Scrapping progressing quickly on St. Clair
Images shared on social media by Wayne Elliott of Marine Recycling Corp. show the progress being made scrapping the fire-damaged laker St. Clair at Port Colborne, ON. See the gallery below for the photos.
Soo Locks shipping season opens with passage of Edgar B. Speer
Sault Ste Marie, MI – The Soo Locks opened for the new shipping season at 12:01 a.m. Friday with the upbound passage of Great Lakes Fleet’s 1,004-foot long Edgar B. Speer. Fleetmate Edwin H. Gott followed her up.
The two arrived at the locks on Wednesday but had to wait at the locks for the official opening time, which is set by Congress.
Around 75 warm;y-dressed people showed up at the viewing platform late Thursday evening into Friday morning to witness the passage.
A party of local dignitaries headed out to the vessel Thursday afternoon to present Capt. Abe Grogan, Chief Engineer Isaiah Majetich and crew with plaques, hats and other gifts. Greeting the first ship is a long-standing tradition in Sault Ste. Marie highlighting the importance of shipping and the locks to the community. Representatives of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, including Mayor Don Gerrie and board members of the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association, presented plaques to Capt. Grogan. Roger LeLievre, publisher of the book Know Your Ships, brought copies of the 2022 edition for the crew.
As the group enjoyed a tour of the vessel, the CCGS icebreaker Griffon could be seen breaking ice in the upper locks approaches.
Both vessels are bound for Two Harbors, MN, to load taconite. After the Speer and Gott, the next vessels upbound were Dirk S. VanEnkevort/barge Michigan Trader and Arthur M. Anderson. No downbound vessels were enroute to the locks.
The Soo Locks have been closed since mid-January for the annual winter maintenance window. During this time, a big list of projects was tackled, largely on the Poe Lock, the Army Corps said. This included:
Hydraulic steel structure inspections
Miter gate bottom girder structural repair and seal replacement
Miter gate pintle concrete repairs
Valve machinery repairs
Dewatering system maintenance
“Crews also performed a wide range of other maintenance tasks including fender timber replacements on the piers, electrical and mechanical systems inspections and preventative maintenance on both Poe and MacArthur Locks and floating plant maintenance,” Maintenance Branch Chief LeighAnn Ryckeghem said.
“We worked hard to accelerate work up-front during our annual closure, with crews working against a very tight schedule to make repairs in a very short time,” Area Engineer Kevin Sprague said. “Due to the hard work of our maintenance crews during heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, we were able to accomplish all required work on schedule.”
The Soo’s smaller lock, the MacArthur, is not expected to open until late April. This means all the vessel traffic for now will be going through the Poe.
Top hat ceremonies launch St. Lawrence Seaway’s 64th navigation season
St. Catharines, ON – Grain is key to St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.’s success in 2022, says its president and chief executive officer. “We’re coming off 38.2 million tonnes of cargo moved last year,” Terrence Bowles. “That’s a pretty good number for the seaway. We’re starting to recover from the pandemic. If you look at all of our cargo other than wheat, we were up 13 per cent.”
Last year’s tonnage was up one percent overall compared to cargo moved through the 3,700-kilometre-long Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system in 2021. “I’m optimistic we’re going to have a good year,” said Bowles during the annual top hat ceremony at Lock 3 in St. Catharines Thursday.
The ceremony kicked off the 64th navigation season for the seaway and the opening of the 43-kilometre, eight-lock Welland Canal.
In St. Catharines, Canada Steamship Lines CSL Welland was the first upbound vessel — from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie — and it displayed a mural painted on its accommodation block for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games featuring four runners.
At the top hat ceremony in Port Colborne, Mayor Bill Steele welcomed CSL Tadoussac as the first downbound vessel at Lock 8 Gateway Park.
Both ceremonies were a return to in-person events and well-attended by residents of the respective municipalities.
In St. Catharines, Capt. Peter Lynch accepted the top hat on behalf of CSL Welland’s Master Capt. Jamie Thorne and chief engineer Nicolas Lavoie. In Port Colborne, Capt. Wilson Walter accepted a replica top hat on behalf of CSL Tadoussac’s Capt. Jesse Vickers and chief engineer Iqbal Moosa Nakhooda.
Bowles said the key to increased tonnage carried this year by vessels such as the CSL ships, is a strong return of Western grain crops. “There’s not much grain to be shipped right now. We’re waiting for the new crops. That should start around July and August.”
He said heat and drought last year led to poor crops, which had been strong the past five to six years. Bowles said with the gross domestic product expected to increase at least four per cent it could be a strong year for the seaway.
One unknown that could change how cargoes are sent across the world is the invasion of Ukraine, and sanctions imposed on Russia. Bowles said the two nations account for more than 20 per cent of grain exports, and Russia is a source of fertilizer.
“We think Canada could help fill that gap,” said Bowles, adding he’d rather see a quick end to the “sad events” than profit off the war. Western grain, and fertilizer from Saskatchewan, could be shipped through the seaway, he said.
At St. Catharines’ ceremony, Mayor Walter Sendzik thanked the seaway for its investments in the waterway in the city. “We value the seaway and what it contributes to the community. Shipping and the marine industry is in our history, it’s part of our DNA,” said Sendzik.
