Carferry Badger arrives at Sturgeon Bay for drydocking

The 410-foot SS Badger arrived at BayShip, Sturgeon Bay, WI, Thursday morning after a tow across Lake Michigan

Mark W. Barker, president of Lake Michigan Carferry,  said the Badger left Ludington Wednesday evening.  “She will go into the ship yard on or around Nov. 15,” he said.

Barker said the Coast Guard regulations call for inspections every five years. But because the ship operates in freshwater and there is seasonality to the operation, the Coast Guard may grant a waiver or extension for a year. The Badger was granted the extension, and this will be the sixth year since it has been in dry dock.

“It is technically called a five-year dry dock by regulatory,’ he said. “In the Great Lakes, almost all of the ships are eligible to apply for an extension.”

This year the ship will undergo her regular inspection and get a new paint job, Lake Michigan Carferry General Manager Sara Spore told the Daily News last month. She said during the painting process at the dry dock the Badger will retain its traditional black and white with red and white stripes.

Spore did say the inspection itself is expected to last 10 days, and preparations include removing the ship’s propellers among other items. The repainting of the ship is expected to take a good amount of time, too.

Barker said year one went well with Lake Michigan Carferry as a part of the Interlake Steamship family. “It definitely had its challenges,” he said. “We just bought Lake Michigan Carferry in December of 2020. By the time we took ownership of it, we should have already been off to the races preparing for the next season.”

Barker said anytime you buy a company there is transition, and the company was still dealing with COVID-19. Dealing with those two things, though, the ownership was happy with how things turned out.

Now, the company is setting its sights on next sailing season. “Next year’s sailing season begins on May 12 and ends on Oct. 16,” he said. “We are planning on doing two trips a day beginning on June 10 through Sept. 5. We will have the typical cruises during the season.”

Barker said the outpouring of support from day one has been just amazing. “We knew we were walking into something special,” he said. “I do not think we fully appreciated how special it has been. It has just been amazing the support from the city officials on both sides and the communities.”

Ludington Daily News

 

Sugar Islander II drydocking to take longer than planned

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The dry-docking project for the Sugar Islander II ferry has experienced a setback.  The USCG has made their initial inspection and they have identified significant corrosion on structural steel members and hull plating that will need to be cut out and replaced.  This was not anticipated or known while estimating the amount of time needed for the dry-docking project until the vessel was lifted.

This new development will significantly lengthen the time needed for the vessel to be in the shipyard for repair.  It is not known at this time exactly how much longer the repair will take.

 

BayShip to build another LNG bunker barge

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has agreed to partner with PNE Marine Holdings to build a second 5,500 cubic meter (CBM) LNG bunker barge. This new barge will be a sister vessel to the LNG bunker barge Clean Canaveral, which will deliver to Polaris in mid-November.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is the main commercial business unit of Fincantieri Marine Group in the United States. FMG’s president and CEO, Dario Deste, offered the following on the contract announcement: “Our team at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is once-again showing why they are the U.S. market reference point for LNG bunkering vessels.”

Demand for economical supply of LNG fueling the maritime sector is growing rapidly. Over the next several years 400 new vessels utilizing LNG are expected in service. LNG is the leading solution to fuel the maritime sector as the industry advances its sustainability goals through a transition to lower carbon fuels. The new articulated tug and barge adds to Northstar’s growing fleet delivering LNG to cruise ships, container vessels, bulk carriers, car carriers, and tankers that are in service or on order today.

The 5,500 cubic meter ATB will be fitted with four 1,375 CBM IMO Type C tanks. It will utilize a cargo handling system designed and developed by Wartsila. Upon completion, the vessel will be 340’ overall length, 66’ beam, and 32’-10” deep. The ATB will be an Oceans Classed ABS barge.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding

 

World Ship Society report

Vessels with Great Lakes / Seaway connection – reported as a casualty or sold for demolition taken from November 2021 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society:

Sold for Demolition: Sea Jade (9053220; Sierra Leone) (Alsterstern-17 – 1st seaway trip 1998) 11,426 / 1994 – chemical / products tanker – By Full Victory Enterprises Co. Ltd (Special Wealth Ltd), Anguilla, to Bangladesh breakers and arrived Chattogram 24.05.2021 – commenced demolition 31.05.2021

Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp

Interlake buys U.S. Army tug, will bring it to lakes from East Coast

During a radio interview Wednesday with a Ludington radio station, Mark W. Barker, president of the Interlake Steamship Co., said its affiliated company Interlake Logistics Solutions, has purchased the U.S. Army tug MG Winfield Scott (LT 805). Now in Virginia, the tug will be sailed to Ludington this fall

“We have no idea what we will do with it, but it will be rafted alongside the Spartan,” he said. Spartan is the long-idle sister ferry to the Badger, which Interlake also owns.

The 128-foot-long Winfield Scott (LT-805) was built by Moss Point Marine and delivered to the U.S. Army in 1993. She is named for Major General Winfield Scott.

In a 2015 statement, Lt Col Kim Nash, 10th Transportation Battalion Terminal battalion commander, had high praise for the tug.  “This boat has the capability and the horsepower to pull an aircraft carrier. It can tow anything in the Army fleet, if given the opportunity,” she said.

Caring for Our Sailors program enters second year

A successful effort called Caring for our Sailors, started last year during the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak, will continue this year.

“It is with great gratitude towards these hard-working men and women that I announce the 2021 SN Caring for our Sailors program,” said teenaged coordinators Brendan Falkowski and Brock Johnson in joint statement online.

“With the project being a huge success last year and an ongoing pandemic, we have decided to run the project once more during our senior year of high school. The goal of this program is to send care packages to the sailors on Great Lakes ships to provide extra support for this challenging season. Even though it might not be much for the sailors, we want to show them that they are appreciated for their sacrifices and work. These men and women spend over a month at a time out at sea, with limited interaction with family and friends at home. The crews on the ships are their families on the water, and they work together as a team to overcome these challenges.”

The two have gained approval from several shipping operators to send out care packages to their vessels and are aiming to provide gifts to almost 800 sailors on over 40 ships. They have also partnered with J.W. Westcott Co. of Detroit and Soo Marine Supply of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for delivery of the packages to the ships.

The deadline for monetary donations by November 29, 2021.

Read more or donate at this link: https://shipwatcher-news.com/caring-for-our-sailors/?fbclid=IwAR0Xn_yN0KN9qVMEyYFk4xn2v5jtkZwYCHWT0F9YUlNdTOVCZ3P-lacqbd8

Update on Lake Superior outflows and expected conditions

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron have both continued their seasonal declines in October. As a result of the continued drier than average weather and water supply conditions, water levels on Lake Superior remain slightly below the seasonal long-term average. Weather and water supply conditions were wetter than average in the Lake Michigan-Huron basin in October, and as a result, Lake Michigan-Huron water levels remain above the seasonal long-term average. Lake Superior outflows continue to be set in consideration of water levels upstream and downstream.

The Board expects the total outflow to be 1,890 m3/s (66.7 tcfs) in November, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The gate setting at the Compensating Works will be maintained at the setting equivalent to one half gate open (Gates #7 through #10 partially open 20 cm (7.9 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.

