Happy New Year from Boatnerd

Boatnerd wishes to all our readers a very happy and successful 2024. Thank you for your support.

Thank you to our reporters!

A big three long and two short goes out to all who send news to this page or contribute to the
Port Reports, among them Jack Hurt, Scott Bjorklund, Gordy Garris, Todd Shorkey, Arthur
Pickering, Rene Beauchamp, Ron Beaupre, Rod Burdick, Bruce Douglas, Stephen Sostaric, Bill
Kloss, Barry Andersen, Ron Walsh, MKE Marine Reports, Brian R Wroblewski, Tyler Fairfield,
Port of Monroe, Bill Van Appledorn, Capt. Mike Nicholls, Fred A. Tijan, Jeremy Whitman, Gary A.
Putney, Brendan Falkowski, Marc Dease, Tom Brewer, Graham Grattan, Sam Hankinson, Joshua
Hebeisen, Matt Miner, Denny Dushane, Ken Borg, Bill Bird, Al Miller, Steve Horton, Roger
LeLievre and anyone else we’ve inadvertently left off this list, including those who wish to
remain anonymous. It is the contributions of all these volunteers, and many others, that make
Boatnerd possible.

We are always seeking contributions to this page from readers around the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Seaway. If you see news in your area or want to offer your observations of vessel
arrivals and departures, please send to news@boatnerd.net. If you spot an interesting
shipping-related story in your local news, please take a moment to forward a link so that we
may share it with our audience. Thank you!

‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

You can monitor our annual lay-up listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

The page will be updated throughout the winter. Please send lay-up reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Algoma Transport departs with final cargo before scrapping

The gloomy weather Saturday was fitting for the final departure of the Algoma Transport from
Superior, WI, with 26,439 tons of ore loaded at BNSF for Hamilton, ON. Once the cargo is
delivered, she is expected to sail to Port Colborne, ON, where she will be cut up by Marine
Recycling Corp.

Owner Algoma Central Corp. announced earlier this year the Transport would be replaced by the
new Algoma Bear, now making her way toward the lakes from her builder’s yard in China
Algoma Transport was built in 1979 at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Cathartines, ON, for Upper
Lakes Shipping Co. Ltd. at a cost of $33 million to fulfil a long-term coal contract between Upper
Lakes and Ontario Hydro. The Transport wasn’t the only ship constructed to serve that trade
route: ULS also built the Canadian Century, Canadian Enterprise, Canadian Progress and
Canadian Olympic.

On February 25, 2011, Algoma Central Corp. purchased Upper Lakes Shipping, marking the end
of an era for the historic Canadian shipping company. Two months later, Algoma announced
that the Transport would be renamed Algoma Transport.

Algoma Transport’s retirement leaves John D. Leitch as the sole survivor of the Upper Lakes
Shipping fleet in active trade.

David Schauer, Jack Hurt

‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

You can monitor our annual lay-up listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

The page will be updated throughout the winter. Please send lay-up reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Nordika Desgagnes sets record late-season departure at Duluth-Superior

The Canadian-flagged Nordika Desgagnes departed Duluth and into the record book today
(December 29, 2023) as the Port of Duluth-Superior’s latest-departing ocean-going ship on
record. Carrying beet pulp pellets destined for Ireland, she will eclipse the port’s previous
oceangoing late-departure record set Dec. 23, 1984, by the Federal Calumet, which carried
durum wheat bound for France.

Combined with the earliest oceangoing arrival in port history – the Federal Dart arrived March
28, 2023 – the Nordika Desgagnes departure on Dec. 29 will make this navigation season
Duluth-Superior’s longest ever for international traffic (277 days).

Duluth Seaway Port Authority, David Schauer

Wagenborg orders fifth EasyMax multipurpose vessel

Wagenborg has given itself a Christmas present in the form of a fifth EasyMax multipurpose
vessel order at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard. The two companies agreed to start the
construction of another 14,000 dwt vessel, set for delivery by the end of 2025.

This repeat order fits into the production process at the yard, as the delivery of the third
EasyMax is nearby and the construction of the fourth EasyMax is currently in full swing. It is
worth reminding that the third EasyMax was launched by the yard in mid-October.
EasyMax vessels Maxima and Egbert Wagenborg have already visited the lakes. Amalia was
launched in October.

