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Rand Logistics Acquires Two Voyageur Vessels 8/31 - On Tuesday Rand Logistics announced that its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Lower Lakes Towing, Ltd., acquired two conventional bulk carriers
from the Voyageur group of companies for 25 million CAD (approximately U.S.
$23.7 million). Additionally, the Company entered into a contract of
affreightment with Voyageur for the exclusive use of a third vessel, and
secured an option to acquire this vessel for 5 million CAD. Ed Note: The Voyageur Independent is 642', the Voyageur Pioneer is 730', and the Maritime Trader is 607-feet |
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Port Reports - August 31 Twin Ports - Al Miller Goderich - Dale Baechler
Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain |
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Neighbors fear amount of dust new limestone mill may create 8/31 - Lorain - Neighbors near a potential site for a limestone
grinding mill and processing facility in Lorain say they are concerned about
potential dust that could impact the area. Cleveland-based Oglebay Norton
wants to build a limestone grinding mill and processing facility in Lorain on
vacant land at 2001 Henderson Drive on the east side of the Black River. |
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Lake Superior outflow set for September 8/31 - Detroit - The International Lake Superior Board of Control,
under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, has set
the Lake Superior outflow to 1,560 cubic metres per second (m3/s) (55.1
thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of September. This is the
outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of September and is
the same as the August outflow. |
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USCG reminds boaters to be safe this Labor Day weekend 8/31 - Cleveland - Labor Day weekend always Comes with two things:
increase in boater traffic on the Great Lakes and the annual reminder by Coast
Guard for all boaters to be safe and responsible when on the water.
The public is asked to take these simple precautions to continue to make this a safe boating season. For information on vessel safety checks, boating safety courses or safe boating practices, contact your local Coast Guard station or the Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at (216) 902-6020. USCG News Release |
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Lake Huron Lore Society announces public programs at Great Lakes Maritime Center 8/31 - Port Huron - On Saturday, September 22, the Lake Huron Lore Marine Society & the Algonac/Clay Historical Society will present the program "The 75th Anniversary of The of Building of Gar Wood's Miss America X,". On Saturday, October 13, the program will be "Aboard The Charles C. West, 1940," with Ken Niemi. Both programs will be presented at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point, 51 Water St., Port Huron, Michigan, beginning at 7 pm. The programs are free and open to the public. |
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Transportation Memorabilia Flea Market announced 8/31 - Port Huron - The annual fall Transportation Memorabilia Flea Market will be held at the Port Huron Seaway Terminal, 2336 Military St., Port Huron, Michigan, beginning at 9 am, on Saturday, October 20. This flea market will feature Great Lakes marine items, as well as items from other forms of transportation. This event is sponsored by the Port Huron Museum, Acheson Ventures, and the Lake Huron Lore Marine Society. phone 810 982-0891 |
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Updates - August 31 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 31 August 31, 1852 - The U. S. Congress passed an act requiring the president
to appoint three officers from the Navy, three engineers from the Army and two
civilian scientists to constitute the new Lighthouse Board. The Bureau of
Lighthouses succeeded the Lighthouse Board in 1910. |
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Activists board ship in Lake Erie A police boat arrived shortly after two activists chained themselves to the discharge boom and a third activist suspended herself from the vessel's stern, where they dangled precariously close to the rudder and made movement of the ship impossible. The trio was eventually cut down and hauled away by police to Cayuga, Ontario. Ontario police Constable Paula Wright confirmed there was a large police presence at the scene and that three people were arrested, although she said the charges were still being sorted out. The Arctic Sunrise later attempted to block the ship's entry into Nanticoke. The captain of the Arctic Sunrise was issued an order under the federal Marine Transportation Security Act shortly after 4 p.m. to leave the area and dock elsewhere. The dispute was ongoing late Thursday, with about 30 activist crew members and Greenpeace staffers on board the ship, Ms. Higginson said. Allister Paterson of Seaway Marine Transport, which manages the Algomarine for Algoma Central Corp., said the actions of the protesters put them all in serious danger. “You'd have to have a death wish, I think, to do something like that,” Mr. Paterson said of the stunt. Mr. Paterson said he can't understand how the protesters even managed to board the Algomarine. “The ship is 700-plus feet long and they're very high. It's an athletic feat to climb, there's no set of stairs. It's exceptionally dangerous, because if you fall and you go under, you're dead.” Ontario Power Generation spokesman John Earl said the plant notified police, increased security and warned the community in anticipation of the protest. “Of course our concern is that we want to ensure the safe reliable operation of our station — safe for our staff, safe for the community around the station and safe for Ontario consumers so that electricity supply isn't threatened.” Once the stunt was over the Algomarine proceeded into port to unload its cargo of coal. The Nanticoke station is one four coal-fired electrical plants in Ontario that the government promised to shut down by 2007 a deadline that was later extended to 2014. Reported by: Philip Nash and Bill Bird |
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Port Reports - August 30 Lorain - Jim Reagan |
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Waukegan holds fast to harbor plan 8/30 - Waukegan -- The City Council ignored the advice of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk Monday and declined to re-work an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would clear the way for $24 million in federal funds to clean up Waukegan Harbor. The council met in executive session for one hour and 40 minutes to discuss the matter and emerged without comment or taking any action. In a statement released Tuesday, city officials showed no sign of changing course. The provisions called for the city to withdraw its backing if the state did not provide around $4 million in funding, or if Congress fails to pass a bill that would eliminate industrial use of the harbor by 2012. "The City Council met in special session last night to discuss the harbor remediation agreement," the statement reads. "Mayor (Richard) Hyde said that no action was necessary because the City Council stands firm in its position. The City cannot understand why the U.S. EPA has refused to sign the remediation agreement as modified by the city." Last week, the EPA announced it was killing a deal to provide its share of a $36 million harbor clean-up due to the City Council's inclusion of two contingencies in Waukegan's end of the agreement. Great Lakes National Program Director Gary Gulezian said last week that the contingencies "are not only unnecessary, but they have nothing to do with restoration." He added that the EPA "will not sign a project agreement that contains contingencies other than those that are included in our standard project agreements." The day after the EPA stance was made public, Kirk attempted to broker a deal by calling Waukegan officials and EPA Regional Administrator Mary Gade, setting up a scenario in which the deal would proceed if the city removed its provisions. In the wake of Monday's inaction by the council, Kirk expressed his disappointment. "I am disappointed that Waukegan's City Council chose to back away from an agreement with the U.S. EPA to clean up Waukegan Harbor," the Highland Park Republican said in a statement released Tuesday. "It is unfortunate that a project paid for with $23.4 million in federal money -- as well as state and county funding -- will not be realized." But Waukegan officials maintain that a clean-up of PCBs from the inner harbor has to be matched with a plan to ban industrial uses and open up the shoreline for residential development. "The city wants a non-industrial harbor, which is consistent with the Waukegan Downtown and Lakefront Master Plan. The community wants a clean harbor." therefore the City Council expects the federal government to take whatever means are necessary to start the final cleaned-up process." From the Lake County News-Sun |
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Full Loads for U.S.-Flag Lakes Fleet in
July 8/30 - Cleveland—The U.S.-Flag Great Lakes fleet saw its shipments
slip 3 percent in July to 11,984,044 net tons. Source: Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Efforts mount to open Buffalo lighthouse
to the public 8/30 - Buffalo - The Buffalo lighthouse sits on 31 waterfront acres along Fuhrmann Boulevard that have been off-limits to the public since 9/11. Still, visitors show up every day at the security gate, hoping for a chance to step into the 174-year-old landmark and enjoy one of the most beautiful views in the city. “They get upset when we won’t let them in,” said a U.S. Coast Guard sentry who asked not to be named. “Their next question is, ‘How do we find our way back to the city?’ We now [hand out] maps.” While most public attention on developing Buffalo’s waterfront has focused on the historic canal wharf, momentum quietly has been building to allow the public into the difficult-to-access limestone lighthouse and turn the surrounding site into a public waterfront park. The site “provides a magnificent view of the lake and of the Niagara River and the city skyline,” said Julie O’Neill, president of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. “It’s a real regional treasure that’s been isolated and kept from the people.” O’Neill said she can envision canoes and kayaks being launched from the site, which is across the mouth of the Buffalo River from Erie Basin Marina. The land could also support a range of activities, from recreational sports to a children’s playground and picnic tables. “It’s a gorgeous day, and less than 50 people will be going up this thing this year. It’s ridiculous, really,” said Thomas Johnston, president of the all-volunteer Buffalo Lighthouse Association. Rep. Brian Higgins and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have introduced legislation to turn the lighthouse site and adjacent Coast Guard facility into a park. And the Coast Guard, now under the Department of Homeland Security, has indicated its willingness to oblige, claiming the site is too large for its present needs and difficult to maintain. The area around the lighthouse is another important part of the greenway being developed along the water’s edge, Higgins said. The southern border bumps up against Times Beach Nature Preserve, where 240 species of birds have been recorded since the wetlands opened to the public in August 2004. “I understand this period of heightened security, but this is one of the oldest standing structures in Buffalo. You can’t get to it, and you’re greeted by a fence that says ‘keep out,’ ” Higgins said. The 1833 lighthouse — one of Buffalo’s oldest structures and one of the lake’s two oldest beacons — was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and designated a city landmark two years later. It’s owned by the Coast Guard, but the Buffalo Lighthouse Association was granted temporary control of the landmark 23 years ago and has spent about $300,000 on restoration and maintenance, including extensive re-grouting. The City of Buffalo spent about $100,000 on a brick path that leads to the lighthouse. Johnston is eager for the public to have access again. He made that point on a recent day while showing off the expansive views of the city’s skyline and the vast lake — first from the ground and then from the lighthouse. Reaching the top of the octagonal- shaped tower requires climbing 50 winding steps, followed by an additional 24 steps up three successive levels. An opening on the third level allows visitors to step outside the 4-foot-thick walls, while the lantern room, above, contains the lens that is no longer active but is lit, symbolically, at a low level. At night, the tower is highlighted using light technology developed for the Statue of Liberty centennial restoration. “We’re the Queen City of the Great Lakes. We’re the terminus of the Erie Canal. This is where Buffalo started. So why not have it so the people can go out and learn about it?” Johnston said. The potential park is now dominated by a series of mostly temporary buildings used by the Coast Guard for maintenance and storage sheds, temporary sleeping quarters and offices, plus parking spaces. About 150 Coast Guard members work there. Legislation sponsored by Higgins that passed the House Transportation Committee would turn over 20 acres of the site to public use. Clinton’s bill in the Senate would similarly require the Coast Guard to evaluate consolidating and relocating its Buffalo facilities and to present a proposal within a year. “This legislation is a win-win for the City of Buffalo and for the Coast Guard and a vital piece in continuing the momentum towards the waterfront’s economic resurgence,” Clinton said in a statement. Last year, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John E. Crowley and Capt. Scott J. Ferguson, Buffalo Sector commander, wrote a letter to Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard, recommending consolidation to free up 20 acres for public green space. They cited the Coast Guard’s “timely opportunity” to contribute to the city’s waterfront development. Other waterfront developments continue to reshape the future of the outer harbor. The nearby Pier restaurant is expected to be demolished within a month. And bids for construction will begin in the fall for a $48 million project designed to transform the disjointed and confusing Fuhrmann Boulevard into a four-lane parkway. A lot of questions will need to be answered, such as whether construction of a lift bridge to link the inner and outer harbors will be pursued. Money to convert the lighthouse site into a park also will have to be identified, as well as a decision made on what entity would have authority over the land. But looking up at the lighthouse, not far from assorted artifacts and a row of large, red and green navigation buoys that the Coast Guard puts into the water, Johnston said he was encouraged by the political headway. “If you ever wanted to do something symbolically for Buffalo, this would be it,” he said. “That’s our history right there, that baby." From the Buffalo News |