Weather and water supply conditions were drier than average in the Lake Superior basin and wetter than average in the Lake Michigan-Huron basin in October. As a result, Lake Superior declined 5 cm (2.0 in), while on average the lake declines 3 cm (1.2 in) in October. Lake Michigan-Huron declined 4 cm (1.6 in) last month, while the average historical decline is 7 cm (2.8 in) in October. At the beginning of November, Lake Superior is 6 cm (2.4 in) below the long-term average water level (1918 – 2020) and 29 cm (11.4 in) below the level of a year ago. Lake Michigan-Huron is 42 cm (16.5 in) above average 38 cm (15 in) below the level from last year, and 63 cm (24.8 in) below the record level set in 1986.

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron water levels typically decline in November. Depending on the weather and water supply conditions during the next month, Lake Superior may rise slightly or decline by as much as 10 cm (4 in) in November. Lake Michigan-Huron water levels could decline by as much as 13 cm (5.1 in).

International Lake Superior Board of Control

Canada’s marine sector onboard to protect workers with mandatory vaccination policies

Canadian marine shipping organizations welcomed new federal mandatory vaccination rules released this week by Transport Canada, and said that marine company policies would be ready to protect the safety and welfare of both their employees and the public.

The Chamber of Marine Commerce, which represents marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian ship operators, shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers that operate in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, East Coast and Arctic, had already been working for some time with its partners to develop a model policy that strongly encourages use by members for their own specific operations.

The CMC’s Canadian ship operator members, which operate more than 150 Canadian-flag freighters, tugs and barges, contributed tothe development of the policy.  Many of the Chamber’s members and partners, from ship operators to Canadian ports to the St. Lawrence Seaway to pilotage authorities, are federally-regulated and will be impacted by Transport Canada’s new rules. All of CMC’s Canadian ship operator members have already, or will be adopting mandatory vaccination policies for all employees, including onboard crews and shoreside personnel.

Bruce Burrows. President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said: “Marine workers are on the frontlines delivering essential goods for Canada’s economy. They are often working in close quarters and interacting with multiple people at different points and parts of the supply chain. Despite putting in place extensive protective measures during the pandemic, the marine sector experienced a few COVID outbreaks, which in some cases led to hospitalization and, tragically, even the death of one of our seafarers. Mandatory vaccinations are a necessary next step to help protect our employees and to reassure their families and communities that they are working in the safest possible environment.”

Burrows added that he looks forward to working with federal and provincial partners to develop improved ways to deliver booster vaccines to Canadian seafarers.  Onboard crews come from all over Canada, are on ships that are continuously operating for weeks/months at a time and need mobile vaccine clinics in ports. Canadian seafarers struggled to get their first and second vaccine shots previously due to bureaucratic roadblocks, and some were forced to get them at U.S. ports.

Chamber of Marine Commerce

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding celebrates expansion completion

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay celebrated the completion of remodeling and expanding buildings at the south end of the shipyard on Tuesday with a dedication and ribbon cutting.  The impetus behind the was in conjunction with the $795 million contract that Fincantieri Marinette Marine received from the U.S. Navy to build a first-in-class frigate in April of 2020.

Vice President and General Manager Todd Thayse says the state-of-the-art fabrication buildings will help keep Bay Shipbuilding strong in the maritime industry for many years.

Other speakers at the event were Kurt Wolfgram, Project Executive from Miron Construction, Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward, and Mike Galecki, the Program Manager’s Representative – Bath U.S. Navy.

After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, guests were allowed to take guided tours of the 84,000-square-foot building at the south end of North 3rd Avenue. Campus, and the 68,000-square-foot addition to an existing building off of North 1st Avenue.

You can watch a video from the dedication below.

https://doorcountydailynews.com/news/602173?fbclid=IwAR1WjRtsQHZDn2SI0_4Ya7uNIhBYJEl3jkPdZ1UvxMGjWb0CWtrTX-5K6Yg

Toledo museum hosts S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald-themed tours

WHAT: The Fitzgerald Experience
WHEN: Saturday, November 6 – Sunday, November 7, 2021
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes
1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605

In recognition of the 46th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) is offering a weekend of special tours on November 6 and 7. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories surrounding the vessel’s sinking, and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost.

Although closed for the season beginning November 1, The Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship will reopen one last time this season exclusively to tour guests for the unique experience. Each tour will be limited to a small group of no more than 8 people and lasts approximately 75 minutes. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Due to tour popularity and size limitations, it is strongly recommended that tickets be purchased in advance. Guests can also take advantage of an additional 10-15% discount on museum store purchases. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000.

ADMISSION: $20.00 (Museum Members), $25.00 (Non Members). Museum and Ship Admission is included in the price.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

Virtual Visitor Center Today: ‘Sailing into Legend – the Most Baffling Shipwreck(s)’

A number of ships have “gone missing” on Lake Superior. The Griffon, Bannockburn, Henry Steinbrenner, and Merchant are only some of the lost fleet still lying in the Big Lake’s dark depths. Among these mysteries are the French Navy minesweepers Inkerman and Cerisoles. Built in Port Arthur, Ontario, the pair departed on November 23, 1918 bound for Montreal, before final delivery to France. Somewhere in Lake Superior they disappeared. Searches failed to find the missing warships. No confirmed human remains were ever recovered and the sparse flotsam gave no clues. Accusations of poor construction, shoddy seamanship and collision followed but real evidence was illusionary. French Navy investigations were equally lacking in answers. Join us November 4 when author Fred Stonehouse will share his research into one of Lake Superior’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

This free program begins today at 12:30 EDT (11:30 CDT) at https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/sailing-into-legend. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association.

OBITUARY:  James (Jay) Crissey

James (Jay) Crissey, who was active in the maritime industry at the Port of Chicago and Port of Indiana and throughout the Great Lakes with Total Marine Safety, Parker Sales and Chicago Steamship, passed away October 21.

He was a founding member of the Coast Guard Sea Veterans of America, and very active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Chicago. He served on the Klamath WPG/HEC 66 as a 3rd class Machinist Mate and was in the ready lifeboat crew for boardings while serving with Squadron 3, Operation Market Time in Vietnam 1968.

Tributes on his Facebook page included this one, from his friend Bob Lund: “Jay” James Crissey was one of the finest men I’ve ever known. A giant in the Great Lakes marine community, he was a brilliant man with insights on a plethora of subjects in addition to his vast knowledge of all things maritime. He was also diligent, kind, caring and selfless.”

His funeral will be at Lincoln National Cemetery (20953 W. Huff Road, Elwood, IL) at 11:00 on December 10.

Abandoned ship near QEW listed on Canada’s buy and sell website

If you have made the drive along the Niagara stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) you have undoubtedly seen the rustic, 141-foot ship that is nestled in the Jordan Harbour. “La Grande Hermine” (The Big Weasel) is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the region but it may soon look a little different.

According to a public document on the federal government’s buy and sell website, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is currently accepting bids on the old ship. A technical assessment of the vessel was completed back in March by the Canadian Coast Guard Central Region Vessel of Concern (VOC) program.