He spoke about the mural on CSL Welland and the company’s partnership with the Canada Games.
It was announced the vessel would be the Games’ torch bearer for its leg from Montreal to Niagara. The torch will first be lit in Ottawa in July before heading to Montreal on CSL Welland. Once on the Welland Canal, it will be taken ashore and make its way across the Niagara region before a lighting ceremony at the opening ceremony of the Games on Aug. 6.
Niagara Falls Review
Mural unveiled on CSL Welland captures spirit of Canada Summer Games
The unveiling of “The Runners” created by four Canadian artists marks a new milestone for CSL’s biofuel program and launches the countdown to Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.
Canada Steamship Lines marked the official opening Thursday of the St. Lawrence Seaway navigation season at Lock 3 of the Welland Canal, by unveiling “The Runners,” a spectacular work of art painted on CSL Welland, a 36,364 DWT Trillium Class bulk carrier.
Inspired by Greek artistic traditions depicting sport, the colossal 16-by-14-meter mural painted on the ship’s accommodation block depicts four runners in motion, striving together towards a common goal.
CSL commissioned the mural, created by renowned Canadian artists Bryan Beyung, Emmanuel Jarus, Andrea Wan and K.C. Hall, to celebrate the spirit of the 2022 Canada Summer Games taking place throughout the Niagara Region from August 6th to the 21st.
Each artist painted a runner according to their distinct style, vision and tradition. Together, the four runners create a collective and harmonious work that reflects the broad mix of people, cultures, backgrounds and abilities in amateur sport today.
“As the primary sponsor of the Canada Games Torch Relay, we were very excited to work with these young artists,” says Louis Martel, CSL President and CEO. “They were able to capture the spirit of athleticism and the common values we share with the Games – collaboration, inclusion, diversity, integrity, responsibility and perseverance.”
“The original work of art will serve as a lasting legacy to the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games and the ideals they represent,” says Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Host Society. “We can’t wait to watch CSL Welland and this wonderful mural build energy and excitement for the Games – and we look forward to seeing a CSL ship carry the Canada Games torch for the first time in the event’s history.”
CSL selected the aptly named CSL Welland for this project to honor the communities of the Niagara Region with which the company has close ties, and because of the vessel’s distinction as a pioneer in supporting sustainable shipping in the Great Lakes.
CSL is committed to striving for a zero-carbon future. As an active participant in CSL’s biofuel program, CSL Welland has logged the most engine hours on B100 biodiesel of any vessel in the world. The success of using biofuel on CSL Welland and other CSL ships demonstrates the viability and practicality of this green alternative in supporting the decarbonization of marine transportation.
Since 2019, CSL ships have accumulated nearly 30,000 running hours on biodiesel, representing the world’s longest running biofuel trials. The result has seen lifecycle reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 80 percent, compared with using marine gas oil.
“We are excited to announce we will be pursuing our B100 biofuel program on eight ships during the 2022-23 Great Lakes navigation season,” says Martel.
“Just like the runners depicted in the mural, CSL is committed to continuous improvement and to finding solutions to stay at the forefront of safer, greener and more responsible shipping,” he added. “We do it for these young athletes and artists, and we do it for the future of our customers, communities, environment and industry.”
CSL
2022 edition of “Know Your Ships” ready for new shipping season
The new shipping season is at hand, and so is the release of the 2022 edition of Know Your Ships, the popular annual field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway.
This year’s 200-page book includes information on U.S., Canadian and international-flag cargo vessels, tugs, excursion boats and barges in regular Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway service, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, plus type of engine, horsepower and more.
In the Spotlight section, you can read stories about the 50th anniversary of the Stewart J. Cort, check out some of the unique cargos carried on the lakes in 2021, get to know the ship-to-shore chef Catherine Schmuck and more.
Standard and spiral bindings are available. Order at this link: www.knowyourships.com
Season’s first vessels Speer and Gott arrive at Soo Locks
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – “They’re here . . .” Wednesday afternoon the first two ships of the 2022 navigation season arrived at the piers below the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fleet mates Edgar B. Speer and Edwin H. Gott will wait below the locks until the March 25 midnight opening of the Poe Lock. The Speer arrived a few hours ahead of the Gott and will have the honors of opening the season with the first cargo lockage.
The park and viewing platform will be open March 24 from 11:30 p.m. to March 25 at 1:30 a.m. The Visitor Center will open March 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an open house. Know Your Ships author Roger LeLievre will be selling/autographing the 2022 edition from noon-3 p.m., with a portion of the proceeds going to the Visitor Center.
If you cannot make it to the opening, there will be a Facebook Live starting slightly before midnight of the first ship.
The Speer made it to all the check-in points and the pier first so will have the honors of opening the navigation season. A party of local dignitaries will head out to the vessel Thursday afternoon to recognize the captain and crew with plaques, hats and other gifts. Greeting the first ship is a long-standing tradition in Sault Ste. Marie highlighting the importance of shipping and the locks to the community.
Earlier Wednesday, CCGS Griffon passed upbound. In the late morning, the Purvis Marine tugs Anglian Lady and Wilfred M. Cohen were upbound to the lower harbor with the barge Ironmaster, which had spent the winter at the Lime Island dock.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
St. Lawrence Seaway opens for 2022 navigation season
Massena, NY – A sign of spring hit the St. Lawrence Seaway Tuesday morning. As of 8 a.m. March 22, the Montreal and Lake Ontario sections of the Seaway had opened to vessels for the 2022 navigation season.
