Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive

Red Bull Air Races Safety Zones Established

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Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The Wilfred Sykes came in late this morning with a load for Verplank's in Ferrysburg. When it backed out at 4 pm it blew three or four salutes apparently for the people on the pierheads.

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Barge Laviolette sold

5/29 - The barge Laviolette (Ex-Canadian Explorer) has been sold to foreign operators in South America. She left Trois-Rivières under tow of Commodore Straits and Radium Yellowknife on Wednesday for a final destination Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.

The Radium Yellowknife is used as a break tug only as far as Escoumins pilot Station. The barge is reported to be slated for conversion into a spoil dump barge to be used in the Panama Canal enlargement project. The trio had to pull up to Quebec City for repairs to one of the engines on Commodore Straits and will resume their long voyage once repairs have been made.

Commodore Straits will then head for Port Austin, Texas to pick up a laid up freighter recently purchased by a new subdivision of ULS. The vessel is a Sturgeon Bay built heavy lift ship. It is unclear at this point if its the Ex-John Henry or its sister ship Paul Bunyan.

The plan is to tow the vessel back to Canada and refit it for Great Lakes service in the carriage of Steel products. Allegedly, the intended name of the new vessel would be Marine Link Atlas.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
Lee A. Tregurtha finished loading coal at the CSX Docks and departed in the mid morning Wednesday.
Shortly afterwards the Algosteel finished unloading ore at the Torco Ore Dock and was also out bound mid morning.
CSL Tadoussac was loading ore at the Midwest Terminal Dock.
The tug Sea Service and barge Energy 6506 was loading cargo at the B-P Dock. Tug Samuel De Champlain with the barge Innovation was unloading cement at the Lafarge Dock and is expected to leave early Thursday morning.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Docks has the CSL Laurentien and Robert S. Pierson due in on Friday, followed by the H. Lee White on Saturday. The next scheduled ore boats due into the Torco Ore Dock has the CSL Laurentien due in on Thursday, John G. Munson is due into the Midwest Terminal Dock Thursday morning. She is bringing in an ore cargo that was loaded at Marquette, Michigan.

5/29 - Buffalo - A local bird expert is hoping political pressure won't take precedence over a threatened species as posturing continues over the ultimate design of the Peace Bridge Authority's proposed new span.

The PBA recently decided to ditch a 170-metre-high signature bridge design linking Fort Erie and Buffalo to embrace a smaller, three-arched span following concerns raised by federal and state environmental agencies about the danger the soaring structure would pose to birds along a busy migration route.

But now, some politicians across the Niagara River are calling for reconsideration. "The last thing I want to see or hear is some politicians trying to convince the public that the economic benefits of a tall bridge outweigh the environmental consequences," said Ralph Morris, a professor of emeritus at Brock University and a common tern expert with more than 30 years experience studying the species. "That would be a tragedy."

A two-tower, cable-stay bridge designed by Swiss bridge architect Christian Menn, was selected in late 2005 after a 32-panel jury spent three months mulling over 33 designs as part of a draft environmental impact assessment study. But more recently, the PBA learned the height of the bridge has "unacceptable impacts on migratory birds and the protected common tern," an authority media release stated.

Along with concerns the bridge could lessen the chances of survival for the common tern, a threatened species that nests in Buffalo Harbor and feeds downriver near Grand Island, it could also adversely impact the emerald shiner, the tern's primary food source, several federal and state agencies fear. The New York State Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Agency and Environment Canada have all expressed concern with the design, as have Audubon New York, the Baird Foundation and members of the public.

However, Rep. Brian Higgins is urging federal officials in the United States to reconsider their objections to the design, arguing environmental concerns have been overstated and the bridge would not harm birds traversing the corridor. Higgins points to a six-year-old review of scientific literature that found bird crashes into tall structures, including bridges, accounted for less than 0.02 per cent of all bird deaths.

Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. David Paterson joined congressional representatives recently in Washington, D.C., to urge top federal officials to back away from a move to embrace a smaller span instead of the mammoth bridge, which would stand taller than the Washington Monument. Paterson said he supports the larger design because he believes it will be important for the region - economically as well as symbolically.

Morris said whatever politicians and agencies decide, he hopes it ends up being in the best interest of the species in question. "Obviously, some credible agencies have come forward with data ... based on radar studies and movement observations ... that a specific bridge design would harm certain species in a large way," said Morris, adding common terns fly over bridges and not under.

"It would be an absolute shame if political pressure, for whatever reason, takes precedence over a threatened species, especially seeing that 1,500 pairs of common terns last year nested along Buffalo Harbor, making it the largest common tern colony on the lower Great Lakes. In the last 25 to 30 years, there has been a 30 per cent decline in the number of nesting pairs throughout the Great Lakes."

Stateside, the Federal Highway Administration is financing an environmental review of the PBA's plans and must approve the plan before construction can start. Six designs were short-listed from the list of 33 and while the Menn design - with its tall spires, clean lines and linear cables - made its way to the top of the list, only one bridge - a lower-profile, three-span arch - takes the concerns expressed about the preferred choice out of the equation.

"The common tern is threatened in the U.S. If common tern habitat or common tern activity is disturbed by development activity, then development should always take second place to the protection of endangered species - it's that simple," said Morris.

Ron Rienas, general manager of the PBA, said the authority is paying close attention to the scrutiny being levied against its plans for a new bridge. "At the end of the day, we can only do what is able to be permitted," said Rienas. "It's key to remember this is not solely a U.S. bridge. It's crossing an international river and ... it's fine for the U.S. politicians and agencies ... to demand this or that bridge design, but Canada has a say in this too, so we'll see."

In letters to the federal highway administration, a vast array of interest groups, government agencies and citizens have raised questions that go beyond whether the soaring, cable-stay bridge design would mean death to the birds that fly near it. Many are also concerned the PBA's plan for a vastly expanded truck plaza on Buffalo's west side would mean death to a neighbourhood and its historic tradition.

Lake Superior Board to meet

5/29 - Detroit – The International Lake Superior Board of Control invites the public to participate in a meeting/teleconference on June 12. The purpose of the  meeting is to provide information on the operations of the Board, current and forecasted water levels, and to receive public input about local concerns related to water levels and flows of Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.

The meeting will be held at Sault College, Banquet Room L1120, 443 Northern Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

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On an "older" note, Barge Laviolette is scheduled to depart Trois-Rivières under tow of Commodore Straits and Radium Yellowknife on the same date. Her destination in unknown at this time.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
CSL Assiniboine finished unloading ore at the Torco Dock and departed Tuesday morning. Shortly after the Herbert C. Jackson arrived at the Torco Dock to unload ore and was expected to depart mid afternoon. Philip R. Clarke finished unloading cargo at the Midwest Terminal Dock and departed in the early afternoon.
CSL Tadoussac was at the Midwest Terminal Dock loading ore. The tug Sea Service with her barge Energy 6506 was at the B-P Dock loading cargo.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Dock has the American Mariner due in Tuesday evening, Lee A. Tregurtha on Wednesday, CSL Laurentien and Robert S. Pierson on Friday, followed by the H. Lee White on Saturday. The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Docks has the Algosteel due in Tuesday evening, followed by the CSL Laurentien on Thursday.

Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain
Early Tuesday morning the tug Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation was in port tied up under the silos. During the afternoon the tug Invincible and barge McKee Sons brought a load of coal to Lafarge. By nightfall it departed the dock and backed out into the bay.  The Alpena was expected to return Wednesday morning with the G. L Ostrander and barge Integrity later in the evening.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Calumet, who arrived on the Saginaw River early Saturday, was finally able to head out bound for the lake on Tuesday. She departed from the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee around 4 p.m. The reason for the lengthy stay is unknown.

The annual trip on the St. Clair River aboard the Huron Lady II is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, following the Port Huron Marine Mart.

The boat leaves at 5 p.m. from her dock next to the bridge in Port Huron. BoatNerd price is just $13.00, but reservations are required.

The annual trip aboard the Chief Shingwauk for a full three (3) hours leaving from Roberta Bondar Pavilion in Soo, Ontario at 6 p.m., Saturday, June 28.

We will go where the boats are! Lock up and down through the American and Canadian Locks. The cruise will return at 9:00 p.m. Cost is $30.00 per adults and $20.00 for children 12 and under. Price includes dinner. Cash bar on board.

A trip for four aboard the legendary Great Lakes steamboat Edward L. Ryerson is the top prize in this year's BoatNerd Raffle.

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Port Reports - May 27

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons
Cuyahoga came in for the salt dock around 11:30 a.m., followed about an hour later by English River for the LaFarge dock.

Marquette - Rod Burdick
The Upper Harbor was busy Memorial Day morning. Charles M. Beeghly and Michipicoten were at the ore dock, and John G. Munson, a rare visitor, was anchored off the Upper Harbor waiting for a clear dock.

South Chicago - Brian Z.
LLT's Manitowoc loaded coal on Sunday at KCBX Terminals in South Chicago. The Manitowoc arrived at 1 p.m. with assistance from the "G" tug South Carolina. Loading for the power plant in Holland MI was completed at 9:15 pm.
The Yankcanuck was spotted outbound at 6 p.m. in ballast. Manitowoc's fleetmate Manistee was dock at 103rd and the Calumet River undergoing some repairs.

Sandusky - Kevin Davis
Saturday night the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin came into Sandusky around 6 p.m. On Sunday the Maumee was unloading salt, Martin was loading coal and Algomarine was waiting to load at the coal dock.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The tug Olive L. Moore & barge Lewis J. Kuber were out bound from the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw Monday afternoon after unloading there overnight.
The CSL Tadoussac followed them out bound close behind after unloading at the Essroc Cement dock in Essexville. The Tadoussac had arrived early Monday morning.
The Calumet continued to sit at the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee on Monday. This is the second day she has been there. It is unknown why they are there or what the issue is at this time.

Holland - Bob VandeVusse
The Manitowoc arrived at the James DeYoung power plant to make a coal delivery Memorial Day morning. They departed mid-afternoon.

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Today in Great Lakes History - May 27

CANADIAN PIONEER (Hull#67) was launched May 27, 1981, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. She was renamed b.) PIONEER in 1987.

NANTICOKE was christened in 1980, for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd.

CHARLES DICK (Hull#71) was launched in 1922, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for National Sand & Material Co. Ltd.

The PETER REISS left Duluth, Minnesota May 27, 1910, on her maiden voyage with iron ore for Ashtabula, Ohio. She was converted to a self-unloader in 1949, and scrapped at Ramey's Bend in 1973.

HENRY STEINBRENNER was towed from Toledo's Lakefront Dock in 1994, for the scrap yard at Port Maitland, Ontario.

The tug SMITH burned near Bay City, Michigan on 27 May 1872. Her loss was valued at $7,000 but there was no insurance on her.

The ferry SARNIA made her first trip as a carferry between Port Huron and Sarnia on 27 May 1879. She had burned in January 1879, then was converted to a carferry and served in that capacity during the summer. In September, 1879, she was converted to a barge.

The tug GORMAN, sunk by the steamer CITY OF BUFFALO was raised. She is not much injured. The local steamboat inspectors have taken up the case of the collision. The crew of the tug claim that their boat was run over by the CITY OF BUFFALO and the appearance of the wreck carries out their declaration, for the tug shows that the steamer struck her straight aft.

27 May 1898 - The tug WINSLOW arrived in Bay City, Michigan to-night from Georgian Bay with a raft of logs for Eddy Bros. & Co. The tug NIAGARA arrived this morning from the same bay with a raft for Pitts & Co. The saw mills along the Saginaw river are now nearly all in operation.

According to the Macomb County Sheriff's department, a 38-foot power boat carrying five people crashed into a 120-foot barge in Belvidere Bay just off of Lake St. Clair. Two others were being treated at a local hospital. The barge was reported to have lights onboard.

Macomb County Sheriff said the crash happened around 11 p.m. Saturday and that the vessel's operator may not have seen the barge in the dark. We're not really sure whether they didn't see it," Hackel said

Hackel said the barge had been anchored in the water for some time as part of a dredging operation. The 38-foot PowerQuest boat was pulled from the water by crews early Sunday morning. Names of those involved weren't immediately released. An investigation is underway.

Port Reports - May 26

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Sunday evening, fleet mates Lee A. Tregurtha and Charles M. Beeghly were at the Upper Harbor ore dock. Tregurtha loaded taconite, and Beeghly unloaded coal.

For friends of the Boyer, it's pancakes first, then it's work

5/26 - Toledo - One small piece at a time - polishing brass here, removing accumulated rust there - a crew of volunteers is working to restore the Great Lakes freighter-turned-museum ship S.S. Willis B. Boyer.

The Boyer, located at International Park in Toledo, has been a museum since it was acquired by the city in the 1980s. Every fourth Saturday of the month, the ship's volunteers have a pancake breakfast cooked in the ship's galley, then tackle various chores around the Boyer. Yesterday's was the second such breakfast and work day of the year.

"It has proven to be a great camaraderie-builder, as well as getting much-needed projects done," said Paul LaMarre III, the executive director of the ship and manager of maritime affairs for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. There are now about 25 regular volunteers, the most the ship has ever had, Mr. LaMarre said.

About 15 of them Saturday tackled general housekeeping and cleaning tasks such as polishing brass, cleaning woodwork, and removing trash. They also worked on longer-term projects such as refurbishing the lifeboat deck, painstakingly scraping off old paint and rust. "It is priceless to have them here as a group, collectively, because that is how projects get accomplished," Mr. LaMarre said.

Many volunteers, such as Stan Kerbel, are former Great Lakes sailors. "It's shipboard work," he said of volunteering. "I just love it."

Yesterday's volunteer day was part of the ongoing rebirth and revival of the ship, Mr. LaMarre said. The Boyer has received increased attendance, donations, and support in the last two years, he said, in part because of a community campaign to save the ship. About 5,300 people visited the Boyer during 2007.

Toledoan Sam Snyder, a regular volunteer, said he enjoys spending time on the Boyer because of its significance. "This is a historic ship," he said. "It is an important part of Toledo maritime history."

Luke Archer, another volunteer, said he feels the same way. "It allows me to be a part of the Great Lakes shipping industry; being a part of the past and preserving it for the future," said the Findlay resident.

