the Corps to fulfill its obligation to dredge the entire six-mile shipping channel, and that navigation problems are sure to arise without the dredging. Port spokesman Jade Davis previously characterized the decision as "another example of the problems we've been having" with the Army Corps. ArcelorMittal is the primary user of the shipping channel, as giant vessels loaded with iron ore pellets regularly navigate the crooked river from the mines in Minnesota. Ship captains experienced problems with the river's depth last year, however, and steel company officials expressed fears of "catastrophic harm" if a federal judge didn't immediately order the Army Corps to dredge the shipping channel. Without a navigable channel, the steel mill could be forced to curtail or shut down its blast furnaces without the raw materials necessary to make steel, the company said. Earlier this spring, an Army Corps spokesman said a survey team would assess the channel "to determine the need for, and priorities of, dredging." The sediment being dredged this week is being loaded onto a barge and pumped into an Army Corps containment dike located near Burke Lakefront Airport. "The Port is concerned that any delays in dredging this spring, such as was the case in 2016, could lead to a recurrence of river navigation issues again in 2017," Davis said recently. "We hope that the Army Corps will carry out full dredging this year, in an expeditious and environmentally safe manner." The Army Corps is a defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by the Port of Cleveland and the Ohio EPA, who are seeking a court order requiring the Corps to dredge the river and dump the sediment into a containment dike on the Lake Erie shoreline. The Corps insists the dredged sediment is clean enough for open-lake disposal, and deny the agency is legally required to dredge the channel. Lawyers for the EPA and the Port obtained emails filed in federal court quoting Army Corps officials of intentionally delaying dredging to allow sediment to build up and threaten shipping in the river, with the intent to "put pressure on the locals," according to court documents. Emails from the Corps' Cleveland Harbor project manager suggested the Corps could reduce the amount of dredging in the shipping channel to impede navigability and "keep the heat on the local users" to approve open-lake dumping. The Army Corps' lawyers have denied those allegations. U.S. Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, recently said he hopes to wrap up an investigation into the Army Corps' decision last year to cut its own budget as an apparent excuse to dump dredged contaminated sediment directly into Lake Erie. "We have subpoena power, and I'm encouraged we're going to receive the information we have asked for from the Corps," Portman said. Cleveland Plain Dealer |
Toronto Marine Historical Society holding annual auction 4/15 - This auction is taking bids on a large selection of Great Lakes shipping memorabilia. Besides the usual books and photographs there are general arrangement plans, ship logs, flags and many other items of interest. See the complete list at www.tmhs.ca (PDF) Closing date for bids is Monday, May 1 at 11:59 p.m. David Bull |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 15 15 April 1907 - The Rutland Line’s OGDENSBURG (steel propeller package freighter, 242-foot, 2329 gross tons, built in 1906, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying 50,000 bushels of corn, a big consignment of flour and general merchandise from Chicago to Ogdensburg when she stranded on Point aux Barques on Lake Huron in a storm. Although she was leaking in her forward compartment, she was freed after some cargo was jettisoned. 15 April 1907 - The Welland Canal opened for the season with the first vessel being the SAMUEL MATHER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 530 foot, 6,751 gross tons, built in 1906, at Wyandotte, Michigan) carrying coal from Cleveland, Ohio to Prescott, Ontario. On 15 April 1881, the Market Street Bridge in Mount Clemens, Michigan, was taken down to allow the newly built VIRGINIUS to pass down the Clinton River to Lake St. Clair, where she was taken in tow by the CITY OF NEW BALTIMORE. The VIRGINIUS was towed to Port Huron where her engine was installed and she was fitted out for service. Misener's CANADA MARQUIS (Hull#257) of Govan Shipyards Ltd, Govan, Scotland, was launched April 15, 1983. Renamed b.) FEDERAL RICHELIEU in 1991, c.) FEDERAL MACKENZIE in 1991, d.) MACKENZIE in 2001 and CSL's e.) BIRCHGLEN in 2002. American Steamship Co.'s SAM LAUD was christened April 15, 1975. On April 15, 1977, the CONALLISON's, a.) FRANK C. BALL of 1906, self-unloading boom collapsed while unloading coal at the Detroit Edison Trenton, Michigan, power plant in the Trenton Channel on the lower Detroit River. W. W. HOLLOWAY suffered a fire in the fantail while in dry dock following her re-powering at AmShip on April 15, 1963, causing $15,000 damage. Pittsburgh Steamship's steamer J. P. MORGAN JR left Lorain in ballast April 15, 1910, on her maiden voyage to load iron ore at Duluth, Minnesota. Masaba Steamship's steamer JOE S. MORROW entered service April 15, 1907. The steamer JOHN P. REISS left Lorain, Ohio on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1910 with coal for Escanaba, Michigan. She was the first of three bulkers built in 1910 for Reiss interests. The other two were the steamers A. M. BYERS and the PETER REISS. The tanker IMPERIAL COLLINGWOOD began service April 15, 1948. On April 15, 1955, American Steamship's steamer DETROIT EDISON entered service, departing Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for Port Inland, Michigan, on her maiden trip. On April 15, 1985, the e.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD, formerly d.) WALTER A. STERLING and presently f.) LEE A. TREGURTHA) departed Fraser Shipyards for the D. M. & I. R. ore docks in West Duluth for her first load in Ford Motor Company colors. April 15, 1930 - While going up the Manitowoc River to dry dock, the WABASH rubbed the parked steamer THEODORE ROOSEVELT and damaged her upper works forward. On 15 April 1862, ELISHA C. BLISH (wooden propeller tug, 81 foot, 107 tons, built in 1857, at Black River, Ohio) sank near shore at Algonac, Michigan, when a steam pump was accidentally left in an open position and she flooded. She was raised and lasted another two years when she "went missing" on Lake Huron. On 15 April 1872, The Port Huron Daily Times announced that the HURON was chartered by a circus company for the season. They intended to perform at many lakes ports throughout the summer. 1967: MAPLE HILL began visiting the Great Lakes in 1959. The British-flag freighter had been built at Montreal in 1943 as a) FORT VERCHERES and was renamed c) DIOPSIDE in 1966. It collided with and sank the Swedish freighter IREVIK in the Baltic Sea on this day in 1967. MAPLE HILL was renamed d) ENTAN in 1969 and arrived at Hirao, Japan, for scrapping on June 30, 1970. 1987: An attempt to steal navigation equipment using a cutting torch resulted in a fire that caused major damage to the upper deck of the GRAND RAPIDS. The retired Lake Michigan carferry had been idle at Muskegon since 1971. It was eventually sold for scrap in 1989 and broken up at Port Maitland, ON in 1994. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Hemgracht, season’s first saltie, has come and gone at Windsor 4/14 - Windsor, Ont. – The first ocean-going vessel has arrived at the Port of Windsor and is now en route to Ireland with a load of feed products. The Netherlands-flagged motor vessel Hemgracht arrived on April 7 at the ADM Windsor Grain Terminal. The ship’s captain, Maxim Korolkov, and the crew were welcomed by officials of the Windsor Port Authority. “It is always a celebration when the first ocean going vessel, or saltie, arrives at the port as it marks the beginning of the international shipping season here in Windsor,” David Cree, president of the Windsor Port Authority, said in a news release. “ADM is a major international grain merchant and we are very fortunate to have them in the Port of Windsor.” Korolkov and his crew were presented with a copy of “From the Vault,” a historic book featuring Windsor Star reporter Craig Pearson, and gift bags with various personal care items including phone cards to call around the world. “The St. Lawrence Seaway System allows ADM to connect local farmers by truck and rail to customers around the world, and we are proud to be a part of the Port of Windsor community and this year’s first saltie celebration,” said Steven Combres, merchandiser with ADM. Hemgracht was eastbound in the Welland Canal Thursday night. Windsor Star |
Port Reports - April 14
Duluth-Superior
Marquette, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Escanaba, Mich. – Lee Rowe
Indiana Harbor, Ind.
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Great Lakes gain mind-boggling amount of water in last 12 days 4/14 - Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Great Lakes' water levels are rising. The entire Great Lakes system has gained an incredible amount of water just in the first 12 days of April. Recent wet weather, combined with the seasonal lake level rise due to earlier snowmelt, are causing the Great lakes to rise. Read more and see a video at this link: http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/04/great_lakes_gain_mind-boggling.html |
First ship arrives at Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor 4/14 - In another rite of spring, international commerce has returned to Northwest Indiana. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, the region's gateway to distant shores, celebrated its version of opening day Wednesday by welcoming its first ocean-going vessel of the season. The 413-foot general cargo carrier BBC Mont Blanc brought wind turbine parts to the deepwater Lake Michigan port in Portage and Burns Harbor. She departed Thursday evening for Thunder Bay, Ont. "The arrival of the first ocean ship of the new year is an exciting time not only for our port, but also for our port companies and numerous other regional businesses that rely on the cargoes these vessels carry," said new Port Director Ian Hirt, who started in March. "For northwest Indiana, the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway each spring is always a symbol of optimism because it reestablishes a direct connection to global markets and new business opportunities." Port officials presented the ceremonial "Steel Stein" to welcome Russian Captain Nikolay Gombalevsky, who helms a crew of 15 sailors on the Mont Blanc, a German-owned ship that's flagged to Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean. The ship carried over a cargo of nearly 900 tons of wind turbine tower sections shipped from Marin, Spain and bound for a wind farm in Illinois, and will ship out Thursday to drop off a huge transformer in Thunder Bay, Ontario. About 30 workers from the International Longshoremen's Association and International Union of Operating Engineers are unloading the massive parts, which Hirt said should herald a resurgence in wind turbine shipments, which tapered off after a big gust of them blew through three or four years ago. Hirt also expects an increase in steel slabs from Russia to NLMK's mini-mill at the port this year. Get breaking news sent instantly to your inbox In his new role, Hirt hopes to boost shipping volumes and recruit more businesses to take over the remaining 110 acres of vacant space at the Lake Michigan port. Private businesses, mainly steel processors and Cargill's grain-shipping operations, currently occupy about 500 acres there. About 2.6 million tons of cargo passed through the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor last year, capping the highest three-year total in its 59-year history. Northwest Indiana Times.com |
‘Know Your Ships’ booksigning Saturday in Port Huron 4/14 - Port Huron, Mich. – On Saturday, in what has become an unofficial kick-off to the end of winter, Roger LeLievre, cataloguer of freighters on the Great Lakes, will be on hand at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point, signing copies of the 2017 edition of “Know Your Ships.” "We bring Roger in every year to sign the new edition of his book," said the Maritime Center’s “Freighter” Frank Frisk. "It's the 11th year. Roger brings in some of his crew of researchers and photographers and it's an excellent day." The event runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Books and other items will be available for purchase. |
Crews deploy Port Sheldon buoy cam into Lake Michigan 4/14 - Port Sheldon Township, Mich. – Ottawa County welcomed a sign of spring Wednesday, as the Port Sheldon buoy camera returned to Lake Michigan. Crews with LimnoTech deployed the buoy cam Wednesday morning, after pulling it from the water before winter set in. About 25 buoy cams float in the Great Lakes, monitoring conditions including wind speed, wake heights and water temperatures. They play an important role for the community, especially boaters. “Just one guy this morning in South Haven said that the buoy saves him trips to the lake. He doesn’t live on the lake, so he uses the buoy to check conditions. He checks the buoy before getting out of bed in the morning; it saves a lot of time. “It’s also a safety thing. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) uses it to forecast better… to have eyes on the water and what’s going on,” explained LimnoTech project engineer Ed Verhamme. The buoy anchored off the shore of Port Sheldon is historically the most popular buoy in the entire Great Lakes. Its recordings, which are available online for free, were viewed 30,000 times last year after community donations helped pay for its late launch. WOOD TV |
Chemical spill closes four Lake Michigan beaches 4/14 - A U.S. Steel plant in Portage, Ind., has spilled wastewater containing a potentially cancer-causing chemical into Burns Waterway, a tributary about 100 yards from Lake Michigan. The leak prompted the closure of four beaches and a riverwalk at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and Indiana American Water in Ogden Dunes—the nearest municipal water source—to shut down its water intake and switch to a reserve water supply, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is overseeing the spill, announced. U.S. Steel reported the leak on Tuesday morning. The company informed the EPA that its release has been stopped at the source. The amount of spilled wastewater is still unknown. The wastewater discharge, apparently caused by a pipe failure, contains hexavalent chromium (chromium-6), which is used for industrial processes. The toxic chemical was made famous by the environmental activist and 2000 movie of the same name, "Erin Brockovich." Incidentally, as Chicago Tribune pointed out, President Donald Trump's administration has proposed a budget that would quash efforts to crack down on the dangerous pollutant nationwide. According to the Associated Press, a U.S. Steel preliminary investigation determined that an expansion joint failed Tuesday in a pipe at the Portage facility. This allowed wastewater from an electroplating treatment process containing chromium-6 to escape into the wrong wastewater treatment plant at the complex. That wastewater eventually flowed into the Burns Waterway. Andy Maguire, the EPA's on-scene coordinator, told the AP that testing is continuing at the intake areas and other nearby points, but hexavalent chromium from the spill has so far not been found in Lake Michigan. Chromium-6 is used in chrome plating, wood and leather treatments, dyes and pigments and the water in cooling towers of electrical power plants. The chemical has long been known to cause lung cancer when airborne particles are inhaled. Recent science has also shown that, when ingested, it can cause stomach cancer. A 2008 study by the National Toxicology Program found chromium-6 in drinking water caused cancer in rats and mice. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 14 14 April 1965 The GEORGE A. SLOAN (steel propeller bulk freighter, 603 foot, 9057 gross tons, built in 1943, at River Rouge, Michigan) was the first commercial vessel through the Soo Locks. The SLOAN (now MISSISSAGI) received Sault Ste. Marie's official tri-centennial flag to fly all season. The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce in turn received the Pittsburgh Fleet flag, and it flew below the United States flag on the flagpole on top of the Ojibway Motor Hotel all season. On 14 April 1872, the MESSENGER (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 150 foot, 444 gross tons, built in 1866, at Cleveland, Ohio) left Manistee, Michigan in a storm for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After battling ice flows near shore, she made it to open water but the heavy seas snapped her rudder post. She was unmanageable and four members of the crew left in the yawl to try to get help. Although they were only a few miles from port, the men struggled for hours against the wind, waves and ice before they finally made it back to Manistee, Michigan, where they got a tug to go out and tow the MESSENGER in for repairs. On April 14, 1961, FORT CHAMBLY departed Toronto, Ontario, on her maiden voyage bound for the Canadian Lake head. Interlake Steamship's COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS (Hull#791) sailed on her maiden voyage April 14, 1926, clearing Lorain for Toledo, Ohio, to load coal. CSL's steamer GLENEAGLES lost her self-unloading boom April 14, 1977, while unloading at the CSL stone dock at Humberstone, Ontario. Renamed b.) SILVERDALE in 1978, she was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario, in 1984. On April 14, 1984, vessels around the Great Lakes were battling one of the worst season openers for ice in recent memory. The ERNEST R. BREECH (now OJIBWAY) and HERBERT C. JACKSON spent the entire day battling ice off the Duluth entry, while the St. Clair River was choked with ice. On 14 April 1873, The Port Huron Daily Times gave the following report of shipbuilding work going on in Port Huron: "Mr. Fitzgerald is up to his eyes in business with a large barge in process of construction and a good sized schooner still on the stocks. Mr. Thomas Dunford has in hand the repairs of the large scow T S SKINNER and she is being rapidly healed of the damage done to her in the collision with the INTERNATIONAL last fall. At Muir's yard the [schooner] canaller on the stocks is rapidly approaching completion. At the [Port Huron] Dry Dock Company's yard, they are busy as bees docking and repairing vessels and work upon the new tug for Moffat & Sons is [being] pushed ahead very rapidly." Unfortunately, later that year the "Panic of 1873" struck and all shipyard work was stopped while the country tried to recover from that economic depression. 1965: Fire broke out in the #2 hold of the CAPETAN VASSILIS en route from Madras, India, to Rotterdam with a cargo of sunflower seeds while 60 miles off the Mediterranean island of Crete. The crew abandoned the vessel and it sank on April 16. The ship had been built at Superior, Wisconsin, as TULLY CROSBY in 1944 and returned to the lakes as c) SPIND in 1952-1953, as d) HEILO in 1953 and e) CAPETAN VASSILIS in 1956. 1977: CANADIAN OLYMPIC ran aground in the St. Lawrence off Heather Point near Brockville. The ship was loaded with ore and en route from Sept Iles to Ashtabula. The navigation channel was blocked. The vessel was lightered to MAPLEHEATH and released at 1057 hours on April 16. The ULS self-unloader spent three weeks at Port Weller Dry Docks undergoing repairs to the damage. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy and Farewell”. |
