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Kathryn Spirit continues to deteriorate at Beauharnois 5/19 - Beauharnois, QC - The former St. Lawrence Seaway/Great Lakes cargo carrier Kathryn Spirit is in increasingly deteriorating condition, according to Canadian Minister of Parliament Anne Minh-Thu Quach, who visited the vessel at its location in Lake St. Louis at Beauharnois last Thursday. The ship last sailed January 10, 2010 and was owned at that time by Hamilton, Ont.,-based McKeil Marine. She was built at Goteborg, Sweden, in 1967, carried the name Holmsund for 30 years, then sailed as Menominee. After layup at Sorel-Tracy, the vessel was towed to Beauharnois to be scrapped in August 2011, but those plans evidently fell through. The MP's guide was Joel Baillargeon of CAI Logistic, based in Moncton and charge of the ship on behalf of the unnamed Mexican company that now owns it. Its role is to return the boat to state standards so that can leave Canadian waters safely. "Sure it smelled damp, an abandoned boat ... There is furniture in there yet, there are broken windows, vermin, dead cats," he told the legislator. On boarding the freighter for the first time, Baillargeon found 500 tons of water in the engine room. The person who took care of the boat had not previously closed valves before leaving for the last time, so that water seeped, and froze in winter, breaking pipes. "That's what tipped the boat and it did touch the bottom, she said. The water has been pumped out and there was no oil spill. "If there had been a leak, it would have been seen that the water around was black around the boat," Mr. Baillargeon explained. The problem at the moment is to get rid of more water. The boat floats, but is too low in the water. Divers need to inspect the hull. This inspection is essential for a report to be submitted to Transport Canada. Meanwhile, Kathryn Spirit suffers from night raiders. "People go, loot the metal to resell later, said Ms. Quach. "There is stainless steel which is no longer there, the wheel of the boat is totally gone." Ms. Quach said she hopes that the Mexican company will not be discouraged and permanently abandon the expensive vessel. Le Journal de Montreal, Rene Beauchamp |
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Why low Lake Ontario levels mean high St. Lawrence levels 5/19 - It’s been reported for months - years even - that the Great Lakes, from Superior to Ontario, are at historically low water levels. So it was surprising to get the news last week that regulators are lowering the gates at the Iroquois Dam near Ogdensburg because the St. Lawrence River is too high. It's quite a puzzle. Last weekend, shoreline homeowners and boaters between Ogdensburg and Massena were alarmed to look out the window and watch the St. Lawrence rise. Dalton Foster is president of the Wilson Hill Association and an expert on water levels in this part of the St. Lawrence. He said the shore was "eroding away. A lot of people had their boats damaged. Docks were under water." Here's why this happened: Regulators are trying to do something about those low water levels on Lake Ontario. So they're letting less water through the hydropower dam near Massena. In other words, they're trying to hold back water and store it on Lake Ontario. The problem was, says Foster, west and southwest winds whipped up at the same time, basically pushing water across Lake Ontario and into the St. Lawrence. That pushes more water down the river, Foster says, and because regulators were still letting less water go through the dam in Massena, the river had nowhere to go but up; hence the flooding. So Wednesday, regulators decided to try something else. They lowered the gates of the Iroquois Dam, a much smaller structure upriver from the big Massena power dam. John Kangas, U.S secretary of the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control, says the gates of the Iroquois Dam are normally raised and kept above the water level, "to allow recreational boats to go back and forth." How does this work? Picture a bunch of garage doors above the river. Wednesday, Kangas ordered those garage doors to be dipped down into the water. And that restricts the water flow and lowers the river several inches. "This doesn't hold back the water. The same amount of water is going through the river. What it does is just change the river profile a little bit." The Wilson Hill Association's Dalton Foster says lowering the gates at Iroquois Dam has helped lower the River's level…a little. "Yesterday it was down, but now it's coming back up again, because the wind has shifted again." So we have two takeaways. Regulator John Kangas fears more dry weather this summer, so he's trying to store two inches of extra water on Lake Ontario to release this fall, to help with drinking water intakes and boating. "Fall tends to be a kind of critical time. St. Lawrence is falling. Lake Ontario is falling. Ottawa River is normally falling. There might be a need to put a little bit more water down the St. Lawrence River to help out the downstream with their intakes and navigation." The second takeaway, says Dalton Foster, is that one man-made change to this vast natural system has many consequences. "It will have many effects and it will have different effects all the way down the river." That means if you live along the river from Ogdensburg to Massena, look out for your docks and boats. North Country Public Radio |
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Port Reports - May 19 Milwaukee Wis. - Chris Gaziano The Hon. James L. Oberstar departed early Saturday morning, after spending the overnight hours Friday unloading stone. Shortly after the Oberstar had departed the John B. Aird came in with a load of salt. They were outbound for the lake by late afternoon. The G.L. Ostrander with barge Integrity also came in during the evening hours with a load for LaFarge.
Hamilton, Ont. - Eric Holmes |
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Dossin Great Lakes Museum reopens with new local focus 5/19 - Detroit, Mich. – The Dossin Great Lakes Museum reopens this weekend after undergoing a five-month, $2 million renovation. The Belle Isle attraction has added new exhibits, updated existing ones and modernized the maritime museum with new technology. The museum, which opened in 1960, has been refreshed to focus on the waterways of the Detroit area, rather than all of the Great Lakes. "It's a wonderful museum on a wonderful island, and it had gotten old," says curator Joel Stone. "Some of the stuff that went up on the wall in 1960 was still on the wall, and new things had come in every five or 10 years. The story had been lost." Stone says with the updates, the flow of the information becomes more cogent. "Most of our groups just came in and wandered, so we wanted to make it so people could come in and wander and find a story on their own." Besides a fresh coat of paint and new carpeting, one of the major changes is the new permanent exhibit "Built by the River," which examines the impact the Detroit River has had on this community, from our fur trading history to today's recreational use. This new display is where visitors will find a long-time favorite of the museum, a Detroit River webcam, which has been updated with higher definition images. In the "Built by the River" presentation, history enthusiasts will enjoy reading about how the river gave the city an advantage when it came to wartime, industrial development and marine transportation, and younger visitors can keep entertained by taking the wheel in an interactive area that simulates a speedboat racing down the Detroit River. More speedboat info is found around the corner at "A River's Roar," a retrospect of hydroplane racing in Detroit. This new, but temporary, exhibit revisits the last century of power boat racing on the Detroit River where the Gold Cup, the oldest trophy in motorsports, has taken place more than any other venue. The display includes boat models, memorabilia and info on drivers and their boats. Longstanding favorite aspects of the Dossin museum will remain, but with some updates. Walking into the museum, visitors are still greeted in the Gothic Room, featuring a stunning, colorful stained glass mural of LaSalle discovering Detroit. This room once was part of the ship City of Detroit III. Another part of the museum that previously was a boat is the William Clay Ford Pilot House. Built in 1952, the freighter moved iron ore and coal from the northern Great Lakes to the River Rouge Steel Plant. It was retired in the '80s, and the pilothouse was installed into the wall of the Dossin that faces the Detroit River. This area was updated with a touch-screen kiosk that gives detailed information on the instruments inside the pilothouse. As a thank you for visiting the museum during its grand reopening weekend, the Detroit Historical Museum is offering guests a chance to win a Comerica Park suite package for the June 23 Detroit Tigers game, courtesy of PNC Bank. The prize includes 14 tickets, two parking passes and food and beverages. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 19 On 19 May 1894, LORETTA (wooden propeller freighter, 140 foot, 395 gross tons, built in 1892, at Sebewaing, Michigan as a schooner) was driven ashore near the mouth of the Au Sable River at Oscoda, Michigan in a terrible gale. She was heavily damaged but the crew was rescued. She was salvaged and put back in service but only lasted for two more years when she burned. SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY (Hull#164) was launched May 19, 1906 at Wyandotte, Michigan by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the National Steamship Co. She was scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1969. On May 19, 1973, the whaleback tanker METEOR was moved from the Pipeline Tankers dock to a permanent berth on Barkers Island at Superior, Wisconsin to serve as a museum ship. B.F. JONES and EDWARD S. KENDRICK, towed by the Polish tug KORAL, arrived for scrapping at Castellon, Spain, near Barcelona on the Mediterranean Sea, on May 19, 1973, a trip of over 4,000 miles. The LAKE WINNIPEG in tow of the tug IRVING CEDAR arrived in Portugal on May 19, 1985. She was the largest Canadian laker and the first Seaway-sized ship, as of that date, to be scrapped. On 19 May 1835, PARROTT (wooden 2-mast schooner, 43 foot, 20 tons, built in 1834, at Ashtabula, Ohio) sailed for Detroit, Michigan carrying iron, glass, whiskey, and hogs on deck. She never made it. The following day, west of Ashtabula, many of the hogs swam ashore and later a lot of gear from the boat drifted to the beach. No storm was mentioned and all six onboard lost their lives. She had been enrolled to a new owner the day before she set sail. On 19 May 1876, the Port Huron Times reported that Capt. Alexander McDougall, formerly master of the steamer JAPAN, had built a large steam fish boat named SASKIWIT at Buffalo during the winter and was then sailing from there to Marquette, Michigan. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - May 18
Green Bay, Wis. - Wendell Wilke
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Hamilton, Ont. - Eric Holmes |
