Warship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul locks upbound Saturday

Sault Ste. Marie – The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul was upbound at the Soo Locks around 12:30 p.m. Saturday headed to Duluth-Superior where she will be commissioned at 10 AM on May 21.

 She was assisted at the locks by the Great Lakes Towing Co. tug Kentucky. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul has no thrusters and the high sides act like a sail, although wind was not an issue Saturday.

 The USS Minneapolis Saint Paul, LCS-21, is a littoral combat ship built at Marinette, Wisconsin’s Fincantieri Marinette Marine.

 The ship was christened and launched into the Menominee River in 2019 but problems with the vessel surfaced during trials and the commissioning, twice in both 2020 and 2021.

Roger LeLievre

 

Pearl Mist cruise ship returning to Great Lakes, passengers to explore 2 Michigan ports

Pearl Seas Cruises is returning to the Great Lakes this summer – after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic – with plans to visit two ports in Michigan multiple times.

The cruise line’s Pearl Mist will soon begin a 15-night itinerary through the St. Lawrence Seaway ending in Toronto, Canada, on Lake Ontario. From Toronto, the ship will begin its 11-night Great Lakes and Georgian Bay cruise on May 29, which includes stops at Mackinac Island and Muskegon; the cruise ends in Milwaukee, WI.

The Pearl Mist will operate two itineraries from May to August: the 11-night Great Lakes and Georgian Bay and the 7-night Great Lakes and Georgian Bay, both include the two Michigan ports. A total of 10 cruises are planned.

The 210-passenger, six-deck ship has operated on the Great Lakes since 2014 and called on Muskegon for the first time in 2015.

According to Cruise Industry News, Pearl Seas is also offering expanded onboard and shore enrichment programs this year, including activities from kayaking to hiking to glass-bottom boat tours.

MLive

 

Time running out for Boatnerd Freighter-Chasing Cruise Early Bird rate

After going on pandemic hiatus for the last two years, the Annual Boatnerd Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise is back in business!

• When: Friday – June 24, 6–9 pm, rain or shine

• Where: Soo Locks Boat Tours, Dock #2 (next to the Valley Camp)

• Limit: 100 passengers

• Food: Pizza and salad included with paid passage

• General Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $30.00 each, $35.00 each from June 1-June 17

• Youth Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $20.00 each, $25.00 each from June 1-June 17. Youth admission applies to those under 18.

This year’s St. Marys River cruise will be aboard a Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours boat on Friday, June 24. Boarding begins at 5:30 pm, and we cast off at 6pm. The cruise is three hours long. We plan to travel through the U.S. Locks, but that may change in order to chase freighters. (NOTE: At this time, we can approach the Canadian Locks, but not transit through them. We can also approach Algoma Steel, but we cannot enter the slip.)

Pizza and salad are included in paid passage. There will be a cash bar on board. You can bring your own food and beverages (no alcohol).

Reservations are a must, as the group is limited to 100 passengers. Reservations (both online and mail-in) must be received no later than Friday, June 17. Buy tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/2p86wujf

If the cruise is not sold out, Angie Williams will take CASH ONLY reservations through the end of the Boatnerd Picnic on Thursday, June 23, at the Procrastinator Price of $40.00 per General Admission ticket, and $30 per youth ticket.

Contact Angie at griffinclawangie@gmail.com or 734-386-0899 if you have questions or wish to reserve without using EventBrite,.

The Boatnerd  Picnic will be Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sherman Park, just west of the locks. Bring a dish to pass. Burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided by Boatnerd. Free.) Save the date and think early about your travel plans and lodging. The event will be held rain or shine, but lets hope for sunshine!

Events are in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer’s Day (Friday, June 24) open house at the Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

‘Sure looks beautiful’: Freshly painted, SS Badger gets to work

Ludington, MI – Decked in fresh paint and outfitted with several upgrades, the SS Badger made its first trip of the season to Manitowoc, Wisconsin and back on Thursday.

It was an “absolutely beautiful day for a first sail,” said Shelby Soberalski, Director of Marketing and Sales for Lake Michigan Carferry. “Perfect weather. Couldn’t have asked for anything better.” On the ground in Manitowoc, speaking between honks of the Badger’s horn, Soberalski said the ride was “so much fun. … It’s been a great day.”

Thursday marked the Badger’s first trip since the 69-year-old National Historic Landmark was sandblasted and covered with 800 gallons of fresh paint late last year.

“It’s a definite visual testament to the future of the Badger,” Soberalski said. “Some passengers specifically wanted to come and see the new paint. … People were very excited to see that she’s being so well taken care of.”

The Badger also crossed the lake equipped with renovated crew quarters and a new system for passengers to stream movies and shows on their devices, but on Thursday, “a lot of passengers were excited to be outside on the open air decks,” she said.

Arcade games are set to be installed on the ship this week, and from June 10 to Sept. 7, the ship will get back to running doubles — taking a night trip back to Manitowoc and returning to Ludington by morning.

“We’re really excited to bring back doubles,” Soberalski said. “This is something that we had hosted in the past, that we had a lot of demand for, and people are getting really excited for an opportunity to see the sunset, see night sky stargazing opportunities.”

Read the full article at this link: https://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/news/local/sure-looks-beautiful-freshly-painted-ss-badger-gets-to-work/article_c83ab81f-b74a-5f1b-a1d2-ee1016e885c7.html#tncms-source=signup

Ludington Daily News

 

Great Lakes iron ore trade down in April

Cleveland, OH – Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 3 million tons in April, a decrease of 44.7 percent compared to last year.  Shipments were 41.3 percent below the month’s 5-year average. 

 Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 5.5 million tons, a decrease of 41.7 percent compared to the same point in 2021. Through April, iron ore shipments are 37.4 percent below their 5-year average for four months of the year.

 Lake Carriers’ Association

 

Great Lakes limestone trade down in April

Cleveland, OH – Shipments totaled 2 million net tons, a decrease of 16.6 percent compared to a year ago.  Loadings were above the month’s 5-year average by 5.5 percent. 

 Loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.6 million tons, a decrease of 14.6 percent.  Shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by 24.4 percent to 370,107 tons. 

 Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 2 million tons, a decrease of 19.1 percent from 2021.  Shipments from U.S. ports decreased by 16.5 percent from the previous year, while shipments from Canadian ports decreased by 28.8 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

 

Guests tour giant vessels, old and new

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Visitors saw more history-making Great Lakes vessels than usual during this year’s tours at the Sturgeon Bay shipyards.

Some years, the winter fleet has sailed away for freight-hauling duty before the Rotary Club’s annual shipyard-tour fundraiser takes place, but this year, 1,000 people who bought $20 tickets for the tours got a chance to approach and learn about two of the oldest Great Lakes super-freighters. 

They also saw a 1,004-foot-long vessel up on blocks, without its props or rudder, in Fincantieri’s large graving dock, and they got a close look at the exterior of the newest freighter on the Great Lakes.

Docked along the bay of Sturgeon Bay, the 858-foot-long bulk freighter M/V Roger Blough floated high in the water, wedged and winched between the 1,000-foot-long Stewart Cort and a 70-year-old, oil-fired steamship, the Cason J. Callaway. At least this month, the Stewart Cort had a much different cargo, said tour volunteer Stu Fett, who retired after 47 years at the shipyard.

“The Stewart Cort is being used as hotel accommodations for the crew that is going to be on the Mark W. Barker,” Fett said, motioning northeastward toward a somewhat shorter, new vessel.

Fett said that while carrying taconite or other freight, the Cort would need 23 or 24 crew members to operate, but the Mark W. Barker, built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, could need as few as 16 or 17 crew members.

Visitors on the tour asked about the future of the Roger Blough, which caught fire and sustained millions of dollars’ worth of damage 15 months ago. Fett said he couldn’t speak to the future of the vessel, which is part of the Canadian National Railway Great Lakes Fleet, along with the Callaway.

The Cort, built for Bethlehem Steel, became the first “thousand-footer” on the Great Lakes, Fett said. Launched in 1972, it had construction delays, too. A Mississippi yard built and connected its fore and aft sections so it could navigate the Atlantic Coast and seaway to Erie, Pennsylvania, where its center sections were added. Fett said its side tanks were added after it got through some locks that could not handle its 105-foot total width.