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Cottagers ask for help with lake levels 8/30 - Owen Sound - An American couple with a cottage at Red Bay
appeared before South Bruce Peninsula council this week with an urgent appeal
for the municipality to do whatever it can to help "fix the hole in the
bucket" that's draining Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and the other upper Great
Lakes. |
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Welland Gathering scheduled for September 14-16 The annual Boatnerd Welland Gathering has been planned for September 14-16
this year. The dates are earlier than prior years in an effort to enjoy better
weather. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a walking tour of International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne. A great photo opportunity. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Visitors Centre, located at Lock Three, is offering free admission Saturday and Sunday, and the gift shop is offering 10% discount on selected items. Plan now to attend this final event of the 2007 season. Additional details are available on the Boatnerd Gatherings Page. |
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Updates - August 30 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 30 On this day in 1964, the retired Bradley Transportation steamer CALCITE was
awarded the National Safety Council Award of Merit. The CALCITE accumulated a
total of 1,394,613 man-hours of continuous operation over 17 years with out a
disabling, lost time injury. The CALCITE was the first Great Lakes vessel to
ever receive this honor. |
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Limestone Cargos Down 7.4 Percent in July 8/29 - Cleveland - Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled
4.4 million net tons in July, a decrease of 7.4 percent compared to a year
ago, and 5.2 percent off the month’s 5-year average. Source - Lake Carrier's Association |
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Port Reports - August 29 Stoneport - Ben & Chanda McClain Lorain - Jim Reagan Grand Haven - Dick Fox |
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Alder conducts oil spill drill outside Duluth 8/29 - Duluth - That isn’t a large orange whale on a stringer the Coast Guard Cutter Alder is pulling around on Lake Superior this afternoon. Instead, it’s part of a system used to clean up oil spills. The Alder crew is conducting annual training with the Spilled Oil Recovery System, about 2? miles out from the Aerial Lift Bridge. The SORS allows the Alder to quickly begin mopping up oil spills in or near the Twin Ports. The system includes a floating boom attached to an outrigger. In a real spill, the Alder would cruise slowly -- at a maximum speed of two knots -- through the slick. Its movement would force oil to the back of the U-shaped, 42-foot-wide boom. There, a floating skimmer pump would suck up to 440 gallons of oil and water a minute. “You can’t get 100 percent oil,” Lt. J.G. Kenny Pepper said today. “The desired ratio is 20 percent water, 80 percent oil. That’s the best you can hope for.” The pump is fitted with cutting knives to chop up such possible obstructions as vegetation, garbage, plastics, aluminum cans, bottles, driftwood and dead fish, birds and small mammals. The pump’s operator can reverse the pump if necessary to spit out any blockage. The pump sends oil and water into Sea Slugs — large orange, floating bladders. The Alder carries two — one with a capacity of 13,000 gallons, the other capable of holding 26,600. In a real spill, the Alder would likely work with other vessels.“ Once we had one Sea Slug filled, someone would probably come and take it away from us and we would deploy the other,” Pepper said. Today’s drill consisted of pulling the SORS out of its cargo hold and deploying it on the Alder’s port side. While SORS can be deployed on both sides of the ship, doing so limits the Alder’s maneuverability. With SORS deployed and the skimmer pump in place, the crew slung one of the Sea Slugs along the Alder’s starboard side and began pumping lake water from the skimmer into the bladder. Helping conduct today’s training are members of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Strike Team and Ninth District Response Advisory Team. “They came onboard to help familiarize us with the equipment and to help us with the deployment of it,” Pepper said. From the Duluth News-Tribune |
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Updates - August 29 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 29 August 29, 1996 - The NICOLET, which had been sold for scrap, left Toledo under tow of the McKeil tug OTIS WACK, arriving in Port Maitland, Ontario during the early hours of the 30th. Last operated in 1990, the NICOLET was built in 1905 by Great Lakes Engineering Work at Ecorse, Michigan as the a.) WILLIAM G MATHER (25), b) J. H. SHEADLE (55), c) H. L. GOBEILLE. The vessel spent the first 60 years of her life in service for the Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company. After 1965, her ownership was transferred to the Gartland Steamship Company and eventually American Steamship Company. On this day in 1974, unsuccessful negotiations on a major shipbuilding
contract resulting in Litton Industries terminating operations at its Erie
yard. The Litton yard had built the first thousand foot boat on the lakes, the
STEWART J CORT, and the thousand foot tug-barge PRESQUE ISLE. |
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U.S. Steel to buy Stelco for $1.1 billion 8/28 - U.S. Steel Corp. said Monday it has agreed to acquire Stelco
Inc. for $36.61 a share, or $1.1 billion, a move that will both strengthen
U.S. Steel’s business with the automotive industry and benefit the company’s
Great Lakes Works plant in Ecorse and River Rouge. |
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Port reports - August 28 Grand Haven - Dick Fox Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Difficult conditions blamed for freighter's grounding 8/28 - Muskegon - Wind and "tricky" currents are being blamed for causing the lake freighter Indiana Harbor to run aground Wednesday afternoon. The 1,000-foot vessel was stuck on the sandy bottom of Lake Michigan outside Muskegon's outer pier heads for about four hours before the captain was able to wiggle it free. The vessel was delivering a load of coal to the B.C. Cobb plant. Joel Blanchard, marine science technician at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Grand Haven, spent three hours on board the Indiana Harbor after it got stuck. He said it is standard procedure in marine incidents such as this for a Coast Guard official to assess any damage and learn of the captain's intentions for remedying the situation. "The captain did everything a reasonable person would do to avoid the situation," Blanchard said. "The wind and the current pushed him away from the entrance." The incident is still being investigated internally by American Steamship Co., the company that operates the Indiana Harbor. The vessel was not damaged. "It's kind of a tricky approach into that port, tricky currents," said Rhonda Johnson, director of communications at GATX, parent company of American Steamship Co. Low water levels and a need for additional dredging in Great Lakes ports are being called factors in the incident. Muskegon's commercial harbor is typically dredged every three years by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and it is scheduled for dredging next year. The Corps and the Great Lakes shipping industry are pushing for additional funding from Congress to help alleviate the problems. Companies have had to lighten the loads on their freighters because of low water levels. "It really is a crisis on the lakes," Johnson said. Depths are shown to be as shallow as 24 feet in the area the ship went
aground, somewhat south of the center of the inlet, indicating the ship was
slightly off course. The ship's bow markings showed a draft of 26 feet.
According to the Corps harbor survey map, the depth at the center of the
harbor entrance is 26.5 feet. |
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One of two Great Lakes cruise ships
pulling out in 2008 8/28 - Cleveland - Efforts to revive the once-thriving cruise
industry on the Great Lakes have stalled, due in part to low water levels and
a short sailing season. Though disappointed, travel agent Chris Conlin said he remains convinced that the region will ultimately succeed as a cruising destination. "It's a temporary blip in the rebirth of cruising on the Great Lakes," said Conlin, owner of Michigan-based Great Lakes Cruise Co. "By next summer, I hope we'll be able to announce more capacity in the Great Lakes." The Columbus, a luxury ship with room for 423, has been a mainstay in the region since the late 1990s. Built to cruise the Great Lakes, the ship is narrow and shallow enough to maneuver through the region's locks and tight waterways. But those waterways have gotten too tight in recent years. The water levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, for example, are down 3 to 4 feet since the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Cindy Tanenbaum, a spokeswoman for Hapag-Lloyd, said declining water levels in the Great Lakes contributed to the company's decision to remove the ship, at least temporarily. Just this year, Hapag-Lloyd dropped Sault Ste. Marie, on the St. Mary's River in central Ontario, from the Columbus' ports of call because of low water levels. Three Great Lakes cruises on the Columbus remain this fall: a 10-day Toronto-to-Chicago sailing, starting Monday, Sept. 17; a 10-day Chicago-to-Chicago itinerary, beginning Thursday, Sept. 27; and a 10-day Chicago-to-Toronto cruise beginning Monday, Oct. 8. Ports of call include Mackinac Island and Traverse City, Mich.; Milwaukee; and Windsor, Ontario. All three trips are sold out. The popularity of both the ship and its itineraries have never been an issue, said Conlin. "It constantly exceeds our customers' expectations." A majority of passengers are German, though Americans like it, too, said Conlin. Great Lakes cruisers tend to be older, experienced travelers who like the safe, accessible ports of call in the United States and Canada. From Toronto, the Columbus will head to Miami, South America, Africa and eventually to the Mediterranean, where the Martin Randall Travel company has chartered it for a series of cultural cruises next fall. After that, it is headed for dry dock and interior renovations, according to Tanenbaum. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will decide next year whether and when the Columbus will return to the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, a group of cities and other organizations lobbying to bring additional ships to the area, will continue to try to boost the fledgling industry. A hundred years ago, the lakes were teeming with passenger ships, a luxurious way to travel that fell out of favor by mid-century with the growth of the interstate highway system and the discovery of more exotic vacation destinations. Before 1997, the last passenger ship to call on the Great Lakes was the World Discoverer in 1975. This recent effort to revive cruising peaked in 2002, when seven ships offered overnight sailings throughout the lakes. The remaining ship in the Great Lakes, the Grande Mariner, offers six-night Lake Michigan getaways, as well as a two-week Great American Waterways cruise, which travels from Chicago to Warren, R.I. The ship is owned by the American Canadian Caribbean Line. Steven Olinek, deputy director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority and chairman of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, is disappointed that 2008 won't offer more choices for travelers. "There's a limited number of vessels that can come here," he said. "We've fought long and hard to build up the inventory." Still, the coalition will continue to push the region, said Olinek, whose city is building a new pier and terminal, in part to attract cruise ships and other boats that would benefit Detroit's tourist industry. He compares the nascent cruise industry on the Great Lakes to Alaska in the 1960s, a once-remote location that is now a major cruising destination. "Unless people have been on the waters of the Great Lakes, they have no idea what's out there," said Olinek. "It's going to take a change in mind-set." From the Cleveland Plain Dealer |
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Gun training method sought for Coast Guard 8/28 - Syracuse - The U.S. Coast Guard is still looking for a way to train crews on using machine guns on the Great Lakes. A proposal to temporarily restrict access to areas of the Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, so crews could fire live ammunition was withdrawn last year under public pressure. Since then, Coast Guard crews have trained with machine guns off the East Coast and at Fort Knox, Ky., said Chief Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier, spokesman for the Coast Guard. If they have the machine gun aboard, they have been trained," Lanier said of crews on the Great Lakes. Last week, Coast Guard personnel on Lake Erie demonstrated alternative training equipment that uses lasers and sensors, Lanier said. There are no plans to try out the lasers on Lake Ontario, he said. The Coast Guard added belt-fed machine guns to its Great Lakes fleet in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. From the Syracuse Post-Standard |
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Coal Surge Still Comes Up Short Because of Dredging Crisis 8/28 - Cleveland —Even though coal shipments on the Great Lakes
increased 18.5 percent in July compared to a year ago, the dredging crisis
effectively trimmed hundreds of thousands of tons from the month-end total.
