Fire-damaged bulker Tecumseh going to scrap this fall

Nearly four years after an engine room fire sent her to the wall, Lower Lakes Towing’s 50-year-old bulker Tecumseh has officially reached the end of the line.

Marine Recycling Corporation owner Wayne Elliott broke the news in a Facebook post late Friday night, announcing that the fire-damaged vessel will be towed from her berth at Ashtabula, Ohio, to nearby Port Colborne, Ontario, before the end of September. There, like fleetmates Ojibway and Manistee just before her, Tecumseh will be torn apart by the torch, shredded with the shear, and fed to the furnaces for a fiery rebirth.

The 1973-built bulker was launched in Seattle, Washington, as the oceangoing Sugar Islander. Later sailing under the names Islander, Judy Litrico, and Tina Litrico, the vessel was sold to Lower Lakes Towing in 2010 and renamed Tecumseh, officially entering Great Lakes service in April 2012. She would serve the Canadian grain trade for the better part of the decade.

While sailing down the Detroit River with canola on December 15, 2019, Tecumseh suffered a severe fire originating in her engine room. No injuries were reported, but damage to the engine control room was extensive. The stricken vessel was laid-up for the winter at Windsor, Ontario, and later brought to Ashtabula, Ohio, under tow the following April.

Tecumseh has remained motionless since with her fate uncertain… and now sealed.

Joshua Hebeisen

New stone breakwater to be installed at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor

The US. Army Corps of Engineers is taking a step toward protecting the wetland ecosystem of Lake Erie.

The agency says more than $5 million will cover construction costs of a new stone breakwater at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor.

“This is just the first visible step of a project that will revive the natural aquatic habitat on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor,” said Lt. Col. Colby Krug, commander of the USACE Buffalo District. “I hope all fellow Buffalonians and visitors to the waterfront will join us in envisioning the positive impact this project will have on generations of people, plants, and wildlife.”

The plans for the project look to reverse decades of industrial development and hardening of the Outer Harbor shorelines, which have been harmful to fish and other species in the area.

The breakwater, which will be installed near the now-abandoned ship slip three, will connect to Lake Erie and create a new habitat.

“Under the leadership of the Army Corps Buffalo District, this project brings new life to the slip next to Wilkeson Pointe and continues to build on Buffalo’s waterfront revival,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “This is yet another example of how the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which saw funding boosted through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is directly benefiting Western New York.”

The Army Corps of Engineers says it will not only be beneficial for aquatic species, but also birds.

Construction is slated to start early this fall and will be finished in November.

Spectrum News

U.S. House passes James bill requiring Soo Locks security study

Washington ― The U.S. House on Wednesday passed a bill directing completion of a new study of potential security shortfalls at the Soo Locks, as well as the supply chain and economic impacts of a potential failure at the Great Lakes shipping lock complex at Sault Ste. Marie.

The legislation, passed by voice vote, is the first by freshman U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, to pass the chamber. The bill’s co-sponsors include U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet; Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township; and Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids.

The bill directs the secretaries of transportation and defense, in coordination with the commandant of the Coast Guard, to present the study to Congress within a year of enactment, asking the agencies to also recommend measures to strengthen security at the shipping lock complex and to reduce impacts to supply chains in the event of a Soo Locks failure or attack.

Previous studies of the potential economic consequences of a Soo Locks failure have been conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps in 2018 concluded that unexpected outage of the 1,200-foot-long Poe lock would create a “bottleneck,” disrupting the supply chain for steel production and thus manufacturing in North America — particularly the auto industry.

A 2015 Department of Homeland Security report that found no alternative transportation mode exists for getting iron ore from Minnesota mines to steel mills on the lower Great Lakes.

“A six-month shutdown would be disastrous. It would cause recessions, close factories, shutter mines,” James told reporters on a Tuesday phone call. “Around 11 million jobs could be lost nationwide. That’s massive. That’s more than the entirety of Michigan’s population. … This is why we must pass this legislation.”

He emphasized how the security landscape, especially in terms of cyber and drone threats, has changed in the eight years since the Homeland Security study was conducted. “The world’s a completely different place,” James said.

Among the recommendations that James is hoping to see from the report is assigning next-generation fighter aircraft and a hypersonic mission to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in his district in Harrison Township “to cover our vital infrastructure” at the Soo Locks.

Bergman, whose district includes the Soo Locks, anticipated a “lop-sided” House vote in favor of the bill. He urged his Senate colleagues to pass it, as well.

“Although a lack of investment by the Biden administration has pushed back project completion, we still have the requirement to ensure the locks are secure and identify any critical, vulnerable areas where improvement may be needed, now even during the construction phase,” Bergman said.