The Seaway had its first commercial vessel a day ahead of planned opening as Canada Steamship Lines’ CSL Welland made its way upbound escorted by the Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaking vessel Martha L. Black.
As of 8:30 a.m. on March 22, there were several ships in the opened portion of the Seaway. That included the vessel Atlantic Spirit approaching the St. Lambert Lock and CSL Welland at Beauharnois.
Prior to this portion of the waterway opening, ice clearing efforts were conducted by the Canadian Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Transportation and Great lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. This is the earliest recorded opening of the Seaway.
WWTI
Crews removing fuel, water from sinking Lake Superior tugboat
Duluth, MN – The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work on a tugboat that’s partially underwater in the Duluth Harbor to remove fuel and water from the vessel.
The retired U.S. Army Corps tugboat, named Lake Superior, “was listing over the weekend but was supported by ice,” Joseph McGinnis, the waterways management branch chief with the Coast Guard, told Bring Me The News on Monday.
But by Monday morning, the stern of the vessel sunk because the ice started melting, McGinnis said. The U.S. Coast Guard learned of the issue at about 9 a.m. Monday and responded to the tugboat’s slip, off Railroad Street near Pier B and the Compass Minerals dock, to mitigate any potential environmental hazards.
It’s still not clear what caused the tugboat to start taking on water, with McGinnis telling Bring Me The News on Wednesday the hope is that question will be answered when the vessel is lifted out of the water.
Contractors were headed to the tugboat on Wednesday to “perform lightering and dewater operations,” McGinnis said, with the goal being to remove any fuel, lube oil and water in the vessel. Then, it will be up to the owner of the tugboat, Billington Contracting, to determine what to do from there.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it wants to ensure the tugboat will not pose a threat to the waterway or the environment.
“Being that the vessel is in a slip, there is no threat to the waterway and does not present a hazard to other vessels. As for safety of the environment, the Coast Guard is monitoring the vessel for any pollution. As soon as all potential pollutants, such as the diesel fuel, lube oil, etc., are removed from the vessel, the Coast Guard will not be involved with the vessel since there will be no threat to the environment,” McGinnis said.
The Coast Guard pollution responders continue to monitor the vessel and are staying in touch with the contractors at the scene.
Bring Me The News
Shipping season opens at Green Bay with tug-barge
Green Bay, WI – The 2022 shipping season is officially underway for the Port of Green Bay. The first shipment of cargo arrived on Friday. The Michigan – Great Lakes (tug and barge) kicked off the shipping season with a delivery of petroleum products to US Venture. This year’s winner in the First Ship Contest is Ellen Buhrmann of Merrill, WI, whose guess was right on target.
4 coast guard cutters make first passage through Soo Locks Monday evening
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Robins may be the traditional first sign of spring, but at the Soo Locks, the first lockage of Coast Guard icebreakers is the real sign that spring is here. Late Monday evening the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw and the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Samuel Risley made their way through the Poe Lock to start opening the upper river and Lake Superior ports for the start of the 2022 navigation season. They were followed by USCG Hollyhock and Neah Bay.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Coast Guard investigating sinking of tugboat Lake Superior in Duluth
Duluth, MN – The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating after the retired tugboat Lake Superior partially sunk in the Duluth Port Monday morning.
There were no reports of any pollution impacts to the environment, according to Lt. Joseph McGinnis, with the Coast Guard. McGinnis said the partial sinking was reported around 9 a.m. near the Compass Minerals dock off Railroad Street.
Crews were sent out to monitor the situation while a de-watering operation began. As of 3:45 p.m., the vessel’s stern remained under water while the icy water helped keep it stable, according to McGinnis.
The vessel, which was built in 1943, used to be owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until it was retired in 1995 and acquired by the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center as a floating museum, according to Great Lakes Tugs & Workboats.
A cause of the partial sinking is under investigation.
“The vessel was listing over the weekend but was supported by ice. Since the ice started melting, the stern of the vessel sunk,” McGinnis said. The Coast Guard’s pollution responders examined the vessel and are “still working diligently on mitigating any potential environmental hazards.”
As of Monday afternoon, only the stern of the vessel was submerged and crews had dewatering pumps on the scene to remove water from the tugboat, McGinnis said, adding he “Can’t say for sure if the vessel will fully submerge.”
According to the website Great Lakes Tugs and Workboats, the Lake Superior was built in 1943 for the U.S. Army and named Major Emil H. Block before being transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1950 and renamed Lake Superior
The tug was retired from service in about 1995 and was acquired by the City of Duluth, which used it as a floating museum, the website said. A private owner —Billington Contracting of Duluth — bought the vessel in 2007 and it has remained inactive.
Fox 21
Arthur M. Anderson displays 70th anniversary badge
Toledo, OH – The steamer Arthur M. Anderson, due to sail March 23 from Toledo, is sporting artwork marking the vessel’s 70th season of service. See the image in today’s photo gallery.