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Updates - August 28 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 28 On this day in 1939, the RICHARD J REISS collided with the YOSEMITE on the
St. Clair River. There were no casualties but damage to the Reiss amounted to
$26,593.80 and damage to the YOSEMITE amounted to $23,443.09. The REISS was
built in 1901, as the a.) GEORGE W PEAVEY. Renamed b.) RICHARD J REISS in
1917, c.) SUPERIOR in 1943. She was scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario in 1947. The
YOSEMITE carried her name throughout her career, built in 1901, and scrapped
at Buffalo, New York in 1954. |
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Port Reports - August 27 Bath, Ontario - Eric Gagnon Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Owen Sound - Peter Bowers |
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Updates - August 27 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 27 The new Poe Lock at the Soo was first flooded on 27 August 1968. |
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Port Reports - August 26 Soo - Brent Michaels Niagara Falls - Robert Hamilton - Eric Holmes Goderich - Dale Baechler Port Huron - Menominee/Marinette -
Dick Lund |
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Welland Gathering scheduled for September 14-16 The annual Boatnerd Welland Gathering has been planned for September 14-16
this year. The dates are earlier than prior years in an effort to enjoy better
weather. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a walking tour of International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne. A great photo opportunity. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Visitors Centre, located at Lock Three, is offering free admission Saturday and Sunday, and the gift shop is offering 10% discount on selected items. Plan now to attend this final event of the 2007 season. Additional details are available on the Boatnerd Gatherings Page. |
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Updates - August 26 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 26 In 1791, John Fitch was granted a United States patent for the steamboat. |
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Freighters renew call for more dredging 8/25 - Muskegon - The sight of the lake freighter Indiana Harbor
stuck just outside Muskegon's outer pierheads Wednesday may become the
"poster child" in the push to increase funding for dredging in Great Lakes
harbors. |
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Port Reports - August 25 Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Minor Seiche On Lake Michigan Wednesday 8/25 - Chicago - A minor seiche was observed on southern Lake Michigan
Wednesday morning. A seiche can best be explained as a large slosh on a lake
where water from one side of the lake is forced or pushed to the other side
of the lake then returns to the other side of the lake resulting in a rise
in the water levels. This oscillation of lake water levels will often
continue with peaks and lows in water levels for some time before the lake
stabilizes again. |
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Old life-saving station resurfaces 8/25 - Fort Gratiot - It required the historian's equivalent of a
search-and-rescue mission, but the site of the original Coast Guard station
in the Port Huron area has been pinpointed. "The location had been lost to
time," said Dave Bennis, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and leader of
the search. |
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Updates - August 25 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 25 On 25 August 1892, H D COFFINBERRY (wooden propeller freighter, 191 foot,
649 gross tons, built in 1874, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying iron
ore from Escanaba to Ashtabula in a fierce NW gale when she grounded on the
rocks near Port Hope on Lake Huron. The crew was rescued by the San Beach
Lifesaving crew and the tug ANAPING. The COFFINBERRY was released five days
later and put back in service. |
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Indiana Harbor Grounding update 8/24 - Muskegon, MI - Muskegon did not extend its usual Port City
welcome to the lake freighter Indiana Harbor Wednesday afternoon. What it
offered instead was a silted-in outer harbor, which caused the 1,000-foot
vessel to run aground just outside the outer pierheads at about 3 p.m. |
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Port Reports - August 24 Twin Ports - Al Miller Marquette -
Lee Rowe Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer |
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Lake Superior water level drops to all-time August low 8/24 - Duluth - Lake Superior has plunged to a new record low for
the month of August, this week surpassing the previous August low-water mark
set in 1926. |
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Updates - August 24 News Photo Gallery updated And more News Photo Gallery updates Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 24 At 2:00 a.m. on 24 August 1892, the GEORGE N BRADY (wooden propeller tug,
102 foot, 165 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit or Marine City,
Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along
with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY's smokestack and
he flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by
the SUMNER and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel
drifted to the American shore where she sank about three miles north of
Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost. |
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Sand Bar Delays Indiana Harbor 8/23 - Muskegon - A sand bar caused the Indiana Harbor to
become stuck in the sandy Lake Michigan bottom off Muskegon, Michigan
Wednesday afternoon. |
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Coast Guard trains with lasers on Thursday 8/23 - Cleveland - The U.S. Coast Guard will test a
multi-integrated laser engagement system, known as MILES, Thursday on Lake
Erie. |
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Port of Rochester to Welcome New Cruise Line 8/23 - Rochester, NY - Month's after Rochester's infamous fast
ferry left town for good, the city announced the Port of Rochester would
become a port of call for a regional cruise line. City officials will
officially welcome the Grande Mariner, one of the fleet of ships in the
Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, into the port at 10 a.m. on Aug. 30. |
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Capt. Desh Retires after 36 years of USCG Service 8/23 - Sturgeon Bay, Wi - Capt. Robert L. Desh retired Wednesday at the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club at 10 a.m. |
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Updates - August 23 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 23 On this day in 1818, the first steamer above Niagara Falls, the
WALK-IN-THE-WATER, Captain Job Fish, departed Buffalo on her maiden voyage.
The 29 passengers paid a fare of $24 and arrived at Detroit in 44 hours and
10 minutes. |
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River Class Freighters Expected to Sail 8/22 - Wisconsin & Michigan Steamship Company is reported to be
preparing to sail the vessels with non-union licensed officers to get the ships up and
running.
The three River Class freighters have been in lay-up for three months. The unlicensed crew did not strike and are represented by a different union than the striking officers. |
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Port Reports - August 22 Sarnia - Frank Frisk Goderich -
Dale Baechler |
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Updates - August 22 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 22 On 22 August 1898, the schooner FANNY CAMPBELL (wooden schooner, 404
tons, built in 1868, at St. Catherines, Ontario) ran ashore near Johnston's
harbor in Georgian Bay. She was sailing light on her way for a load of
cordwood. |
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Edmund Fitzgerald life ring probably not original 8/21 - DETROIT – The Edmund Fitzgerald, already the stuff of Great
Lakes legend, has spawned another tale. |
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Port Reports - August 21 Goderich - Dale Baechler Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer |
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June steel shipments down compared to last year 8/21 - Steel mills in the United States shipped 8.9 million net
tons in June, an 8.4 percent decrease from the 9.7 million net tons shipped
in June 2006, the American Iron and Steel Institute said. |
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Aging Duluth docks need state's help 8/21 - Duluth -Many of the Twin Ports’ docks are beginning to show
their age and soon will need to be repaired or even replaced, according to
Chad Scott, a principal partner of AMI Consulting Engineers, a Duluth firm
that specializes in assessing marine structures. |
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Boatnerd News Photo Gallery hits 500 8/21 - Today we are posting the 500th page of the News Photo
Gallery. |
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Welland Gathering scheduled for September 14-16 The annual Boatnerd Welland Gathering has been planned for September 14-16
this year. The dates are earlier than prior years in an effort to enjoy better
weather. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a walking tour of International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne. A great photo opportunity. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Visitors Centre, located at Lock Three, is offering free admission Saturday and Sunday, and the gift shop is offering 10% discount on selected items. Plan now to attend this final event of the 2007 season. Additional details are available on the Boatnerd Gatherings Page. |
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Updates - August 21 News Photo Gallery updated And more News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 21 August 21, 1996 - The former U. S. Corps of Engineers tug MARQUETTE was
down bound past Detroit on her delivery trip to her new owners based in Key
West, Florida. Renamed MONA LARUE in 1997, she is no longer in
documentation. |
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Port Reports - August 20 Marquette - Rod Burdick |
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Updates - August 20 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 20 On 20 August 1881, MICHIGAN (Hull#48), (iron propeller passenger-package
freight steamer, 215 foot, 1,183 tons) was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock
Company at Wyandotte, Michigan for the Goodrich Transportation Company. She
was then taken to Milwaukee for fitting out and completion. She cost
$159,212. She was designed by Frank E. Kirby especially for cross-lake
winter service. |
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Port Reports - August 19 Goderich Dale Baechler Hamilton - Eric Holmes Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Alpena - Ben & Chanda
McClain |
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Suit may scuttle Rochester dealings on
ferry 8/19 - Rochester, NY — As Rochester's erstwhile high-speed ferry
prepares to begin service in the sunny Mediterranean, a bolt from the blue has
raised new questions about the project's tangled finances here. |
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Bon voyage, Delta Queen? 8/19 - Washington – The 81-year-old Delta Queen, a towering red and
white steamboat that for decades carried overnight passengers past Cincinnati
and down the long, lazy Ohio and Mississippi rivers, could take its last trip
next year. From the Cincinnati Inquirer |
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Updates - August 19 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 19 On this day in 1865, the PEWABIC, Captain George P. Mc Kay, was down bound on Lake Huron when she was rammed by her sister ship, METEOR. The PEWABIC sank with an estimated loss of 125 lives and a cargo of copper ingots, ore and hides valued at $500,000. On 19 August 1902, OMAR D CONGER (wooden propeller ferry, 92 foot, 200 gross tons, built in 1887, at Port Huron, Michigan) burned at Port Huron, Michigan. The entire upper works burned and the lower deck was also badly burned. She had burned on 20 June 1901, and had been rebuilt over the winter. She was again rebuilt and lasted until 1922. The JOHN E F MISENER of 1951, grounded near Hard Island on the St. Lawrence River August 19, 1966, suffering bow damage. The ROBERT S PIERSON was sold to P & H. Shipping Ltd. on August 19, 1982, and renamed e) SPRUCEGLEN. The package freighter ARIZONA was launched on August 19, 1868, at Cleveland, Ohio by Quayle & Martin for E.T. & J.C. Evans of Buffalo, New York. On August 19, 1915, the HENRY PEDWELL burned at Wiarton, Ontario. The CARDINAL, a.) WINDSOLITE, was towed to the Strathearne Terminal in Hamilton, Ontario on August 19, 1974, for scrapping. On 19 August 1909, CITY OF GREEN BAY (wooden propeller passenger/package freight, 134 foot, 257 gross tons, built in 1880, at Fort Howard, Wisconsin as the sidewheeler M C HAWLEY) caught fire while crossing Saginaw Bay, burned to the waterline and sank.. This wasn't her first experience with this type of accident since on 17 November 1887, she had burned to a "total loss" in Lake Michigan. August 19, 1930 - The ANN ARBOR NO 7 towed the disabled tug FRED C GREILING from Frankfort, Michigan to Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. The propeller QUEBEC was launched at the Chisholm & Simpson yard at Chatham, Ontario on 19 August 1874. She was built for the Beatty Line and designed to run between Sarnia and Duluth. Data from: Joe Barr, David Swayze, Russ Plumb, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample. The books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Ship that links Quebec's Lower North Shore grounded 8/18 - Harrington Harbor Que. - The Nordik Express, a supply ship
that services communities along Quebec's Lower North Shore that aren't
accessible by road was in for repairs Friday after scraping bottom as it
entered port. People living on the Lower North Shore region depend on this
ship for supplies twice a week. Information about the Nordik Express is available Here |
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Port Reports - August 18 Milwaukee - John N. Vogel & Paul Erspamer Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Dike breaks at disposal site, heightens fears of contamination of Maumee Bay 8/18 - Toledo - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday that
an earthen dike around a disposal facility it operates on Maumee Bay’s Grassy
Island failed last weekend. The breach has allowed tons of potentially
contaminated water and a “limited amount of dredged material” to get into that
part of western Lake Erie. |
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Seaway transits and tonnage down thru July, 2007 8/18 - Monthly traffic reports published by the St. Lawrence Seaway
Management Co. indicate a drop in vessel transits and tonnage passing through
the Seaway for the year-to-date including July. |
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Marathon Swimmer To Cross Lake Superior 8/18 - Duluth - Paula Stephanson is a strong long distance swimmer
who will be swimming across Lake Superior on Saturday. She will be starting
near Port Wing, Wisconsin and finishing in Two Harbors, Minnesota. |
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Welland Gathering scheduled for September 14-16 The annual Boatnerd Welland Gathering has been planned for September 14-16
this year. The dates are earlier than prior years in an effort to enjoy better