Icebreaker Alexander Henry returning to Thunder Bay to become tourist attraction 4/13 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – The plan to bring the Alexander Henry home has officially set sail. City council unanimously gave the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society its approval in principle for a plan that would tow the ship to the city's waterfront, where it would become a tourist attraction at the former Pool 6 grain elevator site. Museum society treasurer Wally Peterson said council support is essential to moving provincial funding applications forward and allowing for the group to issue tax receipts to donors who want to see the icebreaker ship brought home to the Port Arthur shipyards where it was built in the 1950s. "It means we can go to the insurance companies and say, 'yes we're getting it,' so we can get hard and fast quotes," Peterson said. "We can go to the people who are going to do the tow and start actually getting firm and sound commitments because without a commitment from the city, we were waiting." The ship that broke ice across the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1984 is currently docked outside of Kingston, Ont. The Alexander Henry was displaced from that city where it was displayed for decades and used as a bed and breakfast. The federal government sold the land where it was docked, leading to a countdown that would either see it sunk in Lake Ontario or scrapped by the end of June unless $250,000 can be raised and a plan was put in place to tow it across the Great Lakes one last time. "With June 29 pending, we had to get this going and that was a hard, hard, hard deadline," Peterson said. Some councillors were hesitant to support the group's request for $125,000 from the city in December but all cast their votes in principle to support its efforts. "It's a win-win situation either way, whether it becomes part of a transportation or the underwater marine museum, it's going to work," said Westfort Coun. Joe Virdiramo. Coun. Iain Angus compared the decision council faces to that of the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier turned tourist attraction that's docked in San Diego. "That ship was the subject of much debate in the community for the price of $100,000 people thought they couldn't afford and now that ship brings in millions to that community," Angus said. "Different magnitude, but just an example of how when you have a vision and you work towards it, it pays off in the long term." Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch'ng called her reluctant support "an act of faith" in city administration, who has been working with the project's advocates since a business plan presented last year met criticism and disapproval around the council table. "I still haven't seen a business plan and I'm very uncomfortable voting 'yes' on something that I haven't seen any numbers on. I've asked this a number of times and I know it's bits and pieces here and there but I just want to see it," Ch'ng said. Sudbury.com |
Port Reports - April 13
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Soo Locks – Jon Hagelee
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Owen Sound, Ont. – Paul Martin
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Bronte and Toronto, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
New twist in Great Lakes pilot rate debate 4/13 - The Coast Guard is proposing a change in the way it calculates Great Lakes pilot rates by adding a metric favored by shippers and ports. The agency for the first time will account for the weighting factor, so that larger ships yield higher pilotage fee revenues than smaller ones. “The result of the adjustment would be a reduction in the hourly pilotage rates in the Great Lakes region from amounts proposed” last October for the 2017 shipping season, the Coast Guard said in its Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) published April 5. “This action does not change the total amount of projected revenue we deem necessary for the pilot associations to provide safe, efficient, and reliable service, but would have the practical effect of reducing the actual amount of money paid as pilotage fees by shippers by approximately 28 to 32 percent.” The agency originally sought a 14 percent rate increase primarily to cover eight new pilots needed because of workload and fatigue factors as well as the number of older pilots approaching retirement. Meanwhile, the 2016 rates remain in effect. Under the new calculations, the current hourly rate on the St. Lawrence River, for example, would go from $580 to $592, instead of $757 in the October proposal. Rates on lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior would go from $264 to $215, instead of $280. The Coast Guard establishes rates for Great Lakes pilots while rates elsewhere in the country are set at the local level. The rates must be reviewed annually. Both sides have spoken up on the weight issue. “It is abundantly clear that the use of the weighting factor when invoicing for services needs to be included in revenue projection calculations,” Michael Broad, wrote on behalf of the U.S. Great Lakes Pilotage Users Coalition. “Not doing so is an unacceptable error in principal. This can no longer be ignored and must be corrected immediately.” Pilots want the Coast Guard to keep the status quo on weighting factors, “at least until actual data suggests that changes are necessary and appropriate,” pilot group presidents Capt. John Boyce, St. Lawrence Seaway Lakes Pilots Association, Capt. Dan Gallagher, Lakes Pilots Association, and Capt. John Swartout, Western Great Lakes Pilots Association, said about the October proposal. “Over the last decade, the pilots have consistently failed to reach target compensation even with the weighting factors included. Changing this practice would exacerbate an already-unfortunate situation and risk further contributing to the pilot attraction and retention difficulties.” Meanwhile, ports and shippers last year sued the Coast Guard seeking a 2016 rate reduction of at least 20.6 percent, arguing the agency’s calculations were flawed and the increases arbitrary and capricious. The Coast Guard set the average annual pilot compensation at $326,000, up from $235,000 and recommended more pilots and up to 10 days off a month. Pilots associations have joined the suit on the Coast Guard side. Comments on the SNPRM must be submitted by May 5. Workboat |
Kelleys Island ferry Carlee Emily at Great Lakes Shipyard for 5-year drydocking 4/13 - Cleveland, Ohio – Great Lakes Shipyard has been awarded a drydocking contract by Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line for the motor vessel Carlee Emily. Maintenance work includes 5-year drydocking, U.S. Coast Guard inspection and surveys as well as miscellaneous routine repairs. The ferry was hauled out using the 770-MT Mobile Marine Travelift on April 10. Work is expected to be completed later this month, allowing the ferry to return to service as soon as possible. This is the second time the Carlee Emily has been drydocked at Great Lakes Shipyard and it is the fifth drydocking for Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line. Other Kelleys Island vessels drydocked at the shipyard include Kayla Marie and Juliet Alicia. Great Lakes Shipyard |
Bill to lighten boating restrictions along border passes Canadian Senate 4/13 - Legislation that would loosen boating restrictions along the U.S.-Canadian border in the St. Lawrence River has cleared the Canadian Senate. State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, is sponsoring the U.S. version of the bill. Under current law, boaters must report to Canadian customs to legally be in Canadian waters at anytime. A few years ago, a U.S. boater traveling along the Gananoque Narrows was told by Canadian border agents that he needed to pay a $1,000 fine or face arrest, having his boat towed to Canada and be forced to pay $25,000 in penalties. Now, legislators on both sides of the border want to ease the rules so boaters can travel freely, which they hope will also spur more tourism. “I have been proud to advocate for passage of this important measure, which I hope will continue to advance and soon become law,” Sen. Ritchie said in a statement. “Through this legislation, we can make it easier for people to enjoy our shared waterways and strengthen the relationship that exists between our two nations.” The Canadian bill is sponsored by Senator Bob Runciman and Member of Parliament Gordon Brown. Watertown Daily Times |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 13 13 April 1872 - The schooners MARY TAYLOR and ANTELOPE wooden were racing to Oswego, New York, trying to beat a large block of drifting ice. The ice won and blocked the harbor entrance. The ANTELOPE became icebound about a quarter of a mile from the piers and remained there for one day. The MARY TAYLOR got within 500 feet of the pier and remained there for five days until the tug MAJOR DANA broke through the ice. RICHARD REISS lost her boom April 13, 1994 when it collapsed at Fairport, Ohio. On 13 April 1872, the wooden schooner-barge JOSEPH PAIGE was launched at the Wolf & Davidson yard in Milwaukee. Her dimensions were 190 feet x 32 feet x 12 feet, 626 gross tons. The passenger/package freight vessel OCEAN was launched at Andrews & Sons shipyard in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, on 13 April 1872. She was placed in service on 27 April 1872, loading iron at Kingston for Chicago. 1917: The steel canaller STRATHCONA was built at Dundee, Scotland, in 1900 and came to the Great Lakes that summer. The ship had several owners before being requisitioned for war service in 1915. It was stopped by U-78 near Ronaldshay, England, while traveling from Tyne, England, to Marseilles, France, with a cargo of coal on this date in 1917. Enemy bombers attacked sinking the ship. Nine crew members were lost while another 3 were taken prisoner. 1937: The Norwegian freighter REIN was a frequent pre-Seaway caller to the Great Lakes. It had been built in 1900 and was inland as early as 1908. The ship was carrying wood pulp when it was wrecked off Helman Island, 2 miles south of Wick, Scotland, while traveling from Lyngor, Norway, to Preston, UK on this date in 1937. REIN was a total loss. 1956 Winds and ice pushed the ore laden GEORGE M. HUMPHREY on a shoal in Whitefish Bay en route from Superior to Zug Island. The vessel was salvaged and taken to Lorain for repairs. 1959: GLENEAGLES was proceeding through ice in Lake Erie when it abruptly stopped. The trailing WESTMOUNT could not stop as quickly and rammed the stern of its CSL fleetmate. GLENEAGLES had to be towed to Lorain for repairs that included a new rudder. 2010: The rebuilt ALGOBAY went aground while upbound in the St. Marys River on its first trip to the upper lakes. The vessel had to go to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series |
Coast Guard concludes icebreaking operations on Western Great Lakes 4/12 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – On Tuesday the U.S. Coast Guard concluded its domestic icebreaking operations in support of commercial navigation, known as Operation Taconite, throughout the Western Great Lakes. As a result of warmer temperatures this winter, ice coverage was less than the multi-year average and had no significant impact on commercial navigation on the Great Lakes. Nearly all of the ice that formed has melted. Six Coast Guard cutters assigned to Operation Taconite conducted nearly 2,200 hours of domestic ice breaking in support of U.S. and Canadian shipping interests. Nearly 14 million tons of dry and liquid cargo, valued at more than $488 million, was shipped during the winter navigation season, which spanned 113 days. These commodities were used in sustaining industrial production and generating power throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter months. USCG |
Port Reports - April 12
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
Port McNicoll's SS Keewatin is on the move 4/12 - Port McNicoll, Ont. – The SS Keewatin is on the move. And she needs the public’s help. No, the iconic steamship is not leaving its Port McNicoll home. However, she does need to move 350 feet away to accommodate the $1 million restoration work on the old docks at the foot of Talbot Street. So the Friends of Keewatin, led by president and CEO Eric Conroy, decided to turn the simple act of moving the ship into an event bringing the community together. The Friends of Keewatin are hosting the SS Keewatin World Record Pull on April 22, and north Simcoe citizens are invited to come, grab a rope and pull the ship to its new home. “All the money is going to something that will benefit the community. So it’s a win-win because we’ll not only be moving the ship but also helping a great cause. It’s one of those things that just come up,” said Conroy. “We have to move the ship and a tugboat would cost too much. So somebody asked if we can do it with people.” So the idea to do it through elbow grease was born. The hope after all is said and done is to get a place in the Guinness World Records for pulling a ship using human hands. The Keewatin pull also has a second purpose, to raise funds for the Radio for Cardiology drive for the cardiac unit at Barrie’s Royal Victoria Hospital. “All the money is going to something that will benefit the community,” said Conroy. “So it’s a win-win because we’ll not only be moving the ship but also helping a great cause.” The participants in the pull will grab a rope and pull the Keewatin, with a small tugboat on-site to ensure the ship doesn't blow offshore. A steel cable will be attached to a bulldozer to stop the Keewatin once it reaches its goal. “Once we get it started we should be able to move it in 20 or 25 minutes,” he said. “It should be a good day.” The SS Keewatin World Record Pull starts at noon on April 22, at the Keewatin’s berth at 311 Talbot St. in Port McNicoll. More information can be found at sskeewatin.com. Simcoe.com |
Lake Express high-speed ferry prepares for first voyage of season 4/12 - Milwaukee, Wis. – The Lake Express high-speed ferry will launch its 14th season April 28. Each year, the ferry makes about 800 trips across Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Mich. With a capacity for 248 people and 46 vehicles, the Lake Express has about 50 seasonal employees. Over the past year, Lake Express received many navigation and technological upgrades, including new equipment in the pilothouse and new WiFi service for passengers. “Summer is the busiest time, and we’re up from a year ago,” said Aaron Schultz, vice president of sales and marketing, adding that many people prefer the cruise across the lake to driving on land around Chicago to the other side. "I think it’s because people don’t like to be tied to a seat." The Lake Express crosses Lake Michigan four times daily during its spring schedule. During the peak of the summer travel season, the Lake Express makes six Lake Michigan crossings daily, with additional evening sailings from Milwaukee at 7 p.m. and then Muskegon at 11 p.m. Before the Interstate highway system was built, many people crossed Lake Michigan by steamship. From 1941 to 1970, people primarily used the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper, which was a six-hour trip. The S.S. Badger has crossed the lake from Manitowoc to Ludington, Mich., since 1953. The Lake Express cut the trip down to two and a half hours. “We were able to do it with the modern advancements with our vessel,” Schultz said. “The Lake Express offers the experience but saves the time." A standard cabin ticket for an adult is $153 for a round trip, and an additional $190 for a car as well. Senior citizens, college students and those who provided military service get a discounted price of $140. Children under 4 ride free. Journal-Sentinel |
Updates - April 12
Saltie Gallery updated
with pictures of the BBC Mont Blanc, Duzgit Endeavour, Federal Columbia, Federal Elbe, Harbour Fountain, Isa, Lake Ontario, Redhead, Riga, Solina, Stella Polaris, and Travestern.
