Agreement reached to deepen Port of Oswego harbor

OSWEGO, NY – Tuesday was an historic day at the Port of Oswego as 25 years of discussions concluded in an agreement to fund and conduct a study to deepen the Oswego Harbor.

Port officials feel the project would transform the site and accelerate its growth.

Once complete, Seawaymax Class freighters, the largest to travel the Great Lakes, U.S. Navy ships and Great Lakes cruise ships could use the Port of Oswego.

The Port of Oswego a busy place, as it is New York’s only port on Lake Ontario. It now hopes to become even busier with the signing of Tuesday’s historic agreement. The Port of Oswego Authority and the U.S. Corps of Engineers will now move forward after a 25-year discussion to deepen the port’s harbor.

Lt. Col. Colby Krug is the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Buffalo district commander.

“It’s adding an additional foot and a half of depth to the harbor,” he explained. “And again, that’s what these salties and lakers that you see traverse the Great Lakes, that’s what they’re looking for, below their keel to have a full load on their ship.”

The joint feasibility study should take approximately a year. It’s the first phase of a three-step process. The following phases are design and construction. They hope dredging of the harbor can begin sometime in 2025.

“We have that timeline. I think about 2025, they will see the first dredges and the deepening happening the deep,” Port of Oswego Executive Director and CEO William Scriber said.

The deepening, he says, will allow for 740-foot Seaway max class freighters. Big ships mean a boon to the New York economy, he said.

“As I’ve often said, ports equal jobs. And a port is just not the jobs on the ports. It’s the jobs we support and the added industry that we bring in an area,” Scriber said. “Water is cheaper than both rail and truck. And economies of scale are on ships.”

Francis Enwright, Port of Oswego Authority Board chair said, “You get larger ships in here and also we could load the ships deeper, which means we can put more of our product, whether it be grain, corn onto the ships or offload. They can bring in more, which is profitable for everybody.”

Spectrum News 1 

 

Museum’s 2022 fall lecture series takes flight with topic featuring famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen

TOLEDO, OH – On Wednesday, September 28, at 7 p.m. the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will kick off their annual fall lecture series with “Last Flight of a Tuskegee Airman” featuring underwater archaeologist Wayne Lusardi.

“On April 11, 1944, Second Lt. Frank Moody, a manner of the Tuskegee Airmen, lost his life on a training mission over Lake Huron,” shares NMGL’s Archaeological and Research Director Carrie Sowden. “The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. To help explore their story and this tragedy, we’ve asked Mr. Lusardi to join us in sharing his investigation of the archaeological site and theories of what may have happened on that fateful day.”

The presenter, Wayne Lusardi, is the State Maritime Archaeologist with the Michigan

Department of Natural Resources. Through his work, he is responsible for the research,

documentation, preservation, and management of nearly 200 shipwrecks located in and around Thunder Bay, and another 1,300 around the State of Michigan. Although Mr. Lusardi will be presenting virtually, individuals who register for the lecture will have the option to watch him at the Museum during an in-person watch party and live-streamed question and answer session.

This is the first of three lectures in the museum’s 2022 Fall Lecture Series. On Wednesday, October 26 the museum will feature Author Wendy Kolie who will uncover the deadly undercurrent lurking beneath Lake Erie’s surface in “Lake Erie Murder and Mayhem”. Then, on Wednesday, November 9 NMGL’s final lecture will take a comprehensive look at the only floating US Post Office by presenting “Mail By the Pail: The History of the J.W. Westcott Co.”

All lectures are hybrid events—meaning participants can choose when registering to take part in the lecture at the museum or online via Zoom. Event registration is required but free. Donations are encouraged and can be given upon registration. For more information on the spring lectures or to register to join the event, visit nmgl.org.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

 

Isle Royale Queen cancels remainder of 2022 season

ISLE ROYALE, MI – The Isle Royale Queen posted on Facebook Friday morning that they will be canceling the rest of their 2022 season.

According to the post, the Isle Royale Queen IV needs a minor hull repair and under Unites States Coast Guard restrictions, they are unable to sail until the repair is complete.

The post says, “If you have a reservation with us, you have received an email about how refunds will be issued. If you have a loved one on Isle Royale, rest assured that we are working closely with the National Park Service to get those folks back to the mainland. They should be able to get off the island fairly quickly.”

Isle Royale Line, Inc. said that the decision to cancel their season was difficult but that they must put the safety of their crew and passengers first.

WLUC

 

World Ship Society report of casualties, demolitions

 Vessels with a Great Lakes / Seaway connection reported as a casualty or sold for demolition. Taken from September 2022 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society.

 Casualty: * indicates a total loss

MOAMAEU * (7915929) (Shilla Sprinter-12, Cape Hatteras-05, Captain Frank Medina-01 – 1st Seaway passage 1980 on maiden trip from Peterson Builders Inc – Sturgeon Bay) 1,803 /1980 – Kiribati flag fishing vessel owned by Sill & Co Ltd., South Korea collided with another fishing vessel, VIVA FAFA No707 (9035254) 1,735 / 1992, on 8/6/2022 190 miles NE of Arawa, Papua New Guinea. She sank and the 31 crew were rescued by the other ship, which sustained serious bow damage

 Sold for Demolition:

CAMILLA D (8100585) (Camilla Desgagnés -17 – 1st seaway passage – 2004, Camilla-04) – 10,085 / 1982 – Ro-Ro cargo ship by Moderate Trading, Cyprus, to Triveni Shipbreakers, India and arrived Alang 18.05.2022. Scrapping commenced 28.02.2022

Report prepared by Barry Andersen & René Beauchamp

 

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Breaks Ground On New Facility

Great Lakes shipbuilding and repair giant, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, broke ground on a new 19,000 sq. ft. machine shop at their Sturgeon Bay location today.

