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Cruise Ship did not Touch Bottom 9/30 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontarion - - Ralf Zander, captain of the MS
Columbus, denies having "scraped bottom" on his luxury passenger vessel's
approach to the docking wall at Bondar Marina earlier this week. |
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Port Reports - September 30 Lorain - Escanaba - Lee Rowe Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Toledo - Hamilton - Eric Holmes Ashland - Chris Mazzella
US Navy - Brian Wroblewski
Sandusky - Jim Spencer |
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Oberstar Receives Iron Man Award Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) has received the "Iron Man Award" from Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. The award recognizes Oberstar's long commitment to healthy iron mining, steel and Great Lakes shipping industries and was presented today in Washington. "Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974, Congressman James L. Oberstar has promoted and protected America's iron mining, steel producing and Great Lakes shipping industries like none before him," said James H. I. Weakley, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF), a broad-based labor/management coalition promoting shipping on the Great Lake and related industries. "Whenever an issue affects these vital industries, you can be certain that Congressman Oberstar will playa leading role in reaching a positive conclusion." "I am truly honored to receive this award," said Congressman Oberstar. "I consider every day I serve in the House as a privilege that bears great responsibility. While much has been accomplished to keep Great Lakes shipping safe and efficient, we face new challenges, in particular, restoring adequate funding for dredging Great Lakes ports and waterways. It is incomprehensible to me that the ships that depart our Minnesota harbors cannot carry full loads of iron ore and low-sulfur coal because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not get enough money to maintain the system. This waterway is too important a part of the national transportation infrastructure to be treated like a poor relation. In the next Congress, I will do everything in my power to bring our fair share of Federal dredging dollars back to the Great Lakes." The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force was founded in Toledo, Ohio, in 1992 to promote domestic and international shipping on the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Maritime Task Force news release |
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Welland Canal Gathering, Thorold, Ontario October 13-15 The annual Welland Canal Boatnerd Gathering is scheduled for October 13-15. A number of interesting events are planned, in addition to the hoped-for boat traffic in the canal. See the Gatherings page for details and schedule of events. Vendors who wish to have a table at the evening gatherings should make their reservation soon. No charge, just let us know. |
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Updates - September 30 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 30 On 30 September 1896, SUMATRA (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 845 gross
tons, built in 1874, at Black River, Ohio) was loaded with rail road rails in
tow of the steamer B W ARNOLD in a storm on Lake Huron. The SUMATRA was "blown
down" and foundered off the Government Pier at Milwaukee. Three of the crew
were lost. The four survivors were rescued by the ARNOLD and the U.S.
Lifesaving Service. The SUMATRA was owned by the Mills Transportation Company. |
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Update: Greek Freighter Toro 9/29 - The Greek freighter Toro that went aground at Cornwall Island on September 7 has arrived at Verreault Shipyard at Les Mechins, Quebec, where it will be repaired. Les Mechins is in the Gaspe approximately 30 nm east
of Matane, Quebec. |
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Port Reports - September 29 Milwaukee - John N. Vogel Grand Haven - Dick Fox Door County - C. Hank Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey and Gordy Garris Goderich - Dale Baechler Twin Ports - Al Miller |
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Updates - September 29 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 29 September 29, 1930, for the first time in the history of Pittsburgh
Steamship Company, the boats of the fleet loaded more than one million tons in
a 7 day period. The 64 Pittsburgh boats loaded 1,002,092 tons of cargo between
9/23 and 9/29. |
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Duluth Foghorn is Gone, Probably for Good 9/28 - Duluth - In case you haven't noticed the absence of a familiar sound on Duluth's waterfront, the port's old diaphone foghorn has not issued a single bellow all season. And on Tuesday, members of TOOT, the nonprofit group that owns the horn, began dismantling the massive brass, steel and iron beast. Eric Ringsred, one of TOOT's founders, blames the city and the U.S. Coast Guard for the foghorn's demise. "We're removing it because of a total lack of commitment," he said. "Partnering with the Coast Guard and the city was a bad idea to start with." The horn was rendered inoperable when three-phase electrical wiring to the end of the Duluth Entry's south pier failed late last year. Chief Mark Brookmole, the officer in charge of the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation team in Duluth, said federal equipment on the pier functions fine with single-phase power, and he couldn't justify the expenditure of tax money to restore three-phase electricity to the structure. The Coast Guard has replaced the foghorn with a much smaller, higher-pitched horn some traditionalists have derided as a "peanut horn." Brookmole said he notified city officials of the situation and gave Duluth the option of restoring three-phase power to the pier at its own cost. Dick Larson, Duluth's director of public works, said repowering the pier probably would cost about $15,000. But he said the Coast Guard also told the city that if it wanted to
continue to operate the old diaphone foghorn as an aid to navigation, it
should assume responsibility for all round-the-clock foghorn operations. Along
with shouldering that responsibility, the city also learned it would be
required to assume all liability for maritime accidents related to the
foghorn's operation. "That was something the city was not willing to do,"
Larson said. "We were in a tough situation. It was pretty clear the city
couldn't take over full responsibility from the Coast Guard."