Bergman was referring to the massive $3 billion project underway at the shipping lock complex on the St. Mary’s River that connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes. Plans call for a new 1,200-foot-long lock to mirror the aging Poe lock, which is the only one at the shipping complex big enough to handle the largest Great Lakes freighters that carry 71% of the tonnage that traverses the corridor.

The new lock under construction would provide redundancy, so cargo could keep moving in the case of an unexpected outage of the aging Poe, built in 1968.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the study and report would cost less than $500,000, though a separate appropriation would still be needed.

The Detroit News

New Great Lakes maritime facility could change export game for ag producers in northern states

Officials of Port Milwaukee and The DeLong Co., Inc. recently celebrated the grand opening of the $40-million Agricultural Maritime Export Facility. They were joined by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and federal, state, and local officials to welcome the single largest investment in the port since the 1950s.

The facility, located on the west side of Jones Island, will be one of the first on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system to handle various agricultural commodities via truck, rail and international vessel, including dried distillers grains with solubles, a high-nutrient animal feed supplement derived as a byproduct of ethanol refining.

Sault’s “Uber boatnerd” Mason Harris turned six years old on Thursday

Know Your Ships? “Well, you should,” birthday boy Mason Charles Harris said, holding a toy freighter with his name written all over it in gold letters.

Mason’s birthday wish is to become a boat captain one day.

Interlake Steamship Company coined Mason, “one of the biggest & littlest fans of Great Lakes shipping” when he was just four years old. Today, he turns six and enjoys a James R. Barker vanilla birthday cake.

“James R. Barker is my favorite freighter,” he said. “It gives me master salutes.”

Mason even knows all about its captain, Capt. Brad Newland, whom he called a friend.

“It is 1004 feet, and Captain Brad always waves,” Mason said. “Mom follows him on Facebook.”

Mason only hopes for more Great Lakes freighter toys and books on his sixth birthday, such as those from his favorite series, Know Your Ships, written by local author Roger LeLievre.

“He is an uber Boatnerd,” LeLeivre said about one of the littlest, biggest freighter fans he knows in the Sault.

Mason also wants an iPad, since his fell into the water while shooting pictures of ships.

“His whole day revolves around boats,” Mason’s mother, Lori Mason, added. “We always go up on the Soo Locks Visitor’s Deck. He likes going into the Soo Locks Visitor’s Center to play. We go to Valley Camp, and up on the Tower of History (Sault Historic Sites). He watches the boats from the top of the tower. We have to go catch freighters every day. He has friends at Rotary Park: Jordan, Carson, and Mr. Don. They take pictures of the freighters. We even go out there in the winter, March, when the Soo Locks open. I have pictures of him waving in snow and ice.”

The other day, he spent the night at Grandma JoAnn Mason’s house.

“Mason woke her up at 4 a.m. to go see the Mark W. Barker,” Lori said, giggling. “He has the MarineTraffic app, and saw it coming.”

Mason was named after his grandfather, Vietnam Veteran Charles Mason, who worked for the U.S. Corps of Engineers as a Soo Lock and dam operator for approximately 30 years. He retired in 2009 and passed away on Sept. 23, 2016.

Mason also has two cousins aboard the Mesabi Miner, Sissy and Gary Payment.

“I love my cousins,” he said. “Sissy cooks and Gary works on the unloading boom.”

But Mason said his love for ships on the Great Lakes was inspired by early memories aboard Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours aka “The yellow ones.”

“He was either two or three at the time,” Lori said.

Mason is also a big fan of Original Soo Locks Boat Tours aka “The white ones”  because its fleet was recently acquired by Interlake Maritime Services.
Both yellow and white tour boats carry out narrated cruises along the St. Marys River through the Soo Locks.

But Mason mainly wanted to talk about the James R. Barker, referencing a fire that occurred in its engine room in 1987.

Eventually, he moved into conversation about the 858-foot Roger Blough, built in 1972 by American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio. The ship is owned by Great Lakes Fleet.

During winter layup on February 1, 2021, a fire broke out at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. More than one year later, the Blough was towed to Conneaut, OH. Mason was unsure as to whether or not it had been scrapped yet.

Lori pulled a credit card out of her purse. The card had a freighter printed on the front of it.

“That is the Hon. Paul J. Martin,” he said at a glance, wanting to talk about Paul R. Tregurtha instead. “The Paul R. Tregurtha is the largest freighter on the lakes at 1,013 feet, 6 inches.”

“How does he know this?” Lori asked, rhetorically. “He can name all of them. He is so smart. In preschool, they had a boat week just for him. They made a big cardboard boat toward the end of the year.”

Ms. Amie Lawson was his Sault Tribe Head Start teacher that year.

Mason just finished up kindergarten, and is excited to start first grade. This school year, he just hopes to meet like-minded friends, whose lives also revolve around the ships of the Great Lakes.

