Four tugs tugs pulled the American Courage free around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

The grounded American Courage was released Tuesday around 6:15 p.m. by a quarter of tugs after running aground on the St. Clair river off Marie City, MI, nearly 12 hours earlier.The Port Huron-based tug Manitou was first on the scene and was joined in the late afternoon by the Detroit-based tugs Ontario, Pennsylvania and Tenacious.

The American Courage was anchored north of Marine City in the St. Clair River late Tuesday and is expected to dock at Marine City between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday. There were no injuries to crew members or those that responded and no pollution was observed or reported.

The Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Detroit will verify the proper position of all aids to navigation affected and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct an underwater survey to verify channel depth and to determine if there are any impacts from the grounding.

There was no word on damages or the cause of the incident. The vessel was turning to dock at the Marine City Terminal to unload  20,000 tons of stone when the incident happened.

Investment Firm Acquires McKeil Marine

GREENWICH, CT – Astatine Investment Partners (“AIP” or “Astatine” formerly Alinda Capital Partners), a private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments, today announced that it has acquired McKeil Marine Limited, a Canadian marine transportation business, from TorQuest Partners.

Founded in 1956, McKeil is one of Canada’s largest marine transportation and project service providers. The company  operates a modern and customized fleet of 13 dry and liquid bulk vessels as well as the largest in-class fleet of tugs and barges on the Great Lakes in Canada. McKeil delivers customized transportation and project services to a wide range of customers and industries across the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, East Coast and the Canadian Arctic.

“We are excited to partner with one of the most innovative and trusted marine service providers in Canada,” said Jim Metcalfe, CEO and Co-Managing Partner of Astatine. “McKeil provides meaningful downside protection through its long-term inflation-linked contracts. There is also a tremendous opportunity to evolve its service offerings and strategically expand its diverse fleet. We look forward to working closely with McKeil’s management team and talented crew to further build upon its market leadership and historical growth.”

Astatine has invested in more than 30 infrastructure businesses across North America and Europe that serve over 100 million customers annually in more than 550 cities globally. With investments across the digital, transportation, utility-related and essential services sectors, Astatine’s other current investments include ACL Airshop, a global leader in air cargo unit load device logistics; PECO Pallet, a transportation and logistics company; and Virginia International Gateway, the most highly automated container terminal in North America.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Astatine Investment Partners on the next chapter of McKeil’s growth journey and look forward to working together in pursuit of our long-standing mission to become Canada’s premier marine transportation provider,” said Scott Bravener, CEO of McKeil Marine. “We are confident that Astatine’s track record helping to scale marine transportation and logistics businesses makes them the ideal long-term partner for McKeil.”

Astatine Investment Partners is an independent, mid-market private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments. Based in Greenwich, CT, and London, AIP manages three funds that invest in infrastructure in North America and Europe. It target investments in the digital, transportation, utility-related and essential services sectors, with the objective of generating attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors through a combination of capital appreciation and a strong focus on cash yield.

AIP

Study Highlights the Positive Economic Impacts of Ontario’s Marine Industry

Tuesday during a virtual press conference, Hardeep Singh Grewal, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, and Steve Salmons, President and CEO of Windsor Port Authority and Chair of the Ontario Marine Council (the “OMC”), announced the release of a comprehensive independent study of the economic impacts of Ontario’s marine industry in 2022.

Titled “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Province of Ontario,” the study identifies the economic impacts created by all cargo and vessel activity in Ontario in 2022.

The study revealed that last year maritime commerce in Ontario:
• supported 67,154 jobs
• provided $3.95 billion (CAD) in wages
• generated $1.95 billion (CAD) in taxes
• created $9.6 billion (CAD) in economic activity.

Being able to provide such data to the Government of Ontario will help achieve the OMC’s strategic priorities to strengthen the Ontario marine industry’s competitiveness, job creation and training, environmental sustainability, and capacity for economic development and growth, while also supporting continued growth and success across binational and global markets.

The study was developed from a larger project undertaken by a public/private sector committee of American and Canadian maritime organizations.  The intent with that larger project was to provide the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers, and the public with a credible, independent assessment of the economic contributions made by commercial maritime shipping throughout North America.

The industry’s vital contributions to jobs and wages, supply chain strength, business competitiveness across key commodities, and tax revenues provide strong rationale for major governmental initiatives aimed at strengthening marine’s multimodal networks, supporting infrastructure and economic development, investing in education, labour, and training, and greening marine transportation. Such initiatives include the recent release of the first ever Ontario Marine Transportation Strategy by the Government of Ontario.

“Clearly, marine shipping on the Great Lakes – St Lawrence Seaway System drives the heartbeat of the economy in Ontario. Our industry offers the most reliable and sustainable mode of moving what matters in North America. That includes grain, salt, cement, iron ore, construction materials, petroleum, and steel products – all of which are central to our quality of life and to the needs of consumers around the world. I am eager to build on this strength and create opportunities, in partnership with the Government of Ontario, in the near future,” said Steve Salmons, President & CEO of Windsor Port Authority and Chair of the Ontario Marine Council.

“”Fitzgerald Experience museum tour gives historical insights into Great Lakes shipwreck

TOLEDO, OH – This Saturday and Sunday the National Museum of the Great Lakes will honor the 48th anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald by offering special tours.