But Larson said that even if a fundraising campaign was successful, it would not resolve the liability issues confronting the city. Larson said there has been no discernible public outcry over the discontinued operation of the foghorn. "Almost a year has gone by without the foghorn, and I haven't heard much," he said. Back in 1968, Duluth's original foghorn was decommissioned by the Coast Guard. Its replacement, an electric whistle, was not to the tastes of nostalgic residents who formed TOOT -- short for reTurn Our Old Tone -- and raised nearly $100,000 to return an old-style foghorn to the harbor. With Congressman Jim Oberstar's help, TOOT acquired a foghorn from Kewaunee, Wis., after it was retired from service there in 1981. The old foghorn wasn't warmly received by everyone in Duluth, however. Some residents complained the diaphone was too loud and disturbed their sleep. Ron Thompson, an assistant hotel manager at Fitger's Inn, said the foghorn sometimes disturbed resting guests. "When it went off, you could hear it in here clear as day, even with the windows closed," Thompson said. In response to complaints, the city restricted the diaphone's hours of operation to between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. "We kept compromising on the hours of operation, and in the end it was compromised right out of existence," Ringsred said. "It might have been better if we had been a little more militant." The future of the disassembled diaphone horn remains uncertain. "I hope it will go somewhere where it will be heard and appreciated," said Ringsred, adding that he has received inquiries from ports as near as Two Harbors, and from as far away as San Francisco. Tom Cox, a TOOT member and lifelong Duluthian, said Duluth's failure to
preserve the foghorn is "a big mistake." "If you grew up here, you never gave
the sound of the foghorn another thought," he said. "It just blended in so
well with the seagulls, the ore boats and the bridge horn. You only really
missed it after it was gone." |
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Lakes Iron Ore Trade Strong Again in
August 9/28 - Cleveland---Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Seaway continued to gain strength in August. Loadings totaled 6.7
million net tons, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to a year ago. The
month also outperformed its 5-year average by more than 7 percent. |
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Steel Imports Declined from July to August 9/28 - Duluth - Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, total steel imports in August declined 7.6 percent compared to July, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Total imports in August were 3.9 million net tons, including 3.1 million net tons of finished steel. Finished steel imports declined 9.3 percent decline compared to July. Year-to-date total and finished steel imports are up 42 percent compared to last year. On an annualized basis, total steel imports would reach an all-time record 46.2 million net tons and finished imports would set a new record of 36.6 million net tons. For the second straight month, China was the single largest steel importer with 531,000 net tons. Imports in August from China were 186 percent higher than in 2005 and this year would reach about 5 million tons, according to the AISI. A record surge in imports is being led by countries with a history of
unfair trading, said Louis Schorsch, AISI chairman and chief executive officer
of Mittal Steel's Flat Products Americans. |
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Ports Reports - September 28 South Chicago - David Riley Indiana Harbor - Brian Z. South Chicago/Calumet River - Tom Milton |
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Updates - September 28 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 28 On September 28, 1980, the BURNS HARBOR entered service, departing Sturgeon
Bay, Wisconsin bound for Superior, Wisconsin to load pellets. |
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c. Columbus
Scrapes Bottom: Escapes Unharmed 9/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - A local marine contractor conducted a
survey of the waters off the Bondar Marina dock face Tuesday following reports
of a cruise ship "scraping bottom" Monday morning as it attempted to dock.
City council learned Monday that the captain of the MS Columbus reported
touching bottom on his maiden voyage into the port of Sault Ste. Marie for the
2006 cruising season. |
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Port Reports - September 27 Sandusky - Jim Spencer Milwaukee - John N. Vogel Marinette/Menominee Scott Best Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Holland - Bob VandeVusse |
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Updates - September 27 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 27 September 27, 1959 The West Neebish Channel, through which downbound
traffic normally passes, was temporarily closed to permit dredging to the
maximum Seaway depth of 27 feet. Two-way traffic was instituted in the Middle
Neebish Channel until dredging was completed. |
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Clipper Kristin Update 9/26 - Clipper Kristin is upbound at Iroquois Lock at Monday, bound for Lake Ontario. The tugs Duga and Ocean Jupiter have returned to their base in the lower St. Lawrence River. Reported by Ron Beaupre Original Article - 9/23 - St. Lawrence River - The tanker Clipper Kristen went aground at Camerons Crab near Camerons Island in the St. Lawrence Seaway at 3:35 p.m. Friday. The tanker is upbound for Mississauga, Ontario. The vessel reported they lost power and that the vessels is out of the channel. The Clipper Kristen is not taking on water and no leakage from the liquid cargo was visible. The 380-foot (116-meter) vessel was told not to try to move as a team from Transport Safety Board will assess the damage. Camerons Island is near where the Toro went aground last week. Traffic continues to pass the grounded vessel at a reduced speed and one way traffic is permitted only. Reported by Walter Statham & Kent Malo |
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Camilla Desgagnes Disabled and Replaced 9/26 - Tug Ocean Foxtrot left Baie Comeau on Saturday to head north to recover Camilla Desgagnes for an eventual tow back to the St-Lawrence for permanent repairs to her main engine. Repairs on site were unsuccessful and the vessel has to be towed back. As a temporary replacement, the soon to be sold, Mathilda Desgagnes was reactivated yet again for another northern run. She left her lay-up berth in Quebec City on Sunday for Montreal and Côte Ste. Catharine to load. Reported by Bruno Boissonneault |
