Freighter issues mayday on Lake Erie after engine fire

Detroit, MI – With its engine on fire, the Cuyahoga — a commercial freighter on Lake Erie — sent out a mayday, the internationally recognized signal for distress, to anyone within range who could help.

“Mayday relay. Mayday relay. Mayday relay,” the Canadian Coast Guard radio blared as it rebroadcast the ship’s plea for aid, adding coordinates and instructions. The guard heard the initial call for help at about 10 p.m. Tuesday. “All stations, all stations, all stations.”

The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, along with other vessels, swung into action. The overnight rescue ended the next day with the 20 crew members aboard safe, and a ship the size of two football fields anchored and damaged about 2 nautical miles northeast of Pelee Island.

On Wednesday evening, the McKeil tug Ecosse was headed for the anchored Cuyahoga. She will tow Cuyahoga to Kingsville, ON, so she can unload her cargo of stone.

In many ways, the nautical mishap is another example of the dangers that sailors face, but hope to never encounter, on the water that often are out of public view. In this case, a small bit of the drama was caught on video and audio, and, Coast Guard Petty Officer Jessica Fontenette in Cleveland said, had a good ending.

“Everybody was fine,” Fontenette told the Free Press early Wednesday. “Of course, there’s always the chance it could have been much worse, but, luckily, they were able to contain the fire and no one was injured, and no one had to abandon ship.”

The rescue team included a Coast Guard helicopter from Detroit that circled the freighter, as it was poised to rescue crew if needed, and recorded the incident from the air.

Still, Fontenette said, bad things happen and that’s why ships call out for help, and everyone who can, responds, so “it doesn’t turn into a tragic event.” A mayday on the water, like a 911 call on land, is something that immediately lets everyone know ‘you are in distress.’

It’s unclear, she said, what caused the fire, how extensive the damage is or how long the freighter — which was carrying a load of stone — would be anchored there. Pelee Island, Canada’s southernmost populated point, is the largest island in the western half of Lake Erie. It is about halfway between Sandusky, Ohio, to the south; and Leamington, Canada, to the north.

Fontenette said that in addition to a Coast Guard helicopter from Detroit, a rescue boat from Marblehead, and three more vessels from the Canadian Coast Guard were dispatched to help. A tugboat, and at least two other freighters —- the Indiana Harbor and Radcliffe R. Latimer — offered assistance.

By Wednesday eight crew members, identified as “non-essential,” were taken off the Cuyahoga, the rest stayed behind on to evaluate the damage and potentially make repairs, the Coast Guard said.

The rescue agency also posted a 10-second clip of the ship, taken at night by the Detroit-stationed helo. It ended its post with “BZ to all involved!” BZ — Bravo Zulu — is a Naval signal conveyed by flag-hoist or voice radio, meaning “well done,” followed by single word: “#interagency.”

Read more, see the clip and hear the scanner traffic at this Detroit Free Press link: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/24/cuyahoga-freighter-mayday-engine-fire-lake-erie-coast-guard/70252496007/

Lake Erie along Pennsylvania’s shoreline on its way to becoming national marine sanctuary

President Joe Biden’s administration took the first step Thursday toward designating the Pennsylvania-owned section of Lake Erie as the state’s first national marine sanctuary.

A formal designation could take several years, and it wouldn’t change existing regulations around the use of the lake. The announcement sets up a public comment period before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration writes a draft plan for the sanctuary.

The designation would apply to an approximately 740-square-mile (1,917-square-kilometer) area of water off Pennsylvania’s 75 mile-long (120-kilometer-long) shoreline. It would attract federal funding to help find and preserve shipwrecks in the lake and boost education and outreach around the area’s history.

That history includes being home to indigenous people who once lived there, its role as a hub on the Underground Railroad, and a maritime history as hosting the nation’s largest fleet of steamboats before the Civil War. The area possibly includes scores of yet-to-be-discovered shipwrecks, according to NOAA.

There are 35 known shipwrecks in the area, from pre-Civil War steamboats to speedboats, tugs, barges and workboats lost before 1940, the agency said.

There are two other national marine sanctuaries in the Great Lakes and a third in Lake Ontario nearing designation, all focused on shipwrecks. There are 15 total national marine sanctuaries, some of which focus on preserving endangered aquatic life, as well as two marine national monuments.

Erie County first requested the designation in 2015.