“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. Tickets for the 75-minute tour are $20 for members and $25 for non-members, which includes museum admission. Advance registration is recommended.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not handicap or wheelchair accessible and may pose difficulties in accessibility for some. Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. If it is determined that the tours are impossible due to the weather, a refund of the ticket price (minus fees) will be provided. No make-up date is planned.

WHAT: Fitzgerald Experience
WHEN: Saturday, November 11 – Sunday, November 12, 2023 – 10am-5pm (Saturday) and 12pm-5pm (Sunday)
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes, 1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605
ADMISSION: $20 Museum Members / $25 Non-Members

National Museum of the Great Lakes

American Courage runs aground in St. Clair River near Marine City

615 PM UPDATE: Three tugs were working to pull American Courage free around 6:15 p.m.and appeared to be making some progress. The vessel’s unloading boom was swung out over the port side to transfer wight away from the grounded side.

2 PM UPDATE: The tug Manitou has arrived on scene. Tugs Ontario, Pennsylvania and Tenacious headed up from Detroit. There are no reports of injuries or pollution and the cause of the grounding is under investigation. Crews from the coast guard’s Detroit sector were assigned the response. “We are working closely with Grand River Navigation, our port partners, and international, federal and state entities to ensure the safety of the waterway and the quick resolution of this incident,” said Lt. j.g. Adeeb Ahmad, Sector Detroit’s public affairs officer. “With no injuries or pollution reported, our plan is to refloat the American Courage and coordinate with partner services for assistance and safe navigation.”

MARINE CITY, MI – Authorities are currently working to free a stuck freighter that appears to have run aground in the St. Clair River on Tuesday morning.

A tipster alerted WWJ to the disabled vessel just after 7:40 a.m. near Marine City Park at 102 Pearl St. The United States Coast Guard told WWJ that they were alerted to the situation moments before and were working to get more information.

The aground freighter was identified as the American Courage registered in Wilmington, Delaware. The vessel was slated to dock at the Marine City Terminal, but has been stuck in the middle of the river for a couple hours.

As seen through a Skyline webcam in Marine City, two workers in a small boat were seeing motoring around the ship, possibly checking for any damage or leaks. Around 8 a.m. a tug boat was seen assisting the freighter. No other details were released.

WJ Newsradio 950

Algoma Bear takes another step toward completion

The new self-unloader Algoma Bear is currently having her new boom installed at the outfitting berth at the Yangzijiang shipyard in China. The self-unloading system was designed by EMSTECH in Canada and custom-built for the vessel. It was delivered by barge in sections and assembled in the shipyard on the dock. A floating crane was used to lift it up from the dock and install it on board the vessel. Once all outfitting and commissioning is completed, sea trials will follow before she sails across the ocean to Canada and enters service for Algoma Central Corp.

Courtesy Janey Anderson/Ship Junkies

Seaway employees ratify contract

CORNWALL, ON – The 360 St. Lawrence Seaway employees who were on strike for more than a week have ratified their contract. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) says the three-year collective agreement was approved by the employees represented by the union Unifor. The Unifor-represented employees went on strike on October 22. A tentative agreement was reached this past weekend. The Seaway reopened early last Monday morning and the reopening plan was fully implemented by Wednesday.

WWNY

Obituary: Captain Anders A. Rasmussen, March 14,1947- Nov. 6, 2023

Retired Great Lakes Captain Anders A. Rasmussen lost his seven-yard battle with mesothelioma Nov. 6. Born in Denmark. He immigrated to Canada when he was 11 years old and began his maritime career in 1969 with the Canadian Coast Guard aboard the Alexander MacKenzie while stationed at Prince Rupert, BC.

In 1978 he shifted his career to the Great Lakes, joining the Algocen on April 3 at Port McNichol, ON. On May 13, 1979, Anders returned to the Algocen as firs Mate. In 1990, he was assigned captain of the Algoriver. In 2000 he became permanent skipper on the Algolake.

“He loved to tell the stories of his trip across the Atlantic with his brothers and Mom and Dad,” his wife Donna Rasmussen wrote Monday on a GoFundMe page launched to raise money for the organizations that meant the most to Anders.

“Soon after high school, he found his first true love, the sea,” she added. “Even in his last days he spoke so frequently about sailing. He had an amazing career and I’m so proud of his accomplishments. I’m so blessed that I was able to take so many trips with him and experience his love of the lakes firsthand. He never was truly at home when he was at home, he was like a fish out of water. But our lives were filled with love and laughter and our combined love of mini golf.”

Anders has requested no funeral, and no celebration of life. “As loud and bold as he was in life, he would like his departure to be a quiet passing,” Donna Rasmussen wrote.

The GoFundMe is to raise money for the organizations that meant the most to Anders; The Lamoille Area Cancer Network, Lamoille Home Health and Hospice and the Enosburg Falls Country Clubs Jr Golf program. So anything you would like to donate will be divided up the way he wished and it is with great thanks for your generosity. I hope to raise a good chunk so will leave this open until the celebration and announce how much we raised for each organization.

“Anders has left a larger-than-life mark on this life, and will leave an even bigger hole in our hearts,” she added.

https://gofund.me/89a40fc4

USS Marinette heads through the Welland Canal

WELLAND CANAL – With the Seaway strike ended, the USS Marinette (LCS 25) was downbound in the Welland Canal Saturday enroute to her homeport at Naval Station Mayport, FL. Since the Marinette is not equipped with bow thrusters, she was at time towed by the Picton, ON-based Doornekamp tug Amy Lynn D. tug.

