“It’s like a big lazy susan with three drives,” Steve Rutherford, project manager for Mesabi Nugget, said in describing the hearth.

Steel Dynamics Inc., based in Fort Wayne, Ind., and its partner, Kobe Steel Ltd. of Japan, expect to invest $235 million in the nugget plant. The project has been taking shape quietly near Embarrass on former LTV Steel Mining Co. land. It would have been easier and less expensive to tackle the concrete work in warm weather, but Jeff Hansen, Mesabi Nugget’s engineering manager, said crews worked through the winter, using heaters and tarps, to keep the project on track. Mesabi Nugget aims to begin full production by the second quarter of 2009.

The project remains on schedule and on budget, Rutherford said. Crews are beginning to assemble the steel skeleton of the plant.

Despite the substantial progress, many Northland residents seem to be unaware of it, said Adam Thompson, a lead man, taking bids and ordering equipment for Mesabi Nugget. “I don’t think many people realize we’re already building this plant,” he said. Conrad Schumacher, an electrical engineer from Embarrass, viewed Mesabi Nugget with a healthy dose of skepticism before he came to work on the project. “My attitude was that I’ll believe it’s going to happen when they start handing out applications,” he said.

Thompson, a Virginia resident, said fellow Rangers know better than to count on projects coming to pass. “I think most everyone is hesitant, because we’ve all seen so many ups and downs,” he said. “We’ve seen projects fall through.”

In fact, that nearly happened to Mesabi Nugget in 2006, when Cleveland-Cliffs Corp., then a partner in the project, withdrew its support. With environmental permits for the plant about to expire in January 2007, Steel Dynamics and Kobe Steel decided to push the project forward themselves.

The plant being built is expected to produce 500,000 metric tons of iron nuggets annually. Initially, the processing operation would employ 50 to 65 people and an adjacent mine another 50 people. But if the facility performs as anticipated, Steel Dynamics will seek permits to expand the operation, Rutherford said. Based on current demand, he believes Mesabi Nugget could triple its original size in short order.

An expanded operation probably would employ 250 to 300 people between the plant and mill, Hansen said.

Schumacher said he wouldn’t be surprised to see six solid years of construction on the site if Mesabi Nugget grows as expected. With detailed design work already in hand and the benefit of experience, Rutherford is optimistic Mesabi Nugget could build another unit for 10 percent to 20 percent less than what it will spend on its first rotary hearth. That would drop the cost of the next unit to between $188 million and $212 million, unadjusted for inflation.

The economic model for the project was built around an assumption that nuggets from the plant would sell for $350 per ton. However, Rutherford said the nuggets, which are akin to pig iron, would fetch more than $650 per ton today, making for a much more profitable operation.

Thompson enjoys having a front-row seat as the first major new mining development on the Range in years takes shape. “This will be the first large-scale nugget plant of its kind in the world, so in a way, we’re watching history being made,” he said.

Taconite pellets are fed into blast furnaces to produce steel, but the nuggets, which are nearly pure steel, can go directly into electric arc furnaces. Hence, nuggets will open a new market for low-grade Minnesota iron ore.

Rutherford said the nugget operation offers environmental advantages, as well. Kobe Steel reports its nugget system has been shown to produce 23 percent less carbon dioxide than a conventional blast furnace setup. Because the nugget plant does not require a coke oven or a sintering plant, it also produces less nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and fewer particulates.

The nugget-making process begins with the formation of what are called “carbonaceous green balls.” These are formed by molding iron concentrate from taconite together with pulverized coal. The coal accounts for about 50 percent of the green balls’ volume and 20 percent of their weight. The green balls then are fed into a rotary hearth that turns and heats them to 2,600 to 2,700 degrees.

The carbon in the coal reacts with iron oxide in the green balls, and after six minutes in the rotary hearth, the iron melts, and slag separates from the molten metal. The slag removal and reduction is completed within about eight to 10 minutes of a green ball’s introduction to the hearth.

The process is energy intensive. Mesabi Nugget expects to buy 25 megawatts of electricity from Minnesota Power when it begins production, and that consumption could grow to 75 megawatts if the plant is built out to 1.5 million metric tons. “It’s sort of like baking cookies,” Rutherford said. “As you bake them [the green balls], they begin to flatten out and become plastic. The slag runs off, and you have a nugget.”

Although Mesabi Nugget already holds the permits it needs to build a nugget plant, it still needs permission from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to begin extracting ore from the former LTV property, last active as a mine about seven years ago. The company will need to prepare an environmental impact statement and undergo a thorough review before it can mine the site.

Suttons Bay - Jim Shannahan
St. Marys Challenger sought shelter from the strong winds Saturday off the village of Suttons Bay, in Grand Traverse Bay.

Toronto - Charlie Gibbons and Dave Robinson
Algosteel arrived in port Saturday morning with sugar for Redpath. Algowood departed Clarkson Sunday afternoon.  Manistee arrived in port Sunday around 4:30 p.m. and went into the Turning Basin to unload.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
Calumet finished loading coal at the CSX Dock and departed late Sunday morning.  Tug Michigan and barge Great Lakes finished loading cargo and moved over to the Midwest Terminal Dock, they maybe waiting for better weather conditions to develop before sailing on lake Erie. The tug Anglian Lady and barge were at the B-P Dock.
The revised schedule for coal boats due in at the CSX Docks has the H. Lee White on Tuesday, Cuyahoga on Thursday, followed by the John G. Munson on Friday. The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Dock has the Canadian Navigator due on Thursday followed by the Atlantic Erie and CSL Laurentien on Friday.
Algosar is in drydock at the Ironhead Shipyard.

Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain
The tug G. L Ostrander and barge Integrity made its way into Lafarge and tied up under the silos on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning the Alpena returned and was taking on cement bound for Milwaukee.
Tug Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation is expected back in port on Monday.

Marquette - Rod Burdick
On a windy, rainy Sunday evening the tug Victory and barge James L. Kuber arrived off the Lower Harbor and began to back toward the Shiras Dock to unload stone. Winds made docking challenging as more than one attempt was made to dock. This visit was a first to Marquette for the pair.

There's a brand new Bucyrus International mining shovel being shipped in pieces to Quebec, Canada. Some of the pieces weigh more than 125,000 pounds. When fully assembled, the shovel will weigh about 1,500 tons.

A short distance from the shovel, there's an assortment of components that have come from Asia for the WE Energies power plant under construction in Oak Creek. Not far from those are steel beams for a Chicago skyscraper and coils of steel for area manufacturing plants.

The port has some of the biggest cranes on the Great Lakes, allowing it to move large, heavy items that other ports can't accommodate. In the past two years, the cranes have more than doubled their average annual work hours.

This year, the port expects to handle cargo for about 280 ships and barges - which could be a record if there's a bountiful corn harvest that drives overseas grain shipments.

Export markets for grain are booming as developing nations demand more food and take advantage of a weak U.S. dollar. For other products, the weak dollar also has turned the United States into an export machine. Wisconsin-made goods have become more affordable in countries seeking everything from livestock feed to industrial machines.

Five of the past six years have been record years for the port, reminiscent of the 1970s, when Milwaukee exported large amounts of grain to the former Soviet Union. In 2006, the port recorded the second-highest increase in international tonnage of any U.S. location on the St. Lawrence Seaway System, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Some of the barges in Milwaukee now are 300 feet in length, almost as large as ocean-going ships. "I don't see any dominating dark cloud that's going to interfere with our growth," said port director Eric Reinelt.

But a shortage of shipping containers has frustrated U.S. companies wanting to cash in on exports. The large metal boxes are barely available some places in the Midwest. Companies wanting to send goods overseas on short notice have lost business because they couldn't get shipping containers.

They've been snapped up by East and West Coast ports and overseas destinations. It's created a serious problem for the Great Lakes, Reinelt said. "Exporters are grabbing every box they can find. For a while, we lost some business because we couldn't get containers," he said.

Shipping rates have soared, as some companies that hadn't raised rates in years have cashed in on booming international trade. The loss of water depth in the Great Lakes, measured in feet rather than inches, also has created problems for Milwaukee and other ports.

Three of every four ships leave the docks "light loaded" because ports and connecting channels are not dredged to proper depths and widths, according to the Lake Carriers Association, based in Cleveland. Ships that normally carry 70,000 tons of cargo are traveling about 12,000 tons short of their capacity - resulting in lost revenue at a time when shippers are paying record amounts for diesel fuel.

Heavy winter snowfall raised Lake Superior's water level about 10 inches, but the rest of the Great Lakes didn't see as much of a benefit, said Glen Nekvasil, a vice president with the Lake Carriers Association. "The Great Lakes have to be looked at as an entire system. And things don't happen quickly in such a gigantic system," he said.

The Port of Milwaukee's water depth is about 27 feet, which is better than some other Great Lakes destinations. But sections of the Lake Michigan breakwater in Milwaukee are deteriorating, raising concerns about its abilities to protect the docks and lakefront developments - including the Milwaukee Art Museum and Summerfest property.

The breakwater isn't in danger of collapsing, but some sections are in poor shape, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The corps estimates it would cost $12 million to rebuild Milwaukee's breakwater over an eight-year period. It would cost about $800,000 for minimal repairs.

"We are still fighting for that seawall. It's work that has to be done," Reinelt said. "Underwater photographs show that the steel structure holding the breakwater rocks in place is rusted terribly."

As early as this summer, construction of a biodiesel refinery could begin at the port. The refinery would turn soybean oil into fuel suitable for diesel engines. Producing about 20 million gallons of fuel a year, it would be built on Jones Island near the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's wastewater treatment plant.

The port could benefit from leasing land to the refinery and handling fuel, as liquid cargo, from a storage-tank facility.  "It will be the biggest thing to happen to this port in decades," Reinelt said.

In 2007, the port handled 3.9 million tons of cargo - a record year and up 2.5% from 2006. Seven ships carried 130 wind turbines to the port, from the United Kingdom, Spain and Denmark, destined for two wind farms in Illinois and Minnesota. The port unloaded more than a million tons of road salt - and still ran out in March because of the harsh winter.

Nearly every ship that arrived at the port carrying steel left with grain, typically destined for North Africa.

Anchored by booming industries, such as power-generation equipment and locally made mining machines, port officials estimate this year's tonnage could match 2007. "There are enough new things going on along Lake Michigan to keep us busy for 10 to 15 years," Reinelt said. "It used to be that 3 million tons of cargo a year was a record for us. But we have done that six of the last seven years."