In April, the ship was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places because of its importance to transportation, maritime, and industrial history, according to the Ohio Historical Society. The 617-foot freighter was originally named for Col. James M. Schoonmaker, and was renamed the Willis B. Boyer to honor a president of Republic Steel Corp., according to the history of the ship on the museum's Web site.

When it was launched in 1911, it was the largest ship on the Great Lakes. It carried cargo such as coal for power plants, iron ore for steel mills, limestone for cement products, and grains for food. "This represented an entire fleet, which served to fuel the industrial revolution in America," Mr. LaMarre said.

Though the ship was part of heavy industry, he said those who sailed on the Boyer - the friends, customers, and corporate guests of the ship's owner - would have experienced a luxurious ride. Standing in an area where passengers would have enjoyed cigars and cocktails, Mr. LaMarre said the guests on this ship enjoyed the finest the Great Lakes had to offer. The Boyer sailed until 1980, when its owner, Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Co., laid it up on a Toledo wharf. It opened as a museum in 1987.

"It takes you back to the old days," said Al Slater, the chief of operations and volunteer coordinator for the Boyer. "It provides a link to the past that shouldn't be forgotten."

For more information, visit www.willisbboyer.org.

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Port Reports - May 25

Rochester - Tom Brewer
The tug Evans McKeil pushing the barge Metis departed Rochester, NY about 8 a.m. Saturday, in ballast, bound for Picton, Ontario.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey and Lon Morgan
The Adam E. Cornelius called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City Saturday morning. She completed her unload and was out bound later in the day.
The Calumet was in bound Saturday afternoon with a split load. She stopped at the Wirt dock in Bay City to lighter and then proceeded up river to finish unloading at the Wirt dock in Saginaw. Calumet was expected to be outbound late Saturday or early Sunday morning.

Welland Canal - Rob Wolcott
It was a busy Saturday afternoon in the Welland Canal. The Salty Utviken was down bound with Blue Wing passing up bound between Locks 6 and 7. Algoville was also heading for Lock 3 with Salty BBC Korea up bound with wind mill parts. The BBC Elba, also loaded with windmill parts was close behind heading towards Lock 3 from Lock 2.

Goderich - Wayne Brown
Algorail arrived in Goderich at 5 p.m. on Saturday and commenced loading at 5:10 p.m.

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Today in Great Lakes History - May 25

On 25 May 1889, JAMES GARRETT (3-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 266 gross tons, built in 1868, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin) was driven ashore at Whitefish Bay near Sheboygan, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan in a gale. She was pounded to pieces by the end of the month. No lives were lost.

On May 25, 1898, the PRESQUE ISLE (Hull#30) was launched at the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio. The vessel is much better known as the cement carrier E M FORD, celebrating her 103rd birthday.

May 25, 1941 -- The former Pere Marquette carferry PERE MARQUETTE 17 was re-christened CITY OF PETOSKEY.

The wooden schooner J C DAUN was in her first year of service when she encountered a squall in Lake Erie on 25 May 1847, and she capsized five miles off Conneaut, Ohio. Four of the eleven on board were able to make it to her upturned keel, but one of them died of exposure during the night. In the morning, the schooner UNCLE SAM rescued the three remaining survivors. Later the steamer SARATOGA found the DAUN floating upside down, fully rigged with the bodies of some of the crew still lashed to the rigging. The DAUN was righted a few days later and towed in by the schooner D SMART.

On 25 May 1854, DETROIT (wooden side-wheeler, 157 foot, 354 tons, built in 1846, at Newport, Michigan) was sailing from Detroit to Chicago with two lumber scows in tow. On Lake Huron, she collided with the bark NUCLEUS in heavy fog and sank. The exact location (15 miles off Pointe aux Barques) was not known until the wreck was discovered in 200 feet of water on 5 June 1994, by Dave Trotter and his determined divers.

The port authority’s previous financial best had been fiscal year 2001, when it reported a net profit of $837,000.

So what made fiscal year 2007 so special? Kubow’s simple explanation: “Sales of wind turbine components.” The port authority gets a cut of all revenues generated by the Clure Marine Terminal’s operator, Lake Superior Warehousing Co. Inc. And the company handled lots of wind power equipment last shipping season, both inbound from overseas and outbound to destinations on the East Coast and Europe.

In 2007, the American Wind Energy Association estimated between $8 billion and $10 billion was being invested in wind power annually, much of it in the nation’s heartland, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

Initially, the port was seeing large shipments of wind farm equipment imported from Germany, Denmark and Spain. As wind farms proliferate, domestic production of wind turbine and tower equipment has been climbing, expanding the outbound component of the port’s business. Duluth also has become a conduit for North Dakota-built wind power equipment bound for domestic and export markets.

This rapidly changing scene is fraught with opportunities and challenges, according to Ron Johnson, the port authority’s trade development director. “It’s more than a moving target,” he said. “Right now, it’s a blurred target.”

Jonathan Lamb, general manager of Lake Superior Warehousing, said the current shipping season is off to a more modest start, but based on recent inquiries and several large wind power projects in the works, including Minnesota Power’s plans to bring 500 to 700 megawatts of wind power online in North Dakota in the next few years, he believes the port may be able to equal the volume of equipment it handled last year.

To handle the massive wind turbines, blades, nacelles and towers the port has been receiving, the lay down area around the terminal has been greatly expanded. The port authority invested about $400,000 last year to ready more than six acres of land for the equipment. Lake Superior Warehousing also prepared an additional 25 acres of land at the Garfield C and D docks to use as a lay down area.

Kubow said those types of investments wouldn’t be made if the port authority and Lake Superior Warehousing weren’t confident about the future.

Part of that confidence is inspired by government mandates, such as Minnesota’s requirement that utilities in the state derive 25 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2025. “That’s what I call government-impelled cargo,” Kubow said.

Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
The Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin came into the Metroport Friday around 2 p.m. She came from the Welland Canal after delivering coal to Hamilton. She departed later Friday.
The English River came through the North Entrance at 6:45 a.m., pivoted around with the assistance of the "G" tug Washington and went stern-first up the Crick.
Grande Mariner is docked in the Basin, just down from the gas pumps.

Ferry operator Gregg Ward is concerned what the sudden revelation -- after 18 years of being in business -- will mean for the project and the ferry's future. "All the permits are in, everything is ready to go. The outstanding issue is this little roadway," he said.

The ferry is the only approved border local crossing for trucks carrying hazardous goods and helps several dozen big rigs daily across the Detroit River. It is also the main crossing alternative to get trucks across the border should there be a major incident or customs lockdown at the Ambassador Bridge.

"This crossing is very critical for Windsor manufacturing and auto industry. If there is a failure at the bridge, this is it," Ward said. "To put this crossing at risk for 30 metres of pavement doesn't make sense."

Ward has asked Windsor city council to help expedite necessary approvals and paperwork that would allow Ontario's transportation ministry to buy a 30-metre stretch of Maplewood Drive. During site plan preparation for the project, the ministry discovered it is owned by Morterm Ltd. shipping dock -- located next door to the ferry operation.

The improvement project is being done by MTO as part of the Windsor border improvement initiative and is being paid for out of $300-million government allocation. For 18 months the city, province and feds have been working with the truck ferry to complete engineering plans. All design work is complete and permits are in hand.