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Today in Great Lakes History - April 12 On 12 April 1896, PETER DALTON (propeller tug, 63 foot 49 gross tons, built in 1880, at Grand Haven, Michigan) caught fire off Grosse Pointe, Illinois, while returning to Chicago with the salvaged schooner A.J. DEWEY in tow and the boiler of the JOHNSON. The fire burned her in two before she finally sank. The DALTON's crew and the DEWEY were rescued by the tug WELCOME. On 12 April 1874, the tug D.N. RUNNELS was launched Runnel's yard at the north end of the 7th Street Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan. As the tug splashed into the Black River, the flag at her bow was unfurled with her name on it. Commodore Runnels distributed oranges to the crowd of onlookers. The tanker a.) LANA (Hull#151) was launched April 12, 1967, by Aktiebolaget Lodose Varv A/B at Lodose, Sweden. Renamed b.) NEW ORLEANS in 1988 and c.) NANCY ORR GAUCHER in 1989, she departed the Lakes in 1994. Renamed d.) PETRAWAK in 1996 and e.) TONGA in 2000. Tanker LAKESHELL (Hull#389) of Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, Quebec, was launched April 12, 1969, for Shell Canada Ltd. Pioneer Steamship's steamer a.) A.A. AUGUSTUS (Hull#374) of American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio, departed Cleveland on her maiden voyage April 12, 1910, bound for Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a load of coal. She was sold to Canadian registry in 1961, and renamed b.) HOWARD HINDMAN. She was scrapped at Bilbao, Spain, in 1969. Hall Corp. of Canada's tanker HUDSON TRANSPORT (Hull#629) of the Davie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec, was launched April 12, 1962. On April 12, 1955, while upbound from Monroe, Michigan to load iron ore at Duluth, the ENDERS M. VOORHEES had the honor of opening the second century of navigation through the St. Marys Falls Ship Canal, celebrated with great pomp and ceremony. On 12 April 1880, the wooden 2-mast schooner-barge JUPITER was launched at Marysville, Michigan, after being rebuilt under the supervision of James Bowers. She was originally built in 1857, at Irving, New York, and after this rebuild, she lasted another 21 years. On 12 April 1892, UGANDA (wooden propeller, 291 foot, 2,053 gross tons) was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan, at F.W. Wheeler's yard (Hull #88). 1949: The corvette H.M.C.S. BATTLEFORD was Hull 95 from the Collingwood Shipyard and it was commissioned at Montreal on July 31, 1941. The ship was sold to the Venezuelan Navy becoming b) LIBERTAD in 1946 and was wrecked on this date in 1949. 1991: CHANDA hailed from India and first came to the Great Lakes in 1978. The ship was laid up Bombay, India, on May 5, 1988, after 20 years of service. It was moved to the scrapyard on April 11, 1991, but a major fire erupted in the engine room April 12 during dismantling operations. 1993: MELISSA DESGAGNES ran aground in the St. Lawrence, two miles east of the Eisenhower Lock, at 2352 hours. The ship was en route from Windsor to Newfoundland with wheat and floated free, after being lightered, on April 15. 2009: SCARAB was 16 years old when it first came through the Seaway in 1999. The ship was sold and renamed JASPER in 2002 and never returned to our shores. It was anchored off Fatsa, Turkey, when it got blown aground on this date in 2009. Some 2000 tons of fertilizer had to be removed for the ship to float free and it went to Tuzla, Turkey, for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Port of Toledo wins Pacesetter award for international cargo 4/11 - Toledo, Ohio – A major honor has been earned by the Port of Toledo. It's one of six ports that are being recognized with a Pacesetter Award. The award is given by the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation to ports that increase international cargo tonage. About 7,000 jobs are tied to the Port of Toledo, and it has a one billion dollar economic impact on the region. "Toledo is truly a gateway to global markets," said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. More than 8 million tons of cargo moved in and out of Toledo in 2016. Global business is up double digits, "We were up about 15 percent from 2015. A lot of that increase is due to grain, direct overseas grain shipments," he said. Cappel says between 500-800 vessels come in and out of the port every year, up to 100 of them from overseas. "Most of our direct overseas trade is with northern Europe and north Africa and the Mediterranean region. We have had shipments from Mexico and South America as well. We even get shipments from Russia and eastern Europe," he said. One of the most common products is aluminum that's brought from eastern Canada to Toledo's general cargo dock, run by Midwest Terminals. It is shipped out by truck to automakers, appliance manufacturers and other users of aluminum. In addition to aluminum, other cargo includes coal, iron ore and items related to the energy industry. The port has 17 marine terminals around the Toledo area, stretching from the DiSalle bridge on I-75 up to the mouth of the Maumee River They are all busy. Cappel says the goal is to make sure each terminal can handle multiple cargos. "Any time we buy equipment for a terminal or a new building for our operations it is going to be multi-purpose. We are able to handle just about anything you can load onto a ship with those improvements,” he observed. The hope is that even more business will be delivered to the Port of Toledo in 2017. 13ABC.com |
Port Reports - April 11
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen |
Milwaukee’s North Point Lighthouse reopens 4/11 - Milwaukee, Wis. – The North Point Lighthouse, located in Lake Park on the East Side of Milwaukee, has announced that the museum will reopen beginning the weekend of April 8-9 after being temporarily closed for restoration work since January. The work involved removing and replacing damaged floors on the museum’s gallery level. The lighthouse will resume its normal public hours and be open throughout the year on Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for tours. Through the efforts of lighthouse directors, staff and volunteers, all museum artifacts and exhibits have been put back in place in preparation for the reopening on Saturday, April 8. Visitors to the museum will discover how the lighthouse served the Great Lakes maritime industry, see artifacts and exhibits about the ships that sailed Lake Michigan, and learn about the keepers who maintained the lighthouse. Visitors can also climb the 74-foot tall tower for a spectacular 360-degree view of Lake Park, Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee. For more information about public hours and admission, visit northpointlighthouse.org WDJT Milwaukee |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 11 In 2015, 18 vessels that had been stuck in 35 square miles of crushed ice up to eight feet thick on Eastern Lake Superior were moving again with the Wednesday arrival of the heavy Canadian icebreaker Pierre Radisson. 11 April 1890 - CHENANGO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 176 foot, 696 gross tons, built in 1887, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying 40,000 bushels of wheat from Toledo, Ohio, to Buffalo, New York, when she caught fire off Erie, Pennsylvania. She was partially consumed by the fire and sank in four fathoms of water with no loss of life. She was later raised at great expense and rebuilt as the steamer LIZZIE MADDEN. On 11 April 1882, GALATEA (3-mast wooden schooner, 180 foot, 606 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull#13) at W. Bay City, Michigan. She lasted until she stranded and broke up at Grand Marais, Michigan, in the "Big Storm" of 1905. The tanker IMPERIAL ST. CLAIR (Hull#57) of the Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., entered service on April 11, 1974, running light for Montreal, Quebec. Canada Steamship Lines’ J.W. MC GIFFIN (Hull#197) was christened at Collingwood on April 11, 1972. Port Weller Drydocks attached a new forebody in 1999, and she was renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA. Pioneer Steamship's steamer PHILIP D. BLOCK sailed on her maiden voyage April 11, 1925, with coal from Huron, Ohio, bound for delivery at Indiana Harbor, Indiana. Wilkinson Transportation Co.'s steamer A.E. NETTLETON (Hull#176) of the Detroit Ship Building Co., was launched April 11, 1908. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1973. On April 11, 1970, in Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay, CSL's steamer STADACONA of 1952 encountered thick ice and suffered bow damage. She developed a hairline crack in her bow and to alleviate the leakage her cargo was shifted from her forward hold to her after compartments using her self-unloading equipment. This maneuver raised her bow enough to keep her from sinking before she reached safety. Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s steamer ENDERS M. VOORHEES (Hull#288), of the Great Lakes Engineering Works, was launched on April 11, 1942. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey in 1989. On April 11, 1964, while upbound on Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior, a boiler burst on board the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s WILLIAM A. IRVIN, killing one of the crew and injuring two others. April 11, 1948 - ANN ARBOR NO 7 ran aground just south of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. On 11 April 1874, the new tug E.H. MILLER burned at her dock at Willow Island in the Saginaw River. Her loss was valued at $9,000 and there was no insurance. Although considered to be a total loss, she was rebuilt and lasted another 46 years. On 11 April 1878, ALASKA, a wooden bulk freighter, was launched at J. P. Clark's yard in Detroit, Michigan. Her dimensions were 180 feet overall, 28 foot beam, and 10 foot depth. The navigation season at the Canadian Sault Canal was unofficially opened on 11 April 1955, at 7:15 a.m., when the MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1,558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J.S. KEEFE) locked up bound for the Algoma Steel dock. Because the MANZZUTTI wintered over at the Soo, its captain, John B. Perry, was not eligible for the traditional top hat and silk gloves presented to the first captain through the locks. So this was not the official opening of navigation at the Soo. The first boat through the American locks was expected the following day. 1964: NORCO had been used to carry pulpwood from Michipicoten to Green Bay from about 1938 to 1957. The vessel had been built at Ecorse, Michigan, for deep-sea service as INCA in 1915, and returned inland in the 1920s. It went back to the sea in 1959 and stranded at Little Corn Island, Nicaragua, on this date in 1964 while en route from Tampa to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, with a cargo of phosphate. 1994: AMERICAN MARINER was downbound in the St. Marys River when it struck a rock above the Soo Locks and had to go to the shipyard in Erie to repair the damage. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II,” the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
First salty arrives at Thunder Bay 4/10 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Capt. Karl Fernandez has done it again. Fernandez, who pilots the Barbados-registered MV Federal Schelde, for a second straight year was at the helm of the first ocean-going vessel to arrive at the Port of Thunder Bay. Along with his chief engineer Chandramohanan Nair Sreedharan, Fernandez on Friday accepted the ceremonial top hat from MP Patty Hajdu (Lib., Thunder Bay-Superior North), a traditional honor bestowed on the captains of the first laker and first salty of the season in the city. It’s quite the honor, said Fernandez, a day after his ship sailed into port, adding the warm weather made for a worry-free sailing. "We find it a little more mild than it usually is at this time of year,” Fernandez said. “I heard the winter was not so severe and the conditions were much better coming up.” It’s feels great to get the shipping season on the Great Lakes underway, he said, the MV Federal Schelde behind him being loaded with a 21,000-tonne shipment of canola, bound for Rouen, France, at the G3 Elevator. Harbormaster Guy Jarvis said unlike the first laker, which arrived in record time after berthing west of the Soo Locks, the first salty arrival was more or less average for the port. “This is the traditional dates of opening up the salty traffic. It’s usually at the end of the first week or the second week of April and since the ice cover on all five of the Great Lakes was pretty light this year, we’re opening just on time.” Despite a great March, Jarvis said it’s still too early to forecast how the rest of the year might go. “We’re always optimistic at this time of year. I guess a couple of weeks ago I was talking about icebreakers. Then you had a laker and now that we’ve got the first salty, I know we’re all in full swing now,” Jarvis said. “We’ll see quite a few ships in the month of April and we’ll hope to build on that success throughout the year.” Federal Schelde began its journey to Thunder Bay picking up 20,500 tonnes of steel bars in Romania, delivering it to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. TBNewsWatch |
Desgagnes fleet updates continue 4/10 - The new Damia Desgagnes, an asphalt tanker propelled by dual-fuel engines allowing the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), marine diesel oil (MDO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO), was handed over to Groupe Desgagnes on March 30 and should set sail from the Besiktas Shipyard in Yalova near Istanbul, Turkey, by April 10 for her delivery voyage to Canada. In addition, the newly-acquired general cargo vessel Sider Tis, built in 2013, will likely be renamed Acadia Desgagnes. Both are now in Desgagnes colors. |
Christopher Winters named Detroit Marine Historian of the Year 4/10 - Christopher Winters, Great Lakes writer, historian and photographer, was named the Marine Historical Society of Detroit’s 2017 Historian of the Year Saturday evening at an event in Troy, Mich. Winters is author of the book “Centennial,” which tells in story and photos the history of the vintage Great Lakes vessel St. Marys Challenger. He is co-author of ‘The Legend Lives On; S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald” (with Bruce Lynn), published recently by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. He has several other books in various stages of production. A lifelong student of Great Lakes maritime history, Winters is an avid SCUBA diver and lecturer on Great Lakes' shipwreck history. His maritime artwork and documentary photography has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the Great Lakes region. He and his wife Jess live near Milwaukee, Wis., where he works for Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin. The award, presented most years since 1969, is voted on by past winners. Mhsd.org |
Port Reports - April 10
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Sarnia, Ont. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio– Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton, Ont. – Barry Andersen
Clarkson, Ont. |
Updates - April 10 Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Adfines Sea, Adfines Star, Beatrix, Brant, Chestnut, Erieborg, Federal Champlain, Federal Schelde, Federal Seto, Hemgracht, Lake Ontario, Riga and Travestern. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 10 10 April 1868 The ALPENA (wooden side-wheel passenger-package freight steamer, 653 tons, built in 1867, at Marine City, Michigan) was purchased by Capt. A. E. Goodrich from Gardner, Ward & Gardner for $80,000. On 10 April 1861, UNION (wooden propeller, 170 foot, 465 tons) was launched and christened at the Bates yard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the Goodrich Line. She cost $19,000. The engines, machinery and many of the fittings were from the OGONTZ of 1858. This was the first steamer built by the Bates yard. The tanker TEXACO CHIEF (Hull#193), was christened April 10, 1969. She was renamed b.) A G FARQUHARSON in 1986 and c.) ALGONOVA in 1998. She was sold Panamanian in 2007 and renamed PACIFICO TRADER. The d.) GODERICH of 1908 was sold April 10, 1963, to the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railway Co. and renamed e.) AGAWA. Renamed f.) LIONEL PARSONS in 1968, and served as a storage barge at Goderich, Ontario until 1983, when she was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario. The keel was laid April 10, 1952, for the steamer WILLIAM CLAY FORD (Hull#300) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works. The SINCLAIR GREAT LAKES (Hull#1577) of the Ingalls Iron Works, Decatur, Alabama, was christened on April 10, 1963. On April 10, 1973, the ARTHUR B. HOMER departed the shipyard at Lorain, Ohio, with a new pilothouse. She had suffered extensive damage on October 5, 1972, in a head on collision with the saltie NAVISHIPPER on the Detroit River. April 10, 1912 - ANN ARBOR NO 5 struck her stern against the channel in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, bending her rudder, and damaging her port shaft. On 10 April 1875, the propeller EMMA E. THOMPSON was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan. She was built for Capt. D.F. Edwards of Toledo and cost $20,000. Her dimensions were 125 feet x 26 feet x 10 feet. In 1880, she was rebuilt as a schooner and then returned to a propeller in 1881, when she was given the engine from the propeller AKRON. On 10 April 1882, ESPINDOLA (wooden schooner, 54 tons, built in 1869, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was carrying railroad ties when she was overwhelmed by a storm and went to pieces one mile north of the Chicago waterfront. No lives were lost, but four crewmen were rescued by a tug after having been in the water for some time. MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as a.) J S KEEFE) of the Yankcanuck Steamship Ltd., was the first vessel through the Canadian locks at the Soo for the 1954 navigation season. She entered the Canadian canal on 10 April about 8:15 a.m. The locking of the MANZZUTTI was not considered the official opening of the season at the Soo since she wintered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and the first vessel must come up the St. Marys River from Lake Huron or Michigan. President Dave Bows of the Kiwanis Club, pointed out the club’s $1,000 marine contest is based on the first such vessel though the Michigan Sault locks only. The U.S. Coast Guard reported six-inch ice in the lower St. Marys River. 1905: The 400-foot steel-hulled bulk carrier GEORGE B. LEONARD arrived in Cleveland with ice damage and leaking bow seams. 1941: The first CEDARBRANCH ran aground at the mouth of the Etobicoke Creek, west of Toronto and had to be lightered to float free. 1949: The former J.H. PLUMMER, once part of Canada Steamship Lines, was reported wrecked, due to stranding in fog, while six miles southwest of Shaweishan on this date in 1949. The vessel was sailing as f) TUNG AN, and was en route from Tsingtao to Shanghai, with scrap steel. 1953: The Finnish freighter ANGELA came to the Great Lakes in 1952 and was wrecked on April 10, 1953, at Frisland, Isle of Coll, due to heavy weather. The vessel was travelling in ballast from Larne, Northern Ireland, to Goole, UK, and was a total loss. 1965: A collision in the Lake St. Peter section of the St. Lawrence involved the TRANSATLANTIC and HERMES. The former, a West German freighter, caught fire and capsized with the loss of three lives. The vessel was salvaged in August and eventually scrapped at Sorel. It had been coming to the Great Lakes for the Poseidon Line since 1961. The latter, a Dutch carrier, never came through the Seaway and was scrapped at Calcutta, India, as NIKI R. in 1985-1986. 1977: HILDA MARJANNE ran aground on a sandbar at Sarnia after leaving the Government Dock with a cargo of corn. It was released the next day with the help of the tug DARYL C. HANNAH. 1989: The canal-sized bulk carrier IROQUOIS, b) TROISDOC (ii), was built in 1955 but left the Seaway as c) KOBA in 1983. That vessel foundered in the Gulf of Mexico, near Isla de Lobos, on this date in 1989 while en route from Tampico to Progresso, Mexico. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II,” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Port Reports - April 9