HMCS Kingston will slip out of Hamilton tonight to support a five-day expedition to map and survey with remote vehicles the wrecks of the 25-metre Hamilton and the 20-metre Scourge, which sank in a storm on Aug. 8, 1813. The two ships, both merchant schooners commandeered and armed by the American navy, are believed to have participated in the bombardment of Toronto, then known as York, prior to the storm.

The survey expedition headed by the City of Hamilton, which owns the ships, features participation of the Canadian Forces, Parks Canada, the coast guard, private archeologists and provincial, municipal and U.S. government officials.

If all goes well and there is time, Ian Kerr-Wilson, Hamilton's manager of museums and heritage, said the scientists might be able to lower a remote camera into the hold of one of the vessels for the first time. "I'd love to if it's possible," said Kerr-Wilson, adding technological advancements in digital mapping mean this survey will provide pinpoint co-ordinates to monitor changes in the wrecks.

There are no plans at the moment to raise the vessels. The two ships were located at a depth of about 100 metres by St. Catharines dentist Dr. Dan Nelson in 1973.

One of the reported 16 survivors was Ned Myers, a sailor aboard the Scourge whose recollections of the sinkings would later serve as some of the material for the book Ned Myers; or A Life Before the Mast, by James Fenimore Cooper.

Kerr-Wilson said the survey trip has been planned for nearly 10 years because it is difficult to get all the agencies and expertise available at the same time. "We are so fortunate the Kingston is available and it's a great platform for this work," he said. The Kingston, crewed mainly by reservists, is in Hamilton on a Great Lakes training cruise.

The survey will help the city plan long-term presentation and on-site preservation of the vessels, Kerr-Wilson said. "This is a very important site to both Canada and the United States," he said. "This trip is vital to our obligation of stewardship of those ships."

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

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

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

Public Photo Gallery updated

The CABOT (Hull#649) was launched May 12, 1965, at Lauzon, Quebec by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., for Gulf Ports Steamship Co. Ltd. (Clarke Steamship Co. Ltd., mgr.). In 1983, the CABOT's stern was attached to the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE to create the CANADIAN EXPLORER.

The carferry GRAND HAVEN was sold to the West India Fruit & Steamship Co., Norfolk, Virginia on May 12, 1946, and was brought down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana for reconditioning before reaching Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach, Florida.

On 12 May 1875, the scow-schooner SEA BIRD of Chicago was driven onto the beach a half mile south of the harbor at Holland, Michigan by a Northeaster. After the storm, she was high and dry on the beach.

The wooden J S SEAVERNS ran aground and stranded near Michipicoten Island on Lake Superior on 12 May 1884. She had been carrying passengers from Chicago to Port Arthur. She was pulled free by a tug, but then sank. She was formerly a steam barge, being built on the bottom of the side-wheel tug JOHN P WARD in Saugatuck, Michigan in 1880. The WARD dated back to 1857, had burned in 1865, was then rebuilt as a schooner, and in 1880, was finally rebuilt as the SEAVERNS.

Port Reports - May 11

Marquette - Rod Burdick
Saturday morning at the Upper Harbor ore dock, Herbert C. Jackson departed after loading taconite and Manitowoc arrived to load taconite, which was her fourth visit of the week.
Saturday evening, Lee A. Tregurtha was unloading coal into the Upper Harbor hopper.

Hamilton - Eric Holmes
Friday evening the saltie Antikeri departed Pier 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday the tug Sea Service and barge arrived at 8 a.m. with from Toledo. After discharging her cargo they will head back to Toledo. Tug Salvor departed at 8:15 a.m. heading down the lake. The CCGC Cape Storm arrived at 9 a.m. going to the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington. Saltie Thekla arrived at 10 a.m. with manganese for Pier 12 .Her last port was Quebec City and next port will be Burns Harbour.
Nanticoke followed the Thekla into the harbour and went to US Steel with iron ore pellets from Point Noire. Her next port is Superior.
The tug Omni Richelieu departed at 12 p.m. for Clarkson and returned at 8 p.m. The saltie Victoria departed Pier 14 at 1 p.m.

Public Photo Gallery updated

Today in Great Lakes History - May 11

On May 11, 1953, the HENRY STEINBRENNER went down in Lake Superior near Isle Royale with 17 of her 31 crewmembers. The storm followed an unseasonably warm and humid stretch of weather in northern Minnesota for that time of year which fueled the storm's fast growth. The high temperature of 87 degrees set in Grand Marais, Minnesota on May 8, 1953, still stands as that town's all-time record high for the month of May, and it is just eight degrees shy of the town's all-time record for any month.

The 144 foot, 3-mast, wooden bark JESSE HOYT was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan by Smith & Whitney on 11 May 1854. Later in her career, she was converted to a schooner and lasted until 1896, when she sank in Lake Michigan in a collision.

The A WESTON (wooden steam barge, 164 foot, 511 gross tons) left Mount Clemens, Michigan on her maiden voyage on 11 May 1882. She was built by William Dulac. Her hull was painted black. She was powered by a single 28 inch x 32 inch engine and she was designed for the lumber trade. She was sold Canadian in 1909, and was renamed CONGERCOAL. She lasted until she burned to a total loss at Fair Haven, New York on 10 May 1917.