The original date to put out tenders was April 23. The project was on a strict timeline due to environmental restrictions on when dredging work can be done in the Detroit River -- between July 1 and Oct. 30. But the project did not go to tender because of the property dispute.

Rakesh Shreewastav, senior project engineer for MTO overseeing the ferry project, said it has been delayed indefinitely until the property issue can be resolved. MTO is willing to buy the sliver of road if the price is "fair market value."

"We'd like to move forward on this and get it done," he said. "At this time we are waiting for property clearance." He couldn't predict on how long the project might be delayed.

Morterm's president Brian McKeown, who is handling negotiations on the roadway for the company, was unavailable on Thursday. But vice-president Terry Berthiaume indicated the company is willing to work out a resolution. "Brian is negotiating with the parties and trying to come up with a solution for everybody involved.

"There are a lot of parties involved -- Morterm, the ferry, MTO and the city. As you can imagine the more parties that are involved, the more complicated it becomes." Chief building inspector Mario Sonego is handling the file for the city, but could not be reached.

As it stands, Ward fears Morterm could play the bad guy "and say 'you can't use our property anymore and we would be forced to close that day."

"If this project doesn't go through, this has been a horrible experience," he said. "This should be resolved. It's for the betterment of the city."

By creating a district to spur creation of intermodal centers, Toledo and its surrounding areas can take advantage of marketplace conditions in the transportation and logistics industries to shape Northwest Ohio's economic future. “We can't just move along at our own pace,” said Richard Martinko, director of the UT Intermodal Institute. “If we don't expedite, we're going to lose the opportunity.”

Because of an estimated growth in the next 20 years of 186 percent in the number of cargo containers shipped to the United States, Martinko said, other geographic areas such as Toledo will be needed to “pick up the slack” in handling overflow from the country's coastal ports, which are already exceeding capacity. Development of intermodal terminals — shipping facilities designed to handle multiple forms of carriers — could help Northwest Ohio become a prime destination for cargo entering the United States and shipped throughout the country, he said.

But for the intermodal business to take off in the region, Martinko said, the area's government officials, business leaders and residents need to be in agreement to have sites ready to entice companies to locate here or expand. Northwest Ohio's geography presents an opportunity because it encompasses ideal spots for land, air and sea shipping, he said. “We need to take more advantage of the assets that we have because the opportunity is there,” Martinko said.

James Hartung, president and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, agreed. A specific project in Canada currently in the works could serve as the catalyst for transforming the region into one of the country's intermodal centers, he said. The Melford International Terminal Inc. project in Nova Scotia could allow the transfer of cargo containers from mega-container ships to trains, which would then travel Canadian National Railway lines to destinations in Canada and the United States.

The facility, according to a company document, will serve as a transfer point for containers coming from Asia and the Indian sub-continent that are shipped to North America via the Suez Canal. Melford is a privately funded endeavor. Canadian National already has a terminal in Toledo at a facility known as Lang Yard, but the site is landlocked by Interstate 75 and the Hoffman Road landfill, Hartung said. Despite having an intermodal facility in Detroit, he said, Canadian National could look to Toledo because of the congestion around the Detroit metropolitan area.

Canadian National could use the city as a west terminal to trans-ship goods to ports throughout the Great Lakes, a process known as short-sea shipping, because of the amount of cargo Toledo's sea port can handle, Hartung said.

But for Canadian National to develop an intermodal facility in Northwest Ohio to meet its needs, Hartung said, the infrastructure needs to exist to maximize the company's ability to move containers inland throughout the United States. He said Melford Terminal is expected to open in 2011 with the first phase in the development at full capacity by 2015.

Creating the needed infrastructure to entice Canadian National to develop an intermodal terminal in Toledo needs to come through a partnership between government and the private sector, Hartung said. “We want to have the improvements in place when that first ship comes in,” he said. “We need sites where we can move in and start to develop.”

Such sites do not exist in the area, Martinko said. Having them could be the difference when companies looking to develop an intermodal facility select a site, he said. “We're not the only place in the world that has strategic geography,” Martinko said.

One local developer believes he has the perfect site for an intermodal center near Toledo Express Airport. However, a lack of cooperation from the City of Toledo is preventing the land in question from being utilized, he said.

Brian McMahon, whose Danberry National Ltd. is a partner in a group that owns land north of Toledo Express along Airport Highway, said he has been asking Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner for two years to sign an easement agreement that would allow water lines to be extended to the property McMahon said he believes would serve as the perfect location of an intermodal terminal. With a green light from Finkbeiner, McMahon said, a developer could be secured “literally overnight” to take advantage of the strategic location of the airport and the land surrounding it.

“In almost any other community, this property would've been developed years ago,” he said. “It's been 15 years of one obstacle after another. “Leadership in any other community would've figured out how to turn this property into jobs.”

But until McMahon presents an end user for the property, the mayor doesn't see an immediate need to sign off on the easement, said Brian Schwartz, Finkbeiner's spokesman. The water deal, he said, is also contingent upon the city entering into a joint economic development district (JEDD) with Swanton and Monclova townships. As part of such an agreement, Toledo would provide infrastructure such as water and sewer lines to designated land within the townships in exchange for a portion of income tax revenue and net business profits from developments within the JEDD.

Talks between Toledo and the townships remain ongoing, Schwartz said, but no deadline has been set on when a JEDD agreement needs to be reached. In fact, he said, McMahon has not contacted the mayor in more than two years about the water easement. “He hasn't been particularly aggressive in pressing the issue with the mayor,” Schwartz said, noting the city was “eager” to enter into the JEDD with Swanton and Monclova townships.

Alan Mikesell, an attorney hired to represent Monclova Township in economic development and special projects, said the municipality is excited to enter a JEDD and help in the efforts to make the region friendly to intermodal developments. Though government backing is a must for intermodal development to happen in the region, Hartung said, others need to step up and help in the effort.

“It's not just government. It's institutional will,” he said. “It's the businesses that are going to make money that are going to have to invest money. “You just can't lay it off on the government,” he said. “At some time, you're going to have to dip into your own pocket and invest in a project you believe in. “There are too many people out there that want to invest other people's money.”

Today in Great Lakes History - May 24

On 24 May 1872, the wooden schooner SAM ROBINSON was carrying corn from Chicago, Illinois to Kingston, Ontario in dense fog on Lake Michigan. At 7:30 a.m. the propeller MANISTEE collided with the schooner and almost cut her in two amidships. When the MANISTEE backed away, the schooner went over on its starboard side and its masts smashed the MANISTEE's pilothouse and cabins. Luckily the ROBINSON's crew launched their lifeboat before the schooner sank and they were picked up by the MANISTEE and taken to Milwaukee.

In 1980, the 1,000 foot m/v BURNS HARBOR was christened for the Wilmington Trust Co., (Bethlehem Steel Co., Mgr.) Wilmington, DE.

The CANADIAN OLYMPIC (Hull#60) was launched in 1976, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd.

CHICAGO TRADER arrived at Ashtabula, Ohio on May 24, 1977, for scrapping (scrapping did not begin until May 1, 1978, by Triad Salvage Inc.)

The CLIFFS VICTORY set a record (by 2 minutes) for the fastest time from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Duluth, Minnesota in 1953. She logged a time of 17 hours and 50 minutes. The CHARLES M WHITE had been declared the fastest earlier that year by the Cleveland papers.