USCG Spar headed for Duluth
Duluth, MN – USCG Spar (WLB-206), the replacement vessel for the USCG Alder, departed Portland, ME, on March 17. She is expected to arrive in Montreal March 22 headed for new station at Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes levels down 3 feet from 2020 peak
Grand Rapids, MI – Nearly two years after record highs on the Great Lakes, water levels are on the decline. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory shows Lake Michigan has dropped nearly 3 feet since setting its record high in the summer of 2020.
Water on the Great Lakes typically follows a pattern, with levels peaking in the late summer and bottoming out in the spring. But that pattern can be broken by consistent weather changes.
Lauren Fry, a physical scientist with NOAA, said lake levels typically rise over the spring as we accumulate more rain and then drop heading into the fall and winter as the warm surface water evaporates when it hits the cold air. She said a dry spring followed by a warm fall and a cold winter led to a larger drop.
While numbers are down, it doesn’t mean landowners along the lakeshore are out of the woods.
“I would anticipate periods of high water levels in the future,” Fry said. “There’s nothing to indicate that we are in a trajectory of downward water levels forever. I think the answer is really to be prepared for both and low water levels. It may seem like a reprieve, but I think to be ready for those changes is still important.”
Read more at this link: https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/great-lakes-levels-down-3-feet-from-2020-peak/
U.S. Coast Guard to open West Neebish Channel in the St. Marys River
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The Coast Guard will begin opening the West Neebish Channel in the St. Marys River Thursday morning, March 24.Ice throughout the St Marys River is deteriorating. To prevent a collapse of the ice field that would hinder Neebish Island ferry operations, Coast Guard icebreakers will carefully establish a track from Lake Nicolet to the ferry crossing then begin flushing the rotting ice down river. Prior to this effort, Coast Guard icebreakers flushed the lower half of the channel from the Rock Cut to Munuscong Lake, creating space for ice to move down river.Prior to announcing these plans, Coast Guard officials conferred with the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) and the local ferry operator to collect their input. For up-to-date information on ferry operations call the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) delays, cancellation, and updates hotline at (906) 632-1516, check the local ferry Facebook pages, or the EUPTA website at EUPTA.net.
USCG
Help wanted: Lake Michigan Carferry seeks captain for S.S. Badger
Ludington, MI – Lake Michigan Carferry, a subsidiary of Interlake Maritime Services, Inc seeks qualified individual to serve as Master aboard the historic S.S. Badger. Applicants must possess an Unlimited Great Lakes Master’s license for steam vessels any gross tons with appropriate pilotage as well as documented experience in the capacity of Master. Year-round salary for the sailing seasons of mid-May to mid-Oct. Excellent work schedule throughout the sailing season. Benefits include medical, dental, vision and 401K. Pre-employment physical, drug screen and background check are mandatory. Go to www.ssbadger.com > Join the Crew > Apply Now and click on the Captain position to apply or email resume and letter of interest to lbialochowski@interlakems.com
Neebish Island ferry canceling trips in March
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Due to weather concerns, the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) has announced a shutdown of Neebish Island ferry trips for the next several weeks.
Following the authority’s announcement on March 1, ferry rides for Neebish Island were due to shut down on Friday, March 4. The decision was made due to ice conditions. The shutdown will continue for the foreseeable future until weather conditions improve and could last until the end of March.
Icebreaking operations around Neebish Island focusing on ferry and shipping routes began on March 7 in preparation of the 2022 Great Lakes shipping season.
During Thursday’s Chippewa County Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioner Erik Baron said the docks continue to be inactive. “The ferry was shut down due to ice buildup on the docks, this is a problem the EUPTA needs to address immediately,” said Baron. “They should have the proper equipment and capabilities for de-icing the ferry docks. This recent closure has nothing to do with ice in the channel. People are stranded on the island moving into spring break-up, the ice flow is going to get even worse, which could extend that shutdown.”
The United States Coast Guard is keeping two emergency airboats in proximity in case there is an emergency which requires transport from the island.
More information about the Neebish Island ferry can be found at www.eupta.net/ferry-system.
Sault News
Scrapping progressing on St. Clair
Workers are progressing quickly on scrapping the fire-damaged St. Clair at Port Colborne, ON. The stacks, pilothouse area and self-unloading boom have now been removed.
2021 final Seaway saltie statistics
The 2021 shipping season has long since concluded, and with the startup of the 2022 season just around the corner, here is a recap from the 2021 season with the final statistics at the Eisenhower Lock at Massena, N.Y.
During the 2021 shipping season, the Eisenhower Lock saw 218 salties made 457 westbound transits. These numbers reflect a drop from the 2020 season total.
For instance, the 218 vessels that transited the Eisenhower Lock during the 2021 season was down 40 vessels from the 2020 shipping season and down 15 vessels from the 5-year average from 2016 to 2020. Also, the 457 westbound transits were down 63 transits from the 2020 season.
The 457 westbound transits were also down 24 overall transits from the 5-year average period from 2016 to 2020. During August, there were 34 westbound transits. That number was down 28 transits from the 2020 shipping season during the same month. Also, in October 2021, there were 44 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock. That number was down 26 transits from the same month in 2020.
During June 2021 there were 54 westbound transits at the Eisenhower Lock. That number was up 10 transits from the same month in 2020. Also, in November 2021, there were 41 westbound transits. While that number was down 12 transits from the same month in 2020, the 41 transits in December 2021 were also the highest total during the month’s 5-year average from 2016 to 2020.