Happy sixth birthday, Mason Charles Harris!

Soo Leader

Four new methanol-ready vessels to be built to ABS class for Algoma

Algoma Central Corporation (Algoma) has ordered two, methanol-ready, 37,000-DWT, ice class product tanker vessels to be built to ABS Class. This CAN$127m investment followed an order for two, new, 72,250-DWT, methanol-ready, Kamsarmax-based ocean belt self-unloading vessels that will also be built to ABS Class from Algoma.

The new product tankers will be entered on long-term time charters under Canadian flag, trading primarily from Saint John, New Brunswick, with deliveries to ports in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. East Coast.

The methanol-ready Kamsarmax vessels will support Algoma’s decarbonization efforts with the new ships designed to exceed EEDI Level III requirements and to include Tier 3 engines. The vessels are expected to be 40 percent more efficient than the ships they will replace, owing to a combination of fuel efficiency and optimized cargo lift.

“ABS is proud to help Algoma modernize their fleets and support their sustainability strategy. Methanol is a promising fuel source to reduce shipping emissions, and these vessels will be ready to adopt this as bunkering infrastructure matures,” said John McDonald, ABS President and Chief Operating Officer.

“These vessels have been designed with safety and optimization at the top of mind and will be a model for the next generation of vessels. ABS has worked with Algoma for over 25 years providing technical expertise and services to help us achieve quality vessel performance, and we look forward to continuing to work together to maximize safety and accelerate efficiency,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma.

Source: ABS

Helenic Shipping News

Boat crew responsible for saving man after Ambassador Bridge fall saves another man over the weekend

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A crew of boaters typically known for helping to deliver mail to mariners on the Detroit River is being hailed as heroes once again after helping to save a fisherman over the weekend.

The J.W. Westcott has been delivering mail and other items to mariners crossing the Detroit River since 1874.

Because a boat captain and deckhand are on the boat for 24 hours per day, seven days a week for around 250 days each year, they say they often are the first to see when boaters or swimmers get into trouble on the water.

On July 12, the crew on board the vessel helped to save a worker who fell off the Ambassador Bridge. Surveillance video captured bystanders banging on the office door of J.W. Westcott to alert the crew that someone had fallen 150 feet into the river. The crew immediately jumped into action, getting to the critically injured worker within two minutes and pulling him to safety.

“Usually, it’s something that happens spur of the moment. We usually train with man overboard drills,” Capt. James Hogan of the rescue said.

Hogan says while it’s not a part of their job description, many people may be surprised to learn how often the crew helps pull straggling swimmers or boaters to safety on the river.

The crew says tools that are meant to be used in case of an emergency with one of their crew members like life jackets, life preservers and a tool called “Jacob’s Cradle” come in handy when disaster strikes for others on the river.

“Every now and then, you’ll get dogs in the water, bodies that just kind of float up, sadly, and, you know, other people that have had unfortunate accidents happen,” Hogan said.

Hogan says last Tuesday, the crew was able to help the Detroit Fire Department pull a floating body from the water. Then this past weekend, the crew pulled a fisherman to safety after he went overboard.

The crew says although they’re not expected to take the place of first responders, they’re happy to lend a helping hand.

“You just start to notice things in the water and you’re like that’s not normal. You go to check it out because sometimes it isn’t. Just like the head of a person that’s trying to keep afloat,” Hogan said. “We do what we can with what we got.”

WXYZ Detroit

Research vessels are on the Great Lakes, but there’s no crew on board

The government is using three uncrewed research vessels in the Great Lakes.

These autonomous vessels are gathering data on fish. One vehicle is on the surface on northern Lake Michigan. Another is on Lake Erie.

There’s also a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV) that’s mapping fish distribution. It’s being deployed out of harbors from Frankfort down to Benton Harbor.

The U.S. Geological Survey along with conservation agencies from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario are partners in these experimental uses of the uncrewed vessels.

The USGS said in a release that diesel-powered conventional research vessels are relatively loud and that might have an impact on the data collected because fish could be scared away by the noise.

The surface vehicles, called saildrones, are wind-powered and can stay out on the water 24 hours a day for months, gathering data.

Having more data always makes scientists happy. It can be used to determine the validity of other research where data was gathered by crews on conventional boats.

The operators say notices about the autonomous vessels have been sent to the U.S. Coast Guard to provide to mariners.

Michigan Radio

Brig Niagara sailing season to end early due to propellor repairs

The remainder of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s 2023 sailing schedule has been officially canceled due to mechanical issues.

The Flagship Niagara League will offer refunds to anyone who has already registered to sail on the ship, according to a statement Monday from the Flagship Niagara League and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

What kind of mechanical issues?