Associated Press

Last Week for Early-Bird Pricing for Soo Boatnerd Cruise

Get your tickets for $35 each (adult), before they go up to $40 on June 1. The cruise is half sold-out, so don’t delay if you plan to join us. Get there details here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-23-24-2022/

Lake Superior water level rockets up in April, could make run at record high level

Lake Superior’s water level rose significantly last month and continues a larger than average rise this month. There is a scenario that could put Lake Superior very near a record water level sometime this summer.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the long-term average rise in Lake Superior’s April water level is three inches. In April 2023 Lake Superior actually rose more than double the usual rise. Lake Superior went up seven inches in April.

The Army Corps of Engineers says, “Significant snowfall, snowmelt and well above average rainfall during the second half of April directly contributed to the larger than average water level rises.”

Lakes Michigan and Huron also rose just a little less than double the typical April water level rise, going up seven inches compared to the average of four inches.

The large water level rises are expected to continue in May. Lake Superior may rise as much as six inches and Lakes Michigan and Huron may rise as much as 7.5 inches.

The trajectory of the most likely forecast in the green dashed line takes Lake Superior eight inches above normal by June and just five inches below the record high water level. In April, and now in May, the actual water level rises have exceeded the forecast.

If the water level rises continue to over-achieve for a few months, Lake Superior could be at record high water levels in July, August or September.

View a water level chart at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2023/05/lake-superior-water-level-rockets-up-in-april-could-make-run-at-record-high-level.html

Port Huron area book events features Great Lakes book authors, illustrator and painter

Saturday, May 27, Port Huron, MI: Book signing at the Great Lakes Maritime Center, 51 Water St., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. , with Know Your Ships author Roger LeLievre and members of the KYS crew. BONUS 1: Great Lakes cartoonist/illustrator Don Lee will have his easel on hand and will sketch your likeness, with or without freighter (tips appreciated). BONUS 2: Catherine Schmuck, author of “Ship to Shore Chef,” will also be there. BONUS 3: Laura Berens, author of the children’s book “Boats Can’t Jump: The Story of the Soo Locks” (illustrated by Don Lee) will be selling and signing her books. BONUS 4:  Port Huron-area painter Harry McTaggert will be showing and selling his work.

May 28, Marine City, MI: Know Your Ships book signing with Roger LeLievre at Mariner Merchantile, 430 S. Water St., 11 a.m.-2 p.m

Vets, active military get in free this weekend at National Museum of the Great Lakes

Toledo, OH – All veterans and active military will receive free admission during Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29). This free promotion provides admission to the museum and to both the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio. Reserved tickets are not required, but are available online. Mire information in the photo gallery.

SS Badger kicks off 70th year of sailing Thursday

A sense of pride and excitement filled the air Thursday morning at the Lake Michigan Carferry dock as the 410-foot SS Badger set sail for Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Crew and staff were on hand early to welcome the nearly 200 riders with smiles and friendly banter as the carferry embarked on its 70th year of crossing Lake Michigan.

The Badger, captained by Bernard Robertson aka “Bunny,” made her maiden voyage from Manitowoc to Ludington on March 21, 1953. On board the ship Thursday was Robertson’s daughter, Audrey Boals.

Boals had a hard time expressing her feelings Thursday at the carferry dock.

“I just can not explain how good my heart feels,” she said.

Boals first rode the Badger when she was 7-years old. Now 77, she said it feels so good to be back.

“I can still picture how the Badger used to be, because I spent a lot of time traveling with my dad,” she said. “To see the transformation to the ship being more about fun and relaxation (is good). It was not a whole lot of fun for people in those days, it had a real business feel in those days, shipping products like the train cars.”

Boals said today the ship is surrounded by a fun atmosphere.

“So much more fun than it was back in 1953.”

Boals said once she is on board her memories of the ship will probably transport her back to her childhood and the many memories of her father and the crew members.

Boals said one of the best memories for her is hearing the ship’s whistle and looked forward to hearing it again Thursday.

She also remembers her father calling out on the ship’s phone when the ship was about 20 minutes fromport.

“WE78, 78, carferry Badger is bound for Ludington in 20 minutes,” she said. “I do not think they even have the phone up in the wheelhouse anymore.”

Ken Ottmann from Milwaukee, was another rider on Thursday.

Ottmann and his family drove around the lake on Wednesday and stayed with former Badger Captain Greg Anderson in order to take the Badger across the lake on Thursday.

“Anyday I get to ride the Badger is a good day,” he said.