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CSL’s new Thunder Bay registered 5/18 - The CSL Group Inc. registered the new Trillium-Class vessel Thunder Bay in Montreal on May 16. The official number is 836913, and gross tonnage is listed as 24,430. Mac Mackay |
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May Marine News Casualties and Demolitions 5/18 - Marine News, the monthly journal of the World Ship Society, reports there was one casualty and five Seaway salties going for scrap in the May 2013 issue. Casualties: NINA P. had first been a Seaway trader as ERIKOUSA WAVE. It was barely a year old when it came inland for the first time in 1987 and was a pretty steady trader to inland ports to the end of 2000 when it took on a load of potash at Thunder Bay. The 183.09 metre long bulk carrier returned as b) ERIKOUSA for one last trip in 2004. A fire broke out in the engineroom about 200 miles southeast of Mauritius on February 13, 2012, as e) NINA P. and the vessel arrived at port Louis, Mauritius on February 22. After being unloaded, the ship was declared a total loss and sold to Bangladesh shipbreakers. It arrived at Chittagong on June 8, 2012, but, due to pending legal action, was not beached for dismantling until Feb. 25, 2013. Demolitions: ASPHODEL arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh, on February 13, 2013, and was beached on March 13. The 176.99 metre long bulk carrier traveled through the Seaway from 1985 through 2004 as a) VAMAND WAVE and returned as b) YAMASKA for two trips in 2007 and one final one for Sault Ste. Marie and Cleveland in 2008. The ship became c) ASPHODEL in 2010. CATHRINA arrived at Mumbai, India, on January 4, 2013, and was beached on January 24. The vessel was sailing under its sixth name and had been through the Seaway as a) SLAPY in 1994 under the flag of the Czech Republic and had been back as late as 1998. ELMA had been a Great Lakes caller as a) ROLLNES beginning in 1977 and survived a serious engineroom fire, off Bergen, Norway, on February 19, 2002. As d) ELMA, the vessel was sold to Turkish shipbreakers and arrived at Aliaga to be dismantled on March 13, 2013. LADY SERA was built as OCEAN PRITI in Spain in 1982. The vessel came through the Seaway for the first time bound for Oshawa on June 4, 1992, and returned several times during the 1990s. It was sold to Pakistani shipbreakers as d) LADY SERA in 2012 and beached at Gadani Beach on December 30 for dismantling in 2013. PREM dated from 1990 and construction as a) LOK PREM. The vessel received its second name in 2013 after being sold to Indian shipbreakers for dismantling at Alang. The 184.7-metre long bulk carrier arrived there on January 18 for scrapping by Hatimi Steel. Submitted by: Barry Andersen, Rene Beauchamp and Skip Gillham |
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Updates - May 18 Historical Perspectives Gallery updated - New pictures in the Champlain gallery |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 18 On 18 May 1872, the 3-mast wooden schooner MARQUETTE was holed in northern Lake Huron by a floating log. The crew manned the hand-operated bilge pumps but could not keep up with the incoming water. The steamer ANNIE YOUNG took the MARQUETTE in tow even though she was sinking and headed for Cheboygan, Michigan. During the tow, the schooner stopped sinking and arrived in port no lower in the water than she had been earlier. An investigation revealed that a large fish got caught in the hole and plugged it. The WILLIAM C. ATWATER departed Sandusky, Ohio May 18, 1925, on her maiden voyage loaded with coal bound for Duluth, Minnesota. She was the first freighter on the Great Lakes equipped with a gyro compass. She was renamed b.) E. J. KULAS in 1936, c.) BEN MOREELL in 1953, d.) THOMAS E MILLSOP in 1955, e.) E. J. NEWBERRY in 1976, and f.) CEDARGLEN in 1982. She was scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1994. Bethlehem Steel's steamer JOHNSTOWN cleared Erie May 18, 1985, for Quebec City under tow bound for Spain for scrapping. This vessel was the first post-war built U.S. laker to be scrapped. On May 18, 1903, the MAUNALOA hit and sank the 69-foot wooden tug EDWARD GILLEN at Superior, Wisconsin. May 18, 1992 -- The BADGER made her maiden voyage for the newly formed Lake Michigan Carferry Service. On 18 May 1853, CITIZEN (wooden schooner, 54 tons, built in 1847, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was driven aground 6 miles north of Chicago. The U. S. Navy steamer MICHIGAN tried in vain to pull her off, breaking a 14" hawser in the process. She was reportedly the first vessel built at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On 18 May 1882, AMERICAN EAGLE (wooden propeller, passenger packet & tug, 105 foot, 161 gross tons, built in 1880, at Sandusky, Ohio) was racing off Kelley's Island on Lake Erie when her boiler exploded. Six lives were lost. She was later raised and repaired and lasted until 1908. 18 May 1894: A big storm swept the Lakes on 18 May 1894. The next day, the Port Huron Times gave the following account of the shipwrecks in that storm: "The big storm on Lake Michigan has cost the lives of many men. Only 2 men were saved from the schooner M J CUMMINGS, 6 lost. The C C BARNES is ashore at Milwaukee but the crew was saved. The schooner MYRTLE was wrecked just outside the government pier within a half mile of Michigan Blvd. in Chicago with 6 lost. The schooner LINCOLN DALL went to pieces at Glencoe, 8 miles north of Chicago. She was 196 tons. The schooner JACK THOMPSON, 199 tons, wrecked off 25th Street. The schooner EVENING STAR, 203 tons, wrecked off 27th Street but her crew was saved. The schooner MERCURY of Grand Haven, 278 tons, wrecked off 27th Street and her crew rescued. The schooner J LOOMIS McLAREN, 272 tons, wrecked off 27th Street. The schooner RAINBOW of Milwaukee, 243 tons, wrecked off 100th Street; the crew was rescued. The schooner C J MIXER, 279 tons, wrecked off 100th Street; crew rescued. The schooner WM SHUPE waterlogged and ashore at Lexington, Michigan on Lake Huron. Four were drowned in an attempted rescue. The scow ST CATHARINES is ashore at Rock Falls near Sand Beach. The crew reached shore safely but the boat will fare badly." 1919 – CITY OF MEAFORD, a wooden-hulled passenger freighter was destroyed by fire at the dock in Collingwood. 1922 – GLENFINNAN, downbound with grain, and MIDLAND KING collided in fog southeast of Passage Isle, Lake Superior, and both masters received two-month suspensions. 1928 – The whaleback steamer JOHN ERICSSON was heavily damaged in a collision with the A.F. HARVEY of the Pittsburgh SS Co. in fog on Lake Huron. The latter was lost as b) CEDARVILLE in another collision on May 7, 1965. 1971 – TRANSPACIFIC was entering the harbor at the island of St. Pierre in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to get technical help for a malfunctioning radar when the ship stranded on the rocks. The West German freighter, a regular Seaway trader since 1959, was abandoned. The hull has gradually broken apart by the elements over the years. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Great Lakes ore trade down 9 percent in April 5/17 - Cleveland, Ohio – Cleveland shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.6 million tons in April, a decrease of 9 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings were 11 percent ahead of the month’s 5-year average. Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 4.9 million tons, a decrease of 9.5 percent compared to a year ago. The April total included 257,000 tons shipped to Quebec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas. Shipments from Canadian ports totaled 700,000 tons. The decrease from a year ago 36,000 tons is the equivalent of approximately 1.3 cargos in a Seaway-sized laker. Year-to-date, the Lakes ore trade stands at 10.8 million tons, a decrease of 10 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are, however, up more than 13 percent compared to the 5-year average for the January-April timeframe. |
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Boatnerd Gathering in Port Huron June 1 offers plenty to do 5/17 - Port Huron, Mich. – The Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point is the central location for the first annual Port Huron Boatnerd Gathering on June 1. Home to Boatnerd.com World Headquarters, this is a prime location for boat watching. The 10th Annual Great Lakes Nautical Society Model Boat Show will be held inside the Maritime Center (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with a flower and crafts market outside; the passenger vessel Huron Lady II will be offering river cruises for $5 at 10:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5 p.m.; the Blue Water Bridge and the Thomas Edison Parkway welcome visitors and are unmatched spots for photographing boats; the Fort Gratiot Light Station will be offering tours and a climb up the tower (lighthouse tour and climb is $7); Pine Grove Park will be hosting a music venue and there will be a dinner cruise aboard the USNSCS Greyfox, Port Huron’s Navel Cadet Ship, featuring live music by Brothers in Arms, Fifth Avenue and more. Price for the Greyfox trip is $30 and boarding is on the Black River behind the Zebra Bar beginning at 3:30 p.m. Departure is at 4 p.m. The cruise will be about 2 1/2 hours. For a weekend of fun, ships, and camaraderie plan on attending the gathering at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point. Check the Facebook event page for ticket information, the Acheson Ventures website for directions or call Wendy LaFond for further information at: (810)941-0526. |