The assessment determined the wreck posed a “significant level of danger to the environment, as well as to the health, safety and well-being of the public.”

It was deemed necessary to proceed with the removal of the main mast and restrict access to the wreck to mitigate the hazards present. The assessment by the VOC describes the ship as “stranded, dilapidated” and “burnt.” It lists the owner of the boat as “not determined.”

The ship was built in 1965 and is a life-sized replica of the three-masted sailing vessel that famous explorer Jacques Cartier traveled on in the 1500s. It was later converted into a restaurant and was refurbished with a wooden facade built over the steel hull. The boat was featured at the Montreal Expo in 1967. The vessel was then purchased by a businessman man who wanted to convert it into an interim casino in Chippewa. He docked the vessel while awaiting approval, however, the man passed away and the boat was left abandoned.

In 2003, the ship was destroyed by a suspicious fire. The burned-out hull still sits in the harbour roughly 25 metres from shore and continues to attract tourists from all over the world.

Over the years, many people have shown interest in taking ownership of the boat, including a man from the United States who wanted to sink the vessel so it could be used by divers to explore underwater. A group from Hamilton also expressed interest in restoring the ship and moving it to Pier 4 so it could be used for observation and recreational purposes.

Companies looking to place a bid on the vessel will have to meet specific criteria to be awarded the contract, including the successful completion of a minimum of two vessel recovery projects in the last five years.

The winning contractor will also be responsible for the removal and disposal of the masts as a whole or in pieces, provide proof of disposal and secure dangerous accesses within four weeks of the contract being awarded. The winning contractor must ensure access points to the vessel are closed.

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Authority no later than five days before the bid closing date on Nov. 9.

https://www.chch.com/abandoned-ship-on-the-side-of-the-qew-is-up-for-sale/?fbclid=IwAR0DQEy18aaszqNTT4cmTxw3DYYQVp–nBiSB739wPMoWwwls-EVvZ2m6TQ

 

Port Huron Maritime Center now closed for winter

The Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron is now closed for the season.

US Steel to build pig iron capacity at Indiana steel operations

US Steel is finalizing an agreement with an unnamed strategic partner to build 500,000 mt/year of pig iron capacity at its Gary Works integrated steel operations in Indiana by 2023, CEO David Burritt said Oct. 29.

“Under the contemplated deal, our potential partner would fund, install and operate pig iron production assets, which we would supply with excess liquid iron production,” Burritt said during a call with analysts. “This is an efficient and quick way to expand our iron ore advantage to our mini mills, and we continue to evaluate other opportunities to extract additional value from iron ore.”

Burritt said the pig iron output would supply US Steel’s Big River Steel electric arc furnace in Arkansas and drive “blast furnace efficiencies at Gary Works.”

Richard Fruehauf, US Steel’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, said the new pig iron capacity will be able to supply Big River with nearly 50% of its ore-based metallics needs and eventually support supply to the company’s proposed second EAF mini-mill.

However, the pig iron capacity is viewed as an “interim solution” for the steelmaker’s growing EAF footprint as it eyes future direct-reduced iron production opportunities in the US to meet its sustainability goals by 2050, Fruehauf added.

The proposed pig iron joint venture in Indiana will process iron ore from US Steel’s mining operations in Minnesota.

S&P Global

Interlake’s new U.S.-built Mark W. Barker launched at Sturgeon Bay

Sturgeon Bay, WI –  Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and The Interlake Steamship Company hosted a launch ceremony Thursday, marking the latest milestone for the new 639-foot M/V Mark W. Barker.

The first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly 40 years, the M/V Mark W. Barker – while still under construction – was “launched” or otherwise floated in the water in the large drydock at the Sturgeon Bay shipyard.

A formal maritime tradition, a launching ceremony honors the first time a boat is transferred from land to water. The public event is a way of celebrating and blessing the new ship and its crew to bring it good fortune on its future voyages.

“Today is truly gratifying for our company to commemorate the first time the completed hull of our new ship has touched water,” said Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and namesake of the new vessel, which is the first new ship constructed for the maritime company since 1981.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s Vice President and General Manager Todd Thayse invited all the shipyard crews to attend the short ceremony.

“It is a proud day for the men and women of our shipyard to celebrate the progress made on the M/V Mark W. Barker,” Thayse said. “Sharing this launch ceremony with the Interlake Steamship team along with Helen and Ian Sharp makes this day even more special.”

Interlake’s office staff was in Sturgeon Bay to be a part of the launch celebration. For many, it was their first time in a shipyard.

“We are dedicating this historic launch of our new ship to the men and women who have been building these Great Lakes vessels on our freshwater shores for more than 100 years,” said James R. Barker, Chairman of The Interlake Steamship Company. “We honor all of the skilled professionals who have worked countless hours, day in and day out, year after year, behind the scenes constructing these tremendous bulk carriers. Their workmanship and talent are welded into every seam of these vessels that go to sail long productive lives on the Lakes, safely carrying mariners and the raw materials that are the building blocks of America.”

In particular, James R. Barker pointed to the contribution of Ian Sharp, Interlake’s Director of Fleet Projects, who spearheaded the design of the new build in-house from its conceptual phase to today. Sharp, a native of Scotland, has contributed his talents in ship design and shipbuilding to create a legacy that includes dozens of vessels throughout his more than five-decade career.

His wife and chief supporter of 56 years, Helen Sharp, was selected as the honorary launch sponsor.

“Motor Vessel Mark W. Barker, your family name is strong, you are built strong by hard-working men and women and you will work strong. May God bless you and all who sail with you,” said Helen Sharp as she broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne against the bow of the ship just above the vessel’s nameplate.

Tugs in the shipyard blew congratulatory salutes, and then shipyard workers opened the valves in the dry dock to let water flow in. The process of floating the boat took about six hours.

President and CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group Dario Deste offered his congratulations to the teams at Bay Shipbuilding and Interlake. “Well done,” said Deste. “May this vessel demonstrate not only the importance of commerce on the Great Lakes but also the power of partnerships between two tremendous companies.”

The ship is expected to be complete and underway in Spring 2022. In the meantime, interior work on the vessel’s accommodations and mechanical and engineering systems continues.

The new River-class, self-unloading bulk carrier is believed to be the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983. Measuring 639 feet in length (78 feet W, 45 feet H, 28,000 DWT), the ship will transport raw materials such as salt, iron ore, and stone to support manufacturing throughout the Great Lakes region.

The Interlake Steamship Company, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Bay Engineering jointly designed the bulk carrier, complete with advanced vessel and unloading systems automation. The carrier is being built by FBS’s nearly 700 skilled trade workers and will generate business for partnering contractors, vendors, and suppliers. Major partners for the project include American Bureau of Shipping (ABS);ArcelorMittal, Bay Engineering (BEI); EMD Engines; Caterpillar; EMS-Tech, Inc., Lufkin (a G.E. Company), Kongsberg and MacGregor.

Interlake Steamship Co.