On 11 May 1886, OSSIFRAGE (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 123 foot, 383 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler & Co. (Hull #26) at West Bay City, Michigan. She was rebuilt a number of times and ended her days on salt water. While being towed in the Northumberland Strait in the Atlantic Ocean, she struck a shoal and foundered in September 1919.

Port Reports - May 10

Saginaw River - Stephen Hause
Tug G. L. Ostrander with barge Integrity delivered the first load of cement this season on Friday to the LaFarge cement terminal in Saginaw. The vessel was inbound early in the morning and unloaded during the day.
Also visiting the Saginaw River on Friday was the Maumee, which arrived during the afternoon at the Burroughs dock near the I-75 bridge in Zilwaukee. Both vessels expected to depart Friday evening.
Earlier this week, American Republic which called at the Bay Aggregates dock on Tuesday.

Grand Haven - Dick Fox
The tug Invincible and barge McKee Sons delivered a load of stone to Meekhof's D & M dock next to the BLP Sims plant on Harbor Island at 10 p.m. Thursday and was gone by early Friday morning.

On May 25, an all day cruise leaving Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit and traveling up to the Blue Water Bridges, aboard the Diamond Belle, will be co-sponsored by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit and BoatNerd.com.

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

Public Photo Gallery updated

Today in Great Lakes History - May 10

104 years ago today the steamer COLUMBIA (Hull#148) was launched by the Detroit Ship Building Co., Wyandotte, Michigan. The steamer was built for day excursions between Detroit and Bob-Lo Island. The vessel has been in lay-up since September 2, 1991 at Nicholson's Terminal.

On May 10, 1981, the WILLIAM J DELANCEY entered service for Interlake Steamship Co.. She became the largest vessel on the Great Lakes at that time, and at least in the last 130 years, she has held the honor of being the largest vessel on the Great Lakes longer than any other vessel. Renamed b.) PAUL R TREGURTHA in 1990.

On 10 May 1858, LEMUEL CRAWFORD (3 mast wooden bark, 135 foot, 450 tons, built in 1855, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying wheat from Chicago to Buffalo. She ran into a heavy gale and went out of control near Pelee Passage and struck a reef 1-1/2 miles off East Sister Island in Lake Erie. She began to sink immediately and the 13 onboard scrambled up her masts and lashed themselves to her rigging. After two days, they were finally rescued by the tug R R ELIOTT out of Detroit.

May 10, 1922 -- The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground at Green Isle. She was released with no damage.

The first Welland Canal was opened between St. Catharine's and Lake Ontario on 10 May 1828. The first vessel to navigate this route was the schooner WELLAND CANAL. This was a new vessel having been launched at St. Catharines, Ontario on 24 April 1828.

On 10 May 1898, ISAAC LINCOLN (wooden propeller freighter, 134 foot, 376 gross tons) was launched at Anderson's yard in Marine City, Michigan for A. F. Price of Freemont, Michigan and Capt. Egbert of Port Huron, Michigan. She cost $40,000. She lasted until 1931, when she was abandoned.

Ludington Mayor John Henderson's thoughts while waiting for the lighting were, "I hope I light it. If I don't, it will be kind of embarrassing." The wood ignited in flames, just as intended, in a job typically done by a Lake Michigan Carferry employee or guests of the employees. This was the first year there has been a public celebration of the lighting.

Lake Michigan Carferry decided to make a ceremony of the lighting of the boilers of the Great Lakes coal-fired steamship as a way to highlight the 2008 season and the history of the ship. Henderson lit the boiler April 28 -- the first time any of the ship's four boilers had been lit since Oct. 14, when the Badger was docked after the last sailing and the boilers were shut down.

"I was so excited," Henderson said of being offered the chance to light the boiler. "I wasn't having such a great week, but that put a big smile on my face. ... The significance of the carferry is decades old -- people associate the carferry with Ludington.

"It is an event each year in Ludington and it also signifies the beginning of spring."

Chief Engineer Chuck Cart said after the first boiler of the four is lit, coal is gradually added and the other boilers are ignited, one by one. "You can't light them too fast or things will warp," Cart said.

And the SS Badger gets an inspection from the U.S. Coast Guard. It includes making sure there are no leaks, that valves and bolts are properly in place and that the Badger is ready to sail. The Coast Guard also checks lifeboats, life jackets and other safety equipment. The inspection "is a little more involved than a freighter because we have passengers," Cart said.

Bill Kulka, junior chief engineer, said it takes about 12 to 24 hours to get the boilers up to full pressure. Only three of the four boilers run at any time, leaving the fourth to give the others a break as they are switched out.

Kulka said the boilers use 50 tons of coal a day on the 120-mile trips back and forth to Manitowoc, Wis. The SS Badger will make its first trip of the year across Lake Michigan on Friday.

Cheboygan - Jon Paul Michaels
It has been a busy couple of days in Cheboygan, MI. The tug Michigan and barge Great Lakes arrived from Whiting, IN with a load for the BP Tank Facility on Tuesday. Wednesday saw the U.S.C.G.C. Mackinaw depart with a load of buoys to place on station in the Straits of Mackinaw. Wednesday morning Maumee arrive with a load of aggregates to be unloaded at the old coal dock on the Cheboygan River.