The EasyMax concept is a multi-purpose vessel with a cargo capacity of 14,000 tons and was
jointly developed by Wagenborg and Niestern Sander. Wagenborg was awarded the KVNR
Maritime Shipping Award in 2017 for this ship design, partly due to its superior fuel efficiency.

The Egbert Wagenborg and Máxima have more than proven themselves as sustainable and
successful ship types, according to Wagenborg.

With a cargo capacity of more than 14.000 tonnes and a hold capacity of 625.000 cbft,
Wagenborg was able to build a relatively large vessel without a major increase in overall
dimensions. With an installed power of less than 3.000 kW, this ship has low fuel consumption
and due to its design, it has an excellent sea-keeping performance.

Wagenborg’s focus on energy efficiency resulted in over 60 percent of CO2 emissions savings
compared to her peer group. According to Wagenborg, the EasyMax is the greenest
multipurpose vessel in its class, resulting in an undisputed Carbon Intensity Index (CII) A-rating.

Project Cargo Journal Newsletter

‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

You can monitor our annual lay-up listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

The page will be updated throughout the winter. Please send lay-up reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Algoma Bear about to depart Chinese
shipyard for Canadian home

The new self-unloader Algoma Bear (which will replace the Algoma Transport, soon heading to
Marine Recycling Corp. for scrapping), has completed her sea trials and will be on her long
journey to Canada in a few weeks (sailing time will be approximately two months) once a slot
has been booked to transit the Panama Canal (due to the low water levels in the Panama Canal,
ships are bidding on slots for March transits now).

In June 2021 – Algoma Central Corp. signed a contract with China’s Yangzijiang (YZJ) Shipyard for
the construction of a 740-foot-long Seaway-Max self-unloading vessel for its domestic dry-bulk
fleet. The vessel will be the first of the new Equinox 2.0 Class. The design builds on the original
Equinox- class standards to offer increased deadweight capacity, better fuel efficiency and
improved speed at lesser engine power.

The Equinox 2.0 will also incorporate weight-saving features and a modified stern. With a dual-
rudder design, the reconfigured stern will increase the cargo holding capacity by nearly
1,440mt. The design enhancements will also include changes to the cargo hold shape, which
will improve the handling of ‘sticky’ cargoes, along with an upgraded propeller.

According to Algoma, the name Algoma Bear represents strength, stability and size. She was
built in 12 months.

Courtesy Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers – Janey Anderson

Know Your Ships editor to talk about
life on the lakers Tuesday in Marquette

Join Know Your Ships Editor and Publisher Roger LeLievre Tuesday evening for a presentation in
Marquette, MI. The program, part of the Marquette Maritime Museum’s Maritime History on
Tap Series, will be at Ore Dock Brewing Co., 114 W Spring St., at 7 p.m.

LeLievre’s program, “Hitchin’ A Ride: An Intimate Look at Life On the Lakers, offers a glimpse at
life on Great Lakes freighters from his perspective of being a guest aboard mighty ships such as
the Stewart J. Cort, Wilfred Sykes, Edward L Ryerson and others. $5 suggested donation at the
door.

Spend a week as a Wisconsin lighthouse keeper

Baileys Harbor WI – The Ridges Sanctuary’s Resident Docent Program is an opportunity to
spend a week living as lighthouse keepers did in the early 1900s. Living quarters for resident
docents are in the Upper Range Light. Built in 1869, the Upper Range Light and its companion
Lower Range Light are the only lighthouses of this design still on range and functional as
navigational aids.

The program begins in June and runs through October. Weekly sessions run from Sunday to
Sunday, with a day off in the middle to explore Door County. Responsibilities include
conducting range light tours, welcoming visitors, explaining how the range lights work and their
critical role in the history of Baileys Harbor and the founding of The Ridges Sanctuary.

Applications for the season will be accepted until 5 pm, Jan. 5 and can be mailed to The Ridges
Sanctuary, PO Box 152, Baileys Harbor WI 54202, or submitted via email to
Katie@ridgessanctuary.org. To learn more, go to ridgessanctuary.org/visit-us/range-lights.