View images in the photo gallery
View a news report and video of the Barker launch at this link: https://fox11online.com/news/local/launch-ceremony-held-for-new-great-lakes-carrier-ship-in-sturgeon-bay?fbclid=IwAR1JqKA3b4Zj5QqRcPsIliqdAxEjaULrAsobzVSpAq9fKO03QdcCLgz0ZCw

 

New Simcoe Island ferry to be built at Hamilton shipyard

Kingston, ON – The government of Ontario announced a big investment in a small island near Kingston on Thursday. The Ministry of Transportation will be giving Frontenac County $3.3. million for a new ferry for Simcoe Island.

The ferry will be built at Heddle Shipyards in Hamilton, and will bring with it 24 local jobs during construction, according to a news release from the MTO.

The ferry is expected to be in service by late 2022 and will allow for up to three times more vehicles than the current ferry. The vessel will also be able to carry larger service vehicles, such as fire trucks and vehicles required for maintaining roads and infrastructure.

The current Simcoe Island ferry was first launched in 1963 and is cable operated. It runs from Simcoe Island to Wolfe Island in the spring, summer and autumn.

 

Ports around Great Lakes on sidelines during shipping crisis

Green Bay, WI – With hundreds of ships stacked up off ports along the east and west coasts, ports around the Great Lakes can’t help alleviate the current supply chain crisis. According to the Port of Green Bay’s director, Dean Haen, it’s due in part to a federal taxation policy on ships sailing the Great Lakes.

“There’s a 1,000 ports in the United States, including 25 fairly decent size ones in the Great Lakes that can’t help in this situation without some changes in legislative policy,” says Haen.

The policy Haen is referring to is the Harbor Maintenance Tax established in the early 1980′s.

“And that was a way to facilitate and pay for dredging and that’s happened, and now we’re fully dredged, but it needs to be tweaked because it’s stopping ways to alleviate congestion and commerce, it’s stopping commerce,” says Haen.

Haen says the tax essentially limits Great Lakes shipping to raw materials destined to one port.

“The way the federal taxation works on these vessels, you get charged on the value of goods at each stop, so if your goods don’t get off until the third stop you’re taxed three times,” explains Haen.

While many of the massive container ships require 50 feet of water, and the Great Lakes’ locks system only provides just over 26 feet, Haen believes adjusting the tax policy and other federal incentives would make it cost effective for smaller container ships to sail into the heart of the Midwest.

“The Great Lakes is the 3rd largest economy if we were our own country around the Great Lakes, so there’s a lot of manufacturing, there’s a lot of consumption that’s happening around the Great Lakes and yet all those goods that are being produced are moving to a coastal port, and other goods coming in to be consumed are also moving into coastal ports and then moved by truck or train to the region. You think about the cost of building a highway, adding another lane, millions and millions of dollars per mile, this water is already here, there’s no infrastructure costs, the docks are there,” says Haen.

As ports around the Great Lakes continue advocating to become a commercial waterborne transport route, known as Short Sea Shipping, the current shipping crisis could be the tipping point to it becoming a reality.

“Truthfully what drives change is a crisis situation like this, legislators start looking for solutions and industries telling them that and now they actually have the desire to push that legislation through,” says Haen.

WBAY

View video at this link: https://www.wbay.com/2021/10/25/ports-around-great-lakes-sidelines-during-shipping-crisis/

 

 

Port of Toledo leaders looking into the feasibility of handling container cargo

Toledo, OH – Container ships continue to be held up on the West Coast as the global supply chain crisis continues. Many of the vessels are having to anchor offshore, unable to get into port for weeks at a time.

According to Joe Cappel, the Vice President of Business Development for the Port of Toledo, any issues elsewhere haven’t affected business at the port.

“We are the largest landmass port on the Great Lakes, and also one of the most cargo diverse ports on the Great Lakes,” Cappel said.

And this has been a very good year for the Port of Toledo.

“The 2021 season is one of the best we’ve had in recent years,” he said. “Our cargo tonnage is up over 26% over 2020, which was also a very good year for the port.”

A diverse portfolio has been a big part of Toledo’s ongoing success. That portfolio includes things like grain, iron ore, coal, aluminum, and salt. But as delays continue for container ships on the West Coast, some are asking about the possibility of adding that kind of cargo to the Port of Toledo’s roster.

“It’s really a business case analysis that needs to be done and we are in the process of that,” says Cappel. “We are working with our terminal operator to see if it even makes sense for Toledo.”

Cappel says ports specialize in certain cargo for a reason. “Some other Great Lakes ports see this as an opportunity for them, but every port is different in terms of cargo they handle and what their specialties are.”

According to Cappel, Cleveland is the only American port on the Great Lakes that handles container cargo right now.

“The last time we had a study done, there were well over 7,000 jobs tied to the port and a $1 billion annual economic impact,” says Cappel. “That was before the Cleveland Cliffs project and other improvements we’ve been making, so I am excited to see the new numbers.”

Cappel adds that in order for the Port of Toledo to be able to consider handling cargo containers, there would have to be a multi-million dollar investment to create a specific space at the port. There would have to be enough interest from shippers and local importers to use the service. There would also need to be a U.S. Customs facility.

“Could it be an opportunity for Toledo and the Great Lakes?” asks Cappel. “Moving containers is not something we typically do but it could be an opportunity in the future. But if the Port of Toledo had an ability to do this, it is not likely to impact the West Coast situation.”

In the meantime, the focus will continue to be moving products in and out of Toledo that provides jobs and economic stability for the region.

13ABC. Read the full story here: https://www.13abc.com/2021/10/25/port-toledo-leaders-looking-into-feasibility-handling-container-cargo/

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting Nov. 10 at Split Rock

Two Harbors, MN – This annual event commemorates the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29 crew members on November 10, 1975. It is also a time to reflect on the memory of all lives lost in Great Lakes shipwrecks. The lighthouse, fog signal building, and visitor center will be open. Costumed interpreters will greet visitors and provide historic site and shipwreck information. Throughout the afternoon, visitors can view a film about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the visitor center.

At 4:30 pm, the lighthouse will close temporarily while the names of the crew members are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be open again to tour.

Be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp as the grounds and trails are unlit. The weather is unpredictable, please dress accordingly. A portion of the program will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Learn more, pre-purchase admission, or RSVP to receive a reminder of the livestream: https://www.mnhs.org/event/8826

 

Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship,  Museum Tug Ohio host Boo on the Boat

Bring your ghouls and goblins for Halloween fun aboard two of Toledo’s most historic Haunts – the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio. Trick-or-treat in costume from the pilot houses to the galleys and everywhere in between while on a scavenger hunt for goodies. Treats will be distributed using pre-portioned, sealed bags at stations to help youth explore Great Lakes history in a fun, age-appropriate way. Additionally, on Saturday, October 30, NMGL will welcome back artist Don Lee to draw free caricatures. Children with food allergies will have access to non-food treats in alignment with the Teal Pumpkin Project. Boo on the Boat activities are included with the price of general museum and ship admission. The event is free for members. Guests may consider additional savings and access to the museum year-round by purchasing a membership. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To learn more and reserve your tickets visit nmgl.org

ADMISSION: $17.00 Adults (18-64); $16.00 Seniors (65+); $14.00 Youth (6-17) FREE – Children 5 and under; GLHS/NMGL Members Family Memberships are only $54 *Admission price includes trick-or-treating and entrance to the museum and boats
WHEN: Friday, October 29 – Sunday, October 31, 2021, 10am-4pm (Friday – Saturday) and 12am-4pm (Sunday)
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lake,s 1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605

 

 

Three 1800s-era shipwrecks discovered in Lake Superior

Whitefish Point, MI  – Experts have announced the discovery of three 1800s-era shipwrecks in Lake Superior.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced Monday that three different schooners, Dot, Frank W. Wheeler and Michigan were discovered near Grand Marais in the Upper Peninsula. Several additional shipwrecks have also been located and await positive identification, according to a news release.