Goderich - Dale Baechler
Canadian Transfer arrived at 6:30 a.m. on a cool Thursday morning and went to the Sifto Salt dock to load.

Toronto and Hamilton - Charlie Gibbons
Groupe Ocean's tugs came over from Hamilton to release Olympic Mentor at Redpath, and they remained in port until 10 a.m.
A tentative date of May 11th has been set for Algobay to begin her overseas journey to China. Nadro Marine tugs will be taking her down the river.

South Chicago and Indiana Harbor - Brian Z. and Steve B.
Mid-day Thursday found four vessels in South Chicago. The Joseph L. Block was anchored into the wind at Calumet Harbor waiting for dock space at KCBX, which was occupied by the Lee A. Tregurtha taking on a load of coal.
The CSL Niagara was outbound stern first at 95th Street, at noon, with an assist from the G tugs Colorado and Arizona. The tugs took the Niagara out to Calumet Harbor where she was spun, and then headed back down the river stern first at 1 p.m. with assistance again from the Colorado and Arizona. Destination was Beemsterboer at 106th St to load coke.
CSL Niagara had arrived in the predawn hours and unloaded a cargo before loading at Beemsterboer.
The St. Marys Challenger showed inbound on the Calumet River at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Indiana Harbor - Brian Z.
The Wilfred Sykes unloaded pellets at Arcelor Mittal's East plant on Wednesday. The Sykes arrived at 7 a.m. and was finished discharging around noon. CSL's Spruceglen was being unloaded by bridge crane at Mittal's East plant on Wednesday also. The Spruceglen arrived at 9 a.m.

Public Photo Gallery updated

Today in Great Lakes History - May 09

The JOHN J BOLAND (Hull#417) was launched May 9, 1953 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for the American Steamship Co. making way for the keel of the DETROIT EDISON (2) to be laid. The BOLAND was renamed b.) SAGINAW in 1999.

On May 9, 1951 the CLIFFS VICTORY arrived at the South Chicago yard of the American Ship Building Co. completing her 37 day, 3,000 mile journey from Baltimore, Maryland. There her deck houses, stack, masts, deck machinery, rudder and propeller were installed and the floatation pontoons removed.

The ROBERT C. NORTON (2) was laid up on May 9, 1980 for the last time at the Hans Hansen Dock at Toledo, Ohio.

PETER REISS (Hull#522) was launched at Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co., on May 9, 1910 for the North American Steamship Co. (Reiss Coal Co.).

On 9 May 1864, AMAZON (2-mast wooden brig, 93 foot, 172 tons, built in 1837 at Port Huron, Michigan as a schooner) was carrying coal from Cleveland for Lake Superior when she went out of control in a storm just as she was leaving the St. Clair River for Lake Huron. She was driven ashore near Point Edward, Ontario and was broken up by the wave action. At the time of her loss, she was considered the oldest working schooner on the Lakes.

May 9, 1900 -- The carferry PERE MARQUETTE (15) began carferry service to Milwaukee for the Pere Marquette Railway.

On Friday night, 9 May 1873, the schooner CAPE HORN collided with the new iron propeller JAVA off Long Point on Lake Erie. The schooner sank quickly. The only life lost was that of the cook.

On 09 May 1872, the CUBA (iron propeller bulk freighter, 231 foot, 1526 gross tons) was launched at King Iron Works in Buffalo, New York for the Holt and Ensign Commercial Line. Innovations in her design included water-tight compartments for water ballast, 4 water-tight bulkheads that could be closed if the hull were damaged, and a new fluted signal lamp that could be seen for 13 miles. She was powered by two 350 HP engines. She was a very successful vessel and lasted until 1947 when she was scrapped. She was renamed b.) IONIC in 1906 and c.) MAPLEBRANCH in 1920. Converted to a tanker in 1935. Scrapped at Sorel, Quebec in 1946-7.=

While Superior appears to be recovering, Huron and Michigan still might have issues. The monthly report noted that lakes Huron and Michigan rose 8 inches in April, when they usually rise 11 inches. Those lakes now sit 2 inches lower than May 1, 2007, and are 18 inches below their long-term average.

Lake Superior is expected to continue to rise each month into autumn, when it begins a cyclical downturn through April, said Carl Woodruff, hydraulic engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Detroit District. It’s unclear whether the current increase is part of a long-term trend back toward normal water levels or a hitch before low water levels of the past few years continue.

Experts believe that unusually dry weather and increased evaporation from more ice-free months have contributed to Lake Superior’s recent dip. But some people believe at least some of the Great Lakes may have more problems than just climate variations. A $15 million study by the International Joint Commission is examining whether human actions are needed to help stabilize water levels in lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Problems could include increased outflow because of past dredging.

Though Superior isn’t affected by lower levels on Huron and Michigan, dams on the St. Marys River can be regulated to allow more or less water to leave Lake Superior to feed the lower lakes, which can tie the big lake to problems of the other lakes.