Ottmann has ridden the Badger more than 100 times throughout his life starting when he was four or five years old.

“I rode her in 1953 when I was young,” he said. “I have memories of that first trip. I just don’t remember what day.”

Ottmann said his mother did not drive and his father was too busy with work to travel much so he would drive he and his mom to the docks and put them on the Badger.

“She would visit relatives in Manistee and Free Soil and travel back and forth on the Badger.”

His experience on the Badger at a young age has led to a lifelong passion for carferries.

“I got hooked,” he said, wearing his SS Badger hat and carferry shirt. “It is a chronic disease that has no cure. It can be managed, but there is no cure.”

Throughout the years Ottmann, and his passion for carferries, has made many friends in the industry, both on the Badger and other carferries.

“Many of the crew members has become more like family members to me over the years,” he said.

Ottmann said he enjoys riding the ship and tries to any chance he can.

“It is history, it is tradition,” he said. “Every trip across the lake, no matter how similar it might seem, it has unique characteristics to it. I just love to ride the carferries.”

Nick Veine, a local musician, played on the ship for the first time on Thursday.

“It is an honor to be asked to play,” he said. “It seems to be almost a tradition or right of passage for local musicians.”

Thursday’s kick-off to the 70th sailing season included every type of rider from the more experienced to first-time riders.

In a release from Lake Michigan Carferry, the Badger will be bringing back the night crossing in June, according to Sara Spore, general manager.

Shoreline Media

Port Huron Marine Mart

View the gallery for the infographic

‘Electronics malfunction’ to blame for freighter mishap in Detroit River, Coast Guard says

DETROIT – A U.S. Coast Guard investigation points to an “electronics malfunction” for why a freighter only a few months old and longer than two football fields lost power, then maneuverability, on the Detroit River and ran aground Wednesday morning, leaving it stranded for four hours.

The 639-foot merchant vessel — the Mark W. Barker — was freed by a commercial tug boat and moved, by its own power, to a Belle Isle anchorage.

But until repairs are made and the ship is cleared, it cannot continue on its voyage to Milwaukee, the Coast Guard said Thursday. To help officials added, Interlake Steamship Co., the ship’s owner, flew a technician to Detroit to mend its damaged systems.

The Barker of the Interlake Steamship Company ran aground on Belle Isle in Detroit on Wednesday morning May 17, 2023.

The Coast Guard also has begun interviewing the ship’s crew of 21 to uncover more clues to the mishap. The maritime safety agency, however, said a fuller report of what happened on Wednesday is unlikely to be released for a week or more.

“Usually in groundings like this, the vessel can be there for a long time,” Coast Guard Lt. junior grade Adeeb Ahmad said, adding he did know when the ship or the investigation report would be released. “This was unique in that within four hours, it was moving again.”

The National Transportation Safety Board, which also is responsible for civil transportation accident investigations, said Thursday it is not looking into the recent grounding. Generally, the NTSB only gets involved in shipping incidents when they involve casualties or are flagged by the Coast Guard.

Fortunately, the Coast Guard said, no one was injured, the ship was not damaged, and there were no leaks of the 20,000 tons of rock salt cargo or the 105,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Still, the maritime officials added, such an incident potentially could have been calamitous. Two common accidents, collisions and groundings, pose various marine threats. And what adds to the investigation’s significance — and company’s public embarrassment ― is that the vessel, the Mark W. Barker, is new and the pride of the fleet.

Named after the Middleburg Heights, Ohio-based company’s president, the ship was christened just last year. It is the first large bulk carrier built on the Great Lakes since 1981. Interlake also boasts the company is the “most efficient and environmentally responsible in the shipping industry” with of a fleet of 10 ships.

Interlake has described the Mark W. Barker as having a square-shaped, flat-bottomed cargo hold instead of a traditional V-shaped angled bottom and boasted the ship’s “forward-looking design” offers “high-efficiency propulsion and maneuverability.”

Interlake said it names all of its vessels after executives and their wives. Other ships include the James R. Barker, namesake of the company’s chairman and Mark Barker’s father, and the Kaye E. Barker, so dubbed after the president’s mother.

Detroit Free Press

Freighter Walk to be dedicated Saturday in St. Clair

A new “Freighter Walk” on the Palmer Park boardwalk in St. Clair, MI, along the St. Clair River will be dedicated at 1 p.m. on May 20 as part of Be a Tourist in Your Own Town Day.

