Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive

Ship's bell being returned to Port Dalhousie

6/30 - It used to ring out every summer for decades, heralding the arrival of thousands of tourists to Port Dalhousie from across the lake in Toronto. But it was silenced nearly 60 years ago by a fire that destroyed the ship, whose name is emblazoned across the large brass bell.

Port Dalhousie senior David Roseman bought the historic artifact — which used to sit aboard the cross-lake ferry Northumberland — 11 years ago after his son discovered it in an antique store. The 88-year-old retired General Motors worker has now agreed in principle to sell it to the Port Dalhousie Business Association so it can be displayed permanently in the lakeside village. “It’s a nice thing to have,” Roseman said. “It’s the only one in the world and it’s in mint condition.”

But before the bell can change hands, the association must first raise the money to buy it. The association aims to raise $5,000 over the summer to pay for the bell and construction of a display case to house it. “The hope is once we get the money raised we can have a permanent home for it in Port Dalhousie,” association administrator Kim Barclay said.

Built in England in 1891, the Northumberland initially ferried passengers across the Northumberland Strait between Charlottetown, P.E.I. and Pictou, N.S. It later left the salt waters of the Atlantic and ferried tourists back and forth between Toronto and Port Dalhousie for nearly 30 years. But fire that burned through the night of June 2, 1949 while the Northumberland was docked in Port ended its career.

Port Reports - June 30

Hamilton - Eric Holmes
Sunday the CSL Tadoussac departed from US Steel for Picton at 12 noon. Canadian Olympic arrived at 3:30 p.m. with coal for Dofasco. The Halifax arrived at 4:30 p.m. with a cargo of coal for US Steel.
Cuyahoga arrived at 7 p.m. with a part cargo of canola for Pier 11W.

Grand Haven- Dick Fox
Three boats called at our port in the last 24 hours. The Algoway delivered a load of salt to Verplank's dock in Ferrysburg, and the tug Undaunted and barge PM41 also delivered a load at Verplank's Saturday. The Susan W. Hannah and barge St. Mary's Conquest brought a load of cement for the St. Mary's Terminal in Ferrysburg early on Sunday.

BoatNerd Detroit River Cruise planned for August 16

A 4-hour freighter chasing cruise on the lower Detroit River aboard the luxurious Friendship, driven by Capt. Sam Buchanan. Cruise leaves the Portofino's On The River restaurant, in Wyandotte, MI at 10:00 am. We'll go where the boats are. Hopefully, up the Rouge River, maybe down the Detroit River. Bring your camera.

All this for only $25.00. Limited to the first 100 reservations. Mail your check today to: Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online, Inc., 1110 South Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840-2239.

Sunday, August 3, is the date for the Willis B. Boyer Marine Memorabilia Flea Market and Ship Model Display.

Co-sponsored by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Boyer/Riverfront Inc., Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping (www.BoatNerd.com) and Diamond Jack's River Tours, the event will take place in shoreside tents next to the museum ship Willis B. Boyer in Toledo. The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is only $6.00 and includes a tour of the Boyer.

In addition to many vendors with marine items for sale, there will be a pond with a model boat display. BBQ and refreshments will be available on the grounds.

To make the day even more complete, BoatNerd.com and Diamond Jack's are sponsoring a trip to Toledo on the Diamond Belle. Departing from Wyandotte at 8:00 a.m., the Belle is expected to arrive at the Boyer around 1:15. The trip cross open water on the western end of Lake Erie and travel up the Maumee River passing through several draw bridges.

Passengers will be allowed two hours of free time to shop the marine mart, tour the Boyer and enjoy the model ships display before boarding for the return trip to Wyandotte. The ticket price of $90.00 per person, includes three meals on board the Belle and admission to the mart and Boyer tour. Reservations are required.

Click here for Diamond Jack's Reservation form.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 30

On this day in 1962, the CLIFFS VICTORY passed down through the Welland Canal to become the first boat in the Cleveland Cliffs Fleet to enter Lake Ontario in 20 years.

The CSL ASSINIBOINE was rechristened at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., on June 30, 2005. She was the a.) LOUIS R DESMARAIS and the fourth CSL vessel to receive a forebody replacement.

On 30 June 1917, while being towed out of the Milwaukee River by the tugs WELCOME and KNIGHT TEMPLAR, the Goodrich LinesÕ CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (steel propeller whaleback passenger steamer, 362 foot, 1,511 gross tons, built in 1893, at West Superior, Wisconsin), with 413 passengers onboard, was caught by the current and swung close to shore. The overhang of her snout-bow sheered off two legs of the water tower of the Yahr-Lang Drug Company and the tower fell onto the vessel, destroying the pilothouse and forward decks. The water from the tower rushed down the length of the upper decks. 16 were killed and over 20 were seriously injured. The surviving passengers were taken to Chicago by train. The vessel was repaired and put back into service the following year.

On 30 June 1900, MARIAN TELLER (wooden propeller tug, 52 foot, 33 gross tons, built in 1879, at West Bay City, Michigan) was towing the barge CANTON on Lake St. Clair. The TELLER sprang a leak about one mile from the Lake St. Clair Lightship. The rising water put out her fires. In the scramble to escape, the yawl was swamped and three lives were lost. Only Captain Cornwall and his son were saved when the passing steamer NORWALK picked them up.

Port Reports - June 29

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The American Courage arrived early Saturday morning, calling on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City. She completed her unload and was outbound late Saturday, traveling slow to set up a pass with the inbound Manistee at the Consumers Energy dock.
The Manistee continued upriver to the GM dock to unload. She completed her unload and was outbound Saturday night.
Also arriving on Saturday was the navel cadet training vessel, Grey Fox. The Grey Fox tied up at the Wenona Park dock in Downtown Bay City and will be in port through the 4th of July weekend for tours and special excursions to help raise funds to bring the navel museum vessel, USS Edson, to Bay City.

South Chicago - Brian Z.
The St. Mary's Challenger was spotted outbound this morning in ballast.
At KCBX Terminals, the John B. Aird was loading a cargo of petroleum coke.

Port Of Indiana- Sheldon Rody
Three ships were visiting the Port of Indiana on a sunny afternoon. The Burns Harbor was finished unloading at the steel mill.
Large covered heavy machinery was lifted out of the freighter Victoria.
The hatches were open on the Federal Mattawa but no activity was noted.

Car Ferry Program In Cleveland July 11th

6/29 - Cleveland - The Forest City Division of the Railroad Enthusiasts (RRE) will present Mark Cowles and a program entitled 'A Brief History of Great Lakes Carferries'.

"This clinic is a look at the development of the railroad car ferries that allowed the CN/GTW, CP, Wabash/N&W, NYC, PRR, and Pere Marquette/C&O to transport freight cars and passengers across the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers between the U.S. and Canada. Ferry services between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, provided by NYC, PRR and DSS&A/SOO, as well as the Lake Michigan Services provided by the Ann Arbor, Pere Marquette/C&O and GTW will also be addressed. An extensive hand out will be provided summarizing dates of service and vessels used, and will help attendees following up with their own research."

The meeting which will be on Friday, July 11 at the Parma Memorial Hall, 6617 Ridge Road, Parma, OH. (corner of Ridge & Ridgewood) at 8:15 p.m. The public is welcome.

Click here for more information

Reported by Jim Bobel

Today in Great Lakes History : June 29

On this day in 1946, the tug DALHOUSIE ROVER, Captain J. R. Mac Lean, capsized in the Welland Canal. There were no survivors among the crew of six.

On 29 June 1910, ALABAMA (steel propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 272 foot, 2,626 gross tons, built in 1909, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) made her first trip in regular service for the Goodrich Line from Chicago to Grand Haven and Muskegon. She ran opposite the VIRGINIA. Cut down to a barge in 1961, she was scrapped in La Salle, Ontario in 2006.

On 29 June 1902, GEORGE DUNBAR (wooden propeller freighter, 134 foot, 238 gross tons, built in 1867, at Allegan, Michigan) was loaded with coal when she was damaged by a sudden squall on Lake Erie near KelleyÕs Island and sank. Seven of the crew elected to stay aboard while the skipper, his wife and daughter made for shore in the lifeboat. Those three were saved but the seven perished on a makeshift raft.

The CHARLES M SCHWAB (Hull#496) was launched in 1923, at Cleveland, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co., for the Interlake Steamship Co. Lengthened with a new mid-body and repowered with the stern section of the tanker GULFPORT in 1961. Sold Canadian in 1975, renamed b.) PIERSON DAUGHTERS and c.) BEECHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1995.

On June 29, 1962, the HAMILTONIAN began her maiden voyage for Eastern Lake Carriers (Papachristidis Co. Ltd.). Renamed b.) PETITE HERMINE in 1967. Purchased by Upper Lakes Shipping in 1972, renamed c.) CANADIAN HUNTER. Scrapped at Alang, India in 1996.

The JOSEPH L BLOCK was christened on June 29, 1976, for Inland Steel Co..

The Canadian schooner DUNSTOWN arrived at Malden, Ontario on 29 June 1875, to be put in place as a lightship. Her sides were painted in large white letters: BAR POINT LIGHTSHIP.