The anticipated christening this spring of Interlake Steamship’s Mark W. Barker will make history – and not just for the Sturgeon Bay yard, said Craig Perciavalle, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding vice president and general manager, who was hired for the shipyard’s top spot after Todd Thayse retired in January of this year.

“That will be the first bulk carrier built in the Great Lakes for 40 years, so that’s a pretty big milestone for U.S. shipbuilding,” Perciavalle said. “We have a lot of great customers. Interlake is one of them. We were happy to win that contract and to finish that up.” When the 639-foot-long vessel was floated out of dry dock at Sturgeon Bay in November 2021, it marked the first launch of a large bulk freighter in the lakes since 1983, and the first for Interlake since 1981.

Perciavalle said Fincantieri did not allow any public access to the south yard, where the company has been helping Fincantieri Marinette Marine complete sections of frigates for the Saudi Arabian navy. Though he did not specify a date or month, he confirmed that it won’t be long before the company needs to ramp up to build sections of modern frigates for the U.S. Navy.

Perciavalle said there’s still plenty to see on the commercial side of the shipyard, and the annual Rotary Club tours should continue as the years go on.

“This is really phenomenal,” Perciavalle told the Peninsula Pulse. “To have this open to the public through the Rotary, I think is a great thing for us. I think it’s a great opportunity, and we look forward to this every year. We’re very proud to be a part of this and to do all we can for a community that provides a tremendous amount of support for us.” Perciavalle said the Rotarians seem to have the tour routes “down to a science. They pretty much run the show, and we provide the support.”

This is the 29th year that the Rotary Club has held the event. Tour proceeds go to the club’s scholarship funds and student-exchange program, tour chair Keith Mutchler said. The Rotary Club did not have tours in 2020, and it delayed the 2021 tours until September because of COVID-19 concerns.

Years ago, the Rotary Club did not limit crowd sizes.  “A couple of years, we had way too many people, and we were pushing things and pushing the volunteers,” Mutchler said. The club now ensures a high-quality event by limiting the number of visitors it allows in, and it always sells all of the available tickets. “We sold out about two weeks ago, and we continued to have people emailing or approaching us for more tickets,” Mutchler said.

Door County Pulse

 

Time running out for Boatnerd freighter-chasing cruise early bird rate

After going on pandemic hiatus for the last two years, the Annual Boatnerd Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise is back in business!

• When: Friday – June 24, 6–9 pm, rain or shine
• Where: Soo Locks Boat Tours, Dock #2 (next to the Valley Camp)
• Limit: 100 passengers
• Food: Pizza and salad included with paid passage
• General Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $30.00 each, $35.00 each from June 1-June 17
• Youth Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $20.00 each, $25.00 each from June 1-June 17. Youth admission applies to those under 18.

This year’s St. Marys River cruise will be aboard a Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours boat on Friday, June 24. Boarding begins at 5:30 pm, and we cast off at 6pm. The cruise is three hours long. We plan to travel through the U.S. Locks, but that may change in order to chase freighters. (NOTE: At this time, we can approach the Canadian Locks, but not transit through them. We can also approach Algoma Steel, but we cannot enter the slip.)

Pizza and salad are included in paid passage. There will be a cash bar on board. You can bring your own food and beverages (no alcohol).

Reservations are a must, as the group is limited to 100 passengers. Reservations (both online and mail-in) must be received no later than Friday, June 17. Buy tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/2p86wujf

If the cruise is not sold out, Angie Williams will take CASH ONLY reservations through the end of the Boatnerd Picnic on Thursday, June 23, at the Procrastinator Price of $40.00 per General Admission ticket, and $30 per youth ticket.

Contact Angie at griffinclawangie@gmail.com or 734-386-0899 if you have questions or wish to reserve without using EventBrite,.

The Boatnerd  Picnic will be Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sherman Park, just west of the locks. Bring a dish to pass. Burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided by Boatnerd. Free.) Save the date and think early about your travel plans and lodging. The event will be held rain or shine, but lets hope for sunshine!

Events are in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer’s Day (Friday, June 24) open house at the Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

 

Have a good weekend everyone!

– Jack

CSL’s New Purpose-Designed Diesel-Electric Self-Unloading Ship Begins Service for Windsor Salt

Montreal, QC – Earlier this week, Canada Steamship Lines’ new diesel-electric self-unloading vessel, MV Nukumi, successfully completed its inaugural loading and discharge of deicing salt for dedicated customer, Windsor Salt.

 “The successful launch of Nukumi’s operations is the culmination of many years of planning with our visionary partner, Windsor Salt, to achieve the next level of safe, sustainable and efficient shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region,” said Louis Martel, President and CEO, The CSL Group. “We are extremely proud of our vessel’s early performance, which is a testament to the expertise, ingenuity and skill of our design and newbuild teams who conceived Nukumi, and of our seafarers who are now operating this highly sophisticated ship.”

Purpose-designed to service Windsor Salt’s deicing salt shipping and handling needs in Eastern Canada, the vessel’s state-of-the-art technology and innovative features were put to the test for the first time during loading at the Mines Seleines salt mine in the Magdalene Islands last week, and during the discharge in Montreal yesterday.

On her first trip to the Mines Seleine salt mine, the ship’s modern hull design and twin-fin diesel-electric propulsion system demonstrated the vessel’s ability to transit through narrow channels more quickly, at lower tide and with exceptional maneuverability.

 The ship’s fully automated single point of loading and state-of-the-art cargo handling systems performed as designed and eliminated the need for vessel shifting during loading, making for a safer and more efficient operation. 

 During discharge in Montreal, the vessel’s shuttle discharge boom arrangement significantly reduced shifting, while sensor technology installed on the boom and programmed to auto-pile mode contributed to saving time and crew effort.

 Several innovations built into the design of M/V Nukumi are also reducing the ship’s overall environmental footprint and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants by 25% and 80% respectively, compared with previous ships servicing the same routes. These include diesel-electric tier 3 engines, a ballast water treatment system, a waste heat recovery system, and overall quieter machinery.

 “Canadians count on the critical deicing salts that Nukumi will deliver to stockpiles throughout Eastern Canada to help keep roadways safe during the winter,” said Luc B. Savoie, Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, Windsor Salt Ltd. “Reducing the environmental impact of shipping our deicing salt and ensuring everyone’s safety are important objectives at Windsor Salt, and we are delighted that this new, advanced ship will help us achieve both.” 

 CSL is grateful to the Ministère des Transports du Québec for its financial contribution as part of the Ministry’s program to improve the efficiency of marine, air and rail transportation. 

 “With Avantage Saint-Laurent, our government has given Quebec a clear vision for the marine industry: aligning economic development and protecting ecosystems. CSL’s Nukumi is a perfect example to what we want to do on the St. Lawrence. I am very proud to support this project, which uses innovative marine transportation practices that respect the environment, and has concrete benefits for communities,” said Chantal Rouleau, Quebec’s Minister for Transport.

Canada Steamship Lines

 

Great Lakes Ships Lose a Month Due to Lack of Icebreakers

Cleveland, OH – The ice season is over on the Great Lakes but the impacts of insufficient Coast Guard icebreaking linger.  With a defined shipping season of 10-months, due to the closure of the navigational locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan which connect Lake Superior and the iron ore mines to the steel mills in the southern lakes, delays to the maritime supply chain have tremendous impacts.

During this year’s ice season, the U.S.-flag Great Lakes shipping industry lost the equivalent of a month due to delays in ice covered waters.  1.645 million tons of cargo carrying capacity was delayed for 679.5 hours or 28 days due to ice conditions on Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and in Green Bay and a lack of Coast Guard icebreakers to meet the needs of commerce. 

 “It amazes me that a cargo container stuck in Chesapeake Bay or in the Suez Canal gets worldwide attention and that happens on the Great Lakes every year.  The loss of one day of shipping is tremendous, but a month is devasting.  Imagine if highways in the northern states didn’t have enough snowplows to keep traffic moving during frequent winter storms and sat on the road for a month…it is unacceptable,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Great Maritime Task Force.