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Updates - May 17 Saltie Gallery updated - Claude A Desgagnes, Federal Yukon, Lady Doris, and Sichem Melborne |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 17 On 17 May 1887, the WILLIAM RUDOLPH (wooden propeller "rabbit,” 145 foot, 267 gross tons. built in 1880, at Mount Clemens, Michigan) was raised from Lake St. Clair. She sank in the fall of 1886. She was towed to the Wolverine Drydock in Port Huron, Michigan where she was repaired. She lasted until 1913, when she was beached as shore protection near Racine, Wisconsin. ALTON C. DUSTIN (Hull#708) was launched May 17, 1913, at Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for Cleveland Steamship Co. (John Mitchell, mgr.) Renamed b.) J.A. CAMPBELL in 1915 and c.) BUCKEYE MONITOR in 1965. Sank on December 16, 1973, in position 43.3N x 30.15W, in Atlantic Ocean, while in tandem tow with ROBERT S. MCNAMARA and German tug SEETRANS I, bound for scrapping at Santander, Spain. NORTHCLIFFE HALL collided with the Cuban salty CARLOS MANUEL DE CESPEDES in the St. Lawrence River above the Eisenhower Lock on May 17, 1980. Built in 1952, by Canadian Vickers as a,) FRANKCLIFFE HALL (Hull#255), renamed b.) NORTHCLIFFE HALL in 1959, and c.) ROLAND DESGAGNES in 1976, she sank after running aground on May 26, 1982, near Pointe aux Pic, Quebec. E.G. GRACE arrived at Ramey's Bend May 17, 1984, in tow of the tugs GLENEVIS and GLENSIDE for scrapping. On May 17, 1941, The Ludington Daily News reported that the former carferry PERE MARQUETTE 17, which had been purchased by the State of Michigan for use at the Straits of Mackinac, was to be renamed b.) CITY OF PETOSKEY. She was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio in 1961. The schooner ST. ANDREWS was launched at A. Muir's shipyard on the Black River in Port Huron, Michigan on 17 May 1875. This was a rebuild job, but Mr. Muir stated that it was the most complete rebuild he ever undertook since there was only a portion of the keel and bottom left from the old hull. Her new dimensions were 135 foot keel x 30 feet x 14 feet, 425 tons (an increase of 102 tons). At about 9 a.m., 17 May 1885, the tug E.T. CARRINGTON (wooden side-wheel tug, 76 foot, 57 gross tons, built in 1876, at Bangor, Michigan) was towing a raft of logs from L'Anse to Baraga, Michigan, when she caught fire and burned to the water's edge. The crew was rescued by the steam yacht EVA WADSWORTH. The CARRINGTON was later rebuilt and lasted until 1907. 1916 – ROCK FERRY, a wooden steamer, ran aground due to fog off Main Duck Island, Lake Ontario but was salvaged and repaired. 1924 – ORINOCO sank about 6 miles off Agawa Bay, Lake Superior, while upbound with coal. The wooden steamer had sought shelter behind Michipicoten Island while towing the barge CHIEFTAIN, but then tried to return to Whitefish Bay. ORINOCO began to leak under the stress and was lost. 1957 – The composite hulled steamer YANKCANUCK ran aground in mud at Whitby but was released in what proved to be her final season. She was laid up at Sault Ste. Marie at 1014 hours on June 27. 1969 – The tug COLINETTE sank in Toronto Bay after the hull was punctured while docking the freighter ATLANTIC HOPE at Pier 35. All on board were saved and the vessel was raised and repaired. It apparently survives as a private yacht named NOMADA. Data from: Skip Gillham, John Dunlap, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - May 16
Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
St. Joseph, Mich. - Stan Sienicki
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Sandusky, Ohio - Jim Spencer
Rochester, New York - Tom Brewer |
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U.S. Senate passes bill that could help pay for Great Lakes dredging projects 5/16 - Washington, D.C. – A sweeping water resources development bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday could increase dredging in Great Lakes harbors and channels, though it could take some time to see the exact effects. The legislation includes a provision that would require $1 billion in proceeds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be spent in the next fiscal year, and the minimum funding level increase by at least $100 million in the years after that. The provision could help address a backlog of about $200 million in dredging projects spread across 60 federally-maintained harbors and channels in the Great Lakes, almost half of which are in Michigan. The bill, which now goes to the House for consideration, also includes a provision that requires at least 20% of any additional funding above last years levels go to Great Lakes projects. An earlier version of the legislation would have required that all the proceeds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be spent annually, but congressional appropriators and the White House balked at the suggestion that special rules would be needed to reduce funding for harbor dredging and other projects. Both of Michigan’s senators voted in favor of the legislation, which passed on an 83-14 vote. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, had been battling to free up more of the money from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for projects, especially at a time of record low lake levels. Great Lakes harbors and channels are in great need of dredging, Levin said in a floor statement. A backlog of dredging projects forces vessels to carry less than their capacity, threatens to close harbors and increases the risk of vessel groundings. These funds need to be used for harbor maintenance instead of for other purposes. Dredging funding had been cut back in recent years even as the trust fund ran at a surplus. It is funded by taxes paid on the value of cargo imported into the U.S. Detroit Free Press |
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St. Lawrence River board will lower gates at Iroquois Dam to reduce water level 5/16 - Massena, N.Y. - In response to an order by the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control, the gates at the Iroquois Dam near Waddington will be lowered on Wednesday due to increased water levels on Lake St. Lawrence. The order to lower the gates was issued Tuesday to the New York Power Authority and Ontario Power Generation, which jointly operate the Robert Moses-Robert H. Saunders Power Dam. Iroquois Dam is upstream of the power dam and regulates the outflow from Lake Ontario and the water level of Lake St. Lawrence. The gates of the Iroquois Dam are being lowered to help prevent Lake St. Lawrence, the section of the river between Waddington and Massena, from rising too high. The lowered gates at the Iroquois Dam will require recreational boats to use Iroquois Lock to pass through the dam. The gates will remain in place until further notice, the announcement from NYPA said. North Country Now |
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Cuyahoga River closes for bridge construction 5/16 - Cleveland, Ohio - With the finish now in sight, crews building the first new Inner Belt Bridge are preparing for one of the biggest challenges yet -- placing steel girders over water. The Cuyahoga River is scheduled to close to boat traffic Wednesday and at least two more times in the coming weeks as workers link piers on either side of the river, below the Tremont bluffs. The two massive piers are among 14 that will bear the Interstate 90 bridge over the river valley. The $293 million project is scheduled for completion on Oct. 28, nearly three years after crews began moving earth, pouring concrete and erecting steel. The new bridge will carry I-90 traffic for three years. Meanwhile, the old, corroding bridge will be demolished and a second bridge will be built in its place, at an estimated cost of $330 million. The second bridge is scheduled to open in late 2016 and will carry traffic headed east. The first bridge will convert to its designed use for westbound cars. About 80 percent of the first bridge is built. All the concrete piers are poured. Crews have linked most of the piers with steel girders, which will bear the concrete decks that will be poured on top. The job of erecting the steel girders -- each weighing as much as three cement trucks -- is easier to do on land than it is over water. Bridge contractor Walsh Construction, of Chicago, oversees the work. Crews will use two barges on the river for the job, said Amanda Lee, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. One will carry steel pieces. The other will hold a 20-story crane weighing 275 tons. The giant hoist will work with cranes on land to lift and link the steel pieces. The river is about 200 feet wide at the work site. The span between the piers is 380 feet, a bit longer than a football field. The key is to break the work down to "manageable steps," said Tom Flask, spokesman for the bridge-building team. "The experience gained on the earlier parts of the bridge has contributed to planning the best way to accomplish this difficult segment of our work." The Inner Belt Bridge project is "not too extreme in terms of the over-water span length and height," Arthur Huckelbridge, a civil engineering professor at Case Western Reserve University, said in an email. "So, aside from employing the barge-mounted crane, I suspect that the erection of this span is not radically different from the previously constructed spans." It's not just an engineering challenge. Orchestrating river traffic is daunting too. ODOT and the bridge team are coordinating with a dozen entities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Lake Carriers Association and ArcelorMittal, the East Side steelworks that receives ore by water. The river will close for 48 hours starting Wednesday. At least two more outages will occur in the next few weeks. For those who'd like to watch, the best view will be from the Abbey Avenue sidewalk in Tremont, just west of the Inner Belt Bridge. There is no public access to work sites on either side of the river, ODOT said. The Plain Dealer |
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Audio between Herbert C. Jackson, Coast Guard after bridge accident 5/16 - Audio clip on YouTube |
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Obituary: Harvey Floyd Hadland 5/16 - Ashland, Wis. – Harvey Floyd Hadland, age 82, of Ashland, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2013, at Memorial Medical Center in Ashland. He was born Jan. 29, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Haakon and Olga (Olsen) Barrebek. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952-1954 and was stationed in Korea for a year and a half. He was discharged from the Army at the rank of corporal. For his military service, he received the Korean Service Medal with three bronze service stars, the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. After his military service, Hadland sailed for one year for the Inland Steel Company as a deck watchman on the ore boat L.E. Block in 1969. He returned to commercial fishing and fished most of his adult life with his brother Clifford until they retired in 1988. They sold their business to Martin Peterson and moved to Ashland in September 2003. Hadland enjoyed making fish tug models and was a commercial fishing historian. He and Robert Mackreth created their own website, harveyhadland.com, which was about the history of commercial fishing on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan and included many photos of fish tugs. The Roberts Funeral Home in Ashland handled the arrangements. To view this obituary online, sign the guestbook or express online condolences, visit www.bratleyfamilyfuneralhomes.com. |