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal and Area– Barry Andersen
Hamilton: Federal Champlain arrived 2010, Stella Polaris (Nld) - ETA 2345 Welland Canal transits for Friday: high winds and snow squalls early in the day delayed some vessels. Upbound: Mississagi - stopped at wharf 20 (Port Colborne Grain Terminal) at 0121, Petite Forte & barge St. Marys Cement at w-16, Algoma Harvester, Riga (Nld), Algowood, CSL Assiniboine. Downbound: Sea Eagle II & barge St. Marys Cement II, Evans McKeil & barge Niagara Spirit moved to wharf 2 from wharf 1, Spruceglen, CSL Laurentien, Leo A. McArthur & barge John J. Carrick. Hamilton: Erieborg (Nld) arrived at 1045 from Norway |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 9 09 April 1890 - W.H. SAWYER (wooden propeller freighter, 201 foot, 746 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #66) at West Bay City, Michigan. She lasted until 1928, when she sank off Harbor Beach, Michigan. On 09 April 1868, SEABIRD (wooden side-wheel steamer, 638 tons, built in 1859, at Newport (Marine City), Michigan, was sailing on her first trip of the season from Manitowoc to Chicago. At 6 a.m. off Waukegan, Illinois, the porter cleaned out the ashes in the cabin stove and threw the hot coals overboard into the wind. The coals were blown back aboard and a blaze quickly engulfed the vessel. Only two survived. They were picked up by the schooner CORNELIA. 102 were lost. The vessel was uninsured and this was a severe financial blow to the new Goodrich Transportation Company. On April 9, 1960, Canada Steamship Lines Ltd.'s a.) MURRAY BAY (Hull#164), of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., entered service as the first Canadian 730-footer. Renamed b.) COMEAUDOC in 1963, she was scrapped at Port Colborne in 2003. LAWRENDOC (Hull#174) was christened jointly with her Collingwood-built sister ship MONDOC (Hull#173) on April 9, 1962. The Wilson Marine Transit Co., Cleveland purchased the b.) FINLAND, a.) HARRY COULBY (Hull#163) of the Detroit Ship Building Co., on April 9, 1957, and resold her the same day to the Republic Steel Corp., Cleveland with Wilson Marine acting as manager. Renamed c.) PETER ROBERTSON in 1969 and d.) MARINSAL in 1975. On April 9, 1930, the CITY OF FLINT 32 entered service under the command of Estan Bayle. On 9 April 1871, the wooden "rabbit" BAY CITY (152 foot, 372 gross tons, built in 1867, at Marine City, Michigan) had just loaded 270,000 feet of lumber in Bay City for Tonawanda, New York, when a fire broke out ashore. The ship was set adrift at 11 a.m. to get away from the lumberyard blaze. However, as the crew watched the shore fire, sparks smoldered in the ship's cargo. At 2 p.m., she burst into flame. Four tugs and a steam-powered fire engine brought alongside on a lighter fought the blaze to no avail. The vessel was scuttled to put out the fire. A few days later she was raised and repaired at a cost of $4,000. On 9 April 1885, the laid-up vessels BURLINGTON and CHURCH were hit by the barge ALLEN and forced into the Military Street bridge at Port Huron, Michigan, crashing into the structure and completely blocking the Black River and disabling the bridge. The blame was placed on the spring thaw. 1913: Ice sliced through the wooden hull of the steamer UGANDA in the Straits of Mackinac and the vessel sank near White Shoal. The crew was rescued by the JOHN A. DONALDSON, and there was no loss of life. 1962: On November 28, 1961, fire had broken out aboard the IQUITOS off the coast of Mexico while the ship was en route from Callao, Peru, to Manzanillo, Mexico, with a cargo of fishmeal. The vessel had been a pre-Seaway trader as RUTENFJELL beginning in 1936 and as POLYRIVER beginning in 1951. The blazing freighter was abandoned by the crew. The ship did not sink and drifted for weeks before being spotted February 2, 1962. The hull was considered a hazard to navigation and was sunk on this date, southeast of the Christmas Islands by a U.S. destroyer, in 1962. 1968: MENIHEK LAKE was in a minor collision with the anchored PETITE HERMINE in the Lake St. Francis section of the St. Lawrence, and the latter's anchor chain damaged the propeller of MENIHEK LAKE. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
John B. Aird prepared for scrap tow; Lewis J. Kuber renamed 4/8 - Algoma Central Corp’s John B. Aird’s name has been shortened to John B. and her stack has been painted all black at Montreal in preparation for an overseas scrap tow. She arrived there under her own power this Wednesday. At Toledo Friday a workman was removing the name on Grand River Navigation’s Lewis J. Kuber. Her new name will be Menominee. The barge is the former powered vessel Buckeye (1990 – 2006) and Sparrows Point (1952 – 1990). She was converted to a barge at Erie, Pa., in early 2006. Expectations are that fleetmate barge James L. Kuber (Reserve 1953 – 2008) may also get a new name. René Beauchamp, Jim Hoffman |
New vessel for Desgagnés; Quebec ferry to be scrapped at Port Colborne 4/8 - Groupe Desgagnés has a new cargo vessel, Taiga Desgagnés. She is the former BBC Amazon, which first transited the Seaway in 2009. It is currently listed as bareboat chartered Out of Canada on the Transport Canada web site. The former Quebec ferry Camille Marcoux is expected to be towed soon from Quebec City to International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne to be scrapped. René Beauchamp, Isaac Pennock |
Port Reports - April 8
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Daniel Lindner
Goderich, Ont.
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio – Jim Hoffman |
Should we privatize the Soo Locks? 4/8 - Advocates for a new Soo Lock have been trying to get Congress to fund the estimated $600 million project for decades. Congress first authorized the construction of the lock in the 1980s but has not come up with the money to pay for it. With President Trump in office, there is renewed optimism among some that now could finally be the time to build it. But Jarrett Dieterle, a fellow at the R Street Institute in Washington, D.C., says it should not be taxpayers footing the bill. He says either privatizing the lock or allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to charge user fees would make more sense. Dieterle co-wrote a piece advocating what he calls alternative financing models in the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s Michigan Capitol Confidential in 2016. “What we suggested was either a privatization model or a user-fee model that would be run by the government,” Dieterle says, “that would essentially unlock immediate funding for the lock and would allow the lock to get funds that weren’t federal to do its repairs and maintenance.” Listen to the interview at this link: http://interlochenpublicradio.org/post/we-ve-got-issues-should-we-privatize-soo-locks#stream/0 |
Woodland art-inspired decals will enwrap Chi-Cheemaun’s bow 4/8 - Owen Sound, Ont. – The Owen Sound harbor is about to become much more colorful over the coming weeks as the Chi-Cheemaun’s bow is wrapped in bold, bright colors and images influenced by the iconic Woodland style of art. The current work is Phase 2 of Chi-Cheemaun’s exterior “re-branding,” begun in spring 2015 with Phase 1, when the ship’s sides were dressed with the ‘Travel In Good Spirits’ logo, and ship’s funnel wrapped in images of the turtle, moose and bear. Phase 1 work earned a National Billboard award for Have1.com of Owen Sound. Have1.com has produced the vinyl decal sheets for Phase 2, and will again lead the installation. Decal designs were developed by Cleansheet Communications, the Toronto based creative marketing agency behind the Chi-Cheemaun’s ‘Travel In Good Spirits’ award winning marketing brand campaign Chi-Cheemaun’s interior work is nearing completion with both the forward lounge (Fathom Five Lounge) and Tourism Information Centre having been renovated over the winter and transformed into spaces to better support live concerts, on-board events and displays. The Owen Sound Transportation Company will host a free come-and-go Open House on the Chi-Cheemaun from 1 pm to 3 pm on Tuesday, May 2 for members of the public to tour the vessel and view the recent updates. Chi-Cheemaun will depart on her annual Spring Cruise from Owen Sound to Tobermory on Thursday, May 4, and begin the 2017 sailing season on Friday, May 5 with the 8:50 a.m. departure from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island. 2017 will be a busy year, as Chi-Cheemaun hosts highly popular concert and dinner cruises, Parks Canada interpreters on summer sailings, and traditional storytelling with Falcon Migwans. The Stargazing Tour will again be offered throughout the month August, and special musical programming in partnership with the Georgian Bay Folk Society, funded by Ontario 150, will be available with regular ferry fares every Sunday in July. Visit www.ontarioferries.com for news and events listings. Manitoulin Expositor |
Brig Niagara crew prepares for expanded public sail season 4/8 - Erie, Pa. – The U.S. Brig Niagara's 18 professional crewmembers reported for duty last week to prepare for the start of the Great Lakes summer sailing season and public and school-day sail schedule. "We'll spend the next month putting the rig back together — that's the name of the game,” Niagara Capt. Billy Sabatini said. "We have to rig the ship, and we have a lot more rigging to do than we do most years because we have the lower mast and the bow sprit out. That was to effect all the repairs we had to do.'" Three extra shipwrights worked on Niagara projects this past winter. Shipwrights replaced a 25-foot section of waterway timber on the starboard quarter; replaced an 8-foot section of deck on the bow; replaced the starboard forward channel; replaced two pin rails, and brought down the foremast and did a major repair to its fighting top platform. Sixteen of the Niagara's 18 professional crewmembers have returned, Sabatini said. Niagara shakedown and training sails are scheduled for April 29-30 and May 1-2 in Presque Isle Bay and on Lake Erie. Those sails will allow crew, composed of professionals and trainee personnel, to determine if the ship's engines are running properly, its sails are working and all of its lines are led in the proper places. At the end of the 2016 sailing season in October, the Niagara sailed to Cleveland's Great Lakes Towing Co., where the vessel underwent nearly three weeks of maintenance. Part of the dry dock maintenance involved a "destructive survey,” in which six good planks — three on each side of the vessel — were removed so Sabatini and Niagara crew could look behind the planks, evaluate the ship's internal structure and look for where rot could potentially develop. "What we found is that the underwater portion of our ship is in excellent condition,” Sabatini said. "Really, it looks brand-new, and that has a lot to do with the construction of materials. Using laminated pine that's pressure-treated really made a big difference. We're very, very happy about that.” As a sail-training vessel under U.S. Coast Guard inspection, the Niagara is required to be inspected out of the water twice in a five-year period, with no inspection interval exceeding three years. Before its October dry docking in Cleveland, the Niagara's last such inspection was in the fall of 2013. Funds generated from the Flagship Niagara League's September 2016 Tall Ships Erie Festival paid for the Cleveland maintenance inspection, which cost less than $100,000, Sabatini said. Former Gov. Tom Corbett announced in May 2014 the Niagara would receive a $4.8 million, state-funded overhaul that would make the vessel seaworthy for another 25 years. Sabatini said work on that planned refit of the Niagara, which would include a complete rebuild of the hull, likely won't start until fall 2019 at the earliest. "The plan for the refit was always going to be from the water line up, and that's where we want to replace everything,” said Sabatini, who begins his fourth season as the Niagara's captain. "Between now and then, we just keep dealing with all the rot as it comes.” The Niagara will offer 24 public-day sails and 11 school-day sails this season. Because of a 2016 sailing season laden with Tall Ships appearances throughout the Great Lakes ports, the Niagara was able to offer only 12 public-day sails and four school-day sails in 2016. "Traditionally, in Tall Ships festival years, we have less time in town, so we try and make it up to the community in non-Tall Ships years, so that is why our numbers are doubled this season,” Flagship Niagara League Executive Director Shawn Waskiewicz said. The Flagship Niagara League will offer its community Discovery Day on May 6, when admission to the Erie Maritime Museum and tours aboard the Niagara are free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children's activities and crafts are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sabatini and a veteran crew took the Niagara on seven sail-training voyages on four of the five Great Lakes this past summer, most of which coincided with the vessel's several Tall Ships festival visits. The Niagara sailed more than 5,000 miles in 2016. Port visits included Chicago; Duluth, Minnesota; Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Bay City, Mich. This season's sailing schedule includes visits to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, June 16-18; Bath, Ontario, July 6-9; Sorel Tracy, Quebec, July 14-16; Quebec City, Quebec, July 18-23; Rochester, New York, July 28-31; Port Colborne, Ontario, Aug. 4-6; Put-in-Bay, Ohio, Aug. 16-17, and Cleveland, Aug. 19-20. "We are doing something big this year. We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada,” Sabatini said. "That's a pretty big deal. That's why we're visiting mostly Canadian ports. Quebec City is going to be a massive festival. They're talking about bringing 40 tall ships in, which will be the largest festival I've ever been to.” The Quebec City event is an international Tall Ships festival. "Our Erie festival has nine or 10 ships, and the Chicago Tall Ships festival has about 15 ships, but Quebec City is expecting 40 tall ships, and the Niagara is probably going to be one of the smaller ships there,” Waskiewicz said. Erie Times-News |