The cancellation was due to the loss of the Niagara’s starboard propeller.

Flagship Niagara League Executive Director and Fleet Captain Billy Sabatini said the propeller had been attached to the Niagara for 30 years without incident and that he doesn’t know what led to its sudden failure, which was discovered earlier this month and led to a temporary suspension of sails.

“We didn’t hit anything. We didn’t get it caught up in fishing gear. We didn’t hit a dock. Nothing happened. There wasn’t any event that precipitated the prop falling off because if that was the case I would have noticed,” he told the Erie Times-News.

Sabatini said he looked into getting temporary propellers. But after considering the time this would take — a minimum of 55 days — and the fact the Niagara would ultimately get permanent propellers this fall in Cleveland, that option seemed less attractive.

“The temporary ones would be great spares to have, but the timetable being a minimum of 55 days, it didn’t make sense to go through all that just for one week of sailing at the end of the year,” Sabatini said.

The Niagara will be fitted with in-kind custom-fabricated propellers, which, according to the statement, will save money on repairs in the long run and allow the ship to operate without undue stress to the engines.

The variable-pitch propellers will take a minimum of 76 days to fabricate and install at a cost of roughly $120,000.

“Our next step will be to sail the Niagara to shipyard (in Cleveland) to replace the propellers and install new generators as previously planned,” said Melissa Mann, PHMC’s director of Historic Sites and Museum, in the statement.

“While at the shipyard, a full survey of the ship’s mechanical and maintenance needs will be conducted in order to develop a long-term maintenance and preservation plan to ensure many successful future sailing seasons.”

Niagara still open for deck tours

Before the ship travels to Cleveland in the fall, the Niagara will be open for deck tours at the Erie Maritime Museum Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Day sails, sunset sails and occasional full-moon sails are available aboard the schooner Lettie G. Howard as scheduled, weather permitting.

Sabatini said the canceled Niagara sailing schedule was a “hard hit” but that the Flagship Niagara League and PHMC are committed to Niagara sailing in the future.

“The public-private partnership between the Flagship Niagara League and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is strong and as long as we work together, and this community is still in support of what we’re doing, we’re going to make this happen.”

The PHMC administers the Erie Maritime Museum. The Flagship Niagara League is a nonprofit organization that facilitates public participation aboard the reconstructed Battle of Lake Erie warship.

Erie Times-News

Great Lakes are once again a hot destination for cruise ships

SS Badger expected to return in few weeks after ramp equipment failure

MANITOWOC, Wis. (WBAY) – The S.S. Badger revealed more information Monday on why it had to suspend service last week and why it may not return to service for the next few weeks.

In a statement, Lake Michigan Carferry says one of its two lifting structures for the ramp used to load and unload the Badger collapsed into the water. No one was hurt and the ramp itself wasn’t damaged.

Now, the S.S. Badger is working on removing and replacing the old equipment. Lake Michigan Carferry says it’s hopeful the S.S. Badger will be back in service in the next few weeks. The company didn’t have an exact timeframe.

Ticketed passengers can call 1-800-841-4243 to either issue a refund or change their reservation.

WBAY

LMC provides update on SS Badger operations

A mechanical failure at the Ludington, MI, dock ramp early Friday morning has canceled SS Badger’s daily cruises across Lake Michigan until further notice. See the full statement from LMC in the gallery at the bottom of the page.

U.S. Great Lakes shipping is a massive economic driver

CLEVELAND, OHIO (February 23, 2021) – “The Great Lakes Navigation System is the backbone of our Nation’s manufacturing, industrial, building, and agricultural economies.” That statement, included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, was reinforced with the release of a new economic impact study of maritime shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Friday, July 21, 2023.

The report titled; “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes” highlights the crucial role maritime shipping plays in the economic success of the nation. The industry drives $36 billion in annual economic activity and generates more than $6 billion in tax revenue. 147,350 U.S. jobs are tied to the maritime industry in the region and more than $17.8 billion in family sustaining wages are paid every year.

“The Great Lakes Navigation System is vital to our national economic security.  We as a nation must continue to invest in the system to ensure it remains sustainable and resilient.  The new large navigational lock in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, reliable Coast Guard icebreaking, and dollars for dredging and navigational structure maintenance are all examples of an investment in our security,” stated James Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg opened the announcement of the report highlighting that the Great Lakes region is the third largest economy in the world behind the U.S. and China.

Read the full report here.

Lake Carriers’ Association

Boats set sail from Monroe Harbor for annual Race to Mackinac

CHICAGO (WLS) — Boats set sail Saturday morning from Monroe Harbor for the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

“This is super exciting,” said John Desmond, a sailor in the race. “I don’t think there’s a lot of places in the world where you can have this kind of a view of the city.”

230 boats are traveling well over 300 miles to Michigan’s Mackinac Island in Lake Huron.