weather. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a walking tour of International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne. A great photo opportunity. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Visitors Centre, located at Lock Three, is offering free admission Saturday and Sunday, and the gift shop is offering 10% discount on selected items. Plan now to attend this final event of the 2007 season. Additional details are available on the Boatnerd Gatherings Page. |
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An original boatnerd passes 8/18 - Algonac, MI - A long upstanding member of the Maritime Community
passed away Friday afternoon. Captain Keith Malcolm the founder of Malcolm
Marine. |
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Updates - August 18 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 18 On 18 August 1871, GEN WINFIELD SCOTT (wooden schooner, 114 foot, 213 tons,
built in 1852, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying lumber from Menominee to
Chicago when she sprang a leak during a gale and capsized off Spider Island
near Death's Door on Lake Michigan. The crew clung to her for 13 hours until
rescued by the passing schooner ETHAN ALLEN. |
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Michigan Law on ballast treatment is upheld 8/17 - A federal court judge dismissed a lawsuit by nine shipping companies and associations that had hoped to overturn a Michigan law requiring oceangoing ships to sanitize their ballast water to prevent the introduction of invasive species. U.S. District Judge John Feikens ruled Wednesday that Michigan's law is constitutional. Michigan was the first Great Lakes state to pass a law requiring shipping companies to treat the ballast water used to balance their ships as they make their way to Great Lakes ports. The law took effect Jan. 1 and requires companies get permits to show what method will be used to treat the water. Many invasive species, including round gobies and zebra mussels, are thought to have arrived in ballast water. Companies and governments have spent millions of dollars to try to repair their damage. "We think this is a great ruling," said Shannon Fisk, staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which joined the state as a defendant. "It recognizes the ability of states to take steps to protect their waters from aquatic invasive species." A spokesman for the shipping firms could not immediately be reached for comment. Several other states are considering similar measures, but some were
awaiting the outcome of the lawsuit in Michigan before taking action. Congress
also is mulling legislation requiring treatment of ballast water, but the
legislation wouldn't take effect until 2012. Feikens' ruling means Michigan is
free to act on its own. |
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Port Reports - August 17 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons & Clive Reddin |
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Cleveland-Cliffs iron nugget plant goes to Michigan 8/17 - Duluth - An iron nugget plant that had been targeted for construction at Northshore Mining Co. in Silver Bay instead appears headed for Michigan. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. said Thursday it would partner with Kobe Steel Ltd. to begin in 2010 producing 500,000 tons of iron nuggets per year at a commercial-scale nugget plant at the Empire Mine in Palmer, Mich. Building the plant at Cliffs’ Empire Mine, where iron ore reserves will be exhausted by 2010, would extend company operations at the mine, Joseph Carrabba, Cleveland-Cliffs chairman and president, said in a news release. The announcement didn’t surprise Iron Range lawmakers. By building the plant in Michigan, lawmakers say Cliffs would avoid paying closing costs at the Empire Mine. “They have a mine there that has closing costs,” said Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake. “And building it at Northshore [near Lake Superior] is difficult. It’s disappointing and sad that the people of Northeastern Minnesota won’t have this opportunity for jobs that could last a lifetime. But it’s difficult to permit anything up here. Look at how many people are fighting us whenever we try to do anything in mining.” Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said building the plant in Michigan would provide Cleveland-Cliffs with a “soft landing.” “‘They knew how difficult it would be in Silver Bay,” Bakk said. “But I’m still very disappointed.” The plant would use Kobe’s patented ITmk3 iron making technology. It would produce nuggets containing more than 96 percent iron. The nuggets would be used as a raw material to feed North American mini-mills, which melt pig iron and recycled products in electric arc furnaces to produce steel. Domestic mini-mills in 2006 produced about 55 million tons of steel, according to a Cleveland-Cliffs news release. Cleveland-Cliffs, Kobe, Steel Dynamics of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Ferrometrics, a Two Harbors-based company, had planned to build a nugget plant near the former LTV Steel Mining Co. taconite plant at Hoyt Lakes. However, that deal fell apart when partners couldn’t agree on business terms. Steel Dynamics has since announced plans to build its own nugget plant at the Hoyt Lakes site. The company is trying to finalize agreements that would lead to construction. Officials of Steel Dynamics say they hope to have agreements in place during the third quarter of this year. Dill said construction of a Cleveland-Cliffs facility in Michigan wouldn’t preclude the construction of other nugget plants in Northeastern Minnesota. From the Duluth News tribune |
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Updates - August 17 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 17 On August 17, 1987, the CADILLAC was towed by the tugs GLENADA and ELMORE M
MISNER, from Toledo's Frog Pond on the first leg of her journey to be
scrapped. |
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Canadian Mariner Towed 8/16 - The Canadian Mariner departed Trois Rivieres behind the tow of the Ocean going tug Hellas About 1:45 p.m. Friday. On the stern was the Ocean Group tug Avantage, the Avantage will stay with the tow until they arrive at the Eastern most pilot station at Les Escoumins, Quebec. The final destination for scrapping overseas is unknown. |
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Port Reports - August 16 Soo - Jerry Masson - The down bound Joseph L Block has finished
repairs to the ship at the Soo and got underway at 12:15 a.m. Thursday
morning, heading into the Poe Lock. Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Escanaba - Lee Rowe |
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AGLMH Annual Meeting to be held in Mackinac City 8/16 - The Annual Meeting of the Association for Great Lakes
Maritime History will be held September 6-8. |
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Port of Hamilton "Celebrating the Journey" 8/16 - Hamilton, Ont. - The Port of Hamilton is hosting its Port
Days Festival from August 15 through 19. Friday and Saturday feature public fishing and free harbour tours on the Hamilton Princess. Extending this event beyond the port, activities will be occurring throughout Hamilton, including the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Liuna Station, Geraldo's at LaSalle Park and Pier 8 (near the foot of James St. North). More information is available at at this link |
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DMIR Dock Ends Hotline information 8/16 - Duluth - The DMIR Ore Dock hotline number there will no longer be a recording of estimated vessel arrivals for both the Two Harbors & Duluth Ore Docks. There is a message that says "Due to Homeland Security issues we will no longer be able to update this recording of estimated vessel arrivals." If you need additional information, please contact the vessel owners or fleet agents. "We are sorry for any inconvenience." |
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Updates - August 16 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 16 On 16 August, 1890, the ANNIE WATT (wooden propeller, passenger and package
freight "packet", 75 foot, 62 gross ton, built in 1884, at Lion's Head,
Ontario) collided with the ship ALDERSON and sank off of Gunn Point, Ontario.
Just the previous year (8 November 1889), ANNIE WATT had burned and been
declared total loss, but she was rebuilt. |
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Joe Block fire system activated 8/15 - 1:00 p.m. Update - The downbound Joe Block remains secured at the upper west pier of the Soo Locks. She has moved to the far west end to provide more room for passing traffic. Original Report - 8/14 - Sault Ste. Marie - Reports have been received that the fire
suppression system in the engine room of Joseph L. Block had been partially
discharged, but there is no reported fire. |
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Port Reports - August 15 Twin Ports - Al Miller Grand Haven - Dick Fox Soo - Jerry Masson
Lorain - Jim Reagan |
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Dredge Duluth floats to the scrap heap 8/15 - Duluth - A century-old steam-powered dredge that helped make the Duluth-Superior Harbor and Twin Ports docks navigable for large vessels is headed to the scrap heap. Under the power of Zenith Tugboat Co.’s Anna Marie Altman, the weathered dredge — dubbed Duluth — made its way Tuesday from a berth at the Duluth Timber Co. to the old Northern Pacific Ore Dock in Superior. The dredge had been sitting idle in the same spot for about two decades. Franz VonRiedel, Zenith’s owner, views the dredge as a piece of the port’s history. “The Duluth was a real workhorse of the Great Lakes, and it was always based here,” he said. The dredge, built around the turn of the 20th century, originally was conveyed upon a wooden hull. But the machinery was transferred into a steel hull — manufactured at Fraser Shipyards in Superior in the early 1960s, VonRiedel said. It operated until the early 1980s. Cary McManus acquired the dredge and explored the possibility of converting it into a floating bed and breakfast inn before deciding to dispense with the vessel, VonRiedel said. Zachary Crosby purchased the dredge Duluth and plans to salvage its superstructure, rigging and equipment for scrap. The hull, however, will continue to see service as a barge. From the Duluth News Tribune |
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Sector Sault Ste. Marie hosts the Ninth District Cutter Round-up 8/15 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI. - The Ninth Coast Guard District cutter
fleet will converge here for the 2007 Ninth District Cutter Round-up. |
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Wind Turbine shipments explained 8/15 - Duluth - In the past 12 months, the Port of Duluth has begun
the process of establishing itself as one of North America's premier ports for
the handling and distribution of wind energy cargoes. |
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Dredging causes huge Great Lakes water loss, report says 8/15 - Traverse City, MI - The Macomb Daily newspaper reports that a "drain hole" in the St. Clair River caused by dredging and other commercial projects is costing Lakes Huron and Michigan a combined 2.5 billion gallons of water each day, according to a Canadian study released Tuesday. That exceeds the amount diverted from Lake Michigan to provide Chicago's
daily water supply, the Georgian Bay Association said. The group based its
findings on water level data compiled by U.S. government agencies. "This new report reveals that the problem is far more serious than first thought and underscores the need to fix the problem immediately," Mary Muter, chairwoman of the association's Environment Committee, said in a statement. The drainage hole has caused an overall water level decline of nearly 2 feet since 1970, the study said. The outflow goes into Lake Erie, then east to Lake Ontario and eventually through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. From the Macomb Daily |
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Lighthouse keeper's daughter honored 8/15 - Sault Ste. Marie - The U.S. Coast Guard recently honored a key member from the agency's historical past bestowing a Certificate of Appreciation to Jeannette Pearce in recognition of her many sacrifices. Capt. Mark Huebschman, sector Commander for the Sault Station, explained the rationale behind the ceremony. “The U.S. Coast Guard is very proud of our history and she is an important part of that,” said Capt. Huebschman immediately following the ceremony. The daughter of Mary and Norman Powell Hawkins, a lighthouse keeper who served more than three decades before retiring in 1937, Jeannette grew up at a variety of light stations throughout the Eastern Upper Peninsula including stints at Crisp Point, Grand Marais, DeTour and Munising. “It was a beautiful life and a privilege to have lived there,” wrote one family member on behalf of the 93-year-old recipient. The Certificate of Appreciation read in part: The United States Coast Guard thanks you for your support. Norman and Mary Hawkins had eight children. Jeannette still resides in Sault Ste. Marie and has two siblings -Arlene Daughtery and Joy Gagnon, both of Waterford - who are still alive. From the Soo Evening News |
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Updates - August 15 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 15 On this day in 1899, a major blockage of the St. Marys River occurred. The
steamer MATOA was towing the barge MAIDA past Sailors Encampment when the
steering chain of the MAIDA parted. The MAIDA ran ashore but the current swung
her around to completely block the channel, and she sunk. The lower St. Marys
River was closed for several days and 80 - 90 boats were delayed. |
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Tug due to Tow Canadian Mariner 8/14 - On August 14 the tug Hellas is expected to arrive to tow the Canadian Mariner for scrapping over seas. The
departure date it unknown. Her last cargo was a storage load of sugar, she has been in
lay up for the last 5 years. |
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Port Reports - August 14 Soo - Jerry Masson Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Updates - August 14 News Photo Gallery updated Special Boatnerd Detroit River Cruise Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 14 On this day in 1962, the ARTHUR M ANDERSON departed Conneaut and headed
down bound to become the first Pittsburgh boat to transit the Welland Canal
and St. Lawrence Seaway. |
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Port Reports - August 13 Kingsville - Eric Zuschlag Soo - Jerry Masson |
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Welland Gathering scheduled for September 14-16 The annual Boatnerd Welland Gathering has been planned for September 14-16
this year. The dates are earlier than prior years in an effort to enjoy better
weather. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a walking tour of International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne. A great photo opportunity. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Visitors Centre, located at Lock Three, is offering free admission Staurday and Sunday, and the gift shop is offering 10% discount on selected items. Plan now to attend this final event of the 2007 season. Additional details are available on the Boatnerd Gatherings Page. |
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Updates - August 13 News Photo Gallery updated Special Boatnerd Detroit River Cruise Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 13 Operated by a crew of retired Hanna captains, chief engineers and
executives, the GEORGE M HUMPHREY departed the old Great Lakes Engineering
Works yard in Ecorse, Michigan under her own power on August 13, 1986, for
Lauzon, Quebec. The GEORGE M HUMPHREY cleared Lauzon September 3rd with the
former Hanna steamer PAUL H CARNAHAN in tow of the Dutch tug SMIT LLOYD 109.