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Badger Cruise June 1 Reservations Closing 5/16 - Only four (4) more days to book reservations for the annual Badger BoatNerd Gathering The 2013 Boatnerd Badger Gathering will include a round-trip crossing of Lake Michigan from Ludington, Mich., to Manitowoc, Wis., on Saturday, June 1, 2013, aboard the Lake Michigan Carferry SS Badger. Join us in traveling aboard the only coal-fired steamer left on the Great Lakes. Visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc and see the operating restored forward engine from the legendary railroad ferry Chief Wawatam, and the WWII submarine Cobia, OR re-board the Badger for a two-hour Wisconsin shoreline cruise with live entertainment and a party buffet. Optional on Friday night, May 31, is an opportunity to stay overnight in a Badger stateroom. Staterooms sleep two at the same price. Includes breakfast buffet on Saturday morning. Only a few staterooms are still available. BoatNerds will be the only passengers sleeping on the boat. You will keep your stateroom until we return to Ludington. Reservations must be received by Saturday, May 18. Click here to reserve your spot |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 16 On 16 May 1894, the SHENANDOAH (wooden propeller freighter, 308 foot, 2,251 gross tons) was launched by J. Davidson (Hull #60) in West Bay City, Michigan. She lasted until 1924, when she was abandoned. The CANADIAN PROSPECTOR passed upbound in the Welland Canal May 16, 1979, with Labrador ore bound for Ashtabula, Ohio. This was her first trip after being reconstructed. W. R. WOODFORD (Hull#626) was launched May 16, 1908, at West Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. for W. A. & M.A. Hawgood. Renamed b.) N.F. LEOPOLD 1911, and c.) E. J. BLOCK in 1943. She was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, arriving in 1998. IRVIN L. CLYMER departed Superior, Wisconsin, on May 15, 1981, and went to Duluth, Minnesota, to load 11,154 tons of taconite ore for Lorain. On May 16, 1981, having departed Duluth in 35 mph winds and 10-foot seas, the CLYMER began taking on water in her ballast tanks. She returned to Duluth, and was quickly repaired. On May 16, 1972, in dense fog, the ROBERT HOBSON struck the Peerless Cement dock at Port Huron, Michigan when her bow was caught by the strong current at the mouth of the St. Clair River. Damage to the hull was estimated at to $100,000. In 1985, the steamer PONTIAC was towed down the Welland Canal by the Mc Keil tugs GLENEVIS, ARGUE MARTIN and STORMONT bound for Quebec City. She would later be scrapped in Spain. The tug B. W. ALDRICH burned at Ludington, Michigan, on 16 May 1874. The damage was estimated at $5,000 and she was rebuilt. May 16, 1997 - The BADGER's planned first voyage of 1997 was delayed for one day because of a faulty boiler tube. E. W. OGLEBAY (steel propeller bulk freighter, 375 foot. 3,666 gross tons) was launched at F. W. Wheeler's yard (Hull #114) at West Bay City, Michigan, on 16 May 1896. She lasted until she stranded on Shot Point, 10 miles east of Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior, during a heavy northeast gale and blizzard, on December 8, 1927. Shortly afterwards the hull was gutted by fire and declared a constructive total loss. The hull was removed, partially scrapped, and used as dock at Drummond Island, Michigan. 1905 – The second THOMAS W. PALMER, a composite bulk carrier, collided with HARVARD of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company off Stannard Rock, Lake Superior in dense fog and was nearly cut in two. The crew was able to walk to safety aboard HARVARD before their ship sank. 1919 – D.R. HANNA sank in Lake Huron 6 miles off Thunder Bay Light after a collision with the QUINCY A. SHAW. All hands were saved but the sinking of the grain laden 552-foot freighter was the largest insurance loss on the lakes to that time. The hull has been located upside down in 90 feet of water. 1941 – The Norwegian freighter REINUNGA began Great Lakes visits in 1926 and was forced to spend the winter of 1932-1933 at Dain City along the Welland Canal. The vessel, which dated from 1902, was bombed and sunk by German aircraft as d) KYTHERA at Suda Bay, Crete, on this date in 1941. 1962 – ARGENTEUIL, a former Canadian Coast Guard buoy tender, was rebuilt as a coastal freighter in 1961. It sank in the St. Lawrence near Lauzon, QC, with the loss of 3 lives on this date in 1962. 1975 – MANCHESTER RAPIDO provided a container shuttle service in the Seaway beginning in 1971, went aground off Pasajes, Spain, on March 15, 1975, and then sank. The hull was refloated May 16, 1975, for repairs and a return to service. 1987 – MARIA ANNA SCHULTE first came inland in 1958. It ran aground as e) LUCKY VIRGIN off San Andras Island, Colombia, while en route from Colon, Panama, to Aruba in 1974 and had to be abandoned as a total loss. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - May 15
Port Inland & Cedarville, Mich. - Denny Dushane In Cedarville, the Joseph L. Block arrived in the early evening on Monday. Following the Block, the next vessel scheduled to arrive will be the James L. Kuber in the early afternoon on Tuesday. The Calumet is also expected to arrive on Tuesday in the late afternoon and rounding out the schedule is the Wilfred Sykes on Wednesday in the early morning.
Calcite & Stoneport, Mich. - Denny Dushane In Stoneport, Lewis J. Kuber was expected to arrive on Tuesday at about 9 a.m. to load. There are no vessels scheduled for Wednesday. On Thursday, both Great Lakes Trader and Hon. James L. Oberstar are expected to arrive. Kaye E. Barker rounds out the schedule, arriving on Friday in the late afternoon.
Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
Toledo, Ohio - Denny Dushane
Toronto. Ont. - Jens Juhl
Rochester, New York - Tom Brewer |
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St. Lawrence River water levels rise dramatically 5/15 - C - The St. Lawrence River is known for having its ups and downs involving water levels - just ask riverfront resident Dalton Foster, who says he hasn't seen the water on the St. Lawrence at Wilson Hill this high in some time. "Many people's docks are under water," said Foster, Wilson Hill Association president. The current situation is a far cry from the near historic low water levels that have been plaguing the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. A strong southwest wind is being blamed for significantly raising water levels on the St. Lawrence River between two and three feet over the weekend, creating shoreline erosion problems and making some docks unreachable. The International River Board of Control says the phenomena is caused by water being blown from Lake Ontario back into the St. Lawrence. "The lake on the opposite side is decreased, but the level right at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River is increased and that increases the whole water level down the entire river," said John Kangas of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The high water conditions along the St. Lawrence started on Friday and progressively got worse over the weekend. "We're getting a lot of erosion down there right now," said Richard Guimond, who is concerned about the water levels. The high water levels also forced seaway ships to temporarily reduce their speeds in the area between Eisenhower and Iroquois locks until further notice. The International Joint Commission tries to strike an appropriate balance in water levels by adjusting the amount of water released through the Moses-Saunders Hydroelectric Dam. Officials say once the winds die down, it will take a day or two for water levels on the St. Lawrence to once again begin to drop. WWNY TV 7 |
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Divers discover 1876 schooner wreck 5/15 - Port Huron, Mich. – Paul Schmitt, Dave Losiniski and Drew Losinksi are filling in Lake Huron’s blanks. The Lakeport men look for shipwrecks and they’re going public with one of their latest discoveries. The Charles H. Walker, a 136-foot, two-masted schooner, lies in about 35 feet of water about four miles east of Lakeport State Park. The men, said Schmitt, found the vessel in August 2010. His meticulous research revealed the ship sank in rough seas on Sept. 26, 1876 the year of the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and about three months after the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana. The Charles H. Walker was carrying a load of iron ore from L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula to the smelters of Pennsylvania, according to a story in the Port Huron Times. “It’s still heaped on the cargo deck,” Schmitt said. The crew members safely evacuated the ship. Its location was marked by its masts sticking above the surface, so in August 1877, a wrecking tug was reported to have salvaged some of its fittings and cargo. A retired dean of instruction at St. Clair County Community College, Schmitt said he and Losinski have been looking for shipwrecks for about 20 years and have found several, including the Eliza H. Strong, which was built in 1874 in Marine City. They pulled Losinksi’s son, Drew, into their obsession. They’ve used soundings and a magnetometer towed behind a boat to look for masses in the lake worth diving on. As the water clarity has increased over the years because of the invasive zebra and quagga mussels they’ve taken to the air in a helicopter. Losiniski actually trained to fly a helicopter and received his license to look for shipwrecks. He now flies helicopters professionally for the Oakland County Sheriff Department. Schmitt said the searchers were using a helicopter in 2008 to look for the Charles H. Walker, which they knew from his research was somewhere at the bottom of southern Lake Huron near Lakeport. “We saw a number of targets probably 25 to 30 dark spots,” he said. In 2009 and 2010, the team dived on the dark spots, finding in some cases, timber, weed beds and boulders. “In this particular case, it was a shipwreck,” Schmitt said. Losinski said part of the allure of his hobby is finding “something nobody knows anything about and putting the pieces of the puzzle back together.” “We both love diving,” Losinski said, “and my son is into it very big also.Schmitt said his purpose in publicizing the wreck is so other people can dive on it. At 36 feet, and in clear water, it’s within the limits of sport diving. One of the biggest surviving parts of the ship is a windlass used by the crew to lift heavy objects such as anchors and cargo. “There isn’t too much to loot,” Schmitt said. “The windlass is nice, but it’s wood. “There is an antiquities law,” he said. “Even if you’re not in a (underwater) preserve, it limits what you can salvage and under what circumstances.” He said he and the Losinskis have known for years the Charles H. Walker was somewhere out there under the waves of Lake Huron. It was gratifying, he said, to not only find it, but to dive on a ship that once was part of the bustling Great Lakes trade. “We’ve been looking all these years and we found the darn thing,” he said. Port Huron Times Herald |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 15 On 15 May 1901, the GILCHRIST (Hull #603) (steel propeller freighter, 356 foot. 3,871 gross tons) was launched at the West Bay City Ship Building Co. in West Bay City, Michigan, for the Gilchrist Transportation Company of Cleveland, Ohio. She lasted until 1943, when she was sunk in a collision on Lake Superior. On May 15, 1997, the "This Day in History" feature started on this web site. The PHILIP R. CLARKE, first of the AAA class of vessel, began her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, on this date in 1952. After extensive renovation at Fraser Shipyard, the IRVIN L. CLYMER departed Superior, Wisconsin on May 15, 1981, and went to Duluth, Minnesota, to load 11,154 tons of taconite ore for Lorain, Ohio. On May 15, 1971, the STONEFAX was sold and was scrapped at Santander, Spain. On 15 May 1854, GARDEN CITY (wooden passenger/package side-wheeler, 218 foot, 657 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing from Chicago to the Soo in a storm when she went on Martin Reef, west of Detour, Michigan, and was wrecked. Her passengers were picked up by the steamer QUEEN CITY. May 15, 1992 -- The BADGER was rededicated and began a new career as a non-railroad carferry. At 3:30 a.m., 15 May 1874, the tug TAWAS came along side of the schooner ZACH CHANDLER several miles off shore from Sand Beach, Michigan on Lake Huron. The boiler of the TAWAS exploded and she sank. Capt. Robinson, 2nd Engineer Dyson, Firemen Thomas Conners and James McIntyre, and Lookout Dennis Burrow were all on the tug and died in the explosion. The blast tore the CHANDLER's sails and rigging, and caused the death of one of her officers when he was struck on the head by a flying piece of debris. The CHANDLER drifted away in the heavy seas, but returned to pick up five survivors from the water. The TAWAS was built at Vicksburg, Michigan by Myron Williams in 1864. Her dimensions were 95-foot x 18-foot, 6-inches x 8-foot, 6-inches. She carried the two old engines from the tug BLISH, which when new were 11-1/2 inches x 20 inches, but having been bored out several times, were 15 inches x 20 inches at the time of the explosion. Her boiler was built by Mr. Turnbull of Corunna, Ontario. 