On 29 June 1864, ALVIN CLARK (2-mast wooden schooner, 113 foot, 220 tons, built in 1846, at Truago (Trenton), Michigan) foundered in a terrific squall off Chambers Island on Green Bay. Two of the crew were rescued by the brig DEWITT, but three lost their lives. In 1969, a schooner identified as the CLARK was raised at great expense and put on display for some time at Marinette, Wisconsin, then at Menominee, Michigan, but it only lasted until 1995 when it was destroyed.

6/28 - CLEVELAND—Even though coal shipments on the Great Lakes increased 4 percent in May compared to a year ago, the trade continued to struggle with the impacts of the dredging crisis.

The top loads again represented only about 90 percent of the largest vessels’ designed carrying capacity, so shipments were limited to 4.4 million net tons. The rise in the water level on Lake Superior did little to offset the impacts of inadequate dredging. Even a cargo that moved from Superior, Wisconsin, to Silver Bay, Minnesota, a route that does not transit any connecting channels, barely topped 65,000 tons. During periods of high water, vessels in that trade route have carried as much as 71,369 tons in one trip.

For the year, the Lakes coal trade stands at 11.1 million tons, an increase of 5.8 percent compared to a year ago. Compared to the 5-year average for the January-May time frame, the trade is up by only 2.6 percent.

More information is available at www.lcaships.com

Port Reports - June 28

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The Manitowoc delivered a load of coal to the Board of Light and Power plant on Harbor Island late Thursday evening and was gone before morning.

Buffalo Brian Wroblewski
Grande Mariner came into port at 7:15am Friday.

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Friday afternoon, Paul R. Tregurtha made one of her sporadic visits to the Upper Harbor hopper and unloaded western coal.

Toronto Charlie Gibbons
The tug M. R. Kane departed in the wee hours Friday for Cobourg to pick up two barges and a workboat for transport to Morrisburg, ON.
The megayacht Blue Moon, which was in Thursday yesterday, departed at 3 p.m.
The megayacht Destination Harbor Too arrived at 11:30 a.m. and berthed west of the fire tug station.
Also into port Friday at 15 minute intervals, beginning at 9:45 a.m. were HMCS Glace Bay [701], HMCS Summerstown [711] and HMCS Shawinigan [704]. They rafted at the concrete beach. The fire tug Wm. Lyon Mackenzie came out and gave them a watery welcome after they berthed.

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.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 28

On this day in 1955, the 456 foot WYCHEM 105, a.) SAMUEL F B MORSE, was loaded with sand at the B&O docks in Lorain and towed to Rocky River, Ohio where she was sunk as a temporary breakwall.

On this day in 1957, the JOSEPH S YOUNG departed Manitowoc, Wisconsin on her maiden voyage. She traveled in ballast to Port Inland, Michigan to load a cargo of stone. The YOUNG was the a.) ARCHERS HOPE, A T2-SE-A1 tanker, converted to Great Lakes service at Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock, Baltimore, Maryland. Renamed c.) H LEE WHITE in 1969, and d.) SHARON in 1974. Scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in 1986.

On June 28, 1938, at 8:50 a.m., the WILLIAM A IRVIN departed Duluth with her first cargo of iron ore for Lorain, Ohio. 48 years later, in 1986, almost to the minute, the WILLIAM A IRVIN opened as a museum to the public.

The ATLANTIC SUPERIOR arrived at the Algoma Steel Plant, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on her maiden voyage in 1982, with a load of taconite but before she was unloaded christening ceremonies were conducted there.

The SAM LAUD ran aground June 28, 1975, on a shoal south of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, with a cargo of coal from Chicago, Illinois for Green Bay, Wisconsin. Six-thousand tons of coal were off-loaded the next day into the NICOLET, a.) WILLIAM G MATHER, before she could proceed to Green Bay along with the NICOLET to discharge cargoes. SAM LAUD entered the dry dock at Sturgeon Bay on July 3rd for repairs. She had suffered extensive bottom damage with leakage into seven double bottom tanks and the forepeak. She returned to service on August 21, 1975.

On 28 June 1893, JAMES AMADEUS (wooden propeller tug, 65 foot, 44 gross tons, built in 1872, at Cleveland, Ohio) sprang a leak and foundered near Cleveland, Ohio. Her crew abandoned her just before she went down.

On 28 June 1909, TEMPEST (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 138 foot, 370 gross tons, built in 1876, at Grand Haven, Michigan) burned to a total loss while unloading coal at the Galnais Dock at Perry Sound, Ontario. She was consumed very quickly and six of her crew were killed.

Port Reports - June 27

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons
Fireworks were being loaded aboard the D.C. Everest Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the Canada Dry "Festival of Fire" which begins Saturday night in Humber Bay, off Ontario Place. South Asian fireworks are to be featured on June 28, Canada on July 1, Latin America on July 3, with a Grand Finale slated for July 5. The Everest will be anchored in Humber Bay Thursday.
Stephen B. Roman departed quite early Thursday morning for Picton.
Canadian Olympic arrived during the wee hours and departed at 9 a.m. The tugs M. R. Kane, Radium Yellowknife and Charlie E. anchored D. C. Everest in Humber Bay.
Galcon Marine's tug Kenteau is on Toronto Drydock for minor upgrades.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
On Thursday, Saginaw was at the Kuhlman Dock unloading a cargo of oats from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The tug Michigan with the barge Great Lakes was at the B-P Dock loading cargo. Manistee was at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock unloading stone. Halifax was at the Torco Dock unloading ore.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Dock has the Manistee, Catherine Desgagnes, Saginaw and John J. Boland due in Friday. Herbert C. Jackson and Arthur M. Anderson on Sunday, followed by the Algosoo and Arthur M. Anderson on Monday.
The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Dock has the CSL Assiniboine due in Monday. The tug Dorothy Ann with the barge Pathfinder due in Wednesday, followed by the Canadian Navigator on Thursday.

Buffalo Brian Wroblewski
Adam E. Cornelius departed at 5:15 pm Wednesday.
There was more talk in the local news media during late June regarding the possible reuse of the upper floor train shed of the DL&W Terminal along the Buffalo River. Reports indicate an interest between the NFTA and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Agency to locate several museums and art galleries there. The building was built in 1917 as the city’s one and only true “Multi-mode” transportation center with marine, rail, streetcar, bus, and walk in service. The NFTA maintains their fleet of subway trains on the lower floor but the upper level train shed is empty and sealed up. The original passenger platforms remain in place with a long open area separated only by the columns that hold up the roof. This building was the only one of Buffalo’s three large rail terminals that had trains arrive and depart from the upper level. Passenger ships once docked alongside this section of the structure for lake service. The original passenger station was torn down in 1980 to make room for the electrical lines and interlocking plant of the new Buffalo Metrorail system coming into the building from Main St.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 27

On 27 June 1892, in rain and fog, the FRED A MORSE (wooden schooner, 182 foot, 592 gross tons, built in 1871, at Vermilion, Ohio) was being towed downbound by the HORACE A TUTTLE (wooden propeller freighter, 250 foot, 1,585 gross tons, built in 1887, at Cleveland, Ohio) about 12 miles southeast of Thunder Bay on Lake Huron, both carrying loads of iron ore. At the same time, JOHN C PRINGLE (wooden propeller freighter, 173 foot, 474 gross tons, built in 1880, at Detroit, Michigan) was sailing upbound in that vicinity with a load of coal and Italian marble with the schooners HARRISON, SWEETHEART and SUNSHINE in tow. At 1:30 a.m., the PRINGLE collided with the schooner MORSE which sank in less than 15 minutes. The crew made it to the TUTTLE in the lifeboat, although one woman was badly injured. The PRINGLE's bow was stove in, her deck planks forward were split and spread, her bulwarks torn away, and her anchors and foremast were lost. She cast off her tow and made for Alpena, Michigan, where she arrived later in the day.

At 4:04 p.m. on 27 June 1890, the Beatty Line's MONARCH (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 240 foot, 2,017 tons) was launched at Sarnia, Ontario. The launching was watched by numerous people on the decks of various steamers and on both sides of the St. Clair River. The MONARCH was built of white oak and braced with iron. She had 62 staterooms

Package freighter CHIMO (Hull#662) was launched in 1967, at Lauzon, Quebec by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. In 1983, CHIMO's stern was attached to the bow and cargo section of the HILDA MARJANNE to create the CANADIAN RANGER.

WILLIAM EDENBORN (Hull#40) (steel propeller freighter, 478 foot, 5,085 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co., Duluth (A. B. Wolvin, mgr.) on 27 June 1900.

PRETORIA (3-mast schooner-barge, 338 foot, 2,790 gross tons) was launched at J. Davidson's yard (Hull #94) in West Bay City, Michigan on 27 June 1900. Mr. Davidson built her for his own fleet. She was one of the largest wooden vessel ever built and lasted until September 1905, when she sank in Lake Superior.

6/26 - Ludington - In case the piles of ruined carpet and drywall in front of area houses weren’t evidence enough, there’s more proof that June has been a profoundly wet month: Lake Michigan, which normally comes up 2 inches in June, is up 5 inches through 22 days.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can’t point to one series of storms or another that get credit for the rise, but the rains have had a definite impact. Lakes Michigan and Huron have received 147 percent of their usual monthly precipitation so far this month. “This is the time of year that we’re usually rising on Lake Michigan,” said USACE Meteorologist Keith Kompoltowicz. “All the rains we received in June this year have just increased the rate of rise.”