This year is the 114th running of the famed regatta, known by many as ‘the Mac.’

“When you leave, you always look at the skyline to see how far away you’re getting,” said Michael Schultes, a sailor in the race. “And when it’s gone, you say my goodness, we’re in the race.”

2,100 sailors from around the world and across the country set sail.

“Year-after-year, I keep saying, this is the last one, but I keep coming back,” said Jamal Alwattar, a sailor in the race. “It’s really challenging. It’s an endurance race.”

This year is Alwattar’s 31st time in the regatta.

Boat crews range in size from just two members to as many as 22 people, depending on the size of the boat.

“There is a lot more communication going on, as opposed to just like two people, you have to talk to everybody so everybody understands what’s going on,” said Luci Ramirez, a sailor in the race.

For 15-year-old Ramirez and 16-year-old Lauren Gullo, this is their first time in ‘the Mac,’ and they were eager to get sailing.

“I’m very excited about getting there and celebrating with my family once I get there,” Gullo said.

Senate committee approves funding for new Soo Lock

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted to provide the Army Corps of Engineers the full $235 million it had asked for to continue construction on a new supersize navigation lock at Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula as part of its annual energy and water development budget.

While the federal appropriations process is far from complete, the vote Thursday, along with earlier passage of $257.4 million for the new Soo Lock in the House Appropriations Committee, makes it likely that Corps will receive at least the amount it requested to set aside for the project.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and helped secure the funding, noted that when Biden’s budget first came in it did not specifically earmark money for the new Soo Lock. He and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, also D-Mich., had to go to the administration and urge it to dedicate specific funding for the project, he said.

“The Soo Locks are critical to Michigan’s economy and to our entire country,” Peters said Thursday. “There’s no question that continuing to modernize the Soo Locks is long overdue — and even a temporary shutdown of one lock would have incredibly harmful impacts on Great Lakes commerce, jobs, national supply chains and our national security.”

The new lock under construction will be the same size as the 55-year-old Poe Lock, the only one at Sault Ste. Marie capable of handling the biggest lake vessels that carry the majority of cargo — including iron ore pellets used to make steel for autos and appliances — between Lake Superior ports and those in the lower Great Lakes. Reports have indicated if the Poe Lock were to suffer a long closure for any reason it could lead to a national recession.

In recent years, however, the estimated cost of the new lock has ballooned from what had been expected to be $922 million to more than $3 billion. While much of that was due to inflation, a Free Press investigation found that there also were design changes and incorrect initial assumptions about the project that drove up the cost.

In the House Appropriations Committee, U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, helped secure the $235 million requested for the project, while U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and John James, R-Shelby Township, won approval of an additional $22.4 million for the new lock. Ultimately, both chambers will compromise on the final funding amount for the year, but Thursday’s vote means it should be at least the $235 million requested.

Detroit Free Press

Independent study confirms Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping vital to economic strength and development

A comprehensive independent study of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system for the 2022 shipping season was released today, detailing the billions in economic activity and hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by the industry. Titled “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region,” the study reviews the industry’s economic impacts from multiple perspectives, and showed that even in a year in which the world was gripped with pandemic challenges, global unrest, and supply chain concerns, marine shipping drove the North American economy forward.

The binational study presents results from both a U.S. and Canadian perspective.

An analysis of the “Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System” is most relevant to American stakeholders because it focuses on cargo traffic to and from Great Lakes ports. The study showed that from this perspective, 2022 maritime commerce supported:

• $36 billion (USD) in economic activity;
• more than 240,000 jobs, which generated almost $18 billion (USD) in wages;
• the movement of 135.7 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods; and
• $6.3 billion (USD) in state and federal taxes.

An analysis of the “Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Waterway” is most relevant to Canadian stakeholders in that all Quebec impacts along the St. Lawrence are considered – including those outside the Great Lakes. The study showed that from this perspective, 2022 maritime commerce supported:

• $66.1 billion (CDN) in economic activity;
• more than 355,000 jobs that generated more than $30 billion (CDN) in wages;
• the movement of 252.1 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods; and
• $12.8 billion (CDN) in taxes.

The English language version of the study can be accessed at https://greatlakes-seaway.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/eco_impact_full_2023_en.pdf

The French language version of the study can be accessed at https:///grandslacs-voiemaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/eco_impact_full_2023_fr.pdf

The study was requested by a public/private sector committee of American and Canadian maritime organizations, with the intent of providing the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers, and the public with a credible, independent assessment of the economic contributions made by commercial maritime shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region throughout North America.  The industry’s vital contributions to jobs and wages, supply chain strength, business competitiveness across key commodities, and tax revenues provide strong rationale for major governmental initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure and improving supply chains. This includes the U.S. Government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which were aimed in part at investing in green technologies and infrastructure enhancement, the Canadian Government’s Green Shipping Corridor Program, which will support increased sustainability within the marine sector, and the Canadian Government’s commitment to establish a dedicated Transportation Supply Chain Office to enhance supply chain effectiveness.