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Hornblower to Buy Coastal Cruisers 9/26 - Hornblower Marine Services has reached a tentative deal with the Maritime Administration to purchase the much-maligned costal cruisers Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light. Hornblower hopes to have one vessel in operation on the Great Lakes in the spring of 2008 and the other in service a year later. The two 224-passenger, 300-foot vessels have been tied up near Jacksonville, Florida since the 2001 bankruptcy of former owner American Classic Voyages, Inc. "We saw an opportunity to acquire great assets at an attractive price point", said John Waggoner, president and CEO of New Albany, Indiana-based Hornblower. Price and terms were not disclosed. Industry sources have estimated that the vessels would be sold for about $10 million each, with another $10 million needed for refurbishment. Marad spokesman Shannon Russell confirmed the agency was talking with Hornblower and hoped to finalize the deal by the end of the year. Hornblower was still arranging financing, and Waggoner said he was optimistic. Once the purchase is complete, the vessels will need some work. The Cape Cod Light needs a galley and all certifications have expired. The vessels' builder, Atlantic Marine, Inc., may do some of the work, Waggoner said. From Workboat magazine Pictures in the News Photo Gallery |
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USS Freedom Makes a Splash at Marinette
Launch 9/26 - Marinette, WI - Champagne still cascading from its bow, the sleek yet towering body of the USS Freedom slid into the waters of the Menominee River and launched a new era of naval ships on Saturday morning. Hundreds of people on both sides of the river gathered to watch as Marinette became the birthplace of the Littoral Combat Ship, including employees of the Marinette Marine Corp. who built the ship with partners Lockheed Martin, Navy representatives and government leaders. Freedom marks a new breed of more agile, faster and multifaceted ships, which will fight in shallow coastal — or littoral — areas. The ship can be configured for three types of missions: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface and minesweeping. "It has flexibility to deal with change… it will be able to be very relevant in years to come," said Admiral Michael Mullen, chief of naval operations. The Navy's fleet is generally suited for open seas, but plans are in place for about 55 of these newer ships to be added over the next 30 years. The concept was developed about three and a half years ago by Mullen's predecessor, Admiral Vernon Clark. In May 2004, the Navy awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors and General Dynamics. Lockheed, a longtime partner with Marinette Marine Corp., is building two ships — Freedom and one in Lockport, La. For Marinette resident and Vietnam veteran Jim Davis, a 39-year employee of the Marinette Marine Corp., Saturday's launch was an impressive sight as well as a celebration of the work that went into the ship's creation. "Every employee put a lot of time into this," Davis said. "It's nice to know we're giving our country quality ships." More than 1,000 employees were involved in creating Freedom, the biggest project for Marinette Marine to date, according to Robert Herre, president of the Manitowoc Marine Group that owns Marinette Marine. The ship still needs to be detailed and will continue to dock in Marinette through the fall and the winter. Next year, it will take its maiden voyage into open seas through the St. Lawrence seaway and around the country, eventually heading to its home port in San Diego, Calif. The ship was christened by Birgit Smith of Tampa, Fla., widow of Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who was killed in Iraq and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. "The name says it all — freedom doesn't come free … it's not only for him, there are so many other service members out there," Smith said. From the Green Bay Press Gazette Pictures in the News Photo Gallery |
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New Mackinaw Almost Ready 9/26 -Sturgeon Bay - The cutter Mackinaw, the newest, most sophisticated ship in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet, went into dry dock Saturday, Sept. 16, at Bay Shipbuilding Co. The $90 million Mackinaw arrived in Sturgeon Bay in August for warranty work little more than a year after being built at Marinette Marine Co. All the work must be done by mid-October, when the Mackinaw is scheduled to return to her home port of Cheboygan, Mich. The ship, WLBB 30, is totally different from her predecessor, the wide-bodied cutter Mackinaw, WAGB 83. Each is a one-of-a-kind. The WAGB-83 was built during World War II to keep Great Lakes shipping lanes open for war production. The heavy, 75-foot-wide ship was strictly an icebreaker, with limited search and rescue assignments. By contrast, the new Mackinaw, WLBB 30, “is a multi-mission” ship, said her captain, Cmdr. John Little. Ice breaking remains a winter priority, he said. “We’re the biggest icebreaker, and we go where there’s the biggest ice,” Little said. But the new Mackinaw also will handle buoy tending duties in spring and fall on lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior. She also has assignments in hazardous materials cleanup, drug enforcement, search and rescue, and homeland security, Little said. More unique than its diverse mission is how the ship is powered. “She has no rudder, no propeller,” said Ensign Jeannette Killen. Instead, the Mackinaw has three diesels to generate electric power that is used for propulsion and “housekeeping.” And propulsion, Killen said, comes from electricity directed through azi-pods - two engines mounted beneath the ships in torpedo-shaped housings that can move through 360-degrees of arc. By moving the pods and the bow thruster, Killen said, power can be channeled to give the ship both direction and speed. The pods make Mackinaw “extremely maneuverable,” said Killen, an assistant navigator, or “boat driver.” Practicing with an onboard simulator, drivers Killen and Ensign Matt Kempe continually pit their skills against the computerized standards for maneuvering the ship. The simulator is the only training base because there is no other ship or operating system like it, Killen said. When the standard says to take the Mackinaw from zero to 10 knots through 2 feet of plate ice, Killen can put the ship through her paces in the recommended time, and push the limit a little to be better prepared for emergencies. She can stop the ship - 3.6 million pounds of steel and fixtures - in 4.28 minutes, almost half of the engineered standard of eight minutes. During “man overboard” drills, she can stop the ship in an amazing two boat lengths - 500 feet. Operating the ship, Killen explained, has become a complex computer game with commands relayed electronically through a joystick that allows a geo-positioning satellite to direct the azi-pods to precise locations. The electronics allow a deck officer to lock in map coordinates on a buoy-tending operation that