ALEXANDER B MOORE was launched at Bangor, Michigan on 24 May 1873. She was built by Theophilus Boston at a cost of $85,000. She was 247 foot overall, 223 foot keel and could carry 70,000 bushels of grain. Although designed as a 4-mast schooner, she was built as a 3-master. The fourth mast was added two years later.

On 24 May 1875, the schooner NINA was bound from Michael's Bay to Goderich, Ontario, when she sprang a leak and went down in mid-lake. Her crew escaped in the yawl, but were adrift on Lake Huron for two days and two nights with only one loaf of bread to divide among themselves.

Port Reports - May 23

Twin Ports - Al Miller
Mesabi Miner was docked at Garfield C in Duluth on Thursday morning, ballasted down by the bow while a wheeled crane stood by the vessel’s stern. By late afternoon the Miner had departed from Garfield C, and American Republic was maneuvering into Fraser Shipyards for repairs.
Not far away, American Century was fueling at the Murphy Oil depot.
Stewart J. Cort was loading at BNSF ore dock.
American Republic was in drydock at Fraser Shipyards in Superior on Friday morning undergoing unspecified repairs. Elsewhere in port, Beluga Federation was loading at General Mills S elevator in Superior, Canadian Olympic was loading coal at Midwest Energy Terminal while Gordon C. Leitch was anchored out on the lake waiting for its turn at the dock.

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Cason J. Callaway made a rare trip to the Upper Harbor ore dock Thursday morning and loaded taconite.
Michipicoten was finishing her ore load as the Callaway arrived.

Cleveland -
The USCGC Mackinaw arrived in Cleveland on Wednesday and was docked at Pier 32 for the change-of-command ceremony for Rear Adm. John E. Crowley, Jr., who was relieved by Rear Adm. Peter V. Neffenger Thursday. Mackinaw was reported to have left Cleveland around 8 p.m. Thursday headed back to Cheboygan.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Calumet was inbound the Saginaw River Thursday morning going up to the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee to unload.
She was followed closely by the tug Olive L. Moore and barge Lewis J. Kuber, who called on the Bay Aggregates dock to lighter before continuing upriver to finish unloading at the Valley Asphalt dock in Carrollton.
Calumet was outbound Thursday evening and the Moore and Kuber were expected to be outbound late Thursday or early Friday morning.

Today in Great Lakes History - May 23

UNIQUE (wooden propeller passenger steamer, 163 foot, 381 gross tons, built in 1894, at Marine City, Michigan) was sold to Philadelphia parties for service on the Delaware River. She left Ogdensburg, New York on 23 May 1901, for Philadelphia. Her name was changed to DIAMOND STATE. In 1904, she was rebuilt as a yacht and lasted until 1915, when she burned in New York harbor.

The WILLIAM J DE LANCEY was re-christened on May 23,1990, as b.) PAUL R TREGURTHA. She is the largest ship on the Great Lakes and also the last Great Lakes ship built at American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio.

American Steamship's H LEE WHITE completed sea trials on May 23, 1974.

The FRED R WHITE Jr. completed her two day sea trials in 1979.

The Tomlinson Fleet Corp.'s steel freighter SONOMA (Hull#610) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. on 23 May 1903. She was 416 feet long, 4,539 gross tons. Through her career she had various names: DAVID S TROXEL in 1924, SONOMA in 1927 and finally FRED L HEWITT in 1950. She was converted to an automobile carrier in 1928, converted back to a bulk carrier in 1942 and then converted to a barge for grain storage in 1955. She was finally scrapped in 1962, at Steel Co. of Canada Ltd. at Hamilton, Ontario.

On 23 May 1889, the wooden steam barge OSCAR T FLINT (218 foot, 824 gross tons) was launched at the Simon Langell & Sons yard in St. Clair, Michigan. She lasted until 25 November 1909, when she burned and sank off Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron.

Port Reports - May 22

Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
The Rt. Hon. Paul J Martin departed Gateway Tuesday afternoon.

On 22 May 1901, FRANK H PEAVEY (steel propeller bulk freighter, 430 foot, 5,002 gross tons) was launched at the American Ship Building Company (Hull #309) in Lorain, Ohio for the Peavey Syndicate. She lasted until 1934, when she struck the south pier while entering Sheboygan, Wisconsin and was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped the following year.

The A.H. FERBERT (Hull#289) was launched this day in 1942, at River Rouge, Michigan by Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. May 22nd was the tenth National Maritime Day and on that day 21 other ships were launched nationwide to celebrate the occasion. The "super" IRVING S OLDS was launched the same day at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co.. This marked the last of the "Super Carrier" build program. The others were the BENJAMIN F FAIRLESS, LEON FRASER and ENDERS M VOORHEES.

The SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY sailed under her own power down the Seaway on May 22, 1969, for the last time and arrived at Quebec City.

BAYFAIR was launched as the a.) COALHAVEN (Hull#134) at Haverton-Hill-on-Tees, U.K. by Furness Shipbuilding Co.in 1928.

While bound for Escanaba, Michigan to load ore, the JOSEPH BLOCK grounded at Porte des Morts Passage, on Green Bay, May 22, 1968, and was released the same day by the Roen tug ARROW. The BLOCK's hull damage extended to 100 bottom plates. Surrendered to the under-writers and sold in June that year to Lake Shipping Inc. Built as the a.) ARTHUR H HAWGOOD in 1907, She was renamed c.) GEORGE M STEINBRENNER in 1969, she was scrapped at Rameys Bend in 1979.

The 143 foot wooden brig JOSEPH was launched at Bay City, Michigan on 21 May 1867. She was built for Alexander Tromley & Company.

CITY OF NEW BALTIMORE was launched at David Lester's yard in Marine City, Michigan on 22 May 1875. Her master carpenter was John J. Hill. She was a wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel built for the Detroit-New Baltimore route. Her dimensions were 96 foot keel, 101 feet overall x 20 feet x 6 foot 6 inches, 130 tons. Her boiler was made by J. & T. McGregor of Detroit. Her engine was built by Morton Hamblin & Company of St. Clair, Michigan. She was rebuilt as a tug in 1910, and lasted until abandoned in 1916.

Port Reports - May 21

Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
Adam E Cornelius was at the General Mills Docks around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Tuesday afternoon, American Victory made a second straight trip to the Upper Harbor ore dock and loaded taconite. Michipicoten was due later in the evening.

Toronto - Clive Reddin
The saltie Bluewing was unloading sugar at the Redpath plant.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Calumet was out bound from the Burroughs dock early Tuesday morning after unloading overnight. She passed her inbound fleetmate, Manitowoc, out in the Saginaw Bay near Light1 around 10 a.m. Manitowoc was inbound with a split load, lightering at the Bay City Wirt dock before continuing upriver to finish at Saginaw Wirt. She was outbound passing the I-75 bridge around 11pm.
The Algoway was inbound, headed for the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee, but due to very strong winds, decided to tie up at the Essroc dock in Essexville to wait for the outbound Manitowoc and better weather conditions before making the trip up the river.