Updates - April 8 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 8 08 April 1871, NAVARINO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 184 foot, 761 tons, built in 1871, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) entered service for the Goodrich Transportation Company. She only lasted until 09 October 1871, since she burned in the Great Chicago Fire. BAY CITY (wooden propeller stem barge, 152 foot, 262 gross tons, built in 1867, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) had just been rebuilt at Bay City and then refitted at Fitzgerald & Leighton’s yard in Port Huron, Michigan. On 08 April 1871, (some sources give the date as 10 April 1871), on her first trip out from the shipyard, she caught fire and burned to the water line. She was rebuilt again and lasted until 1891, when she burned again. The sea trials for AMERICAN REPUBLIC were conducted in Green Bay on April 8 thru 10, May 4 thru 11 and 18, 1981. Interlake Steamship Co.’s steamer J. A. CAMPBELL of 1913, was the first bulk carrier to load taconite pellets that were shipped from Reserve Mining’s Davis Works at Silver Bay, Minn., on April 8, 1956. In 1957, Great Lakes Steamship stockholders voted to sell the entire 16-ship fleet to four fleets. In 1977 at Toledo, G.A. TOMLINSON required an estimated $235,000 to outfit her machinery for the upcoming season. On April 8, 1905, Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s steamer a.) ELBERT H. GARY (Hull#66) was launched by the Chicago Ship Building Co. Renamed b.) R.E. WEBSTER in 1963, she was scrapped in 1973 at Santander, Spain. In 1969, LEON FALK JR. entered Duluth harbor to become the first vessel to arrive from the lower lake region opening the 1969, shipping season at the head of the lakes. She loaded almost 20,700 tons of iron ore bound for Great Lakes Steel’s Zug Island in Detroit. April 8, 1998 - An unidentified worker was injured in a fall aboard the CITY OF MIDLAND 41, while it was being converted to a barge in Muskegon. April 8, 1871, was a bad day on the St. Clair River. The schooner A MOSHER had favorable winds, so the captain decided to save the cost of a tow and sail up the St. Clair River without assistance from a tug. In the strong current at Port Huron, the vessel hit some old dock timbers, went out of control and collided with the down bound 3-masted schooner H.C. POST. The POST's main and fore masts were carried away in the collision. After some vehement arguing, the MOSHER sailed on while the POST anchored in mid-river while her skipper went ashore. The schooner JESSE ANDERSON then sailed out of the Black River and rammed right into the side of the POST. This finished the wrecking of the POST's aft mast. The ANDERSON went out of control and went aground on the riverbank. The tug GEORGE H. PARKER tried to assist the ANDERSON, but she also got stuck on the mud bank. It was several hours before everything got cleaned up and river traffic was back to normal. The steam ferry JULIA, owned by C. Mc Elroy of St. Clair, Michigan, started running between St. Clair and Courtright, Ontario on 8 April 1878. She was formerly named U S SURVEYOR. Before JULIA took over this service, the ferries R.F. CHILDS and MARY MILLS served in this capacity. The steamer f.) MANCOX (steel propeller crane freighter, 255 foot, 1,614 gross tons, built in 1903, at Superior, Wisconsin, as a.) H.G. DALTON) of Yankcanuck Steamship Lines was first through the Soo Locks for the 1958, season at 7:05 a.m. on 8 April 1958. In locking through the Canadian lock, the MANCOX became the first ship to come through the new lock gates, which were installed during the winter months. The American Soo Locks had been ready for traffic since March 26, but the Canadian lock had the first ship. 1941: The newly-built PRINS WILLEM II first came to the Great Lakes in May 1939. There was a mutiny on board at Sandusky, Ohio, in June 1940, as the crew did not want to return to their now-occupied homeland. The ship was torpedoed off Cape Farewell, Greenland, on April 8, 1941, while travelling from Halifax to London. An estimated 10-12 members of the crew perished. 1942: The first NOVADOC was sailing as g) ARA when it hit a mine and sank off Borkum, Germany, while en route from Gothenburg, Sweden, to Rotterdam, Holland in 1942. The ship had been built as CANADIAN PATHFINDER and was listed as Hull 69 of the Collingwood shipyard. It had also sailed the Great Lakes as b) NORMAN M. PATERSON and c) NOVADOC (i) before being sold to British interests in 1927. 1982: The Canadian-owned QUEBEC came through the Seaway in 1969. It had been built in 1959 as ALICE BOWATER but never came inland under that name. It was sailing as d) BLUE SEA when there was an engine room explosion and fire on April 8, 1982, in the Mediterranean near the Kerkennah Islands in the Gulf of Gabes off Tunisia. The gutted hull was towed to Sfax, Tunisia, on April 12. It was sold for scrap and arrived at Bizerta, Tunisia, for dismantling on July 7, 1984. 2001: The CHERYL C., the fifth name for the ship, was carrying a cargo of steel when it sank on April 8, 2001. The vessel ran aground near Peniche, Portugal, north of Lisbon, due to a navigational error. The 1597 gross ton ship had been built in 1983 and came through the Seaway, under Barbados registry, for the first time on April 22, 1998, with clay for Ashtabula. It made its last inland voyage in November 1999. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
U.S. Army Corps optimistic about a new Soo Lock 4/7 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are optimistic that federal funding will eventually make it to Sault Ste. Marie for the construction of a new lock. Kevin Sprague, the Sault Area Engineer for the Corps, told attendees at a Tuesday morning construction summit that efforts to secure the funding “have a tremendous amount of support right now.” The summit, held in Lake Superior State University’s Cisler Center, was sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation. Sprague said an economic reevaluation report on building the new lock is underway and should be completed by December. He added that the move was necessary since several factors have changed since an earlier evaluation was done several years ago showing a relatively low benefit-to-cost ratio. “Theoretically, we could start getting money really quickly,” Sprague said. He later estimated that the new lock would cost around $600 million. Meanwhile Joanne Gray, chief of construction and technical support for the Corps’ Sault office, discussed what building a new lock could mean for contractors. She said although an out-of-town company could ultimately be hired to lead the project, local firms would be in line for multiple sub-contractor roles. Plus, Gray said, out-of-town workers could mean a boon for transient housing and local merchants. Gray noted that, even if the federal funding is secured, it would take at least 10 years before the new lock could start operating. That means the current locks, the MacArthur and Poe, must be maintained to keep critical Great Lakes shipping lanes open. She ran down a list of projects which might be necessary in the coming years, including an anchor gate replacement and new fill/empty valve on the MacArthur Lock, and a gate replacement on the Poe Lock. In addition, pier rehabilitation, steam plant modernization, and backup generator replacement could be in the works. Gray also outlined some of the repairs which have already been completed in recent years, like an anchor gate replacement on the Poe Lock and a new electrical system on the MacArthur Lock. Proponents of a new Soo Lock insist it is necessary because the current ones are growing old and outdated. The MacArthur was built in 1943, and the Poe followed it 1968. Soo Evening News |
Port Reports - April 7
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Goderich, Ont.
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Hamilton – Barry Andersen |
Iroquios Dam closed until further notice 4/7 - Cornwall, Ont. – Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is advising users of the St. Lawrence River that the gates at Iroquois Dam was closed Thursday and it will remain closed until further notice. Boaters are advised that they will need to use the Iroquois Lock for passage. The gates at Iroquois Dam are being lowered to control increasing water levels on Lake St. Lawrence upstream of Cornwall. This notification is in accordance with the operating regulations of the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control. OPG Handout |
Tugs cover 3,000 miles battling waves, seasickness to reach Muskegon 4/7 - Muskegon, Mich. – Two tugboats recently took up residence at Mart Dock in Muskegon. Their arrival marked the end of a blustery cold 21-day, 3,000-mile journey from Staten Island, N.Y. Up to 20-foot-tall Atlantic Ocean waves, an ongoing battle with seasickness and a snapped towing cable while traversing Lake Michigan helped create a memorable, yet sometimes scary, trip. The long-awaited arrival was finally celebrated by the crew with whiskey at Mart Dock. The additions of the twin Katie G. McAllister (1966) and Colleen McAllister (1968) tugs brings Port City Marine Services' fleet total to four, said Capt. Ed Hogan, vice president of the company, who led the journey from New York. Read more and see photos at this link: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2017/04/two_tug_boats_arrived_in_muske.html |
Canadian boaters and paddlers urged to get NEXUS card 4/7 - Windsor, Ont. – Boaters planning to float down the Detroit River are being warned to notify officials if they cross the invisible border before coming back to Canada. The caution comes courtesy of a new interpretation of the "in transit exemption," according to former commodore of the Windsor Power and Sail Squadron, Alan Johnson. "Call in more frequently than you probably think you probably should, and make sure you have all your identification with you and a phone or radio with you so you can call in," said Johnson, adding his advice applies to everyone on the water, from boats to paddle boards. "When you cross the ... dotted line, you are supposed to call back in upon entering Canada," he explained. Word of the change comes after a recent meeting between Windsor boaters, RCMP and officials from both sides of the border where Windsor residents expressed confusion over the rules. In a statement sent to CBC, the CBSA said failure to report returning to Canada could lead to detention, seizure of a boat or a hefty fine. "The minimum fine for failing to report to the CBSA upon entry to Canada is $1,000," the statement said. Johnson said Canada's regulations are actually more strict than those of the Americans, who only expect boaters to check in if they drop anchor in the U.S. or come ashore. "I believe the law was always there," he said, adding he believes more people have been caught by the coast guard for not checking in. "It's just it's kind of being more enforced and interpreted to the letter of the law right now." CBC |
National Museum of the Great Lakes makes donation to BGSU University Libraries 4/7 - Toledo, Ohio – The University Libraries at Bowling Green State University has greatly expanded its collection of Great Lakes research materials thanks to a significant donation from the National Museum of the Great Lakes, which is owned and operated by the Great Lakes Historical Society. More than 160 cubic feet of photos, pamphlets, slides, bound materials, postcards and archival materials have found a new home in the Libraries' Historical Collections of the Great Lakes (HCGL), housed within the Center for Archival Collection. "We are grateful to the National Museum of the Great Lakes for entrusting us with their extensive collection, and we are excited that the consolidation of their materials with our existing Great Lakes archives has now created the largest collection of its kind on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes," said Mary Ellen Mazey, Ph.D., president of Bowling Green State University. These additional materials bolster the already robust offering of Great Lakes-related research and artifacts curated by the University Libraries at BGSU. "The Great Lakes materials recently donated to HCGL is a wonderful addition to our holdings and provides many opportunities for collaboration between BGSU, the National Museum of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Historical Society," said University Libraries Dean Sara A. Bushong. The addition of these materials to BGSU also will make University Libraries a major research destination in the U.S. for Great Lakes history. "The added scope and depth of the HCGL collection expands research opportunities for BGSU students and faculty, National Museum of the Great Lakes staff and patrons, as well as researchers from beyond campus," said retired HCGL archivist Bob Graham, who played an instrumental role in bringing the collection to BGSU. "Both organizations view this donation as the first step in an evolving partnership involving students, faculty and museum staff." Potential areas of collaboration include internships, lectures series, exhibits, new courses and digital galleries. "The merging of these incredible archival collections is just the beginning of a long, synergistic journey between our two organizations that will both preserve Great Lakes history, but more importantly, elevate the perception of Great Lakes history in our national culture," said Christopher Gillcrist, National Museum of the Great Lakes Executive Director. "This collaboration will help ensure the understanding of the role Great Lake history has played in our national story." "The archival collection that we donated to BGSU represents over 70 years of library-based materials donated to and acquired by our organization," said Anna Kolin, development director for the National Museum of the Great Lakes. "By merging it with a large university, it increases its access to those looking to do research on Great Lakes topics, which is why, in part, BGSU was chosen." Bowling Green State University |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 7 On April 7, 1997, LEE A. TREGURTHA suffered an 18-foot hull fracture in her port bow near the bowthruster tunnel while downbound in the upper St. Marys River due to heavy ice. She proceeded to the De Tour Coal Dock, where repairs were made overnight and she continued on her trip on April 8, 1997. On 07 April 1906, the Goodrich Transportation Company, which was incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin in 1868, was dissolved and a new company, the Goodrich Transit Company, was incorporated under the laws of the state of Maine. This was just for financial reasons, and other than the name and the port of registry of the vessels, everything else remained the same. The vessels in the company at the time were CHICAGO, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, CITY OF RACINE, GEORGIA, INDIANA, IOWA, SHEBOYGAN, VIRGINIA, and tug ARCTIC. Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd.'s new CANADIAN TRANSPORT was christened April 7, 1979. The tanker ROBERT W. STEWART, b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN was delivered to Standard Oil Co. on April 7, 1928, as the second largest tanker in service at the time of her launch. JAMES LAUGHLIN (Hull#16) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works was launched April 7, 1906, for the Interstate Steamship Co., Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. Later renamed b.) HELEN EVANS, she was scrapped at Cartagena, Columbia, in 1983. The EMORY L. FORD was sold on April 7, 1965, to the Reiss Steamship Co., and renamed b) RAYMOND H. REISS, the last vessel purchased by Reiss. TEXACO BRAVE of 1929 arrived at Ramey's Bend from Toronto on April 7, 1975, in tow of tugs G. W. ROGERS and BAGOTVILLE for scrapping. In 1974, the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s steamer THOMAS W. LAMONT loaded the initial shipment of ore for the season at the D.M. & I.R. ore docks in Duluth. On 7 April 1871, the tug S.V.R. WATSON was towing the schooner S.G. SIMMONS out of Chicago harbor at noon when the WATSON stalled. The schooner plowed into her broadside, causing the tug to tip on her beam ends, take on water and sink. Four men were trapped below decks and drowned; two survived. The WATSON was later raised and returned to service. On 7 April 1873, the contract for the building of a new carferry, MICHIGAN, for the Great Western Railway was awarded to the Jenkins Brothers of Windsor, Ontario. The new vessel was planned for service on the Detroit River. Her engines were built at Montreal by Canada Engine Works for a cost of $100,000. The hull alone cost $600,000. Although the locks are not scheduled to open until Thursday, 12 April 1962, the Canadian Sault harbor was officially opened Saturday, 7 April 1962, when the tanker IMPERIAL LONDON pulled into the Imperial dock between the two hospitals. Captain Russell Knight accepted the traditional silk top hat. The IMPERIAL LONDON, carrying almost 1,000,000 gallons of gasoline, led the IMPERIAL SIMCOE, loaded with 19,000 barrels of fuel oil for household heating, up the St. Marys River to the Sault. 1941: The PORTADOC had been requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport and was en route from Saint John, NB, to Sierra Leone with a cargo of coal when it was torpedoed by U-124 off the coast of Africa. The crew spent six days on the open sea before landing at French Guinea. They were taken prisoner by the Vichy French forces and the Chief Engineer died before there was a prisoner of war exchange. The vessel, part of the Paterson fleet, had also sailed on the Great Lakes as a) EUGENE C. ROBERTS and b) JAMES B. FOOTE. 1968: CAPTAIN LEONIDIS ran aground in the Messier Channel, Chile, while travelling from Santos, Brazil, to Valparaiso, Chile. The vessel stranded April 7, 1968, and became a total loss. It had first come to the Great Lakes as the Norwegian freighter d) FANA in 1964 and returned as e) CAPTAIN LEONIDIS in 1966. The hull remains aground and appears to have been used by the Chilean Navy for target practice. 1979: GEHEIMRAT SARTORI dated from 1951 and had been a pre-Seaway caller to the Great Lakes. It returned through the new waterway for three trips in 1959 and was sailing as c) SEA ROVER when it was lost on this date in 1979. The cargo shifted in heavy weather on the Mediterranean while the ship was en route from Civitavecchia, Italy, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It sank about eight miles off Punta Cornacchia. Data from: Skip Gillham Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
John B. Aird arrives at Montreal; scrap sale is next 4/6 - Montreal, Que. – After unloading salt at Ogdensburg and Prescott, John B. Aird docked in Montreal Wednesday at Section 37. Although no official announcement has been made by owner Algoma Central Corp., crewmembers have said on social media the vessel will be sold for scrap. The Aird was constructed as a joint effort between two shipyards. The 610’ stern section was built as hull #224 at Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, Ont. The keel was laid for this section on April 29, 1982 and launched in a formal ceremony on October 21, 1982. On board for the launching was the vessel’s namesake Mr. John Black Aird, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Ontario at that time. The stern section cleared Collingwood under tow of tugs Wilfred M. Cohen and John McLean on April 15, 1983 bound for Port Arthur Shipyards, Thunder Bay, Ont., to be mated up with her 120’ bow section. The new vessel was christened John B. Aird in a quiet ceremony on June 3, 1983 at Thunder Bay for Algoma Central Railway, Marine Division, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. |
High winds, waves forecast; USCG urges people to avoid Lake Michigan shoreline 4/6 - Chicago, Ill. – The U.S. Coast Guard, in advance of predicted high winds and heavy surf during the next two days, is advising the public to exercise caution, heed heavy surf warnings, and avoid the shorelines of Lake Michigan. People are urged to remain vigilant and stay away from beaches and off of rocks, jetties and piers as high winds out of the north-northeast are expected to create high waves and heavy, dangerous surf conditions. Large waves crashing onto and near these areas can quickly and unexpectedly sweep a person into the cold water, away from shore and out into the Lake. Wind surfers and other surfers are also advised against heading out onto the lake. “Outdoor enthusiasts and curiosity seekers should stay clear and keep away from the shorelines. Safety is a number one priority,” said Chief Warrant Officer Matthew James, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor. "In addition, mariners are also advised to heed weather warnings. Safe operations in heavy weather requires special equipment, experience and a vessel designed to operate in high seas." Hypothermia is the biggest danger after falling into the water, even if one manages to get out immediately. Hypothermia sets in quickly as the human body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees. Residents are reminded that even after a weather system moves out of the area and the winds subside, heavy surf and high waves on Lake Michigan will typically take an additional day, at least, to calm.