1907 – SAXON ran aground near Caribou Island, Lake Superior, and dumped about 1,000 tons of ore overboard before being released. The ship went to the Atlantic in 1918 and was scrapped at Copenhagen, Denmark, as c) ANNE JENSEN in 1927. 1923 – PERE MARQUETTE 4 and PERE MARQUETTE 17 collided in fog off Milwaukee and the former sustained severe damage above the waterline and was laid up. 1929 – RALPH BUDD stranded at Saltese Point, near Eagle Harbor, MI and was abandoned to the underwriters. The grain-laden vessel was released by Reid and sold to Canadian interests. It was scrapped at Hamilton as b) L.A. McCORQUODALE of the Upper Lakes Shipping fleet in 1966. 1963 – LOBIVIA, WESTMOUNT and ROGERS CITY were in a three-way collision in the St. Clair River at Port Huron but there was only minor damage. 1967 – GOLDEN HIND was loaded with grain when it stranded off Cassidy Point, Lake Erie, and was holed in the forward compartment. 1968 – The stern cabins of HOMER D. WILLIAMS were damaged from a collision with WHEAT KING in the St. Marys River and this ship was repaired at Lorain. The latter vessel received bow damage that was repaired at Port Weller. 1972 – The Dutch freighter COLYTTO first came through the Seaway in 1963 and made 8 trips to the end of 1966. It was swept ashore by a typhoon near the mouth of the Limpopo River off the coast of Mozambique as b) CAPE NERITA on this date in 1972. All on board were rescued but the ship was abandoned on the beach as it was not feasible to dig the ship out by a canal. The nearest road was 25 miles away so the hull was not scrapped either. 1999 – The former sandsucker NIAGARA II was scuttled as an attraction to divers off Tobermory, ON. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Detroit bridge operator was drunk during freighter crash 5/14 - Detroit, Mich. – Police have determined that the operator of the drawbridge that crashed down onto a 670-foot long ore carrier early Sunday morning was drunk at the time of the incident. No one was injured in the incident, which occurred about 2:15 a.m. when the Jefferson Avenue Bridge crashed down onto the Herbert C. Jackson, which was headed to unload 23,000 tons of ore pellets at the Rouge Plant. The ship received moderate damage while the bridge over the Rouge River received substantial damages. "She was tested at the scene and it was determined she was intoxicated and over the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle," said Lt. Justin Westmiller of the Detroit Station of the U.S. Coast Guard. "The navigation team of the vessel were also tested but there was nothing to substantiate that the ship or the crew had anything to do with the incident." Westmiller said he didn't know what the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the operator was, but in Michigan the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is .08. According to Westmiller, the vessel was repaired and has resumed its journey. The incident caused major damage to the bridge, a heavily used motor vehicle crossing over Rouge River Avenue that connects Detroit and River Rouge. With the span closed, motorists have to use Fort Street as Wayne County officials work to repair the damage. "This is a real rarity," Westmiller said. "In my 17 years in the Coast Guard, this is a new one. It could have been a lot worse. Wayne County spokeswoman Cindy Dingell agreed: "In 91 years, nothing like this has happened. We've not seen anything like this before." According to Dingell, the bridge will remain open to marine traffic but be closed indefinitely to vehicle and foot traffic until the extent of the damages to the bridge can be determined. The Detroit News |
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Port Reports - May 14
Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
South Chicago
Cedarville & Port Inland, Mich. - Denny Dushane
Calcite, Mich. - Denny Dushane
Stoneport, Mich. - Denny Dushane
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Sandusky and Marblehead, Ohio - Jim Spencer
Toledo, Ohio - Denny Dushane |
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USCG Cutter Neah Bay hauled out at Great Lakes Shipyard 5/14 - Cleveland, Ohio – Great Lakes Shipyard has hauled out the United States Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay (WTGB-105) using its 770-ton capacity Travelift. The repair contract, awarded to the shipyard in early March, includes routine drydocking and underwater hull maintenance such as inspection and testing of propulsion systems, overhaul of sea valves and shaft seal assemblies, and other various cleaning, inspections, and repairs. This is the first of the USCG’s nine 140-foot Bay Class ice-breaking tugs to be drydocked using Great Lakes Shipyard’s new Marine Travelift. The Travelift is the largest on the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada, second largest in the Western Hemisphere, and third largest in the world. It was specifically designed and sized for Great Lakes Shipyard to accommodate the Bay Class Coast Guard Cutters and other vessels. Work on the Neah Bay is to be completed by late June. |
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Lakes cruise ship now calls Marquette home 5/14 - Marquette, Mich. – The Isle Royal Queen III, the cruise ship running summer trips from Marquette's Lower Harbor, will now call the city home. This spring, in preparation for the cruise season ahead, the boat's port of call was changed to Marquette. "We didn't want to ask Marquette and her visitors to patronize our business without us showing, if you will, our commitment to Marquette," said Molly Carmody, the owner and manager of Marquette Harbor Cruises. "So we changed our port of call to reflect where we hope to do business for a long time." Carmody started operating the 81-foot cruise ship last year, overseeing daily cruises to Partridge Island and back. A narrated journey leads passengers past Picnic Rocks, the Upper Harbor ore dock and breakwater, Presque Isle, Black Rocks and Middle Island Point. The cruise then circles Partridge Island before making a return trip along the Marquette shoreline. "Last year went very well. We really felt embraced by the community," Carmody said. "The townspeople were so awesome and some of them cruised two or three times." This year, the process has been refined. 2013 cruises are set to begin May 24, with a single daily trip to Partridge Island. In June the boat will begin 90-minute evening cruises to Black Rocks and back. Wine and beer - some local - will be served on the boat this year, as well. The Isle Royal Queen III is known regionally. It was originally named the Isle Royale Queen II and was used during the 1970s and 1980s to shuttle people, backpacks and canoes between Copper Harbor and Isle Royale. Carmody, who brought the ship to the Lower Harbor last year, hopes to continue building the boat's legacy. "We felt very endorsed by the community, which is why we wanted to show the town our commitment for doing business here," she said. "We want to call our boat's home Marquette." A full summer cruise schedule, in addition to rates, can be found online at www.marquetteharborcruises.com. Tickets can also be purchased online, as well as at the MHC office in the Lower Harbor. The Mining Journal |
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Renovated Dossin Great Lakes Museum to reopen Saturday 5/14 - Detroit, Mich. – After a five-month remodeling project, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum will reopen Saturday with new exhibits and interactive features that pay homage to Detroit and the waterways that helped it become one of the most important cities in America. The 16,000-square-foot museum has been revamped and updated with technology, including further restoration of the Gothic men’s lounge of the overnight ship, SS City of Detroit III. The face-lift includes new exhibit halls and a detailed touch screen in the Detroit River-facing pilot house of the SS William Clay Ford. The Detroit River-cam has also been updated to give viewers better, high-definition imagery. The $2-million renovation is part of the Detroit Historical Society’s five-year, $20-million push to revamp its two museums — the Detroit Historical Museum reopened in November 2012 after a six-month closure and $12-million remodel; the Dossin Museum has been closed since December. “Anybody who’s been here before is going to walk in and go ‘wow,’ because it was pretty long in the tooth and it was getting pretty dusty. The interpretation was not good, and they’re going to walk in and see a real museum,” said Joel Stone, senior curator of the Detroit Historical Society. The museum, which opened in 1960, starts and ends with actual pieces of historic vessels. The SS City of Detroit III clubroom, removed from the 1912 ship, is filled with oak-carved ornate fixtures and a stained-glass window depicting explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier de LaSalle. The lighting is low, and the descriptive panels tell the tale of cruising Detroit’s waterways. The pilot house, built in the 1950s, is replete with all the instrumentation of the period and overlooks the Detroit River. A new touch screen allows visitors to learn more about instrumentation and the effort needed to move the big ship through area waterways. Between these two vessels are several new and remodeled exhibits celebrating everything from Detroit’s days as a fur-trapping capital to the rise of cruise vessels to places like Boblo Island and the growth of the speedboat, a favorite of the Dossin family for which the museum is named. The main exhibit is called “Built by the River,” a permanent display of the city’s intricate, if sometimes dramatic, relationship with the Detroit River. Sections describe the importance of the river to military operations in the 1700s and 1800s, how it served as passage on the Underground Railroad, the later use of the river as the city capitalized during the Industrial Revolution and, finally, how the river became a main source of recreation for generations of metro Detroiters. In one section, visitors can listen to the distress calls of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, whose 12,000-pound bow anchor sits outside