While Superior appears to be recovering, Huron and Michigan still might have issues. The monthly report noted that lakes Huron and Michigan rose 8 inches in April, when they usually rise 11 inches. Those lakes now sit 2 inches lower than May 1, 2007, and are 18 inches below their long-term average.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
CSL Laurentien finished loading ore at the Midwest Terminal Dock and departed during the mid morning, meanwhile the Canadian Progress moved into position and started to load ore at the dock site.
American Mariner finished loading coal at the CSX Dock and departed in the early afternoon bound for Monroe, Michigan. Tug Wilf Seymour and barge Alouette Spirit were at the Midwest Terminal Dock. Algowood was unloading ore at the Torco Ore Dock. The tug Sea Service and barge Energy 6506 were at the B-P Dock loading cargo.
The revised schedule for coal boats at the CSX Docks has the Robert S. Pierson due in late Thursday evening, followed by the Kaye E. Barker and Calumet on Saturday.
Ore boats scheduled into the Torco Ore Dock will be the Halifax late Wednesday evening and Canadian Navigator on Tuesday. Tug Jane Ann IV and barge Sarah Spencer are due into the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock on Thursday.

The Canadian and U.S. seaway corporations that oversee ship traffic through the St. Lawrence Seaway, all of which passes through Montreal, have declared that ballast water of all ocean-going ships entering the 3,700-kilometre seaway will be tested.

The tests will ensure the ship has been flushed with seawater, killing any potential marine stowaways that could prosper in fresh water.

Officials from Transport Canada, the U.S. Coast Guard and the seaway corporations will board all ships, most of which dock in Montreal on their way to ports in the Great Lakes, to ensure all ballast tanks have been properly flushed. The treatment has been mandatory on all ships travelling to Canadian ports on the seaway since 2006, but was voluntary for most ships headed for U.S. ports.

It's believed ballast water has been the main conduit for the more than 185 foreign species that have been identified in the Great Lakes. Some, like the zebra mussel, first discovered in the Great Lakes in the late 1980s, have become major environmental and economic nuisances. They can travel throughout North America, as evidenced by the appearance of zebra mussels last year near Las Vegas, 2,000 kilometres from the Great Lakes.

Environmental groups have proposed the approximately 500 ocean-going ships that enter the seaway each year be banned. They applaud the new measures but say more needs to be done. "We're very pleased the seaway has taken action," said Jennifer Nalbone of Great Lakes United, an environmental group based in Montreal and Buffalo, N.Y. "However, we do not believe efforts should stop there. We need to use new technology to clean ballast water before it is flushed" to ensure no organisms or can be transmitted, she said.

Tests were done on board the M/V Federal Kivalina at St Lambert lock by Terry Jordan of the SLSDC, with the media in attendance.

Such weather watching may intrude on the discussion over whether engineering or other actions are needed to stabilize water levels in lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. At any rate, don't look for a manmade cure for plunging lake levels. There may not be a simple fix.

To be sure, water trends have been mixed. Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie have lost 1 inch over their respective 2007 levels, and Lake St. Clair is 3 inches lower. But Lakes Superior and Ontario are 9 and 10 inches higher, respectively, than they were at this time last year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The apparent drain to Ontario may support the argument of proponents of a water control structure in the St. Clair River, where dredging over the years has been blamed for lowering water levels by about 15 inches in lakes Michigan and Huron, according to the Ann Arbor News Bureau. Lake Michigan's level stands at about 21 inches below its long-term average, and less than a foot above its historic low recorded in 1964.

However, the mood of most of an estimated 75 people at a meeting Saturday in Muskegon to gather public input for an International Upper Great Lakes Study was cautious. Some Michigan residents have witnessed ups and downs in the lakes over generations.

Meanwhile, scientists from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border are studying whether climate or manmade changes are mainly responsible for the decline in lake levels over the past decade. In June 2009, the International Joint Commission is expected to issue a report on calls by some boaters and property owners to slow the outflow by installing a device in the St. Clair River.

Trouble is, erosion and evaporation may be much larger factors than dredging. An IJC study official at the Grand Valley State University meeting Saturday had little enthusiasm for engineering proposals to try to maintain water levels on the massive lake system, because weather is beyond human control.

But the water level debate is likely to go on. Especially when it doesn't rain.

On Friday, the company amended the application for a preliminary permit to study the currents of the river around Ogdensburg. No timetable was available on when a permit could be issued to study the river's energy-producing potential using one array.

Alliance will employ technology developed by UEK Corp. of Annapolis, Md., for the proposed project. The project area initially focused on the American side of the river five miles upstream and downstream of the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge. The company now has narrowed its boundary area to four primary locations.

An underwater turbine would capture the flowing water to rotate the turbine blades and produce electricity. The power is then transmitted by underwater cable to shore and to the power grid for distribution.

The turbines, each about 17 feet wide and 10 feet tall, would be anchored to the riverbed and marked with surface buoys to warn boaters, UEK officials said. The depth of the turbines can be controlled by computer to capture the fastest current. The underwater turbines also have screens in front of them to prevent fish and diving birds from going through them.

Some in the shipping industry hope to see the stricter standards become law, despite the added costs for installing on-board treatment systems under the bill. "We're very tired of being the whipping boy for invasive species," said Stuart H. Theis, executive director of the U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Association.

The measure, as passed late last month by the House, would create more stringent federal standards for ballast water treatment beginning in 2009. Ballast water is used by ships to stabilize their loads. But it's also blamed for spreading nonnative species like zebra and quagga mussels throughout the lakes. The mollusks have, among other things, increased the intensity of beach muck in Lake Huron, state officials say.