The warship – with a modular weapons system, helicopter pad, ramp for small boats and which can be used by small assault forces – was built in Marinette, WI. Littoral combat ships operate in waters close to the shore. A number of the vessels have passed down the canal over the past number of years.

Marinette was moored at Cleveland during the strike.

Historic former shipyard buildings in Cleveland may be razed for concert venue

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The company behind Jacob’s Pavilion is going before the city’s planning commission with plans to build an indoor concert venue nearby.

Nautica Entertainment is taking revised plans to the Cleveland Planning Commission for its proposed Globe Iron Venue in the West Bank of the Flats. It would be located at the corner of Center and Elm streets, less than a mile from Nautica’s outdoor concert venue, the Jacob’s Pavilion.

The new venue is estimated to seat 1,200 people, and based on a presentation, would host over 100 concerts and events a year. Renderings showed several features, including a courtyard surrounded by a tall iron fence to provide security access within an L-shaped structure in the shadow of the pitch-roof industrial building.

Nautica hopes to get approval for both the renovation of the Globe Iron building and for the demolition of several surrounding buildings, including a four-story structure adjacent to the main Globe Iron building that has been listed national historic site since 1994.

Globe Iron was founded in 1853 by several people that include Samuel Lord, whom was the brother of pioneering real estate developer and Ohio City Mayor, Richard Lord, according to the Cleveland Historical. The main building with the pitched-roof was known as the Foundry, while neighboring four-story building, which dates back to 1886, was known as the Patterns Building.

An historic iron foundry located on Elm Street on the west bank of the Flats, Globe Iron Works was started in 1853 by several individuals including Samuel Lord, brother of Richard Lord, a pioneer real estate developer and mayor of Ohio City. It changed ownership several times before a majority interest in the foundry was purchased in 1869 by Henry Coffinberry and partners Robert Wallace and John Pankhurst. The company, which produced engines, boilers and other iron products, grew after its purchase by Coffinberry and his partners. In 1876, it purchased an interest in a dry dock and soon was building ships under the name of Globe Ship Building Company. In 1882, it launched the Onoko, generally regarded as the prototype for all iron and steel-hulled freighters that sail the Great Lakes today.

During the company’s last appearance before the commission in August, it argued that the Patterns Building could not be saved, was unsafe and was a challenge to find buyers and investors.

Commission members were skeptical that nothing could be done to save the Patterns building, which they deemed “a part of the city’s industrial heritage.” Though the commission approved of demolishing two other buildings, the four-story structure has been Nautica’s hardest sell. The commission urged Nautica to bring back more evidence as to why they should approve the demolition.

Megan Sims, cleveland.com

List of vessels built at Globe Iron Works: http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/globe.htm

Canada’s Davie completes purchase of Helsinki Shipyard from Russia’s Algador

TORONTO, ON – Canadian firm Davie Shipbuilding has completed the purchase of Helsinki Shipyard, maker of Arctic icebreaking vessels, from Russian-owned Algador Holdings after securing regulatory approval, Davie said on Friday.

Regulators said the deal was not in violation of sanctions on Moscow, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.

While the terms of the purchase agreement are confidential, the transaction was funded by a combination of Davie’s own funds and by 77 million euros ($81.77 million) of financing from the Québec government, according to a statement from Davie.

Privately-owned Davie announced the purchase of the Finnish company months ago. The deal will help Canada deliver on its C$8.5 billion ($6.2 billion) national shipbuilding strategy program.

Algador Holdings is owned by Russian businessmen Rishat Bagautdinov and Vladimir Kasyanenko, who is also a Belgian citizen. Quebec-based Davie worked with regulators in Finland, the EU, Canada, the UK and the U.S. to ensure the deal was not in violation of sanctions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, said the source, who was not authorised to speak about the matter publicly.

Closure of the deal dragged out because of due diligence and financial, regulatory and legal considerations, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, the source added.

Algador purchased the yard from Russia’s sanctioned United Shipbuilding Corporation in 2019.

Davie, which is nearly 200 years old, is one of three shipbuilders helping to deliver on Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, with their part being to deliver seven icebreakers.

Reuters

Shipwreck Museum’s 48th Anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Event to be virtual in 2023

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum’s annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony will be a virtual ceremony this year. The event, scheduled for Friday, November 10, 2023 (7pm), will be available on a live-stream access, details to be announced soon. The livestream link will be posted on www.shipwreckmuseum.com during the week of the event.

The buildings of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, will not be open to the public on November 10, 2023. In addition, the Michigan Maritime Museum (www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org) of South Haven, MI, will host a viewing of the Shipwreck Museum’s Edmund Fitzgerald (live-streamed) memorial service.

For more information, please call 800-635-1742, or visit www.Shipwreckmuseum.com.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Environmental Hazard as Cargo Ship Loses Containers in Canadian Far North

The Nunavut government and Canada last week were scrambling to deal with a potential environmental issue and boating hazard in the northernmost territory, a region located south of the Arctic Circle but with a polar climate and freezing cold for much of the year. Late on Friday afternoon, October 27, a cargo vessel that provides a vital supply line to the remote region had an accident losing a portion of its cargo into the harbor.