“This has been a great year for us at the Shipwreck Museum, and we have never located so many new wrecks in one season,” Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Executive Director, Bruce Lynn, said. “Each shipwreck has its own story…and the drama of the Drake and the Michigan, and the rescue of both crews…these are fantastic, true stories that we can tell in the museum someday.”

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society uses a combination of historical research, technology, and teamwork to map where ships were reported lost. The areas are then searched using its research vessel, the David Boyd, and Marine Sonic technology to analyze the lake bottom and identify submerged wrecks.

Here is a closer look at each of the discovered shipwrecks courtesy of the GLSHS.

The schooner Dot
On Aug. 25, 1883, the steamship M.M. Drake was towing the schooner Dot, from Marquette with a load of iron ore, when the Dot started taking on water. The captain hailed the M.M. Drake, which came alongside his sinking ship and took his crew off before it dove for the bottom. All crew were rescued. The Dot, formerly the Canadian schooner, Mary Merritt, was built in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1865. Her remains rest in more than 350 feet of water, according to the GLSHS.

The schooner-barge Frank W. Wheeler
On Sept. 29, 1885, the relatively new schooner-barge, Frank W. Wheeler, was being towed by the steamer Kittie M. Forbes, when a gale swept across the lake. The ships struggled in the worsening conditions for hours and soon the Wheeler’s crew realized that their ship was sinking.

The pair of vessels then tried to reach the safety of Grand Island, near present day Munising, but the Wheeler eventually sunk bow first after the crew escaped in lifeboats. Several explosions were heard as the ship slipped beneath the waves, according to the GLSHS. The Frank W. Wheeler was built in Bay City by the West Bay City Shipbuilding Co. and today her wreckage lies in more than 600 feet of water.

The schooner-barge Michigan
On Oct. 2, 1901, the steamer M.M. Drake was towing the schooner-barge Michigan in the vicinity of Vermilion Point, 12 miles west of Whitefish Point. Both vessels were struggling in rough weather, when suddenly the Michigan’s hold begins filling with water.

The Michigan’s crew eventually jumped from their sinking ship onto the Drake. Within minutes, a massive wave smashes the two vessels together, destroying the M.M. Drake’s smokestack, leaving the ship without steam-pressure.

Without power, the Drake soon lost headway and waves swept over her decks. Both ship’s crews were now in danger, but two large steel steamers, the Crescent City and Northern Wave, were close by and maneuvered-in to rescue the combined crews.

Harry Brown, the Michigan’s cook, was the only casualty in the unusual double sinking. The remains of the M.M. Drake were discovered in 1978 by the Shipwreck Society, and her rudder is on exhibit at Whitefish Point. The Michigan’s hull is in 650 feet of water.

“We have well over 2500 miles of searching this year alone,” said GLSHS Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel. “We’re searching 100 miles a day. We’re traveling at over 9 miles an hour as we’re searching and we’re seeing great detail on the bottom, it’s amazing.”

The GLSHS was founded in 1978 by a group of divers, teachers, and educators to commence exploration of historic shipwrecks in eastern Lake Superior, near Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Shipwreck Museum is open to the public seasonally from May 1 to Oct. 31.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/10/three-1800s-era-shipwrecks-discovered-in-lake-superior.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=aanews_sf&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3_FD-HO1V45l5_WN6yTeCLKPdD3I7YZOZOObcbYFbsVMGRbP_GkASen3o

 

Toledo’s Glass City River Wall mural gains national attention

Toledo, OH – A massive mural on the Maumee River received attention on the national stage with a profile on CBS Sunday Morning, featuring the Glass City River Wall from conception to current day in a four-minute segment. The stretch of 28 grain silos, owned by a company called ADM, is being spruced up with a 160,000 sq. ft. mural, featuring sunflowers and swirls of blue.

ADM’s mission is to feed the world – a goal that the art project’s operation manager, Nicole Leboutillier, aligns perfectly with the installation’s theme of the first farmers, Native Americans and economic development. The theme was developed after the Glass City River Wall team, filled with community members of all backgrounds, found a stone monument along the river, commemorating the area as a Native American fortification.

The artwork is being painted by Gabe Gault, a creator out of California. He said he believes he can use his art to tell a powerful story for the Glass City.

“I want to tell a story that is colorful, bold, simple and readable,” he said. “My objective is to offer both an origin story, which honors the original farmers of the region, as well as providing an inspirational image for the future: a cornucopia of abundance and prosperity which speaks to ADM’s corporate governance and philanthropic contributions.”

Leboutillier says this ties into the theme of the mural perfectly.

“Their mission is feeding the world and it tied in really nicely with the fact that this is a project about the first farmers and Native Americans and economic development,” said Leboutillier.

Project manager Christina Kasper said they came up with the theme of the mural after their team found a stone monument along the Maumee River, commemorating the area as a Native American fortification. Kasper said the team knew this was the perfect way to honor Toledo’s Native Americans.

“They were the first farmers in this region. They were the first people to recognize what really makes us prosperous to this day and that is the value of the Maumee River,” Kasper said.

View the CBS segment here: https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/toledos-glass-city-river-wall-mural-gains-national-attention-cbs-sunday-morning/512-c52670d4-41aa-41ea-b69b-4633575bca8d?fbclid=IwAR0rmVrUkQoYtTl0_S-rLvErr2XjgG4JUpWcquDLqb9FsunWlSP1p7Jzs-o

 

Dossin Great Lakes Museum to host annual Lost Mariners Remembrance Nov. 10

Detroit, MI – On Nov. 10, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit will host its 22nd annual “Lost Mariners Remembrance” in memory of all mariners who have lost their lives on the waters of the Great Lakes.

On the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald anchor on the grounds of the museum will begin the night. That will be followed by the live Honor Guard escort of a memorial wreath to the Detroit River for receipt by an Honor Flotilla of Great Lakes vessels. A performance by Lee Murdock, Great Lakes balladeer, will follow the wreath ceremony.

In this year’s historical presentation, Detroit Historical Society curator emeritus Joel Stone will give remarks recognizing the many vessels and crew impacted by tragic storms in the year 1871. There will also be a remembrance of Mac McAdam, a long time supporter of the event and the museum, who passed away earlier this year.

While the live-stream is free, there is an admission fee for the in-person event of $5 for Detroit Historical Society members and $10 for non-members. For more details, see https://detroithistorical.org/things-do/events-calendar/events-listing/22nd-annual-lost-mariners-remembrance

 

Mandatory vaccination required to access Seaway structures – revised

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is adopting a mandatory vaccination policy as mandated for the federally regulated marine transportation sector in alignment with Transport Canada guidelines.