 According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ice conditions this past winter were “average” to “slightly below average” during the bulk of the icebreaking period.  Several ships, including some Canadian-flag lakers, faced perilous journeys through ice infested waters that nearly forced a vessel aground in the Straits of Mackinac and shutdown waterways.  At one point several vessels were stuck in eastern Lake Superior for more than three days.  With an aging fleet of six 40-year-old small icebreaking tugs and only one heavy icebreaker the U.S. Coast Guard couldn’t keep up.  Multiple vessels were shoved near the edge of the navigational channels as ice floes over a foot thick shifted which lasted up until mid-April.  At the beginning of the ice season the U.S. Coast Guard lost five icebreakers to engineering casualties, just when they were needed most.

 “The Coast Guard needs more icebreakers on the Fourth Sea Coast.  We have 237,000 jobs depending on a reliable Great Lakes Navigation System.  In addition, our sailors deserve to feel safe navigating our waterways regardless of the time of year,” stated John D. Baker, International Longshoremen’s Association and Vice President of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force.

 While progress fixing the icebreaking issue has been slow, it is moving forward thanks to key Great Lakes Senators and Congressional Representatives.  Over the past year both the current Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and the nominee to replace him testified before the Senate Commerce Committee acknowledging the need for another heavy Great Lakes icebreaker.  In addition, the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act has passed the House in the Coast Guard Authorization Bill which authorizes full funding for the new icebreaker, mandates transparent and accurate performance measures, and commissions a study by the Government Accountability Office to examine the impacts and needs for additional U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

 

SS Badger ready to sail with big changes on horizon

 Ludington, MI – The ownership of Lake Michigan Carferry and the SS Badger are happy to see the 2022 season start off today, and there could be some changes on the not-too-distant horizon, too.

 “It’s always a fun day. I think it’s exciting and a lot of anxiety to get it going and get it out there,” Mark Barker, president of Interlake Holding Company and parent company of LMC, told the Daily News after remarks at a kickoff event Wednesday evening at the Lake House in downtown Ludington.

 “Sara (Spore, general manager of LMC) and her team have been working non-stop. It’s always a sigh of relief to get underway and start the season.”

 Barker outlined some of the changes the boat went through over the course of the winter and what could be ahead for the national historic landmark in brief remarks to the people on hand for the event. He mentioned in brief remarks the company is starting to investigate looking into the possibility of moving away from the Badger being powered by coal.

 “We’re looking at all options,” Barker told the Daily News. “At the end of the day, we need a boat that is sustainable, and that means economically, environmentally, from everything. We want the boat to continue to run for the communities that we serve. We need to look at all options.

 “Coal is not the most favored fuel in the world.”

 The previous ownership group studied and even received a grant from the State of Wisconsin to convert from coal to natural gas in the early 2010s. Barker said Wednesday that the company is going to start from the beginning in its search to determine a new fuel source for the Badger.

 “We looked at natural gas. We were actually looking at natural gas for our other ships at the same time Bob (Manglitz, former co-owner of LMC) was looking at natural gas for here,” he told the Daily News. “I was talking to Bob because he was asking me questions about it. I don’t think natural gas is the right fuel for this application nor is it in the future.

 “I think we have to look at opportunities, and what they are, I don’t know, yet,” he said. “There’s a lot of talk about what the right long-term fuel is to decarbonize by 2050. That’s maritime goal, to be carbon-neutral by 2050. We have to look at all options, and we have to start somewhere. We’re starting from scratch and looking at what can we do now and how is that going to work for the future.”

 Read more at this Ludington Daily News link: https://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/news/local/ss-badger-ready-to-sail-with-big-changes-on-horizon/article_7151e4b9-6ee1-55e7-97a5-b77edc2f6d03.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2q1HGeII6VF5fF7s2ex5jOyJzF6ke7QQTx-dTX4-91k-lunhNYGF6gnc8

Ludington Daily News

 

US Navy chief defends plan to scrap troubled warships even though some are less than 3 years old

The chief of the US Navy defended the service’s plans to scrap nine relatively new warships in the coming fiscal year even as the service tries to keep up with China’s growing fleet. Three of the littoral combat ships slated for decommissioning are less than three years old.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday that the anti-submarine ships could not perform their primary mission.

“I refuse to put an additional dollar against a system that would not be able to track a high-end submarine in today’s environment,” Gilday told the committee. He said the main reason for the early retirement was that the anti-submarine warfare system on the ships “did not work out technically.” The decommissioning of the ships would save the Navy approximately $391 million, according to the service’s proposed FY23 budget.

But that recoups only a fraction of the cost of the nine littoral combat ships, which totaled about $3.2 billion.

The USS Indianapolis, USS Billings and USS Wichita were all commissioned in 2019, which means the Navy plans on decommissioning ships that are only a fraction of the way into their expected service life. The Navy also plans to retire six other littoral combat ships, all of the single-hull Freedom-variant, as opposed to the trimaran Independence-variant. Both variants can achieve speeds of 40+ knots.

Under a 2016 Navy plan, the Freedom-class variants were all homeported Mayport, Florida, mainly for use in Atlantic Ocean operations. The Independence-class variants were homeported in San Diego, and designated for mainly Pacific operations.

The decision amounts to an embarrassing admission that some of the Navy’s newest ships are not fit for modern warfare.

Read the full article at this Microsoft Start link: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/us/us-navy-chief-defends-plan-to-scrap-troubled-warships-even-though-some-are-less-than-3-years-old/ar-AAXaSon?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=abcc3f89602641d6b5ec907fcac79327

Microsoft Start

 

Visitor Center boat hotline has new number for 2022

 Sault Ste. Marie – The Soo Locks Visitor Center Boatwatcher’s Hotline has a new number this year for checking what vessels are due at the locks. Call 906-202-1333 to play the recording. The Visitor Center is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays in May but the recording will still be updated those days.

S.S. Badger to make first Lake Michigan crossing of the season

Ludington, MI – The S.S. Badger is set to make its first voyage of the season on Thursday. 

The 410-foot Great Lakes car ferry will sail 60 miles from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin sporting a fresh coat of paint. It will continue to operate daily from May 12 through Oct. 16, with two crossings a day scheduled for the height of the season, from June 19 to Sept. 6. 

“We’ve had a busy off season making many investments that are visible not just in the Badger’s appearance but in our enhanced schedule of crossings and cruises and additional on board amenities,” said Sara Spore, general manager of Lake Michigan Carferry, which operates the Badger, in a news release.

A press release from Lake Michigan Carferry states the ship will be staffed by 100 employees on opening day. This includes 40 between the deck and engine crews.

The Badger can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including RVs, motorcycles, motorcoaches, and commercial trucks and oversized load in a single trip. 

”In addition to the 800 gallons of paint that restored the Badger … passengers will enjoy new amenities such as an onboard video entertainment system where they can browse and select movies to watch on their own devices, on demand,” reads part of the release. 

Also new this year is an evening Shoreline Cruise leaving from Manitowoc, adding to the lineup that includes two afternoon cruises from the Wisconsin port. “Our Shoreline Cruises are very popular and we wanted to offer an evening cruise experience where people can enjoy the sunsets, star gazing and an absolutely beautiful night time sky like you’ve never seen before,” said Shelby Soberalski, director of marketing and sales at Lake Michigan Carferry, in the release. 

For more information on the S.S. Badger or to book a reservation, visit ssbadger.com.

Manistee News

 

Duluth port prepares for cruise ships to arrive

Duluth, MN – The cruise ship passenger terminal on the Harbor Drive side of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center will be completed later this month, just in time for the first cruise ship since 2013 to dock in Duluth’s harbor.

During the Cruise the Great Lakes annual meeting, which is being held at the DECC this week, organization and Duluth officials highlighted the work that’s been done to allow for cruise ships to come to Duluth. This summer, nine cruises will be stopping in Duluth for the day. David Naftzger, executive director of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, said having a fixed location for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility was “instrumental” in attracting cruise ship companies Viking Cruises and American Queen Voyages to add Duluth to their networks.

“This effectively opens Lake Superior to cruising that crosses that U.S.-Canadian border,” Naftzger said. “Ports like Thunder Bay will benefit, ports like Duluth will benefit, and we will see it grow over time to other places.”

The Great Lakes have been named top global tourism destinations by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and Travel + Leisure Magazine in recent years. Naftzger said because of this, he expects to see more international visitors to the Great Lakes in the coming years.

Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said even though the Great Lakes are among the fastest-growing cruise destinations in the world right now, Lake Superior wasn’t previously included in the growth because there was no fixed customs facility until now.

Dan Hartman, executive director of the DECC, said the effort to get the facility to meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements was a yearslong effort between many entities, including the city of Duluth and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Hartman said depending on reconstruction of the Duluth seawall, ships will hopefully dock behind or near the DECC during their stays.

“Imagine this cruise ship, that’s going to be almost the size of the (William A.) Irvin, coming through that beautiful Lift Bridge around 8 a.m., and they’ll come in here and go through our facility, which is kind of like the TSA for cruise boats,” he said. “Then they’re going to come out and go on these excursions.”

Read the full article at this Duluth News Tribune link: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-port-prepares-for-cruise-ships-to-arrive

Duluth News Tribune

 

Doubters abound as Charlevoix couple think they found Great Lakes’ oldest shipwreck

It’s the oldest mystery on the Great Lakes: Whatever happened to the Griffon? It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. Loaded with furs in what’s now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunk somewhere in northern Lake Michigan in 1679.

A couple in Charlevoix think they’ve found it. Steve and Kathie Libert, of Charlevoix, said they’ve spent more than 40 years seeking the answer to one of North America’s most enduring mysteries — the final resting place of the legendary Griffon. Reports by French explorers and missionaries said Native Americans told them they saw the ship go down with all hands.

The Liberts say the wreck lies near tiny, uninhabited Poverty Island, part of a chain of islands that runs southwest into Lake Michigan from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. French archeologists who visited the site at the Liberts’ invitation have said they believe the couple is on to something; they even staked a claim for France for whatever wreckage turns up, Steve and Kathie Libert say in their 2021 book, “Le Griffon and the Huron Islands”.

Prominent historians and shipwreck experts in Michigan doubt the Liberts’ claim. Yet none has accompanied Steve on his dives, the couple said in an interview last week at their waterfront condominium in Charlevoix. The Liberts are well-known in northern Michigan for their decades-long campaign to find the Griffon, but this week’s talk is Steve’s first appearance in metro Detroit.

“I’ve been interested in this ship since I was 14,” he said in an interview in Charlevoix last week. “It started with a junior high teacher, talking about early European explorers. He mentioned this ship. As he walked the room, he said, ‘Who knows? Maybe somebody will find that ship someday,’ and he touched me on the shoulder.”

Read the full article at this Detroit Free Press link: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/05/11/great-lakes-shipwreck-griffon-lake-michigan/9665058002/

Detroit Free Press

 

Historic shoreline cruise ship begins 3rd season on Lake Michigan, offers holiday cruises

Manistee, MI – The historic Princess shoreline cruise ship is sailing Lake Michigan for the third season.

Owner and Capt. Albert Laaksonen is embarking on his second season operating the 65-foot Princess out of the Manistee Municipal Marina situated along the Manistee Riverwalk. New this year are five holiday cruises.

Manistee Harbor Tours kicked off its season last week offering two, 90-minute cruises daily. The ship traverses the Manistee River out to Lake Michigan for afternoon and sunset cruises. “Many for the first time are just enjoying being on one of the greatest bodies of fresh water in the world,” Laaksonen said. “Of course, the most popular viewing are the awesome sunsets.”

One of this year’s holiday cruises will include not only the sunset but also a fantastic view of Manistee’s 4th of July fireworks display. This is the first year that these special cruises are being offered. Here’s the line-up: Memorial Day weekend, Sunday, May 29; Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19; Independence Day, Monday, July 4; Family Day, Sunday, Aug. 14; and Labor Day weekend, Sunday, Sept. 4. Except for the Independence Day cruise, they will all be from 2-3:30 p.m. Wine, beverages, appetizers and treats for children will be included for those who reserve tickets online. Tickets will be $50 for adults and $25 for children.

Regular cruise tickets are $35 for adults, $17.50 for children 4-14, and free for infants and toddlers 0-3. The Princess accommodates up to 148 passengers and can also be reserved for private tours.

The Princess is something of Up North royalty. She is a former Arnold Transit ferry for Mackinac Island before heading to Lake Superior to be outfitted as a car ferry in Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands.

Laaksonen brought the ship to Lake Michigan in 2020. He first offered cruises out of Ludington before moving to Manistee in 2021. He was attracted to the town’s “safe and adequate” docking facilities along with a welcoming local government and chamber of commerce, he said.

MLive 

 

UWM uses vessel to get more students interested in Great Lakes research

Milwaukee, WI –  The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee hopes to get more students interested in Great Lakes research.

Maxwell Morgan is the captain of the Neeskay. It is a vessel that conducts on research on Lake Michigan for the university. Recently, he took a group of UWM students for a day out on the water. “It’s great. It’s a lot better than sitting at the dock. I can tell you that. This is what I took this job for. Being out on the open water,” Morgan said. “It’s something I have always loved, and it’s my favorite place to be.”

Morgan guided students through several experiments. This included monitoring the temperature of the water and examining the mud for contaminants. “Whether it be for making it clean for drinking or how to treat contaminated water or recreational for swimming or for fishing, drinking,” Morgan said. “Water is one of the most important resources on the planet, so if we could get a better idea of what’s going on with the water, we have the better off we will be.”

For one test, Morgan examined the health of the Lake Michigan ecosystem by finding out how much plankton is in the water.

Alaina Blackledge is one of the students. She volunteered to toss the net used to gather samples from the lake. When pulled up, the students found a good amount of plankton. Blackledge wants to become a science teacher. She went on this trip to increase her knowledge in the field. “I think, honestly, exciting people about learning is really important so when you offer an opportunity, ‘Hey let’s go out on Lake Michigan on this research vessel,’ that can excite a lot of people who would maybe never think about coming out here for this purpose,” said Blackledge.

Seeing students like Blackledge who take part in this research gives Morgan a sense of pride. “It’s a great opportunity. I think with that being such a big resource,” Blackledge said. “There’s going to be more and more job opportunities out there, so the more people we can have trained to know the different science about water, the better.”

Morgan said the Neeskay has served the university for decades and they will eventually replace it with a new research vessel called the Maggi Sue. He believes while the Maggi Sue will help advance great lakes research, he will always be thankful for Neeskay’s contribution to UWM.

More information on the university’s new research vessel can be found at https://uwm.edu/freshwater/facilities/fleet/maggi-sue/.

Spectrum News 1 

 

Boatnerd fully back on line, including old forums

After a few days of working, Boatnerd is fully back on line, including the old forums. We are working to improve the site’s functionality and on ways to make sure the bot attack that took us down won’t happen again.

Thank you for your patience,

Nathan Leindecker 

President boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/

MacArthur Lock still closed for repairs, expected to open first week of June

Sault Ste. Marie – Maintenance on one of the Soo Locks has taken longer than expected.

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie has two locks: the larger Poe Lock and the smaller MacArthur Lock.

It’s the smaller lock that has been delayed in opening up. It was originally planned to open mid-April.

Some of the components are 80 years old and need repair. One is the powertrain.

The powertrain for the fill and empty valves has gears that are over 2,000 pounds, then came issues with getting the right parts.

“The problem was that one of the subcontractors, there were some problems with some of the parts,” said Kevin Sprague, area engineer of the Army Corps of Engineers. “And now one of our local machine shops have stepped in and they have really been able to help bring it back on-track.”

The MacArthur Lock is expected to be open by the first week of June.

9&10 News

 

Split Rock Lighthouse closed after lightning strike

Two Harbors, MN – Split Rock Lighthouse is closed after the facilities took a lightning strike Monday afternoon. 

Lightning struck a tree near the parking lot.

The lighthouse site manager tells us the electricity then went from a nearby light pole to the visitor center, and fried some of the building’s internal systems.

The strike was also frightening for the people who were there at the time.

“Basically it sounded like a gunshot going off,” said Split Rock Site Manager Hayes Scriven. “It was so loud and it was intense, you could feel the shaking even where I was in the house and where the staff was in the visitor center, they could feel it too.”

The visitor center and historic site will be closed for at least the next couple days for assessment and repairs, with a goal of being open again by the weekend.

Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most photographed and visited spots in the state.