Canadian Coast Guard and NEAS, operators of Nunavik Eastern Arctic Shipping, worked to locate the cargo which is reported to be floating in the harbor. The government is advising that 20 shipping containers and assorted freight fell off the cargo ship Sivumut and into Frobisher Bay near the Iqaluit port.

The vessel was built in 2010 and registered in Canada, it can transport up to 655 containers or loose cargo. The vessel has two onboard cranes for cargo handling. The pictures appearing online show the vessel at anchor with the containers floating behind the ship

NGCC Henry Larsen provided air support with the helicopter, which helped locate missing containers..

NMGL Christmas Tree Ship Community Giveback Day is Dec. 3 in Toledo

TOLEDO, OH – On Saturday, December 2, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, in partnership with Geo. Gradel Co., invites individuals to join a holiday tradition by welcoming back the ”Christmas Tree Ship.”

Thanks to funding from The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), museum admission will be free.

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Remembered as the Christmas Tree Ship, her captain, Herman E. Schuenemann, was known for giving trees to families in need. This story provides the inspiration behind the Museum’s community giveback event encouraging individuals to make a memory to last a lifetime by watching Santa arrive at the museum’s dock delivering Christmas Tree and holiday support.

“Museums have been shown to increase our sense of well-being and make us feel healthier.  They inspire, challenge and stimulate us, while also making us proud of where we come from,” said museum spokesperson Kate Fineske. “The Christmas Tree Ship Community Giveback Day allows us to connect individuals on the East Bank of the Maumee River and access the Great Lakes with their maritime roots while providing healthy holiday support.”

The event asks individuals to “get a tree or give a tree” as well as provide holiday support by donating towards gift cards for its community partners. In addition, for every donation made, UTMC will match individual gifts with a healthy hygiene kit for community members in need.

Following the parade, guests are asked to walk or drive to the museum where Santa and a boatload of Christmas trees will arrive to receive visitors in front of the Museum Tug Ohio. To learn more about the event, purchase a tree for yourself or individuals in need, or provide holiday support with a donation visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

Newlab & Mythos AI Launch In-Shore Autonomous Boat Pilot

Detroit, MI –  Newlab, an innovation platform for deep tech startups, has announced Mythos AI as the first participant for its Multimodal Logistics Challenge – a coalition of startups, industry leaders and government agencies working to improve efficiency and resilience in supply chains through groundbreaking pilot projects.

Mythos AI is advancing maritime commerce by mapping marine highways while simultaneously training algorithms for self-driving in-shore vessels. Together with Newlab, the Port of Monroe, and Michigan Central, the company is conducting an 8-week pilot to map the port berths and anchorages at the Port of Monroe which will create a digital twin of the region and expose the machine learning to waterway-specific conditions.

The ultimate goal of these advancements is to create automated marine highways, which are the key to increasing port efficiency, lowering maritime carbon emissions, and creating supply chain resilience. Disaggregated marine shipping will use smaller boats, rivers, and in-land waterways to move goods more efficiently and resolve bottlenecks.

“The Great Lakes-St Lawrence System is one of the most complex marine highway networks in the world, thus making us a prime test platform for innovative maritime technologies,” said Port of Monroe Port Director Paul LaMarre.

“Newlab’s development process is facilitating new relationships with startups that will allow us to transform our Port facilities into a living lab for the future of logistics. Our pilot with Mythos AI has immediately enhanced our situational awareness of our waterway while providing critical data for real-time navigation and engineering applications.”

Newlab’s Multimodal Logistics Challenge is tackling historical underinvestment in transportation infrastructure. In partnership with cutting-edge startups like Mythos AI, Newlab is driving supply chain resilience by establishing sustainable transportation nodes that create critical redundancy across supply chains.

“Ports are critical logistics nodes that must remain at the forefront of technological advancement to keep up with the rise in shipping and maritime activity,” said Sahil Jain, Director of Strategy at Newlab. “By digitizing and automating port infrastructure and operations, we can achieve a transformative shift towards decentralized and decarbonized multi-modal logistics. This pilot at the Port of Monroe is the first step to accelerating the utilization of marine highways for sustainable and scalable freight movement.”

“This pilot demonstrates the potential we unlock by extending the Michigan Central-Newlab testing network over land, air, and maritime mobility nodes throughout the region,” said Matt Whitaker, Michigan Central’s Director, Mobility Innovation Platform. “Bringing Mythos AI and the Port of Monroe together not only advances sustainable, real-world mobility solutions, it also drives economic development for our communities.”

“Self-driving vessel technology will reshape maritime logistics,” said Mythos AI CEO Geoff Douglass. “Scaling this innovation to other ports will transform antiquated systems, reduce emissions, and drive economic growth on a global scale. Our partnership with Newlab has been instrumental to getting us the access we need to derisk this technology much quicker than we would have been able to on our own.”

To read more and join Newlab’s Multimodal Logistics Challenge, visit our website at: https://www.newlab.com/opencalls/expanding-multi-modal-logistics-to-drive-supply-chain-resilience

McKeil’s new Northern Venture makes Lake Erie debut

Northern Venture, McKeil Marine Ltd.’s newest vessel, passed through the Welland Canal Wednesday headed for Fairport, OH. Last year McKeil Marine purchased the M/V Da Shen and has been busy having it retrofitted. She is the first self-unloader in their fleet and will mainly be operating in the northern Great Lakes.

