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January 5-7, 2009

1/7 - Sturgeon Bay winter fleet - Dick Lund
Wilfred Sykes		Sam Laud looking good with a new coat of paint		John Sherwin		Dorothy Ann (rear) and Buffalo
Prentiss Brown (ex-Michaela McAllister) in the rear of the graving dock	Charles M. Beeghly (less its stack) in the front of the graving dock		Wilfred Sykes		Sam Laud		John Sherwin (Buffalo alongside
(L to R) Pathfinder, Buffalo, Dorothy Ann, and John Sherwin	(L to R) American Century and Mesabi Miner		L to R) Charles M. Beeghly, American Century and Mesabi Miner		Charles M. Beeghly in the graving dock		Wide view of the (early) lay up fleet
1/7 - Late season Toledo visitor - Bob Vincent					1/7 American Mariner in at Toledo's Torco dock for the winter - Bob Vincent
Herbert C. Jackson preparing to back out from Torco Ore Dock after unloading ore from Marquette.
1/5 - Goderich and Owen Sound scenes - Wayne Brown					Algoway loading at Sifto in Goderich		Stern view
CSL Tadoussac laid up in Goderich.	Bow view		Chi-Cheemaun in Owen Sound		Algomarine laid up in Owen Sound.		Bow view
1/5 - John G. Munson loading at KCBX in South Chicago - Lou Gerard					1/5 - Historical Perspective - Don Boone
					M/V Agawa Canyon ready to launch Collingwood Shipyard August 27, 1970.
1/5 - Historical Perspective - Another "Collision Under The Bridge" - Jon Paul Michaels & Brent Michaels On June 1, 1967 at 10:10pm EST the 389' Canada Steamship Lines Package Freighter, Renvoyle, struck the Str, Sylvania as it unloaded cement stone at the Peerless Cement Dock just south of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, MI. The Sylvania, a 552' self unloading ship in the Tomlinson Fleet had been unloading at the Peerless Dock for a little more than an hour when it was rammed by the Renvoyle which had lost control in the current resulting in the Sylvania sinking at the dock. The Str. Renvoyle which just completed loading 525 tons of freight had departed the CSL Dock in Sarnia, ON at 9:55pm EST intending to make a 180* turn in the River just below the bridge and proceed to Montreal, QC. The Renvoyle's Captain, Henry Tupper, after learning of downbound traffic in the Lake Huron Cut, decided instead to proceed up into Lake Huron and make his turn above buoy's 11&12 and then proceed downbound. Unfortunately after ordering Full Ahead on the engine and hard starboard on the helm, the Renvoyle failed to respond to her rudder and swung broadside in the St. Clair River due to the strong current always present in the area. At this point the Renvoyle was just below the bridge and slightly upriver of the Sylvania but rapidly heading for the exposed starboard side of the self unloader moored at the Peerless Dock. Captain Tupper seeing the imminent danger unfolding before him called for full astern and dropped the starboard bow anchor with one shot of chain to stop his ship from proceeding any further across the river towards the Sylvania. His actions were for naught as the Renvoyle's forward motion caused it's bow to strike the helpless Sylvania on the starboard side at hatch #27 slicing approximately 5' into it's hull above and below the waterline. The pumps on the Sylvania were immediately activated by the engine room crew but due to the side tanks and unloading tunnel being connected, once the hull was breached, sinking was almost inevitable. The Sylvania settled on a ledge that extends out from the dock and luckily the mooring cables held, keeping the ship from sliding off into the deeper part of the river. The cabins and most of the spar deck remained above water but the engine room partially flooded. The Sylvania was refloated on June 17th by McQueen Marine Ltd and repaired at a cost of over 1 million dollars. The Renvoyle suffered relatively minor bow damage, $20,000, and was able to resume its voyage.
Sylvania sunk at Peerless Cement Dock		Renvoyle in the Welland Canal showing bow damage.		Another view of the Renvoyle's bow damage		Sylvania now refloated with a patch on the starboard side.

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