the museum. The storied ship sank during storms on Lake Superior in 1975, killing 29. The anchor was recovered by divers in 1992. “This is a great place with a great history,” said Detroit Historical Museum Executive Director Bob Bury about Detroit. “The more you give the community a sense of place and an appreciation for where they are and where they live, the better it is.” Walter, Roy and Russell Dossin, the three brothers who seeded the museum, were boating enthusiasts who owned a Pepsi bottling distribution company in Michigan. The brothers were avid hydroplane boaters, and one of their boats built in 1950, the Miss Pepsi, has long been on display. The remodeling effort improved the viewing area and added several panels that tell the story of the Dossins and the growth of speed-boating. A new exhibition hall pays homage to the Gold Cup and speedboats inside the museum. The museum has closed in the past for repairs and installations, including brief periods in 1984 and 2007, but Bury said this is the first serious overhaul the museum has had in its lifetime. After taking bids from several exhibit designers and contractors, Bury said, the work was done locally by a handful of metro Detroit companies. The reopening of the museum comes as other projects have revived Detroit’s large island park. The Belle Isle Aquarium recently reopened, and the roof is being replaced on the park’s horse stables. The Chevrolet Belle Isle Grand Prix will be held at the end of the month, and the Orion Music + More Festival will take over the park in early June. Bury said he hopes the newly remodeled museum will draw more people to the island known as the jewel of Detroit. “They’re going to have a new appreciation for all that Detroit is and how important its location really is. We’re hoping that with the renovation, we’re really going to be the jewel on a jewel,” said Bury. Detroit Free Press |
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Shipwreck Showcase June 13 in Munising 5/14 - Dennis Hale will tell his story of his survival of the Daniel J. Morrell shipwreck. "Whispers of the North," a Gordon Lightfoot tribute band, will perform Gordon Lightfoot’s music and Carl Behrend will perform his shipwreck songs June 13 in Munising. The show will to start at 6 p.m. with the doors opening at 5 p.m. for viewing of raffle items and silent auction items. A model of the Fitz will be the Grand Prize of the raffle drawing. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 14 On 14 May 1881, CITY OF ROME (wooden propeller freighter, 268 foot, 1,908 gross tons) was launched by Thomas Quayle & Sons in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the largest vessel on the Lakes when she was launched. She lasted until 1914, when she burned near Ripley, New York on Lake Erie. On May 14, 1959, the SHENANGO II and the HERBERT C. JACKSON both entered service. While the vessels have been fleet mates since 1967, the SHENANGO II was built by the Shenango Furnace Company. She operates today as the c.) HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, renamed last spring. On May 14, 1943, the THOMAS WILSON entered service as the first of the sixteen vessels in the "Maritime" class. The HOCHELAGA's self-unloading boom was installed on the RICHARD REISS, which had lost her boom April 13, 1994, when it collapsed at Fairport, Ohio. The REISS’ replacement boom was installed on May 14, 1994 by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. BLACK HAWK (wooden schooner, 98 foot, 178 gross tons) was launched in East Saginaw, Michigan on 14 May 1861. Thomas A. Estes was her builder. She was active until abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River at Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1908. On 13 October 1913, she was filled with flammable material and burned off Milwaukee as a public spectacle for the Perry Centennial Celebration. On May 14, 1905, the new Anchor Line passenger steamer JUNIATA made her maiden voyage from the yards of the American Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan. Sailing under the command of Capt. Edward J. Martin she left Cleveland at 7:05 in the morning and arrived at Detroit shortly before 4. On board, in addition to several officials of the line was her designer, Frank E. Kirby. Detroiters were treated to the sight of seeing both the JUNIATA and TIONESTA together for the first time as TIONESTA was loading for Duluth, Minnesota when the JUNIATA arrived from Cleveland and tied up alongside her older sister. The JUNIATA later departed for Chicago where her furnishings were installed. On 14 May 1861, COMET (wooden side-wheeler, 174 foot. 337 gross tons, built in 1848, at Portsmouth, Ontario) collided with the 2-mast wooden schooner EXCHANGE, ten miles off Nine-Mile Point on Lake Ontario. Then an explosion rocked the COMET and she was destroyed by fire 2 or 3 lives were lost, but the survivors reached Simcoe Island in a lifeboat. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., May 14, 1900. - The tug W.A. ROOTH of the Great Lakes Towing company fleet was caught between the barge JOHN A. ROEBLING and the steamer HENRY C. FRICK in the American canal last night and sunk. The crew escaped without injury. The tug was towing the barge ROEBLING out of the canal and in some manner got between the ROEBLING and the big steamer FRICK. Her sides were crushed in and she went down immediately in twenty feet of water. 1917 – SAXONA and PENTECOST MITCHELL collided head-on in the St. Marys River near Detour and both ships sank with their bows locked together. The former was refloated and repaired as LAKETON while the latter was also salvaged and remained in the U.S. Steel fleet. 1921 – The barge MIZTEC broke loose of the steamer ZILLAH in a storm and sank with all hands in Lake Superior northeast of Vermilion Point. 1952 – The JAMES NORRIS began her sailing career, loading a cargo of grain at Fort William. 1991 – The Yugoslavian bulk carrier MALINSKA ran aground off Main Duck Island, Lake Ontario, while outbound from the Great Lakes with a cargo of steel coils. It was lightered and released. The ship had been a Seaway trader since 1987 and now sails in the Algoma fleet as c) ALGOMA DISCOVERY. Data from: Skip Gillham, Chuck Truscott, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Detroit bridge closes on Herbert C. Jackson 5/13 - Detroit, Mich. - The Herbert C. Jackson suffered minor damage Sunday morning when the Jefferson Avenue Bridge closed while the ship was approaching it. It appeared that the east span of the draw was lowered and the Jackson struck it a low speed causing a 1-inch by 6-inch puncture in the hull above the waterline on the starboard bow. The Jackson was inbound with taconite for Severstal Steel about 2 a.m. when the incident happened. The Jackson was assisted back out of the Rouge River and docked at DMT on the Detroit River to wait for the span to be lifted. By early afternoon the west side of the draw was fully opened and crews were working on the heavily damaged eastern span. Officials report this is the first accident in the bridge's 91-year history. Late Sunday the eastern span was partially opened but the river was reported to remain closed. |
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Port Reports - May 13
Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
Milwaukee, Wis. - Chris Gaziano
Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
Toronto, Ont. - Jens Juhl |
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Bridge 21 at Port Colborne closed for repairs; Bridge 19A to handle traffic 5/13 - Port Colborne, Ont. – Bridge 21, the Clarence Street bridge, is closed until further notice, the general manager of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.’s Niagara Region said late Sunday afternoon. Luc Boisclair said there was a malfunction on the bridge which caused the span to go up farther than it was supposed to and counterweights ended up on the pavement. “We’re still investigating what happened and repairs are underway. It needs more inspection before it can be opened. We have to find out why (it happened) and if there is more damage that we can’t see,” said Boislcair. He said the bridge will continue to be assessed and specialized personnel are coming in on Monday to look at it. In the meantime, Seaway staff will have Bridge 19A open at 7 a.m. on Monday. It is open to emergency vehicles right now, said Boisclair, adding scheduled work was underway on that bridge, which carries Mellanby Ave. over the Welland Canal. When the malfunction occurred on Saturday afternoon, it left Bridge 19, the Main St. bridge, as the only operating crossing over the canal in Port Colborne over the weekend. That prompted Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services Chief Tom Cartwright to meet with Niagara Regional Police and Niagara EMS on Saturday night to put a plan in place to deal with only one operational bridge. “We have two trucks with manpower in the old fire hall on the east side,” Cartwright said Sunday morning from the main fire hall on Mellanby Ave. He said there were no issues on Saturday in relation to the bridge and after 1 a.m. the fire service had no calls. Emergency services dispatch centres were working with the Seaway’s traffic control centre while the bridge is out as well to keep co-ordinated on when Bridge 19 might go up because of a ship passing. The fire chief added that police told him two cruisers would be left on the east side and Niagara EMS was bringing an ambulance to the fire hall on standby so there would be one ambulance on each side of the canal. Niagara EMS dispatch supervisor Andre Marcotte said when feasible, paramedics would be stationed on either side of the canal while the bridge was out of commission. Traffic along Main St. is what really concerned EMS. “That’s why we have people on both sides if we can,” he said. Port Colborne fire prevention officer Mike Bendia said a car accident near King and Main streets on Sunday afternoon saw traffic snarled in both directions on Main St. Mayor Vance Badawey, who spoke with emergency officials and Seaway representatives on the weekend, said when he drove through town at midnight on Saturday, traffic “was just crazy.” “Normally, you don’t expect too much traffic at that hour … one bridge in this city just doesn’t cut it.” While Bridge 21 is out of commission, the mayor said those who use the transit system to get from the east side to west side won’t have to pay. The service will be free. It’s something the city does when the bridge is closed for repairs at any time of year. St. Catharines Standard |
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Updates - May 13