Each month, Kompoltowicz generates several forecasts for water levels. His three-month forecast generally outlines where water levels may fall and it’s generally accurate. “We project a range of expected water levels given a very dry or a very wet scenario,” Kompoltowicz said. “What we’ve seen so far has fallen into our really wet scenario.” But one more week is left in June and that could push water levels beyond Kompoltowicz’s generous predicted water level range. Kompoltowicz said the lake is currently just a centimeter below the upper range of his predicted levels.

Lake Michigan is by no means at or even near its long-term average, but it’s getting closer every month. Right now, the lake is about 14 inches below the average June level from 1918-2007. The lake’s current elevation — 578.1 feet above sea level — is 4 inches above last year’s water height.

The five-day forecast from the NOAA Hydrological Prediction Center had Lakes Michigan and Huron due for anywhere from an inch to 1.25 inches of rain in its Tuesday forecast. “If we get another very active last few days for June here, that mean could be pushed up even higher,” Kompoltowicz said.

Higher lake levels mean Great Lakes shippers can carry more freight and might mean easier recreational boating for many. Last year sailboats with drafts deeper than 7 feet had trouble at Ludington Municipal Marina, but so far this year, the channel has been deeper. Ludington Municipal Marina Manager Jim Gallie said the marina actually shows the water level as being 7 inches higher than a year ago. “But that’s dependent upon barometric pressure and wind,” Gallie noted.

If the lake somehow rises 14 inches and gets back to normal, there’s plenty of room in the marina for more water. “We can do another two feet before it starts lapping at the docks — and in 1986 it did,” Gallie said.

Barbara Boss of Newaygo, staying aboard “docks • ology,” a large Four Winns boat in the marina, said there were some ports she couldn’t launch in last year. “There are just some where we didn’t put in,” Boss said. “Elk Rapids was good but Grand Haven was a real problem. We tried to put in there and noticed it was especially shallow.”

Mike Finnesy of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., said he had to switch marinas at home this year because his newly purchased 30-foot Rampage soon to be renamed “Sales Pitch” couldn’t make it in and out of his old marina. “We’re used to about four feet more water,” he said. Finnesy said he hadn’t noticed any problems with depth in marinas in Michigan, though. “This is really a very nice one,” he said of Ludington Municipal. “It’s the first time I’ve been here.”

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The Manistee was inbound the Saginaw River Tuesday morning, traveling upriver to unload at the Buena Vista dock. She was followed by the tug Olive L. Moore and barge Lewis J. Kuber who were carrying a split load for the Bay City and Saginaw Wirt docks. Manistee was outbound Tuesday afternoon while the Moore & Kuber were outbound for the lake late Tuesday night.

Holland - Bob Vande Vusse
The Calumet delivered a cargo of stone to the Verplank dock in Holland on Wednesday, arriving at about 8:00 a.m. and departing at 2:00 pm.

South Chicago - Matt Monahan and Steve Bauer
Around 11:30 Wednesday, one of the G tugs was assisting the Wilfred Sykes stern first down the Calumet river to the KCBX south dock. The pair waited momentarily just shy of the 95th St. bridge waiting for train traffic to clear.
Also, downriver at the DTE terminal Interlake's Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder appeared to be taking on a load of coal.

Goderich - Dale Baechler
After an impressive show by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds along the Goderich waterfront Wednesday night, Algoway arrived early Thursday morning and is loading at the Sifto Salt dock.

Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain
The tug G. L. Ostrander and barge Integrity was at Lafarge on Tuesday morning.
Fleetmate tug Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation arrived overnight but remained tied up at the coal dock on Wednesday with mechanical problems.
The Alpena arrived Wednesday afternoon and took on cement bound for Superior, WI.

Muskegon County commissioners seem to like the Heritage Landing option, although they were careful not to make a commitment at this point. They say they need a more detailed plan before making a decision.

At their Tuesday meeting, county commissioners listened while board members of the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper Preservation Inc. described their current predicament. They noted that the Clipper has been moored at the foot of McCracken Street on Muskegon Lake since it was towed back to Muskegon in 1997. Now owners of the dock, Andries Inc., want the property vacated as soon as possible.

Finding a new spot for the Clipper took on a new urgency when the Clipper board this spring abandoned plans to berth the ship at the Mart Dock after owners West Michigan Dock and Market and the city failed to come up with a mutually acceptable agreement regarding zoning for the property. Dr. Ray Hilt, president of the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper Preservation Inc., said his group has looked around the Muskegon area for temporary and permant spots for the historic ship and has found one good spot -- the peninsula at the northern point of Heritage Landing on Muskegon Lake, where the famous "tall ships" docked when they last came to town in 2003. He said the Clipper would be a perfect addition to Heritage Landing, which attracts thousands of visitors every year for the Muskegon Summer Celebration and other popular festivals.

Heritage Landing is owned and operated by the county.

With its restored bar and dance floor, dining room, soda bowl, main lounge, pilot house, children's play area and exhibition hall, the Clipper would be a natural draw for tourists or weddings, class reunions and other gatherings, board members said. Clipper board members also noted that the deck of the ship would be a great place for people observe concerts and other events at Heritage Landing. But a great deal of work and expense would be needed before fire and inspections officials would allow the public on board. Restoration of the Clipper, which traveled a daily route between Muskegon and Milwaukee between 1941 and 1970, was completed by a loyal group of local volunteers. While the entire ship has not been restored, there are more than enough renovated areas to intrigue the public, according to Hilt.

Board members said their plan is to have the Clipper completely support itself, though grants and revenues from tours and special events, and require no money from the county. They noted that the ship is recognized as a national historic site, and said the National Park Service has indicated a willingness to help them secure future grant funding. "This ship is ready to go to work, if someone gives it a chance," Hilt said.

This marks the second time the Clipper board has eyed Heritage Landing. In 2003, proponents of the site wanted to see the 361-foot-long ship backed into a former boat slip on the eastern side of Heritage Landing, adjacent to the LaFarge Corp. Great Lakes Region concrete towers and used as a seasonal attraction. But even back then, the cost of modifying the site was high.

While they were careful to be noncommittal, county commissioners expressed interest in the idea of having the Clipper at Heritage Landing, and asked the ship's board members to meet with Paul Roy, the county's director of public facilities, to develop a full proposal. No timetable was set for the proposal to come back to commissioners. "I'm sure this board will help you any way it can, as long as it remains revenue neutral (for the county)," said Commissioner James Derezinski, chairman of the county board.

Several Clipper board members said their preference would be to permanently dock the ship on the western side of the peninsula, which has a permanent seawall that served the tall ships when they were last in town. They also said they would happily settle for the tip of the peninsula or its eastern side. Neither the tip of the peninsula or its eastern side have the necessary seawalls for the ship to dock. Officials say it could dock off the tip of the peninsula by tying on to special wooden installations a little bit offshore. Board members also said they would settle for any of the three sides of the peninsula as a temporary home for the ship, while a permanent site is being chosen.

"The Andrie family (that owns the Grand Truck dock) have been wonderful to us, but now they would like to have their property back," said Hilt. "They would like to see us out of there yesterday." Hilt said the board has heard from other communities in other states about possibly taking the Clipper, but declined to name the towns.

Not every county official expressed complete enthusiasm for the Heritage Landing plan. Roy, the public facilities director, wondered if there would be unavoidable costs that the county could not take on. For instance, he said seawalls would have to be installed on the eastern side of the peninsula to put the boat there, and dredging would be necessary. And if it were put on the western side, there may not be room for future visits by other vessels, like the extremely popular tall sailing ships, Roy said. "There are a lot of questions that have to be answered," Roy said.

The pirate-themed tall ship, which is a living history interpretation/reenactment vessel, is one of five such vessels that will join the "Highlander Sea" for the 2008 Sail Port Huron event this weekend. The three-day festival is Friday through Sunday at Desmond Landing, Desmond Marine and the Seaway Terminal. It includes tall ships, artists, entertainment, food, and, oh yeah, a fireworks display that will dazzle the nighttime sky. Acheson Ventures sponsors Sail Port Huron.

"It's really a family oriented event," Acheson spokesman Paul Maxwell said. "It's a chance to see some of the largest tall ships that sail. People who love the boats have a chance to get onboard and talk with the crews as well as enjoy some good entertainment and food." In addition to the "Highlander Sea" and the "Royaliste," which was a favorite of the 2006 Sail Port Huron event, the other tall ships include:

The "Madeline," which is a reconstruction of a mid-19th century Great Lakes schooner and one of the State of Michigan's official tall ships. Operated by volunteer members of the nonprofit group, Maritime Heritage Alliance in Traverse City, its mission is to serve as a floating center for the interpretation of Great Lakes maritime history.

The U.S. Brig "Niagara" was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of a warship aboard which Com. Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812.

The "Pride of Baltimore II" is the world's only existing replica of an 1812-era Baltimore Clipper topsail schooner.

