Staggering wave heights expected on Lake Superior
Sault Ste. Marie – A deepening low pressure system that has prompted wind warnings all around Lake Superior will show us all that Lake Superior acts more like an ocean than an inland lake. Wave heights are forecast to reach as high as 25 feet or 7.6 meters at the peak of the storm Thursday night.
To put that into perspective, 23 to 26 foot waves sank the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. The highest wave ever recorded was a height of 29 feet (8.8 meters) on October 24, 2017 on Lake Superior just north of Marquette, Michigan.
Most storms over the oceans of the world can produce average wave heights of 30 feet. Hurricane Sandy – the largest hurricane on record, battered the North American east coast in October 2012, produced peak wave heights of 42 feet.
Gale warnings are now in place for Whitefish Bay while a storm warning is in effect for eastern Lake Superior. Waves heights of 22 feet (7 meters) are forecast for Thursday afternoon, subsiding to 16-foot waves Thursday evening.
Gale force winds are classified by exceeding 45 to 90 km/h and this storm is packing those types of gusts for most of the day Thursday.
As of Wednesday evening, more than seven freighters were en-route on Lake Superior according to marinetraffic.com
Damaging winds will affect shoreline areas of Western Lake Superior with winds from the southeast then switching to the eastern shoreline with winds shifting to westerly Thursday afternoon. Environment Canada as well as the U.S. based National Weather Service warn of shoreline flooding in areas as well as wind and storm warnings along with marine warnings in place for Wednesday night to Thursday evening.
Soo Today
Marilyn Bell I is now Canada’s first truly zero emission, lithium-ion electric ferry
Toronto, ON – The Marilyn Bell I ferry, which connects passengers, vehicles and supplies to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, is now the first electric ferry service in Canada to be powered by a zero-emission, lithium-ion power and propulsion system containing no diesel components.
PortsToronto, owners and operators of Billy Bishop Airport, Tuesday celebrated the return to service of the Marilyn Bell I following its conversion to 100 percent electric power. In operation since 2010, and upgraded to bio-diesel fuel in 2018, the vessel’s diesel generators and engines were removed in 2021 to make way for a new electric power and propulsion system and a suite of lithium-ion batteries fueled by 100 per cent Bullfrog Power renewable electricity.
Powered entirely by electricity from clean wind and solar sources provided by Bullfrog Power, the retrofitted Marilyn Bell I has eliminated greenhouse gas emissions from the ferry operation, reducing the airport’s direct emissions by approximately 530 tonnes per year. In addition to operating more efficiently and eliminating related air emissions, the retrofitted vessel builds on the airport’s award-winning Noise Management Program, as it will operate far more quietly, dramatically reducing related noise in the surrounding community.
Port of Toronto
New buoy will help monitor water quality in the Detroit River
Detroit, MI – The Great Lakes Water Authority and several other partners are now monitoring the water quality of the Detroit River through a new buoy.
The buoy is equipped with a camera that provides 20-second clips every 10 minutes and can serve as an early warning for changing water quality. It was deployed on the Canadian side of the river and monitors oxygen reduction potential, conductivity, temperature, pH levels, total algae and more.
Due to climate change and the warming of the Great Lakes, Michigan is experiencing more harmful algae blooms every year and increasing rain, which results in increased runoff and sewer discharge.
There is not a cause for concern about algae blooms in the Detroit River currently, but the GLWA wanted to proactively monitor the river and gather data.
The GLWA is working with LimnoTech and the University of Windsor on the project.
WXYZ
US Brig Niagara to return to Erie
Erie, PA – For the first time in years, the US Brig Niagara has been out of the water, sitting in Cleveland for some much-needed repairs. But after two months away, Erie’s beloved tall ship is returning home.
After a long journey west on Lake Erie, the US Brig Niagara was pulled out of the water at the Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland. The boat was long overdue for maintenance and repairs. “A lot of it was assessing what’s going on with the ship, assessing the hull, removing some of the pieces that need to be removed, putting new planks in, and getting her ready to sail again,” said Brig Niagara Captain Chris Cusson.
Niagara had previously not been out of the water in about five years. The crew was anxious to see what the ship looked like below the surface. “When a ship gets hauled out, it’s very nerve-wracking because we don’t know what we’re going to find. We don’t know what the bottom’s going to look like,” said Capt. Billy Sabatini, Executive Director and Captain of the Flagship Niagara League.
Some surprises were in store for crews after Niagara did get on land. They knew work was needed on the ship’s hull, but because Brig Niagara did not sail in 2020 or 2021, additional repairs were needed for the 33-year-old ship.
“Having the ship sit for two years throughout the pandemic really did not do the ship any favors, so it was good to get the ship here and get all those things taken care of, so we’re ready to go,” said Sabatini. Now, the Brig Niagara is ready to go for Tall Ships Festival 2022.
“To put Erie on the map at the center of sail training and at the center of tall ships in the country for that one weekend is truly a magical and wonderful thing,” said Sabatini. Until then, crews are ready to take the ship out on Lake Erie and dock her at the Erie Bayfront for the winter.
“Getting tied up and having that big sigh after two months of hard work, then we’ll leave the ship tied up just in time to visit family for the holidays,” said Cusson.
View video report at this link: https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/45440499/us-brig-niagara-to-return-to-erie