Inside the future 300-ft. long building, shipbuilders will have access to two overhead cranes capable of lifting 5 and 30 tons, respectively. At the other end of the building there will be offices, restrooms, a lunchroom and a tool room. The facility will primarily support Bay’s repair business.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/fincantieri-bay-shipbuilding-breaks-ground-on-new-facility/

Marine Insight

 

U.S. National Park Service awards Wisconsin Maritime Museum preservation grant

MANITOWOC, WI – On Sept. 9, 2022, the U.S. National Park Service announced that the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI. has been awarded a preservation grant of $500,000 for a future dry docking of its World War II submarine U.S.S. Cobia.

The grant was one of 80 preservation and collection projects funded by the latest round of the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures grant program.

In total, $24.25 million to projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia were awarded by the Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services today.

Also among the recently announced grants was $413,709 to the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I. for a preservation project involving the historic General Burnside Building and $500,000 to the Pacific Fleet Memorial Association, Inc. of Honolulu, Hawaii for dry docking of the World War II submarine U.S.S. Bowfin.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History

 

Danish Sail Training Ship Strikes Great Lakes-built LCS at Baltimore Pier

On Sunday, a Danish sail training ship sustained minor damage in an allision with the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul at a pier in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to local media, the Danish training ship Danmark was under tow by two tugs when she struck some pilings alongside the pier. The Danmark then carried on and made contact with the hull of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

“No U.S. Navy personnel were injured and no serious damage sustained onboard USS Minneapolis St. Paul (LCS 21),” a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.

The Navy said that the casualty was part of an otherwise “fantastic” fleet week in Baltimore.

A video of the scene shows that a boom on the stern of the sailing ship contacted the lifelines on the Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s bow, breaking several. An aerial photo provided by a bystander appears to show that the sailing ship’s stern made contact with the LCS’ stem as well.

Baltimore’s fleet week has proceeded as planned in other respects. The event includes ship tours, flyovers, displays, and Fleet Week festivals at multiple locations throughout Baltimore. The event continues through Tuesday.

Other vessels in port for fleet week include the amphib USS Carter Hall, fast transport USNS Newport, Royal Canadian Navy patrol vessel HMCS Moncton, and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC James Rankin. More than 2,300 servicemembers are expected to participate.

Danmark is a classic 1933-built full-rigged sail training ship operated by the Danish Maritime Authority. She operates with a student crew of 80 and serves as a training platform and as an overseas ambassador for Danish maritime.

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the most recently-delivered vessel in the ill-starred Freedom-class series of littoral combat ships. She is one of six Freedom LCS hulls not listed for early retirement.

 

U.S. Brig Niagara ends 2022 sailing season

Saturday marked the end of the sailing season for the U.S. Brig Niagara.

Forty daysail students participated in a trip around the Bayfront and out to the lake for an educational program.

The students learned about the Battle of Lake Erie and the building of the fleet dating back to 1813.

The captain of the daysail said that this season required all hands on deck, but he is proud of his crew that pulled together to make it possible.

“We have a great group of volunteers. We have a great staff, and because all of them were able to do this and I want to thank them and say how proud I am of all the work that’s gone into this sailing season,” said William Sabatini, Captain of U.S. Brig Niagara.

Sabatini said that Saturday was an appropriate day to close out the sailing season for the Niagara as it marks the 209th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie.

YourErie

 

Two receive Mariner of the Year awards at Sault Ste. Marie ceremony

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Two men with strong ties to the Great Lakes maritime industry were honored at a Mariner of the Year awards dinner Friday night in Sault Ste. Marie.

In opening remarks, James H.I. Weakley, president of the sponsoring Lake Carriers Association, said the event was meant to turn “Great Lakes heroes into Great Lakes legends.”

Honored were Kevin E. Sprague and Paul LaMarre Jr. Sprague served as the Soo Area Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until his recent retirement. He not only oversaw the daily operations of the Soo Locks, he managed a badly-needed asset renewal project and saw the beginning of new lock construction.

Sprague began his federal career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Area Office in 1992 as a member of the St. Marys River branch, performing navigation channel maintenance. In 2000 he became the Chief of the Lock Operations Branch and eventually Chief of Lock Maintenance and Lock Operations. In 2010, he was selected as Soo Area Engineer. He spent his entire federal career in support of the Great Lakes shipping industry.

As Area Engineer he was responsible for the most important navigation project in the Great Lakes and Soo Locks. He was also responsible for federal hydropower facilities and was the onsite representative for the International Joint Commission’s Lake Superior Board of Control. His effort in support of the economic study for construction of a new lock at the Soo and telling its story was crucial for its subsequent funding. He retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2022, after a 30-year career at the Soo Locks.