The tow locked through the Panama Canal, September 27th through 30th, and
arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan December 10, 1986 completing a trip of over
14,000 miles. The HUMPHREY was scrapped in 1987, by Shiong Yek Steel Corp. |
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Port Reports - August 12 Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey South Chicago - Steve
B. |
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Vantage Point to host model boat building for Kids 8/12 - Port Huron - The Great Lakes Nautical Society will hold a
Model Shipbuilding event for Kids 10 years old and under at The Great Lakes
Maritime Center. |
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Updates - August 12 News Photo Gallery updated Special Boatnerd Detroit River Cruise Photo Gallery Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 12 The C&O carferry SPARTAN, in a heavy fog while inbound from Kewaunee on the
morning of August 12, 1976, struck rocks at the entrance to Ludington harbor.
She suffered severe damage to about 120 feet of her bottom plating. She was
taken to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay on August 18th for repairs. There
were no injuries as a result of this incident. |
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Hollyhock leaves town for dry dock 8/11 - Port Huron - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock will leave Port Huron today en route to a federal government shipyard in Baltimore. The ship will be dry docked to have a propeller hub replaced to stop a small oil leak that first was noticed in March. It will take about two weeks to make the trip to Maryland and about 10 days
to make the repair. The ship won't return to Port Huron in time to participate
in Coast Guard Days on Aug. 24, 25 and 26, said Lt. Cmdr. Mike Davanzo. The Hollyhock was scheduled to be open for public tours at the Seaway Terminal on Aug. 25 along with the retired Coast Guard cutter Bramble, the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Grayfox and the tall ship Highlander Sea. The Hollyhock has been at its St. Clair River dock near Pine Grove Park since July 18 when officials decided the propeller hub should be replaced. Davanzo said oil only leaks while the Hollyhock is docked, and officials are not concerned about polluting waters during the trip to Baltimore. Only about 7 ounces of oil has leaked into the water since March, Davanzo said. An oil boom has been attached to the back of the ship to prevent oil from leaking into the St. Clair River while the Hollyhock is docked. The boom also will be used when the ship stops overnight during its trip. "(The leak) is so minute it's really hard to measure," Davanzo said. From the Port Huron Times Herald |
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Port Reports - August 11 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Soo - Jerry Masson Marquette - Rod Burdick |
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Ships Ahoy: The tall ships return to Kenosha for Days of Discovery 8/11 - Kenosha - There is nothing like the sight of a majestic tall
ship, gliding into the harbor with its sails billowing in the wind, to remind
us of the rich maritime history of our Great Lakes. Such sights will be
familiar ones this weekend when six tall ships come to Kenosha’s harbor for
the 2007 Kenosha Days of Discovery. From the Racine Journal Times |
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Tug Operator Position Open 8/11 - Freeland, MI - Busch Marine is looking for a licensed tug
operator. |
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Updates - August 11 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 11 On 11 August 1899, the SIMON LANGELL (wooden propeller freighter, 195 foot,
845 gross tons, built in 1886, at St. Clair, Michigan) was towing the wooden
schooner W K MOORE off Lakeport, Michigan on Lake Huron when they were struck
by a squall. The schooner was thrown over on her beam ends and filled with
water. The local Life Saving crew went to the rescue and took off two women
passengers from the stricken vessel. The Moore was the towed to Port Huron,
Michigan by the tug HAYNES and placed in dry dock for inspection and repairs.
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Is life ring a ‘Fitz’ find or obscure hoax? 8/10 - Duluth - An apple farmer and his family believe they’ve found a life ring from the Edmund Fitzgerald about 200 miles from where the famed ship sank in Lake Superior 32 years ago. No definitive tests had yet been conducted to prove it’s a piece of the ore carrier that sunk in a vicious storm, killing 29 men off the northern shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But the director of a shipwreck museum says it matches in many ways another ring in its Fitzgerald collection. “I saw it, photographed it and ... compared the two,” said Tom Farnquist, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, which owns the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Mich., the nearest spot on land to the ship’s gravesite 17 miles northwest. “It’s identical in size and configuration. ... Is it possible? Certainly it is.” The orange preserver is worn by the elements and mice or other critters chewing on it. But it reads “Edmund Fitzgerald” in faded but mostly legible white letters. Joe Rasch, a farmer from Conklin, Mich., about 15 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Mich., said he was vacationing with his family last week in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s far north. Hunting for agates and other rocks along a remote beach, he saw an overturned tree where the beach meets the forest. Hoping to find some stones underneath, he instead spotted the life ring nearby. He rolled it down to his daughters, who noticed the writing. Knowing well what it could mean, they took it to the museum. Still, there are a few differences between the discovered ring and the one on display. The one Rasch found has no “S.S.” before “Edmund Fitzgerald,” as the museum’s ring does. And the newly found ring reads “Duluth” on its back side. It’s puzzling, Farnquist said, but not without a plausible explanation: The Milwaukee-based ship spent its winters in Duluth. Of course, there are skeptics to such discoveries — especially when it’s so far from the Fitzgerald’s grave site and so many years later. It also adds to a story that is the stuff of Great Lakes legend — spawning a well-known song by Gordon Lightfoot, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and decades of debate as to the circumstances of its sinking. “I am smelling a rat,” Frederick Stonehouse, maritime historian and author of a book on the wreck, told he Daily Mining Gazette of Houghton, Mich. “It’s probably a hoax.” He said he finds it hard to believe that someone could find a life ring laying out in the open 30 years later. Anything is possible, but he would not accept it as legitimate until it’s properly examined. Rasch said Wednesday he doesn’t believe it’s a hoax, nor did he consider it “out in the open” — finding it as he did off an already off-the-beaten path. Rasch said he offered to leave the ring at the museum, but Farnquist said he encouraged him to take it home and cherish it. They agreed Rasch will return it in time for the museum’s annual memorial service marking the anniversary of the sinking in November. “There’s a million questions. ... The ring isn’t talking, so we don’t know,” Rasch said. “I have no reason to doubt. If anybody wanted to pull a hoax, they would have put it where somebody would find it.” Farnquist believes the time delay and distance from the wreck shouldn’t dash hopes it’s legitimate. Winds change often on the unpredictable lake, he said, and it’s not uncommon to find debris a couple hundred miles from where ships sink. On the emotional side, he knows it would be significant for people who lost
loved ones in the wreck. He said he already has heard from two women who were
“quite moved and excited about the possibility” that the ring is from the
ship. “Of the 6,000 ships ... lost on the Great Lakes, the Fitzgerald is the
Holy Grail of all the shipwrecks,” Farnquist said. “It’s an incredible story.
Everyone hopes that it’s the real thing. But only time will tell and the
evidence will need to be acquired.” |
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Port Reports - August 10 Grand Haven - Dick Fox Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Soo - Jerry Masson Goderich - Dale Baechler |
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Fednav bulker aground in Colombia 8/10 - BARRANQUILLA – Fednav-operated bulk carrier Federal Kivalina
ran aground yesterday afternoon in Colombia’s Magdalena river shortly after
departing from Sociedad Portuaria del Norte terminal at Barranquilla. |
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Rebirth or oblivion?: Passenger ferry on
its way from Buffalo to Turkey 8/10 - Buffalo - The Marine Star, the rusting passenger ferry that spent more than a decade sitting on the Buffalo waterfront, is on its way to Turkey. But it is still not known whether the once-proud ship is headed to the scrap yard or new life as a floating casino. The 62-year-old military ship turned- luxury Great Lakes ferry departed South End Marina on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor on July 15, towed by a tug boat through the Welland Canal and down the St. Lawrence Seaway to Trois Rivieres, Quebec. After a two-week layover in Trois Rivieres, the Marine Star resumed her journey Saturday morning under tow by a Greek-owned tug, the Aetos Z. James Everatt, an Ontario businessman with ownership ties to the vessel, did not return phone calls regarding the Marine Star, but sources in Quebec confirmed this week that the final destination is Turkey. TradeWinds, an international shipping publication, reports the 62-year-old ship in bound for Aliaga, Turkey, on the Aegean coast. The maritime journal described its trip as a “one-way voyage to oblivion.” There are indications it will be towed to Leyal Ship Dismantling, Turkey’s largest ship recycling center. “The impending scrapping . . . is generally regarded as a major blow to those who appreciate maritime history. The Marine Star is one of the final vessels afloat designed by the late George Sharp, who some regard as the best-ever naval architect,” TradeWinds reported in its Aug. 2 edition. But according to the port authority in Trois Rivieres, there was still talk of the 520-foot vessel being redone as a luxury gaming ship when it was moored there. “We were told it is going to become a casino, not scrap. Who can know for sure?” said a port representative who asked not to be identified. Because the Marine Star is categorized as a “dead ship” and is not traveling under its own power, its owners are not required to file official documents with the Canadian government detailing the purpose of its travels and its destination. When the ship was hauled out of Buffalo after sitting on the waterfront for a dozen years, several marine sources said it was headed to a ship scrap yard in Alang, India. Others insisted it was being taken to Europe for refurbishing. As recently as June, Everatt said he and his partners had not abandoned their dream of a $40 million conversion to a high-end Great Lakes cruise liner. The owners previously had floated plans to turn it into a gambling boat, but that plan was shelved due to legal issues. Everatt has not commented publicly on the Marine Star’s future since it left Buffalo. Built in 1945 as a military troop transport ship, it underwent an $8 million transformation to a luxury passenger ferry, renamed the S.S. Aquarama, at the end of World War II. At one time it was the largest ferry on the Great Lakes, with room for 2,500 passengers and 160 vehicles. It also set the bar on ferry amenities, with four restaurants, two dance floors, a children’s playroom and baby-sitting services. But within a decade, its glamour was overshadowed by its operating expenses, and it has been docked since the mid-1960s. From the Buffalo News |
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Sea Cadets helping research scientists 8/10 - Detroit - Some of 13-year-old Richard Cover's friends tease
him about taking part in an after-school program called the Sea Cadets,
taunting him by saying the name of the group sounds a bit wimpy. But the teens
might change their minds if they could see the Richmond boy in his uniform,
checking the oil pressure and coolant level in the massive engine that powers
the 80-foot former Navy training vessel as it churns across Lake Huron, 12
miles from shore. The Sea Cadets program is similar to junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, which operates military training programs at high schools across the country. But unlike Junior ROTC the focus isn't clearly military but rather to learn about history and boating. While a few adults onboard provide suggestions and training as needed, the teens have their hands on the ship's wheel. They also take turns recording data in the ship's log and keeping watch throughout the night. "A lot of kids my age can't do this," said Richard, who will be a ninth-grader at St. Peter's Lutheran School in Richmond this fall and is thinking of a career in the Navy. Boot camp Applicants can be as young as 11, but they must be 13 to go out on a boat. Passing grades in school are required, as is a willingness to follow orders. For applicants to the diving programs aboard the Pride of Michigan, one of
three cadet boats in the Great Lakes, a scientific inclination also is a plus.
In addition to developing maritime skills, the cadets are helping research
scientists from area universities and museums study the archaeology, ecology
and geology of the Great Lakes. "If we can give a kid confidence, self-esteem
that's our goal," Michael Ford, executive director of the Sea Cadets, said
last month. "If he goes into the services that's great, if not that's OK, too.
A lot of kids come in looking for guidance, direction and a purpose. We offer
that." "I don't think you could pry her fingers off that wheel," he says. "No,
sir!" said Jessica, who, like Richard, puts up with teasing from friends who
don't understand her passion for the Sea Cadets. "They see that you wear a
uniform all day. They see marching and taking orders," said Jessica, who
attends Ladywood High School in Livonia and hopes to be a Navy doctor. "I see
the camaraderie, the teamwork." |
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Updates - August 10 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 10 On 10 August 1890, TWO FANNIES (3-mast wooden bark, 152 foot, 492 gross
tons, built in 1862, at Peshtigo, Wisconsin) was carrying 800 tons of iron ore
on Lake Erie when a seam opened in rough weather. The crew kept at the pumps
but to no avail. They all made it off of the vessel into the yawl just as the
bark sank north of Bay Village Ohio. The CITY OF DETROIT tried to rescue the
crew but the weather made the rescue attempt too dangerous and only two men
were able to get to the steamer. The tug JAMES AMADEUS came out and got the
rest of the crew, including the ship's cat which was with them in the yawl.