The "Appledore V" of Bay City is a steel hulled, Gaff rigged schooner typical of those sailed on coastal waters and in the Great Lakes right up to the end of the age of sail. The workhorses of their era, they provided the primary means of transportation for goods and passengers over long distances. "Appledore V" is used primarily for overnight voyaging throughout the Great Lakes.

"The 'Appledore V' is a last minute addition, filling in for the 'La Revenante,' which had to cancel," Maxwell said. "We're very a happy to have the 'Appledore V' joining us and we think the crowds are going to love her."

Maxwell said the three bigger tall ships will join the "Highlander Sea" at the bean docks while the two small will dock in the Black River at Desmond Marine.

Other highlights of the weekend will include artists at both Desmond Landing and the Seaway Terminal. Entertainment on the county stage is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and throughout the day Saturday prior to the fireworks. The Strathroy Legion Pipe Band plays from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday. "There will also be plenty of food vendors at both sites," Maxwell said.

Saturday's fireworks display is sure to dazzle everyone. Scheduled to go off about 10 p.m., the show is being simulcast by computer on radio stations 96.9 and 107.1 FM. "People can sit in their cars anywhere from a mile from Desmond Landing and see and listen to the fireworks," Maxwell said.

Sail Port Huron hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Gates open one hour prior to start. Ships close promptly at 5 p.m. Trolleys will carry folks from one site to the other, free of charge. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children age 12 and younger.

"People really enjoyed this event two years ago, so we just want folks to come down again, have fun and enjoy the waterfront," Maxwell said. "Who knows when the next time is that we'll see all these tall ships together in the area. You can't predict that."

Today in Great Lakes History : June 26

On this day in 1942, the LEON FRASER, Captain Neil Rolfson, completed her maiden voyage and delivered a record cargo of 16,414 tons of ore to Conneaut. The downbound trip only required 67.5 hours and broke the record of 15,218 tons set by the Canadian freighter LEMOYNE 15 days earlier. The FRASER was shortened and converted to a bulk cement carrier in 1991, and sails today as the b.) ALPENA.

On this day in 1969, the new Poe Lock was dedicated and opened to traffic. The first boat to transit the new lock was the PHILIP R CLARKE. Captain Thomas Small, a 95-year old retired Pittsburgh Captain was at the wheel of the CLARKE. Thomas Small was also at the wheel of the COLGATE HOYT Ð the first boat to transit the original Poe Lock on August 4, 1896.

On 26 June 1890, the SKATER (wooden propeller excursion steamer, 85 foot, 65 gross tons, built in 1890, at Detroit, Michigan) burned to the waterÕs edge about 20 miles north of Manistee, Michigan. The crew did not even have time to save their clothes, but they all escaped unharmed. The SKATER had just been fitted out for the season and had started her summer route on Traverse Bay. She was rebuilt in Cleveland and lasted until 1942, when she was abandoned at Michigan City, Indiana.

On 26 June 1895, the GEORGE FARWELL (wooden propeller steam barge, 182 foot, 977 gross tons) was launched by Alexander Anderson at Marine City, Michigan. After leaving the ways, she looked like she would capsize, but she righted herself. About 500 people watched the launch. She was taken to the Atlantic Coast in 1900. She only lasted until 1906, when she stranded on Cape Henry, Virginia and was a total loss.

On 26 June 1867, WATERS W BRAMAN (wooden propeller tug, 89 tons, built in 1858, at Boston, Massachusetts for the U.S.Q.M.C. and named RESCUE) was near Pelee Island in Lake Erie when fire started in her coal bunker and quickly spread. Her crew abandoned her in the yawl and were later picked up by the propeller TRADER. She had been sold by the Quartermaster Corps just the previous year and she had come to the Lakes from the East Coast just five weeks before this accident.

On 26 June 1900, Boynton & Thompson purchased the wreck of the NELLIE TORRENT (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 141 foot, 303 gross tons, built in 1881, at Wyandotte, Michigan) to raised her. She had been destroyed by fire at Lime Island near Detour, Michigan on 22 June 1899.

On 26 June 1882, The Port Huron Times reported that the ARAXES (wooden propeller, 182 foot, 569 gross tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York) sank in the Straits of Mackinac. She was raised on 6 July 1882, and repaired. She was built in 1856, and lasted until the summer of 1894, when she sank 4 miles off Bay City in Saginaw.

Wallaceburg barge service update

6/25 - At the June 25th meeting, the Wallaceburg (Ont.) Economic Task Force requested Chatham-Kent Council to endorse a request to the Canada Dept. of Fisheries and Ocean (Ottawa) to dredge a small portion of the Sydenham River.

The area is about 2000 ft. long between the Bruinsma Dock and the turning wharf. The section has silted in preventing continuation of the corn barge service started in 2006.

Corn from southwestern Ontario was shipped by water to Toledo and used in the production of ethanol. Norlake Transportation's tug Radium Yellowknife towed the barges when the service began two years ago.

The route from the St. Clair River via the Chenal Ecarte and Sydenham rivers, once a busy commercial passageway, has not been dredged in more than 20 years.

Port Reports - June 25

Toronto - Frank Hood and Charlie Gibbons
Algolake had departed Toronto by Monday afternoon.
Stephen B Roman arrived in Toronto Harbour Monday evening.
Tugs Radium Yellowknife, M. R. Kane and Charlie E. arrived in port at 6 a.m. with the idle freighter D. C. Everest (unofficially renamed K. R. Elliot) and moored it at the Essroc cement plant.

South Chicago - Steve Bauer
The Algomarine was seen at the North American Salt dock at 92nd St unloading a partial load of salt into the storage domes there. She was finished about 12:40pm and departed for the lake at about 12:55, with the help of the "G" tug Colorado on the stern.
Over at KCBX, the American Mariner looked to be almost finished taking on a load of coal at the the south dock.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 25

The whaleback steamer WASHBURN (steel propeller freighter, 320 foot, 2,234 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co. (Hull #124) at W. Superior, Wisconsin on 25 June 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at Cleveland, Ohio.

On this day in June 25, 1892, the American Steel Barge Company, West Superior Wisconsin, Captain Alexander Mc Dougall manager, held the first triple launching on the Great Lakes which included the whalebacks PILLSBURY, WASHBURN and the small tug ISLAY. A crowd in excess of 10,000 people witnessed the event. Only the tug ISLAY remains afloat.

On 25 June 1892, the PILLSBURY (steel propeller whaleback bulk freighter, 320 foot, 2,234 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co., at West Superior, Wisconsin. She was rebuilt at Conneaut, Ohio in the winter of 1918-1919 (315.75 feet x 42.25 feet x 24.16 feet; 2,394 gross tons- 1,465 net tons) when she received straight sides and a flattened deck. In 1927, she was converted to crane vessel, with two cranes on deck. In November 1934, she stranded on the north pier at Muskegon, Michigan in a storm and then broke in half. She was scrapped the following year.

In 1927, the B F AFFLECK (Hull#178) was launched at Toledo, Ohio by Toledo Shipbuilding Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

On June 25, 1938, the WILLIAM A IRVIN began her maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., leaving Lorain, Ohio for Duluth to load iron ore.

INDIANA HARBOR set a record cargo on June 25, 1993, loading 71,369 tons of western low sulfur coal at Superior's Midwest Energy Terminal and transporting it 50 miles to Silver Bay, Minnesota.

The ALGOBAY collided head-on with the steamer MONTREALAIS in foggy conditions on the St. Clair River June 25, 1980, causing extensive bow damage to both vessels. Repairs to the ALGOBAY were made by Herb Fraser & Associates, Port Colborne, Ont. at an estimated cost of $500,000. She returned to service by mid August, 1980.

At 1:00 a.m. on 25 June 1878, the 161 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner PESHTIGO and the 143 foot, 3-mast wooden schooner ST ANDREW collided and sank near Cheboygan, Michigan and the Straits of Mackinac. Newspapers of the time claimed that forest fire smoke hampered visibility. Both vessels sank quickly. Two of the crew of PESHTIGO were lost, but the rest were rescued by the schooner S V R WATSON. The entire crew of ST ANDREW was rescued by the Canadian propeller OCEAN.

On the afternoon of 25 June 1885, the tug NIAGARA had the schooner MOUNT BLANC in tow while coming rounding to pick up the schooner REINDEER near Stag Island on the St. Clair River. The MOUNT BLANC struck the wreck of the tug B B JONES. The JONES had exploded in Port Huron on 25 May 1871, and the wreck was towed to the head of Stag Island where it was abandoned. After striking the wreck of the JONES, the ore laden MOUNT BLANC sank. She was later recovered and repaired and lasted until 1901.

The iron ore float approached 5.9 million tons, a reflection of the high operating rates at North American steel mills. However, both the coal and stone floats were more than 200,000 tons off last May’s pace.

Port Reports - June 24

St. Joseph -
The tug G. L. Ostrander and barge Integrity arrived at the LaFarge docks in St Joseph, MI about 8:30 am on Sunday. The pair were expected to be underway by Tuesday morning.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 24

On June 24, 1971, a fire broke out in the engine room of the ROGER BLOUGH at the American Ship Building, Lorain, Ohio yard, killing four yard workers and extensively damaging her Pielstick diesel engines. Extensive repairs, which included replacement of both engines, delayed her delivery for nearly a year.