Paul LaMarre Jr. comes from a family of Great Lakes sailors. He is a highly talented maritime artist, honored Great Lakes maritime historian and licensed tugboat captain. With more than 45 years of Great Lakes tugboat experience, he works for Detroit-based Gaelic Tugboat Co. and captains the passenger vessel Diamond Jack.

Mr. LaMarre has dedicated his life to the Great Lakes maritime industry past, present, and future. Following in the footsteps of his great uncles Frank and William Hoffman, both masters of Great Lakes freighters in the early 1900s, he has touched every aspect of the Great Lakes maritime trade and is highly regarded as an industry leader and historian.

His career began at the University of Detroit as an understudy to famed Great Lakes marine artist Fad1er Edward J. Dowling where he learned the principles of painting Great Lakes vessels in watercolor. His artistic talents would open the door to many industry friendships, the most important being that of Capt. William A. Hoey, who would introduce him to a career as the corporate treasurer of the Gaelic Tugboat Co. & Diamond Jacks River Tours. Working for Gaelic Tugboat Co. for over 45 years (1978 to present), he has also served as longtime captain of d1e MN Diamond Jack.

He was also a founding board member of Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover, ON which now operates one of the largest fleets on the Great Lakes.

In 2001, LaMarre was named Historian the Year by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.

In 2013, received the International Shipmasters Detroit Lodge #7, Captain Lewis Ludington Award for his years of virtuous service. In 2015, the National Museum of the Great Lakes named LaMarre one of the Masters of Great Lakes Marine Art of the 20th Century as he has been the “industry’s artist” for over 50 years, completing commissioned works for nearly every Great Lakes fleet.

LaMarre has also inspired the next generation of Great Lakes leadership as his son Paul C. LaMarre III is a prominent industry advocate, port director and tug captain.

Plaques honoring both men will be installed in the Capt. John Wellington Marine Hall of Fame aboard the museum ship Valley Camp. The Great Lakes Hall of Fame is dedicated to the memory of those explorers, inventors, shipbuilders, sailors, and countless others who have made a contribution to the exploration and development of the Great lakes through the eras of sail, steam, and present.

Roger LeLievre

Great Lakes iron ore trade down in August

 CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in August, a decrease of 9.1 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were also below the month’s 5-year average by 8.7 percent.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 24.2 million tons, a decrease of 24.5 percent compared to the same point in 2021.

Through August iron shipments are 22.5 percent below their 5-ye

ar average for eight months of the year.

Lake Carriers’ Association 

 

James Whalen tug raised from Kaministiquia River

THUNDER BAY, ON – Months after it sank at its berth along the Kaministiquia River, the historic James Whalen tugboat has been raised, though not without a notable mishap along the way.

Crews began lifting the 117-year-old boat using a heavy lift barge, cranes, pumps, and other specialized equipment on Thursday morning.

At one point in the raising of the tug Thursday, a cable attached near the front of the boat snapped, causing it to fall back into the river. The incident caused only a momentary setback, said Halvorsen. “There was a little bit of a setback this morning with the first approach at this, but then they quickly pivoted.”

Around 4 p.m., crews successfully raised the boat after another attempt, leaving it sitting upright as workers began setting up pumps.

The plan is to tow the vessel upriver to the Paterson

Dock, near the James Street Swing Bridge, on Friday – though the city cautioned that may depend on an assessment of the boat’s condition.

The boat has sat largely submerged on the river bottom since sinking on May 1.

After being raised to the surface using cranes and cables, crews used high-capacity pumps to remove water from the vessel.

The city awarded that job to LH North for $793,000. The company also contracted with Thunder Bay Tug and local outfit Big Lake Dive, which provided five divers to assist in the operation.

The need for specialized staff and equipment was one facto

r accounting for the delay in the boat’s recovery, said Cory Halvorsen, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces.

“We obviously wanted to get to this point sooner, it did take some time,” he said. “But as you can see, the amount of work and the complexity of it wasn’t conducive to just selecting someone and proceeding in a matter of weeks.”

The city has said the Whalen is expected to remain at Paterson Dock for one to two years as municipal leaders consider its future.

The Lakehead Transportation Museum has expressed interest in acquiring the vessel to house at its site near Pool 6.

TBNewsWatch

Century-old James Whalen tugboat being raised at Thunder Bay after sinking this May

THUNDER BAY, ON – Work to lift the submerged James Whalen tugboat from the Kaministiquia River has begun. The crane-equipped heavy-lift barge Coastal Titan arrived at the Port earlier this week from Toronto.

The century-old tugboat, which the city has owned and kept moored along the river for nearly 30 years, took on water and then sank earlier this year. The city had put out a request for proposals to raise the ship, with a contract worth nearly $800,000 awarded last month to carry out the work.

Cory Halvorsen, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces, said rigging was put in place last week to prepare the tugboat to be hoisted by cranes. But he said those cranes, which are being brought to Thunder Bay onboard a barge, were delayed by heavy winds this weekend during their trip across the Great Lakes.

Once it has been lifted to the surface, the tugboat will be pumped out so it can once again float.

“At that point the plan is to transport the tugboat up the Kam River to Paterson dock, where it will be stored there temporarily,” Halvorsen said. The city has an option for the tugoat to be stored at that location for one to two years, Halvorsen added.