will hold the ship in position automatically. The computerized gizmos aboard Mackinaw give the ship officers the ability to “see” and precisely identify ships - and their courses and speeds - from 12 or more miles away. On the bridge, charts can be brought up on computer screens and interfaced with the ship operating systems to keep her on course. Paper maps are no longer required, but are stored in cabinets. With so many automated systems, the crew is smaller and there is no longer a helmsman to respond to spoken orders from the deck officer. Instead, Little and the navigation officers -- Kempe and Killen - must stay in constant communication. The computerized system and multiple monitors give the officers “a good picture of what’s going on without having to be everywhere on the ship at one time,” Kempe said. The links between the officers and the ship include closed circuit television monitors of diesels and mechanical systems and computerized imaging of the internal workings of the systems. The main monitors are on the bridge, but others are located throughout the ship for easy access by Little and his staff. Like any other working ship, the Mackinaw has its own kitchen - galley - and dining rooms, medical treatment room and living quarters (the smaller crew means more space for the sailors in two- and four-person rooms. The gym, outfitted like a small version of the YMCA, “gets a lot of use,” Little said. There are firefighting stations, environmental suits for outdoor work in cold and inclement weather; and the buoy deck is heated to prevent ice buildup and provide safer footing. “We’re working with new techology,” Little said. “The crew is getting to know the ship better.” From the Door County Advocate |
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Updates - September 26 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 26 September 26, 1930, the schooner OUR SON, originally launched in 1875, sank
during a storm on Lake Michigan. Seventy-three year old Captain Fred Nelson
the crew of OUR SON were rescued by the self unloader WILLIAM NELSON. |
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Toro Update 9/25 - Montreal - The salt water vessel Toro which had grounded earlier this month at Cornwall Island is still in Montreal at shed 3 in the upper harbor. Delays are usually caused by litigation, insurance, deciding if they have to offload and repair the vessel. The only dry docking facilities are at Les Mechins, Quebec, Verreault Ship Yard, as all other shipyards are now closed. Les Mechins is East of Matane, Quebec. Reported by Kent Malo |
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Port Reports - September 25 Grand Haven - Dick Fox Alpena & Stoneport - Ben & Chanda McClain Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Charlevoix - Alex Fletcher |
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Freighter Cruise Auction - Final Week 9/25 - Final week, a Trip Auction for a cruise aboard the Saginaw. Auction ends October 2, this is likely going to be one of the last auctions for some time.Boat trips are rare, auctions are even rarer. Most trips are made available to the public only through raffles. This is a rare chance to guarantee a cruise on a working freighter. Current Bid: $3,100 |
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Updates - September 25 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 25 In tandem tow, the MENIHEK LAKE and LEON FALK JR arrived at Vigo, Spain on
September 25, 1985. The MENIHEK LAKE was scrapped at Vigo, and the FALK was
towed to Gij—n, Spain for scrapping. |
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Clipper Kristin Update 9/24 - Noon Update - Sunday at 9:45 a.m. the Group Ocean tugs Duga and Ocean Jupiter
pulled the grounded tanker Clipper Kristen off of Camerons Crab, in the St.
Lawrence Seaway near Summerstown, Ontario. 9/24 - The Groupe Ocean tugs Ocean Jupiter (4000 HP) and Duga (4620 HP) were upbound Saturday afternoon. The tugs were heading to re-float the tanker Clipper Kristin. The Clipper Kristen is aground on Camerons Crab. This area is near Camerons Island,
parallel to Summerstown, Ontario, 60 miles West of Montreal in the St Lawrence
Seaway. Original Article - 9/23 - St. Lawrence River - The tanker Clipper Kristen went aground at Camerons Crab near Camerons Island in the St. Lawrence Seaway at 3:35 p.m. Friday. The tanker is upbound for Mississauga, Ontario. The vessel reported they lost power and that the vessels is out of the channel. The Clipper Kristen is not taking on water and no leakage from the liquid cargo was visible. The 380-foot (116-meter) vessel was told not to try to move as a team from Transport Safety Board will assess the damage. Camerons Island is near where the Toro went aground last week. Traffic continues to pass the grounded vessel at a reduced speed and one way traffic is permitted only. Reported by Walter Statham & Kent Malo |
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Lee A. Tregurtha Update 9/24 - The re-powered Lee A. Tregurtha is scheduled to load in Escanaba on the 27th for Mittal in Indiana Harbor. This will keep her on Lake Michigan, should any fine tuning be necessary. The Tregurtha entered Bay Shipbuilding on January 9, 2006 for repowering. Reported by Frank Frisk |
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Port Reports - September 24 Lake Superior - Tim Eldred Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski |
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Riding the Rails 9/24 - Port Huron - Mitchell Porte, 6, stood in awe Friday as a coal-burning steam engine whistled a friendly hello in the form of a series of ear-splitting screams and steam blasts to passing freighter Mesabi Mineron the St. Clair River. The freighter's controllers, not to be outdone, bellowed their own horn back at the steam engine, which was parked near the Thomas Edison Depot Museum. "That really screamed my ears off," said Mitchell, of Port Huron. Mitchell and his grandmother, Marcia Porte-Phillips of Port Huron, were learning about steam engines and the freedom of riding the rails at the Down by the Depot Hobo Fest. Porte-Phillips, a retired third-grade teacher at Howard D Crull Elementary School, said the festival was a learning opportunity for both of them. "I'm just a grandma who is scratching her teacher itch," she said. Visitors to the Hobo Fest can take tours of Flagg Coal Co. No. 75, a fully-restored, 1930 Vulcan steam engine. They also can learn about the hobo lifestyle and practice train safety while riding Canadian National Railroad's Little Obie miniature locomotive. The festival continues Sunday. From the Port Huron Times-Herald |
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Updates - September 24 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 24 On September 24th, the A H FERBERT went hard aground at the Cut-Off
Channel's southeast bend of the St. Clair River. Six tugs, GLENADA, ELMORE M