The lighthouse was built by the United States Lighthouse Service in 1910, and has 1000 watts of power.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1969, the lantern is still in operational condition and is lit each November 10 during the Edmund Fitzgerald Beacon Lighting Ceremony.

Split Rock Lighthouse is a Minnesota Historical Society site and now operated by the group.

KBJR-TV Channel 6

 

Water flow to increase on St. Marys River

Sault Ste. Marie – Anglers and other users of the St. Marys River are advised that on Wednesday morning, May 11, 2022, Gates #9 through #12 will be raised from their current position to a setting of 33 cm (13 in) open for the remainder of the month. Gates #9 through #12 are located near the middle of the Compensating Works structure at the head of the St. Marys Rapid on the US side of the border. Gates #7 and #8 (near the middle of the structure on the Canadian side of the border) will remain at their current setting of 20 cm (8 in). There will be no change to the setting of Gate #1, which supplies a flow of about 15 m3/s to the channel north of the Fishery Remedial Dike.

 Beginning on May 11, the gate setting will be equivalent to approximately one gate fully open. These gate movements will result in an increase in the flow through the St. Marys Rapids from approximately 85 m3/s (3,000 cfs) to approximately 156 m3/s (5,500 cfs).

 These gate movements are being conducted in order to achieve the Plan 2012 prescribed flow for the month. During routine maintenance and testing, mechanical problems were identified at the Canadian hydropower plant requiring urgent repairs and a reduction in flow capacity. Maximum flows are being released from the US hydropower plants to compensate for some of this difference.

 It is possible that the gates will need to be raised again in June resulting in a higher flow in the St. Marys Rapids. Further changes to the gate settings will be communicated in future

 Lake Superior News

 

Water-level pendulum befuddles Great Lakes scientists

Though still higher than average, Lake Erie’s water level has stabilized and is not expected to approach record levels or interfere with many activities this summer.

Just two to three years ago, people got their feet wet getting on and off ferries that shuttled them between the mainland and the Lake Erie islands. Destinations such as Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island were closed because their docks were submerged. And many shoreline residents were on the lookout for erosion more than usual because of high water.

One of the Great Lakes region’s leading hydrologists, Drew Gronewold, a University of Michigan associate professor of ecosystem science and management, said the current high-water era is still with us.

But he said it shouldn’t be as much of a threat this summer because Lake Superior and Lakes Michigan-Huron have started to move back toward something which more closely resembles their historic average water levels.

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are considered the same body of water by hydrologists because they’re divided by only the Mackinac Bridge.

The Upper Lakes greatly influence the levels of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario because they flow southward into them.

“Water levels are almost surely going to stay above normal, but not reach record levels [this year],” Mr. Gronewold said Monday during a 45-minute webinar when asked specifically about Lake Erie.

Read the full article at this Toledo Blade link: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2022/05/09/swing-high-swing-low-great-lakes-water-level-pendulum-befuddles-scientists/stories/20220509117?fbclid=IwAR2qL9gwDA0NtaoIcN-QVbtrZvbWZH3SiTOBjict-2O3VM9YUllh2wfXzL4

Toledo Blade

 

Boatnerd fully back on line, including old forums

After a few days of working, Boatnerd is fully back on line, including the old forums. We are working to improve the site’s functionality and on ways to make sure the bot attack that took us down won’t happen again.

Thank you for your patience,

Nathan Leindecker 

President boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/

Largest cruise ship on Great Lakes will lock through the Soo May 24

Sault Ste. Marie – River-watchers in the Canadian and U.S. Saults will get their first look on Tuesday, May 24 at the biggest cruise ship on the Great Lakes.

 The Viking Octantis, named after the pole star of the southern hemisphere, won’t stop here on that date, or any time in 2022. It will just quietly slip through the Soo Locks on its inaugural cruise from Milwaukee to Thunder Bay.

 “The first time Viking Octantis will pass through the Soo Locks is scheduled for May 24, which is the sixth day of the Great Lakes Explorer itinerary, which begins in Milwaukee on May 21,” Viking spokesperson Amanda Hollinger tells SooToday.

 If you can’t get to the St. Marys River on May 24, you’ll have lots of other opportunities this summer to catch a glimpse of the brand-new, 665-foot, six-deck expedition ship. Upbound and downbound, the Octantis will pass through the Sault a total of 14 times this year.

 Under current pricing, an eight-day cruise costs as little as $8,395 for a 222-square-foot stateroom, or up to $23,395 for the 1,223-square-foot Owner’s Suite with private garden lounge and dining area, wood-sided hot tub, library and a welcoming bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

 Downbound to Milwaukee, the ship adds a stop at Duluth. Upbound to Thunder Bay, it spends three days exploring Georgian Bay. The downbound cruises cost a few hundred dollars more than the upbound trips. Six of the 14 cruises planned for 2022 are already sold out.

 In 2023, an identical sister ship, Viking Polaris (named after the northern pole star), will also start cruising in our area with 15-day voyages between Toronto and Duluth costing between $18,195 and almost $50,000.

 Next year, Viking will stop in the Michigan Sault, with day excursions planned for Hiawatha Highlands, Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Soo Locks.

 Both ships carry 378 guests in 189 staterooms. Read more about the ship at this SooLeader link: https://www.sooleader.com/local-news/largest-cruise-ship-on-great-lakes-will-be-here-may-24-21-photos-5345288utm_source=SND&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=AutoPilot&fbclid=IwAR0OwCOayuYwPi7vrI7o-uRTry1r1FUGHDd4nr4gOva1k3lHE-DV6FjfZH8

SooLeader

 

Cruise ship leaves Milwaukee twice

Milwaukee, WI – The Viking Octantis, the largest and newest cruise ship on the Great Lakes, spent extra time in Milwaukee this weekend.

The ship arrived in Milwaukee mid-day Friday to great fanfare. And as part of the city’s role as a turn-around port, it was scheduled to leave Sunday with a new set of passengers. Early Sunday afternoon the ship was pulling out of the port of Milwaukee en route to Mackinac, Michigan.

But after making it to a point as far north as Mequon, the 666-foot-long Octantis turned around and headed back into Milwaukee’s port. The ship is scheduled to return to Milwaukee nine times this year, but with weeks, not hours, between each trip.

“On May 8th U.S. Customs and Border Protection was notified by Viking Cruise Lines that a crewmember failed to report to the vessel for departure. No further details are available,” said a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson.

In addition to accommodating 378 passengers, the ship is configured to hold up to 250 crew members. Dozens of crew members were spotted cleaning, prepping and painting the vessel during a media tour Friday.

The ship’s workforce is led by captain Anders Steen.

By 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening, the vessel was departing Milwaukee for the second time that day. It sailed under the Hoan Bridge and out into Lake Michigan. At the time of publication, it was approaching Mackinac Island.

Trips from Milwaukee end in the Canadian ports of Toronto or Thunder Bay, but along the way the vessel stops in a number of ports and passengers have a choice of multiple excursions.

The all-inclusive, eight-day trips start at $5,995.

The Octantis is a Seawaymax-size vessel, which means it is the largest possible ship that can still fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway locks connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

The city is rebuilding its South Shore Cruise Dock to accommodate the larger vessels, but for 2022 the Octantis will dock at the Heavy Lift Dock in the inner harbor.

In addition to Viking, other carriers are expected to call on Milwaukee 23 times this year. It’s part of what the city hopes to be a record-breaking year with more than 10,000 cruise passengers visiting Milwaukee.

Urban Milwaukee 

 

Marine market: 134 years as a grocer

Alpena, MI – In decades past, almost every major Great Lakes port city offered a specialty grocery supplying freighters.

In recent years, the operation of those supermarkets to the Great Lakes has dramatically changed. That is due to the presence of 1,000-foot freighters, as long as three football fields, replacing the smaller boats. In addition, technological advances have created smaller crews.

Recently, a Cleveland, Ohio-based fleet grocer ceased operation, leaving only three U.S.-based Great Lakes fleet grocers in operation. Those are located in Duluth, Minnesota, Sault Ste. Marie, and at Alpena’s Marine Market.

The Marine Market, originally known as Kannowski Bros., was opened in 1888 by August Kannowski, who immigrated from Germany.