Before the tugboat’s sinking, the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society had lobbied the city to have the ship moved to its waterfront site where the Alexander Henry — a decommissioned icebreaker — is located.

CBC

 

Queen Elizabeth’s death prompts memories of Great Lakes/Seaway visit

The death of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday reminded many on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway of a visit by the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, in 1959. On June 26, 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The British royals – Queen Elizabeth II was 33 at the time – had embarked on a six-week tour the month before, destined for many stops in Canada and one in the U.S.

The monarch’s 412-foot yacht steamed up the Detroit River, then up Lake Huron, passing under the Mackinac Bridge and down Lake Michigan before stopping for the couple’s first-ever visit to Chicago.

At the time of this trip, the royal yacht was just five years old. After traveling more than a million nautical miles, the floating palace was retired from royal service in 1997. It now has a permanent home as a tourist attraction in Edinburgh, Scotland.

 

Lakes Limestone Trade Up 5.3 Percent in August

CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.8 million tons in August, an increase of 5.3 percent from 2021.  Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 1.6 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.1 million tons, an increase of 3 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 740,122 tons, an increase of 16.3 percent.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 17.5 million tons, an increase of less than 1 percent compared to a year ago.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 13.8 million tons, an increase of 2.2 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.7 million tons, a decrease of 4.6 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD

 

Dan Vaught photo

Port of Monroe and partners strengthen Great Lakes short sea shipping network

MONROE, MI – The Port of Monroe (Port) recently commissioned a new Manitowoc crawler crane. Its first job was to load approximately 400 tons of special bar quality (SBQ) steel onto Interlake Steamship Company’s M/V Paul R. Tregurtha, the largest ship sailing the Great Lakes.

The crane was purchased with funds through the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway program. MARAD designated the Port of Monroe as part of Marine Highway Route M-90 in 2016. As a Marine Highway, the Port and its stakeholders are committed to developing and expanding marine highway service options in the United States to expand the use of America’s navigable waterways.

This latest cargo evolution is a perfect example of how the Port is working with its industry partners and local stakeholders to create new short-sea-shipping opportunities on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system.

“Every ton counts. Though small by volume, the enormity of this cargo evolution rivals anything that the Port has done in the last decade,” said Capt. Paul C. LaMarre, Port Director, Port of Monroe. “This trial cargo is the epitome of U. S. flagged, short sea shipping on the Great Lakes.”

The Port’s industrial partner and neighbor Gerdau Special Steel was looking for the most economical way to move SBQ manufactured in Monroe to their grinding ball mill in Duluth, Minnesota. The SBQ is used as a feedstock to manufacture grinding balls used in the mining industry.

The Tregurtha, one of the Port’s most frequent visitors, was identified as the perfect vessel to move the SBQ as it is on a dedicated route between Monroe and the twin ports of Duluth/Superior. The cargo was efficiently transported on an all-marine route, through the Soo Locks, saving at least 13,000 highway miles and 275 driving hours in truck resources on America’s congested roadways.

The port’s diversity will continue to grow through collective stakeholder efforts, a new heavy-lift crane and continued use of congestion-free Great Lakes marine highway routes.

Port of Monroe

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD

Mark W. Barker makes Soo Locks debut on Labor Day

SAULT STE. MARIE – Interlake Steamship Company’s brand new 639-foot diesel-powered M/V Mark W. Barker entered the Soo Locks at approximately 11 a.m. this Labor Day for the very first time.

Hundreds of spectators filled Sault Ste. Marie, MI with nearly 200 watching from Soo Locks Park and well over 80 throughout Rotary Park.

“They all had their cameras out, and they were all waving,” said Know Your Ships author Roger A. LeLievre.

It was a magical moment for boat nerds and spectators alike when Mark W. Barker met fleetmate James R. Barker along the St. Marys River this morning.  “There were big salutes blown,” LeLievre said. “It was very festive. They blew the traditional greeting, one long and two short. The captains saluted back and forth.”

Unlike its much smaller mate, James R. Barker is 1,004 feet long, 50 feet high, and 105 feet wide. “It’s exciting because Mark W. Barker is the first actual integrated freighter that has been built in over 30 years,” said LeLievre. “It’s the start of a new trend away from the thousand-footers. They built it to go into smaller ports with cargo like salt and limestone to serve those growing markets because coal and iron ore markets are down.”

An Interlake Steamship Company press release stated that Mark W. Barker’s square-shaped cargo was designed to carry the same capacity as its larger fleetmates, strategically sized to navigate most Great Lakes ports. Thus, it has the capacity to carry up to 26,000 gross tons of cargo.

Mark W. Barker also carries with it fragments of World War II history. “The American Victory was scrapped a couple years ago and they towed it overseas,” said LeLievre. “Before they towed it over, they took the big self-unloading boom off to put on the Mark W. Barker. They put the boom on a barge and brought it down through the Soo Locks over to Sturgeon Bay Shipyard.” The SS American Victory was built in 1945 and voyaged around the world to deliver cargo during World War II and the Korean Vietnam Wars. Its boom now sails the Great Lakes.