Door County Pulse

‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

You can monitor our annual lay-up listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

The page will be updated throughout the winter. Please send lay-up reports to news@boatnerd.net.

‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

You can monitor our annual lay-up listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

The page will be updated throughout the winter. Please send lay-up reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Merry Christmas from Boatnerd!

Jackman freed from grounding
Fog stops St. Marys River traffic again

UPDATED: With the help of the tugs Anglian Lady and Wyoming, the Captain Henry Jackman was freed around 11:15 a.m. Sunday and continued on her way to Port Cartier.

The Algoma Central Corp. vessel went aground Saturday evening after a power failure. Dense fog at the Soo finally lifted Sunday afternoon and the St. Marys River was reopened by Soo Traffic, allowing 19 vessels that had been at anchor to resume their voyages, spaced about an hour apart so as to to avoid congestion at the locks. However the fog returned Monday, bringing downbound traffic to a halt again due to especially heavy fog at the Rock Cut. At 10 a.m. there were 13 downbound boats stopped, with more expected,

The saltwater vessel Onego Durero, which has been anchored off Brimley, MI, and then in Goulas Bay, for the last couple of weeks, left her anchorage Monday morning and will join the downbound line-up. Although nothing official has been released, waterfront reports indicate Onego Durero’s grain cargo shifted after a bulkhead gave way.

Seaway-Great Lakes shipping getting a $10.9 billion boost

Ottawa-The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is in the middle of a combination of public
and private investment worth at least $10.9 billion to enhance its navigation system
infrastructure for marine shipping, says a study by Martin Associates.

The investments, beginning in 2018 and running to 2027, will support long term planning and
the achievement of economic development goals, while also building confidence in the
system’s future viability, the study said.

The Canadian and U.S. investments include $828 million in vessel enhancements between 2018
and 2022 with another $427 million expected by 2027.

Port and terminal infrastructure received $2.7 billion in funding between 2018 and 2022 with another $1.5 billion expected by 2027.

Waterway infrastructure such as locks, breakwaters and navigation channels, received $3.9
billion between 2018-2022, with at least another $1.6 billion planned between 2023 and 2027.

Martin Associates said the magnitude of investment revealed several important facts about the
future of the economy, supply chains, and net zero initiatives in North America.

One is that the marine shipping industry is focused on maintaining and building on its leadership as the most
efficient, reliable, and sustainable way to move cargo.

As well, there is broad recognition that economic growth and GHG reductions can be achieved
through significant investment in marine shipping, which is also a key conduit for commercial
activity for North American businesses.

As the world undergoes a historic shift towards more sustainable practices, the marine shipping
industry and the U.S. and Canadian governments are partnering to actively invest billions to
lead in the transition.

The study showed that marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway supports
tens of billions of dollars in economic activity in North America, hundreds of thousands of jobs,
and billions in wages and taxes each year.

In addition to the billions invested by private marine shipping organizations in research and
development, new infrastructure, and new service offerings, the survey captured major
governmental funding initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure and improving supply
chains. This includes the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which
were aimed in part at investing in green technologies and infrastructure enhancement,

Canada’s Green Shipping Corridor Program, which will support increased sustainability within
the marine sector and the federal Transportation Supply Chain Office to enhance supply chain
effectiveness.

Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the government “is working with industry to develop
stronger and greener supply chains, especially through the new National Supply Chain Office
and new Green Shipping Corridor Program. Canada and the U.S. are committed to developing
green navigation, shipping infrastructure, and supporting sustainable economic growth.

That’s exactly what this study highlights, and we’ll continue building on this in the years ahead.”
Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the Seaway Management Corporation, said,
“Investments by the Canadian and U.S. Seaway Corporations, as well as marine shipping
industry partners, have made the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway the strongest link in the
North American supply chain. This survey speaks to how these partnerships continue to evolve,
and to planned substantial future investments, which will make our economies stronger and
our future greener.”

National Newswatch

Captain Henry Jackman loses power, grounds.
Fog stops Soo traffic

UPDATE: With the help of the tugs Anglian Lady and Wyoming, the Captain Henry Jackman was freed around 11:15 a.m. Sunday and continued on her way to Port Cartier with Anglian Lady following astern. The survey vessel Bufe is scanning the area of the grounding for obstructions.  The St. Marys River remains closed to traffic due to dense fog. There are 11 vessels at anchor above DeTour and eight above the locks. Saltie Solina remains in the Nine Mile anchorage.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Sault Ste. Marie, MI – At around 4 p.m. Saturday, the downbound Captain Henry Jackman reported a power blackout just below the Rock Cut off Conley Point. She reported being aground with her port anchor out awaiting word from the company about a salvage plan.

The downbound Solina quickly ducked into the Nine Mile anchorage. Federal Katsura tied up at the
lower Poe Lock pier and Burns Harbor tied up on the west center pier. Due to heavy fog, the river was closed to traffic around 5 p.m. from Mud Lake up to the locks.

The Purvis Marine tug Anglian Lady from Sault Ste. Marie, ON, was dispatched to the Jackman but anchored in the Nine Mile anchorage around 8:30 p.m. due to fog.

CSL Laurentien went to anchor above DeTour, as did James R. Barker, Indiana Harbor, Sam Laud, Cuyahoga and Michigan Trader/Dirk S. VanEnkevort, all waiting for visibility to improve. Downbound Edwin H. Gott was expected to anchor above the locks.

Algoma Transport due at scrapyard first week of January

Marine Recycling Corp. update: Tecumseh is up out of the water at Marine Recycling Corp. Port
Colborne On. Norisle next out and Algoma Transport expected to arrive under her own power
to Port Colborne first week of January. She departed Toledo with coal at Hamilton on Friday.

MRC – Wayne Elliott

Federal Alster crewman injured at Soo Locks

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – A crewman from the Fednav vessel Federal Alster had to be taken by
ambulance to MyMichigan Medical Center in Sault Ste. Marie around noon Friday after he was
injured when a cable broke as the vessel was approaching the Poe Lock downbound.

There is no update on his injuries.

The vessel, which loaded at Duluth, locked through and continued her voyage to Montreal.

Jim Lehocky

Great Lakes ice coverage lagging behind previous years as first signs of formation appear

DETROIT, MI – Another sign of winter’s icy grip coming to Michigan has surfaced, this time in
the form of the first sightings of ice cover on the Great Lakes. According to an ice tracker that
pulls data from NOAA, 1% of Lake Superior has ice cover. Lake Michigan also has some ice
coverage in Wisconsin’s Green Bay, as well as Big Bay De Noc and Little Bay de Noc, which is
attached to the southern shore of the Upper Peninsula.

Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario haven’t reported any ice cover as of Dec. 19.

Ice cover has increasingly become an elusive feature of the Great Lakes as warming winters
disrupt normal processes of the lakes freezing over. Tracking ice coverage for the 2023-2024
winter is still on the early side, but there are early signs this year will be below the average.
Over the past 50 years, the average ice coverage over all the Great Lakes by Dec. 19 is about
5%. Ice coverage averages are down in all the Great Lakes with Lake Huron coming in the
furthest from the norm. Typically, 7% of the lake has ice on it. But this season, there is virtually
no ice.

Other signs of a warm winter this season is a forecast from FOX Weather that finds most in the
U.S. will not experience a snowy Christmas. Models show no major snowstorms in the final days
before Dec. 25.

FOX 2 Detroit

From Canada to Ireland: Cocaine Bust
Aboard Arriving Bulker

A bulker arriving in Ireland from Canada is part of an ongoing operation as the Irish police and
revenue service search the vessel for illegal drugs. The first phase of the search turned up at
least 300 KG of cocaine in bundles aboard the ship and starting on Wednesday morning the
authorities were planning to undertake a more thorough sweep of the vessel.

The Verila, a 32,000 dwt bulker arrived in the Irish port of Foynes on the West Coast near the
city of Limerick early on Tuesday. Owned by Bulgaria’s Navigation Maritime Bulgare
(Navibulgar), the ship which is registered in Malta is reported to be carrying a load of grain from
Canada. She departed Montreal on December 9. Navibulgar lists her grain capacity at 41,000 cbm.

She also visited the Great Lakes in mid-September 2023.