The forecast for Lake Michigan: USCG, NWS |
Port Reports - April 6
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Mackinac Straits
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane, Ben & Chanda McClain
Goderich, Ont.
Detroit, Mich.
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen Hamilton and Toronto – Barry Andersen Hamilton: Florence Spirit arrived at 0145, John D. Leitch arrived at 0530 and departed at 1800. Toronto: Mississagi arrived 1921. |
PortsToronto marks arrival of the first ship with 156th annual Beaver Hat ceremony 4/6 - Toronto, Ont. – PortsToronto Harbor Master Angus Armstrong has “crowned” the motor vessel Brant’s Capt. Sergii Kurash with an antique silk and beaver top hat at the 156th annual Beaver Hat Ceremony at Redpath Refinery. The annual ceremony dates back to the mid-1800s and celebrates the arrival of the Port of Toronto’s first ocean-going vessel of the season. This year, the Brant won the race to be the first ship to port, bringing more than 19,692 metric tonnes of sugar from Nicaragua’s Corinto to Redpath Sugar. “Since 1793, the Port of Toronto has served as Toronto’s gateway to the St. Lawrence Seaway and to marine ports around the world,” said Geoffrey Wilson, president and CEO, PortsToronto. “From the sugar we use to sweeten our coffee to the salt used on our roads to keep drivers safe during the winter months to the concrete used to support Toronto's booming construction industry, the goods delivered through Toronto's Port have a significant impact on the people, projects, and industries of Toronto.” “Canfornav Inc. has been carrying bulk sugar into Toronto on behalf of Redpath Sugar for some 16 years,” added Knud Jensen, executive VP of Canfornav Inc. “During this period our ships have brought in about 4 million tonnes over the course of some 190 voyages to Toronto, so this is not the first time that one of our vessels has opened the navigation season in the Port of Toronto. We value our relationship with Redpath and the Port of Toronto and we look forward to years of continued co-operation and many more of our captains being crowned with the antique Beaver Top Hat.” Ports Toronto |
Big ships underway from Milwaukee and Green Bay 4/6 - Milwaukee, Wis. – The Great Lakes shipping season is underway in Milwaukee and Green Bay, with the first foreign-flag ship of the year expected at the Port of Milwaukee soon. One of the largest lake freighters, the Stewart J. Cort, has left Milwaukee from its winter layover, signaling the start of the shipping season here. The first ocean-going vessel will arrive in the next couple of weeks with a load of steel from Europe, returning home with Wisconsin grain. Most of that grain comes from farms located within 90 miles of Milwaukee, said Port Director Paul Vornholt. The port has some of the largest cranes on the Great Lakes, allowing it to move large, heavy items, including mining equipment, wind turbines, coils of steel and tons of grain. Earlier this year, the port installed a new Manitowoc crawler crane that can lift up to 300 tons. The $2.7 million model 2250 crane was delivered in late 2016, joining the port’s complement of other crawler, gantry and derrick cranes. The largest vessels on the lakes can unload 70,000 tons of cargo in 12 hours or less. Prior to self-unloading, it would have taken days to empty a ship of a cargo of that size. Milwaukee is the only Great Lakes port in Wisconsin that unloads foreign steel. It’s a custom product not available domestically, according to Vornholt. The steel business has been strong the past couple of years, he said, indicating that local manufacturers using the raw material have been doing well. “Our outlook for steel seems to be holding its own, or slightly better,” Vornholt said. The first ocean-going vessel has left the Port of Green Bay, bound for Quebec, Canada, with a load of ethanol. There are 14 port businesses located along three miles of the Fox River and the Port of Green Bay. Those businesses move about 2 million tons of cargo on more than 200 ships each year. Some years, three of every four ships leave docks on the Great Lakes "light loaded" because harbors and connecting channels aren’t dredged to proper depths and widths. Ships have been unable to make deliveries to the port in Waukegan, Ill., because of insufficient harbor depth. There have been times when coal could not be delivered to a power plant in Holland, Mich., because of a buildup of harbor silt. But that’s not the case this year in Milwaukee and Green Bay, according to the port directors. The Port of Green Bay had a huge increase in handling petroleum products in 2016, up more than 1,400%, because of the closing of a petroleum pipeline serving northeast Wisconsin. Prior to the closure, the port exported diesel, gasoline and ethanol to other markets. Now, “the exports have flipped to imports to meet the demand for petroleum products,” said Green Bay Port Director Dean Haen. The 2016 Great Lakes shipping season tied a record for the longest navigation period on the lakes, with 286 days of ship traffic. Journal Sentinel |
Lake Superior’s level drops in March 4/6 - Duluth, Minn. – Little falling snow and little snow on the ground to melt left Lake Superior with a below-normal water supply in March and caused the lake to drop more than usual. The International Lake Superior Board of Control reported Tuesday that the big lake dropped two inches in March, a month it usually drops less than a half-inch. Lake Superior is four inches below the level of April 1, 2016, but is still 6 inches above the average for April 1. The big lake almost always rises from April to September before it begins a fall and winter decline each year. The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron rose two inches in March, the usual increase for the lakes that sit six inches lower than April 1, 2016, but still 10 inches above the long-term average for this time of year. Duluth News Tribune |
Thunder Bay port opens season on a high note 4/6 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – The Port of Thunder Bay saw more than 260,000 metric tonnes of cargo transited the port during March. The port opened with a strong shipping start to the navigation season, which opened on March 24 with the arrival of the first cargo ship, the motor vessel Manitoulin. The March volumes are above the ten-year-average of 117,000 metric tonnes, but historical results for the month do vary because of unpredictable weather and ice conditions. In a release, the Thunder Bay Port Authority officials stated the majority of the cargo shipped was carried over grain from last year’s strong prairie harvest. Other shipments included outbound coal and an inbound load of road salt to replenish the stock for local use. Port officials are anticipating steady cargo shipments through the month of April. Keefer Terminal, the port’s general and project cargo hub is anticipating its first marine shipment, a load of electrical transformers, in mid-April. ThunderBayWatch |
Updates - April 6 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 6 The a.) LOUIS R. DAVIDSON (Hull#95) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works was launched April 6, 1912, for the American Steamship Co. Later renamed b.) DIAMOND ALKALI in 1932, c.) DOW CHEMICAL in 1939 and d.) FERNDALE in 1963. She was scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1979. April 6, 1931 - The CITY OF FLINT 32 set a world record sailing 101,000 miles in her first year of service. On 6 April 1872, the schooner I.N. FOSTER was launched from the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard at Port Huron, Michigan. She was classified as a "full-sized canaller" since she was as large as a vessel could be to pass through the Welland Canal. Her dimensions were 143 foot overall, 26 foot inch beam, 11 foot 6 inch depth, 437 tons. 1942: The CANADIAN FARMER was Hull 65 of the Collingwood shipyard and it was launched there on December 27, 1919. The vessel was sailing as c) SHIN KUANG when it was sunk by Japanese surface naval forces on the Bay of Bengal. 1949: FORT WILLDOC of the Paterson fleet and the JAMES E. McALPINE of the Brown Steamship Co. collided in Lake Superior, above Whitefish Point, on this date. Both ships were damaged and needed repairs. 1972: The freighter STAR OF REWIAH had been built at Collingwood as Hull 105 and launched as the corvette H.M.S. COMFREY on July 28, 1942. The ship was later converted to a cargo carrier and was sailing under this sixth name when it ran aground off the Ashrafi Lighthouse in the Gulf of Suez and declared a total loss on this date in 1972. It was traveling in ballast from Suez, Egypt, to Safaga, Egypt, at the time. 1978: The self-unloader TARANTAU was blown aground due to the wind and shifting ice pack in Lake Huron above Port Huron and had to be freed by the tug BARBARA ANN. 1979: A violent spring storm found LABRADOC (ii) on Lake Erie where the cargo shifted and the vessel took on a precarious list. All on board were removed fearing the ship would roll over and sink. But it survived and was towed to safety eventually undergoing repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks. The vessel left Great Lakes service in 1988 and operated on deep sea runs as b) FALCON CREST until scrapping at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, in 1994. 1992: An explosion and fire in the tunnel of HALIFAX occurred while the CSL ship was upbound in the St. Marys River. One sailor was killed and two more injured while the ship sustained internal damage. It went to Thunder Bay for repairs. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, “Ahoy & Farewell II,” the Father Dowling Collection, the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University, 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. |
Duluth welcomes first saltie of the season 4/5 - Duluth, Minn. – The first oceangoing vessel to reach Duluth this shipping season was celebrated Monday with the traditional ceremony to mark the milestone. The Lake Ontario took on a load of wheat at Riverland Ag/Duluth Storage on Rice's Point on Monday, after officially passing beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge on Sunday evening. Dignitaries including Duluth Mayor Emily Larson gathered aboard the ship on Monday for the ceremony, presenting the crew with several gifts. Thanks to a relatively mild winter and early spring, the Lake Ontario arrived just a few days after the record for the earliest saltie in the Twin Ports. The earliest recorded arrival of a saltie in Duluth was the Federal Hunter, which reached Duluth on March 30, 2013. The record for the latest first saltie is held by the Diana, which arrived on May 7, 2014. The 606-foot Lake Ontario flies the flag of Antigua and Barbuda; its crew of 21 is under the command of Capt. Costelus Morosanu. The ship dropped off cargo in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before entering the St. Lawrence Seaway system for the journey to Duluth, where it spent some time anchored on Lake Superior over the weekend before moving into the harbor. The saltie was scheduled to leave the Twin Ports Tuesday in the late afternoon or early evening hours, taking its load of wheat across the Atlantic to Italy. Duluth News Tribune |
Port Reports - April 5
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Calcite and Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Cleveland, Ohio – Nick Hunter
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Toronto and Oshawa, Ont. – Barry Andersen |
County seizes ex McLouth Steel plant after owners failed to pay $3.7M in back taxes 4/5 - Trenton, Mich. – Citing millions owed in back taxes, the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office seized the former McLouth Steel facility in Trenton last Friday. Detroit Steel Co. owned the property along West Jefferson Avenueand failed to pay $3.7 million in taxes, treasury spokesman Bruce Babiarz said. “The Wayne County Treasurer has foreclosed on that property and now owns that property,” Babiarz said. “The treasurer’s team will evaluate the property and determine whether to put it up for auction or to list it for sale.” It's been 20 years since the property was in operation as McLouth Steel, but it's colloquially still known by that name. The steelmaker filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Under Detroit Steel Co.'s ownership, the site was used for manufacturing and importing and exporting of various goods like metals, salts and plastics. The site has been a point of contention for many, however, including, the Trenton City Council, which sued Detroit Steel Co. in 2014 for allowing prohibited activities at the site without the council’s consent. The council and Detroit Steel Co. eventually settled in early 2015. Wayne County Commissioner Joseph Palamara, whose district includes Trenton, praised the treasurer's action. "It has sat in that condition for way too long," he said. "Anybody else who takes ownership and makes an endeavor to clean it up for reuse is a positive." Trenton Mayor Kyle Stack said McLouth once was one of the city's biggest taxpayers, but she's been unable to count on that money for years. Getting the property into new hands – and back on the city's tax roll – is a priority for her, she said. |
Great Lakes Towing names G-Tug photo contest winners 4/5 - The Great Lakes Towing Company has announced the winners and honorable mentions for the Second Annual G-Tug Photo Contest. The company invited fans to participate in the contest from April 3, 2016 to the end of the 2016/2017 Great Lakes navigation season when the Soo Locks closed on January 15. Over 128 entries were submitted. The company thanks all contest participants. View photos of the first, second and third place winners as well as honorable mentions at www.thegreatlakesgroup.com/winners Great Lakes Towing Co. |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 5 On 05 April 1890, INDIANA (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 220 foot, 1,178 gross tons) was launched by Burger and Burger at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Goodrich Transportation Company. The total cost of the vessel was $135,000. On April 5, 1984, the joined sections of the HILDA MARJANNE and CHIMO emerged from Port Weller Dry Dock Ltd., as the b.) CANADIAN RANGER. Sea trials for Canada Steamship Lines new bulk freighter, PRAIRIE HARVEST (Hull#227) of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., were complete on April 5, 1984. She operates on the Lakes today as the self-unloader d.) ATLANTIC HURON. The a.) LUZON (Hull#54) of the Chicago Ship Building Co. was launched for the Erie Steamship Co., E.D. Carter, mgr., on April 5, 1902. Renamed b.) JOHN ANDERSON in 1924 and c.) G. G. POST in 1933. She was scrapped at Izmir, Turkey, in 1972. April 5, 1977 - The Chessie System announced that the CITY OF MIDLAND 41 would be withdrawn from service and only the SPARTAN and BADGER would run for the season. On 5 April 1854, AMERICA (wooden side-wheeler, 240 foot, 1,083 tons, built in 1847, at Port Huron, Michigan) was bound for Cleveland from Detroit. After the captain had set her course and gone to bed, the 2nd mate changed the course to the north. The 1st and 2nd mates disagreed about the course and as they awoke the captain, the ship ran aground near Point Pelee, Ontario. Wave action reduced the vessel to rubble but no lives were lost. On 5 April 1879, the 3-mast wooden schooner RESUMPTION was launched at the Wolf & Davidson yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her dimensions were 143 foot x 29 foot x 10 feet, 294 gross tons, 279 net tons. April 5, 1962, the tanker ROBERT W. STEWART was renamed b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN, The WILLIAM P. COWAN was renamed b.) AMOCO ILLINOIS, the EDWARD G. SEUBERT was renamed b.) AMOCO WISCONSIN and the RED CROWN was renamed b.) AMOCO INDIANA, after being transferred from Standard Oil Company in a sale to the American Oil Company for $10 for each ship. Each ship traded in their names and their well-known red superstructure for a typical white paint job which stuck with them until their end. The only change came to the AMOCO INDIANA when she traded in her black hull for the blue paint of c.) MEDUSA CONQUEST, d.) SOUTHDOWN CONQUEST, e.) CEMEX CONQUEST and f.) ST MARYS CONQUEST. She operates today as a self - unloading cement barge. 1921: The Imperial Oil tanker IMPOCO (ii) had combined Great Lakes and coastal trading and had gone as far afield as the Mediterranean Sea and the Falkland Islands during World War One. The 8-year old vessel stranded at Blonde Rock, Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, on this date in 1921 while en route from Halifax to Saint John with a cargo of gasoline. The ship was lightered, salvaged on May 4, and beached at Charles Harbour and then at Halifax as not worth repair. The hull was apparently not scrapped until 1953. 1983: The small Finnish freighter KENITRA visited the Great Lakes in 1957. It was abandoned by her crew in the Red Sea while sailing as d) ALASKA on this date in 1983. It had developed a severe list while traveling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Mersin, Turkey, and sank the same day. 1996: The Liberian freighter STEEL FLOWER ran aground in the St. Lawrence near Wellesley Island while upbound on this date in 1996 and was stuck for two days. The ship had also been a Seaway trader as a) FEDERAL RHINE (i) from 1978 to 1992, as STEEL FLOWER from 1994 to 1996 and as c) NARRAGANSETT from 1997 to 1999 before going to Alang, India, for scrap later in 1999. 1999: The PATERSON (ii) ran aground in Lake St. Francis and was stuck for two days. The ship went to Les Mechins, QC for repairs and returned to work on May 13. The vessel now sails for Canada Steamship Lines as b) PINEGLEN (ii). 1999: ALGONTARIO ran aground at Johnsons Point in the St. Mary's River while upbound with a load of cement from Clarkson to Duluth. The ship was released April 7 and, after unloading, was laid up at Thunder Bay until eventual repairs and a return to service on October 10, 2004. The vessel was towed to Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping in 2011. Data from: Skip Gilham, Steve Haverty, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection and the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