Grand Haven - Herm Phillips
The Robert S, Pierson ( ex Wolverine )arrived Tuesday afternoon in Grand Haven, Michigan for the first time in her new name. She unloaded stone at the Meekhof dock on Harbor Island and was outbound about 7 p.m.

On Sunday, May 25, an all day cruise leaving Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit and traveling above the Blue Water Bridges, to Fort Gratiot Light and return aboard the Diamond Belle. This 120 mile cruise following the shipping channel is co-sponsored by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit and BoatNerd.com.

The number of reservations has caused the Diamond Queen to be added for this cruise. Both boats will follow the same route.

The trip includes a continental breakfast and deli lunch on board, and a buffet dinner at the historic St. Clair Inn. This is a great opportunity to see all the sights and ships along the waterway between Detroit and Port Huron.

There's the side of the wooden ship. There's an anchor still in its raised position. Next on the screen is an eerily quiet carronade that blasted heavy balls of lead at enemy ships 200 years ago. And then the image that has become synonymous with the pair of so-called ghost ships. Diana the Huntress, the female figurehead carved onto the prow of one of the schooners, somehow manages to retain her grace 100 metres beneath the lake's surface.

Ian Kerr-Wilson had been waiting more than a decade to get a fresh look at two doomed American warships that sunk about 10 kilometres off the shore of Port Dalhousie in a violent storm in the summer of 1813. He wasn't disappointed by the advances in technology served up in the latest underwater pictures of the Hamilton and the Scourge.

"I get tingly," said Kerr-Wilson, manager of museums and heritage presentation for the City of Hamilton, which owns the historic shipwrecks. "Obviously, I'm a history wonk and a history geek, but you can't help but be affected when you look at that and see that's something that has been sitting under water for 200 years."

Kerr-Wilson was speaking Thursday from the deck of the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Griffon as it idled a couple hundred metres away from buoys marking where the American schooners sank in the midst of the War of 1812. Canadian and American dignitaries aboard the ship held a memorial service to honour 53 U.S. sailors who were killed when the Hamilton and the Scourge sank on Aug. 8, 1813.

The group also got to see some of the images collected over the past five days in the first underwater survey of the ships in 17 years. St. Catharines-based ASI Group Ltd. and Parks Canada conducted the investigation for the City of Hamilton using robotic underwater equipment to capture images and sonar readings of the wrecks. The survey was conducted from the Canadian navy ship HMCS Kingston. It will take a couple of years to pore over all of the data and fully understand what they mean, Kerr-Wilson said.

"We're not really in the stage where we are giving answers. We're still at the stage of asking questions." But it's already clear that the ships remain remarkably well preserved in the cold, oxygen-depleted waters. "These vessels have been in the water for nearly 200 years and they certainly don't look it," Kerr-Wilson said.

The ships were discovered in 1973 by St. Catharines dentist and part-time marine archeologist Dan Nelson after a search of more than a decade. The U.S. Navy transferred ownership of the ships to the Royal Ontario Museum in 1980. Hamilton later acquired the ships from the museum.

Nelson, 76, said he has confidence in the partners involved in the survey of the vessels. "I'm very hopeful they will do the right thing and preserve the historical contents of them," he said in an interview from his cottage. Nelson said he's curious to learn more about the group's findings. "I'll always be interested to see it, but I'm not involved in the project anymore."

Kerr-Wilson said findings from this week's detailed survey will help the city forge a long-term management plan for the national historic site. The city once had thoughts of raising the ships and displaying them for tourists in a waterfront park. But that prospect has been all but discounted, Kerr-Wilson said.

Marine archaeologists generally agree it's too difficult and too expensive to preserve wooden ships when they are removed from water and exposed to air, he said. "When you disturb sites like this, first off you disturb a watery grave and you destroy the site by moving stuff." "In general, it's not something we're thinking of because it's not in the interest of the site."

It's possible the city would consider building replicas of the ships to help people learn about this important chapter of history, Kerr-Wilson said. "That's a real option. It's a very appealing option in many ways."

ASI Group president Carmen Sferrazza said he was thrilled to see his company's remotely operated imaging equipment put to work on the exploration. Typically, the high-tech robots are used on structural inspections of pieces of underwater equipment, pipelines and tunnels. Helping out on an archeological survey of shipwrecks was a welcome change of pace, Sferrazza said. "It's what we all live for. It's very exciting. As marine people, this is what you dream you can get to do some day."

ASI Group worked closely with Hamilton over the past decade preparing for the survey. "I'm just hoping we can continue to come back and gather more data on these ships in the years to come," he said. Robert Grenier, chief marine archeologist for Parks Canada, calls the ships "outstanding witnesses" of a past shared by two countries. "What we are sharing today is a tragic history, obviously, but it's our history," he said.

The mart will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Port Huron Seaway Terminal, 2633 Military Street, and there is no admission charge.

The mart is co-sponsored by the Lake Huron Lore Society. Acheson Ventures and Great Lakes Nautical Society. The Great Lakes Nautical Society will have their 4th annual Port Huron Great Lakes Regatta displaying over 50 model boats.

Today in Great Lakes History - May 21

On 21 May 1883, SAILOR BOY (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 75 foot, 76 net tons, built in 1866, at Algonac, Michigan) was carrying wood from Pierport, Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She anchored outside Milwaukee harbor waiting for a gale to abate but she broke her anchor chains and was driven aground. Her crew of three made it to shore on a line with help from bystanders on the beach.

The AMERICAN REPUBLIC's maiden voyage was on May 21, 1981, from Sturgeon Bay light to Escanaba, Michigan to load ore pellets for Cleveland, Ohio.

Interlake Steamship Co.'s HENRY G DALTON's maiden voyage was on May 21, 1916. She was scrapped at Vado, Italy in 1973.

UNITED STATES GYPSUM in tow of the German tug FAIRPLAY X was lost in heavy weather on May 21, 1973, near Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The G A TOMLINSON, a.) D O MILLS, stranded near Buffalo, New York on Lake Erie on May 21, 1974, suffering an estimated $150,000 in damage.

The 14 foot' wooden brig JOSEPH was launched at Bay City, Michigan on by Alexander Tromley & Company. She was built by the owner.

On 21 May 1864, the NILE (wooden passenger/package freight vessel, 190 foot, 650 tons, built in 1852, at Ohio City, Ohio) was sitting at her dock in Detroit, Michigan with passengers, household goods, and horses and wagons aboard when her boiler exploded, destroying the ship and killing eight of the crew. Large pieces of her boiler flew as far as 300 feet while other pieces damaged houses across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. A large timber was thrown through the brick wall of a nearby shoe store, striking the cobbler in the back of the head and killing him. At least 13 other crew members and passengers were injured. The wreck was moved to the foot of Clark Street in Detroit in July 1864, where it remained until it was finally dynamited in August 1882.

May 21, 1923 -- The ANN ARBOR NO 4 was refloated after sinking at Frankfort, Michigan the previous February.

After spending three weeks in quarantine at Buffalo, New York, because of the discovery of smallpox on board, the steamer JOHN OADES has been released and has started on her way to Duluth.

5/20 - Ludington - A three-man crew from Coast Guard Station Ludington rescued a family of four and another man from a 28-foot boat being piloted from Wisconsin to Ludington Friday night. The station received a radio distress call about 5:30 Friday night.