The WILLIAM E COREY (Hull#67), was launched at Chicago, Illinois by Chicago Ship Building Co., the first flagship for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Sold to Canadian registry and renamed b.) RIDGETOWN in1963. Sold for use as a breakwall at Nanticoke in 1970, and since 1974, she has been used as a breakwater in Port Credit, Ontario.

CANOPUS (2-mast wooden brig, 386 tons, built in 1855, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying 16,500 bushels of wheat when she collided with the bark REPUBLIC between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. on 24 June 1865. The CANOPUS sank in about 20 minutes off Clay banks on Lake Erie. No lives were lost.

The wooden scow MYRA of Ashtabula, Ohio was lost in a terrible squall on Lake Erie off Elk Creek on 24 June 1875. Three lives were lost.

Port Reports - June 23

South Chicago - Tom Kort
The John Sherwin remains in the Chicago area. The boat has been moved to an operating grain elevator and appears to have recently been unloaded. Photos taken Saturday in the News Photo Gallery.

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons and Frank Hood
English River came in Sunday afternoon.
Algolake arrived in Toronto Sunday night. Passing under the Cherry Street lift bridge about for the salt docks at about 8:20 p.m.

Marquette - Lee Rowe
Sunday, Herbert C. Jackson brought coal to the Shiras Dock in Marquette's lower harbor, then moved to the ore dock to take on a load of taconite. New fencing has been installed at the Shiras Dock site.

Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski
Karen Andrie and barge A-397 arrived through the North Entrance around 7 pm Sunday.

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The Algoway delivered a cargo of salt to Verplank's dock in Ferrysburg, crossing the pier heads with a salute for onlookers at 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Calumet deliverd a load of stone to Verplank's early Sunday morning, pulling away from the dock about 11:30.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
Kaye E. Barker finished loading coal at the CSX Docks and departed early Sunday Morning. Kaministiqua finished loading ore and departed from the Midwest Terminal Dock mid Sunday afternoon. The tug Sea Service with the barge Energy 6506 remained tied up at the Midwest Terminal Dock.
The barge Exiderdome No.1 is in drydock at the Ironhead Marine Shipyard for survey/repairs.
Maumee was at the A.R.M.S. Dock unloading salt and was expected to depart early Sunday evening. This was her third trip to Toledo during the past week bringing in salt cargoes.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Docks has the Manistee due in late Tuesday evening, Herbert C. Jackson early Wednesday morning, Catherine Desgagnes Thursday evening, followed by the Halifax, Saginaw and John J. Boland on Friday morning.
The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Docks has the CSL Niagara due in early Tuesday morning, followed by the Halifax late Thursday afternoon.

Hamilton - Eric Holmes
Saturday the Sichem Eva arrived in Burlington Bay at 10:30 a.m. for bunkering by the Hamilton Energy who arrived at 2:30 p.m.
The tug Vigilant 1 and barge departed at 1 p.m. for Kingston. John D Leitch departed at 2 p.m. from Dofasco for Superior.
Sunday, the Rt. Hon. Paul J Martin arrived at 12:45 p.m. with coal for US Steel.
Vega Desgagnes arrived off Bronte at 1 p.m. for bunkering by the Hamilton Energy who arrived at 1:30 p.m. Bunkering was finished at 4 p.m. and Energy departed for Hamilton and the Vega Desgagnes docked at the Petro Canada Pier.
The tug Petite Forte and barge St. Mary's Cement arrived at 3 pm. and headed to Pier 10.

Saginaw - Todd Shorkey
Sunday morning saw the departure of the CSL Tadoussac from the Essroc dock, the Olive L. Moore-Lewis J. Kuber from Valley Asphalt in Carrollton and the Algorail from the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee. All three vessels were out bound before noon.
The tug Donald C. Hannah departed the Dow Chemical dock Sunday morning, light tug, out bound for the lake. Taking the Hannah's tank barge in tow was the tug Ivory Coast, who had arrived overnight.

Holland - Bob Vande Vusse
The Wilfred Sykes arrived in Holland at about noon Sunday to deliver stone to the Verplank dock.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 23

Thirty years ago this morning, the NEPCO 140, carrying six million gallons of No. 6 bunker oil and being pushed toward Oswego by the tug EILEEN C, grounded on the shore of Wellesley Island in the American Narrows section of the St. Lawrence River, just upstream from Alexandria Bay, N.Y. The grounding occurred about 1:35 a.m. in heavy fog and was followed by a second apparent grounding further up river, just before the barge reached the Seaway anchorage site off Mason's Point, some four miles above the initial grounding site. In all, over 300,000 of the thick crude was spilled into the River, creating the largest slick ever to pollute an inland U.S. waterway to that day.

Seaway traffic was halted immediately, sending at least 20 ships to anchor. Within hours, over 20,000 feet of boom were deployed, but the spill moved steadily down river, coating granite shoreline, trapping waterfowl, forcing boat owners to pull their boats, and oozing into sensitive marshland, particularly Chippewa Bay in New York waters. Some oil eventually reached as far down the river as Lake St. Lawrence and coated shoreline along the Long Sault Parkway on the Canadian side of the lake. Clean-up lasted into the fall and cost in excess U.S. $8 million.

On 23 June 1903, the tug O W CHENEY steamed out of Buffalo harbor in heavy fog to tow the steamer CHEMUNG into the harbor. The tug ran too close to the on-coming steamer, was struck by the bow, and the CHENEY overturned and sank. Three crewmen were killed; two survivors were picked up by the tug FRANK S BUTLER.

On 23 June 1969, RALPH MISENER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 730 foot, 19,160 gross tons, built in 1968, at Montreal, Quebec) transited the Soo Locks upbound for the first time. She had an innovative self-unloading system with twin booms. The movable crane was equipped with a chain of buckets so it could discharge cargo from either side. This unloading system only lasted until 1976, when it was severely damaged in a squall on Lake Michigan. The vessel was then converted from a combination self-unloader/bulk carrier to a bulk carrier. She was renamed b.) GORDON C LEITCH in 1994.

In 1926, the GLENMHOR (Hull#16), the name was soon corrected to GLENMOHR, was launched at Midland Ontario by Midland Shipbuilding Co., for Great Lakes Transportation Co., (James Playfair). She was 6 feet wider and 4 feet shallower than the largest ship at that time. Purchased by Canada Steamship Lines in 1926, renamed b.) LEMOYNE. Scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1969.

In 1929, the WILLIAM G CLYDE (Hull#804) was launched at Lorain, Ohio by American Shipbuilding Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Converted to a self-unloader and renamed b.) CALCITE II in 1961. Renamed c.) MAUMEE in 2001.

Launched in 1972, was the ALGOWAY (Hull#200) at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., for Algoma Central Railway.

The first whaleback barge, 101, was launched along the shore of St. Louis Bay near Duluth, Minnesota on 23 June 1888. Captain Alexander Mc Dougall, the inventor and designer, was there along with his wife, her sister-in-law and several hundred spectators. As the vessel splashed in to the bay, Mrs. Mc Dougall is supposed to have muttered, "There goes our last dollar!"

On 23 June 1900, the 450 foot steel steamer SIMON J MURPHY (Hull#135) was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan by the Detroit Ship Building Co., for the Eddy - Shaw Transportation Co. of Bay City, Michigan.

On 23 June 1873, B F BRUCE was launched at Crosthwaite's yard in East Saginaw, Michigan. She is not properly a schooner, but what is known as a "three-and-after" in nautical terms. Her capacity was 50,000 bushels of grain (800 tons) and the building cost was $50,000.

Port Reports - June 22

Toronto -
Stephen B. Roman departed port early Saturday morning after laying in for three days.
Algosoo was in on Friday with a load of salt. She departed before noon.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Saturday was an active day on the Saginaw River with a number of boats calling on docks along her banks. The tug Olive L. Moore and barge Lewis J. Kuber were in with a split load, lightering at the Sargent dock in Essexville before continuing up river to Carrollton to finish unloading.
John J. Boland called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City followed by the CSL Tadoussac who unloaded at the Essroc Cement Terminal in Essexville.
Finally, Algorail was in bound, heading up river to unload at the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee. All of these vessels were expected to be outbound late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
The Tug Donald C. Hannah, who had arrived on Thursday, was still at the Dow Chemical dock Saturday evening.
The 21st annual Dow Bay City River Roar tunnel boat races are also underway this weekend. This could cause some delays for commercial traffic during the day Sunday due to river closures when the races are ongoing. Commercial traffic dues have preference, but the do not stop races in progress for freighter traffic.

Willis B. Boyer Marine Memorabilia Flea Market announced

Sunday, August 3, is the date for the Willis B. Boyer Marine Memorabilia Flea Market and Ship Model Display.

Co-sponsored by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Boyer/Riverfront Inc., Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping (www,BoatNerd,com) and Diamond Jack's River Tours, the event will take place in shoreside tents next to the museum ship Willis B. Boyer in Toledo. The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is only $6.00 and includes a tour of the Boyer.

In addition to many vendors with marine items for sale, there will be a pond with a model boat display. BBQ and refreshments will be available on the grounds.