Algoma Strongfield begins delivery trip from China to Canada 4/4 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Algoma Central Corporation has announced that the Algoma Strongfield has completed preparations and has now begun its delivery voyage to Canada. The ship is expected to enter service as part of the Algoma Bulker Pool in June. Algoma Strongfield will make the journey to Canada under foreign flag and will be re-flagged and crewed by Canadian seafarers when she reaches Canada. The ship will join its Equinox Class sister ships, the Algoma Equinox, the Algoma Harvester, along with the G3 Marquis, owned by G3 Canada Limited and will service the company's agriculture and iron ore trades. "We are looking forward to the Algoma Strongfield's arrival in Canada this summer," said Ken Bloch Soerensen, Algoma president and CEO. "The completion and delivery of this ship was delayed by the bankruptcy of the shipyard at which she was being built; however, liquidation of the shipyard enabled us to acquire the vessel at an attractive price.” The Algoma fleet now includes four of the original Equinox Class series of gearless bulker carriers. Seven additional Equinox Class vessels, including two 650' self-unloaders and five 740' self-unloaders are currently under construction. Two of these ships are scheduled to be delivered in time to enter service during 2017. Algoma Central Corporation |
Giant mural on CSL St-Laurent celebrates Canada's 150th 4/4 - St. Catharines, Ont. – A five-storey mural of a colourful Canada goose on the front of Canada Steamship Lines’ CSL St-Laurent was a first for the artists who came together to create it, a first for the shipping company and a first for a Canadian commercial vessel, says the company. “The Sea Keeper/Gardien des eaux is an original work of art conceived by Montreal urban artist Bryan Beyung and created by Beyung with artists FONKi, Ankh One, and Benny Wilding of the Ashop art collective. The monumental mural was created over a few weeks – a feat which is in itself is worth noting – and required the ingenuity of CSL's technical team to make it a success,” the company says on its website. The mural is that of a Canada goose, wings spread in flight, which can found along the shorelines of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway and the routes the Montreal-based shipping travels while carrying mainly loads of grain. Each artist weaved their individual styles into the piece, which “combines cultures and styles that evoke Montreal’s and Canada’s diversity.” The mural was unveiled on March 20, when CSL St-Laurent was the first ship to transit the St. Lambert lock in Montreal. Over the weekend, the bulk carrier made its way down the Welland Canal, bound for Quebec, with people stopping to take photos of the vessel and its giant mural as it passed by. The company says the painting is a tribute to both the city of Montreal and Canada, as they celebrate their 375th and 150th anniversaries respectively. It’s also a tribute to the roles of the St. Lawrence Seaway, marine transport, and CSL itself in building the nation and the city. “CSL chose CSL St-Laurent to host the tribute to Montreal and Canada because her name honors the St. Lawrence River, and her state-of-the-art technology and seamanship represent the new generation of high-performing, environmentally-responsible cargo vessels.” View photos of the mural at this link: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/04/03/giant-mural-celebrates-canadas-150th |
Port Reports - April 4
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn. – Daniel Lindner
Alpena, Mich. – Ben & Chanda McClain
Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen |
Coast Guard begins Operation Spring Restore throughout Great Lakes system 4/4 - Cleveland, Ohio – Coast Guard aids to navigation teams throughout the Ninth Coast Guard District began restoring the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway aids to navigation March 28. Slightly more than 11 percent of the operation has been completed. Operation Spring Restore involves placing approximately 1,216 navigational aids, including lighted and unlighted buoys and beacons. Roughly half of the aids in the region are taken out of service during the winter due to decreased vessel traffic and to minimize damage from ice and inclement weather. This is known as Operation Fall Retrieve. The aids put into service during Operation Spring Restore are all floating aids. All have a purpose and help in determining location, as well as facilitating the safe transit of more than 100 million tons of cargo between U.S. ports in the Great Lakes and to international ports via the St. Lawrence Seaway and Atlantic Ocean. The Ninth District’s aids to navigation system ensures safe and efficient maritime activity on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway regions by marking safe passage for domestic, international, commercial and recreational vessel traffic. On the Great Lakes, the Coast Guard manages 2,557 federal aids. To accomplish Operation Spring Restore, the Ninth District uses six U.S. Coast Guard cutters, five aids-to-navigation teams and two small boat stations with aids to navigation duties. The Coast Guard is assisted in this endeavor by the Lamplighters (a group of civilian employees who manage the inland waters of northern Minnesota), the Canadian Coast Guard and the St. Lawrence Seaway Corporation. The Coast Guard Auxiliary also helps the district with verification of approximately 1,700 privately-owned aids to navigation in the region. USCG |
Historic Delta Queen riverboat gets Senate approval to resume cruises 4/4 - Washington, D.C. – The historic Delta Queen riverboat has cleared a major hurdle to again cruise U.S. waterways. After years of failed attempts, the U.S. Senate voted 85-12 Monday to waive the safety standards against wooden ships carrying more than 50 passengers overnight — as long as the vessels met new requirements and passed an annual inspection by the Coast Guard. The measure now goes to the House. If those changes are enacted, the 1920s-era Delta Queen will resume its trips along with Mississippi and Ohio rivers, docking in 80 ports including Kimmswick in Jefferson County. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who co-sponsored the measure with Sen. Roy Blunt, pointed to a report that says putting the Delta Queen back in service will create 170 new jobs and deliver a $36 million annual economic boost for the St. Louis region. “The Delta Queen is an important piece of history. The vessel connects us to a time before railroads and highways, when rivers were key arteries of travel and commerce in this country,” McCaskill said on the Senate floor. The 88-room steamship carried three presidents and served as a World War II Navy ship, and it’s been designated a National Historic Landmark. To assuage critics of the measure who have worried the ship poses a fire risk, the measure passed Monday requires the ship’s owners to install new boilers and generators, along with replacing at least 10 percent of the vessel’s flammable material each year. In a statement, Blunt called the Delta Queen a “remarkable part of our nation’s history,” adding that restoring it to full operation will “create jobs, support economic growth, and enhance our state’s tourism industry.” St. Louis Post Dispatch |
Updates - April 4 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 4 04 April 1903: The first steamer to pass upbound through the Straits of Mackinac was the LUZON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 353 foot 3,582 gross tons, built in 1902 at Chicago, Illinois). She was heavily coated with ice, even to the top of the pilothouse due to fighting a gale on Lake Huron. On 04 April 1908, ALEXIS W. THOMPSON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 504 foot, 6,437 gross tons) was launched by West Bay City Shipbuilding Co. (Hull #625) at W. Bay City, Michigan for Valley Steamship Co. (W.H. Becker, Mgr.). She lasted until 1962, when she was towed to Hamilton, Ontario, for scrapping by Steel Co. of Canada, Ltd. The keel was laid at Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on April 4, 1978, for the Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay Norton Co.'s FRED R. WHITE JR (Hull#722). Sea trials of the tanker ROBERT W. STEWART (Hull#802) of American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio were run on April 4, 1928. Renamed b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN in 1962, she was sold off the lakes in 1969 and renamed c.) SHUKHEIR. Scrapped in Egypt in 1989. WILLIAM C. ATWATER (Hull#249) was launched on April 4, 1925, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, for the Wilson Transit Co. Renamed b.) E. J. KULAS in 1936, c.) BEN MOREELL in 1953, d.) THOMAS E. MILLSOP in 1955. Sold Canadian in 1976, renamed e.) E. J. NEWBERRY and f.) CEDARGLEN 1981. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1994. FRED G. HARTWELL (Hull#112) was launched April 4, 1908, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Co., for the Mutual Steamship Co., G. A. Tomlinson, mgr. Renamed b.) HARRY W. CROFT in 1917. Scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1969. Interlake Steamship's E.G. GRACE became the first Maritimer to be sold for scrap when she was acquired by Marine Salvage on April 4, 1984. JEAN-TALON was launched April 4, 1936, as a.) FRANQUELIN (Hull#1517) by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. for the Quebec and Ontario Transportation Co. Ltd. The harbor tug and fire boat EDNA G was launched April 4, 1896, by the Cleveland Ship Building Co., as (Hull#25), for the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad Co. On April 4, 1983, and on April 4, 1984, the WILLIAM CLAY FORD, opened the shipping season at Duluth, Minnesota. While the WILLIAM CLAY FORD was traditionally among the first vessels to visit Duluth-Superior, it was coincidence that she opened the port on the same day during her last two seasons in service. On 4 April 1872, the schooner JOHN WESLEY was launched from Bailey's yard at Toledo, Ohio. She was built for Skidmore & Abairs. She was classed as a full-sized canaller and cost $22,000. On 4 April 1881, the last two vessels of the Northern Transit Company, CHAMPLAIN and LAWRENCE, were sold to D. H. Day & Company of Grand Haven, Michigan. 1969: The Liberty ship CORINTHIAKOS made three trips to the Great Lakes beginning in 1960. It had been built as a tanker but rebuilt as a bulk carrier in 1955. The ship was sailing under Liberian registry as h) PACSTAR when it ran aground in a storm on the north shore of Toshima, Tokyo Bay en route from Kure, Japan, to Portland, Oregon, in ballast. The bottom was opened to the sea and the engine room was flooded. Salvage efforts were unsuccessful and the ship was abandoned as a total loss and sold for scrap. 1969: The self-unloader HOCHELAGA of Canada Steamship Lines hit the breakwall stern first while turning with the help of tugs at Conneaut, Ohio. The cargo of coal was lightered to MANITOULIN and HOCHELAGA had to go to Port Colborne for repairs. 1997: ELIJIANNI, a Greek bulk carrier, had visited the Great Lakes in 1979. It was sailing as d) KEKOVA when it was in a collision with the VASILIOS III, a Greek tanker, in the Sea of Marmora on this date in 1997. There were temporary repairs to the port bow but the 27-year-old vessel was sold for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling on June 2, 1997. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze , Jody Aho, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II,” the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Port Reports - April 3
Duluth-Superior
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Oswego. N.Y. – Ned Goebricher |
Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway Connections Reported as a Casualty or Demolition 4/3 - The following information taken from April 2017 Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society
Casualties: none to report Pegasus Progress-91, Edel Scheel-88) 5,014 / 83 general cargo. By PT Meratus Line, Indonesia to Sheth & Sons Ltd (SB) P Ltd., India and arrived Alang 03.11.2016 - commenced demolition 11.11.2016 Sea Amore (8319524; Panama) (Lady Bushra-11, Mount Fuji-04, Hero-04, Mount Fuji-90 - (1st trip into Seaway 7.05.86 for Chicago), 11,356 / 1984 bulk cargo. By MCD Shipping SA, Panama, to Nagarsheth Shipbreakers India and arrived Alang 12.10.2016 - commenced 17.10.2016 Compiled by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp |
Updates - April 3 |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 3 On 03 April 1969, RALPH MISENER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 730 foot, 19,160 gross tons, built in 1967, at Montreal, Quebec) suffered serious fire damage to her engine room during fit-out at Port Colborne, Ontario. She went overseas for scrap in 2012 as b.) GORDON C. LEITCH (ii). On April 3, 1991, the pilothouse of the WILLIAM CLAY FORD of 1953 was moved by a barge towed by Gaelic tug's CAROLYN HOEY and placed on a specially built foundation at the Dossin Museum for display facing the Detroit River as a fully equipped pilothouse. The tanker a.) TEMBLADOR (Hull#15) of the Barnes Ð Duluth Shipbuilding Co., was launched April 3, 1943, for the Creole Petroleum Corp, for off lakes use. She later sailed on the lakes as b.) LIQUILASSIE. On 3 April 1872, the passenger/package freight steam barge ROBERT HOLLAND was launched at Marine City, Michigan. She was towed to Detroit by the propeller TRADER to have her machinery installed. On 3 April 1876, the Port Huron Times reported "The wreck of the schooner HARMONICA, which has been missing for a month or more, has been discovered on the beach near Whitehall, Michigan completely buried in the ice. Four are supposed to have perished." On 3 April 1894, WILLIAM H. BARNUM (wooden propeller freighter, 219 foot, 937 gross tons, built in 1873, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying corn on her first trip of the season. She was reportedly in poor condition and was insured only for this voyage. Her hull was cut by floating ice and she sank in the Straits of Mackinac about two miles east of present Mackinac Bridge. The tug CRUSADER got her crew off before she sank. 1942: The second TABORFJELL to visit the Great Lakes for the Fjell Line was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic east of New Jersey on this date by U-576. The vessel was en route from Matanzas, Cuba, to New York and Montreal with sugar. The three survivors waited for 20 hours before being rescued. Another 17 crewmates perished. The 1339 gross ton vessel first came inland shortly after being delivered in August 1938. 1975: The self-unloader J.W. McGIFFIN of Canada Steamship Lines was blown aground in the Welland Canal near Thorold. Two holes were punched in the hull and they were repaired at Port Weller Dry Docks. The ship was rebuilt as CSL NIAGARA in 1999. Data from: Skip GIllham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection and the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Port Reports - April 2
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn.
Silver Bay, Minn.
Gary, Ind.
Alpena, Mich.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
St. Clair–Detroit Rivers
Detroit, Mich.
Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen
Quebec City, Que. – Bruno Boissonneault |
Lorain shipping season begins 4/2 - Lorain, Ohio – The shipping season has begun for the port of Lorain. The tug Clyde S. VanEnkevort and barge Erie Trader passed by Lorain’s Charles Berry Bascule Bridge on March 24. The arrival marked the opening the 2017 shipping season. A total of 978,733 tons of material passed through the port in 2015, the most recent year figures available. The numbers were published by the Navigation Data Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lorain ranks 144th among 150 American ports listed in those figures. It also was the lowest among Ohio cities shipping materials in and out via water. It appears Lorain’s tonnage could be declining due to the steel mills not taking in any iron ore, said Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Rocky River-based Lake Carriers’ Association. “The limestone and gypsum the last couple years have not been exactly gangbusters,” Nekvasil added, referring to two materials shipped in for construction. Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Tom Brown agreed the total amount of materials would increase if the steel mills began producing and needed more iron ore. Now, the goal is to spread the word about available land, docks and shipping capacity in Lorain, Brown said. Lorain still has at least three companies using lake and river shipping of materials for construction, he said. They are Jonick Dock & Terminal; AMCOR; and Terminal Ready-Mix Inc., according to the Lorain Port Authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lorain is not the only port struggling on the Great Lakes, Brown said. However, if Lorain’s shipping amounts drop too much, there is a chance the city will become a lower priority for dredging, he said. Lorain is considered a deep draft commercial harbor with depths ranging from 29 feet in the entrance channel to 17 feet in the Black River turning basins, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees dredging. About 200,000 cubic yards of material is scooped up from the Black River bottom every three years, according to the Corps. Lorain last was dredged in 2016 and is on a cycle for future dredging every two to three years, depending on availability of funding, according to the Corps. Without the dredging, the Port of Lorain will not be deep enough for freighters, Brown said. Lorain’s maritime history has been documented, but may be overlooked in modern times. Shipbuilding began in Lorain in 1820, according to the Lorain historical timeline published by the Lorain Public Library System. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire created demand for Amherst Quarries Stone shipped on Lake Erie from the Oak Point Pier. In 1874, the first shipment of coal arrived in the city, “off-loaded onto wheelbarrows,” according to the Library System’s historical timeline. As for the start of this year’s shipping season in Lorain, the tug Clyde S. VanEnkevort and barge Erie Trader carried 32,000 tons of stone loaded at Marblehead, Bansek said. Lorain Morning Journal |
Sturgeon Bay Shipyard, museum, boat tours May 6 4/2 - The annual Sturgeon Bay Shipyard Tours hosted by the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6. The popular event raises funds for Door County Rotary Youth Interact, an international service organization for teenagers, and other Rotary projects in the county, according to the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Co. and Centerpointe Yacht Services will be open for guided walking tours along with events and tours at the Door County Maritime Museum. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter also will be available to tour and an emergency rescue boat and city police boat will be open for tours at the Graham Park Dock. Buses will be available to shuttle participants between the sites, the release said. The tours at Bay Shipbuilding are about one hour. Tickets for the event are available the day of the tours and are $15 per adult and $6 for children ages 11 to 17. Children age 10 and younger are free. The tickets will be sold at both shipyard entry gates and the maritime museum.