"We all really need to do something about the invasive species," Theis said. "This is not one of those things where industry and environmentalists are facing off."

The ballast water bill changes would begin in 2009 by requiring that vessels have ballast water treatment systems that meet International Maritime Organization standards. Beginning in 2012, the treatment standards required would be 100 times higher than the IMO standard, based on volume measurements of organisms in ballast water.

Ships would be required to be fitted with on-board treatment systems, seen as a more stringent and effective method for control than flushing ballasts with salt water before entering freshwater ports. Some ships also are exempted under current rules. Under Michigan's program, there are four authorized treatment technologies to eliminate the threat of invasives: sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, ultra violet light or deoxygenation. It's expected the federal regulations would be similar, said Alec Gerlach, a Kildee spokesman.

Kildee worked on the House legislation with its author, Rep. Jim Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat. Oberstar was originally proposing to enact federal standards that would have pre-empted more stringent state standards in Michigan and California.

The standards passed by the House would require all states to come under the same degree of protection that exists in Michigan, and eventually raise those standards to an even higher degree of protection, Kildee said. "It will be helpful because we can't perceive what other invasive species may come in," he said. "What we want to have as the goal for the entire country is a zero discharge of invasive species in all U.S. waters by Jan. 1, 2015."

Kildee said he hopes to see the new standards become law, despite a veto threat from President Bush due to part of the bill that regulates liquefied natural gas terminals and vessels. "Those of us who border the Great Lakes are leading the battle on this, but we find allies," Kildee said. "There's invasive species in other bodies of water in the country also, but the St. Lawrence Seaway has provided a real highway for invasive species and we have to really make sure we check those ships."

The cost to meet the new standards is expected to be up to $1 million per ship, Gerlach said. Theis said he's not sure the costs will be that high for the more than 400 foreign flag vessels that traverse the lakes. But his association supports setting federal standards as an alternative to a patchwork of state-by-state standards now being developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Theis said the U.S. Coast Guard and its counterparts in Canada have already done a lot of work to close the door on invasive species, inspecting ships that enter the lakes to make sure the salinity in their ballast tanks is high. "We're interested in running ships and conducting commerce, but doing it in a responsible way," Theis said.

The pre-dinner reception is at 6:00 p.m. (BYOB, mixers will be provided), followed by a buffet dinner at 6:45 pm including Roast Beef, Fish, Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Garden tossed salad with a variety of dressings, Corn, Green Beans, Potatoes, Rice and Dessert. Wait staff will be standing by for those who need assistance with their plates.

5/8 - The BoatNerd gathering aboard the S. S. Badger will take place as planned on May 30-31.

Nearly 20 staterooms will be filled on Friday night with Boatnerds who will be treated to tours of the pilothouse and engine room of the historic vessel. A continental breakfast will be served on Saturday morning before departure. More people will join the group for a round trip to Manitowoc and return.

While on the Wisconsin side of lake Michigan, travelers will have a choice of visiting the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, or re-boarding the Badger for a two-hour shoreline cruise.

A few staterooms are still available for the Friday night, and there is space on the Wisconsin Shoreline Cruise and museum visit.

Lake Superior Lighthouse and Shipwatching Cruise

5/8 - Houghton - The Keweenaw Star in Houghton Michigan is going on a 3-day lighthouse cruise on July 15, 16 and 17. This trip will include the lights of the Apostle Islands, Split Rock, and the Keweenaw Peninsula, as well as the ports of Superior, Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, and Ontonagon. A great opportunity to see ships, and lighthouses up close.

Today in Great Lakes History - May 08

The 1,000 foot COLUMBIA STAR was christened May 8, 1981, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay Norton Co.

EDGAR B SPEER (Hull#908) was launched May 8, 1980, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for Connecticut Bank & Trust Co. (U.S. Steel Corp., mgr.) , after long delay because of labor strife.

The FRED R WHITE JR was christened May 8, 1979, and was named for Oglebay Norton's then vice-chairman of the board.

On May 8, 1979, the ASHLAND struck the north entry pier of the Duluth Ship Canal while outbound loaded. Thick ice blowing in from Lake Superior had interfered with her maneuverability. She dropped her anchor to lessen the impact but drifted over the flukes ripping a two by five foot hole in her bottom port side forward. She was inspected and repaired at the Duluth Port Terminal. One anchor was lost.

The CHAMPLAIN's starboard side was damaged when she sideswiped the Swedish steamer BROLAND near the lower end of the St. Clair River cut-off, May 8, 1963.

May 8. 1936 -- The Pere Marquette Railway Co. announced plans to construct a new million dollar ferry dock at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 3 mast wooden schooner FRANK C LEIGHTON was launched at 10:30 a.m. on 8 May 1875, at Dunford & Leighton's yard in Port Huron, eight months after work on her began. She was launched complete except for her mizzen mast which was just about ready to go in position. She was named for Capt. Leighton's son. Her dimensions were 138 foot keel, 145 foot overall, 26 foot beam and 12 foot depth. She cost $20,000 and was owned by Dunford & Leighton.

The 254 foot wooden freighter AMAZON was launched at A. A. Turner's yard at Trenton, Michigan on 8 May 1873.