In addition to the information presented in “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region,” an additional study detailing the public and private investments made in the Great Lakes -St. Lawerence Seaway System will be released this fall.

Chamber of Marine Commerce

Boat with cool history arrives in Petosky’s Little Traverse Bay for sunset cruises

PETOSKEY, MI – When big boats motor into Petoskey’s beautiful Little Traverse Bay, they tend to attract attention. The neighborhood’s newest double-decker arrival is inviting people to step aboard.

The Harbor Princess – a boat with a storied history on two Great Lakes – has settled into its new home here and is now offering sunset cruises on the bay. It’s the new big sister in the Little Traverse Bay Ferry Company fleet. The ferry service for the last few years has been port-hopping around Little Traverse Bay with stops to pick up and drop off passengers in Petoskey and neighboring Bay Harbor and Harbor Springs.

For now, the Harbor Princess will be used mainly for sunset cruises. These evening trips will be offered several days each week. Each cruise departs from the Petoskey Clocktower Pier at 7:30 p.m. The cruises motor around the bay for about an hour and a half, then return to the pier at 9 p.m.

Tickets are $35 per person. A cash bar is available on board. The boat has two decks and covered seating areas.

You can book your tickets in advance on the company’s website here.

“We take pride in bringing Harbor Princess back to her rightful home,” said Capt. Chris Chamberlain, owner of Little Traverse Bay Ferry Company. “Given our success with our ferry on the Little Traverse Bay, it was a natural choice to introduce another vessel to the Greater Petoskey Area. Northern Michigan holds a special place in our hearts, and we couldn’t be more excited to extend a warm welcome to everyone aboard.”

Upcoming sunset cruise dates include:

• Thursday, July 20
• July 26 through July 29
• Aug. 1-5
• Aug. 9-12

For additional dates or information about private charters, see the details on the company’s website, www.littletraversebayferry.org.

Cruise With History

People familiar with tour boats that ply the Great Lakes know that vessels can change hands and change names several times over the decades they are on the water. The same is true of the newly-christened Harbor Princess. This boat has a pretty cool history that includes two well-known islands and Michigan’s biggest city.

It was launched in 1955 and first known as the Emerald Isle, built for the Beaver Island Boat Company. The 65-foot boat could carry up to 125 passengers and nine vehicles between that remote island in northern Lake Michigan and Charlevoix, its mainland port. It was later bought by the Arnold Transit line to ferry people, horses and other cargo between Mackinac Island and mainland docks in the Straits of Mackinac. Its most recent incarnation under Chamberlain and his team was as the Diamond Jack, a dinner and river cruise boat in Detroit.

After heading north to St. Ignace, where it spent a stint in dry dock for a little refurbishing, the boat left as the Harbor Princess and joined the ferry company in Petoskey for its next chapter on the water.

“The Harbor Princess carries a rich history that unfolds with every voyage,” Chamberlain said. “From her beginnings as the legendary Emerald Isle, tailored specifically for the Charlevoix to Beaver Island route, to a Mackinac Island ferry for Arnold Line, then as the beloved Diamond Jack touring the heart of Detroit. Her journey is a special testament of maritime history around the state of Michigan.”

Stay tuned for other fresh plans for the Harbor Princess, which could include narrated history tours and other special event cruises.

For more information on the sunset cruises or the company’s daily ferry service between the three ports, check the website here.

MLive

Apron issue causes Badger to cancel sailings

UPDATE: Departures through July 27th canceled.

UPDATE: Please see press release in the gallery below.

LUDINGTON, MI – Travel aboard the SS Badger has been halted due to an issue in the car ferry’s loading area on Friday morning.

Sailing was called off for the day, and Lake Michigan Carferry is unsure when it will resume, according to a statement on social media. “We had a problem with our apron this morning so we will not be able to load anything onto the ship,” the statement read.

The situation is still being evaluated. Passengers are asked to call 1-800-841-4232 to reschedule or get a refund.

Ludington Daily News

Benefit-to-cost ratio of Soo Locks project bumped up

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District New Lock at the Soo project fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Supplemental Economic Update has been approved with a policy-compliant Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.1 at the 2.5 percent Federal Discount Rate, allowing the Corps of Engineers to more accurately document benefits and analyze the value this project will bring.

“The economic update was completed to evaluate critical assumptions and uncertainties in the BCR, justification of the project was not in question,” Mollie Mahoney, senior new lock project manager said. “The primary focus was on updating the benefits identified in the 2018 Validation Study, including the cost estimate for the Escanaba Build Out.”