“The Freighter Walk is new, just installed last year along the boardwalk, with the exact dimensions of specific freighters, in plaques,” said City Clerk Annette Sturdy. “You can scan QR codes and walk the length of freighters and learn about particular vessels.”

Chrissy Gorzen, a St. Clair Historical Commission volunteer, came up with the idea for the walk. She said 26 plaques were installed on the boardwalk, and the project was funded by donations and a matching grant.

St. Clair Recreation Director Trice Hawkins said that Gorzen’s idea was presented to the city and implemented by the leadership team. Blue Water Glass made the customized plates for the walk.

Hawkins said the St. Clair Art Association is sponsoring an open house following the dedication of the Freighter Walk.

“City of St. Clair recreation will provide music by the Trois Bouffons, Featuring French colonial music,” Hawkins said.

Video: Watch S.S. Badger set sail across Lake Michigan for first voyage of 2023

MLive

Mark W. Barker aground. Andrew Russell

Mark W. Barker freed ‘fairly easily’ after grounding in Detroit River

DETROIT, MI –  A 639-foot freighter that grounded Wednesday morning in the Detroit River near Belle Isle has been freed. The United States Coast Guard sent out an update just after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday saying the Mark W. Barker was freed by commercial tugs from the Great Lakes Towing Co.

The vessel, the newest freighter on the Great Lakes, was taken to an anchorage near Belle Isle. Once anchored, Coast Guard investigators will board, assess any damages, and ensure any repairs.

No injuries were reported when the vessel grounded around 7:30 a.m. The freighter lost propulsion because of an electronics malfunction, according to the Associated Press.

The freighter was freed “fairly easily,” Lt. j.g. Adeeb Ahmad told the Associated Press. “For such an unfortunate event, it was the best-case scenario,” Ahmad said. “It happened right next to our Coast Guard station on Belle Isle.”

The river remained open to all traffic. The vessel is carrying a cargo of salt.

The Ohio-based Interlake Steamship Co. christened the Barker in September 2022, making it the first new self-propelled freighter to hit the Great Lakes in 36 years.

M Live

Steel production dips in Great Lakes, down 4% this year

Steel production dipped by 3,000 tons in the Great Lakes region last week, the second straight weekly decrease, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Locally, steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly along the south shore of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, made 577,000 tons of metal in the week that ended May 13, down from 580,000 tons the previous week.

Steel mills remained well below 80% capacity, a key threshold for financial success for the steel sector. After years of record profitability, the industry has been dealing with falling prices, increased economic uncertainty and rising import levels after tariffs were rolled back in favor of quota systems with some trading partners. The United Steelworkers union and Cleveland-Cliffs have been pursuing new trade protections for the first time in years after a collapse in the tin market that led to the idling of tin mills, including in Gary.

Nationally, steel production in 2023 totals 31.88 million tons, a 4% decrease from the 33.23 million tons manufactured through the same period last year.

U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 74.9% through Saturday, down from 80.5% at the same point in 2022, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Steel capacity utilization was 76.7% last week, down from 81.1% a year earlier and up from 76.1% the week prior.

Steel production in the southern region, which encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, totaled 726,000 tons last week, up from 717,000 tons the week before, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Volume in the rest of the Midwest rose to 213,000 tons, up from 208,000 tons the week prior.

NW Indiana Times

Coast Guard unit set to relocate from Massena to Fort Drum, N.Y.

MASSENA, N.Y. ­– The Coast Guard is requesting public comments on the planned relocation of a Marine Safety Detachment from Massena to Fort Drum, N.Y.

The detachment consists of 10 Coast Guard positions and has an area of responsibility that extends south from the St. Lawrence River International Bridge along the U.S.-Canada border to Henderson Harbor, N.Y. It also extends 3.25 miles east from the international border.

The Marine Safety Detachment, a subunit of Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, is responsible for pollution response, marine casualty investigations, marine event permitting, ballast water regulatory reviews, and more.

Moving the detachment to Fort Drum will place it closer to other military units, increasing the availability of jointly shared support services while also providing a more centralized location within the unit’s of responsibility.

Members of the public who wish to express an opinion on the proposed move may provide written comments and related material to the Coast Guard at D9planning@uscg.mil. Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or before July 1, 2023.

Mark W. Barker freed from Belle Isle grounding

Noon update: With the help of two Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs, Mark W. Barker was freed from her strand at noon and was headed for the Belle Isle anchorage where she will be inspected for damage before being allowed to proceed.