“One of his engines quit on him to start with,” said Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Tim Evans. “He said he was about 8 miles west of the Ludington pierheads. He gave us his position, it wasn’t long after that that the other engine quit on him. “When the second engine quit on him, he reported he was taking on water.”

The crew aboard Ludington’s 30-foot Utility Trailerable Medium boat reached the family about 5:50 p.m.

“The boat was listing to port,” Evans said. “We could see water up to the decks. We went around to portside, I had one of my crewmembers go forward and assist everyone onto our boat. Another crewmember got a pump out. One of the crewmembers got on their boat, had the pump running. It was pumping water out of the boat and it took about a six foot swell over the back of the boat and swamped it. Two more followed after that and that’s when it was going down. I told my crewmembers to get back on our boat and we backed away.”

Evans said the occupants of the boat, which included a 12-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy, their parents and another man, were OK. “They were a little shaken, but everyone was medically OK,” Evans said. He noted the water temperature was 46 degrees.

According to a press release from the USCG District 9 office, the boat will not be salvaged due to the depth of water it sank in. Evans said it was about 320 feet of water and he watched the boat until it was entirely submerged. Evans said the boat was not a new purchase for the family, but it was the first time it had been in the water this year.

“They were coming across from Wisconsin,” Evans said. “They had taken the ferry across there and were bringing the boat into Ludington. He had a mechanic check it out before he had it put in the water.”

Evans said he was not aware of any penalties or fines for the family and said he could not provide names.

With the thickest ice seen in years, delays and slower transit times helped limit shipments to 9.2 million net tons.

The dredging crisis remained a millstone around the industry’s neck in April. The largest iron ore cargo totaled 62,823 tons, which meant the vessel left port only 88 percent full. The largest coal cargo was even less – 62,503 tons. An increase in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes dredging budget this year will only scratch the surface of the dredging crisis. The backlog of dredging projects totals 18 million cubic yards of sediment. The Corps anticipates removing 1 million yards of backlog this year.

However, the Administration’s proposed budget for FY09 slashes nearly $50 million from the Corps’ Lakes’ appropriation. If Congress does not increase funding for next year, it is doubtful any backlog will be removed in 2009 and America’s iron, steel, power generation, and construction industries will continue to suffer from vessels having to leave cargo behind.

For the year, U.S.-Flag carriage is down by 110,000 tons, but compared to the 5-year average for the January-April time frame, shipments are off by 3 percent. More information is available at www.lcaship.co

Port Reports - May 20

Twin Ports - Al Miller
Early morning action in the Twin Ports on Monday included Burns Harbor loading at BNSF, Canadian Enterprise loading at Midwest Energy Terminal and Joe Block outbound in Duluth harbor after unloading limestone at the CN/DMIR ore dock. John B. Aird was expected to follow the Enterprise at Midwest Energy Terminal while American Fortitude and James R. Barker were scheduled to load at the CN/DMIR ore dock later in the day.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Manitowoc was outbound from the GM dock early Monday morning after unloading overnight.
Inbound Monday afternoon was her fleetmate, Calumet, who called on the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee to unload. She was expected to be outbound early Tuesday morning.

Goderich - Dale Baechler
Algoway was an early Tuesday morning arrival and is now loading at the Sifto Salt dock.

Port of Toledo considers 'short-sea' trips

5/20 - Toledo - The Port of Toledo ships out grain and ships in iron ore, but it is not, and never has been, anything more than a bit player in the containerized shipping industry that dominates the U.S. and world economies. Nor has any other Great Lakes port except Toronto.

But ever-growing demand for container shipping, resulting in bigger ships and port congestion, could breathe new life into Great Lakes ports like Toledo, with what is now being called ''short-sea'' shipping.

No massive, costly enlargement of locks and channels on either the St. Lawrence River or the Welland Canal linking lakes Ontario and Erie is planned. Instead, short-sea shipping proponents advocate the use of seaway-sized vessels between Great Lakes ports and larger coastal harbors where freight containers would be transferred to or from ocean-going container ships.

For now, at least, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority's attention is focused on Melford International Terminal, a proposed deepwater port on the Strait of Canso in Nova Scotia that could accommodate the largest container ships now envisioned - ships so big they wouldn't even fit into many existing coastal ports.

While Melford's planners expect that a vast majority of cargo handled there will make its inland journey by train, the potential exists for Toledo and other Great Lakes ports to carve out a share of the business, especially as fuel costs rise, said Richie Mann, Melford's vice president for marketing. "Our location is attractive. We're right at the mouth of the seaway," he said. "The longer you keep cargo on the water, the cheaper it is to move." "Is it futuristic? It is until it happens," said Warren McCrimmon, seaport director for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Melford planners believe their port could handle 500,000 annual container units to and from Ohio once they reach full operation in 2015. Even if only 5 percent to 7 percent of that travels inland by water, Mr. McCrimmon said, that could be enough to sustain a weekly ship service. "Once container traffic is coming to Ohio," he continued, "economics will dictate the mode. Rising fuel prices give the advantage to ships. We have the same advantage over rail that they have over trucks."

"This is all about Toledo's taking advantage of its position at a crossroads," said Steve Fought, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) after the congressman and state officials met last month with Melford representatives. "It's been talked about for decades. It's time that we acted on it. Creative minds in economic development have to scramble now and put together a package that meets their [Melford's] needs."

If short-sea shipping comes to pass, the port authority has the site for a local terminal: the former Gulf Oil refinery site on Front Street in East Toledo. The port authority has scheduled a news conference today to announce the purchase of 181 acres of the former refinery property, now belonging to Chevron Corp., to expand the Port of Toledo's wharf and warehouse operations. The port authority's board of directors already had approved bond issues of up to $4.75 million to finance the purchase. The agency plans to lease the site to Midwest Terminals of Toledo International, the authority's stevedore at its existing International Cargo Dock, for development.

Cleared long ago of any refinery remnants, the vacant tract could be redeveloped easily for container handling, said James Hartung, the port authority's president.

And besides being a few miles down Front Street from I-280, he said, it is accessible by at least two, if not three, railroads: CSX and Norfolk Southern, which both have adjoining tracks, and Wheeling & Lake Erie, which has operating rights on the Norfolk Southern line. Wheeling's operating rights don't include the right to make any customer-service stops along the way, Mr. Hartung conceded, but there's always the potential of a deal being struck with Norfolk Southern.

Toledo could become a gateway for Norfolk Southern to transfer containers to its Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal in Columbus, Mr. Hartung said, and could also feed freight into the network CSX is basing on its planned container terminal in North Baltimore, Ohio.

Though she wouldn't rule it out, Lisa Mancini, CSX's vice president for infrastructure development, said her railroad has no current plan to involve inland water transportation with the North Baltimore terminal. "We don't think of that as a large potential development," she said following a May 7 project briefing for local officials in Bowling Green.

Rudy Husband, a Norfolk Southern spokesman, called short-sea shipping "an interesting concept" but was similarly noncommittal about whether Norfolk Southern would transfer any containers through Toledo's port. "If there's business out there, I'm sure we would take a look at it," he said.

During Friday’s Change of Command Ceremony, the outgoing Captain Little, incoming Commander Scott Smith, and Rear Admiral John Crowley all praised the crew’s hard work, as well as their dedication and pride to their mission to keep shipping lanes open in the coldest and harshest conditions.