MISNER, BARBARA ANN, GLENSIDE, SHANNON and WM A WHITNEY, worked until late on
the 26th to free her. |
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Tanker Clipper Kristen Aground 9/23 - St. Lawrence River - The tanker Clipper Kristen went aground at Camerons Crab near Camerons Island in the St. Lawrence Seaway at 3:35 p.m. Friday. The tanker is upbound for Missisauga, Ontario. The vessel reported they lost power and that the vessels is out of the channel. The Clipper Kristen is not taking on water and no leakage from the liquid cargo was visible. The 380-foot (116-meter) vessel was told not to try to move as a team from Tansport Safety Board will assess the damage. Camerons Island is near where the Toro went aground last week. Traffic continues to pass the grounded vessel at a reduced speed and one way traffic is permitted only. Reported by Walter Statham & Kent Malo |
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Coast Guard Plan for Practice Firing Zone Stirs Concerns 9/23 - Youngstown, NY - The U.S. Coast Guard barely made a sound as it laid plans to create a practice firing zone off Niagara County in Lake Ontario, and some of those who learned about it this week expressed concerns about the local impact. "This is a prime fishing and prime sailing area," Douglas Stein, charter boat captain and president of the Niagara River Anglers Association, said about the plan to create 34 "safety zones" on the Great Lakes, including one between Youngstown and Wilson. The Coast Guard "has the whole lake," Stein said. "Why not 10 miles out, or near Golden Hill State Park [in the Town of Somerset]? I can't understand their thinking." Coast Guard officials plan to use the zones two to three times a year for artillery training, including practice with the new N2 40 Bravo light machine gun - a small caliber standard NATO issue weapon - as well as rifles and 9 mm firearms. Coast Guardsmen will fire the weapons into floating targets, said Chief Petty Officer Robert Lanier of the Coast Guard's Ninth District, based in Cleveland. Three of the Great Lakes safety zones will be in Lake Ontario, including one off the shore of Youngstown and others near Rochester and Oswego. Four sites on Lake Erie will be set up, mostly in Ohio, including a site near Sandusky Bay and near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The proposed site off Niagara County is the closest to Buffalo. Lanier said these safety zone sites will be at least five miles offshore. Stein said that distance from shore is a prime fishing area. He also noted that any sites on Lake Erie near Sandusky Bay would be in a prime walleye fishing spot. Stein said both he and Lake Ontario Trout Salmon President Joe Yaeger oppose the planned local site. He said he has been getting notifications about the Coast Guard plans in the last week. Lanier said the Coast Guard will stress public safety during practices. He said the Coast Guard received some complaints during the public comment period, which was to have ended Aug. 31 but has now been extended to Nov. 13. Information about the zones, maps of the zones, and ways to respond electronically, by mail or by fax, are available online at www.uscgd9safetyzones.com. Contacted by The Buffalo News on Thursday, Youngstown Yacht Club Commodore Gary Tisdale said it was the first he had heard about the safety zones. "It's disconcerting," he said. "I'm shocked that we weren't notified in any special mailings, but I'm not surprised" about the training. "It's overkill," Tisdale said. "The lake is not a friendly place anymore. The Coast Guard, Canadian Police and Border Patrol are over-patrolling. We are harassed out on the water. They board our boats all the time." Youngstown Mayor Neil Riordan said he was not aware of the safety zones until he was contacted by the media. He said neither his office nor the village police force was contacted. "I guess they were keeping a tight wrap on it," Riordan said. "They have been increasing their security procedures, and I support that. [The Youngstown Coast Guard station] is very active in the community." Riordan said he hopes the Coast Guard will outline what a safety zone is for those concerned about the proposal. Right now, Stein said, the closest meeting planned is in Cleveland. From the Buffalo News |
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Ferry's Future Still Not Sealed 9/23 - Rochester, NY - September 21, 2006) — Rochester's high-speed ferry has amassed a $1.5 million bill while docked in Charlotte this year — and its future is the most unclear it's been since Mayor Robert Duffy announced almost six months ago that the ship had been sold. British buyer Euroferries Ltd. remains at the table and has agreed to pay some of the expenses. But the company has yet to secure money needed to close the $29.8 million deal. That has opened the door to other suitors with strong interest. "I think it's fair to say the city is keeping its options open," said City Councilman and ferry board president Benjamin Douglas. Euroferries has pledged to pay $6,000 per day, dating from June 1, to cover expenses of maintaining the ship at the Port of Rochester. Through Aug. 31, those payments exceed actual expenses by $107,000, records show. But Corporation Counsel Thomas Richards, who is negotiating the sale, said adjustments at closing to cover such items as fuel on board would add to the total. There are "a number of possible scenarios" if Euroferries is not the ultimate buyer, Richards said. He declined to discuss those publicly, saying it was premature and could prejudice the city's negotiating position. Adding greater urgency to negotiations: The St. Lawrence Seaway will close in late December, sealing off access to the Atlantic Ocean and the possibility for any overseas buyer to take the ship before next spring, when the seaway reopens. Neither Bornholms Trafikken of Denmark, which recently toured the ship, nor Euroferries responded to e-mails; company officials could not be reached by phone. The city still has "some time to spare," said Richards. Financially, the city also has some wiggle room. City Council authorized spending up to $9.4 million to shut down the Rochester-to-Toronto service and sell the ship. More than $1.5 million remains unspent and uncommitted, after a $2.9 million yet-to-be-paid settlement with former manager Bay Ferries Great Lakes LLC. Duffy announced the city was shutting down the ferry service Jan. 10, and said May 4 that the ship had been sold to Euroferries. The firm planned to start service on the English Channel and is looking for a second ship with plans to order a third. Duffy said the city has rejected offers from firms trying to undercut Euroferries' bid. "They're still in the deal, and they allege they're going to close it," Richards said of Euroferries, depicting sale negotiations as changing little in recent weeks. "There has been activity, including other parties, but that's not news." Richards spends about three-fourths of his time on the ferry issue, Duffy said. The mayor himself is hounded with questions at every press event, and often starts off speeches with a quick no-news update on the ferry sale. "I can clearly understand the questions, because I have the same ones," Duffy said recently. "The ship is ready to set sail and move. I think the community is also ready for the ship to move." From the Rochester Democarat and Chronicle |