News Photo Gallery |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 13 The tanker GEMINI (Hull#746) was launched at Orange, Texas by Levingston Ship Building Co. in 1978, for Cleveland Tankers Inc., a subsidiary of Ashland Oil. Renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005. The tanker JUPITER made her maiden voyage May 13, 1976 from Smith's Bluff, Texas loaded with lube oil bound for Marcus Hooks, Penn. She was destroyed after exploding in the Saginaw River on September 16, 1990. On May 13, 1913, Pittsburgh Steamship's THOMAS F. COLE collided with the barge IRON CITY on Lake St. Clair. The barge was cut in two. Delivered May 13, 1943, the Str. THOMAS WILSON departed under the command of Captain Henry Borgen on her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, bound for Duluth, Minnesota, to load iron ore. The green-hulled schooner EMMA C. HUTCHINSON was launched at 4 p.m. on 13 May 1873, at the E. Fitzgerald yard in Port Huron. She was the largest vessel built at that yard up to that time. She was named for the wife of Mr. J. T. Hutchinson of Cleveland. Her dimensions were 195foot keel, 215 feet overall, 35 foot beam, 14 foot depth, 736 tons. She cost $55,000. Frank Leighton was her builder and Matthew Finn the master fitter. She was outfitted by Swan's Sons of Cleveland. Her painting was done by Ross & Doty of Port Huron. On 13 May 1874, the Port Huron Times reported that someone had stolen the schooner ANNIE FAUGHT and that John Hoskins, the owner, was offering a reward for her recovery. May 13, 1898 - The steamer JOHN ERICSSON, having in tow the barge ALEXANDER HOLLEY, bound down with ore, went aground while making the turn at the dark hole in little Mud Lake. She is on a sand bottom. Tugs and lighters have gone to release her. When the steamer grounded the barge ran into her, damaging the latter's bow and causing a large hole above the water line on the starboard side of the ERICSSON. Both were repaired temporarily. On 13 May 1871, NORTHERNER (wooden barge, 220 foot, 1,391 gross tons) was launched by Capt. Wescott at Marine City, Michigan. Her master builder was John J. Hill. She was towed to Detroit to be fitted out and there was talk of eventually converting her to a passenger steamer. She remained a barge until 1880, when she was converted to a propeller freighter in Detroit. She lasted until 1892, when she burned at L'anse, Mich. 1914 – The package freight carrier CITY OF OTTAWA was upbound in the Cornwall Canal when it sheered over and struck the downbound S.N. PARENT on the port side at #2 hatch. The former was part of Canada Steamship Lines but was best known as the INDIA of the Anchor Line. 1915 – VALCARTIER and A.W. OSBORNE collided in Lake Huron above Corsica Shoal. 1933 – CALGARIAN, en route from Toronto to Montreal with automobiles and general cargo, stranded at Salmon Point in Lake Ontario, and was refloated two days later. 1943 – The caustic soda tanker DOLOMITE 4 was in and out of the Great Lakes via the New York State Barge Canal system. The vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-176 off the north coast of Cuba on the date in 1943 as b) NICKELINER. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series, the Detroit Free Press and the Duluth Evening Herald. |
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Bridge closes on Jackson 5/12 - Detroit, Mich. - The Herbert C. Jackson suffered minor damage Sunday morning when the Jefferson Avenue bridge closed while the ship was approaching it. It appeared that the east span of the draw was lowered and the Jackson struck it a low speed causing a 1-inch by 6-inch puncture in the hull above the waterline on the starboard bow. The Jackson was inbound with taconite for Severstal Steel about 2 a.m. when the incident happened. The Jackson was assisted back out of the Rouge River and docked at DMT on the Detroit River to wait for the span to be lifted. By early afternoon the west side of the draw was fully opened and crews were working on the heavily damaged eastern span. Officials report this is the first accident in the bridge's 91-year history. Late Sunday the eastern span was partially opened but the river was reported to remain closed. |
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Port Reports - May 12
Milwaukee Wis. - Chris Gaziano
Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
Marblehead, Ohio - Jim Spencer
Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 12 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 THOMAS WALTERS, American Shipbuilding, Lorain (Hull#390) entered service on May 12, 1911, with coal from Sandusky, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota. Renamed b.) FRANK R. DENTON in 1952, she was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio in 1984. 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 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. 1975 – The tug TARA HILL was damaged by a fire set by vandals at New Orleans. This vessel had operated on the Great Lakes as NORTHERN, CHARLES R. RANDLE SR., HELEN HINDMAN, SUSAN HINDMAN and HERBERT A. Lloyds notes “continued existence in doubt” in 1997, but the hull was likely dismantled much earlier. 1978 – PHOTINIA ran aground off Milwaukee in rough seas and the crew was rescued. The ship was refloated but declared a total loss. It was towed to various Lake Michigan ports in the next two years and was eventually dismantled at Kewaunee, Wis., in 1981. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Port Reports - May 11
Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
Milwaukee, Wis. - John Monefeldt
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Sandusky and Marblehead, Ohio - Jim Spencer
Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W. |
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Updates - May 11
Historical Perspectives Gallery updated
- New pictures in the Champlain, Cliffs Victory, Red Wing, and Thomas Wilson
galleries |
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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. 1934 – KEYBAR ran aground above the Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie and was stuck for 12 hours. Part of the cargo of grain was lightered before the ship floated free. The vessel was scrapped at Port Dalhousie in 1963. 1945 – MOYRA began Great Lakes trading in 1931. It was owned by the Government of Newfoundland when fire broke out in the St. Lawrence east of Quebec City on this date in 1945. The ship was beached off Ile d'Orleans and was heavily damaged. The vessel was rebuilt at Montreal and sold to Norwegian interests as b) HEIKA returning to the Great Lakes in 1953. It also visited as c) MARISCO in 1957 and foundered in the Gulf of Laconia, Greece, while en route from Varna, Bulgaria, to Genoa, Italy, with iron ore on October 20, 1959. 1974 – While outbound in the Cuyahoga River, a fire broke out aboard the GEORGE D. GOBLE. The Kinsman Lines bulk carrier was docked and the blaze was extinguished with about $2,500 in damage. 1987 – LONDON FUSILIER, an SD-14, was a year old when it first came through the Seaway in 1973. Fire broke out in #5 hold while unloading at Hamburg, West Germany, as c) HER LOONG on this date in 1987 resulting in extensive damage. The ship was towed to Valencia, Spain, in July 1987 and scrapped. Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. The Detroit Free Press and the Duluth Evening Herald. |
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Port Reports - May 10
Holland, Mich. - Bob VandeVusse
Toledo, Ohio - Matt Zaleski
Lorain, Ohio - Phil Leon
Marblehead and Sandusky, Ohio - Jim Spencer Saginaw was launched May 9, 1953 as the John. J. Boland. Her namesake and Adam E. Cornelius were shipping managers who formed American Steamship Co., in 1956, three years after the launching of the Saginaw. While the Saginaw carried the Boland and Cornelius house flag for her first 46 years, she spent 1999 in lay-up. Late that year she was acquired by Lower Lakes Towing, of Port Dover, Ont. The 639-foot long Saginaw, because of her Canadian registration, can load at a U.S. port and deliver to ports north of the border. She is posted for Hamilton after her Sandusky loading. The Saginaw was among three sister ships launched at Manitowoc during the 1950s for different owners. The oldest - John G. Munson, of the Great Lakes Fleet - sails today, although she was lengthened in the mid-1970s. The third sister - Detroit Edison - was scrapped following a December 1980 grounding in northern Lake Michigan. The latter was also the last of the trio constructed.
Rochester, New York - Tom Brewer |
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New CSL, McKeil vessels registered 5/10 - The CSL Group registered the new Whitefish Bay in Montreal on May 9. Its gross tonnage is shown as 24,430. Also newly registered are two barges for McKeil. On May 3 McKeil Work Boats Ltd. registered Arctic Spirit. Built in 1981 by FMC in Portland Oregon, it measures 7,132 gross tons and is 383 feet long by 99.5 feet wide. On May 9. the barge Tobias was registered by McKeil-Malaspina Ltd. Built in 2012 by Damen, Gorinchem, Netherlands, it measures 8,870 gross tons and is 378 feet long by 105.6 feet wide. Both barges are too large for the Seaway and will likely be used in Newfoundland.
Mac Mackay |
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Updates - May 10 Saltie Gallery updated - Nordic Helsinki, Volgaborg, and YM Jupiter |
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Badger Cruise June 1 5/10 - Book now for the annual Badger BoatNerd Gathering The 2013 Boatnerd Badger Gathering will include a round-trip crossing of Lake Michigan from Ludington, Mich., to Manitowoc, Wis., on Saturday, June 1, 2013, aboard the Lake Michigan Carferry SS Badger. Join us in traveling aboard the only coal-fired steamer left on the Great Lakes. Visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc and see the operating restored forward engine from the legendary railroad ferry Chief Wawatam, and the WWII submarine Cobia, OR re-board the Badger for a two-hour Wisconsin shoreline cruise with live entertainment and a party buffet. Optional on Friday night, May 31, is an opportunity to stay overnight in a Badger stateroom. Staterooms sleep two at the same price. Includes breakfast buffet on Saturday morning. Only 42 staterooms are available and over one-half have been reserved. BoatNerds will be the only passengers sleeping on the boat. You will keep your stateroom until we return to Ludington. |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 10 1923 – The H.A. ROCK of the Forest City Steamship Co., went aground in Georgian Bay. The vessel was taken to drydock where the plates were removed, re-rolled and put back. The ship was idle May 18 to June 1 and the cost was $13,707.60. Steamer COLUMBIA (Hull#148) was launched in 1902 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. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Spruceglen grounds in Lake St. Clair 5/9 - Wednesday afternoon the tugs Wyoming and Idaho pull the grounded Spruceglen free, she had run aground in lower Lake St. Clair just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. The vessel appeared to lose power as they were entering Lake St. Clair upbound. Spruceglen was not blocking traffic, as it was grounded at the southerly edge of the channel. Damage is unlikely as the bottom is soft clay where the vessel ran out of the channel. |
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Port Reports - May 9
Green Bay, Wis. - Wendell Wilke
Grand Haven, Mich. - Dick Fox
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Toledo, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio - Phil Leon
Sandusky and Marblehead, Ohio - Jim Spencer
Buffalo, N.Y. - Brian W.