According to Kannowski’s great-grandson, Al Kannowski, his first market was briefly located on Chisholm Street, across from the current Culligan Plaza. The operation was primarily noted as a meat purveyor. The operation soon relocated just north of the 2nd Avenue bridge, on the site where Alpena Furniture is now located.

For a short period, August operated the market with his brother, Otto.

The market would next move to the current location of Alpena’s U.S. Post Office.

Marine Market’s Thunder Bay River location provided access to the arriving Great Lakes boats, along with timber industry boats and camps.

According to 1955 Alpena News accounts, Al’s father, Robert, was approached by Harry Fletcher to acquire the Second Avenue property.

According to Al, he set his sights on Ripley Boulevard property to build a new Marnie Market structure. Al commented that, at that time, Ripley was a gravel road located at Alpena’s far edges. After several presentations to the city committees and council, the property was rezoned to commercial.

After the 1956 move to Ripley Boulevard, Robert, his son, Max, and longtime employee Ed Schultz continued to operate the Marine Market.

Read the full article at this Alpena News link: https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/local-news/2022/05/marine-market-134-years-as-a-grocer/

The Alpena News

Future USS Beloit christened in Marinette

Marinette, WI – A celebration was held on Saturday at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard to honor a huge milestone.

The newest littoral combat ship was christened, and it means a lot for some people in one Wisconsin city.

“They had bus loads of individuals from Beloit coming up here,” said Steve Allen, vice president of Lockheed Martin. “It’s absolutely amazing for a smaller city to have the type of representation for the terms of the name sake for the ship.”

Veterans and people from Beloit made the 3-and-a-half hour trip to Marinette to see something never done before, a combat ship named for their city.

The Future USS Beloit is the 29th Littoral Combat Ship.

“I had the honor of making a few calls before the announcement was public just to give people a heads up and it was unbelievable,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “This is a long time coming with people and veterans from Beloit.”

The christening ceremony marks the transition of the ship from new construction, to the test and trials phase.

It’s celebrated by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow of the boat, which was done by Beloit native and retired army major general, Marcia Anderson.

Building of the warship began in July 2020.

But the city’s relationship with the Navy began in 1938, when Fairbanks Morse in Beloit sold its first engine to the Navy.

Engines for the freedom-variant LCSs, like the USS Beloit, are built in the city still to this day.

CEO George Whitter of Fairbanks Morse, says it’s an honor.

“To finally have a shipped named after the town, it’s very emotional for not just the folks at Fairbanks Morse Defense, but the entire city of Beloit,” said Whitter. “We’ve been in the community for 150 years, and you really can’t take Beloit and Fairbanks Morse, they go together like peanut butter and jelly.”

The christening of the future USS Beloit comes after the Navy announced in April they may retire nine ships in the freedom-class of littoral combat ships.

All of the Freedom class ships were built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine.

The last ship named after a Wisconsin city was the USS Marinette, which was christened back in November of 2021.

The USS Beloit is one of the last ships to be side launched.

The USS Cleveland will be the final side launch, which is predicted to be later this fall.

After that final launch, all ships will then be lifted by a Syncrolift, a piece of equipment that uses synchronized hoists to lift it out of the water.

Fox 11 News – Green Bay

 

Viking Octantis cruise ship to stop in Houghton

Houghton, MI – The arrival of a unique cruise ship in Houghton will bring fresh faces to the Keweenaw.

“It’s certainly one of the longest cruise ships to come through the Keweenaw waterways in quite some time,” Keweenaw Visitors Bureau Executive Director Brad Barnett said.

The ship will soon be en route from Thunder Bay, Canada to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On its journey, the Viking Octantis is scheduled to make a stop in Houghton on June 1.

“It’s about 665 feet long, it’s going to be carrying up to 370 passengers, plus crew, so that’s probably going to around be around almost 500 individuals on the ship,” noted Houghton City Manager Eric Waara. Some are on board for leisure, others are scientists conducting research on the Great Lakes.

The Keweenaw Visitors Bureau said this isn’t your average cruise. “It’s a great opportunity for cruise passengers to learn about the Great Lakes ecosystem, and in some cases even participate in some of the research,” Barnett added.

Its current plan is to enter from the north side of the canal unless inclement weather changes its route to a longer journey from the south. Waara said the ship won’t fit under the portage lift bridge. “It’s going to essentially anchor in the Portage. A tender boat is going to bring the cruise passengers to shore.”

From there, those passengers will get the opportunity to see all the copper country has to offer.

“These folks are here for genuine experiences, so they’ll be going on excursions to lighthouses, waterfalls, Estivant Pines, things like that,” Waara said.

The Visitors Bureau added it hopes Houghton’s charm brings people back for more. “We want them to see just a little bit of the beauty, a little bit of the history, and then to whet their appetite to maybe come back and stay for a longer experience,” said Barnett.

According to the Keweenaw Visitors Bureau, several other ships are expected to pass through the canal this summer, including another cruise ship, which would bring with it even more tourists to the Copper Country.

WLUC – Upper Peninsula News

 

Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act passes House

Petroleum, steel and grain are just a few of the main exports that ravel by water in Northeast Wisconsin. Its’ why local commerce leaders are fighting for the US Senate to pass the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act. It’s a rare show of bipartisan support that starts with a conversation about cereal.

“In the winter of 19 we almost had a Cheerio shortage.” James Weakley says on transporting goods like grain through the Great Lakes.

President of the Lake Carriers’ Association, he’s been advocating for the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act for years.

The piece of economic legislation made one step closer to becoming law: passing the US House, and heading to the Senate.

“Lets build ice breakers, let’s break ice more efficiently and let’s have northeast Wisconsin thrive economically as a result.” said U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI) at a Friday roundtable.

Adding on to the ten icebreakers listed by the US Coast Guard, the bill would add one additional icebreaker on the Great Lakes, and the $350 million to build it.

But money isn’t the only hold up.

Both Weakley and Gallagher say the US Coast Guard set a ten year timeline for the project.

They argue the work can be done in just three.

Miscommunication with the Coast Guard isn’t a partisan issue either.

Senator Tammy Baldiwn and Gallagher have noted the economic impact that could come to their constituents across the state.

As for Northeast Wisconsin, here’s Dean Haen, director for the Port of Green Bay: “Our economic impact is about $20 million a month that we’re open. So if we can work in that thin ice two weeks longer in the fall or the winter, or get open two weeks earlier, that’s about a $20 million economic impact to Northeast Wisconsin,” he explained.

The bill isn’t just about money: supporters say this enhances safety on the ice as well.

The legislation would also clarify icebreaking expectations, and update an executive order dating back to the 1930s.

It just has to make it to the Presidents desk first.

Fox 11 News – Green Bay

 

Boatnerd seeking help from volunteers familiar with WordPress

We are in need of someone who has experience with website design and maintenance of our WordPress-based website. Our present volunteer staff does not have the expertise to keep up with it. If you are interested, please email Boatnerd board president Nathan Leindecker to talk about the opportunities.

 Nathan Leindecker

nleindecker@gmail.com

Anglian Lady, PML 9000 freed from Vidal Shoals

Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Purvis Marine’s barge PML 9000 and her tug Anglian Lady, had been grounded since May 4th on Vidal Shoals just west of the Soo Locks approach. The pair were freed on Friday after a portion of the barge’s cargo was offloaded onto another, smaller barge. It is not known for the reason for the grounding or whether the vessels sustained any damage.

 

What to expect from Lake Michigan’s water levels this season

The Great Lakes are just starting their seasonal rise but monitoring agencies aren’t expecting more than a few inches as water levels continue to drop from their 2020 record highs. 

According to the Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District’s most recent water level report released April 29, water levels are only predicted to rise 1 to 4 inches. The report states all of the Great Lakes are still above the 100-year average, but significantly lower than they were in 2021 or 2020 despite receiving above average precipitation.

Lake Michigan is currently at 579 feet, 18 inches above the long-term average for April, but 8 inches lower than the average for April in 2021.

Water levels are 22 inches lower than the record high in April of 2020, according to the report.

The report also predicts Lake Michigan would rise about 3 inches in April.

“Generally, all the lakes are down from the highs of 2020 and 2021,” said Mark Breederland, Michigan Sea Grant educator. “The lakes are starting their seasonal rise from winter into spring and they’ll peak in summer.”