The 2018 outdated cost estimate for the hypothetical Escanaba Build Out required a robust reevaluation. The cost of the Escanaba Build Out included expansion of the Port of Escanaba and associated rail infrastructure from Duluth to Escanaba as well as operation and maintenance costs. To calculate the BCR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers updated and evaluated the hypothetical plan of constructing the Escanaba Build Out to calculate what the costs of an alternative mode of transportation would be in the case of an unscheduled Poe Lock outage to derive the benefits.

“Construction of the New Lock at the Soo has continued through the economic update based on the total project benefits and criticality to the nation,” said Mahoney. “Resiliency of the Soo Locks is vital to America’s economic and national security.”

The economic update, including the new BCR of 2.1 (at 2.5 percent Federal Discount Rate for FY23), further emphasizes the justification of the project and its value to the nation.

With the updated BCR and more accurate comparison of benefits to cost, the New Lock at the Soo project will continue to follow the agency’s budgeting process for project implementation and should compete more favorably with other construction projects throughout the country.

The Supplemental Economic Update is an addendum to the FY22 Post Authorization Change Report and was conducted by the Corps of Engineers.

To find more information on the New Lock at the Soo, visit the Detroit District website.

Soo Leader

U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Canadian Minister of Transport to join marine shipping industry in release of comprehensive economic study

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport for the Government of Canada, will join Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Adam Tindall-Schlicht, President and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation Terence Bowles, and John Martin of Martin Associates for the release of a comprehensive economic study via a virtual event.  The study provides an assessment of the contributions made by commercial maritime shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region to the bi-national, national, and state/provincial economies, which is intended to help inform future policy and investment decisions that facilitate trade and economic growth, strengthen supply chains, and make transportation more sustainable. Key statistics captured in the study include jobs and wages, economic activity, tonnages volumes, and taxation generated.

Date and Time:

The virtual event for the release of the study will be held on Friday, July 21 at 11:00 a.m.  Those attending the event are asked to register in advance at https://www.meetview.com/cmc20230721/.  Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Terence Bowles, and John Martin will be available for questions at the end of the virtual event.

The event will be broadcast in 1080p resolution, and a video recording of the event can be made available to media as of 4:00 p.m. EST provided they request a copy in advance. Requests for video recordings can be advanced to the communications contacts provided in this advisory.

A technical briefing will be provided to media in advance of the event via a virtual session at 9:30 a.m. (i.e. 90 minutes prior to the event).  Media planning to attend are asked to pre-register via https://www.meetview.com/cmc20230721mtb/.

Chamber of Marine Commerce

Port Milwaukee and DeLong Company open new agricultural export facility

A new shipping facility for agricultural products — expected to generate $63 million in statewide economic impact each year — officially opened in Port Milwaukee Tuesday.

The $40 million Agricultural Maritime Export Facility is one of the first facilities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway to move bulk agricultural exports, including dried distillers grains — a byproduct from beer and ethanol production that is used in livestock feed — through intermodal transportation. Instead of sending products down the Mississippi River, Wisconsin farmers and businesses can now send their products by truck or rail directly to the facility where they will be loaded onto international shipping vessels.

“This new facility will have a tremendous impact here and around the state,” Gov. Tony Evers said during a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday.

McKeil Marine welcomes new addition to fleet

Our friend Andrea Guerriero from DRE Designs has the inside scoop on the new Northern Venture, a former saltie refitted for Great Lakes trade as part of McKeil Marine’s domestic fleet. See below for a Facebook update, photo gallery, and video post from the renaming ceremony!

Unlikely bond between luxury cruise line, Great Lakes climate scientists

Three years ago, Viking, the luxury cruise line, struck a deal with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to launch passenger cruises on the Great Lakes with a scientific bent.

This summer, Viking crews, NOAA researchers and passengers paying anywhere from $6,000 to $38,000 are exploring the waters around Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario on two specially designed ships while performing high-stakes climate research.

“They’re not casual cruises as you would normally think, where everyone’s sitting by the pool having a drink and stuff like that,” said Bryan Mroczka, the partnership’s science director who is also a physical scientist with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

“There are science lectures all day, people are engaged, hands on with some of these science experiments where they can safely do so,” he said.

The cruises, now in their second year, hold benefits for both parties. It provides Viking  entry into the increasingly competitive Great Lakes cruise industry, where it can market “citizen-based science” expeditions to affluent, eco-conscious travelers. For NOAA and its Great Lakes laboratory, the ships provide a floating laboratory for ongoing research.

Mroczka said NOAA is happy with the results even as he acknowledges the partnership continues to be a work in progress. The venture is run through the Michigan-based Great Lakes lab, one of seven operated by NOAA. Much of Mroczka’s work centers around communicating between researchers from NOAA and Viking and ensuring they have the right materials.