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Researchers to Probe Decline in Great Lakes Water Levels 9/23 - Canada and the United States are launching a $17.5-million study to determine why water levels in the upper Great Lakes have declined to near-record lows. The study by the International Joint Commission will consider a number of possible causes, from climate change to erosion caused by dredging in the St. Clair River. Environment Minister Rona Ambrose announced $500,000 for the study last week. But officials say that is just the first installment in what will be a major, five-year research effort. Ambrose noted that water levels in Georgian Bay together with Lakes Huron and Michigan were as much as 45 centimeters below average this summer. "Clearly, the health of this ecosystem has global significance," she told a news conference at Parry Sound. "Change is already upon us." Huron and Michigan are at their lowest levels since the 1960s and Lake Superior is at its lowest since 1926, reports the Canadian Hydrology Service at Burlington, Ont. The decline has caused problems for navigation, recreation, power generation and the ecology of the area. Wetlands are drying up, docks are stranded and beaches in some areas are overgrown with weeds. "People that have lived along the shoreline and thought they have a million-dollar property no longer do, because instead of having a nice beach or a nice rocky shoreline in front, they've got muck with bulrushes growing in it," said Mary Muter of the Georgian Bay Association. Citing a study by Blair Associates of Oakville, Muter said the Lake Huron-Michigan water level decreased by 2.4 cm between 2000 and 2005, which she described as a major drop. "If you converted half a centimetre into volume of water you'd be talking millions of gallons of water." Yet the lower lakes, Ontario and Erie, are at or slightly above normal levels, which has scientists baffled. Normally, water levels throughout the lakes would rise and fall more or less in tandem. Computer models simulating climate change predict that water levels will decline throughout the Great Lakes, but don't explain why the upper lakes would be affected more than the others. "The real thing that's got everybody concerned is not only are Lake Michigan and Huron dropping, but they're dropping relative to Erie," said Frank Quinn, a hydrology consultant at Tecumseh, N.Y. "The lakes have been low in the past, but the graphs show that all of a sudden starting probably in the late 1980s or early 1990s there came a major difference in the water levels. "If it was just generally low lake levels you would expect to find the same problem on Erie and Huron." One possible explanation is that global warming has changed rainfall patterns, said Ralph Moulton at the Canadian Hydrology Service. There has been unusually low rainfall this year in Northern Ontario compared with the southern part of the province, but it's not clear if that is part of a trend. Another possible culprit is dredging in the St. Clair River when the St. Lawrence Seaway was being completed. The theory is that the dredging led to accelerated erosion, allowing increased outflow to Lake Erie. "By dredging they removed the hard covering core of the bottom sediments," said Muter. "Once you remove that layer you expose soft eroding clay to a very high current there." She said there is a lot of concern about property values around Georgian Bay. From the Canadian Press |
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Cleveland-Cliffs to Buy Brazilian Mining Firm 9/23 - Iron ore supplier Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc., has struck a deal
to acquire 100 percent of a Brazilian mining firm. Under the deal, Cliffs would buy 100 percent of the Centennial Amapa shares for $133 million in U.S. funds. Cliffs would also provide technical support for construction and operation of the project. About $275 million in additional capital would be required for the project, according to a Cleveland-Cliffs news release. Cleveland-Cliffs manages and holds ownership in six North American iron ore mines, including Hibbing Taconite, Northshore Mining Co. and United Taconite. Cliffs also holds majority ownership in Portman, an Australian iron ore producer. Reported by Frank Frisk from the Duluth News-Tribune |
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Port Reports - September 23 Milwaukee - John N. Vogel Toledo - Jim Hoffman Indiana Harbor - Brian Z. |
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Updates - September 23 News Photo Gallery updated and more News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 23 September 23, 1922, the 306 foot NEPTUNE loaded the first Head-of-the-Lakes
cargo of pig iron at Zenith Furnace, Duluth, Minnesota. The 5,000 tons of
malleable pig iron was delivered to Buffalo, New York. |
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Dredging of Saginaw River Turning Basin Nearing Completion 9/22 - Bay City - John A. Glynn hopes the days of giant Great Lakes freighters scraping the bottom of the Saginaw River are over. Dredging crews have cleared most of the freighter turning basin, where silt buildup mired two vessels north of Interstate 675 this year. That means the Upper Saginaw River Alliance, a coalition of dock owners, can stop spending $15,000 to $20,000 a week to keep a tugboat on call to help ships turn around in the river, said Glynn, a vice president for Wirt Stone Dock in Buena Vista Township. The amount of shipped tonnage arriving at the firm's dock has sunk by roughly 25 percent since this time last year, hitting the bottom line of the company's business, he said. The dock typically handles more than 1 million tons of sand and crushed and decorative stone products a year. ''The amount of cargo this year is way down from the pace we usually carry,'' he said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency $2 million project to dredge the turning basin north of the Henry G. Marsh Bridge in Saginaw - near where the ships were stuck - and other major shallow areas should end within four to six weeks, depending on the weather, said Michael K. O'Bryan, the Corps' district chief of engineering and technical services corps in Detroit. ''They're telling me the turning basin is pretty well cleared out, which is where the main bottlenecks were,'' O'Bryan said. The project remains ''a little behind schedule,'' he said. ''It seems like we are two-thirds of the way done.'' Crews have dredged