11:30 a.m. update: Tug Pennsylvania is attempting to free the Barker. 11:50, tug Ontario heading up to help.

Detroit, MI – The U.S. Coast Guard-Detroit confirms a ship ran aground this morning in the Detroit River. It happened around 7:30 a.m. on the Canadian side of Belle Isle. The ship Mark W. Barker was headed from Cleveland to Milwaukee with a cargo of salt when it ran aground near Belle Isle and had just left Detroit after fueling at the Mistersky dock 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Early reports indicate the vessel suffered a mechanical issue. There were no reported injuries or pollution.

Mark W. Barker is the newest ship from The Interlake Steamship Company and was launched just last year. It was the first self-powered U.S. Great Lakes ship built on the Great Lakes since 1983.

WXYZ’s Chopper 7 shows video from over the Detroit River this morning. https://www.wxyz.com/news/freighter-runs-aground-in-detroit-river-this-morning

 Link to Boatnerd’s Detroit River live cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59KKD18IJVI

Book events feature Know Your Ships author Roger LeLievre, illustrator
Don Lee and more

Saturday, May 20 at the National Museum of the Great Lakes, Toledo, OH: Stop by from 1-3 p.m., pick up your book at the gift shop and have Roger sign it, then spend the rest of the day boatwatching. BONUS: Great Lakes cartoonist/illustrator Don Lee, whose freighter cartoons have often appeared on Facebook, will have his easel on hand and will sketch your likeness, with or without freighter (tips appreciated).

Saturday, May 27, Port Huron, MI: Book signing at the Great Lakes Maritime Center, 51 Water St., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. BONUS 1: Great Lakes cartoonist/illustrator Don Lee will have his easel on hand and will sketch your likeness, with or without freighter (tips appreciated). BONUS 2: Catherine Schmuck, author of “Ship to Shore Chef,” will also be there. BONUS 3: Laura Berens, author of the children’s book “Boats Can’t Jump: The Story of the Soo Locks” (illustrated by Don Lee) will be selling and signing her books. BONUS 4: Port Huron-area painter Harry McTaggert will be showing and selling his work.

May 28, Marine City, MI: Know Your Ships book signing with Roger LeLievre at Mariner Merchantile, 430 S. Water St., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Stop by for your book and check out this very cool shop, which features many nautical items.

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/

Great Lakes Labor: Filipino Mariners Can Now Sail On Canadian Merchant Ships

In a move to tackle an acute mariner shortage accentuated by the rapid retirement of boomers, Canada has signed an unprecedented agreement with the Philippines, allowing Filipino merchant mariners to serve on Canadian-flagged vessels. This marks a significant shift in international labor arrangements, opening new doors for the robust Filipino seafarer population, but causing worry among Canadian Merchant Mariners that wages could fall.

“Various sectors and government departments have expressed to Transport Canada the urgent necessity of sourcing qualified sailors to take on numerous roles, both on ships and ashore, to bolster maritime operations,” relayed Hicham Ayoun, a spokesperson for Transport Canada, in a recent statement sent to the CBC.

Signed on March 29, the mutual agreement between the nations acknowledges the competency certificates of Filipino sailors, also referred to as the Standard for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). This effectively enables Filipino mariners to secure work on Canadian-flagged vessels with a work visa, obviating the need to first obtain permanent residency status.

Bruce Burrows, CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, which primarily represents shipping interests in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, shed light on the need for this initiative. “We’ve been seeking assistance from Transport Canada to facilitate the immigration of more foreign workers to man our vessels, including officers and regular sailors, as we face a severe personnel deficit in Canada’s maritime industry,” he said.

Burrows anticipates the arrival of Filipino sailors later this year, a development he argues will benefit both ship owners and the wider North American supply chain, especially in the Great Lakes region.

Details of this agreement were unveiled earlier this month in a Transport Canada ship safety bulletin. Although the Canadian Merchant Service Guild, which represents a majority of ships’ officers and pilots in the Canadian maritime industry, did not respond to CBC’s requests for comment, Canadian mariners gCaptain talked to are worried this will further depress wages and make the industry less attractive for Canadian youth.