Hamilton, Ont. - Ted J. Wilush |
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Badger’s 60th anniversary roll-back special all season long 5/9 - Ludington, Mich. – The S.S. Badger is celebrating her 60th anniversary in 2013 and to show the company’s appreciation it is celebrating with discounted fares on passengers and autos by offering a 60th anniversary roll back special for the entire season. This special roll-back pricing of $69 per adult and $69 per auto one way and seniors (65+) just $62 one way - will be available for the entire season. This roll-back pricing will be effective starting May 7th. There are no travel date or departure time limitations with the roll-back special. Call 1-800-841-4243 today for your reservations. In addition, the Badger is offering a limited edition oil print. Recognizing the significance of the S.S.Badger's 60th anniversary, LMC has commissioned the services of artist Michael Stewart to recreate a beautiful Todd and Brad Reed photograph into a one-of-a-kind limited edition oil print. Stewart sailed as a mate aboard the S.S.Badger from 1998 to 2009 which makes this painting even more unique. There will only be 60 reproductions of this oil print available. Each print will be signed and numbered by Michael Stewart. The oil print has been created as a 24x16 to allow for standard framing. To further reiterate the anniversary of the S.S.Badger these reproductions will be offered for only $60 each. |
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Senate could free up money for Great Lakes dredging 5/9 - Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate may be closing in on legislation that could increase funding for dredging at harbors across the Great Lakes and the nation by freeing up more money from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. As the Free Press reported in March, the fund, which is paid for by taxes on the value of imported cargo, has built up a surplus of about $6 billion, even though the Army Corps of Engineers has a growing backlog of dredging projects. That’s especially true along the Great Lakes, where there’s a backlog of about $200 million in dredging projects spread across 60 federally maintained harbors and channels, almost half of which are in Michigan. An initial proposal to require that all of the annual proceeds of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be spent on dredging and other projects ran afoul of congressional appropriators who raised concerns that it could pre-empt their deliberations on spending levels. It appeared today that a compromise might be reached that would require $1 billion in fund proceeds be spent in the next fiscal year, and the minimum funding level increase by at least $100million each year after that until 2019, when the entire proceeds would be spent. In recent years, the fund has collected as much as $1.6 billion a year in taxes. The draft proposal also includes a provision that in any year that all federally maintained harbors fail to be maintained at their designated depths and widths, any funding levels over those in last year’s budget be split with at least 20% going to Great Lakes projects. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., has been pushing for more funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to go to projects on the Great Lakes, which have been hit hard by a reduction in dredging even as lake levels have dropped to record lows. The Lake Carriers Association — an Ohio-based trade group representing companies that ship cargo on the Great Lakes — has said it would take $60 million a year to clear the backlog in a decade. If the legislation passes, however, it could face hurdles in the House, as well as with the Obama administration. In a statement of policy on Monday, the Office of Management and Budget raised concerns about the bill, saying it could result in “expanding federal obligations without ensuring taxpayer dollars are targeted to achieve the highest overall return.” The administration stopped short of issuing a veto threat over the legislation, however. Detroit Free Press |
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U.S. Naval Sea Cadet fundraiser 5/9 - Port Huron, Mich. – A fundraiser concert to benefit the F.C. Sherman Division and T.C. Admiral Lee Landes is from 3-6 p.m. May 12 at the Port Huron Yacht Club, 212 Quay St. The fundraiser will include a performance by Dan Hall, a color guard demonstration, bake sale, raffles and auction. The cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple. For more information or ticket reservations, contact Lt. Brian L. Eickel at (248) 944-0027 or at be2@chrysler.com. |
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Updates - May 9
News Photo Gallery |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 9 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. 1906 – The schooner ARMENIA was wrecked in Lake Erie near Colchester Reef when it began leaking in a storm while under tow of the FRED PABST on the first trip of the season. The ore-laden barge was cut loose but all on board were saved. The wreck was later struck by the CHARLES B. PACKARD on September 16, 1906, leading to the latter's demise. 1926 – While backing from the NHB Elevator in Port Colborne, the JOHN P. REISS struck the A.D. MacBETH at the dock, damaging the latter's stem. 1964 – The small ferries JOHN A. McPHAIL and JAMES CURRAN broke loose while under tow of the G.W. ROGERS and sank in a storm off the mouth of Saginaw Bay. They were en-route to Kingston from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for a new service to Wolfe Island. 1974 – The coastal freighter ST. PIERRE ran aground in the old Lachine Canal at Montreal, was holed, capsized and sank. The vessel was broken up on location later in the year. 2011 – The Erie, Pa.-based passenger excursion ship VICTORIAN PRINCESS sustained major fire damage when a welding torch ignited materials in the engine room. The ship was out of the water and on blocks for maintenance work when the blaze broke out. The vessel missed the 2011 season. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. |
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Spruceglen refloated in Lake St. Clair 5/8 - 2 p.m. update - Shortly after 1 p.m. the tugs appeared to pull the Spruceglen free but continued working through 2 p.m. when she was fully free of the lake bottom and underway upbound. Damage is unlikely as the bottom is soft clay where the vessel ran out of the channel. Original report - The Spruceglen ran aground in lower Lake St. Clair just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. The vessel appeared to lose power as they were entering Lake St. Clair upbound. Spruceglen is not blocking traffic, it is grounded at the southerly edge of the channel. At noon the tugs Wyoming and Idaho were along side trying to free the vessel. Its last port was Ashtabula, Ohio and was headed for Chicago. |
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Interlake Steamship plans to move toward upgrading fleet to energy-efficient LNG 5/8 - Middleburg Heights, Ohio – The Interlake Steamship Company, a leader in the Great Lakes shipping industry delivering raw materials to ports throughout the region, has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Shell to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to support Interlake’s conversion of its vessels to LNG as the main propulsion fuel. When converted, these ships are expected to be the first LNG-powered ships on the Great Lakes and among the first in the U.S. With a goal of converting the first vessel by the spring of 2015, Interlake is already working through engineering and design, seeking regulatory approval and securing financing. Shell would be Interlake’s exclusive supplier of LNG for each converted vessel. The conversion of Interlake’s vessels from heavy fuel oil burning engines to engines that operate on LNG will require Interlake to make significant capital investments in its fleet. However, those investments are expected to result in significant environmental benefits. Interlake anticipates that the conversion to LNG will result in significant reductions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. “This move takes our dedication to environmental stewardship to the next level,” explains Mark Barker, President of Interlake. “While the marine mode of transportation is already by far the most environmentally friendly way to move goods throughout the Great Lakes region, operating on LNG would further reduce our vessels’ environmental impacts. We not only respect the needs of our customers, but work to minimize the impact on the waterways which we operate.” The move to LNG allows Interlake to use a fuel that is sourced, produced and distributed entirely in North America, reducing the use of and reliance on imported fossil fuels. “The marine transportation industry already supports thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in wages throughout the Great Lakes,” adds Barker. “We are now evolving in a way that would allow Interlake to participate in the long-term growth and economic prosperity of the region that it has served for 100 years. This move allows us to back the growing natural gas industry, which is also creating valuable jobs here in the U.S.” Shell announced plans last month to invest in a liquefaction unit at its Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Ontario, Canada. Once operational, this project will supply LNG fuel throughout the Great Lakes, their bordering U.S. States, Canadian provinces and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Interlake Steamship Company |
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Port Reports - May 8
Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
Milwaukee Wis. - Chris Gaziano
Grand Haven, Mich. - Dick Fox
Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey |
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Today in Great Lakes History - May 8 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-masted 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. 1916: S.R. KIRBY was downbound in a Lake Superior storm when it was struck by two huge waves, broke its back and foundered. The composite hulled freighter sank quickly and only two of the 22 on board survived. 1918: The Norwegian freighter POLLUX came to the Great Lakes in 1907. It was torpedoed as b) DUX by U-54 about 7 miles northwest of Godrevy Lighthouse while carrying coal from Swansea, UK to LaRochelle, France. 1934: The hull of the first CANADOC was punctured when the ship went hard aground at St. Joseph's Island. The vessel was later freed, drydocked and repaired. 1938: JAMES B. FOOTE hit a dock at Chicago, under tow of the tug KANSAS, while loaded with corn for Sorel. The rudder, stock and a propeller blade were lost. 1942: The Hall Corp. canaller MONT LOUIS was torpedoed and sunk in the Caribbean by U-162 with the loss of 13 lives. Only 8 survived by clinging to the wreckage. The ship was carrying bauxite from Dutch Guiana to Trinidad when it was attacked and it sank so quickly that the lifeboats could not be launched. 1949: The E.C. COLLINS and HENRY FORD II were in a collision in the St.Clair River. 1967 ELIN HOPE had been chartered to the Ontario Paper Company to carry newsprint from Baie Comeau to New York from 1950 to 1953. The ship came to the Great Lakes as b) PROCYON in 1961 and arrived at Madras, India, as c) KR ASHOK with the cargo of coal on fire on this date in 1967. The vessel settled on the bottom during firefighting operations. It was refloated May 19 and eventually scrapped at Madras in 1968. 1978: The third OUTARDE went aground in the St. Lawrence near Buoy 41-M and was not released until May 16. There was only minor damage to the ship. Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books includes many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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