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Work to start soon on channel's naval museum 8/9 - Muskegon, MI - The Great Lakes Naval and Maritime Museum has been raising money for its planned new facility on the Muskegon Channel for nearly a year. Now it's time to start building. A groundbreaking ceremony for the $2 million building is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the museum site at 1346 Bluff, next to the World War II submarine USS Silversides. "It's been a long time in coming," said Robert Morin Sr., president of the museum board. "People have been so generous. This is a great turning point for a great organization." The main speaker at the event will be state Sen. Gerald VanWoerkom, R-Norton Shores. Hughes Builders is expected to start site preparation and construction of the 20,000-square-foot museum building shortly after Labor Day, with opening scheduled on or before next Memorial Day. The museum, along with the Silversides and other exhibits and displays, is expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors each year. The fundraising effort, led by local industrialist Mark Fazakerly, is close to reaching its goal, especially after the recent arrival of a $110,000 anonymous donation. The effort has been aided by some 20 major donors, each of whom gave $25,000 or more, and another 50 other contributors. Among those expected to attend are members of two submarine veterans organizations -- World War II Subvets and Subvets Inc. Hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks will be served following the groundbreaking and related remarks. Music will be provided as well, in the form of a march music suite titled "Freedom's Fleet." It was composed by Robert Getz of Newaygo, who acted as nonprofit consultant to the fundraising effort, as a tribute to Morin. From the Muskegon Chronicle |
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Port Reports - August 9 Twin Ports - Al Miller Milwaukee - John N. Vogel Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain |
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Lake’s Largest Port Forfeits 100,000 Tons
to Dredging Crisis 8/9 - Cleveland---The Great Lakes iron ore trade totaled 6.2 million
net tons in June, a virtual tie with a year ago, but a slight decrease from
the month’s 5-year average. The dredging crisis continued to take a heavy toll
on the trade in June. |
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Lake Superior Board of Control announces public meeting 8/9 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - The Lake Superior Board of Control will
hold a public meeting during the evening of Tuesday September 4, 2007. The
purpose of the meeting is to provide information on the operation 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. |
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Algoma Steel watching Great Lakes water levels, length of shipping season 8/9 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - While Algoma Steel Inc. would welcome
proposed U.S. legislation that would authorize the construction of an
estimated $340 million sister lock to the Poe Lock in Sault Michigan, two
larger issues for the steelmaker now are low water levels and the length of
the shipping season. |
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Historic Trawler Bernadine at Wallaceburg Celebration 8/9 - Wallaceburg, Ont. - The 1912-built, 85-foot, former sardine
trawler Bernadine (from New Brunswick) will be the feature waterfront
attraction at the 19th annual WAMBO - Wallaceburg Antique Motor & Boat Outing
to be held this weekend Aug. 10,11 and 12, in Wallaceburg, Ontario. |
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Retired Chief Engineer dies 8/9 - Stuart, FL - Word has been received that retired Wilson Transit Company Chief Engineer Kenzie B. Morrison, 92, died last month. Morrison, a US citizen born of Canadian parents in Massachusetts, started his sailing career as a coal passer in 1935 aboard Tomlinson's Cuyler Adams. He joined Wilson Transit in 1939 and worked for them for the next 35 years, attaining Chief Engineer status in 1958. Morrison retired in at the end of the 1974 season and moved to Florida,
where his wife taught him to play golf. Morrison is survived by a brother, Murdoch in Nova Scotia, and was preceded in death by his wife, Annabel and three brothers. |
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Updates - August 9 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 09 On 09 August 1910, the Eastland Navigation Company placed a half page
advertisement in both the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Leader
offering $5,000 to anyone who could substantiate rumors that the excursion
steamer EASTLAND was unsafe. No one claimed the reward. |
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Edmund Fitzgerald Life Ring Found? 8/8 - Marquette - A piece of history may have been found last week
on the shore of Lake Superior in Copper Harbor. A downstate family believes
they found a life ring from the Edmund Fitzgerald which went down in a storm
near Whitefish Point in 1975. |
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Port Reports - August 8 Lorain - Jim Reagan |
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Updates - August 8 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 08 August 8, 1991 - The excursion ferry AMERICANA has been sold and passed
down the Welland Canal bound for the Caribbean with registry in Panama. She
was the former East Coast ferry BLOCK ISLAND that arrived in Buffalo just
three years ago |
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Port Reports - August 7 Cheboygan - Jon Paul Michaels Saginaw River - Todd
Shorkey |
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Twin Ports experiencing wind farm windfall 8/06 - Duluth - Hardly anyone likes paying upwards of $3 per gallon at the gas pump, but high oil prices are stimulating at least one part of the Twin Ports’ economy. In 17 years on the job, Gary Nicholson, president of Lake Superior Warehousing Co., can remember no year busier than the current one. Lately, his business has been awash with components for giant-sized wind turbines, as well as massive crucibles used to help extract crude from the vast oil-sand deposits of Alberta, Canada. “The high cost of oil has driven a lot of investment in energy,” Nicholson observed. The American Wind Energy Association estimates that between $8 billion and $10 billion is now being invested in wind power annually. Much of that money is being pumped into the nation’s heartland. “There’s a huge wind resource here in the Midwest that no one had really begun to tap until recently,” Nicholson said. Duluth appears well-positioned to feed equipment to an area that’s ripe for wind power development. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory placed North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa in the top 10 states in terms of wind power potential. “We’re in the center of North America, and I think recent shipments have awakened a lot of people in the energy industry to the capabilities of the port of Duluth,” said Ron Johnson, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s trade development director. Much of the wind power technology being installed in the Midwest was developed and manufactured in Europe. Accordingly, the Twin Ports have handled large shipments of wind farm equipment imported from Germany, Denmark and Spain. But recently, Duluth also has become a conduit for American-built wind power equipment bound for both domestic and export markets. This year, Lake Superior Warehousing has handled wind turbine blades manufactured by LM Glasfiber of Grand Forks, N.D., and wind tower sections produced by DMI Industries Inc. of West Fargo, N.D. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority stands to benefit from the heightened activity at Lake Superior Warehousing. Adolph Ojard, the Port Authority’s executive director, explained that his agency receives compensation in several forms, including dockage fees from visiting vessels and a $1-per-ton wharfage fee. The Port Authority also collects 8 percent of the revenues Lake Superior Warehousing receives from its operations at the port terminal in Duluth and 35 percent of its overall profits. Last fiscal year, Lake Superior Warehousing’s operations generated about $1 million for the Port Authority — about one-quarter of its total revenues. So far this year, Lake Superior Warehousing has handled 10 vessels — about three times as many as it did during the same period in 2006. It takes a team of about 35 to 40 people working together to handle a single ship, Nicholson said. Nicholson’s roots run deep in the wind power industry. In the 1980s, he served as the U.S. administrator of operations for a Danish firm called Viking Wind Farms. He has long believed in the potential of wind power to grow in the U.S., and has been working to forge strong ties with wind turbine manufacturers for years. “Lake Superior Warehousing has been chasing this business for as long as I’ve been here,” he said. Johnson sees a bright future for the continued development of wind farms, particularly in light of growing concerns about global warming. The world’s capacity to generate power from the wind has been growing at an annual rate of 22 percent for the past five years, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Besides attempting to attract shipments of wind power equipment, Duluth also is courting a manufacturer. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority recently partnered with the Arrowhead Partnership for Economic Expansion (commonly known as APEX) to present a pitch to Clipper Windpower Inc., a California company that manufactures wind turbine nacelles, or engine enclosures. Clipper already has a production plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has expressed interest in expanding its Midwest operations. From the Duluth News-Tribune |
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Pottawatomie Lighthouse still beckons
visitors to Door County 8/7 - Rock Island, Wi — When the gentle southerly breeze suddenly transforms into a fierce northern frenzy, it becomes virtually impossible to reach or leave this stony outpost; history becomes less academic and more intuitive. It's not that you confuse yourself with David Corbin, the War of 1812 veteran who arrived on this cliff in 1836 and died on the job in 1852. But watching a freighter struggling amid white-capped swells, there is a realization of what the Pottawatomie Lighthouse meant to Northeastern Wisconsin. If you need another reminder, stroll 50 yards up the trail to the tiny cemetery, where there are the unmarked graves of seven shipwreck victims — unknowns who washed up on the shore and were carried up the cliff to share eternity alongside Corbin. Located at the northernmost tip of Door County, Rock Island State Park is Wisconsin's most isolated state park. From Green Bay it's a two-hour drive to Northport, then a car ferry trip across Death's Door to Washington Island. A short drive to the north shore of Washington Island, and then a ride on the passenger ferry Karfi to the Thordarson Boathouse. From the Boathouse the Pottawatomie Lighthouse is a 1.6-mile hike to the northern end of the island. It was the first federal light in Wisconsin and only the third on the entire Great Lakes chain. Since 2004 it has been reopened for tours, hosted by docents who actually live there for a week at a time. "I kind of laugh at the people who think this is a bed and breakfast," assistant superintendent Randy Holm said, looking toward the lighthouse. "At a bed and breakfast, you don't have to pump the water and haul it in a bucket." Rock Island has been a Wisconsin State Park since the DNR purchased the island from the Thordarson family in the 1960s. It welcomes about 30,000 visitors each year. By comparison, Peninsula State Park hosts more than 1 million visitors annually. And Newport State Park welcomes almost 140,000 visitors. While most visitors come just for the day, there is a campground along a sand beach at the south end of the island. "I think that Rock Island is one of those places that you need to experience to truly appreciate," said park superintendent Kirby Foss. "We have rich history with the lighthouse and the Thordarson buildings. And on the west side of the island, there's virgin forest that you can hike through." Rock Island visitors tend to become protective of "their" island, Foss said. It explains how a relatively small group like the Friends of Rock Island has been able to raise more than $175,000 for the restoration of the lighthouse. In addition to other projects at the lighthouse, Foss hopes someday to undertake restoration of some of Thordarson's wooden furniture that is located in the Great Hall. "The best time of the day is when the last ferry leaves and you have the island to yourself," said Dave Hanus of Burlington, who has been staying at the campsite annually for more than 25 years with his wife, Pat. When Matt and Shawna Schachtner of Allouez were looking for the perfect locale for their wedding, they selected the flagpole near the Thordarson Boathouse. When the couple prepared to marry in August 1996, Shawna asked her parents, Bob and Sandy McGlothlen of Green Bay, if they thought it possible that the wedding could be held on the island they had been visiting every year since her birth in 1973. "There were 150 people right near the flagpole. Jeff Weborg, a dear friend, did the fish boil, and we had chicken brought over from the Viking Restaurant," recalled Sandy McGlothlen. "It was perfect." What makes Rock Island special? "It's gorgeous and remote. There's no noise, there's no vehicles. Everywhere you turn, there's history," McGlothlen said. While everyone has their own explanation, no one has quite the handle as Paul King, a Green Bay-area resident who has been coming to the park since the 1980s and has served as naturalist and campground host for four years. "This island is magical. It is deeply historical and naturally beautiful, and the magic is the effect is the effect it has on people. Everyone is nicer here," he explained. "Sometimes I'm asked, 'What do you do at Rock Island?' And I answer, 'A whole lot of nuthin' and it feels just right." From the Green Bay Press-Gazette |
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A Boost For Great Lakes Cruising 8/7 - The Ontario government is helping the Ontario Marine Operators
Association (OMOA) to promote the province as “the best fresh water cruising
grounds in the world,” Minister of Tourism Jim Bradley announced today. From SooNews.com |
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Updates - August 7 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 07 August 7, 1789 - President George Washington signed the ninth act of the
first United States Congress placing management of the lighthouses under the
Department of the Treasury. August 7 in now "National Lighthouse Day". |