“With all of the eyes on her last winter, the crew was out day after day,” said Rear Admiral Crowley. “The Mackinaw was always in the middle of the ice providing leadership for the whole fleet.”

5/20 - Lorain -- Shipwrecks litter the bottom of Lake Erie. For those curious about those hundreds of vessels -- many yet to be found -- there's a new resource to quench that interest.

"There was a pressing need for a Web site such as this," said Joe Lucente, Ohio Sea Grant Extension educator. "Now an online database of Lake Erie shipwrecks exists for people to access and learn about Lake Erie's maritime history or find a wreck." The site provides access to details of wrecks in a convenient location. The hope is that people will be inspired to go out and explore the shipwrecks and enjoy the history and opportunities Lake Erie has to offer. "Ohio Sea Grant has been around for a long time, and is a very reputable, scientifically oriented organization," said News Journal outdoor writer Dick Martin.

The site features the locations of many of the 277 known wrecks and more detailed information on 28 specific wrecks, including GPS coordinates and the history of each ship, plus photographs. The interactive map allows users to browse and discover the locations of every known wreck, including the Morning Star, whose remains lie 70 feet under water after a collision with another ship in 1868. Some of the shipwreck listings feature underwater videos, so a Web site visitor can get a glimpse at the sites beneath the surface.

"Whether you are a seasoned scuba diver or a maritime history aficionado, we believe you will not only learn more about Lake Erie's maritime heritage but will also gain an increased respect for the need to preserve and protect Ohio's historic shipwrecks," said Dave Kelch, Ohio Sea Grant Extension specialist.

The project is linked to the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail, one of 126 national scenic byways designated by the Federal Highway Administration. This signed route travels from Conneaut to Toledo and celebrates natural resources and historic treasures. Lake Erie claims more shipwrecks than any other Great Lake , with more than 1,700. To date only 277 have been found or salvaged. The remains of these wrecks lay scattered across the Lake's floor and provide an exciting opportunity for outdoors people, tourists and scholars. This project was jointly funded by the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Office of Coastal Management.

Kelch and Lucente are two of 11 Ohio Sea Grant Extension agents located across Ohio's Lake Erie counties. Ohio Sea Grant Extension is part of The Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, one of 32 NOAA Sea Grant programs dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources.

On 20 May 1872, the iron-clad passenger/package freight steamer MERCHANT struck a rock and sank at the mouth of the Detroit River. No one was injured. The wrecking tugs MAGNET and HERCULES took off the cargo of railroad iron and general merchandise, then attached two pontoons, but the vessel would not budge. On 26 May, the steamers MACKINAW and SWEEPSTAKES joined the scene and added two more pontoons. With all the steam pumps working, the MERCHANT still would not budge. Two days later, two more pontoons were added and the MERCHANT finally floated free and was towed to Detroit for repairs. She had two holes in her hull, one of which was a gash 23 feet long.

On May 20, 1909, while lying at the Lackawanna Coal Dock at Buffalo, New York, the LeGRAND S DEGRAFF was struck by the SONORA which caused $4,000 in damage to the DEGRAFF. Later renamed b.) GEORGE G CRAWFORD in 1911. She was scrapped at Duluth, Minnesota in 1976.

The STANDARD PORTLAND CEMENT sank on Lake Huron two miles above Port Huron, Michigan in a collision with the steamer AUGUST ZIESING on May 20, 1960, with no loss of life.

On May 20, 1967, during docking maneuvers in the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River, the W W HOLLOWAY's KaMeWa propeller shaft sheared off and the propeller reportedly sank to the bottom.

The RENOWN (Hull#396) was launched May 20, 1912, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Standard Oil Co. Renamed b.) BEAUMONT PARKS in 1930 and c.) MERCURY in 1957.

WILLIAM A McGONAGLE (Hull#154) was launched May 20, 1916, at Ecorse, Michigan by Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Renamed b.) HENRY STEINBRENNER in 1986.

On 20 May 1862, BAY CITY (wooden propeller tug, 199 foot, 480 tons, built in 1852, at Trenton, Michigan) sprang a leak in a storm and sank near Port Burwell, Ontario. She then washed in to shallow water. Her crew was rescued by the tug WINSLOW. Her engine and boiler were removed in June and July of that year.

On 20 May 1875, the passenger package freight vessel GLADYS was launched at D. Lestor's yard in Marine City, Michigan for the Toledo & Saginaw Transportation Company. Her dimensions were 135 feet overall x 26 feet x 10 feet. She had twelve staterooms and along with ample cargo space. The pilot house was forward, 8 feet square and 11 feet high. The engines, from the old ESTABROOK and, previous to that, from DAN RHODES, were two high pressure double engines acting on one shaft with an 8 foot propeller. She also had a pony engine to feed water to the boilers and wash the decks. She was sold Canadian in 1877, and renamed NORTHERN BELLE and lasted until November 1898, when she burned on Georgian Bay.

5/19 - Harbor Beach - The Coast Guard evacuated a crewmember off a freighter in Lake Huron, Sunday.  The Canadian Transfer called the Coast Guard to help get a sick crewmember off the ship and to a hospital on land.

U.S. Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach was deployed and arrived along side the Canadian Transfer at approximately 2 p.m. in their 27 foot Utility Boat Medium.

The 48-year-old crewmember was experiencing stomach pains since early this morning.

He was brought back to Station Harbor Beach to awaiting Emergency Medical Services at approximately 2:10 p.m. who took him to Harbor Beach Community Hospital.

Port Reports - May 18 and 19

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Saturday evening at the Upper Harbor, James R. Barker unloaded western coal.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Sam Laud called on the Saginaw River Saturday morning, unloading at the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City. She completed her unload and was outbound for the lake Saturday afternoon.
Manitowoc called on the Saginaw River Sunday evening, making her first trip upriver under her new name. She traveled up to the GM Dock in Saginaw to unload. Manitowoc is expected to be outbound early Monday morning.

Twin Ports - Travis Chadwick
Edgar B. Speer was at CN/DMIR loading taconite on Sunday.
Joseph L. Block joined her there to unload limestone.
The Great Lakes Maritime Academy training vessel State of Michigan arrived Sunday for a few days stay.
James R. Barker to arrive late evening for CN/DMIR and Burns Harbor also late for Burlington Northern in Superior.

Traverse City - James Shannahan
Once again the St Mary's Challenger is waiting out rough weather in Suttons Bay on Sunday evening.

Wood salvaged From Grain Elevator

5/19 - Superior - The Globe grain elevator stands 15 stories over St. Louis Bay in Superior. Decommissioned in 1989, it still carries the pungent scent of its forgotten cargo. Inside, the wooden boards that make up 133 grain bins bear corrugated grooves born of a century of grain cascading down them.

This structure, the biggest grain elevator in the world when it was built in the late 1880s, contains the equivalent of an entire forest of antique, old-growth white pine in its walls. Now, 120 years after it rose over the bay, the building is being deconstructed as carefully and slowly as it was built. Instead of its parts going into a landfill, Wisconsin Woodchuck LLC, which salvages old-growth lumber, will recycle 6 million board feet from the Globe elevator and two neighboring structures for use