As part of that policy, all agencies, administrations, vendors, suppliers, visitors and contractors are expected to be fully vaccinated to have access to our infrastructures, sites and premises starting November 15. To be considered fully vaccinated, an individual must have received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or a full series of a combination of accepted vaccines at least 14 full days prior to the visit.

You will be asked to attest to being fully vaccinated prior to entry onto our infrastructures, sites and premises. All current posted sanitary measures like screening, physical distancing and masking remain in effect at all times.

Visitors governed by the Canada Shipping Act and wishing to access the lock’s infrastructures are to follow applicable requirements and timelines as set out by their employers, agencies and administrations.

By following our vaccination policy, you will be doing your part to preserve the health and safety of the marine industry. If you are not vaccinated, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

Container shipping crisis an unmet opportunity on Great Lakes

Toledo, OH – The St. Lawrence Seaway could help save Christmas by bringing decorations, Santa suits, dolls, video games, and scooters to retail outlets in the United States and Canada. The global container shipping crisis that has ships piling up at massive West and East coast ports is presenting an opportunity for Toledo and other Great Lakes ports.

But local and federal officials in both the United States and Canada must change their mindset and act quickly if they hope to impact this year’s holiday season. An executive order from President Biden might be required to jump-start the process.

“It is unconscionable that the most utilized shipping method in the world — the container — is not being utilized on the Great Lakes,” said Paul C LaMarre III, director of the Port of Monroe, whose agency has recently expanded into handling container ships. “We need a buy-in from all parties and need everyone to realize this is a viable opportunity.”

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) said the crisis of delivering needed consumer goods to the heartland from international producers has revealed a lack of leadership.

“The ports are not working on this and they have a very narrow view of their job,” Ms. Kaptur said. “Their vision is locked into the old model of the original Seaway corridor when the global market is moving to multimodal connects of sea-rail-highway for on-off load cargoes.”

“Toledo has those assets,” Ms. Kaptur said. “If leveraged with capabilities across other Great Lakes ports in Canada and the U.S., the system could be much more robust.”

Professor Paul Hong, a global supply chain expert at the University of Toledo, said the time to make the case for Great Lakes ports is now.

Outside coastal ports such as Long Beach/Los Angeles, Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., and Newark/New York, heavily loaded ocean-going container vessels are stacked to the horizon because of worker shortages and other complications in the troubled supply chain.

It means shortages and delays in delivering electronics, holiday decorations, household cleaning materials, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals — not to mention toys for under the Christmas tree.

Shoppers in the Toledo area and throughout the country increasingly face empty shelves. Parents and grandparents in search of Scruff-a-Luvs rescue pets, DC Comics action figures, or TeeTurtle Octopus Plushies might come home empty-handed.

“I could only find two things at one place, and I snatched them up,” said Pam Smith, a Toledoan who started her holiday shopping early in anticipation of the extreme shortages.

The Seaway is touted as “the shortest route to the heartland of North America” and since the Great Lakes region collectively would rank as the fourth-largest economy in the world, this could be a strong link in the supply chain that is not being fully utilized at this crucial juncture.

The Great Lakes boasts a busy bulk shipping trade, but it has very little containerized cargo. Nine years ago, Cleveland recognized the potential and installed a container port, now reported to be making a modest profit after having subsidized a European shipper, Spliethoff Group of Amsterdam, to use the port.

The Port of Monroe is constructing one now, in hopes of starting to unload container ships by 2023. “I absolutely believe that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence system are a major part of the solution to getting goods to the heartland of America,” Mr. LaMarre said.

David Gutheil, chief commercial officer of the Port of Cleveland, said Cleveland’s success shows there is an opportunity for the Great Lakes ports.

Mr. Gutheil said a container shipping industry existed on the Great Lakes in the 1970s, and since the Port of Cleveland started handling containers about eight years ago, that business has more than doubled in volume.

As the only port on the Great Lakes now handling containers, Cleveland is looking into feeder services in Halifax, N.S., and Montreal where containers could be off-loaded from the huge ocean-going ships and transshipped down the St. Lawrence Seaway via smaller vessels and dispersed throughout the Great Lakes region.

“We’ve proven you can save transit time by moving materials on an all-water route,” he said, adding that after initially using combination bulk cargo/container ships, Cleveland recently added a container-only vessel that handles “anything you can think of” including auto parts, foodstuffs, and manufactured goods on its United States to Europe and return routes.

Read more and view images at this link: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/transportation/2021/10/24/container-shipping-crisis-an-unmet-opportunity-on-great-lakes/stories/20211015111/?fbclid=IwAR3WIP5wbpISn60OV5rTe3pEXntgxFaF9yEguI31NeYLR59awqFOh6J60kk

 

Whitefish Point Edmund Fitzgerald memorial event will be virtual

The annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial event, which takes take place every November 10 at Whitefish Point, will be a closed event in 2021. Due to current COVID conditions in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, only Fitzgerald surviving family members, USCG and GLSHS personnel will be attending. The event will be live-streamed

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

 

Chicago Maritime Museum receives million-dollar endowment

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Maritime Museum has recently received $1,000,000 for a new endowment fund. Announced during the annual “Waterways for All” fundraiser, the endowment will provide an income stream that can be used to fund operations and projects.

The donation was made by Capt. Dave Truitt, who currently serves as chairman of the Maritime Museum. As noted by museum officials, it is the largest gift in the museum’s history and “is the start of sustainable operations funding to allow the museum to focus on providing our patrons and visitors with engaging maritime exhibits and lively educational events.”

The Chicago Maritime Museum, located on the River Level of the Bridgeport Art Center opened in July of 2016. The museum offers visitors a chronological walk through local maritime history including the eras of French fur traders, sail and steam-powered vessels, modern commercial Great Lakes frigates, recreational sailing and the Ralph and Rita Frese Canoe Collection.

Designed by renowned architect and Maritime Museum board member, Dirk Lohan, the 10,000-square-foot museum serves as a window into Chicago’s maritime history. Its newly restored lobby includes interactive storytelling about the importance of the city’s waterways by key founders of Chicago. The museum also plans to create an exhibit of the adventures of Chicago-born Captain Bill Pinkney, the first African-American sailor to solo-circumnavigate the globe via the five great capes.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History

 

Video shows Goderich Salt Mine in operation

https://player.vimeo.com/video/601848200?h=95aa1154bf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freighter Calumet set free after getting stuck in the Saginaw River

Bay City, MI – Maritime traffic hit a snag Thursday night on the Saginaw River after an over 600-foot freighter ran aground in Bay County.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a report at approximately 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21 that a bulk cargo freighter had ran aground just north of the Lake State railroad bridge in the Saginaw River in Essexville. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel was identified as the 630 foot-long Calumet.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Adrian Ledesma said that the vessel was dislodged at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 22. The Calumet then continued to proceed upriver towards Saginaw shortly after it was set free.

The grounded vessel blocked the main river channel after it ran aground. The Coast Guard had established a safety zone around the freighter to allow for a tug boat to safely dislodge it. No medical or search and rescue concerns stemmed from the incident, according to the Coast Guard.