There were also 35 new visitors to the Seaway 2021. That number was down 12 vessels from the 2020 season.
Of the 35 new visitors to the Seaway in 2021, there were seven vessels built in 2021: Bogdan, Federal Franklin, Federal Fraser, Federal Freedom, Federal Frontier, Kom and the tanker Tarsus.
Also, there were three salties, all of which were built in 1994, that were the oldest vessels that transited in 2021. They were Aujaq, Qamutik and Sinaa.
Here are the final statistics for westbound transits made by saltwater vessels at the Eisenhower Lock during the 2021 shipping season.
March/April: 58
May: 59
June: 54
July: 49
August: 34
September: 51
October: 44
November: 68
December: 41
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened on March 22, 2021, and it’s expected to open once again on that same date.
Denny Dushane
2022 edition of “Know Your Ships” ready for new shipping season
The new shipping season is at hand, and so is the release of the 2022 edition of Know Your Ships, the popular annual field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway.
This year’s 200-page book includes information on U.S., Canadian and international-flag cargo vessels, tugs, excursion boats and barges in regular Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway service, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, plus type of engine, horsepower and more.
In the Spotlight section, you can read stories about the 50th anniversary of the Stewart J. Cort, check out some of the unique cargos carried on the lakes in 2021, get to know the ship-to-shore chef Catherine Schmuck and more.
Standard and spiral bindings are available. Order at this link: www.knowyourships.com
Soo Locks to open March 25 for 2022 shipping season
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Area Office will open the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m. March 25, marking the 2022 Great Lakes shipping season start. The operating season is fixed by federal regulation and driven in part by the feasibility of vessels operating in typical Great Lakes ice conditions.
The park and viewing platform will be open from 11:30 p.m. Thursday until 1:30 a.m. Friday to accommodate those who want to watch the first passage. It is too early to tell what vessel will be first to lock through.
The Poe Lock officially closed January 16 to undergo critical repairs and maintenance during the 10 week-long winter shutdown. Maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock, including hydraulic steel structure inspections, miter gate bottom girder structural repair and seal replacement, miter gate pintle concrete repairs, valve machinery repairs, and dewatering system maintenance.
The annual open house at The Soo Locks Visitor Center takes place on March 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coffee and cookies will be served. Visitors will also get a sneak peek at the new model of the Soo Locks facility before it is installed in the Soo Locks Plaza. Know Your Ships book editor Roger LeLievre will be on hand to sell and sign the 2022 edition from noon-2 p.m.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Sarter Marine Towing joins with Great Lakes Towing at Sturgeon Bay
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Sarter Marine Towing Company Inc. has agreed upon definitive terms for the sale of Sarter to The Great Lakes Towing Company. The agreement includes the Towing Company’s purchase of the tugboats Donald J. Sarter and William C. Selvick, as well as all supporting machinery and equipment and most other shoreside assets. The remaining five tugs in Sarter’s fleet will be chartered to the Towing Company under a long-term bareboat charter arrangement. The Towing Company has retained all employees of Sarter Marine and will supplement the business with administrative and financial support to help support and enhance Sarter’s current book of towing business in the region.
Last fall, the Towing Company stationed two tugs in Sturgeon Bay, including one of its historic “G” tugs and a former Navy YTB. With the Sarter Marine Towing fleet, the Towing Company will continue to provide timely ship assist services to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), the domestic fleet of U.S. and Canadian lakers, and visiting foreign flag salties. The combined companies will also continue to provide stout ice breaking assets for ice work in Sturgeon Bay and surrounding waters.
“The Sarter Marine Towing Team is so excited to partner with Great Lakes Towing. They have been a pleasure to work with,” said Julie Sarter, President and Owner of Sarter Marine Towing.
“The acquisition of Sarter Marine significantly enhances the Towing Company’s capabilities in Northern Green Bay and Lake Michigan. We look forward to integrating Sarter’s marine transportation capabilities and reach into the Towing Company’s operation, while continuing to provide superior service to the customers we have been privileged to serve for years,” says Joe Starck, President, The Great Lakes Towing Company. “This is really a win-win outcome for everyone involved!”
The acquisition will close on March 23, 2022.
The Great Lakes Towing Company
Coast Guard spring breakout activities to ramp up on Monday
Monday March 21, the icebreakers Samuel Risley, Mackinaw, Hollyhock and Neah Bay will pass through the Poe Lock then begin establishing tracks leading out to Lake Superior, along charted shipping routes. Mackinaw will remain in Whitefish Bay, the other three vessels travel west to conduct the break out of western Lake Superior. All of this work is being done in preparation for the March 25th opening of the Soo (Poe) Lock; the official start of the 2022 commercial navigation season.
Also on Monday, icebreakers will begin the fracture of ice separating Mackinac Island and St. Ignace, Michigan. At the request of Mackinac Island community leaders, Captain of the Port Sault Sainte Marie will open the waters between St Ignace and Mackinac Island, effective 0800 EST March 21. Breaking up the ice, advances deterioration and enables local ferries to resume service to Mackinac Island.
Finally, Coast Guard cutters Hollyhock and Neah Bay will commence spring break out operations in the Duluth-Superior area Tuesday March 22. Initially, icebreaking operations will occur inside the Duluth and Superior harbors, then expands to other regional waterways, including Thunder Bay, ON.