According to the Interlake Steamship Company’s release, Mark W. Barker launched out of Sturgeon Bay for its first official day of duty on July 27, 2022. Following a 110-mile journey, the freighter arrived in Port Inland. Its team of 21 mariners, led by Captain Paul Berger of Sandusky, OH, loaded more than 25,000 tons of stone. The stone was later unloaded in Muskegon on July 31.

Mark W. Barker is equipped with an 8,000-horsepower engine that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier four emissions standards. Its hull has been optimized for efficiency and systems designed to ensure low energy consumption. A Kongsberg high-lift rudder was installed to optimize the wake through its propeller.

Prior to all this, the vessel was merely an Interlake Steamship Company vision. That was until March 23, 2019, when its president signed an agreement to build the company’s first Great Lakes Freighter since 1981.

it was officially named by Chairman James R. Barker on June 23, 2020 in honor of his son, second generation company leader – president Mark W. Barker.

The ship’s first piece of steel was cut by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI on Aug. 19, 2019. Its steel was poured at Cleveland-Clis Burns Harbor. It was made from iron ore mined in Minnesota and delivered to the Indiana steel mill by other Great Lakes vessels. Thus, the new ship’s construction is said to represent a “full-circle Great Lakes success story.”

Around this time last year, thousands of gallons of Sherwin-Williams’ custom Interlake Hull Brown was applied to the vessel to match its steamship fleet. In devotion to those who built the Mark W. Barker, their names were welded into its seams. Many were present when the M/V Mark W. Barker first launched during a shipyard ceremony held on Oct. 28, 2021.

Underway testing began on July 1, 2022. Sea trials were conducted the following week by Interlake mariners, project managers, United States Coast Guard, and American Bureau of Shipping. The ship was ready to go.

A Christening for Mark W. Barker recently took place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1. “There were about 700 invited guests at the Christening of the boat,” said LeLievre. “That’s where they take the bottle of champagne and whack it out on the boat for good fortune. Whistles blew, the band played, and the Blue Angels flew over. It was a big hoopla.”

Mark. W. Barker is expected to reach its Duluth Superior destination on Tuesday afternoon.

Soo Leader

 

Soviet sub tracker now trains Great Lakes captains, engineers

During the Cold War it tracked submarines as the Navy’s USS Persistence. Now the 68-meter ship trains the next generation of Great Lakes ship captains and chief engineers.

It is T/S State of Michigan with its complement of 50 cadets from the Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) in Traverse City. After four years of book learning in the classroom and sharpening seamanship skills on the Michigan, cadets will take extensive exams to get licensed as commercial deck officers and engineers.

The ship and its student crew stop in Sault, MI roughly twice a month during training trips on the St. Marys and Lake Superior that start in May and end in October. Look for the Michigan moored near museum ship Valley Camp’s stern.

“The St. Marys is a very unique place to train,” said Chuck Miller, a GLMA instructor and the Michigan’s first mate. “It’s got some of the most difficult pilotage in the world. You’re moving a vessel around 90-degree turns in current, often in ice.”

Over the course of four years, Miller’s students make two-week trips on the Michigan that focus on the Detroit, St. Clair, and St. Marys rivers as well as Lake trips to the ports of Duluth, Buffalo, and Chicago.

“Cadets in the deck officer program do everything on the Michigan that a working mate would do: on-helm steering the ship, conducting navigation chart work, and commanding wherever the ship goes,” said Miller.

“Students in the engineering track stand watch with an engineering officer,” Miller added. “They conduct rounds, monitor propulsion in the engine room . . . all the way to fixing door handles. If there’s anything that can break on a boat, cadets are taught how to fix it.”

The “at sea” portion of training continues with an academy-placed, 100-day internship on a Great Lakes freighter. It is here where deck officer cadets learn how to manage a crew to load cargo, and engineers get a baptism in holding the mechanics of a ship together.

Students then hone skills with an “ocean project” that sees them work another 100 days on their choice of a Great Lakes or ocean freighter. Some students even choose cruise ships or oil tankers, depending on where they want to build a career.

At the end of it all, cadets earn a baccalaureate degree in Maritime Technology from Northwestern Michigan College, the GLMA’s home institution. At any given time, there are 200 students in the program.

Miller, originally fom Las Vegas, Nev., is a graduate of the deck officer program. He ended up as a first mate on the Michigan and an academy instructor in a rather roundabout way. “After working as a golf pro and an EMS technician out of high school, I enlisted in the Coast Guard,” he said. “There isn’t much water in Las Vegas, but the Guard made me fall in love with large bodies of it. After eight years, I took my educational benefits and went through the GLMA’s deck officer program between 2015 and 2019.”

Miller has since worked as third and second mates with two Great Lakes shipping companies: Grand River and the Great Lakes Fleet, which used to be owned by US Steel. He was hired as the Michigan’s first mate in 2020 and, earlier this year, as GLMA instructor.

“We do get a lot of vets like me from all branches,” he said. “We have yet to see the Space Force, but I’m sure that’s coming.”

Another veteran ended up on the Great Lakes in a roundabout way: the T/S State of Michigan. After launch in 1985, the USS Persistent tracked Soviet — and then Russian — submarines until 1995 before being transferred to the Coast Guard in 1998. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy welcomed the Cold War vet in 2002, when it gave the boat its present name.

Soo Today

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event).