Breederland said Lake Superior’s levels are down from the past several years and almost at the long-term average.

“Several years ago, when it was well above the long-term average, we could look at Lake Superior to see what was coming our way,” Breederland said. “We can expect the same when the levels are lower.”

Breederland said being down 22 inches from April 2021 was “amazing.”

“It’s pretty much two feet,” he said.

Breederland said any water entering the lakes in April will be in the form of rain, as most of the ice has already melted except for a few areas near Whitefish Bay.

With lower water levels, Breederland said people can worry less about erosion and other damage cause by high water during storms.

“I think people are going to have a good beach buffer for most of the shoreline, unless there is a super large extended storm,” he said. “That could do a lot of damage, but people should have some breathing room now.”

The lower water levels are good news to people who enjoy beaches, Breederland said.

“There should be more beach to enjoy this year,” he said. “The last two years there wasn’t a lot of beach, just a bluff and then water.”

Breederland said a lot of water level monitors consider 1 foot above or below the average the “sweet spot,” for Great Lakes water levels.

People can still get into harbors and channels, but there isn’t a lot of flooding like the area has seen in the past few years.

As for whether or not the Great Lakes water levels go from the highs of 2020 to the lows of 2012 in a cycle, Breederland said it is believed so, but the exact details are not clear.

“If you look at the historical records we have, there are multi-decade cycles,” he said. “However, nobody has the exact number. Nobody can say it is every 20 years or every 15 years. It’s hard to predict. If we have 500 years of data on this, it would be a little more statistically accurate.”

Breederland said the Sea Grant Foundation and the Army Corps of Engineers currently has about 104 years of accurate data at which to look.

Manistee News

 

Soo Locks Visitor Center opens for the season

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Following its annual tradition, the Soo Locks Visitor Center is opening to the public for the season on Mothers Day.

The Soo Locks were built in 1855, and ever since then people have been coming from across the state and the country to watch ships pass through the locks. It wasn’t until 1966 that the visitor center was constructed to give onlookers a better view of the locks. Since then the visitor center has become a center for not only watching the ships but for educating yourself about the history of the locks and how they work.

The many exhibits the visitor center has to offer teach people about the construction of the locks, their importance to the local economy as well as the history of many of the ships that regularly pass through the locks.

Soo News

 

Boatnerd seeking help from volunteers familiar with WordPress

We are in need of someone who has experience with website design and maintenance of our WordPress-based website. Our present volunteer staff does not have the expertise to keep up with it. If you are interested, please email Boatnerd board president Nathan Leindecker to talk about the opportunities.

 

Nathan Leindecker

nleindecker@gmail.com

Nominated Coast Guard commandant voices support for new ice breaker on Great Lakes

Even though the Great Lakes ice-breaking season has ended, some members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation are continuing to push for funding for a new heavy icebreaker on the Great Lakes to reduce shipping delays during the winter months.

During the first weeks of the shipping season last winter, more than a dozen ships were delayed by ice and gale-force winds. Some were delayed up to 60 hours in Whitefish Bay.

Overall shipping traffic through the Soo Locks during the peak winter season this year was down nearly 50% when compared to last year.

Shipping industry leaders said millions of dollars in losses are at stake for the manufacturing industry, and the Coast Guard must improve its icebreaking capacity. According to the Lake Carriers’ Association, some shipping companies may have held off on sending out ships because of ice in the Great Lakes.

“This was an average or slightly below average ice year, and the Coast Guard didn’t have to do much icebreaking in the southern part of the Great Lakes,” wrote James Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Associations, in an email to WCMU. “They were still unable to keep traffic moving in Lake Superior, the St. Mary’s River and the Straits of Mackinac.”

Coast Guard officials stationed in Sault St. Marie have told WCMU on multiple occasions this season that heavy winds were one of the main reasons for shipping delays this season, and the Coast Guard deployed icebreakers on the Great Lakes since December 2021 to make sure waterways were clear for safe passage.

“There’s obviously a difference of opinion between Congress, the Coast Guard and industry about how to best tackle the challenge of maximizing transit on the Great Lakes during the winter months,” said Senator Todd Young, representing Indiana, during a nomination hearing for Coast Guard Admiral Lisa Fagan, who has been nominated for Commandant of the Coast Guard.

During the hearing, Fagan was asked if she would support the funding and design of a new ice breaker on the Great Lakes.

“I am committed to fielding the icebreaking capacity that we need as a nation, particularly as it pertains to the Great Lakes,” she said. “Our priority is an icebreaker that is at least as capable as the current Mackinaw.”

Fagan added the Coast Guard currently has a fifteen person team working on the design of a new ice breaker. If the ice breaker is approved, it would be included in the 2023 Coast Guard budget.

“This is significant progress and an acknowledgment of need by the USCG,” Lake Carries’ Association Vice President Eric Peace said in an email.

Michigan Radio

 

Great Lakes cruising season kicks off in Milwaukee with Viking Octantis

Milwaukee, WI – The Viking Octantis docked at the Port of Milwaukee Friday, marking not only the first cruise ship to visit the city since 2019, but also the first Viking ship to dock here.

  The 665-foot, 378-passenger Octantis is the largest cruise ship to sail the Great Lakes and dock in Milwaukee, which is becoming a more popular cruise destination. Fourteen ships were scheduled to dock in the city before the pandemic struck in 2020, up from 10 the previous year. This year, 33 ships are scheduled to bring 10,000 passengers to the city.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson and other politicians and tourism representatives welcomed the ship, praising the efforts of the Port and others to make Milwaukee a cruise destination. 

“Today is a wonderful example of just how the city of Milwaukee is creating new partnerships that are exciting and will create much more activity, economic and otherwise, throughout the city,” Johnson said at a press conference after the ship’s arrival. “I’m eager to show off our city to the thousands and thousands of tourists, cruise ship passengers, who will pass through.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 

 

Chuoy the Buoy reports for duty on Lake Michigan, Filling a Chicago-sized gap in monitoring capabilities

Swimmers, boaters, anglers, meteorologists and aquatic researchers now have a new set of eyes continuously monitoring conditions in Lake Michigan.

On Monday, a team from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant deployed their latest data-gathering buoy — Chicago Pier, nicknamed “Chuoy” — a mile and a quarter off Navy Pier, joining Sea Grant’s other buoys in Wilmette and Michigan City, Ind.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, a program co-managed by the University of Illinois and Purdue University, also oversees a pair of buoys for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; those are positioned in the lake near Waukegan and Winthrop Harbor, respectively.

But weather patterns further north often don’t match what’s occurring on the lake at its southernmost reaches, said Ben Szczygiel, aquatic ecologist and buoy specialist with Sea Grant. Adding Chuoy to the mix will fill a Chicago-sized hole in monitoring capabilities. 

Like its fellow buoys, Chuoy will provide a constant stream of real-time information on solar radiation; wind speed and direction; water temperature through the entire water column, from surface to bottom; as well as wave height, direction and period. “Period” refers to the amount of time between waves, Szczygiel explained.

A camera will also capture photos and video from the solar-powered buoy at roughly the top of every hour, he said.

“These are great tools,” Szczygiel said of the buoys. “It would be nice to have one in every harbor,” though at $12,000-$15,000 a piece, the buoys don’t come cheap.

Nonprofit Sea Grant crowdsources funding for the buoys on its own initiative, he said, in order for the data to be freely available to anyone and everyone. The expense is one reason the organization asks boaters to take special care when motoring near the buoys. The Michigan City buoy once took a direct hit, requiring a costly replacement.

The buoys’ publicly accessible data can be found on Sea Grant’s website or a Great Lakes-wide monitoring site maintained by the Great Lakes Observing System. 

Getting this information into people’s hands, particularly swimmers and boaters, is a key component of Sea Grant’s mission, which promotes Great Lakes science literacy by combining research, education and outreach. To that end, Chuoy will help people make better informed decisions about whether it’s a safe day to hit the water off Chicago, Szczygiel said.

Up until a decade ago, there was only a single buoy collecting data on Lake Michigan, anchored in the middle of the lake in the 1980s by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Mike Bardou, warning coordination meteorologist in the Chicago office of the National Weather Service. 

Crews on board lake-going freighters were another source of weather information, he said, but that was ad hoc, not systematic, and reporting of near-shore conditions was nonexistent, leading to dangerous situations.