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Replica fur trading ship Welcome sold 4/2 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – The armed sloop Welcome, a replica 18th century fur trading ship in storage since it was purchased by Emmet County for $1 in 2015, has a new owner in Mackinaw City. An agreement between Rum Runners Inc., a venture owned by businessman Joe Lieghio of Mackinaw City, and Emmet County was approved by county officials earlier in March. The bid was for the purchase of the ship, in its current condition, for a lump sum payment of $10,111. The ship will be removed from its storage location near the Headlands park within 90 days of the agreement's approval. Emmet County has already received payment for the ship. The county took ownership of the sloop in 2015, through an agreement with the Maritime Heritage Alliance of Traverse City. The ship was constructed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission at Mackinaw City's Fort Michilimackinac in the 1970s as a commemoration to the country's bicentennial. The ship was acquired by the Maritime Heritage Alliance in 1992. The county and the alliance reached an agreement, where the county would purchase the ship for $1. The previously built storage facility for the ship, which cost $240,000, will continue to be used for equipment and storage for Emmet County's park services, according to Emmet County administrator Marty Krupa. Petoskey News Review |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 2 A total of 60 ore boats departed Cleveland between March 31 and April 2 to start the 1948 shipping season. On 02 April 1900, the JOHN MINER (wooden 3-mast schooner, 134 foot, 273 gross tons, built in 1866, at Detroit, Michigan as a bark) was purchased by S. R. Chamberlain from Frank Higgie for $800. She only lasted until 19 October 1902, when she was lost in a storm on Lake Huron. On April 2, 1951, CLIFFS VICTORY was towed, bound for New Orleans, Louisiana, with her deck houses, stack, propeller, rudder and above deck fittings stored on or below her spar deck for bridge clearance. She was outfitted with two 120-foot pontoons, which were built at the Baltimore yard, that were attached to her hull at the stern to reduce her draft to eight feet for passage in the shallow sections of the river/canal system. LEON FALK JR. was launched April 2, 1945, as a.) WINTER HILL, a T2-SE-Al, World War II, a single-screw fuel tanker for U.S. Maritime Commission. CLIFFORD F. HOOD was launched April 2, 1902, as the straight deck bulk freighter a.) BRANSFORD for the Bransford Transit Co., (W. A. Hawgood, mgr.). SENATOR OF CANADA sailed under her own power on April 2, 1985, to Toronto, Ontario, where she was put into ordinary next to her fleet mate the QUEDOC. She was scrapped in Venezuela in 1986. WHEAT KING was lengthened by an addition of a 172 foot 6 inch mid-section (Hull #61) and received a 1,000 h.p. bowthruster. This work reportedly cost $3.8 million Canadian and was completed on April 2, 1976. On April 2, 1953, the straight deck bulk freighter J. L. MAUTHE (Hull#298) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works entered service for Interlake Steamship Co. She operates currently for Interlake as the self-unloading barge PATHFINDER. April 2, 1975 - The State of Michigan filed a Federal Court suit to stop the Grand Trunk Railway from selling the GRAND RAPIDS. It was felt that selling the ferry would build a stronger case for abandonment of the entire ferry service. On 2 April 1874, A. H. HUNTER (wooden propeller tug, 58 foot, 28 gross tons) was launched at Saginaw, Michigan. She was built for Donnelly & Clark of Saginaw by Wheeler. The engine was built by Bartlett & Co. of Saginaw. Her boiler and some other equipment were from the almost new tug KATY REID that burned at Salzburg, Michigan in October 1873. 1976: WHEAT KING was refloated at Port Weller Dry Docks. It had arrived on December 12, 1975, and was lengthened to 730 feet over the winter. The ship would only sail six years with the new dimensions and was retired at the end of the 1981 season. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Russ Plumb, “Ahoy & Farewell II,” Father Dowling Collection and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
Insights into Soo Locks upgrade study emerge from Snyder's office 4/1 - Lansing, Mich. – Michigan officials are taking a two-pronged approach to influence a federal study underway to determine the economic feasibility of building a second 1,000-foot commercial shipping lock in Sault Ste. Marie. John Walsh, strategy director for Gov. Rick Snyder's office, said Michigan will formally request changes to a dated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers policy that's limiting the scope of a cost-benefit analysis on rebuilding the Soo Locks. Simultaneously, Walsh said Michigan plans to prove that an unexpected breakdown of the Poe Lock -- the only shipping chamber in Sault Ste. Marie large enough to handle most of the ships moving iron ore -- would idle more than just the regional and Michigan economy. "We're trying to argue that our regional impact is a national impact," said Walsh, who was among a handful of representatives from the governor's office that met with the Army Corps team developing the study this week in West Virginia. "Our homework is to prove that." The March 27 meeting yielded new insights into how the Army Corps is approaching its study of a long sought-after Soo Locks upgrade that Great Lakes shipping interests have been pressing for years but which has never moved much beyond its initial Reagan era Congressional authorization 31 years ago. |
Port Reports - April 1
Duluth-Superior – Daniel Lindner
Two Harbors, Minn.
St. Marys River
Chicago, Ill.
Goderich, Ont. – Bruce Douglas
Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Welland Canal – Barry Andersen |
Keweenaw icebreaking to begin week of April 3 4/1 - At the request of local officials, the United States Coast Guard will conduct icebreaking operations in the Keweenaw Waterway beginning the week of April 3. A cutter, yet to be named, will make its approach to the waterway from the east and enter at Keweenaw Bay. The cutter will transit west through Portage Lake ending at the upper entry and exiting into the open waters of Lake Superior. All recreational users of the Keweenaw Waterway should plan their activities carefully, and use caution near the ice. USCG |
$3 million project will improve dry dock at Erie's shipyard 4/1 - Erie, Pa. – The massive dry dock at Erie's Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair isn't always as dry as the name would suggest. Puddles of water could be seen throughout the southern end of the space Tuesday as employees worked to make repairs on the Atlantic Enterprise, a 230-foot Canadian fishing trawler. But the puddles, a product of poor drainage and stormwater infiltration, aren't the only thing that ails the dry dock, a key feature of the shipbuilding facility owned by the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority and leased to Donjon. “I don't think any significant improvements have been made to the dry dock since its original construction," in the 1960s, said Brenda Sandberg, the authority's executive director. That's about to change. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has awarded the port authority $3 million to make repairs to the dry dock, a massive space that can be flooded to allow boats in and then drained to allow workers to repair them. The goal is to ensure the safety of employees and the business growth potential of the 18-acre shipyard at the foot of Holland Street, which has been leased to New Jersey-based Donjon since December 2009. "The dry dock is in pretty rough shape," said John Nekoloff, Donjon's safety / environmental and subcontracts manager. Bids are due in mid-April for the first phase of the project, which will fix drainage issues, address concerns about storm water infiltration, remove the top two inches of crumbling concrete, install steel reinforcing rods and a top coat of six inches of new concrete, Sandberg said. Because of the uneven surface, Donjon employees sometimes struggle to provide level blocking beneath ships as repairs are made. This isn't the first time state money has been used to upgrade the port-owned shipyard to the benefit of Donjon and its predecessors. Even before this latest round of funding, the port and its tenants had secured more than $10 million to upgrade the shipyard in recent years. GoErie.com |
USCG Sector Lake Michigan hosted Women’s Leadership Symposium 4/1 - Milwaukee, Wis. – Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan hosted its annual Women’s Leadership Symposium at the Milwaukee War Memorial Thursday. The symposium was attended by more than 150 Coast Guard members stationed throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond. The purpose of the event was to bring together leaders from all levels of the service to discuss leadership, mentorship and resources available to contribute to the success of the Coast Guard’s missions. "The symposium is more than just a snapshot of how to be a better leader in today’s Coast Guard,” said Paul Jones, chief boatswains mate and executive petty officer of Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Station Two Rivers, Wisconsin. “It’s more about discussing the challenges of leadership and how to overcome them to foster a stronger environment of fairness, diversity and mentorship." Keynote speaker for the event was Deputy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Leilani Cale-Jones. Other events of the symposium included a command panel of senior Coast Guard leaders, mentoring sessions and a junior leadership discussion. Also included in the symposium were small group discussions that covered a wide range of current topics such as career guidance, building resiliency within the service, and marriage in the military. These panel sessions provided an open dialogue between attendees and presenters for further discussion. "It was truly a learning experience, and I have much to take away," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Paige Dockery, a company commander at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. "I learned a lot about myself as a leader, and how important it is to know your people." This is the third year the symposium has been hosted by Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and has become an annual event within the Great Lakes region. USCG |
Ticket sale opens to public for Door County Lighthouse Festival 4/1 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Tickets for the 24th Annual Door County Lighthouse Festival go on sale to the general public Monday, April 3, following a two-week pre-sale for museum members. Following the successful members only pre-sale, one tour is sold out but ample tickets remain for the variety of land-based tours and boat excursions set for the weekend of June 9-11. Tickets can be obtained online on the museum’s website, www.dcmm.org, by calling the museum at (920) 743-5958 or stopping by the museum in Sturgeon Bay, 120 N. Madison Ave. Many of the boat excursions are unique to the Lighthouse Festival weekend. New this year is the Lakeshore Lighthouse Cruise out of Baileys Harbor. The tour will offer the opportunity to see a number of lights from the water, including Cana Island lighthouse, the old Baileys Harbor “bird cage” light as well at the Baileys Harbor Range Lights. The possibility of seeing several shipwrecks also exists on the tour. Returning boat trips include the popular excursion from Gills Rock to Plum Island. There are four tours spread over Saturday and Sunday with limited seating available. The excursion includes a walking tour of Plumb Island presented by the Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands. Because of its limited capacity, this tour traditionally sells out quickly so it is advised to check online for ticket availability. The excursion to Chambers Island is another once-a-year opportunity. Although a larger-capacity boat permits more people to visit Chambers Island, it will continue to be a hot ticket item. Participants need to be prepared for a scenic island hike covering three miles round trip to the lighthouse and back to the dock. Another popular weekend tour will circle Plum and Pilot islands from Gills Rock while the one-of-a-kind schooner trip aboard the tall ship Edith Becker from Sister Bay is also among the offerings this year with trips under sail past the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse with cannon salute. The Chicago Fireboat will be offering its regular daily tours from the Door County Maritime Museum as well as special sunset dessert cruises both Friday and Saturday evenings. Two different daylong, land-based narrated trolley tours, visit the five mainland lights and depart from either the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay or the Door County Trolley Depot in Egg Harbor. The popular Ghost/Mystery trolley tour leaves from the Door County Maritime Museum on Friday and Saturday evenings. Cana Island and Eagle Bluff Lighthouses maintain regular seasonal hours throughout the weekend. Both the Sherwood Point Lighthouse and Sturgeon Bay Canal Light are operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and offer free admission over this weekend only. The range lights in the Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, with its newly restored lower light, will also welcome visitors 10 am-2 pm Friday-Sunday for a free-will offering. Make sure to visit the sanctuary’s stunning new welcome center. For more detailed information on tours and pricing or to request a brochure visit www.dcmm.org. Tickets can be ordered on the website or by calling (920) 743-5958. Door County Marine Museum |
Today in Great Lakes History - April 1 On 01 April 1887, W. T. Botsford & Company of Port Huron, Michigan bought the COLORADO (wooden propeller package freighter, 254 foot, 1,470 gross tons, built in 1867, at Buffalo, New York). She was added to their two other vessels: DEAN RICHMOND and ROANOKE. STEWART J. CORT was commissioned on April 1, 1972. In April 1965, Interlake's steamer J. A. CAMPBELL was renamed c.) BUCKEYE MONITOR after being purchased by the Buckeye Steamship Co. Realizing that the bulk trades were too competitive, Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. sold the CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN to the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) on April 1, 1947, for $915,000. ROY A. JODREY started her first full season opening navigation at the Soo Locks April 1, 1966, with a load of stone for Algoma Steel. Dismantling of the G. A. TOMLINSON, a.) D. O. MILLS, began in Ashtabula, Ohio, on April 1, 1980, and was completed eight months later. April 1, 1903 - Gus Kitzinger of the Pere Marquette Line steamers, acquired the PERE MARQUETTE 3 & 4 from the Pere Marquette Railway Co. Sailors at Chicago went on strike on 1 April 1871, for an increase in pay. They were getting $1.50 a day. Some ship owners offered $1.75 but when word came that the Straits of Mackinac were clear of ice, the sailors demanded the unheard of daily wage of $3.25. Although some ships stayed in port, the $1.75 wage was accepted and the barks MARY PEREW, J G MASTEN and C J WELLS, along with the schooners DONALDSON, PATHFINDER and CHAMPION set sail on 1 April 1871 On 1 April 1904, CONDOR (2-mast wooden schooner, 58 foot, 22 gross tons, built in 1871, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin), while lying at anchor in the Kalamazoo River at Singapore, Michigan, was crushed by ice moving out in the spring breakup. 1941: ROBERT W. POMEROY had served the Eastern Steamship Co. as well as Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. while on the Great Lakes from 1923 to 1940. It went overseas and worked for the British Ministry of War Transport hauling coal on coastal routes. While north bound on April 1, 1942, the ship hit a mine and, four minutes later, a second mine and went down in the North Sea off Norfolk, U.K. Twenty-two survived although two were injured when the boiler exploded. 1942: The Norwegian salty GUDVANG came to the Great Lakes in 1939. It was intercepted by a German patrol boat between Denmark and Norway, while trying to escape to England, on this date in 1942. The ship was sunk by gunfire and the crew became prisoners of war. 1968: GHISLAIN was more at home on the St. Lawrence, but had delivered pulpwood to the Great Lakes in the late 1960s. It had several escapades during these years including a grounding while entering Yarmouth, NS with 1400 tons of herring on this date in 1968. The vessel was repaired at Liverpool, NS. It was listed as g) ANIK in 1974 and in need of repairs. While it was not deleted from LR until 1986, the ship was likely broken up in the mid-1970s. 1983: REGENT MARIGOLD visited the Great Lakes in 1975 under Panamanian registry. It was sailing as d) LEXINGTON when the hull fractured in a storm while en route from Bukpyong, South Korea, to Bangladesh. It went down on this date about 200 miles northwest of Penang, Malaysia. Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series. |
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