USCG
Shepler’s Ferry on Mackinac Island sells to billionaire after 77 years
Mackinaw City, MI – Shepler’s Ferry, which has shuttled millions of visitors to storied Mackinac Island since the 1940s, has sold.
Chris Shepler, whose parents raised their children in a blue and white rusted trailer near the end of a dock in Mackinaw City, informed employees, including some who have worked at the 77-year-old company for decades, at 8 a.m. Friday. The deal was scheduled to close immediately after the staff meeting for an undisclosed amount.
“They’re keeping everything the same, including the name. Nothing really is going to change from the guest perspective,” Shepler told the Free Press. “I’m guaranteed three years to work for the company in my current role as president. There are options to stay on, but when I do walk out the door, it’s my job to make it like I was never there. Seamless.”
Shepler, 59, of Harbor Springs said he looks forward to one day seeing his current employees eventually run the company. It’s all part of the sale, keeping the team in place because the new buyer is so impressed with how operations are run.
“I don’t have any kids. My brother has two boys but they’re 12 and 10. It would have been a shame for us to not discuss it and just keep working. Then, all of a sudden, wake up one morning and say, ‘I’m ready to retire and what are we going to do?’ I think that’s a recipe for failure,” he said.
Read the full story here: https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2022/03/18/sheplers-ferry-mackinac-island-sold-hoffman-family-companies/7077585001/?fbclid=IwAR0t9slM_18GRW9iW1aC-wgTMvYh9m6Q8MwCQHV60_kfS4msYJamcEqUpx0
Position update: Nukumi
The new Canada Steamship Lines’ vessel Nukumi transited the Panama Canal Friday. Her ETA for Halifax is March 26 at 02:00.
Icebreakers bound for Lake Superior, will head through Soo Locks on Monday
Duluth, MN – The Soo Locks will open sooner than expected this month, allowing a team of mostly U.S. Coast Guard vessels to establish a commercial shipping track on Lake Superior in time for the March 25 season opener.
The ice situation is formidable on Lake Superior, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority said in a news release Wednesday, citing internal Coast Guard reports.
The lake is presently 80% ice-covered, or “above-normal ice concentration” by Coast Guard officials, who note that some of this ice plate is up to 5 feet in thickness. In and near the Port of Duluth-Superior, ice thickness is reported to be 24-30 inches.
Ice is deteriorating rapidly on the lower Great Lakes and through the St. Lawrence Seaway, freeing ice-breaking assets to return to Lake Superior, which has gone without a Coast Guard ice breaker this winter since the recommissioning of the cutter Alder from Duluth to the West Coast Bay Area last summer.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will allow early passage through the Soo Locks to several Coast Guard vessels on Monday to begin spring breakout preparations.
The Coast Guard is planning to dispatch the Canadian cutter Samuel Risley, and its own heavy ice breaker Mackinaw through the Soo Locks, followed by the 225-foot Hollyhock and one of the Coast Guard’s 140-foot cutters, either Neah Bay or Morro Bay, to begin ice-breaking operations in Lake Superior.
“Led by Mackinaw, these vessels will establish a shipping track through Whitefish Bay and eastern Lake Superior,” the Port Authority said.
Hollyhock and the other 140-foot cutter will proceed to the Port of Duluth-Superior to begin ice-breaking operations in and around the port. Hollyhock will remain in Duluth-Superior to maintain a track and facilitate initial shipping movements.
The other cutter will sail up the North Shore to break ice in Two Harbors and Silver Bay, possibly proceeding to Thunder Bay, Ontario, and then east to support track maintenance in Whitefish Bay. The Risley will tackle initial ice-breaking duties in Thunder Bay, and then return to the eastern end of Lake Superior.
“Coast Guard officials expect the warmer weather to aid in ice deterioration,” the Port Authority said, “but they predict initially challenging ice and navigation conditions particularly in eastern Lake Superior, where deteriorating ice tends to stack upon itself.”
Duluth News Tribune
Welland Canal opening ceremony set for March 24
The 64th navigation season of the St. Lawrence Seaway will be officially launched at 10 a.m. on March 24. To mark the passage of the first ship of the year through the Welland Canal in St. Catharines, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation will hold an event that will bring together dignitaries from the Canadian government, as well as representatives from both the Canadian and American corporations.
This will be an opportunity for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to share its views for 2022 and explain the Seaway’s role in Canada’s economic recovery and in the global supply chain. An impressive artwork will be unveiled on the Trillium Class bulk carrier CSL Welland, the first ship to transit through the Welland Canal.
Among those on hand will be Terence Bowles, President and Chief Executive Officer, The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation; Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator, The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (United States) and Louis Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer, CSL Group.
Thunder Bay shipyard kept busy during winter
Thunder Bay, ON – The long winter is slowly coming to an end and so is the work being done on many ships that are wintering in the Thunder Bay port.
At Heddle Shipyard, the Algoma Central Corporation Tim S. Dool is undergoing maintenance and structural work while the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun, which is operated by Owen Sound Corporation, has been undergoing its five-year maintenance protocol.
The Chi-Cheemaun is the operation’s largest passenger and vehicle ferry that sails from Tobermory, Ont., to the Manitou Islands. Heddle welcomed the contract.