After docking yesterday, December 19, the search of the vessel began using specially trained
dogs and turning up large bundles which preliminary estimates set at 300 kg. Each was wrapped
with life preservers as flotation devices and a GPS beacon. The police suspect the cocaine was
to be tossed overboard at some point to be recovered by a smaller boat coming from shore.

The Irish Times is reporting that the drugs still need to be tested for purity. They are quoting
sources that said the final amount might be around 500 kg. Also, the newspaper says the drugs
are thought likely to be high purity with the smugglers planning to mix them before distributing
the cocaine.

The police are estimating the current value of the seizure at least $23 million. The newspaper is
saying that it could rise to as much as $38 million when the final amount is determined. The
crew of the vessel is currently being held for questioning. Navibulgar confirmed to the Bulgarian
media that the vessel is currently the subject of an investigation. So far, no arrests have been made.

It is the second major seizure the Irish have made in recent months. In September, another
bulker, the Matthew, was found to be smuggling approximately 2,000 kg of cocaine. The vessel
was seized and a prosecution is ongoing in that case.

The Maritime Executive

Chamber Wall Monoliths Option 1B
Awarded for New Lock at the Soo

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District’s New Lock at the Soo
project in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, awards $213.8 million contract Option 1B (Chamber Wall
Monoliths) to Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC (KAT) of Westerville, Ohio.

Contract Option 1B includes construction of the lock wall monoliths, very large concrete wall
portions that make up the sides of the chamber along the north and south side of the lock
chamber. The chamber monoliths span between the upstream wide wall monoliths and
downstream wide wall monoliths.

“There are 21 chamber monoliths that make up the north wall and 21 chamber monoliths that
make up the south wall,” Jeremy Nichols, Inland Navigation Design Center, New Lock at the Soo
Design Engineer said. “The chamber monoliths are approximately 44 feet wide and 70 feet tall.
Each monolith will be constructed by placing mass concrete in roughly five-foot-high lifts, with a
total of 14 lifts per monolith.”

The New Lock at the Soo project is being built in 3 phases. Phase 1 (Upstream Channel
Deepening) was completed in 2022, and Phase 2 (Upstream Approach Walls) is expected to be
completed in summer 2024. The Phase 3 contract was awarded to KAT in July 2022 as a base
contract at $1.068 billion. Awarding the base contract allowed the contractor to begin work in
2022 with the remaining work (contract options), to be awarded over the next three years.

“The remaining options are required for a complete lock,” said Kevin McDaniels, Deputy District
Engineer.

“To date, Options 1A (Upstream Wide Wall Monoliths), 1C (New Power Plant Bridge Ramp), 2
(New Pump Well Completion) and 7 (Alligator’s Mouth Mooring Area) have been awarded,
totaling $281.3 million,” said McDaniels. “The leadership team throughout the Corps of
Engineers has made the New Lock at the Soo project a national priority and we have continued
to see strong support every step along the way.”

Four contract options, totaling $320 million, await to be awarded. These options are Option 3
(Lock Operational), Option 4 (Downstream Work), Option 5 (Hands-Free Mooring), and Option 6
(Downstream Ship Arrestors). The Corps of Engineers aims to award these options over the next
two years.

Phase 3 construction began in late 2022, and is expected to last seven years, given efficient
funding and favorable weather. The New Lock at the Soo will be constructed in the footprint of
the Sabin Lock and will be the same size as the Poe Lock (1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide and 32
feet deep).

As of Dec. 4, 2023, KAT has completed over $240 million worth of work. Work to date includes
Upstream cofferdam construction, cells are set and fill is being placed; Downstream cofferdam
construction, cells are being set; abatement of hazardous materials; demolition of existing
structures; partial construction of a new bridge to the hydropower plant; adding stability
structures for the existing monoliths in preparation for dewatering and excavation; installing a
grout curtain for upcoming dewatering and blasting/excavation for a new utility shaft.

“Construction will continue over the winter season, to include hazardous waste abatement,
concrete demolition, utility shaft excavation and electrical work,” said Mollie Mahoney, New
Lock at the Soo Senior Project Manager.