Canada has already established comparable reciprocal agreements with several nations, including Australia, France, Norway, Ukraine, Georgia, and the United Kingdom. There are also reports suggesting that the Canadian Coast Guard is contemplating the inclusion of other foreign sailors. However, this agreement with the Philippines stands out due to the country’s significant position in the global maritime industry – it boasts the largest population of merchant sailors worldwide. As China’s merchant navy expands, many Filipino sailors are finding their employment opportunities shrinking. This is further exacerbated by increased pressures from China – such as tightened travel restrictions and national restrictions in Chinese-owned ports – as it vies to become the leading seafaring nation globally.

This decision may also invite broader security considerations. As the United States and Canada strive to bolster their relations with the Philippines amidst escalating tensions with China, this move gains further significance. Filipino merchant mariners, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, serve on ships belonging to nearly every nation, operating in almost all major ports and shipyards globally. These mariners undergo rigorous training, and all officers are proficient in English. Such characteristics have led some Pentagon insiders, in conversations with gCaptain, to propose that this body of mariners could constitute the world’s most substantial, yet untapped, intelligence network.

However, it remains ambiguous whether this initiative has the backing of Canadian military leaders. While it might provide a solution to the pressing mariner deficit, there is a flip side. A reduced pool of homegrown merchant mariners implies fewer Canadian citizens can be called upon in a conflict scenario. Furthermore, this proposal does not suggest other potential strategies, such as increased investments in regional merchant marine academies and trade schools, that could foster domestic talent in the maritime industry.

One facet that remains unquestioned is the proficiency of Filipino merchant mariners, who are widely recognized for their extensive training and solid reputation within the industry. Bruce Burrows underscored that Canada would not have forged this agreement if there were any doubts concerning the competency of these sailors. He asserted, “Our ship owners, operating on a global scale, are well-acquainted with numerous Filipino mariners. Their demonstrated competence is widely acknowledged, and we are enthusiastic about welcoming new Filipino applicants to our ranks.”

gCaptain

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/

Algoma Conveyor. Chuck Zentmeyer photo

UAL Fortitude sails into Duluth on Saturday, start of new regular service

On a windy, Saturday morning, the UAL Fortitude arrived under the Aerial Lift Bridge.

She carried containers filled with minerals, a power generation station, and an innovative agricultural machine, according to the port.

The Fortitude’s arrival is significant, because she’s the first of a regular liner service from overseas.

After the import cargo is unloaded, then the team from Duluth Cargo Connect will load the UAL Fortitude with containerized cargoes and machinery for export to Europe. This will complete the Antwerp-Duluth loop that Spliethoff is providing with this new regular (monthly) trans-Atlantic liner service in collaboration with Duluth Cargo Connect.

The journey takes about 20-25 days.

This is the first call at Duluth for that new liner service, and the first time in decades that the Port of Duluth-Superior will feature a regular liner service to Europe.

Port leaders say it will reduce costs to importers and exporters located in our region and well beyond, providing efficient transit and allowing “parceling” of the vessel, which means that it can be filled with mixed cargoes from multiple shippers with no minimal tonnage requirement.

Shippers don’t need to commit to filling an entire ship to get their goods to market. That makes is more convenient and affordable for shippers.

“Not only does this new service provide an efficient, consistent import-export option between Antwerp and Duluth, it also significantly reduces carbon emissions and land-based congestion, so this is also a win from an environmental standpoint,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “It expands the viability of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System as a routing alternative for moving cargoes into and out of the Upper Midwest and far beyond.”

The port worked to resume container shipping, and it began again last May.

WDIO

Boatnerd  port reports

Due to a death in his family, the volunteer compiling the port reports has had to take a few days off. He promises the reports will return soon.

U.P. town builds $5M pier big enough for cruise ships

HOUGHTON, MI – A small Upper Peninsula town has a new $5 million pier that’s equipped to dock cruise ships, which are becoming increasingly popular on the Great Lakes.

The 2023 cruise ship season is expected to be record-breaking with 11 ships making hundreds of stops at Michigan ports, including a couple at Houghton.

Houghton, located along the Keweenaw Waterway in the Keweenaw Peninsula, opened its pier during fall 2022, said Houghton City Manager Eric Waara. It serves as the city’s town square and event space but with its size, deep water and a few extra elements, it has the added function of being a cruise ship dock.

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/05/up-town-builds-5m-pier-big-enough-for-cruise-ships.html?e=442d812898856f618f3e8a62b1a6820a&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_lovablemichigan%202023-05-11&utm_term=Newsletter_lovablemichigan

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/