about 70,000 cubic yards of material out of an expected 104,000 cubic yards it plans to remove, he said. Dredge workers have dug the basin about 20 feet deep. The river is 13 feet deep in other spots. The dredging and divers never found a ship's rudder that officials once believed came off the 875-foot Great Lakes Trader in the basin this summer, said Saginaw County Public Works Commissioner James A. Koski. The rudder ''wasn't in the turning basin, we know that,'' he said. ''Otherwise we would have found it already.'' The federal agency hired Muskegon-based Great Lakes Dock & Materials to dredge the basin and the area around it. Barges haul sediments 22 miles to Gull Island, a Saginaw River disposal site at the mouth of the river in the Saginaw Bay, officials said. A project manager said this summer the company hoped to complete the work by August. The Times News Service could not immediately reach company officials for comment late Monday afternoon, but O'Bryan said windy conditions at the island disposal site likely have slowed work. ''It would be nice if they finished, especially with the shipping season rapidly drawing to a close,'' Glynn said. ''Right now, it's a pretty good trick to get enough material to carry us 'till spring.'' The company has used supplies at its piers in Bay City and Essexville to compensate for the drop in demand at its Saginaw dock through the season, Glynn said. Freight traffic normally brings in 250 vessels every year on the river, with cargo that could fill 106,000 tractor-trailer trucks. The Corps has asked Washington, D.C., lawmakers for $3.6 million in 2007 to dredge the river from Saginaw to the bay. Meanwhile, crews should finish construction of a 281-acre site to deposit river spoils in Frankenlust and Zilwaukee townships by late fall, Koski said. Barring ongoing legal challenges over zoning, health issues and concerns about dioxin contamination, the site could accept the first river dredging next fall, he added. From the Bay City Times |
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Test Container Sails into Port 9/22 - Thunder Bay - The Highway H2O traveling container has made its way to Thunder Bay. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is sponsoring the 20-foot 'Travis the Traveling Container' which was shipped from Denmark to Duluth. That's a total of 8,000 kilometers, a trip that took about 13 days. And now, the traveling container is on the second part of its journey, to visit more ports on the Great Lakes. The corporation is trying to attract attention to the benefits of moving containers via ships, instead of using road or rail. Corporation spokesperson Aldert Van Nieuwkoop says moving the container via the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes was nine days quicker than if it traveled by rail or road. He says this method of travel also saves money and can create a growth market for the Seaway and the ports on the Great Lakes. ‘''We believe that the gateway into North America, where we have some hundred million people who live in this area around the Great Lakes, is a big consumer market and a lot of these containers end up in this area. The St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes can form a viable alternative to bring containers in with smaller vessels.’'' Nieuwkoop says vessels these days carry around 13,000 containers on the ocean-going vessels which would be broken down into smaller loads for movement on the Great Lakes but still be efficient. Travis the Traveling Container will continue it's trip to other ports, possibly including Windsor, Hamilton and Toronto. From the Thunder Bay News |
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Coast Guard Creates Live Fire Web Site 9/22 - Cleveland - The Ninth Coast Guard District has created a Web site for the sole purpose of informing the public about the 34 proposed permanent safety zones on the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes. The site will contain information such as all copies of Federal Registry entries, charts of the proposed zones, comment submission information, and press releases. The site is www.uscgd9safetyzones.com. From the Port Huron News Tribune |
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Port Reports - September 22 Menominee/Marinette - Stephen P. Neal After the launch new special restrictions will take effect. These are long term restrictions that could be in place for 10 years or more if more orders are placed. Basically when coming up the Menominee River above the bridge stay to the Menominee side of the river. A floating chain boom will be placed around Marinette Marine's property taking up about 1/2 of the river on the Marinette side. Sounds like they are going to have armed navy guards there also. If you want any details on the restrictions contact one of the local marinas or the USCG. Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Toledo - |
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Steam Engine Event at Port Huron Museum 9/22 - Port Huron - Come experience life as a hobo and railroading
as it used to be at our Hobo Fest. Experience the sites, sounds and smells of
a hobo camp and live steam locomotive. Thrill to the coronation of the Hobo
King and Queen, and try your hand at our SPAM carving contest. The father and son team of John and Byron Grambling spent a decade restoring this locomotive to operating condition, and it returns to Port Huron for the first time since 2004. Cab tours of the locomotive will be available from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., with demonstration runs done on the half hours. For further info on the #75, check out the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso's website Steam Railroading Institute Reported by Frank Frisk |
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Updates - September 22 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 22 On September 22, 1958, the EDMUND FITZGERALD entered service, departing
River Rouge, Michigan for Silver Bay, Minnesota on its first trip. The
FITZGERALD's first load was 20,038 tons of taconite pellets for Toledo. The
vessel would, in later years, set several iron ore records during the period
from 1965 through 1969. |
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Toro Update 9/21 - Montreal - Toro was docked at Montreal, Quebec, with the assistance of the Tug Ocean Jupiter at shed # 4, King Edward pier, after arriving under her own power Wednesday morning from her grounding point in the St Lawrence Seaway parallel to Cornwall Island, Akwesasne Territorial Lands. A complete assessment will be done to determine how much damage was caused to Toro's hull due to the grounding. Reported by Kent Malo |
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Coal Orders Strengthen In August 9/21 - Cleveland - After slumping significantly in July, coal
shipments on the Great Lakes rebounded by nearly one million tons in August.