To make the day even more complete, BoatNerd.com and Diamond Jack's are sponsoring a trip to Toledo on the Diamond Belle. Departing from Wyandot at 8:00 a.m., the Belle is expected to arrive at the Boyer around 1:15. The trip cross open water on the western end of Lake Erie and travel up the Maumee River passing through several draw bridges.

Passengers will be allowed two hours of free time to shop the marine mart, tour the Boyer and enjoy the model ships display before boarding for the return trip to Wyandot. The ticket price of $90.00 per person, includes three meals on board the Belle and admission to the mart and Boyer tour. Reservations are required.

Click here for Diamond Jack's Reservation form.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 22

On 22 June 1959, BAYPORT (steel propeller tug, 72 foot, 65 gross tons, built in 1914, at Cleveland, Ohio, formerly named a.) FAIRPORT) had the steamer MOHAWK DEER in tow when she was hooked by her own tow cable, capsized and sank at Collingwood, Ontario. Three lives were lost. The tug was later raised and converted from steam to diesel. Later renamed c.) TWIN PORT, and d.) ROD MC LEAN in 1974. She is currently owned by Purvis Marine and is at the Purvis West Yard at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

On 22 June 1909, W P THEW (wooden propeller freighter, 133 foot, 207 gross tons, built in 1884, at Lorain, Ohio) was in ballast, creeping through the fog off Alpena, Michigan on Lake Huron when she was rammed by the WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE (steel propeller freighter, 532 foot, 6,634 gross tons, built in 1908, at Ecorse, Michigan). After the collision, the LIVINGSTONE drifted away and lost track of the THEW. The THEW sank in 80 feet of water. Fortunately the steamer MARY C ELPHICKE answered the distress whistle and picked up the THEW's crew from the lifeboat. No lives were lost.

The WILLIAM R ROESCH (Hull#901) was launched and christened at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., on June 22, 1973, for the Union Commerce Bank, Ohio (Trustee) and managed by the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) DAVID Z NORTON in 1995.

June 22, 1957 - W. L. Mercereau, known as the "Father of the Fleet", died. Mercereau developed the Pere Marquette fleet of car ferries into the "largest in the world".

On 22 June 1853, CHALLENGE (wooden propeller freighter, 198 foot, 665 tons, built in 1853, at Newport, Michigan) was bound from Chicago for Buffalo with barreled pork and oats on one of her first trips. However, her boiler exploded off Cheboygan, Michigan. She burned and sank. Five died. The schooner NORTH STAR heard the blast ten miles away and came to the rescue of the rest of the passengers and crew.

On 22 June 1875, The Port Huron Times reported that "the Northern Transportation Company's fleet of 20 propellers, which have been idle all the season owing to difficulties between the Central Vermont and the Ogdensburg & Champlain Railroad Companies, have passed from the control of the Central Vermont Railroad Company and will commence regular trips as soon as they can be fitted out."

Shell officials say the vessel hit the north end of the dock while coming in to refuel. Nothing leaked as a result of the collision, and no injuries were reported.

Damage was visible at the north end of the dock, with a large 6-inch crack encircling one of the large concrete supports and portions of the steel dock appeared to be twisted.

A 200-foot section of the north dock sustained significant damage in November 2006 when the John G. Munson struck the dock’s north end, nearly shearing off a large section.

Stretching 3,000 feet and comprised of three parts, the dock is considered the largest on the Great Lakes. Two portions of the dock are for loading and the third is used to refuel Great Lakes ships.

There is no timetable for when the dock will reopen.

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons
The salty Olympic Melody departed late Thursday, assisted by Groupe Ocean's tugs, and English River departed early Friday morning.
Stephen B. Roman has been in at Essroc for the past two days and should depart shortly. The tall ships Bluenose II, Pride of Baltimore II, and USS Niagara remain in port on their goodwill tour.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
Algomarine was at the A.R.M.S. Dock unloading grain from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Tug Ivory Coast with the barge Exiderdome No. 1 was at the Ironhead Shipyard. The tug Sea Service with the barge Energy 6506 was at the Midwest Terminals Dock they will eventually proceed to the B-P Dock to load cargo.
The revised schedule for coal boats due into the CSX Docks has the Kaye E. Barker due in Saturday evening. Herbert C. Jackson is due in the late afternoon Tuesday, followed by the Manistee late Tuesday evening. Halifax is due in Wednesday afternoon and Catherine Desgagnes early Thursday evening. For Friday, Saginaw and John J. Boland are due in the morning.
The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Dock has the Canadian Navigator due in Saturday evening, followed by CSL Niagara and Halifax due in Tuesday morning.

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The barge St. Mary's Conquest and tug Susan W. Hannah arrived around midnight night with a load for the St. Mary's Cement Terminal in Ferrysburg. It departed late Friday afternoon.
At 7:45 pm Friday night, the Agawa Canyon crossed the pier heads enroute to the Verplank Dock in Ferrysburg with the first load of salt for the season.

Members of the study group, which is looking at lake levels and other issues on the Upper Great Lakes, said that construction of a dam to raise lake levels would face court fights and require the approval of the U.S. and Canadian governments. The short answer, experts told a group of 150 people, is that there are no easy solutions to low water levels that have plagued the lakes in recent years.

Members of the International Upper Great Lakes Study held the first of two public meetings in Wisconsin on Thursday night. The second was Friday at Concordia University in Mequon. The study group hopes to have some recommendations to the International Joint Commission by 2010 and then provide another round of public comment.

The International Joint Commission, composed of members from the United States and Canada, is midway through a five-year study on how to better manage Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Members of the group listened to polite but often frustrated pleas from Door County residents that something must be done to raise Lake Michigan water levels.

Charlie Imig, who lives on Washington Island in the summer, would like to see dams constructed or other steps to counteract the effects of dredging on the St. Clair River near Detroit that some have blamed as the source of the problem. “We are being studied to death,” he said. “We’re losing water. Many of these people depend on these waters for their livelihood.”

Despite a wet spring, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are below their long-term averages. Lake Superior, however, has rebounded to near-normal levels this year. More water in Lake Superior should help to raise water levels of Lake Michigan and Huron this year, but levels are expected to remain below long-term averages.

Richard Purinton, president of Washington Island Ferry Line, which moves between the northern tip of the mainland and Washington Island, said water levels forced him to dredge in December and January. If lake levels fall much farther, it will affect his ability to move people on his ferry line. “Something’s got to be done,” he said.

But another lakeshore resident cautioned the study panel not to move too fast. Bill Skadden, who lives on Green Bay west of Sturgeon Bay, reminded people that the late 1980s were marked by high water levels that caused flooding and damage to shorelines. “We’ve got to be careful in making decisions when water levels are low, because what is going to happen when they rise again?”

Two key aspects of the study are to understand the role of the St. Clair River and how the outflow of water from Lake Superior could be increased to send more water to Lakes Michigan and Huron. One leading explanation for the current drop in water levels is a dredging project in 1962 by the U.S. Army Corps on the St. Clair River above Detroit. The corps agrees that the dredging, as well as earlier dredging and riverbed mining, permanently lowered both lakes by 16 inches.

But Gene Stakhiv, an engineer and co-chairman of the study panel, said it was simplistic to blame it all on the dredging project. Stakhiv said that evaporation alone in the winter removes far more water from the lakes than dredging on St. Clair has. “The big issue hanging over all of this is climate change,” said John Nevin, an adviser to the international commission.

Though some have suggested a dam in the St. Clair River, a more practical recommendation, he said — and one more like the lakes’ natural processes — would be to adjust the flows of water from Lake Superior into Lakes Michigan and Huron at Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.

On 21 June 1868, the D&C Line's MORNING STAR (wooden side-wheel steamer, 243 foot, 1,075 tons, built in 1862, at Trenton, Michigan) was late in leaving her dock in Cleveland, Ohio because she was loading some last-minute freight (iron bars and glass). As she sailed on Lake Erie to Detroit during the dark and rainy night, she collided with the heavy-laden bark COURTLAND and sank quickly, 10 miles off Lorain, Ohio. Twenty feet of the steamer's bow had been torn off while the bark was swept into one of the paddle wheels and destroyed. The side-wheel steamer R N RICE arrived on the scene at 3:00 a.m. and picked up the survivors - only 44 of them. In September, MORNING STAR was raised, towed to Lorain and resunk in 55 feet of water, for possible future rebuilding. Attempts were made to raise her again several times, but in the summer of 1872, she was abandoned because it was determined that the previous attempts had reduced her to rubble.

On 21 June 1878, the small passenger steamer J HOLT which ran between Chatham and Wallaceburg, Ontario, burned on Lake St. Clair. The passengers and crew escaped in the lifeboats.

On June 21, 1942, the LEON FRASER entered service as the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. The Pittsburgh Steamship Co. bulk freighter, originally 639 foot 6 inches long, retained at least a tie for that honor until the WILFRED SYKES entered service in 1949. She was shortened, converted to a self-unloading cement carrier and renamed b.) ALPENA in 1991.

June 21, 1942, the U.S. Steel bulk freighter EUGENE J BUFFINGTON ran hard aground on Boulder Reef in Lake Michigan and broke in two. The vessel was subsequently recovered and, after a long career with U.S. Steel, was finally sold for scrap in 1980.