On 08 May 1929, GEORGE W PARKER wooden propeller sandsucker, 105 foot, 143 gross tons, built in 1903, at Marine City, Michigan by A. Anderson for Fishback Plaster Co., formerly a.) L G POWELL) was destroyed by fire and sank in the channel 6 miles south of Algonac, Michigan. Her crew escaped in the yawl.

Crew accuse container ship of dumping tonnes of waste off Newfoundland

5/7 - Montreal - Transport Canada has detained a container ship in Montreal after several of its crew accused the vessel of intentionally dumping up to 30 tonnes of dirty bilge waste off Newfoundland.

Officials said Friday that they were holding the MSC Trinidad after five engineers came forward earlier in the week, claiming that oily sludge was discharged over a six-hour period as the vessel passed through waters near Newfoundland. "Right now we're focusing on investigating the allegations," spokesman Patrick Charette said in Ottawa. "We're reviewing aerial surveillance footage to see if we can gather further evidence."

It's not clear exactly where the alleged discharge took place or if Transport aircraft would have captured any images of the spill that's alleged to have occurred at around 8 p.m. on April 24. Transport Canada was interviewing the captain of the vessel and the five crew members who came forward with the accusations after the vessel pulled into the port of Montreal on Monday.

Patrice Caron of the International Transport Federation said he had been contacted late Monday by one of the Filipino crewmen who claimed to witness the sludge pouring from the ship. Caron, whose union represents seafarers around the world, said third engineer Domingo Silva told him he had just come on shift when he saw tonnes of ballast water mixed with oil being piped into the ocean. Silva said the up to five tonnes an hour were being released over a six-hour span, amounting to up to 30 tonnes of waste oil that formed a long slick behind the ship.

No one from the Mediterranean Shipping Company or Technomar Shipping Inc., which Caron said owns the vessel, was available for comment.

The Filipino crew - engineers and oilers - allege that the vessel had been outfitted with a so-called "magic pump" that diverts the waste material away from the bilge tank and directly out to sea. Caron said vessels sometimes try to illegally dump their waste water at sea to avoid costly fees associated with disposing of it properly.

He said he's never seen crew members come forward with allegations about their vessels, since they can lose their jobs or face repercussions from their employers. "I told him he was brave," he said from Montreal. "This guy might never sail again because he complained."

Caron said they were going to be flown home to the Philippines on Friday night following their interviews with authorities. Charette said the vessel will be detained unless the company pays a $500,000 bond. He said federal prosecutors will review any evidence to determine if there are grounds to lay charges. If charged and found guilty, the company could face a fine of up to $1 million under the Canada Shipping Act and the Migratory Birds Act.

Port Reports - May 7

Twin Ports - Al Miller
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. was motoring back into Duluth late Tuesday afternoon, bound for Midwest Energy Terminal after a day of sea trials following its winter repairs for a holed bottom.

Toledo - Jim Hoffman
CSL Laurentien finished unloading ore at the Torco Dock Tuesday morning, she then proceeded over to the Midwest Terminals Dock to load ore.
Canadian Progress was in bound Toledo Ship Channel during the afternoon bound for the Midwest Terminal Dock, she will follow the Laurentien loading ore at this dock site.
Mississagi finished loading grain at the ADM Elevator and departed late morning.
The tug Sea Service and barge Energy 6501 were at the B-P dock loading cargo.
The revised schedule for coal boats loading at the CSX Dock has the American Mariner due in Wednesday, Robert S. Pierson on Thursday, Calumet on Friday, Kaye E. Barker on Saturday, followed by the H. Lee White on Sunday.
The revised schedule for ore boats due into the Torco Ore Dock has the Algowood and Halifax due in Wednesday, followed by the Canadian Navigator on Monday.
The tug Jane Ann IV and barge Sarah Spencer were due in at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock late Wednesday evening.

Public Photo Gallery updated

Today in Great Lakes History - May 07

On May 7, 1965, the CEDARVILLE was struck by the ocean vessel TOPDALSFJORD in the Straits of Mackinac during dense fog. The CEDARVILLE sank about forty minutes after the collision with the loss of ten crewmembers.

ALGOPORT (Hull#217) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., May 7, 1979 for Algoma Central Railway.

The HUTCHCLIFFE HALL entered service on May 7, 1954.

A.M. BYERS (Hull#448) was launched May 7, 1910 at Cleveland, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the North American Steamship Co. (R.A. Williams, mgr.). Renamed b.) CLEMENS A REISS in 1959 and c.) JACK WIRT in 1970.

May 7, 1903 - The Benton Harbor, Coloma & Paw Paw Lake Railway was purchased by the Pere Marquette Railroad.

May 7, 1929 - The Pere Marquette notified Ludington it was interested in buying the frontage on Pere Marquette Lake that had been used by the Monroe Body Company. The city council asked $25,000 for the property, and the railroad agreed. Work on the No. 3 slip began a few months later.

On 7 May 1874, the schooner JENNIE MATHEWS was launched at Hardison's yard in Port Huron, Michigan. The launch started very slowly but with the help of men pulling on ropes, the vessel slid into the Black River nicely. Her first skipper was Capt. McGifford and her owner was Mr. Hardison.

On 07 May 1954, official ground breaking ceremonies were held for the Mackinac Bridge. It was completed three and a half years later.