However, the 4.8 million net tons of coal moved on the Great Lakes last month
still represented a decrease of 3 percent compared to the corresponding period
last year. The cargo carried to Harbor Beach totaled 12,344 net tons. When destined for Monroe, the vessel was able to increase its draft and carry 14,408 net tons. The ship could load even deeper when bound for Alpena and as a result, delivered 15,853 net tons to that port. Nonetheless, the vessel’s rated capacity for coal tops 19,000 net tons, so not even the largest cargo even approached a full load. Source: Lake Carriers’ Association |
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Port Reports - September 21 Montreal - Laurent Kingsville - Erich Zuschlag Alpena & Stoneport - Ben & Chanda McClain Lower Lake Michigan - Brian Z. Marquette - Lee Rowe Toledo - Saginaw River - Gordy Garris Sandusky - Jim
Spencer Port of Indiana - Sheldon Rody |
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Updates - September 21 News Photo Gallery updated Public Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - September 21 On 21 September 1892, the whaleback steamer JAMES B COLGATE (steel
propeller whaleback freighter, 308 foot, 1,713 gross tons) was launched by the
American Steel Barge Co. (Hull #121) at W. Superior, Wisconsin. She only
lasted until 1916, when she foundered in the "Black Friday Storm" on Lake Erie
with the loss of 26 lives. |
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Toro Freed 9/20 - The Greek freighter Toro was pulled free from her perch on
the rocks at Cornwall Island on Monday. Due to the currents in the area the ship
was turned around and was heading upbound after the tugs pulled her free.
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Shipping Plans to Wallaceburg Underway 9/20 - Construction is underway at the Bruinsma Dock (former site of Canada
& Dominion Sugar Co.) in Wallaceburg, preparing for the new tug and barge
service operated by Norlake Transportation Co. of Trois Rivieres, Quebec. It
is expected U.S. corn will be barged to Wallaceburg to augment supply to the
two nearby ethanol plants. |
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U.S.-Flag Carriage Dips on Lakes in August 9/20 - Cleveland—Shipments of dry-bulk cargos in U.S.-Flag Lakers
totaled 11,655,356 net tons in August, a decrease of 4.2 percent compared to a
year ago. The August float was also 2.6 percent off the month’s 5-year
average. |
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Mather Museum and Great Lakes Science Center to Combine 9/20 - Cleveland – The Great Lakes Science Center and the Steamship
William G. Mather Museum are pleased to announce the two lakefront attractions
will combine their business operations effective October 1, 2006. |
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Former Lighthouse Keeper Returns to DeTour Reef Light 9/20 Drummond Island, MI - On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Milton Lovett stepped onto the DeTour Reef Light for the first time in almost 48 years. As a young man Milton served on the Light from 1958-1959 as an EN3 (Engineman 3rd Class) with the Coast Guard. He was one of the few men who volunteered for the duty. “I thought it was great that I got so much time off” he stated. The job schedule consisted of 3 weeks on the Light followed by one week off plus an additional 30 days of leave because of the remoteness of the assignment. “I was able to do a lot of traveling and have a lot of fun. Of course that was before I met my wife.” After a 25 year career with the Coast Guard, with additional assignments in Texas Alaska, New York, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama, Milton retired as a W4 (Commissioned Warrant Officer). He and Geneva, his wife of 46 years, now live in Alabama. The Light he worked on in the late 1950’s looks much the same Milton observed, however the color on the walls isn’t the same. He especially remembers the ugly pea soup green on all of the walls of the living quarters. The only paint choices provided by the Coast Guard were white, gray, black, and an ugly pea soup green. Also there was more furniture in the lighthouse, including bunk beds in the assistant keeper’s bedroom. DRLPS restored the lighthouse to the original 1931 wall colors and twin beds as indicated by the August 1931 bid specifications for the furnishings of DeTour Reef Light Station issued by the Superintendent of Lighthouses of the U. S. Lighthouse Service. While he was in the area he also had the opportunity to see the Light’s original Fresnel lens at the DeTour Passage Historical Museum. He reminisced about the many hours he spent cleaning the lens. In an effort to learn more about the Light’s active years, DRLPS Historian, Chuck Feltner, has researched log books back to 1931, when the lighthouse was built. Using the internet, local sources solid hunches, and a lot of phone calls, he has located a total of 15 past keepers and talked with 11 of them, including Milton. By the end of the year, the DRLPS plans to release a 4 DVD set entitled “DeTour Reef Light: A Collection of Historical Materials”. The collection will contain pages of log books, correspondence, original photos and original engineering and architectural drawings used to build the Light. Oral history videos will include interviews of Alfred Lemieux, one of the builders of the Light in 1931; Keepers Jim Williams, Floyd Colvin, Ron Freels, and Robert Soldenski; 95 year old Glen Shaw from DeTour, MI, who as a tug boat captain, watched the Light being built; and Jim Woodward, who as a young civilian Engineer at the Coast Guard’s Ninth District in Cleveland, worked on drawings related to the shutdown of the Light in 1974. If you have information on former keepers stationed at DeTour Reef Light, o |