The m/v RANGER III (Hull#385) was side launched at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by Christy Corporation, on Saturday, June 21, 1958. The vessel was custom designed by R.A. Stearns (Bay Engineering) also of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for the National Park Service, Isle Royale National Park.

On June 21, 1986, during a severe thunderstorm (and unofficial observations of a funnel cloud) in the Duluth area, the JOSHUA A HATFIELD broke loose from Azcon Scrap Dock in Duluth and was blown across the harbor and ended up hard aground on Park Point (Minnesota Point). She remained stuck for nearly 3 weeks when a storm with east winds pushed the HATFIELD free and she blew most of the way back across the harbor back to the scrap dock. Tugs were dispatched in time to safely guide the HATFIELD back to the scrap dock. (June seems to be a bad month for U.S. Steel in accidents, with the June 7, 1977, accident involving the WILLIAM A IRVIN, the June 15, 1943, collision between the D M CLEMSON and the GEORGE M HUMPHREY, and the June 21, 1942, grounding of the EUGENE J BUFFINGTON on Boulder Reef.)

June 21, 1916 - The ANN ARBOR NO 5, after departing the shipyards in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 21, 1916, where 3 buckets (blades) were replaced on her starboard propeller, arrived Manistique, Michigan. While maneuvering around in the harbor she struck the rocky bottom and broke off the same three blades off her starboard propeller.

June 21, 1994 - The Ludington Daily News reported a planned sale of the CITY OF MIDLAND 41, to Contessa Cruise Lines of Minnesota. The deal included an option to sell the SPARTAN and Contessa was prohibited from competing against Lake Michigan Carferry Co., but it fell through.

The 3-mast wooden schooner GEORGE MURRAY was launched in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on 21 June 1873. At the time, she was billed as the largest vessel ever built on Lake Michigan. Her dimensions were 299 foot long x 34 foot beam x 14 foot depth, with the capacity to carry 50,000 bushels of grain. She was built by G. S. Rand for J. R. Slauson of Racine, Wisconsin.

On 21 June 1900, the wooden bulk freighter R C BRITTAIN was raised at Toledo, Ohio. She was then brought to Sarnia where repairs were made and the engine of the tug F A FOLGER was installed in her. She had previously sunk at Toledo and remained there for several years before being raised. She lasted until 1912, when she burned at Sarnia.

Ned Smith, Erie Shipbuilding's chief executive, said work on the project has already begun, although final details of the contract are still being negotiated. "We feel very confident it's going to get done," he said. "We're so confident, we've already started."

He said the tug-barge will consume most of the shipyard's time, although there could be some side projects. "This will be our full-time project for the next 15 months," he said. Employment, now at just over 100, will increase to 150 to 175 as the project intensifies this fall, he said.

Work started six weeks ago on the 135-foot tug. Construction of the 740-foot barge is expected to begin in mid-July to early August. The tug-barge, which will be done in late 2009, will haul limestone or iron ore pellets, or both, on the Great Lakes.

Smith said Erie Shipbuilding Co. is working to land at least one similar contract, and possibly two or three more, which would be a major boost to future business. "The shipyard has a great future, and there is a lot to be done," he said.

When Erie Shipbuilding Co. took over the former Litton Industries' shipyard, no ships or boats had been built since 1973. That dry spell ended in September when the company launched two barges -- a 244-foot-long steel dump scow and a 165-foot steel-deck barge.

The company is now building its 10th and 11th deck barges. Once they are finished, the shipyard will go "full bore" on the tug-barge, he said.

The tug-barge will have an articulated design. The tug fits into a notch in the stern of the barge, where hydraulic connections allow them to dip and rise independently, increasing maneuverability, especially in bad weather.

“We‘re the link from the general public to the study,” said group member William Hryb, Lakehead Shipping Company Ltd. general manager. “We have to plot a course here that everyone is happy with.”

The study group held a public meeting in Thunder Bay on Tuesday to gather information about the Lake Superior area. “(Water levels are) on everybody‘s mind today – especially water levels that have increased over the past couple of weeks in Thunder Bay,” said Hryb.

After dropping to more than half a metre below its usual levels, Lake Superior has risen significantly in the past several months. But it is still well below normal.

“We are . . . to report by 2012 on . . . ways in which Lake Superior can be regulated at the outflow on the St. Mary‘s River at Sault Ste. Marie,” said meteorologist and study organization co-chairman James Bruce. Bruce said that in the meantime, the first phase of the study consists primarily of examining the water levels of lakes Michigan and Huron, and the causes. “Is it just part of natural climate variability, or is it due partly to increased outflow at the outlet of Lake Huron into the St. Clair River?” said Bruce.

In addition, Bruce said opinions differ on whether or not to deal with the issue at all. “Some of the people who are concerned . . . say you‘ve got to let the levels fluctuate naturally,” said Bruce. “Others say we want to keep it high for navigation . . . power production . . . and so on.”

A report on the St. Clair is due in June next year, and the entire project is to be finished in 2012.

The International Joint Commission - which manages how much water passes into the river from Lake Ontario - held public hearings in Montreal Wednesday night to discuss concerns about their proposal to allow water levels to rise and fall more sharply than they now do.

The IJC is an independent, bi-governmental organization that manages the Great Lakes. It controls water flow to Quebec via the Moses-Saunders dam, which runs across Lake Ontario from Cornwall, Ont., to Massena, N.Y. Their commissioners have argued that more drastic changes in water levels would allow for the establishment of more diverse flora and fauna along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence.

But at the hearings last night, critics seemed far from convinced that the proposal would result in a net environmental gain. "We haven't put enough effort into forecasting the different climate change scenarios," said Marc Hudon, a director at Nature Québec, an environmental coalition that represents 100 smaller groups.

Hudon worried that the IJC plan would allow water levels on the St. Lawrence to drop so low that Quebecers would be forced to artificially elevate the water, which could cause major environmental problems. "If you have less water, you concentrate the contaminants in it," said Hudon, adding that even if the issue were addressed, the St. Lawrence would still suffer. "We would have to keep the levels up artificially by slowing the water down. That makes the water hot. When the water's hot, fish flip upside down - they can't survive."

That's why Hudon is dead-set against the IJC's proposal, which is known as Plan 2007. A slightly modified proposal that takes wetland restoration into account shows promise, he said, but is too short on details to be adopted now. "We like the idea, but we don't want to go into it blind."

Montreal executive committee member Alan DeSousa echoed Hudon's concerns about a lack of specifics. "We want to make sure we know what we're getting into and at this point we're not entirely sure we can say that," he told members of the IJC. "There remain many questions as to the potential impact of the various plans, especially downstream."

DeSousa wondered whether the IJC had environmental contingency plans in place to deal with any serious environmental impact. "We don't have any information at this time as to the scope of the (IJC's) mitigation measures," he said.

Marine transportation officials also expressed concerns, worrying about the potential impact on the economy. "Just a 10-per-cent loss of the (volume of) the seaway would result in 28 more days a year the seaway would have to be closed," said Kirk Jones, director of transportation services at Canada Steamship Lines. "Ten percent or 28 days could add up to $250 million in losses."

Two firms would install small water-powered turbines on the riverbed. One would suspend its turbines from floating rafts.

Verdant Power Canada, whose president has a home in Toronto and a mailing address in Burlington, has $2.2 million from the Ontario government to develop a 15-megawatt project using underwater turbines on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall.

It is eyeing a similar project on the Niagara. Fifteen megawatts would supply 11,000 average-sized homes. Its parent, Verdant Power LLC, has a system that delivered power from New York City's East River in a pilot project in 2006. And it proposes to use an improved version of that system in Canada.

Two other American companies, are applying to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for preliminary permits to put turbines on the New York State side of the Niagara River. Meanwhile, a third seeks a permit for the U.S. side of the St. Clair River. All are driven by growing demand for green, clean, renewable energy and see untapped potential for hydrokinetic power generated by tidal flows and river currents.

Verdant Power president Trey Taylor estimates there is enough potential in the currents of Canada's tides, rivers and man-made channels to power more than 11 million average-sized homes. The sudden interest has so far attracted little attention from Canadian environmental groups.

But the U.S.-based Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper organization has filed a motion to intervene on the FERC applications, saying it has concerns about the impact on the river's flow and on fish and wildlife habitat. Verdant's three-bladed water turbines resemble windmill-style wind turbines. They can be installed on weighted platforms or pilings. It says it's ahead of competitors because its system is the only one tested and proven.

Free Flow Power Corp. of Gloucester, Massachusetts, wants to study a 17.5-MW project along 28 kilometres on the U.S. side of the Niagara from Lake Erie to the lower end of Grand Island, above Niagara Falls.

Hydro Green Energy LLC of Houston, Texas, has filed for permits to study two 70-MW installations -- one downstream of the falls near the Whirlpool Bridge, the other just upstream of the Queenston-Lewiston bridge. Its units would hang from rafts tethered in the current, so they could be raised easily for maintenance.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 20

On this day in 1943, the IRVING S OLDS departed Two Harbors with 20,543 tons of ore and the BENJAMIN F FAIRLESS departed Two Harbors with 20,386 tons of ore. It was the first time that two lakers departed the same harbor on the same day with cargos in excess of 20,000 tons.