“It was due for its five-year regularly scheduled drydocking and when it came up on an open tender, we out-bid it and we were fortunate enough to win it, and shortly thereafter it made its way up to the Thunder Bay shipyard,” said Ted Kirkpatrick, Heddle’s director of business. “There’s lots of things that need to be done. They check the shafts and the props and they check the valves and things like that and they go through all the regular survey to keep it going for the next five years.”
In the early morning Sunday, a fire broke out in the boiler room on the ship. Heddle staff used fire extinguishers to knock down the blaze and Thunder Bay fire crews arrived to extinguish it. The ship’s boiler room, the boiler and its electrical system suffered damage. Light smoke was quickly cleared by the ship’s ventilator system.
Robert MacDonald, the Chi-Cheemaun’s third engineer, says everything is “OK. It’s just some light damage but we’ll have everything ready to go for May 6,” he said, of the anticipated departure date for the ship.
“There’s no sustainable damage. Inside everything is going well and there’s just a few more things to be touched up. When the ice leaves we’ll be able to make it back home for a startup date.”
He called the Chi-Cheemaun “quite charismatic” and said people like to see it because of its pretty colors. “People come back year after year, and they’ll be glad to get it back in Tobermory for the 2022 season.”
MacDonald, who has been a worker on the ship for 35 years, is on his third visit to the Heddle shipyard and says they have been accommodating.
Long-term plans to fabricate ship components at Heddle’s Thunder Bay plant, particularly for the Sea-Span Polar icebreaker build taking place in Victoria, B.C., is a work in progress.
During the summer of 2021, Heddle Shipyards purchased Fabmar Metals and has been working to move their equipment onto the shipyard campus as part of their plan. At the same time, the federal government moved forward with construction plans for two Canadian Coast Guard Polar icebreakers under the National Shipping Strategy. One of these vessels is being built in Victoria.
“The plan was to start fairly soon after we purchased (Fabmar) but then we won the Chi-Cheemaun contract and we kind of went through all our resources,” he said. “Now we’re into winter works, so moving of the major machinery pieces hasn’t happened yet, but some things are slowly migrating their way down to the shipyard but we haven’t done the full move yet.”
Kirkpatrick said Fabmar Metals has operated in Thunder Bay for more than 30 years, and called the merger “very timely. “Almost every time we’ve had a project in Thunder Bay, we would bring Fabmar in to support us,” he said.
“So we’ve worked with them for as long as we’ve had the shipyard there since 2016. We talked about doing this and we were finally able to make it happen. So it was actually really great for us.”
Meanwhile, some ship modules for the Sea Span icebreaker have been built at Heddle’s Hamilton base and at their Newfoundland base and shipped via truck to Sea Span in Victoria.
Kirkpatrick says the COVID-19 pandemic “played games” with them all in this whole process and a disruption in the supply chain made it difficult at times to get the parts that they needed. “And the price of some things has gone up drastically,” he added. “Those have probably been the biggest challenges.”
Heddle doesn’t anticipate material shortages or costs having any impact on the schedule or projects, but it just makes things a little more challenging to manage.
Chronicle-Journal
USCG to open St. Marys RIver Pipe Island channel
Coast Guard icebreakers will open the Pipe Island Channel, north and east of Pipe Island, on the St. Marys River, starting at 1200 local time on Sunday, March 20. The icebreakers will fracture and flush the existing field of ice to open the up bound channel of the St. Marys River, to the north and east of Pipe Island. Conducting this and other preparatory icebreaking is done to facilitate the opening of the Sault Locks. The midnight March 25th opening of the locks signals the start of the Great Lakes commercial shipping season.
Issues between Keewatin owner and investment company to keep museum ship closed in 2022
Editor’s Note: The following information was released by Friends of Keewatin.
Port McNicoll, ON – Skyline Investments Inc., owner of the 114-year-old S.S. Keewatin, has refused to discuss re-opening the ship for a 2022 season with Friends of Keewatin – the volunteer organization which restored and has operated her as an historical attraction since 2012 – according to the president of the charity, Wayne Coombes.
“This means Keewatin will be closed for a third season in a row,” said Coombes. “After struggling to self-fund and execute repairs over seven long years to bring her to near fully restored condition, having to stand outside and watch her deteriorate is hard to take. And we know she has been deteriorating since Skyline assumed direct custody: the repair to the top deck at the bow was interrupted when Skyline locked us out 18 months ago.”
“The word ‘disappointed’ doesn’t come anywhere near describing how we feel,” said Coombes. “For me ‘betrayed’ is more accurate. Skyline returned Keewatin to Port McNicoll promising to donate her to the community. Based on that promise volunteers contributed an estimated 100,000 hours to restore her and operate her to pay for that restoration. But now Skyline has changed its management, reneged on its promises, locked us out, and intends to gift her to a different recipient.”
Coombes bristles at the suggestion that it was the charity’s failure to secure Category B designation that led to this situation. “The offer to donate Keewatin to the community wasn’t presented as ‘conditional’ and the volunteer contribution couldn’t be,” said Coombes. “Skyline created the charity, controlled its board through the 2018 season, and controlled its management through the summer of 2020. Skyline’s lawyers handled the application and Skyline refused to provide the financial backing it knew would be required for the charity to attain designation for the ship, despite seeking a multimillion-dollar windfall. Any ‘failure’ was Skyline’s.”
The Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston has announced they’ve been conditionally awarded Category B designation for Keewatin by Canadian Heritage back in December,” said Coombes. “That’s no surprise: they’re a fine organization and Keewatin is an amazing artifact. I understand they still have several hurdles to cross. Ultimately both organizations want the best for Keewatin. She sure isn’t getting that now!”
Manistee scrap tow March 26
McKeil Marine tug Beverly M will tow the long-idle Manistee from Toledo on March 26, with expected arrival 27/28 at Marine Recycling Corp. in Port Colborne. An as yet unknown American-flagged tug will assist.
More beach this summer: Lake Michigan water level down 27″ in last two years
We’ll have more beach this summer at Lake Michigan. The water level of Lake Michigan is now 17″ lower than it was one year ago. With a lower volume of water coming down from Lake Superior into Lake Michigan/Huron (one big lake for lake-level purposes), it’s likely that the water level will see a significant drop this year.
Read the story and view charts here: https://www.woodtv.com/weather/well-have-more-beach-this-summer-lake-michigan-water-level-down-27-in-the-last-two-years/?fbclid=IwAR0KvbEE7xCPxSDNcllOKQK4rUykQEH_WTkkd_pbn9UyFKM7Jyx-yr0eZBQ
2022 edition of “Know Your Ships” ready for new shipping season
The new shipping season is at hand, and so is the release of the 2022 edition of Know Your Ships, the popular annual field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway now entering its 63rd year.
This year’s 200-page book includes information on U.S., Canadian and international-flag cargo vessels, tugs, excursion boats and barges in regular Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway service, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, plus type of engine, horsepower and more.
In the Spotlight section, you can read stories about the 50th anniversary of the Stewart J. Cort, check out some of the unique cargoes carried on the lakes in 2021, get to know the ship-to-shore chef Catherine Schmuck and more.
Standard and spiral bindings are available. Canadian orders welcome. Order at this link: www.knowyourships.com
Coast Guard cutter Spar heading to work on Great Lakes
Lake Superior – More than a year after it arrived at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore for a scheduled maintenance overhaul to prep it for its Great Lakes assignment, the 225-foot cutter Spar is on its way to its new home port in Lake Superior.
The refurbished Spar is motoring to its new home in Duluth with its Great Lakes crew who previously worked on the cutter Alder, which for years crisscrossed Superior known as “The King of the Waters.” Last summer, the Alder’s crew drove that cutter from Duluth to Baltimore so it could undergo its own maintenance. When finished, the Alder will be assigned to the San Francisco area.
The Spar’s journey kicked off a few days ago, and the crew posted a timelapse video on its Facebook page to mark the occasion. Once it reaches the St. Lawrence Seaway, it will make its way through the Great Lakes until it reaches Duluth.
“Upon arriving in Duluth, Spar’s crew will assume Coast Guard Cutter Alder’s area of responsibility and continue maintaining aids to navigation, domestic icebreaking, search and rescue and law enforcement,” the Coast Guard said.
The Spar, originally commissioned in 2001, hails from Kodiak, Alaska. While there, the cutter’s former crew worked in the area of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea until the fall of 2020.
Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/03/new-us-coast-guard-cutter-heading-here-to-work-great-lakes.html
One heating boiler damaged in MS Chi-Cheemaun fire
Owen Sound, ON –The Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) is confirming one of the two heating boilers was damaged by the fire on the MS Chi-Cheemaun. On March 12 at 2:20 a.m., the Thunder Bay Firefighters were called to 201 Shipyard Road for a fire inside the ship. No injuries were reported and no other machinery was negatively affected by the fire.
The OSTC says the cause of the fire remains under investigation and the vessel will undergo further examination and equipment testing, at which point the OSTC will provide additional details.
The Chi-Cheemaun’s regular sailing season is set to begin May 6th. Manager of Customer and Media Relations at OSTC Kaleena Sanford said, as of Monday there has been no move to cancel the start of the season, and in fact, reservations are being taken.
Bayshore Broadcasting
Capt. Roger Hewlett receives Lewis Ludington Award
Detroit, MI – On Sunday, Capt. Roger Hewlett received the Capt. Lewis Ludington Award for his distinguished career as a Great Lakes mariner. The presentation was at Mariners’ Church of Detroit during the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, and was done by Rev. Jeffrey Hubbard (Rector), Capt. Scott Reynolds (International Ship Masters Association, Detroit Lodge), and Jeremiah Ludington III, great -great-grandson of Lewis Ludington).
Harvest Spirit arrives at Soo, ON, to load steel coils
The McKeil Marine cargo vessel Harvest Spirit arrived Sunday evening to load steel coils at the Purvis dock, where the tankers usually moor. USCG Katmai Bay and Neah Bay assisted her up the river, a process that took most of the day. After loading, she will head for WIndsor.
Scrapping underway on fire-damaged St. Clair
Port Colborne, ON – Photos on social media show scrappers at Marine Recycling Corp. have removed the stacks and top of the St. Clair’s superstructure. The vessel was damaged beyond repair during a Feb. 2019 fire while in winter layup at Toledo.