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD

 

*Roger LeLievre photo

Port of Cleveland activity up 65% over last year as local company adds new Great Lakes freighter

CLEVELAND, OH – On Thursday, the Interlake Steamship Company will christen its first new Great Lakes freighter built on the freshwater Lakes in nearly four decades with the introduction of the Interlake Steamship Company’s 639-foot vessel named the Mark W. Barker.

The addition of the Barker speaks to the future of commercial activity on the Great Lakes which has grown here in Cleveland over the last two years. The Port of Cleveland tells News 5 general cargo at the Port is up through July, 65% over last year as they look to capitalize on the ongoing supply chain issues on the coasts.

“We’re having a very good year,” said Port President and CEO Will Friedman. “Cargo volumes are up, we’re handling significantly more containers. We’re the only container port on the Great Lakes offering a service to Europe for companies here in our region.” Friedman said they’re going to be adding new services including the handling of liquid bulk materials important to some local industries.

“We are taking advantage of some of the problems that we continue to see at our big coastal ports. We have capacity and we’re looking to bring in more business,” said Friedman.

Capacity being a key factor said Interlake Steamship President and the freighter’s namesake Mark Barker.

“At the end of the day we have a marine highway here on the lakes that is underutilized,” he said. “It’s going to have a huge impact on the region. To think about it when it loads out of Cleveland with salt and it comes back with ore any of those given times is going to be 2,500 trucks, 2.5 trains, so if you think about every time we come into Cleveland we do it quietly.”

Barker also added the cargo plays a role as well. “But we come in and we drop our cargo in a matter of hours and we’re gone… at the end of the day this ship will have an immense impact over its lifespan,” he said.

It’s a private investment in the industry’s future to match the public investment that is being for things like the billion-dollar project to rebuild the Soo Lock in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

However, Barker says there’s more to do. “In certain areas of maritime we are seeing the support, dredging funds, the Soo Lock is absolutely critical. I think we need more funding for ice breaking. We are a system that gets frozen in in the winter time and those shoulder seasons are critical to ensure that we can move the cargo to our customers and meet the supply needs of them,” Barker said.

Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers Association agrees. The association recently commissioned a study that showed that they lost $2 billion in economic activity in the Great Lakes over three recent winters because of the frozen waterways.

“We are just ice breaker poor,” said Weakley. “In 1979 the U.S. Coast Guard had nearly 20 ice breakers between the Canadian and the American Ice Breaker fleet, now we’re down to 11, nine ice breakers fewer and keep in mind with the polar vortex winters can be more extreme and come on more quickly.”

Nevertheless, he remains hopeful and sees the addition of the new Mark W. Barker to the Great Lakes freighter fleet is the clearest sign.

“The fact that we’re building new says there’s a long term belief in this industry,” said Weakley. “You wouldn’t build a ship like this if you didn’t believe in the future of the industry.”

News 5 Cleveland

 

James Whalen tug will be raised by October

THUNDER BAY, ON – The City of Thunder Bay now has a plan to lift the James Whalen tugboat out of the Kaministiquia River, though the work won’t be accomplished until October.

The historic tug sunk from its moorings at the Kaministiquia River Heritage Park on May 1, becoming largely submerged underwater.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/james-whalen-tug-will-be-raised-by-october-5691806?fbclid=IwAR0Nu8-uIM1LSMNFNLBT8Wjn8xnfUveGs8xQt1kQLYSMJzRyJBiWI2NWF7k

TBnews Watch

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD

 

Scott Tish photo

NTSB issues safety recommendations after engine room fire on Roger Blough

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board issued three safety recommendations Thursday following an investigation into last year’s engine room fire aboard the Great Lakes bulk carrier Roger Blough during winter layup.

The Roger Blough was docked at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility on Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin when a fire started in the engine room on February 1, 2021. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. The shipkeeper on board departed the vessel without injury. No pollution was reported.

The incident was extremely costly with damages to the Roger Blough exceeding $100 million.

NTSB investigators determined the fire originated at the burner for the diesel oil-fired furnace, which had been installed in the engine room to heat the space during the winter. The burner assembly was mounted onto the furnace’s air tube with an aluminum coupling. Investigators determined the coupling broke, allowing the burner to drop and fracture the fuel line supplying it.

According to the NTSB, about a month before the fire, the chief engineer believed the furnace was not working and thought the ignitor was not properly set. The vessel’s two engineers removed and reinstalled the furnace’s burner several times in their attempts to repair the furnace, which were unsuccessful. They contacted the furnace company’s technical representative who repaired the furnace. NTSB investigators concluded the repeated removal and reinstallation of the burner assembly during attempts to repair the furnace may have damaged the mounting coupling and led to its eventual failure.

When the fire erupted at night, the wireless monitoring and notification system, which was installed for winter layup, activated the alarm panel in the crew’s accommodation spaces and then notified the designated contacts. The shipkeeper was the only person on board but was not listed among the contacts. The shipkeeper was not awakened until 7 minutes later when the smoke detector inside his stateroom sounded as thick black smoke filled the room. According to the report, had the shipkeeper on board been listed among the designated contacts to receive system alerts, he likely would have been awakened earlier and may have had an opportunity to extinguish the fire before it spread through the vessel.