Now, when the weather service issues a beach warning or small craft advisory for Chicago, images from Chuoy can help drive the point home. 

“We can talk about big waves but that ‘water truth’ will help paint a picture,” said Bardou.

But what makes Lake Michigan waves so deadly isn’t so much the height as it is the period, or timing, with swells coming one after the other in rapid, pummeling succession. That’s a unique aspect of the lake people aren’t as aware of, and it’s what winds up overwhelming swimmers, Castro said.

As it monitors current conditions, Chuoy is also establishing a historic record of Chicago’s near-shore waters.

Bardou said this could be helpful in predicting things like the point at which lake waves will crash over barriers onto DuSable Lake Shore Drive or shoreline homes. “If nothing else, it gives us a threshold going forward of what conditions, like the wind speeds or wind direction, led to this outcome,” he said.

The buoy’s data will have applications outside of meteorology.

Austin Happel, a biologist at the Shedd Aquarium, popped over to Burnham Harbor for Chuoy’s launch and is already dreaming up ways in which the buoy can contribute to his research on urban waterways.

“The buoys collect temperature data, which is a driving factor of how fish behave — when fish spawn, how much they eat,” Happel said. “In the future, I’m hoping to link into this data more to track fish, where they go and how that changes over seasons. At what temperatures do they show up? How do they act when storms come through?”

Chuoy will be in place, weather depending, through late October or early November.

WWTW Chicago

 

Boatnerd seeking help from volunteers familiar with WordPress

We are in need of someone who has experience with website design and maintenance of our WordPress-based website. Our present volunteer staff does not have the expertise to keep up with it. If you are interested, please email Boatnerd board president Nathan Leindecker to talk about the opportunities.

 

Nathan Leindecker

nleindecker@gmail.com

Viking Octantis cruises into Alpena for the first time

Alpena, MI – Anyone walking the Maritime Heritage Trail or trying to cross the 2nd Avenue bridge on Wednesday may have noticed Alpena had hundreds of visitors.

The Norwegian-owned Viking Expedition cruise ship, Octantis, anchored way out in Thunder Bay on Wednesday morning, and bright orange passenger ships called tenders brought passengers under the double-leaf lifting bridge in to dock behind the NOAA building. Groups of about 120 passengers disembarked from the vessel on each trip in, while other passengers waited to board the next tender.

The Viking Octantis has been to a lot of places, including Antarctica, but this is her first time on the Great Lakes. Alpena was the sixth stop in her Great Lakes tour. The 665-foot cruise ship carries 378 passengers, many of whom had never been to Alpena.

Read the full article and view a video of the Viking Octantis and The Lady Michigan at this The Alpena News link: https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/local-news/2022/05/viking-octantis-great-lakes-cruise-ship-visits-alpena/

The Alpena News

 

Sinking of historic tugboat upsetting for transportation historian, relative of former ship captain

Thunder Bay, ON – The head of an organization dedicated to preserving transportation history in Thunder Bay says he’s disappointed a century-old tugboat sank into the Kaministiquia River after taking on water over the weekend.

The James Whalen, which was built in 1905 and has been moored at Kam River Heritage Park since the city acquired it in the early 1990s, was found submerged in the river on Sunday.

Charlie Brown, the president of the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society, said the ship’s sinking is unfortunate.

Brown said the group had approached the city’s waterfront development committee to bring the retired tugboat over to its site near the Alexander Henry, a decommissioned icebreaker that has been turned into a museum ship.

“Our organization has been looking at trying to save the James Whalen for a number of years,” Brown said.

“We were just waiting for a response from that committee because it was sent off to city administration. We were hoping by the end of May we would get some kind of response to that, and perhaps we could move forward.”

The ship had taken on water and partially sunk last year, but water was pumped out and the tugboat was assessed and determined to be stable. 

Margot McCabe, the granddaughter of N.V McCabe, who captained the ship for many years, said the sinking is upsetting for her family.

“One of the key principles that we were raised under is the idea of doing things right and taking care of things,” McCabe said. “Unfortunately, I think the sinking of the James Whalen exactly proves those points wrong. 

“It wasn’t done right, and it wasn’t taken care of.”

Cory Halvorsen, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces, said the city is in communication with multiple contractors to raise the ship and bring it onto dry land for storage.

Halvorsen said a pump system that had been installed last year was removed for the winter.

“We planned to install the pump as soon as possible in the spring, but when we had checked earlier this spring the water in the sump was still frozen and the temperatures were still freezing, so the pump couldn’t be installed,” he said in a written statement.

Brown said, once the tugboat is raised and assessed, the transportation museum group would be open to discussing the vessel’s future.

“Certainly, if they’d like to contact us we can sit down with the city, and we can see if it’s feasible to then carry on with the original plan we proposed to the city,” he said. “We’d love to have the tug in with the Alexander Henry.”

CBC News

 

Journal of the World Ship Society demolitions

Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connections reported as sold for demolition, taken from May 2022 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society

 Demolitions: St. Clair (7403990; United States of America) 27,482 – 1976 – Bulk Carrier self-discharging Laker – by Bell Steamship Company (American Steamship Company), United States of America, to Marine Recycling Corp. Canada and arrived Port Colborne, ON. 9.12.2021 – commenced demolition 9.12.2021

 Swiftchem (9121754; Liberia) Union Fortune-20, Chem Pegasus-13 – 1st seaway transit 2012, Kerim-10, Spring Leo-03 – 9,554 / 1995 – chemical products tanker – By Swiftchem Tankers Company Ltd, Liberia, to P. Patel Ship Breaking Co. India and arrived Alang 5.12.2021 – commenced 11.12.2021

 Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp

 

Great Lakes buoy data helps NWS, Coast Guard, anglers, more

Grand Rapids, MI – Buoys are a common sight on Lake Michigan in the warm months. Some of them are merely meant to mark a designated swimming area but others are a bit more high-tech. These buoys collect detailed observations that are important and beloved by fishing and boating communities. 

Ed Verhamme is a principal engineer at Limnotech, where the Great Lakes Program began in 2011. The first buoy was put in Lake Michigan near St. Joseph in 2011 and the program has expanded up the lakeshore since then. According to Verhamme, there are around 40 buoys across the Great Lakes that report real-time conditions, including buoys serviced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The buoys that Limnotech services weigh about 500 pounds. They are taken out into Lake Michigan each spring, towed out by a 23-foot boat and fastened with a cable to a massive weight at the bottom of the lake. 

Once they are in the lake, the instruments begin to collect information. Verhamme said that wave height is the most important and commonly used data category. Other tracked parameters include wave period, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and barometric pressure. Water temperature measurements are taken from the surface all the way to the bottom.

The buoys can also measure water quality markers that are used by water treatment plants. It’s useful to have the ability to measure turbidity levels and watch for harmful algal blooms. According to Verhamme, knowing what the lake is doing is essential for having clean and safe drinking water. Changing water temperatures and large rain events that lead to runoff can have a big affect on how the water is treated.

When the buoys were first installed, their main purpose was to provide information that would keep working crews safe. Now, the observations provided by the buoys are essential for the National Weather Service, Coast Guard, search and rescue crews and recreational anglers and boaters. Verhamme notes the community in West Michigan is especially supportive of the buoy program. 

WOOD-TV Grand Rapids

 

Port Huron’s Great Lakes Maritime Center reopens for season

Port Huron, MI – The Great Lakes Maritime Center has reopened for the 2022 season. The center is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm. The Vantage Point Farmers Market will be back every Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm

 On Saturday, May 7, the center will have its Grand Opening. A day of activities including Farmers Market entertainment by maritime singer Patrick Lynch from 1 to 3 p.m.

 On May 28, the center will host a book signing for the 2022 Know Your Ships with editor Roger LeLievre from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Great Lakes cartoonist / illustrator artist 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).

 Great Lakes Maritime Center

 

Boatnerd seeking help from volunteers familiar with WordPress

We are in need of someone who has experience with website design and maintenance of our WordPress-based website. Our present volunteer staff does not have the expertise to keep up with it. If you are interested, please email Boatnerd board president Nathan Leindecker to talk about the opportunities.

 

Nathan Leindecker

nleindecker@gmail.com