Ledesma said that an investigation is ongoing at this time. He said that two Coast Guard incident response teams responded to the scene and conducted an initial inspection that took a look at possible pollution and environmental hazards plus any vessel and infrastructure damage.

“Based on the initial observation, we don’t have any reason to believe that there’s any significant damage to waterfront infrastructure or the environment,” he said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2021/10/freighter-set-free-after-getting-stuck-in-the-saginaw-river.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2E73vjPWuxf420vwy-lXWPUQdDpI0J-6pUHgC8tkzR4ppde31uXDO1Aqo

 

Cleveland-Cliffs to move production of DR grade pellet to Minorca

Duluth, MN – Minorca Mine in Virginia will be taking on a new role in the Cleveland-Cliffs strategy. They will start producing the DR grade pellet that is needed to feed the HBI facility in Toledo.

Cliffs invested in Northshore Mining in Silver Bay for this production, but CEO Lourenco Goncalves said on Friday that they are moving it to Minorca. The reason is what he called “unreasonable royalties” for the ore that is used at Northshore.

Goncalves said, “Minorca is a great plant with great equipment. Northshore will now work to help Minorca move to DR grade pellet.”

He also said that Northshore will be idled every now and then, and be their swing operation. Cliffs took control of the Minorca Mine as part of its purchase of ArcelorMittal last year.

WDIO-TV

UPDATE: As of 08:00 Friday, Calumet is free and headed up the Saginaw River passing through Bay City.

Calumet grounds in Saginaw River

Saginaw, MI – The motor vessel Calumet was aground in the Saginaw River just below the Lake State Railway Bridge in Essexville, MI, Thursday evening, according to a U.S. Coast Guard notice to mariners. Calumet was inbound on the Saginaw River, Thursday evening, headed upriver to unload at a Saginaw Area dock. Approaching the Lake State Railway Bridge in Essexville around 7:30pm, Calumet encountered some difficulty, becoming crossways in the shipping channel, with her port side resting against the Dolphin that protects the downriver side of the center swing span of the bridge and her stern out of the channel, toward the east side of the river. U. S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit put out a Notice to Mariners at 9:45 pm, advising that the M/V Calumet was aground in the Saginaw River shipping channel near the Lake State Railway Bridge. U.S Coast Guard Station Saginaw River had assets on scene. The dock off the stern of Calumet is the old Blue Knight Energy Partners fuel dock.

Todd Shorkey

 

SS Badger to head to drydock next month for inspection, new paint job

Ludington, MI – The SS Badger will soon be on its way to Sturgeon Bay for its inspections in drydock as well as to receive a fresh coat of paint.

The ship will undergo its required inspection that takes place every five years. Along with the inspection, Lake Michigan Carferry General Manager Sara Spore said the ship will come back with fresh look.

“We’re still working on an exact date,” Spore said Wednesday. “In the beginning of November, it will be towed over to drydock for its five-year inspection. The most notable work with will be sand-blasting and repainting it this year. I don’t think it’s happened since it was owned by the railroad.”

Spore said during the repainting will retain the ship’s traditional black and white with red and white stripes. Should something strike the paint, Spore said the operators will be able to determine where it occurred with a different color showing. The paint on it was done in spots, but not the entire ship.

“It’s been quite a while (since it was repainted). There’s spots where this paint doesn’t match that paint. It’ll look nice when it comes out,” Spore said.

Another upgrade coming to the ship is the replacement of the lifeboats with rescue boats. Spore said the company will need to change the davits — or small cranes on board the ship that allow for the boats to be lowered into the water, should the need arise.

She wasn’t sure what would happen with the lifeboats currently on board the SS Badger. In the past, locals have acquired a previously used lifeboat. Spore said one might be converted into a parade float.

The primary work ahead, though, is the inspection of the ship as it’s pulled by a tug from Ludington to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Spore said Interlake Steamship, the parent company to LMC, has a new ship being constructed at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. The 639-foot ship, called the Mark W. Barker, was expected to launch this month.

“A lot of the inspection that happens, people don’t see it,” Spore said. “It’s in the engine room (and other areas). Right now, we’re tentatively scheduled to be there on Nov. 15, but it all depends on where the other boats are. It’ll leave in early November. We’re looking at a date, and we’re working with a towing company.”

The inspection itself is expected to last 10 days, and preparations include removing the ship’s propellers among other items. The repainting of the ship is expected to take a good amount of time, too.

“It’s all going to depend on what they find,” Spore said. “The painting alone is going to depend on how many layers of paint there are. We’re assuming we know, but we don’t really know. There’s a lot of years there.”

The company is looking at upgrading some of the services it provides passengers.

No matter what the company does — whether seen by passengers or not — it has to meet the approval from the U.S. Coast Guard. Away from the ship, LMC plans to do some upgrades to the security of docking areas for the ship — in Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Spore said. Overall, Spore said the Badger is likely to be away from Ludington for about a month.

Spore said the SS Spartan was surveyed to see what, if anything, could be done with it. “We’ve had engineers looking at the Spartan still assessing the options on that boat,” she said. “We’re still coming to a decision. It’s sat there a long time and with no maintenance. We’re really evaluating the best use for it.”

The Spartan has been tied up alongside its sister vessel, the Badger, and was idled in 1979. At times, it has been used as a training ground for law enforcement and the National Guard. Various other uses for the Spartan have been proposed. Spore said the ship’s future is undetermined.

“There’s always pie-in-the-sky dreams,” she said, “but operating a carferry is very expensive. I don’t know what the future holds for it. We’re evaluating it.”

Ludington Daily News

 

Expanded maritime container capability now available at Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal

Duluth, MN – Port officials announced Thursday that Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal now has the ability to handle significantly larger volumes of international shipping containers transported by vessel, in an expansion that will augment existing road- and rail-based intermodal container service under the Duluth Cargo Connect banner.

Through recent investments in infrastructure and capabilities to ensure homeland security compliance, Duluth now becomes only the second United States port on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System capable of handling containers by direct water connection and the only such port west of Cleveland, Ohio.

“Our Clure Terminal is a full-service multimodal logistics hub for the Upper Midwest, so it’s only natural that we offer the advantages of maritime container handling to complement our land-based network,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “We’ve been nurturing this potential for a while and we’re excited to see it coming to fruition. Considering the significant congestion and delays occurring at some coastal ports, we provide a fluid alternative for containers to move inland and bypass those coastal bottlenecks.”

As North America’s furthest-inland seaport, Duluth is an attractive, uncongested choice for shippers looking to move containerized cargo to and from America’s heartland. In recent years, that activity included only land-based movement on the region’s highways or four Class I railroads serving the Clure Terminal. This new waterborne container option is available now, exclusively through Duluth Cargo Connect.

“We’re excited about expanding our container services to include a direct maritime connection over our docks, which will give our customers even more opportunity and flexibility in their supply chains,” said Jonathan Lamb, president of Duluth Cargo Connect. “Whether the commodity is raw materials for manufacturing, finished goods, foodstuffs or other retail items, and whether connecting via feeder vessel with steamship-owned containers from a coastal port or direct charter vessel with private shipper-owned containers, we are well equipped to provide shippers with a seamless alternative.”