NTSB determined that the probable cause of the engine room fire was likely the repeated removal and reinstallation of the furnace’s burner that led to the failure of its mounting coupling, resulting in the operating burner dropping to the bottom of its enclosure and fracturing the fuel supply line, which allowed diesel fuel to ignite. Contributing to the fire was the absence of a fire-activated automatic fuel oil shutoff valve on the fuel oil inlet piping before the burner, which would have stopped the fuel feeding the fire shortly after it started and limited the spread of the fire.

As a result of the investigation, the NTSB issued one recommendation each to the U.S. Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping, and Key Lakes Inc.

NTSB recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard require that furnace installations on vessels be inspected to comply with National Fire Protection Association recommendations and to develop standards requiring installation of other types of shutdown mechanisms or safety alarms. A similar recommendation was issued to the American Bureau of Shipping, which conducts oversight examinations for vessels like the Roger Blough. NTSB’s recommendation to the vessel owner, Key Lakes Inc. was to ensure that their designated contacts list includes each shipkeeper living and working on a vessel during layup.

“There are no regulations regarding winter layup procedures for commercial vessels operating in the Great Lakes,” the report said. “The lack of regulations or classification standards related to diesel oil-fired air heating furnace construction, installation, safety shutdowns, and system alarms poses a risk to life and property if the equipment is not installed and maintained to standards similar to those in place for other oil-fired equipment.”

The report added: “The National Fire Protection Association recommends that burner assemblies like the type installed on the Roger Blough have a fire-activated quick-closing valve on the inlet fuel oil piping next to the burner. When installed, this type of valve has a thermally activated mechanism that shuts the valve in the presence of fire to stop further flow of fuel to the burner. Had the burner assembly on the Roger Blough been fitted with a fire-activated quick-closing valve on its inlet fuel oil piping, the fuel feeding the furnace fire would have been stopped and thus the fire likely would not have spread so rapidly.”

 Safety issues identified by the NTSB included:

– Lack of regulations governing furnace installation and operations on board certain vessels,

– Inadequate notification to onboard personnel of a fire, and

– Lack of fire-activated valve on the fuel oil piping to the burner on the furnace in the engine room.

Marine Investigation Report 22/19 can be found here.

The public docket for the investigation containing factual information, including interview transcripts, photographs and other investigative materials is here.

gCaptain

 

Meet the Mark W. Barker, a new 639-foot ship hauling cargo on the Great Lakes

CLEVELAND, OH – A new freighter is sailing the Great Lakes and carrying cargo in and out of the Cuyahoga River.

The Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot bulk carrier, is the 10th ship in the Interlake Steamship Co.’s fleet, a Great Lakes carrier headquartered in Middleburg Heights. It’s the company’s first newly built ship since 1981.

The MWB arrived in Cleveland this week after embarking from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where it was built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. It’s already made eight deliveries.

Interlake’s President Mark Barker, the namesake of the ship, said the company first started discussing the new ship seven years ago. Construction started in 2019 and finished this summer. He declined to say how much the ship cost.

It’s a versatile member of the company’s fleet, made specifically for the tight turns of the Cuyahoga River, and to load salt coming out of Cargill’s mine on the south side of Whiskey Island.

On a tour Wednesday, crew members pointed out all the features and technology this ship has, representing a major change, since the company’s next newest ship on its Interlake fleet is 41 years old. The unloading process is automated and computerized; crew members don’t need to pull levers and open gates in

the cargo hold. The bridge of the ship has seven chart stations with monitors for the pilot and first mate to use. Other ships have three.

“This is night and day,” said Vince Hagman, a member of the 24-person crew.

The MWB has specialized steering equipment to help make sharp turns. While it’s in the river, Hangman said the ship stays at least 24 feet from the riverbank.

Barker said the ship had to be built shorter so it could navigate a narrow part of the river without comprising too much space. To accomplish this, the ship has a square and flat cargo hold, rather than an angled one, front loaders

and extra-large hatches to help it carry 26,000 tons of cargo. “While it’s our shortest vessel, it’s not our smallest carrying capacity vessel,” Barker said.

The ship will carry salt from Cleveland across the Great Lakes and bring iron ore back, along with other raw materials like stone and aggregate. It can also move finished steel products, project cargo or even containers, if needed. “It has a broad versatility to it,” Barker said, “We designed it for what will come. The question is what will come. We don’t know yet.”

The ship isn’t short on Cleveland connections. Not only is it hauling salt from Cargill. Iron ore from Cleveland Cliff’s mine in Minnesota and steel from Cliff’s plant in Indiana were used to build the ship. Sherwin-Williams maritime coatings were used to paint the new ship.

Given its size, everything about the ship is big and different. The two, 16-cylinder engines put out 8,000 horsepower. It takes 120,000 gallons of diesel to fill its tanks, and it burns 5,000 gallons on an average day.

Loading the ship with 22,000 tons of salt can take 12 to 15 hours, and getting it Superior, Wisconsin, will take two-and-a-half days.

Feeding the crew costs between $2,000 and $3,000 a week, although the boat’s chef, Matt Dillinger, said prices have been fluctuating like most everyone else’s grocery bills.

It’s one of three ships Interlake takes in and out of the Cuyahoga River, the others being the Herbert C. Jackson and Dorothy Ann, both built in the 1950s.