The SENATOR (steel propeller freighter, 410 foot, 4,048 gross tons) was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock Company (Hull #122) at Wyandotte, Michigan on 20 June 1896, for the Wolverine Steamship Company. She lasted until 31 October 1929, when she collided with the steamer MARQUETTE in fog off Port Washington, Wisconsin and sank with her cargo of 241 automobiles.

On 20 June 1893, GEORGE STONE (wooden propeller freighter, 270 foot, 1,841 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler & Co. (Hull #98) at West Bay City, Michigan. She lasted until 1909, when she stranded and burned on Lake Erie.

The WILLIAM P COWAN (Hull#724) cleared Lorain, Ohio on her maiden voyage in 1918. Renamed b.) AMOCO ILLINOIS in 1962. Scrapped at Windsor, Ontario by M & M Steel Co., in 1987.

In 1903, the twin screw rail car ferry GRAND HAVEN (Hull#92) was launched at Toledo, Ohio by the Craig Ship Building Co., for the Grand Trunk Carferry Line, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On June 20, 1953, the Canada Steamship Lines bulk freighter BURLINGTON collided with and sank the Paterson steamer SCOTIADOC in Lake Superior.

On June 20, 1959, the SEAWAY QUEEN began her maiden voyage. The vessel was appropriately named, as at the time she was the largest Canadian vessel on the Great Lakes, the 2nd largest on the Great Lakes overall (behind the EDMUND FITZGERALD), and she entered service the same week that Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated the St. Lawrence Seaway. She was one of the more popular and classic looking vessels on the Great Lakes.

June 20, 1936 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 was blocked in Manitowoc following an accident which disabled the Manitowoc Tenth Street Bridge, making it impossible to raise the structure.

June 20, 1993 - The BADGER struck the Ludington breakwall while arriving Ludington. She was sent to Sturgeon Bay for repairs. Ten operating days and twenty-one sailings were lost.

The 230 foot wooden freighter JAMES DAVIDSON (Hull#4) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan for James Davidson at his shipyard on 20 June 1874. JAMES DAVIDSON was wrecked in Lake Huron in 1883.

The MINNEHAHA, a wooden "clipper" schooner, was launched at James A. Baker's shipyard in Oswego, New York on 20 June 1857. Her dimensions were 110 foot keel, 125 foot overall, x 25 foot 6 inches x 10 foot 6 inches. She could carry 13,000 bushels of grain. Mr. James Navagh, her master builder, received a gold watch and chain worth $200 in appreciation of his fine work on this vessel.

On Wednesday night, 20 June 1877, the schooner EVELINE (wooden schooner, 118 foot, 236 gross tons, built in 1861, at Litchfield, Michigan) was struck by lightning about sixty miles out from Alpena, Michigan. The bolt shattered the mainmast, throwing three large pieces over the vessel's sides. The large spar was split perpendicularly in two and the lightning bolt followed the grain of the wood in a circular manner until it reached the main boom jaw, which is enclosed in a band of iron fastened by a large bolt. This bolt was literally cut in two. The mate, George Mayom, had the left side of his body blistered and the skin burned off from the shoulder to the foot. His right leg, hands and arm were also severely burned, and he suffered internal injuries and bled freely. The vessel made it to port and she was repaired. She lasted until September 1895, when she sank off Kewaunee, Wisconsin.

6/19 - Milwaukee - The St. Mary's Challenger collided Monday with a boat owned by Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, docked at Skipper Bud’s marina on the Kinnickinnic River.

The Challenger was docking at the St. Marys terminal just upriver from Skipper Bud’s when the accident occurred, said Mike Petrasky, co-owner of Skipper Bud’s.

For several years, ships docking at the St. Marys terminal have used a portion of the riverfront along the Skipper Bud’s facility. Because the ships are so large, they use roughly 30 feet of the marina’s riverfront.

The St. Marys terminal receives deliveries of cement from Canada about 50 times a year.

Skipper Bud’s and a company that later sold the terminal to St. Marys signed a contract in 1987 that governed their use of the river, according to the city attorney’s office. But that agreement “has apparently lapsed,” and no successor agreement has been reached between the Skipper Bud’s and St. Marys, according to a May 8 letter from City Attorney Grant Langley to Eric Reinelt, city port director.

City Harbor Master Joe DiGiorgio, who directs harbor boat traffic, said both St. Marys and Skipper Bud’s have legitimate rights to use the river. The marina and its customers need access to the river so boats can reach the Port of Milwaukee and Lake Michigan, he said.

Meanwhile, St. Marys is shipping cement to the Milwaukee terminal that’s used in the Marquette Interchange reconstruction and other highway projects, DiGiorgio said. Those shipments are important to the city and the state of Wisconsin, he said. “We’re hoping they can resolve it as good neighbors and not have to go to court,” DiGiorgio said.

St. Marys spokesman Steve Gallagher characterized it as a “minor collision,” and said it occurred because of a machine failure on the St. Marys Challenger.

Uecker couldn’t be reached for comment. The longtime Brewers radio announcer is an avid boater and fishing enthusiast. The 13th annual Bob Uecker Great Lakes Invitational fishing tournament is running Thursday through Saturday from Reefpoint Marina in Racine.

Link to a picture of the boat

USCG Sector Detroit changing command

6/19 - Detroit - Captain Fred M. Midgette will relieve Captain Patrick W. Brennan of command of Sector Detroit in a change-of-command ceremony on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be held at Coast Guard Air Station Detroit located on Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemons, Michigan.

Captain Brennan assumed command of Sector Detroit in March of 2005. As Sector Commander, Captain Brennan was in charge of more than 520 total active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, and over 1,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary members. He oversaw all Coast Guard missions on Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie from Alpena, Michigan, to Vermillion, Ohio, including search and rescue, maritime security, maritime law enforcement, environmental response, domestic icebreaking and waterways management. Captain Brennan fostered strong homeland security and operational partnerships. Under his leadership, Sector Detroit excelled while executing over 3,500 search and rescue cases, over 2000 hours of icebreaking, and over 1,200 vessel and 700 facility inspections. Captain Brennan is transferring to the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans, Louisiana, to serve as the Chief of Response.

Captain Midgette is coming from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he served as the Coast Guard’s liaison officer to U.S. Northern Command. Captain Midgette is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was commissioned in 1982 at the Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Rear Admiral Peter V. Neffenger, Commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District, Cleveland, Ohio, is scheduled to preside over the ceremony.

The change of command is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command. The ceremony is witnessed by all members so that they all know exactly when the transfer of leadership takes place.

Today in Great Lakes History : June 19

On 19 June 1889, NORTH STAR (steel propeller freighter, 299 foot, 2,476 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with CHARLES J SHEFFIELD (steel propeller freighter, 260 foot, 1,699 gross tons, built in 1887, at Cleveland, Ohio) about sixty miles west of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior in heavy fog. The NORTH STAR kept her bow in the SHEFFIELD's side after the impact, giving the crew time to board. The SHEFFIELD then sank in 8 minutes. Her loss was valued at $160,000. The courts found both vessels to be equally at fault after years of litigation.

In 1954, the GEORGE M HUMPHREY (Hull#871) (named for President Eisenhower's Secretary of Treasury) was launched at Lorain, Ohio by American Shipbuilding Co, for National Steel Co., M.A. Hanna, mgr.

In 1978, the ALGOBAY (Hull#215) was launched at Collingwood by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway. Renamed b.) ATLANTIC TRADER in 1994, and renamed c.) ALGOBAY in 1996. She has been idle at Toronto since December 25, 2002.

On 19 June 1836, DELAWARE (wooden passenger/package freight side wheeler, 105 foot, 178 tons, built in 1833, at Huron, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm on Lake Michigan when she was thrown ashore off Niles, Illinois. She broke in two and was wrecked. No lives were lost.

On 19 June 1900, the wooden schooner THOMAS L HOWLAND was raised and towed to Buffalo, New York for repairs. She had been sunk by the ice off Windmill Point in the Detroit River early in the season.

At 5:30 p.m., on 19 June 1872, the wooden package freight/passenger propeller MONTANA (236 foot, 1,535 gross tons) was finally afloat at Port Huron, Michigan. She was successfully launched at the Port Huron Dry Dock Company on Saturday, 15 June, but she got stuck in the mud. The tugs VULCAN, PRINDEVILLE, BROCKWAY and BURNSIDE were all employed to free her and the MONTANA's engines were also going. It took four days of pulling, hoisting and dredging to free her. The effort to get her free and afloat cost Alexander Muir, her builder, over $3,000 (in 1872 dollars). She lasted until 1914, when she burned near Alpena, Michigan.

Desgagnes to use charters for Arctic supply trips

6/18 - Montreal - Due to late delivery of their new ship, Desgagnes Transartik will be chartering two foreign flag ships for northern supply this summer. The new Zelada Desgagnes (sister of Rosaire Desgagnes) will not be ready for the 2008 northern supply season.

Meanwhile, Umialarik Transportation will be chartering the Dutch Edisongracht from Spliethoff's, bringing her under the Canadian flag and renaming her for northern supply work this summer. She is 8448 gross tons, and built in 1994.

Also the tug Point Halifax will be making several trips from Sorel to Hudson's Bay this summer towing the barge Pugwash. Tug and barge are expected to leave Halifax this week and head for So