DeLuca and Lamb cited the many added services Duluth Cargo Connect offers as a significant benefit to shippers. Beyond basic handling and customs clearance, the terminal features Foreign Trade Zone status, capability to stuff/de-stuff containers on-site, heat-treated dunnage certification for export packaging, a truck scale, reefer plugs, robust highway and rail connections and the most environmentally efficient way for containers to connect in and out of the Midwest.

“This idea of containers reaching the Midwest direct by water isn’t new,” said DeLuca. “It’s been part of the Clure Terminal vision since the mid-1960s, but the time is right to bring that vision into a modern focus, and we’re well positioned to do it.”

Duluth Seaway Port Authority

 

‘The Fitzgerald Experience’ coming to National Museum of the Great Lakes Nov. 6

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 46th anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. “The Fitzgerald Experience” is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using our lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories surrounding the vessel’s sinking, and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. The tour is approximately 75 minutes long. Times are Nov. 6 at 10 AM and Nov. 7 at 5 PM. Tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes. Tickets from www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2021-tickets-192532167897

 

 Mandatory vaccination policy adopted for Seaway vendors, suppliers, visitors and contractors

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is adopting a mandatory vaccination policy as mandated for the federally regulated marine transportation sector. All vendors, suppliers, visitors and contractors are expected to be fully vaccinated to have access to all our sites and premises starting November 15.

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

 

Help wanted: Great Lakes Pilotage Authority seeks pilot candidates

The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority operates in the interest of safety a marine pilotage service in all Canadian waters in the Provinces of Ontario, Manitoba and in Quebec south of the northern entrance to the St. Lambert Lock. The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority is currently recruiting eligible candidates for the following pilotage districts in order to train them to become licensed marine pilots.

➢ Competition number CO-202101 – Cornwall District (waters of the St. Lawrence River and lakes between St. Lambert Lock, St-Lambert, QC and Snell Lock, Massena, N.Y.).
➢ Competition number D1-202101 – International District no. 1 (waters of the St. Lawrence River between Snell Lock and Cape Vincent, New York, at the entrance to Lake Ontario and includes Kingston, Ontario).
➢ Competition number LO-202101 – Lake Ontario District (waters and the ports of Lake Ontario and the navigable waters within the limits of the Port of Churchill, Manitoba).
➢ Competition number D2-202101 – International District no. 2 (waters of the Welland Canal between Port Weller and Port Colborne, Ontario, Lake Erie and the waters of the connecting channels between Lake Erie and Lake Huron).
➢ Competition number D3-202101 – International District no. 3 (waters of Lake Huron north of latitude 43° 05.5′ N and the waters of Lakes Michigan and Superior, including St. Mary’s River and Georgian Bay).

Apprentices must successfully complete the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority apprentice pilot training program in order to be recommended by the training committee for evaluation by an examination board. An apprentice becomes a licensed pilot following successful evaluation by the Board of examiners.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
1. Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
2. Hold at a minimum one of the following Canadian certificates of competency:
➢ Master Mariner;
➢ Master, Near Coastal;
➢ Master 3 000 Gross Tonnage, Near Coastal;
➢ Master 500 Gross Tonnage, Near Coastal;
➢ Chief Mate;
➢ Chief Mate, Near Coastal;
➢ Master 3 000 Gross Tonnage, Domestic.

3. Have served at sea in the last five (5) years:
➢ for at least 12 months as ship’s captain while holding one of the above-mentioned certificates; or
➢ for at least 24 months as officer in charge of a navigational watch while holding one of the abovementioned certificates.
4.  Hold a valid Marine Medical Certificate issued by Transport Canada indicating the capacity to carry out pilotage duties.
5. Hold a restricted radio operator’s certificate (ROC-MC) or a valid General radio operator’s certificate (GOC) issued under the Radiocommunication Act.
6. Hold the following training certificates:
➢ Simulated Electronic Navigation, Level II; and
➢Bridge Resource Management.

7. Speak and understand English sufficiently well enough to effectively carry out pilotage duties for District No. 1, Lake Ontario District, District no. 2 and District no. 3.
8. Speak and understand French and English sufficiently well enough to effectively carry out pilotage duties for the Cornwall District.
9. Successfully complete a “Character profile” test.

The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority is committed to building a skilled and diverse workplace reflective of Canadian society. We treat all employees and job applicants fairly and with dignity and respect. The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority uses an individual’s qualifications, skills and achievements as the basis for employment-related decisions, including hiring, promotions, compensation, benefits and conditions of employment. We promote employment equity and encourage applicants to complete the Self-declaration Form if they belong to one of the designated groups (Aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, women) when they apply. The self-declaration form is available on our website at: http://www.glpa-apgl.com/about/careers/

HOW TO APPLY
Interested individuals should send their application indicating the competition number(s), along with a resume specifying their qualifications and experience, and the supporting documentation for items 1 to 6 above to:

Director of Human Resources
Great Lakes Pilotage Authority
P.O. Box 95
202 Pitt Street
Cornwall, Ontario K6H 5R9
Or by email to: humanresources@glpa-apgl.com

Applications must be received no later than November 12th, 2021. The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority adheres to the Employment Equity Program.

Lake Michigan Carferry’s first year under new owner was ‘smooth sailing,’ operator says

Ludington, MI – The SS Badger backed into its dock Oct. 10 for the last time this season, letting about 300 passengers off into Ludington and ending nearly five months of daily round trips across Lake Michigan.

A stream of water arced from a fire engine’s aerial ladder near the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum as the Badger crossed into Pere Marquette Lake for the final time this year, the Ludington Daily News reports.

Outside The Lake House, a wedding venue near the Badger’s dock, a group watched it come in to the tune of “God Bless the USA.” A bagpiper blared from an upper deck of the ship, not to be drowned out by the patriotic tune.

The Badger’s first sail of the season was on May 20. It crossed the lake to Manitowoc and returned each day since, except for eight days in August following a crew member’s positive test for COVID-19. Minus those eight days, that makes for about 135 round trips this year.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Lake Michigan Carferry was “able to have a pretty good season overall,” said Shelby Soberalski, director of marketing and sales for LMC. Soberalski said that although any transition “takes time,” LMC’s first year under its new owner, Interlake Holding Company, was “smooth sailing.”

“We’re really excited to be with Interlake, and we are really looking forward to a bright future with them,” she said.

The Badger isn’t going anywhere, though. Soberalski said LMC is “really excited” to get planning for the next season underway soon. But, she said, the company couldn’t do it without its passengers.

“We really appreciate all the passengers that sailed with us and keep our legacy alive,” Soberalski said. “Our passengers are amazing. … We’re just so fortunate to have all those repeat people come back, (and even see) a lot of new faces this year.”

The Detroit News

Read the full story here: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/10/17/lake-michigan-carferry-new-owner-ss-badger-smooth-sailing/119057548/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR159UFE_6DQC2xbLquFj8AmySllVgp6gU7mSkoJrEeWUc4VRZbXS75ksVo#Echobox=1634479879