The new ship comes as shipping, even on the Great Lakes, is getting more attention because of supply-chain hiccups. Barker said logistic professionals have looked at waterways as a reliable source of transportation that’s also

more environmentally friendly. “What you’re seeing is a shift back to water,” Barker said. Barker and others say the Great Lakes are underutilized, and hopes time will change that. 

Lake Carriers’ Association President James Weakley said the MWB is a sign of Interlake is confident in the industry. “You wouldn’t build a ship like this if you didn’t believe in the future of the industry,” Weakley said.

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2022/08/meet-the-mark-w-barker-a-new-639-foot-ship-hauling-cargo-on-the-great-lakes.html

cleveland.com

 

Marinette Marine to begin building first Constellation frigate

A Fincantieri shipyard in Wisconsin will begin constructing its first Constellation-class frigate Wednesday following a small ceremony, U.S. Navy officials announced.

The kickoff of ship construction at Marinette Marine Shipyard follows an April 2020 contract award for the ship program and a subsequent 28 months of design maturation work — turning the Italian company’s design for a European FREMM frigate into a U.S. Navy derivative.

Read the full article here: https://www.navytimes.com/naval/2022/08/31/marinette-marine-to-begin-building-first-constellation-frigate/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_navytimes&fbclid=IwAR0ec2KRWEMVK-Bn3nOtiJTxHy1mHxDImW-4G4pa2Z6EBmy6JNtNuM5sijA

NavyTimes

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD

 

*Robert Campbell photo

Historic christening of the first new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier in nearly 40 years

CLEVELAND, OH – More than 600 people will witness Great Lakes history unfold today on Cleveland’s waterfront as the ceremonial bottle of champagne is broken on the bow of The Interlake Steamship Company’s Motor Vessel Mark W. Barker, the first Great Lakes freighter built on the freshwater Lakes in nearly four decades.

“This is truly a historic celebration for our Company and for the United States maritime industry as we proudly christen the newest vessel to join the U.S. flag fleet on the Great Lakes and our first new build in 41 years,” says Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and the vessel’s namesake. “While this ship may bear my name, it is a testament to the innovation, skill and grit of our employees who have powered our industry and propelled our Company for more than 130 years.”

Skillfully constructed at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the 639-foot vessel was made from iron ore mined in Minnesota by Cleveland-Cliffs, and carried on U.S.-built, U.S.-crewed, and U.S.-owned Lakers to Cleveland-Cliffs’ Burns Harbor mill in Indiana. There the pellets were forged into steel plates and shipped to the Wisconsin shipyard.

“This American-made vessel is not only a veritable Great Lakes success story, it is a Cleveland ship, through and through,” says Chairman James R. Barker. “Designed to navigate the winding curves of the Cuyahoga River, built with Cleveland-Cliffs steel and coated with Sherwin-Williams paint, the M/V Mark W. Barker was most significantly built as part of a long-term partnership to move Lake Erie-mined salt for Cargill Inc.”

“We are thrilled to partner with The Interlake Steamship Company to connect Cargill’s customers with salt from the Great Lakes region,” says Sonya Roberts, president of Cargill’s salt business. “We are proud to be a part of the Cleveland community and communities across the country that rely on us to deliver products that protect lives and enhance commerce by keeping roads clear in the winter.”

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) is the keynote speaker at the ceremony that will welcome many federal, state and local dignitaries, as well as industry leaders. Referred to by many as the First Lady of Great Lakes shipping, Congresswoman Kaptur is the longest serving woman in congressional history. Kaptur is joined by U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11) and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who will welcome the crowd to the outdoor Christening event being held next to FirstEnergy Stadium. The culmination of the ceremony will be when Christening Sponsor Megan L. November breaks the bottle of bubbly on the bow.

Great Lakes shipping, which supports nearly 150,000 jobs and represents $35 billion in economic impact, is the most efficient and environmentally responsible form of transportation. This ship will carry an average of 25,000 tons per trip, which is equal to the carrying capacity of 250 train cars, and 1,000 trucks. Notably, the M/V Mark W. Barker is the first ship on the Great Lakes with engines that meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.

“This new vessel not only brings with it additional cargo carrying capacity and capabilities, it is the most versatile in our fleet and strategically sized to navigate into nearly any port on the Great Lakes,” says Brendan P. O’Connor, Vice President of Marketing and Marine Traffic. “The M/V Mark W. Barker will give us unmatched ability for cargo operations and to carry unique project cargoes because of her square-shaped cargo holds, her larger hatch openings, reinforced cargo hatches which can support deck cargo, and a forward mounted unloading boom. She truly was designed to be a vessel for the future.”

AP News

 

Ashton Marine barge runs aground near Buffalo

BUFFALO, NY – The barge AM 2100, belonging to Ashton Marine out of Muskegon, MI, ran aground Tuesday night near Buffalo, NY. It was stuck in the sand, about 10 feet offshore from a beach on the western side of Van Buren Point. About a dozen curious morning strollers and dog-walkers gazed at the ship about 9:30 Wednesday morning, as it bobbed gently in the waves.

The tug Nathan S. moved in circles perhaps 150 yards away. AIS showed the tug docked on Wednesday night. It is unknown of the barge was with her.

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed – they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat.

MHSD