Badger gets go-ahead to repair dock infrastructure

LUDINGTON, Mich. — The S.S. Badger is closer to running again for the 2024 season. Lake Michigan Carferry, which operates the iconic ferry, announced Wednesday it has obtained the last of the needed permits to rebuild the Badger’s dock infrastructure.

The news comes several months after trips across Lake Michigan were suspended due to an issue with the Badger’s ramping system. Work to build new counterweight rigs might begin this week.

“We’re very excited to receive the much-anticipated federal and state permits to start construction on the lifting mechanism for the apron here in Ludington,” says General Manager Sara Spore. “It’s a major step forward in the concerted effort to get the Badger back underway to serve our port communities and carry passengers and transport freight across our marine highway on Lake Michigan.”

Al Bufka Construction Inc. will begin preparing for the demolition of the Badger’s counterweight on its port side, according to Lake Michigan Carferry. Meanwhile, The King Construction Co. and Underwater Construction Corporation will address the work that needs to be done below water before ice forms this winter.

Fox West Michigan

Interlake’s James R. and Mark W. Barker earn maritime heritage service award

James R. Barker and Mark W. Barker were honored last week with the 2023 The National Maritime Historical Society Distinguished Service Award in recognition of their expertise in marine transportation and their work preserving the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes. The society was particularly impressed that Interlake has acquired the historic ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, a National Historic Landmark and an icon on Lake Michigan since 1953.

“We applaud the Interlake Steamship Company’s commitment to ensure their fleet is at the forefront of technology and environmental stewardship by reducing air emissions, protecting waterways, and minimizing the environmental footprint while delivering essential cargoes to drive the economy of the Great Lakes region and the nation,” said HMHS in a press release

“As Chairman of the Interlake Steamship Company, James R. Barker leads the largest privately held US flag fleet on the Great Lakes. President Mark W. Barker is a strong leader with a clear voice on industry issues at the state and national levels. The Interlake Steamship Company is US-built, US-owned, and US-crewed—critical for our country, and for our national security.

“The Society congratulates Mark Barker on the 639-foot M/V Mark Barker, the first large bulk freighter constructed in the US for use on the Great Lakes since 1983. We are particularly impressed that Interlake has acquired the historic ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, a National Historic Landmark and an icon on Lake Michigan since 1953. We recognize Mark Barker’s contributions to maritime heritage as chairman of the National Museum of the Great Lakes.”

The Interlake Steamship Company is a family-owned company tracing its history of more than 100 years on the Great Lakes.

The National Maritime Historical Society

Today’s Virtual Visitor Center features Fitzgerald program

Shipwreck Historian Ric Mixter is one of the few people who have visited the Edmund Fitzgerald’s wreck site in person. He joins us in the Virtual Visitor Center to share more than 20 years of research into the career and tragic loss of this ship. Ric will share first hand accounts of Capt. McSorely’s reputation as a “heavy weather sailor” and examine investigations into the Fitzgerald’s loss. The program will be recorded, but join us in person November 2 at 12:30 ET to hear Ric’s insights into the tragic sinking and to ask questions.
https://meet.goto.com/VirtualVisitorCenter/fitzgerald

St. Lawrence Seaway strike is over after 8 days. How much did it cost?

The eight-day strike at the St. Lawrence Seaway, one of the major maritime trade routes between Canada and the United States, has had a huge economic impact on both countries, costing millions of dollars and resulting in backlogs that could take several days to clear, industry groups say.

Ship traffic resumed at the seaway with some 360 union workers back on the job Monday after a tentative agreement was reached. That deal has yet to be ratified by the unionized employees, who walked off the job on Oct. 22.

The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) estimate the shutdown cost $34 million per day, based on the annual average economy. However, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, a bi-national association, is expecting a much higher loss for both countries.

“It is estimated that upwards of $110 million per day was cumulatively lost in the Canadian and U.S. economies as a result of the seaway shutdown,” Jason Card, a spokesperson for the CMC, told Global News in an emailed statement Monday

“While movement of goods within and between Canada and the U.S. was affected, the strike also had implications for global trade, and Canada and America’s reputation as a reliable global trading partner,” Card said.

Approximately 67,000 jobs associated directly and indirectly with cargo movement were affected, he added.

Last year, about 36.3 million metric tons of cargo valued at $16.7 billion passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway’s infrastructure, according to a report published in July. The grain industry was especially hit by the shutdown, Card said.

The movement of cargo, including sand, salt, cement, potash, iron, steel and machinery, as well as liquid products, such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene and alternative fuels, was also disrupted, according to the CME.

There is concern for small businesses, as strikes typically result in the loss of sales and potential revenue as well as financial penalties due to delays in shipments, said Jasmin Guenette, vice-president of national affairs with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

“The impact of delays associated with a strike like this, and the cost impact associated with a strike like this, is quite significant for smaller employers,” he told Global in a phone interview.

This is the second time this year that a major labour disruption in Canada has halted cargo movement at sea. A 13-day strike at British Columbia’s ports in July sent ripple effects from coast to coast over the summer.

With cargo now moving again on the St. Lawrence Seaway, it could take most of the week to clear the backlog of ships halted during the labour stoppage — and even longer for supply chains to normalize.