The Soo Locks are essential to U.S. manufacturing and National Security, the New Lock at the
Soo project will provide resiliency for this critical node in the Great Lakes Navigation System. A
2015 Department of Homeland Security study estimates a six-month Poe Lock closure would
temporarily reduce the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by $1.1 trillion, resulting in the loss
of 11 million jobs.

For more information about the New Lock at the Soo project,

visit: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/About/Highlighted-Projects/New_Soo_Lock/ or contact
Detroit District Public Affairs Specialist Brandon Hubbard, 313-500-3251.

Post Your Christmas Cards on Boatnerd
Information Search Page

Share your Christmas cards with others (attachments must be under 2 MB.) A gallery has been
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‘Tis the Season for the Winter Lay-up List

Although no vessels have officials entered winter lay-up, you can monitor our annual lay-up
listing page here: https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2023-2024/

That page will be updated throughout the winter as people send lay-up reports to the
news@boatnerd.net.

How to Watch Special About Life on Lee A. Tregurtha

A reporter from Marquette’s TV6 recently road aboard the Lee A. Tregurtha. See how to watch
it at this link: https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2023/12/20/how-watch-tv6s-elizabeth-
petersons-hour-long-special-about-life-lee-tregur-tha/?fbclid=IwAR1oQNI8oIBEGsqVIvb80baVr0fezxwHl7lkWjXa5Um_4M0C6ihCrkdQQzc#lqehr3i
m7axeew1jwf

Errant research boat completes solo
journey across Lake Michigan

PORT WASHINGTON, WI — The autumn sun was out as Chelsea Volpano lugged her Bathycat, a
small orange catamaran filled with scientific instruments, down to the beach.

Volpano, 29, a geoscience doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had remote
piloted the craft many times during her research into the way eroded coastal sand moves
around underneath Lake Michigan. But Monday, Oct. 30, was different. Volpano didn’t know it,
but the small Bathycat was about to embark on a big journey.

The 3-foot boat was running a grid in calm water off Lion’s Den Gorge, a long term Wisconsin
coastal monitoring near Port Washington when it stopped communicating with the controller.
And just like that, all Volpano could do was watch, crestfallen, as gusty winds pushed a still-
running $10,000 grant-funded boat into the big water and quickly out-of-sight
.
Volpano had brought an inflatable kayak in case something went awry, but her faculty advisor
warned her not to paddle after the escaping Bathycat alone in late October. “I just kind of
watched it float away,” Volpano said, ruefully. It was a difficult moment. “I questioned a lot of
my life choices.”

The story might have ended there, but Volpano wasn’t ready to give up on her Bathycat. She
pleaded for help on Facebook. Had anyone seen a little orange boat sailing alone? Perhaps it
came ashore on the beach somewhere.

People responded. Her post was shared thousands of times. News stations amplified the story.
Private pilots flew the coast in search of the little orange Bathycat. The U.S. Coast Guard even
attempted to model the boat’s drift.

Days turned to weeks with no sign of the Bathycat. Then, on Dec. 4, word came. The boat had
been found roughly 120 miles in the other direction. It washed ashore in northern Michigan
near Frankfort, where hunters found it on a stretch of private beach.

Apparently, the Bathycat had been in Michigan for a while. The man who found it gave the boat
to an electrical engineer to see whether the soggy electronics could be salvaged.

They told Volpano it was found about November 14. The Bathycat was returned through intermediaries. Read the rest of the story and view images at this MLive link:

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/12/errant-student-research-boat-solo-sails-
across-lake-michigan.html

Ocean Voyager ties up next to sistership at Portland

The American Queen Voyages’ cruise ship Ocean Voyager tied up alongside Ocean Navigator at
Portland, ME, Dec. 17. It is not known if Voyager has gone into lay-up next to her sistership. AIS
shows her voyage originated in Jacksonville, FL.

Ocean Navigator has been laid up after a generator fire that broke out following an explosion
on board early Oct. 17. The ship was docked at a pier in Portland when the incident happened,
leaving the crew member with serious injuries and launching an investigation into the cause.

Earlier this year, American Queen announced they were pulling out of the Great Lakes after this
season to focus on river cruises and that the two vessels would be sold.

Paul Beesley