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Lake Superior changes puzzle scientists 8/6 - Marquette, Michigan -- Deep enough to hold the combined water in all the other Great Lakes and with a surface area as large as South Carolina, Lake Superior's size has lent it an aura of invulnerability. But the mighty Superior is losing water and getting warmer, worrying those who live near its shores, scientists and companies that rely on the lake for business. The changes to the lake could be signs of climate change, although scientists aren't sure. Superior's level is at its lowest point in eight decades and will set a record this fall if, as expected, it dips three more inches. Meanwhile, the average water temperature has surged 4.5 degrees since 1979, significantly above the 2.7-degree rise in the region's air temperature during the same period. That's no small deal for a freshwater sea that was created from glacial melt as the Ice Age ended and remains chilly in all seasons. A weather buoy on the western side recently recorded an "amazing" 75 degrees, "as warm a surface temperature as we've ever seen in this lake," said Jay Austin, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota at Duluth's Large Lakes Observatory. Water levels also have receded on the other Great Lakes since the late 1990s. But the suddenness and severity of Superior's changes worry many in the region. Shorelines are dozens of yards wider than usual, giving sunbathers wider beaches but also exposing mucky bottomlands and rotting vegetation. On a recent day, Dan Arsenault, a 32-year-old lifelong resident of Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, watched his two young daughters play in mud on the southeastern coast where water was waist deep only a few years ago. A floatation rope that previously designated the swimming area now rests on moist ground. "This is the lowest I've ever seen it," said Arsenault. Superior still has a lot of water. Its average depth is 483 feet and it reaches 1,332 feet at the deepest point. Erie, the shallowest Great Lake, is 210 feet at its deepest and averages only 62 feet. Lake Michigan averages 279 feet and is 925 feet at its deepest. Yet along Superior's shores, boats can't reach many mooring sites and marina operators are begging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge shallow harbors. Ferry service between Grand Portage, Minnesota, and Isle Royale National Park was scaled back because one of the company's boats couldn't dock. Sally Zabelka has turned away boaters wanting to dock at Chippewa Landing marina in the eastern Upper Peninsula, where not long ago 27-foot vessels easily made their way up the channel from the lake's Brimley Bay. "In essence, our dock is useless this year," she said. Another worry: As the bay heats up, the perch, walleye and smallmouth bass that have lured anglers to her campground and tackle shop are migrating to cooler waters in the open lake. Low water has cost the shipping industry millions of dollars. Vessels are carrying lighter loads of iron ore and coal to avoid running aground in shallow channels. Puffing on a pipe in a Grand Marais pub, retiree Ted Sietsema voiced a suspicion not uncommon in the villages along Superior's southern shoreline: The government is diverting the water to places with more people and political influence -- along Lakes Huron and Michigan and even the Sun Belt, via the Mississippi River. "Don't give me that global warming stuff," Sietsema said. "That water is going west. That big aquifer out there is empty but they can still water the desert. It's got to be coming from somewhere." That theory doesn't hold water, said Scott Thieme, hydraulics and hydrology chief with the Corps of Engineers district office in Detroit. Water does exit Lake Superior through locks, power plants and gates on the St. Marys River, but in amounts strictly regulated under a 1909 pact with Canada. The actual forces at work, while mysterious, are not the stuff of spy novels, he said. Precipitation has tapered off across the upper Great Lakes since the 1970s and is nearly 6 inches below normal in the Superior watershed the past year. Water evaporation rates are up sharply because mild winters have shrunk the winter ice cap -- just as climate change computer models predict for the next half-century. Yet those models also envision more precipitation as global warming sets in, said Brent Lofgren, a physical scientist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. Instead there's drought, suggesting other factors. Cynthia Sellinger, the lab's deputy director, said she suspects a contributing factor could be residual effects of El Nino, the warming of equatorial Pacific waters that produced warmer winters in the late 1990s, just as the lakes began receding. Austin, the Minnesota-Duluth professor, said he's concerned about the effects the warmer water could have. "It's just not clear what the ultimate result will be as we turn the knob up," he said. "It could be great for fisheries or fisheries could crash." From the Associated Press |
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Port Report - August 6 Menominee - Dick Lund Soo - Jerry Masson Hamilton/Bronte - Eric Holmes |
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Capt. Roland W. Kane dies 8/6 - Duluth - Former USS Great Lakes Fleet Capt. Roland W. Kane, 74, of Two Harbors, died unexpectedly on Thursday, August 2. Capt. Kane was born on April 26, 1933 in Wadena, Minnesota. He began his career on the Great Lakes in 1951. His first job was aboard the Pittsburgh Steamship Company’s William Edenborn. He became a Captain in the fall of 1987. He was Captain of the Cason J. Callaway from 1987 through 1991. He retired from USS Great Lakes Fleet after 41 ½ years of service in 1992; his last command was the Roger Blough. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, one son, and many other family and friends. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the 2:00 p.m. memorial service on Tuesday, August 7 in the United Church in Two Harbors. Arrangements by Cavallin Funeral Home. Reported by Jody Aho from the Duluth News-Tribune |
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Boatnerd Detroit Down River Cruise going
as planned 8/5 - Enough reservations have been received to go ahead with the Boatnerd Detroit Down River Cruise on Saturday, August 11. The 4-hour cruise leaves the Portofino's On The River restaurant, in Wyandotte, MI at 10:00 am. We'll go down the Detroit River as far as the Detroit River Light, traveling on both the Livingston and Amherstburg Channels. Bring your camera. All this for only $35.00. Price includes a box lunch. Cash bar on board. Plenty of free, safe parking at Portofino's. If you did not make a reservation, there is still room. Go to the Boatnerd Gatherings page for all the details and reservation forms. Get your reservation in the mail today! Reservations post marked no later than Monday, August 6 will be honored. Limited to the first 100 reservations. |
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Updates - August 6 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 06 On this day in 1953, a record 176 vessels passed through the Soo locks. |
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Port Reports - August 5 Marquette - Rod Burdick Hamilton/Bronte - Eric Holmes |
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Live Steam Whistle Blow planned at Goodells 8/5 - Whistle enthusiast will have the opportunity to sound and hear
ship, train or factory whistles using live steam from the famous Marysville
Detroit Edison plant whistle manifold, on August 25 and 26. |
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Updates - August 5 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 05 On 05 August 1958, the tug GARY D. (steel propeller tug, 18 tons) was
destroyed by an explosion and fire near Strawberry Island Light on Lake Huron. |
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Lakes Fleet Vastly Underutilized in June 8/4 - Cleveland—The inability to carry full loads was clearly
evident on the Great Lakes again in June. U.S.-Flag vessels moved only 11.3
million net tons, a decrease of nearly 5 percent compared to a year ago, and a
drop of 3 percent compared to the month’s 5-year average. |
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Ottawa boosts Great Lakes freight corridor
8/4 - The Canadian federal government joined Quebec and Ontario yesterday to give a push to the Great Lakes Corridor, an ambitious public-private project to raise the efficiency of intermodal freight transportation between Montreal, Toronto and the U.S. "As part of our plan to restore the nation's infrastructure, we want to ensure Canada has efficient transportation gateways and corridors to fuel economic growth and boost our global competitiveness," federal Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon told a press conference at the Port of Montreal. The government has $2.1 billion of infrastructure funds available for improving eastern Canada's transportation systems, including border crossings with the U.S. and security, Cannon said. He was joined by Ontario Minister of Transportation Donna Cansfield and Quebec Transportation Minister Julie Boulet. They signed a memorandum of understanding to develop what is known as the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor. Cannon said the Pacific gateway in the West has already been upgraded and now it's the turn of the Montreal gateway and corridor into central North America and the Atlantic gateway of Halifax. He and Cansfield said a drive for intermodal efficiency in the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes corridor is aimed at reducing the burden of future public investment in roads and other infrastructure and at protecting the environment. The three governments will set up a working committee, with input from the private sector, to study emerging trade patterns and the challenges of improving intermodal efficiency "with no holds barred," Cannon said. "There may be conflicting views between, say, the railroads and truckers," he said. "Is it economic to unload containers from large ocean-going vessels in Montreal to Great Lakes vessels that can take them via the St. Lawrence Seaway to Ontario and the U.S.?" That's the kind of issue to be thrashed out. "Ontario and Quebec account for 60 per cent of Canadian exports and improving efficiency in the corridor is top priority. We want an action plan within two years." Boulet said optimizing the efficiency of the Quebec and Ontario transportation systems is urgent and the three governments working together and with the private sector "will ensure its success." Dominic Taddeo, retiring CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, said Montreal is already the leading container port in eastern Canada - and improving intermodal efficiency along the St. Lawrence corridor "will ensure our growth for the next 10 to 15 years." Madeleine Paquin , CEO of Logistec Corp., a big Montreal-based stevedoring company with cargo terminals at 21 ports in eastern Canada and the eastern U.S., has chaired a committee of CEOs from the leading Canadian airline, rail and trucking companies. "We know there are bottlenecks and we'll be contributing the private sector's view of what has to be done," she said. "As cargo handlers, we have to serve our customers, the shipping lines. No one wants to lose any business, but I'm optimistic we can co-operate effectively." The Port of Montreal, which contributes $2 billion a year to the Montreal economy, handled 12.1 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of the year, up almost one per cent from a year earlier and in line with the five-year average. Taddeo promised a strong performance through 2012. Containerized cargo hit 6.1 million tonnes in the first half, up 7.2 per cent from a year earlier. The number of containers handled reached 671,265, up 5.2 per cent from the 2006 period. In June, the international shipping line MSC added a third ship to its service linking Montreal and Freeport, Bahamas, increasing container transfers from Asia to Montreal. From the Montreal Gazette |
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Port Reports - August 4 Grand Haven - Dick Fox Soo - Jerry Masson |
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Local shipwreck enthusiasts hoping for return of stolen ship’s bell 8/4 - Huron County — The mystery behind a unique pre-Civil War wooden side-wheel steam ship known as the City of Detroit isn’t how it sank, but what happened to the heart of the ship — its bell. And two area marine enthusiasts are hoping to solve that mystery and return the bell back to its resting place. The City of Detroit once graced the Great Lakes carrying cargo and passengers to lakeside destinations around the state. Now the ship can only be seen by skilled technical divers as it rests nearly 200 feet down in the waters of Lake Huron. Robert McGreevy, marine artist and historian from Harbor Beach, said the ship, owned by E.B. Ward, was being used by a company building the Sault Saint Marie canal. The day the ship sank, May 25, 1854, it was northbound from Detroit with two lumber scows in tow, with most of the ship’s cargo for the Sault Canal Co. McGreevy said it was a collision in think fog that sank the wooden steamer. A sail ship known as the Nucleus reportedly struck the City of Detroit in the ship’s side, sinking only the steamer. After disappearing below the water for some 125 years, the shipwreck was discovered at the bottom of Lake Huron in June of 1994 by URA (Undersea Research Associates) of Canton. McGreevy said what makes the discovery of the City of Detroit so special is not only the condition the shipwreck is in, but up to this point not much was known about Great Lakes pre-Civil War ships. For the years that have followed the ship’s discovery, located just 10 miles north-northeast of Grindstone City, technical divers like Chris Roth have frequented the ship, gathering information to help artists like McGreevy shed some light on the appearance of pre-Civil War steamers that traveled the Great Lakes. “The first known photograph of a Great Lakes ship was in 1857, so finding this shipwreck in such good condition has told us a lot,” McGreevy said. The City of Detroit is a wooden steamship built in New Port (now known as Marine City) and worked the Great Lakes for years, hauling mostly cargo like hay, lumber and coal the year it sank,” according to McGreevy. “At the time the ship sank it was being used by a company that was building the locks in Sault Saint Marie. The ship spent that summer transferring materials back and forth,” McGreevy said. “It carried freight back and forth and still carried passengers when it sank. Everyone got off the ship safely, as it sank slowly. I imagine that’s the key to it (the ship) being in such good condition.” McGreevy said he and Roth have been involved in documenting shipwrecks over the years and took a special interest in this particular one. “We were unofficially monitoring it, not because things were disappearing
but because we were really fascinated with the appearance of this ship,” he
said. “It’s an extremely early ship, pre-Civil War era, with very little
documentation on it or any ship of that period. Divers have photographed the
shipwreck and found evidence of what colors the ship was painted.” McGreevy said the bell, which hung above the engine room, was used to relay signals long before steam whistles were used. The ship’s bell was last seen by a group of local divers on Labor Day 2005 and was noticed missing by the divers sometime in July/August of 2006. Roth, one of the divers who noticed the bell missing, reported the theft to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR issued a $500 reward for the return of the bell. But nothing has turned up. “It took someone with a lot of experience (diving) and specialized equipment to do it (take the bell). A steel pin an inch in diameter was cut, and flotation or lift bags had to be used to get the bell to the surface,” Roth said. “I think it would take a couple people involved to be able to do something like this.” Roth estimates the bell weighs about 200 pounds. That, coupled with the depth of nearly 200 feet, would take a technical diver with plenty of experience to carry out such a mission. “Right away it rules out someone just casually diving and taking the bell from the ship. Taking the bell would really have to be a planned operation,” McGreevy said. The bell is stamped with the name “Novelty Works” on one side and “New York 1844” on the other, making the bell not only rare but very valuable to collectors of marine artifacts. “I know of another shipwreck where a similar ship’s bell had disappeared near Lexington. We’re hoping this isn’t a pattern where people realize the value of these things,” McGreevy said. “A similar type bell not off a shipwreck sold at auction two years ago for $11,000.” McGreevy said he believes a bell from a shipwreck like the City of Detroit that can be identified and linked to the pre-Civil War era ship would fetch a far greater price. “This one would have a lot of historic value because it’s pre-Civil War, the name of the company that built the engine and cast the bell are on the side of the bell,” he said. “You have this beautiful intact shipwreck, from before the Civil War and all of a sudden one of its major parts disappears, and no one other than the diving community seems to know anything about it.” McGreevy said he’s hoping to get the word out about the missing bell to people outside of the diving community. He hopes someone has seen or heard something that will lead to the return of the bell. “I have doubts that it will turn up, because anyone who could plan an operation like this would probably know enough to take it out of the area,” McGreevy said. “We’re just hoping someone saw something. Maybe someone will put two and two together and the bell will be returned.” The DNR’s $500 reward is for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for removal of the ship’s bell from the City of Detroit shipwreck. “We’ve had private individuals who have offered more money than that, just for information leading to its return,” McGreevy said. “This is a reflection on the diving community, and it puts a shadow on everybody. One team or person couldn’t resist the temptation, and now it’s gone.” Both McGreevy and Roth said they don’t care to see anyone prosecuted for
taking the bell — they just want the bell returned. “If someone wanted to
return it anonymously, it could be dropped off no questions asked,” Roth said.