“It is our understanding that the backlog of ships will take at least four to five days to clear through the seaway,” Card said.

The CME in a statement Monday urged the federal government to come up with a plan for “lasting stability in Canada’s transportation system” to ensure such disruptions do not continue to impact the economy.

Global News, with files from The Canadian Press

Furetank and Algoma’s first dual-fuel Vinga-class ship hits the water

Swedish shipping company Furetank and its Canadian counterpart Algoma Central Corporation have welcomed the launching of the first vessel intended for their joint venture FureBear.

The vessel, named Fure Vanguard, is the ninth sister ship in the Vinga class and the ship was officially launched at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China.

The next milestone on the horizon is Fure Vanguard’s sea trial, scheduled for early January where the ship’s seaworthiness will be put to the test.

Swedish Furetank AB and Canadian Algoma Central Corporation formed a joint venture agreement to build four dual-fuel product tankers intended to trade in Northern Europe in August 2022. The four ships are expected for delivery between 2023 and 2025. Upon completion, all four vessels will be entered into the Gothia Tanker Alliance and operated by Furetank out of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The four 17,999 DWT ice-class 1A product tankers have been designed in collaboration with FKAB Marine Design and they have a dual-fuel capacity with the ability to operate on LNG/LBG or gasoil.

The FureBear tankers feature a battery hybrid system and various fuel and energy efficiency measures. These design elements result in reduced emissions of CO2, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and hazardous particles. The vessels are also equipped for shore power usage, according to Furetank.

Furebank, Offshore Energy

St. Lawrence Seaway strike: Ships start moving after tentative deal reached

Cargo is moving again on the St. Lawrence Seaway after management and Unifor struck a tentative deal on Sunday, but it could take most of the week to clear the backlog of ships halted during the labour stoppage — and even longer for supply chains to normalize.

The company said workers were back on the job as of 7 a.m. on Monday. The tentative agreement, which must still be ratified, ended a strike that began on Oct. 22.

The job action by 360 workers represented by Unifor brought a stop to ships though the key trade corridor.

As of Monday morning, nearly 100 ships were strewn at ports and docks across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River waiting to pass through the seaway, said Bruce Burrows, CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

He said it would take up to 14 hours to get the seaway up and running and around five days to clear the backlog of ships waiting to get back into the system.

“Like any major transportation interruption, it takes a bit of time for the infrastructure and so on just to turn the tap back on. It can’t be done instantly,” he said.

In recent days, Burrows said there had been increasing worry among shippers and producers, especially in the grain and steel sectors, who rely on the seaway to export their products.

He said the seaway has long been known for reliability and that the labour stoppage put “a major dent in that reputation.”

“The phone has been ringing off the hook, let me tell you,” he said. “They were all yelling and screaming and very concerned about their supplies being stuck in the chain.”

Around six million tonnes of grain are exported through the St. Lawrence Seaway annually, and this time of year marks peak shipping season, said Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario. He said the delivery of “well over 1,000 truckloads” had to be cancelled last week due to the strike.

“We know it’s had a lasting impact,” said Devitt.

“It’ll take a bit of time to even understand whether there’s been some permanent capacity effects on our ability to move grain out before the end of the year.”

Devitt said he couldn’t predict how long it will take to ramp up, but hoped the lasting effects of the strike could be kept to a minimum.

“There’s definitely been a cost to farmers. There has been a cost to the industry and hopefully not a lasting cost to our reputation as well,” he said.

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president and CEO Dennis Darby estimated the strike cost companies at least $35 million per day collectively.

He said that figure would gradually decline as the system returns to normal, which could take weeks. Darby said lessons learned from the B.C. ports strike earlier this year suggest that for every day lost during a work stoppage, it takes three to five days for supply lines to normalize.

The St. Lawrence Seaway strike “had a pretty broad-reaching impact,” said Darby, noting that “anything that you can think of that’s big and has to move in bulk” was affected.

“In most cases for the kind of goods that travel by sea, there aren’t many alternatives. People were staring down a lot of production being cut,” he said.

“Now it will take days and weeks for things to unblock. It’s still better than the alternative, which is the longer it persisted, the worse it would be. And of course, we were all coming up against the freeze season.”

The premiers of Ontario and Quebec had called on Ottawa to intervene if federally mediated talks failed to bring about a quick end to the walkout.

Details of the settlement were not immediately available, but the union had been fighting for higher wages to keep up with the rising cost of living.

Global News

Unifor reaches tentative agreement with St. Lawrence Seaway management

UPDATE: Here is the breakdown of ships waiting for the Welland Canal. 14 at Port Weller. At Port Colborne 15 at anchor and Oakglen in the harbour. 7 ships waiting below Long Point along with 2 tugs. Also salty Flevoborg dowbound approaching Long Point for a total of 40 vessels.

Bill Bird

The union representing striking seaway workers in Ontario and Quebec said Sunday that it has reached a tentative agreement with management.

Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, said details of the deal will be shared with St. Lawrence Seaway workers before it is made public, and that a member vote will be scheduled in the coming days.

“We have a deal,” federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said Sunday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Thank you to the union, the employer, and federal mediators for your commitment to the negotiating table.”

The premiers of Ontario and Quebec had called on Ottawa to intervene if the federally mediated talks failed to bring about a quick end to the walkout.