Viking officials did not make themselves available for comment on the partnership. But in a press release from May, Viking said the deal allows the company to “further develop the scientific enrichment program for its Great Lakes voyages.”

Among the challenges, said Mroczka, are maritime rules that regulate transportation in the U.S. involving an international ship. (The two Viking ships are based in Switzerland.)

He noted, for instance, that under the Jones Act, passed after World War I to protect the economic interests of the U.S. maritime industry, cargo and passengers transported from one U.S. port to another need to be ferried by an American crew on an American ship.

“This was a learning experience for a lot of us…(with) multiple legal barriers that have slowed things down,” Mroczka said. “We’ve been working very hard to figure out ways to work with these laws and still be able to get the science that we need.”

The two Viking ships take a variety of paths, such as the “Niagara and the Great Lakes” tour, an eight-day excursion that takes passengers from Toronto to Niagara Falls, Point Pelee, then into U.S. waters in Detroit, to Alpena’s Thunder Bay, Mackinac Island and ending in Milwaukee.

The partnership launched last year, when Octantis was the lone Viking vessel setting sail in the Great Lakes. The Viking Polaris became the second this past May, allowing NOAA to double experiments and data gathering. Each ship can carry up to 378 guests in 189 staterooms.

The first scientific projects went well, Mroczka said: “Weather balloons started to fly, water samples were taken continuously and that data is being looked at as we speak.”

Researchers are focused on measuring the impact of climate change on the Great Lakes, which includes weather balloons, which transmits data to the National Weather Service to assist with forecast models. Information from the weather balloons changes as the ship travels, which makes it different from traditional weather balloons in which the location remains static.

Stephanie Gandulla, resource protection coordinator for the Thunder Bay Marine National Sanctuary in Alpena, said the sanctuary has also benefited from the Polaris and Octantis cruise ships coming ashore.

The Thunder Bay sanctuary was created in part to protect a collection of known shipwrecks in the area through the National Historic Preservation Act. She estimates there are another hundred shipwrecks to be found and said if the deal between NOAA and Viking continues, the ships will help the sanctuary increase its ability to provide visualizations of the lake floor and possibly even identify additional shipwrecks.

“Lakebed 2030 is the initiative to map the Great Lakes (lakefloor) to high resolution by the year 2030,” Gandulla said. “That is something kind of surprising that we’ve only mapped less than 20 percent to high resolution. It’s been mapped for navigation purposes, but as far as for other science purposes — understanding fisheries, habitat, and map looking for shipwrecks — there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Mroczka said the agreement between NOAA and Viking is set to last until 2025, but he said that does not mean that’s when it will end. Future projects are being considered but most of the focus is on current research.

“Now that a lot of people have seen how the process works and hopefully that next data call for projects will be streamlined and develop faster than the first time,” Mroczka said. “But this partnership is moving forward and it’s got a bright future.”

Bridge Michigan

Iron ore and steel setting the pace for US Great Lakes shipping through month of June

Consistency in a resilient economy has been the theme to date for US Great Lakes Shipping thus far in 2023, as approximately 12 million tonnes of total cargo traffic have now transited the seaway system for the year to date – virtually identical to the same period in 2022.

Iron ore and coal, two key commodities for steel making, showed strong traffic numbers, with more than 2.3 million tonnes of iron ore moving through the system thus far (a year over year increase of almost 9 percent), and 769 thousand tonnes of coal transiting the system (a 44% increase).  In addition, 193 thousand tonnes of steel slabs traveled the system – more than ten times the amount as last year.

TheToledo-Lucas County Port Authority is one of the key ports managing some of this traffic, having already handled 3.8 million tons of cargo year to date.

“In addition to handling cargo, the terminals are busy working with our Port Authority to coordinate construction projects that will upgrade the Port’s infrastructure and capabilities for years to come,” said Joseph Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.  “We are roughly 50% complete with the reconstruction of our main dock wall at our general cargo facility operated by Midwest Terminals. Additionally, the foundations are now in place for a new liquid bulk transload facility at that same terminal. Through this process, we are literally laying the groundwork for additional cargo handling opportunities at the Port of Toledo.”

The total project cost for the dock wall and liquid transload projects represents a $24 million investment in the port’s infrastructure.

“The focus and dedication that the Chamber of Marine Commerce’s members are putting into upgrading their facilities for the future is what will keep the marine mode at the forefront of all discussions related to sustainable economic growth,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.  “The enhancements at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority are a great example of the visionary thinking that will ensure supply chain capacity will meet business and consumer demands in a safe, sustainable, and efficient manner for many years to come.”

Chamber of Marine Commerce