Roth said until the bell can be returned he can only hope it is being
preserved, wherever it may be. |
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Vessel Operator seeks Licensed Officers 8/4 - Wisconsin and Michigan Steamship Company is seeking a full
complement of Licensed Engineers and Deck Officers. |
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Updates - August 4 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 04 On August 4, 1790, the first Congress authorized the construction of a
fleet of "revenue marine" cutters to enforce the fledgling nation's tariff and
trade laws and protect the collection of federal revenue. The service received
its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress when the Revenue Cutter
Service merged with the Life-Saving Service. The Coast Guard is one of the
oldest organizations of the federal government and, until the Navy Department
was established in 1798, served as the nation's only armed force afloat. The
Coast Guard has continued to protect the nation throughout its long history,
both at home and abroad, and Coast Guardsmen have proudly served in every one
of the nation's major conflicts, including Operation Iraqi Freedom. |
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New Soo Lock funded in water bill 8/3 - Washington - The House overwhelmingly passed a $20 billion water projects bill Wednesday night despite a promised veto by President Bush, who complains the bill is laden with costly pet projects and shifts new costs onto the government. Within the wide-ranging bill, $342 million was earmarked for the building of a new super lock in the Sault. The projected Soo Lock would be at least 110 feet wide and 1,200 feet long and replace the two northern locks. The mega lock would improve access for large freighters. Shippers say that if the existing Poe Lock had to close for any reason, it would stop most Great Lakes shipping trade, as only the Poe Lock can handle the 1,000 feet-long freighters. Funding from the bill also targets the much needed dredging throughout the Great Lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers would get funds to step up navigational dredging at many key points. Low water levels has resulted in Great Lakes freighters being forced to carry lighter loads, which reduces the money they make for moving freight. Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Lake Carriers Association, said that dredging is “critically important” to the freighter industry and that dredging of the lakes has been “underfunded for decades.” Shepherded by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the bill was seven years in the making and finally passed the House on a 381-40 vote after it was agreed upon by House-Senate negotiators. He said he expected Congress would quickly override any veto by the president. “There is urgent, pent-up demand to address the nation's water resources needs,” Oberstar said. “Divide the cost by the number of years that have passed since we last passed this critical legislation, and the cost is understandable.” Earlier Wednesday, administration officials said Bush will veto the bill if it isn't pared down. “Indeed, it seems a $14 billion Senate bill went into a conference with the House's $15 billion bill and somehow a bill emerged costing approximately $20 billion,” complained White House budget director Rob Portman and Assistant Army Secretary John Paul Woodley Jr. This year's bill includes some $3.5 billion for Katrina-damaged Louisiana, plus more than $2 billion for projects in California and $2 billion for Florida, mostly for restoring the Everglades. Another $1.95 billion is included for seven new locks on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers and $1.7 billion for repairing the region's ecology. In May, the Senate approved its version on a 91-4 vote. The House passed a similar bill in April on a 394-25 vote. Even if a final bill becomes law, the money must be appropriated later. From the Soo Evening News |
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Port Reports - August 3 Grand Haven - Dick Fox & Joe Barr Soo - Jerry Masson Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain Marquette - Rod Burdick |
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Update on Lake Superior Outflow 8/3 - Cleveland - The International Lake Superior Board of Control,
under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, has set
the Lake Superior outflow to 1,560 cubic metres per second (m3/s) (55.1
thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of August. This is the
outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of August and is the
same as the July outflow. USACE New Release |
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Twin Ports Lighthouse Days, August 4-12 in Duluth 8/3 - Duluth - CMDR Gary Croot, Captain of the Port of
Duluth-Superior, proclaimed Lighthouse Days in the Twin Ports running from
August 4th through the 12th at the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in
Canal Park, Duluth. |
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Updates - August 3 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 03 On this day in 1960, the EDWARD L RYERSON, new flagship of the Inland Steel
fleet, successfully completed her sea trials. |
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Port Reports - August 2 Grand Haven - Dick Fox |
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Updates - August 2 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 02 On August 2, 1991, Paterson' 1961-built lake bulk carrier CANADOC, which
had been in lay-up in Montreal since April 6, 1990, and sold for scrapping,
cleared the port in tow of the Netherlands Antilles tug DALMAR SPIRIT, bound
for Mamonal, Columbia, arriving there on August 26, 1991. |
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Tug arrives in Trois-Rivières to tow Marine Star/Aquarama 8/1 - Trois-Rivières - Coming up the St. Lawrence River Monday was
Panamanian registered tug Ateos Z. The vessel is coming from Cabo Verde Island
to pick-up the Aquarama/Marine Star which is rafted to the Canadian Mariner at
Section #1. Reported by Bruno Boissonneault |
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Port Reports - August 1 Soo - Jerry Masson Marquette & Escanaba - Lee Rowe
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Woman drowns after jumping into Beauharnois locks 8/1 - Beauharnois, Que. - A Quebec woman drowned on Sunday off the shores of Beauharnois, southwest of Montreal, after she was sucked underwater. Police say the woman was on board a pleasure craft at midday, waiting to enter the Beauharnois locks when she jumped into the water to cool off. She reportedly got caught in a strong current produced by the propeller of the Algontario, that was entering the locks. Three people tried to rescue the woman but she slipped below the water's surface, investigators said. Swimming is not allowed in the locks under the Canada Marines Act. Reported by Michel St-Denis From CBC News |
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Ocean Group christens its new tugboat at
the Port of Montreal 8/1 - Montreal - Ocean Group has christened a new tugboat, the Océan
Raymond Lemay, in honour of Mr. Raymond Lemay, C. M., one of the most
important figures in the Canadian maritime industry and a notable personality
in Quebec's business community. The ceremony was held at the Port of Montreal. Ocean Group news release |
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Ottawa boosts Great Lakes freight corridor
7/1 - Ottawa - The Canadian federal government joined Quebec and Ontario yesterday to give a push to the Great Lakes Corridor, an ambitious public-private project to raise the efficiency of intermodal freight transportation between Montreal, Toronto and the U.S. "As part of our plan to restore the nation's infrastructure, we want to ensure Canada has efficient transportation gateways and corridors to fuel economic growth and boost our global competitiveness," federal Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon told a press conference at the Port of Montreal. The government has $2.1 billion of infrastructure funds available for improving eastern Canada's transportation systems, including border crossings with the U.S. and security, Cannon said. He was joined by Ontario Minister of Transportation Donna Cansfield and Quebec Transportation Minister Julie Boulet. They signed a memorandum of understanding to develop what is known as the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor. Cannon said the Pacific gateway in the West has already been upgraded and now it's the turn of the Montreal gateway and corridor into central North America and the Atlantic gateway of Halifax. He and Cansfield said a drive for intermodal efficiency in the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes corridor is aimed at reducing the burden of future public investment in roads and other infrastructure and at protecting the environment. The three governments will set up a working committee, with input from the private sector, to study emerging trade patterns and the challenges of improving intermodal efficiency "with no holds barred," Cannon said. "There may be conflicting views between, say, the railroads and truckers," he said. "Is it economic to unload containers from large ocean-going vessels in Montreal to Great Lakes vessels that can take them via the St. Lawrence Seaway to Ontario and the U.S.?" That's the kind of issue to be thrashed out. "Ontario and Quebec account for 60 per cent of Canadian exports and improving efficiency in the corridor is top priority. We want an action plan within two years." Boulet said optimizing the efficiency of the Quebec and Ontario transportation systems is urgent and the three governments working together and with the private sector "will ensure its success." Dominic Taddeo, retiring CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, said Montreal is already the leading container port in eastern Canada - and improving intermodal efficiency along the St. Lawrence corridor "will ensure our growth for the next 10 to 15 years." Madeleine Paquin , CEO of Logistec Corp., a big Montreal-based stevedoring company with cargo terminals at 21 ports in eastern Canada and the eastern U.S., has chaired a committee of CEOs from the leading Canadian airline, rail and trucking companies. "We know there are bottlenecks and we'll be contributing the private sector's view of what has to be done," she said. "As cargo handlers, we have to serve our customers, the shipping lines. No one wants to lose any business, but I'm optimistic we can co-operate effectively." The Port of Montreal, which contributes $2 billion a year to the Montreal economy, handled 12.1 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of the year, up almost one per cent from a year earlier and in line with the five-year average. Taddeo promised a strong performance through 2012. Containerized cargo hit 6.1 million tonnes in the first half, up 7.2 per cent from a year earlier. The number of containers handled reached 671,265, up 5.2 per cent from the 2006 period. In June, the international shipping line MSC added a third ship to its service linking Montreal and Freeport, Bahamas, increasing container transfers from Asia to Montreal. From the Montreal Gazette |
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Limestone Slump Continues in June 8/1 - Cleveland---The Great Lakes limestone trade continued its
sluggish pace in June. Shipments from U.S. and Canadian ports totaled 4.4
million net tons, a decrease of 2 percent compared to a year ago, and 4.5
percent below the month’s 5-year average. |
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Updates - August 1 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - August 01 On 01 August 1862, UNION (wooden propeller passenger-package freight
steamer, 163 foot, 434 ton, built in 1861, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was sold
by the Goodrich Line to James H. Mead and J. F. Kirkland for $28,000. This was
$9,000 more than Goodrich had paid to have the vessel built just the previous
year. |
News Archive - August 1996 to present
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