More than 360 St. Lawrence Seaway workers started striking on Oct. 22, shutting down a marine shipping route between Lake Erie and Montreal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes. Ships have been left floating, waiting to pass through.

Unifor’s national president, Lana Payne, told reporters that workers want higher wages and for the company to address “a toxic workplace.”

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. says it will begin to implement its recovery program immediately and will start “passing ships progressively” as of Monday. It says employees will be back on the job by 7 a.m. ET.

Seaway system, also known as Highway H2O, serves more than 100 ports and commercial docks and helps Canada’s Prairie provinces and the U.S. Midwest export goods. Key cargo includes grain, iron ore, petroleum products, stone and coal.

A 2018 study by Martin Associates found that goods moving through the system supported more than 78,000 direct jobs and generated $35 billion in revenue in both Canada and the U.S.

Last year, the 300-kilometre St. Lawrence Seaway stretch carried more than 180 million tonnes of goods worth about $16.7 billion — nearly half of it grain and iron ore.

The striking employees work at 13 of the 15 locks — which raise and lower watercraft between areas of different depths — along the trade route in maintenance, operations and supervisory roles.

CBC, The Canadian Press

Unifor reaches tentative agreement with St. Lawrence Seaway management

8 p.m. Sunday: The union representing striking seaway workers in Ontario and Quebec said Sunday that it has reached a tentative agreement with management.

Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, said details of the deal will be shared with St. Lawrence Seaway workers before it is made public, and that a member vote will be scheduled in the coming days.

“We have a deal,” federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said Sunday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Thank you to the union, the employer, and federal mediators for your commitment to the negotiating table.”

The premiers of Ontario and Quebec had called on Ottawa to intervene if the federally mediated talks failed to bring about a quick end to the walkout.

More than 360 St. Lawrence Seaway workers started striking on Oct. 22, shutting down a marine shipping route between Lake Erie and Montreal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes. Ships have been left floating, waiting to pass through.

Unifor’s national president, Lana Payne, told reporters that workers want higher wages and for the company to address “a toxic workplace.”

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. says it will begin to implement its recovery program immediately and will start “passing ships progressively” as of Monday. It says employees will be back on the job by 7 a.m. ET.

Seaway system, also known as Highway H2O, serves more than 100 ports and commercial docks and helps Canada’s Prairie provinces and the U.S. Midwest export goods. Key cargo includes grain, iron ore, petroleum products, stone and coal.

A 2018 study by Martin Associates found that goods moving through the system supported more than 78,000 direct jobs and generated $35 billion in revenue in both Canada and the U.S.

Last year, the 300-kilometre St. Lawrence Seaway stretch carried more than 180 million tonnes of goods worth about $16.7 billion — nearly half of it grain and iron ore.

The striking employees work at 13 of the 15 locks — which raise and lower watercraft between areas of different depths — along the trade route in maintenance, operations and supervisory roles.

CBC, The Canadian Press

What the St. Lawrence Seaway strike means for the economy in Hamilton and Niagara

As the union representing striking St. Lawrence Seaway workers meets with management for mediation Friday, stakeholders in Hamilton and Niagara say they hope for a quick resolution at the bargaining table.

Since Oct. 22, about 360 workers have been on strike, shutting down the seaway, a marine shipping route between Lake Erie and Montreal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes. Ships have been left floating, waiting to pass through.

Welland mayor Frank Campion said he doesn’t blame striking workers or their bosses, but “both have to work very, very hard on reaching an agreement” given the stakes.

He said “when goods are not moving, it can hold up a whole bunch of different other types of industries and businesses.”

For example, he said, a housing developer told him they can’t do drainage work for homes they’re building until they can access the canal.

He said that although he’s not hearing about the strike from constituents yet, he knows businesses are worried. “If it lasts much longer, it’s going to have a direct severe impact on a lot of industries in Niagara but also in Canada and beyond.”

Striking workers are represented by Ontario Unifor locals 4211, 4212 and 4323, and Quebec locals 4319 and 4320. They work at 13 of the 15 locks along the trade route in maintenance, operations and supervisory roles (locks raise and lower watercraft between areas of different depths along waterways).

CBC contacted Unifor for comment but did not hear back before publication. On Tuesday, Unifor’s national president Lana Payne told reporters that workers want higher wages and for the company to address “a toxic workplace.”

Eight of those locks are in the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, cutting through St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne.

On Tuesday, the mayors of the four municipalities along the canal issued a statement saying the strike has significant economic impact and urged workers and management to keep negotiating. The statement says the seaway supports $12 billion in annual economic activity.

Thorold mayor Terry Ugulini told CBC Hamilton that Niagara Region is part of what he calls the “Welland Canal trade corridor” and “has a long history of being a vital component of the St. Lawrence Seaway system.”

In Thorold, he said, that corridor connects to different transportation routes and supports a growing number of businesses.

Ugulini said he has experience negotiating collective agreements from his time with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and understands “sometimes you need to take a break,” from the bargaining table, but he’s “confident” negotiators can reach a deal soon.

A person is fishing off a dock. Cargo ship are seen in the lake behind them.

Thirteen cargo vessels at anchor of Port Dalhousie waiting for the Welland Canal to re-open as St. Lawrence Seaway worker’s strike. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News)

Fall is the busiest time of year for shipping, Larissa Fenn, a spokesperson for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, told CBC in an email. “Steel manufacturers are beginning to stockpile raw materials for the winter, and Ontario farmers are harvesting and loading their grain onto vessels for export.”

According to Fenn, the Port of Hamilton “handles approximately 10 million tonnes out of the Seaway’s annual total of approximately 36 million tonnes.”

Fenn notes one-third of cargo that moves through the port is “related to the agricultural sector.” She said the Port of Hamilton is “the largest export gateway for Ontario-grown grain,” and that port terminals are not designed to store grain, or other food supplies.

“The Seaway closure means the system is increasingly backed up right to the farm,” Fenn wrote. “If there are no ships to load, the entire system is affected.”

The HOPA also handles “other critical commodities, connected to essential Ontario supply chains” including cement, rebar, gypsum and asphalt, road fuel, jet fuel, raw materials for steelmaking, finished steel and machinery, Fenn wrote.

Ken Albright, who advises the McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics, said shipping is “the best and most efficient way” to move such goods, and that according to his team’s recent research, Great Lakes shipping is a sector that has a lot of room to grow, “as long as we can get these kinds of things ironed out.” If not, he said, there’s the potential for reputational harm to the industry.

Workers have been on strike since Oct. 22, shutting down the seaway, a marine shipping route between Lake Erie and Montreal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes.

Albright notes the cost of living concerns workers have raised are far from unique. “Everybody in the transportation system is feeling this. It’s an area that’s particularly wage and price sensitive.”

The seaway is co-managed by American and Canadian authorities. The Canadian authority,  St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, is a non-profit headquartered in Cornwall, Ont., with offices in St. Catharines, Ont., and St. Lambert, Que.

SLSMC has written that it “works to find a fair and competitive labour agreement that balances wage demands and market realities.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce asked the federal government to intervene, but officials have declined, instead urging a solution at the bargaining table.

“We support the right to strike and we understand completely that people are feeling the pinch, including the people who work on the seaway. The cost of living is going up and times are tough and they’re looking for an increase and that makes sense,” Hugo Chesshire, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s director of policy and government relations, said. “The issue for us as well is that there are a lot more livelihoods than just the 360 or so seaway workers at stake here that are also being affected.”

Greg Dunnett, president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce said in an email that the seaway supports more than 66,000 Canadian jobs. “Even a short work stoppage will have a significant impact on our local economy,” he wrote, impacting current production, and production in the first quarter of 2024.

CBC

View a video of vessels at anchor here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/st-lawrence-seaway-strike-hamilton-niagara-1.7010164

Great Lakes Maritime Center to close for good today

PORT HURON, MI – According to information published in the Port Huron Times Herald, the Great Lakes Maritime Center will not reopen in 2024. The property is expected to be sold for development.

“Eighteen years. We’re celebrating actually,” said Mike DeLong, Acheson Ventures vice president of operations. “We’re just shifting because we couldn’t do it forever. … Our attendance is way down.”

The center was founded in the early 2000s as part of a waterfront redevelopment project that was the brainchild of Port Huron philanthropist Jim Acheson and his Acheson Ventures community foundation. Acheson died April 2, 2023. It offered a spectacular view of the passing vessel traffic on the St. Clair River and a number of artifacts were on display.

For many years it served as the real-world headquarters of boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/ and was the domain of well-known boatwatcher and historian Frank Frisk. While in the planning stages, Boatnerd board members consulted with Jim Acheson and his team to offer suggestions for the center, and it for many years it hosted an annual book signing event for the Know Your Ships field guide.

The popular Farmer’s Market that was held adjacent to the Maritime Center will be relocated elsewhere for 2024.

Manitowoc-built ‘Big Blue’ Cranes Headed for Hawaii, Washington

MANITOWOC, WI — Those of you who remember “Big Blue,” the giant blue crane manufactured in the heart of the city in 2021, may want to get your comfortable shoes and cameras ready for more.

Two cranes, around 200 feet tall, are now in the final stages of construction at Broadwind Heavy Fabrications. Once completed, they will make a journey by barge to their new homes.

The cranes were designed and contracted by the Finnish company Konecranes, and components were made by Broadwind. They are part of a U.S. Navy contract and will be used to service submarine fleets.

These cranes are bigger than “Big Blue,” as the first crane became known on social media in 2021. They can lift 157 tons, compared to Big Blue’s 140-ton capacity. These machines weigh more than 2 million pounds.

“Big Blue” became a popular sensation, with Facebook accounts following its journey. And it was named the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin in a contest hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce that year.

Once completed, “Big Blue” traveled slowly by barge for a few weeks through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and into the Atlantic Ocean.

The $55 million crane arrived at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, near the border of New Hampshire. The crane could lift twice the weight of other cranes in the Naval yard.

The two new cranes will also travel to Naval shipyards via barge, but this time to the Pacific Ocean.

One will go to Washington state and the other to Hawaii. They will travel through the Great Lakes and then along the East Coast on the Atlantic. They will pass through the Panama Canal, and then either up to Pacific Northwest or to the Hawaiian Islands, according to Brett Hartman, director of business development for Broadwind.

“This is a very unique product,” Hartman said. “We’re proud that something like this is built in Manitowoc, and proud to be part of the project.”

These cranes are used to service submarines, so in a way harken to the community’s long shipbuilding history. During World War II, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy.

The cranes are expected to be tested and delivered some time in 2024.

Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter