Boatnerd News
Boatnerd News – June 20, 2023
Algoma Central Corporation fuels domestic product tanker business with $127-million newbuild investment in partnership with Irving Oil
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada (June 19, 2023) – Algoma Central Corporation (“Algoma”) (TSX: ALC), today announced it has placed an order with Hyundai Mipo Shipyard in South Korea to build two 37,000 DWT ice class product tanker vessels for a total investment of $127 million CAD. These new ships will be entered on long-term time charters to Irving Oil under Canadian flag, servicing the energy company’s refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, with deliveries to ports in Atlantic Canada and the US East Coast.
“Strategically unlocking diversified marine shipping opportunities and new partnerships form fundamental pillars that continue to drive our growth and success,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma. “With this investment, we will augment our fleet with a new asset class, expand the markets served by our Product Tankers segment and add an important new Canadian customer to our business. These vessels have been designed to support Irving Oil’s unique operational requirements and with a view towards optimizing the carbon requirements in these trades, now and into the future, possessing optionality for future methanol and shore power capabilities,” concluded Mr. Ruhl.
“We remain committed to providing a safe and secure supply of energy products to our customers,” said Ian Whitcomb, President of Irving Oil. “This investment highlights our company’s continued commitment to sustainable operations and ensuring the security of energy in the regions we operate.”
Delivery of the new vessels is expected during the first quarter of 2025. Upon arrival in Canada, the vessels will be immediately deployed on the agreed time charter.
New vessel highlights:
- Eco-friendly optimized ice class 1B design
- Boston Beam width of 27.4 metres
- Methanol ready as per ABS Notations
- Methanol Fuel Ready Level 3(S), Methanol Fuel Ready Level 2D (TA, ME)
- High voltage and shore power (cold-ironing) ready – ABS Notation HVSC-Ready
- Enhanced ballasting capabilities to optimize operations in the Bay of Fundy
Press release image for Algoma’s new $127 million tanker. Algoma Central Corporation image (June 19)
Boatnerd News – June 17, 2023
Purchase means glass-bottom-boat will remain at Alpena
ALPENA — The glass-bottom boat in Alpena has a new owner, and he intends to make sure it stays local for many years.
On Thursday, Alpena developer Jeff Konczak announced that he and his wife, Tina, purchased the Lady Michigan after he learned there was a chance the boat could be on its way out of town. They also purchased a second boat that is specially designed for kayak tours.
After years of leasing Lady Michigan to the Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary for the shipwreck excursions, the owner of the boat decided not to lease it any longer and intended to move it to another location or sell it.
The friends group worked with the owner to try to find a way to keep the boat in Alpena and Konczak stepped up and purchased the boat, ensuring its long-term future in Alpena.
On Thursday, Konczak praised the friends group for the way it handled business for the shipwreck tours offered by the Lady Michigan, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were no tours. He said letting the boat slip through Alpena’s fingers was not an option, so he and his wife decided to invest in the boat.
“The friends group wasn’t in a position to react quickly, so Tina and I did,” Konczak said. “It was the right thing to do, and it would have been devastating if that boat were to leave. We weren’t going to let that happen.”
The Lady Michigan and the shipwreck tours are key to tourism, education, and the local economy.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Jeff Gray said the shipwreck tours are important to the area, and, in many ways, losing the boat would have a trickle-down effect on business and the number of people who visit the area, and it would hurt schools and students who learn about the wrecks and the Great Lakes from the tours.
“It has become an integral part of the community, and it doesn’t just help bring visitors here, but it has a huge economic impact,” Gray said.
When Konczak decided to purchase the boat, he learned there was another boat for sale, which he believed would fit in nicely in Alpena, so he bought it, too.
The boat is named Superior Paddler, and it is designed to transport kayakers and their equipment out into Lake Huron for a new adventure. The boat was delivered to Alpena on Thursday and Konczak said he hopes to have it taking people kayaking sometime in July. He said the new boat will add another item on visitors’ to-do list and a way for locals to get farther out into Thunder Bay to explore.
Konczak said having another attraction for people to enjoy will also help ensure the Viking Cruise ships, which have repeatedly visited Alpena the past couple years, keep making stops here.
“We decided, if we were going to be in with Lady Michigan, we might as well go all in with the Paddler, too,” Konczak said.
The boat has a bathroom on it and has a hoist that lowers a kayak launch to the water level for easy entry into the water. The system also makes it simple for people who have disabilities to get into a kayak and get in and out of the boat.
Gray said Viking will be pleased with the new activity option, and he said it might help draw more nautical traffic to Alpena, too.
“We hope it will lead to more stops by Viking and there are other cruise ships out there, as well,” Gray said.
Great Lakes shipping down slightly so far this year
Great Lakes shipping is down slightly through the end of May as compared to the same time last year.
Ships have hauled 7.97 million tons of cargo on the Great Lakes and through the St. Lawrence Seaway to ports like the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan and the Port of Chicago on Lake Calumet so far this year, down slightly from the 8.2 million tons shipped during the same period last year, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
“While the ebb and flow of economic fluctuations change the backdrop for trade over time, the constant is that Great Lakes/St. Lawrence shipping is always there to meet the needs of businesses and consumers,” said Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “The enhancements at the Port of Cleveland are exemplary of the efforts of all chamber members to maintain a strong supply chain, and keep marine shipping foremost among all modes of cargo transit when it comes to capacity, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.”
Iron ore shipments have risen by 9.93% to 1.6 million tons so far this year, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce. Some ports have been especially busy this shipping season like The Port of Cleveland on Lake Erie, which has seen increased traffic to feed Cleveland-Cliffs.
“The Port of Cleveland has had an outstanding start to the year at our bulk terminal due to strong demand for iron ore from the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill. This again justifies the significant recent investment in the extension of our ore tunnel, which has allowed us to mix ore on demand for delivery to the mill and increased the efficiency of our operation,” said David Gutheil, the chief commercial officer for The Port of Cleveland. “At our general cargo terminal, we completed a two-year project in May, which rebuilt and modernized three of our most used docks and berths,” he added. “Also included in the project was the introduction of a below-ground system to filter and clean stormwater before it is introduced back into Lake Erie. We are now also in the design and planning phase of our next large project at the same terminal. This project will modernize our largest warehouse and introduce systems that will set up this warehouse as the electric hub of our port for the eventual transition from diesel to electric cargo handling equipment.”
The Times of Northwest Indiana
Glass-bottomed Lady Michigan in her days as a shipwreck tour boat. Alpena Shipwreck Tours image (Alpena, MI – Undated)
Boatnerd News – June 16, 2023
Great Lakes Fest Celebrates History with Return of the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show
Thursday, June 15, 2023 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes and Ramsey Brothers Restoration are proud to announce they are teaming up to host Great Lakes Fest featuring the return of the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show this summer on Saturday, July 22.
“From 2007 to 2018 the Toledo Antique & Classic Boat Show grew from a small gathering of enthusiasts to a multi-day extravaganza,” shares Scott Ramsey, of Toledo-based Ramsey Brothers Restorations. “After a couple years hiatus, we look forward to bringing back the show in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and we have been excited to see the growing interest in boater registration since it officially opened a few weeks ago.”
In 2019 the Antique and Classic Boat Show took a hiatus from a Toledo-based event and then, in 2020, the pandemic struck, lengthening its pause. In 2022, Ramsey Brothers Restoration supported a smaller showing of boats during an inaugural Great Lakes Fest event hosted by the museum that brought over 400 visitors to its grounds and sparked the return to this summer’s larger show. This year’s event is supported by a new volunteer team co-chaired by Tim Goligoski and Sean Harold.
“Last year’s Great Lakes Fest event was a day-long celebration that provided us with a wonderful opportunity to champion Great Lakes history,” says Kate Fineske, the museum’s Senior Director of Institutional Advancement. “With the grand opening of phase 2 of the Glass City Metropark and more and more individuals recognizing our extraordinary riverfront, there is no better moment than now to bring back the full tradition of the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show.”
Great Lakes Fest featuring the Toledo Antique & Classic Boat Show will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on July 22. Tickets to join the day-long Great Lakes Fest celebration are FREE for National Museum of the Great Lakes members and children under 6, and $10 (pre-sale) or $15 (day-of) for all others. Admission includes full access to The National Museum of the Great Lakes and museum vessels, all land and water boat show displays, live demonstrations, maritime vendors, food trucks, family activities and more.
The boat show is open to classic boats of all types, but particularly focused on those built prior to 1975 or modern re-creations. Boater registration is $50 per boat / $25 each additional boat by July 15 or $65 after that deadline and includes two tickets to the boat show and Friday night reception on the Col James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, as well as a gift bag and official show T-shirt.
For additional event details, to pre-purchase tickets, or to apply to be a Great Lakes Fest Marine Mart vendor, Food Truck or Community Partner visit nmgl.org/GreatLakesFest2023 or call 419-214-5000. For more information on registering a boat visit toledoboatshow.com.
Boatnerd News – June 15, 2023
Great Lakes cruise ship returns to Green Bay for second straight year
GREEN BAY – The Ocean Navigator cruise ship docked Wednesday morning at Leicht Memorial Park for the first of two daylong visits this year to the Green Bay area.
This is the second year in a row that American Queen Voyages cruise ships scheduled a stop in Green Bay where passengers will get the chance to check out the downtown’s shops, restaurants and the Farmers Market on Broadway. The visitors will have the chance to hop on a bus that will stop at some of the region’s popular attractions.
There are more than 70 passengers on the Ocean Navigator for this trip, and local tourism officials said visitors hail from California, Texas and Oregon, among other states.
The Ocean Navigator has space for up to 202 passengers and more than 80 crew members. The visit to Green Bay is part of a 14-day Great Lakes cruise that departed from Chicago and includes stops in Sturgeon Bay, Milwaukee; Mackinac Island, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The ship is expected to depart from Leicht Park at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Of course they’ll get a look at Lambeau Field, but what other Green Bay attractions will passengers see?
Discover Green Bay, the region’s tourism marketing agency, worked with C&M Presents, a destination management company, to offer bus service to and from popular destinations in the Green Bay area. The bus will make stops at the Neville Public Museum, The Automobile Gallery, Captains Walk Winery and the National Railroad Museum throughout the day.
And while there will be no tours of Lambeau Field, the bus route will take passengers past the home of the Green Bay Packers.
When will the Ocean Navigator return to Green Bay?
The ship is scheduled to return to Leicht park and the Port of Green Bay on June 28 and depart on June 29.
US Great Lakes Shipping Maintains Consistent Performance Through Month of May
The overall activity established by US Great Lakes-Seaway shipping through the first month of the shipping season continued into May, with iron ore showing especially strong numbers. Iron ore traffic through the system was almost 1.6 million tonnes, an increase of 9.93% from the same period last year.
Overall, approximately 7.97 million tonnes of total cargo traffic have now transited the seaway system for the year to date, which is down slightly but consistent with the 8.2 million tonnes of cargo recorded for the same period in 2022. It should be noted that there has been significant variation in traffic across commodities and across ports, with some ports like The Port of Cleveland being especially busy.
“The Port of Cleveland has had an outstanding start to the year at our bulk terminal due to strong demand for iron ore from the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill. This again justifies the significant recent investment in the extension of our ore tunnel, which has allowed us to mix ore on demand for delivery to the mill and increased the efficiency of our operation,” said David Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer for The Port of Cleveland.
“At our general cargo terminal, we completed a 2-year project in May, which rebuilt and modernized three of our most used docks and berths,” he added. “Also included in the project was the introduction of a below ground system to filter and clean stormwater before it is introduced back into Lake Erie. We are now also in the design and planning phase of our next large project at the same terminal. This project will modernize our largest warehouse and introduce systems that will set up this warehouse as the electric hub of our port for the eventual transition from diesel to electric cargo handling equipment.”
“While the ebb and flow of economic fluctuations change the backdrop for trade over time, the constant is that Great Lakes/St. Lawrence shipping is always there to meet the needs of businesses and consumers,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “The enhancements at the Port of Cleveland are exemplary of the efforts of all chamber members to maintain a strong supply chain, and keep marine shipping foremost among all modes of cargo transit when it comes to capacity, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.”
Lake Guardian begins annual research survey of Lake Huron
ALPENA — Residents of Alpena may have noticed a large ship docked in the Thunder Bay River by the 2nd Avenue bridge for about a week.
The vessel, named the Lake Guardian, departed Monday afternoon to start an annual mission to monitor and collect samples of trout, small organisms, and more in Lake Huron.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Lake Guardian is the EPA’s largest research vessel and is participating this year in the EPA’s 40th annual spring and summer Great Lakes water quality survey of all five of Michigan’s Great Lakes.
A news release from the EPA indicates the Lake Guardian began this year’s survey in mid-April.
Researchers and scientists plan to stay on the ship for about three to four days to take their Lake Huron samples this week with the many labs and pieces of equipment on deck. According to the scientists, the group’s main mission is to analyze chemical contamination in plankton and bottom-dwellers to understand the contamination’s effect on the entire food web.
Those contaminants are older chemicals, also known as legacy contaminants, that may still remain in the air, sediment, and the water. As scientists continue to monitor levels of those contaminants, it gives the Great Lakes National Program Office — a branch of the EPA — a better idea of Lake Huron’s water quality.
Mike Milligan, a biochemistry professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, is part of the team for the mission. He’s interested in seeing how contaminants cycle through life in the Great Lakes.
“Well, the small fish eat the plankton and small mysis, and the bigger fish eats the smaller fish,” Milligan said. “This continues, so on and so forth, then these contaminants come to us when we eat those fish. We need to see what they’re eating from the start.”
Some of the gear used to capture and collect samples of those organisms are simple concepts such as sleds and nets.
One piece of equipment on board is the benthic sled — a yellow metal sled fashioned with lights and two GoPro cameras so researchers can see what is on the bottom of the lake. It goes on the lake floor and grabs different organisms as the boat slowly moves across. Great Lakes National Program Office scientist Brian Lenell said the sled can obtain items like fauna and smaller creatures.
Megan O’Brien, a research participant of the Great Lakes National Program Office, explained that the vertical net is used for tiny creatures called mysis — small, shrimp-like crustaceans that live at the bottom of the lake.
As O’Brien and Lenell went further into the vessel, Lenell said that researchers and scientists like Milligan and Bernard Crimmins, research associate professor of Clarkson University, are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That fund goes through the EPA and brings researchers together to study, monitor, and bring attention to the Great Lakes.
“In addition to monitoring, there’s habitat restoration work,” O’Brien added. “There’s invasive species work, nutrient reduction work, storm runoff projects … Some of it is emerging contaminants, but, mostly, we study the contaminants that are well documented.”
The Lake Guardian has more than one dozen rooms filled with laboratories, living spaces, a lounge, and a kitchen. Fourteen crewmembers are on board from March to October and up to 28 other people can stay on the ship, totaling 42 passengers. Multiple graduate and undergraduate students of Clarkson University are also a part of the current mission for on-hand experience as scientists.
The research team also plans to stop by Port Austin and Rockport State Recreation Area as part of its mission.
Charlevoix Historical Society hosts shipwreck program on June 28
CHARLEVOIX — In conjunction with its upcoming exhibit “The Maritime History of Charlevoix,” the Charlevoix Historical Society will present the program “Documenting Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes” with special guest speaker Chris Roxburgh at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28 at the historical society’s train depot, 305 Chicago Ave.
A renowned underwater photographer and author, Roxburgh has gained widespread recognition for his work capturing shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region. His photography and environmental efforts have been featured on local and national news platforms multiple times. He is the author of “Leelanau Underwater,” which showcases the shipwrecks along Lake Michigan’s treacherous Manitou Passage.
In addition to his artistic accomplishments, Roxburgh is actively working to raise awareness about the growing problem of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes.
Roxburgh’s underwater photography of the notorious Prohibition-era party boat “Keuka,” which sank half a mile east of Charlevoix’s Ferry Beach in 1932, will be featured in the society’s new exhibit, which opens in July.
The program will be presented at no charge, but contributions in support of the Charlevoix Historical Society are always appreciated. For more information, call (231) 547-0373.
Boatnerd News – June 14, 2023
New Lock at the Soo project continues in second phase
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have reported that the New Lock at the Soo project remains on schedule.
Major construction on the project is continuing with phases 2 and 3 this season with joint ventures Kokosing-Alberici, and Kokosing, Alberici, Traylor.
“Since resuming major construction this season, the Phase 2 contractor has placed 13 concrete caps, bringing the total caps placed to 68 and preparation for placement of new steel sheets, steel posts and concrete panel wall are in progress,” New Lock Senior Project Manager Mollie Mahoney said. “The Phase 3 contractor plans to focus on demolition of aging structures, extensive electrical work, bridge construction and coffer dam construction to allow for dewatering.”
Phase 3 excavation work will include blasting activities, which will be communicated with stakeholders as blasting activities get closer.
“Beginning May 30, the Hydro Plant tailrace closed to recreational boaters. The normal schedule for the tailrace is: closed Mondays at 6 a.m. through Saturdays at 6 p.m. and open Saturdays at 6 p.m. through Mondays at 6 a.m.,” New Lock Chief Mick Awbrey said. “The closure is necessary to ensure the safety of all boaters and marine construction workers as large barges, cranes and construction boats will be working in the area.”
Phase 1 included deepening the upstream approach to the New Lock from 24 feet to 30 feet deep so modern vessels can approach the New Lock at the Soo. Army Corps of Engineers officials said this phase concluded in August 2022, under budget and ahead of schedule.
Phase 2 includes rehabilitating the upstream approach walls to stabilize the existing approach walls allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the New Lock at the Soo. The estimated completion date for Phase 2 is summer 2024.
Phase 3 includes demolishing the existing Sabin Lock, excavation of bedrock, constructing the New Lock at the Soo chamber walls and floor, fabrication and installation of miter gates, installation of mechanical and electrical systems, installation of the innovative hands-free mooring system, rehabilitating downstream approach walls and constructing a new pump well. The estimated completion date for Phase 3 is summer 2030.
“The Detroit District is pleased to continue work with both joint venture contractors on Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the New Lock at the Soo,” said Lt. Col. Brett Boyle, Detroit District Commander. “We recently had a partnering meeting with Phase 2 and 3 contractors and are confident this project will continue safely and on time.”
Sault News
Budweiser Clydesdales get their sea legs on ferry Badger
LUDINGTON, MI – The Budweiser Clydesdales just wrapped up a week of appearances and events in Northern Michigan. Their visit to Michigan coincided with the Love Ludington Weekend, an annual festival in Ludington from June 9th through 11th.
This year’s festivities also included celebrating the city’s 150th anniversary. The eight-horse Clydesdale hitch paraded through downtown Ludington for ceremonial beer deliveries to customers and also stuck around after for public viewing and photos.
Their visit to Michigan ended as they boarded the SS Badger during its 70th season of making the journey back and forth between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Badger’s Director of Marketing and Sales, Shelby Soberalskai explained that the horses travel via semi-truck.
“For lack of better terms, it’s very comparable to a lot of the loads that we already carry,” Soberalskai explained. “Their crew actually backs the trucks on board with our crew assisting them.”
The Clydesdales team consists of ten horses, while eight of them will be hitched at a time. The ten horses are transported using three separate semi-trucks.
Soberalskai said the Badger is the only ferry that can carry a large load like that across the lake. She also described the process of backing the trucks onto the ship, saying it included making sure all passengers were accounted for and in the end only took around ten minutes since the Budweiser team has a “well-oiled operation” that she said worked very well with theirs.
Soberalskai also said that this is the second time the Clydesdales have sailed aboard the Badger. “It was a special treat for our crew and our passengers that they sailed with us in 2012. And so it was awesome to have them sail with us again, that we hope they’ll sail with us again in the future,” she said.
Read more and see photos here: https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/lakeshore/budweiser-clydesdales-ss-badger-ludington/69-66690eb3-49b4-49f5-85ba-a1517231528b?fbclid=IwAR2zs9V-Zg4YHEvW4If21OCTtc5jzNHsPcJYgefznc9IC0P3eooKomCkPZs
Obituary: Capt. Ron Brezinski
Veteran Great Lakes captain Ronald “Ski” Brezinski died June 10. Brezinski was a third-generation sailor on his dad’s side and a second-generation sailor on his mother’s side. His uncle on his father’s side of the family was first mate on the carferry Pere Marquette 18 when it sank in 1910. Still, Brezinski liked the idea of sailing, and shipped out as a deckhand in 1973, catching the Inland Steel steamer Clarence B. Randall. By the time he left the Randall three years later, he had earned his able-seaman’s ticket and was working as a wheelsman. For the next four years, he sailed on many of the Inland steamers, including the E.J. Block, L.E. Block and the Wilfred Sykes. In 1978, Brezinski wrote for his third mate license, first sailing aboard the Joseph L. Block.
Eventually earning his master’s license, he sailed as relief captain on the Edward L. Ryerson in 1993 before being appoint permanent master of Wilfred Sykes the next year. During his years as captain, he proved a patient teacher and mentored many of the next generation of sailors, many of whom eventually became captains and pilots. He retired from Inland in April 2005, but found that retirement was not for him, so the next year he went back to the lakes as relief captain on the World War II-era vessel Manistee. Health issues forced him to retire for good in 2013.
A long-time member of the fraternal International Shipmasters’ Association, he served as Grand Lodge president in 2006. Read more in the image gallery.
Boatnerd News, June 13, 2023
Ludington celebrates 70 Years of SS Badger
LUDINGTON, MI – Ludington’s Maritime Heritage Park was filled with Ludington residents and tourists on Saturday to celebrate the Badger’s 70th birthday. The Badger Birthday Bash included face painting, live music, yard games, and cake to honor the ship’s 70 years of service.
Guests brought their own lawn chairs and enjoyed the performance by local band Road Less Traveled, who even took song requests from the audience. Band members Daniel Mahynski, Mike Lenich, Carleen Shinn, and Deb Chase performed in the park’s pavilion, which was decorated with balloons and banners for the occasion.
Face painting for the celebration was done by Rachael Reed, who works as a bartender on the Badger. Reed expressed gratitude to the organizers for asking her to do the event, despite being fairly new to the art form. Her first time face painting was as recent as last month’s Memorial Day, she explained, calling it her “hidden talent.”
Her skills proved to be in demand as a line of children and adults alike, eager to get a portrait of the Badger painted on their cheeks, gathered at her table throughout the evening.
“People enjoy getting out and seeing other people… Especially when the weather turns nice,” said attendee Dave Bowden, whose daughter and grandchildren came up from Ohio for the Badger Birthday Bash and other festivities.
Ludington’s 150th Anniversary coincided with the Badger’s birthday, making the party one of many events that kicked off the summer season in Ludington this weekend.
The celebration also doubled as a fundraiser for the Lakeshore Child Advocacy Center, which was accepting donations of water, fidget toys, toiletries, and more. Guests who brought donations were entered into a drawing to win round trip tickets on the Badger.
“Their goals are to provide hope, healing, and justice for survivors of abuse,” said former Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Spaniola in a speech on behalf of the advocacy center. The resources collected from the event will go directly to helping children in the community who have been victims of abuse.
The gathering to celebrate the Badger, which has been a beloved pillar of the community for 70 years, brought together many tourists and locals to admire the ship’s considerable history and support the Lakeshore Child Advocacy Center.
Steve Broc, a returning visitor to Ludington, stated, “(It’s) worthy of a big celebration. Ludington’s doing it right, as usual.”
View another video here: https://www.9and10news.com/video/2023/06/11/ss-badger-celebrates-70-years-with-birthday-bash-in-ludington/
Lighthouse tours resuming in Muskegon as city pursues taking over
MUSKEGON, MI – Tours of one of Muskegon’s two Lake Michigan lighthouses will be offered this summer as the city works toward ownership of the historic structures.
The South Pierhead Lighthouse, located near the U.S. Coast Guard station at Pere Marquette Park, is open for tours from 1-5 p.m. Fridays through Mondays.
The lighthouses are owned by the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, which is struggling to properly care for them. The conservancy asked the city to take over the lighthouses, which city commissioners agreed to last month. However, ownership transfer is expected to take some time.
The South Pierhead Lighthouse located on the Muskegon Channel has been the focus of significant repair efforts in recent years, including restoration of its lantern room. The 91-year-old South Breakwater Lighthouse, located at the edge of Lake Michigan on the end of the breakwater, is in need of significant repairs. It has been awarded $800,000 in state funding to pay for some of them, and the city is the fiduciary for that grant.
Tickets are available at the chalet just west of the Coast Guard station. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students and military veterans
Buttigieg: ‘It’s about time’ federal funds approved for Port of Green Bay expansion
GREEN BAY, WI – The Port of Green Bay is on the verge of starting work on its first new shipping terminal in more than 100 years thanks to federal dollars U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday said was long overdue.
“It’s about time. This city and this region is so key to Midwest commerce. It’s so well-positioned because of its infrastructure,” Buttigieg said, noting interstate highways, rail lines and the port’s connection into the global shipping network.
Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin took a boat tour of the former Pulliam Power Plant site as part of an effort to highlight the $10.1 million Port Infrastructure Development Program grant Baldwin helped secure for the port expansion effort.
“We really felt every inch of the bay just now, but really also saw the vision and the commitment,” Buttigieg said. “You’ve got a lot to be proud of. It’s a competitive program. It’s not a small thing for you and your team to have earned this (grant).”
The port expansion project would convert the former power plant site into a multifunction port terminal, a facility where ships can load and unload cargo. The county also plans to sell some of the Pulliam site to GLC Minerals for it to expand and add more jobs. The expansion project could increase the port’s economic activity by $87 million in the first five years after it is completed. It also captured a lot of community attention because it could help Green Bay and Brown County relocate the coal piles site out of the central city, a decades-old dream.
The $10.1 million federal grant is one key piece of the puzzle which port, county and city officials have had to put together to expand the port and find a possible new home for the coal piles. Here’s a look at what’s involved, how much it’ll cost, where the coal piles fit in and what’s yet to be determined.
Boatnerd News – June 11
Below average precipitation in May for Great Lakes basin
The Great Lakes basin experienced significantly below average precipitation in May, with Lake Superior receiving its lowest May precipitation amount since 1976. Overall precipitation has been below average in each of the lake basins over the past 12 months, despite a very wet April. All the lakes continued their seasonal rises during May. The updated Great Lakes 6-Month Forecast predicts that Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron will continue to rise into July, while Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are expected to decline in June. The most probable forecast indicates that water levels on all of the Great Lakes will remain above long-term average levels but below record highs through November 2023.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Door County shipwreck now listed on State Register of Historic Places
TOWN OF LIBERTY, WI – A Lake Michigan shipwreck off the coast of Door County is now listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The schooner Boaz lies at the bottom of eight feet of water in North Bay.
Built in 1869 by Amos C. Stoakes in Sheboygan, Boaz was one of a unique class of Great Lakes vessels: the double centerboard schooner. It spent most of its career carrying lumber from various ports throughout the Great Lakes region.
Historians say in November 1900, Boaz was caught in a gale while sailing for Racine from Pierpont, Michigan with a cargo of lumber. The vessel quickly began to leak heavily and sought shelter in nearby North Bay. While attempting to enter, the vessel struck the point and missed the entrance to the bay. The crew dropped anchor to prevent the vessel from running ashore, but fearing the vessel would capsize in the waves, the crew abandoned the vessel in the yawl. The following day the crew requested assistance from the nearby vessel, Two Myrtles. The steamer towed Boaz into the bay, where the vessel was grounded. Attempts were later made to pull the vessel off, but to no avail. The cost of recovering the old, damaged schooner was deemed too high, and it was listed as a total loss. Today, the vessel sits upright, with many of its hull components intact and many more extant beneath the sand.
As a double centerboard schooner, Boaz provides historians and archaeologists the rare chance to study double centerboard schooner construction and the Great Lakes lumber trades.
WLUK
Boatnerd News – June 10, 2023
Algoma Bear keel laying set for mid June
Keel laying for Algoma Central Corp.’s newest vessel is scheduled for mid-June at China’s Yangzijiang (YZJ), with launching at the end of August and an optimistic delivery date of December 2023. She will replace the1979-built Algoma Transport, one of the oldest ships in the Algoma dry-bulk fleet. The 740-foot-long Equinox 2.0-class self-unloader will be named Algoma Bear. The new class vessel’s design will build on the original Equinox Class standards to offer increased deadweight capacity, better fuel efficiency and improved speed at lesser engine power.
Algoma Central Corp.
Planned harbor expansion could create new opportunities for Goderich
GODERICH, ON – The town of Goderich has a plan to expand the harbor to create more opportunities for the area. Mayor Myles Murdock said it is already a huge asset to the town and the planned expansion would be add significantly to that.
Murdock said the harbor currently provides income to the town and that reduces the tax burden. “The second thing is the in-filling where we wish to add 10 more acres,” he said. “If we’re able to do that the opportunity to bring even more revenues into town coffers would be significant. It’d be double again what we’re currently receiving.”
He added that would also open the door to bringing other materials through the harbor. Right now, aggregate is one thing they’re doing on the five acres they have, but it’s not a high-cost item compared to other materials.
The third possibility is the potential for a hydrogen energy project. “Which would involve using off-peak electrical energy to create hydrogen gas and then the hydrogen gas would be used to make ammonia,” said Murdock. “Then you have the ability to make fertilizers.”
He said that would be a real boom for the agricultural sector in Southwestern Ontario and it would also open up the opportunity to export some products that we currently import. Murdock pointed out that would also lower the price of those products for local producers.
CKNX
Find the Light at 30th Spring Lighthouse Festival
DOOR COUNTY, WI – Lighthouses may be the most recognizable symbols of Door County. Eleven dot the shoreline of the county, and three more stand guard for our neighbors to the south in Kewaunee County. They’re iconic and mysterious, and for more than a century, they have sparked the curiosity of nearly everyone who lays eyes on them.
This weekend offers rare opportunities to feed that curiosity during the 30th Door County Spring Lighthouse Festival.
This fundraising weekend includes air, land, boat and adventure tours that provide access to all 11 of the treasured lighthouses of Door County and three to the south. Many of the tour excursions are part of the Lighthouse Festival weekends only, providing visitors with exclusive access to structures that are not typically open to the public: Chambers Island, Plum Island and Sherwood Point. And there are tours for all levels of activity and accessibility.
Boat tours depart from a variety of locations around the peninsula, including Fish Creek, Gills Rock, Baileys Harbor and Sturgeon Bay. Some tours are already sold out, but opportunities remain for many others, such as the schooner cruise aboard the Edith M. Becker.
Participants will board a 19th-century tall ship to sail the shoreline and get a waterfront view of Eagle Bluff Lighthouse while learning about local lore and history with the crew of Sail Door County.
You can also feed your curiosity through a tour with Fish Creek Scenic Boat Tours to Chambers Island to hike and explore the Chambers Island Lighthouse with expert docents. The more adventurous can kayak to the Cana Island Lighthouse with Door County Adventure Center or take a bay-to-lake sightseeing cruise with Shoreline Scenic Boat Tours through the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Learn Door County history, see stunning waterfront homes and get an up-close view of the Sturgeon Bay Pierhead lighthouse.
These are just a few of the many rare opportunities available to lighthouse lovers this weekend. Learn more at dcmm.org, and get tickets at doorcountytickets.com.
Lake Superior climate monitoring, maritime safety buoys deployed for season
MARQUETTE, MI – Three climate monitoring and maritime safety buoys have been deployed for the season from the south shore of Lake Superior.
According to a press release, the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy (SWP) staff deployed the buoys on Saturday, June 3 with boat support provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The location of these buoys are near the shorelines of Marquette, Munising and Grand Marias.
The Marquette buoy is one half-mile northeast of Black Rocks of Presque Isle; the Munising buoy is five miles north of Miners Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; the Grand Marais buoy is four miles north of the harbor.
In 2021, the SWP received $47,786.80 in grant funding through the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) to purchase the new, buoys and SWP continues to deploy, maintain, and retrieve them yearly.
Each of the three monitoring buoys collect important navigation and climate planning data including wave height, wind speed, water temperature and more.
The live data provided by these buoys is critical for commercial and recreational boaters as well as the National Weather Service, Environment Canada and NOAA. In addition, the SWP uses buoy data for long-term climate adaptation planning with coastal communities in the Upper Peninsula. Data is transmitted and accessible via the GLOS Seagull website.
WLUC. Read the full story here:
Efforts underway to restore Pointe aux Barques Life Saving Station
Great Lakes historian and maritime artist Bob McGreevy thinks lighthouse keepers get a little too much credit and take up a little too much space in history books. It’s the members of the United States Life Saving Service that are unsung heroes, he said. Men like the six surfmen who lost their lives during a rescue attempt off the shore of Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse in April 1880.
“They were the original first responders,” McGreevy said.
Those heroic men were stationed at the Pointe aux Barques Life Saving Station, which originally sat about an eighth of a mile south of the lighthouse in what is now the Lighthouse County Park campground. The 146-year-old structure was moved to Huron City before being taken to its current location west of the lighthouse gift shop.
The importance of the station to the history and evolution of the Thumb can’t be overestimated, he added. “It runs like a thread through the history of shipping on the Great Lakes,” McGreevy said. “It’s a miracle the station has survived.”
The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society is gearing up for a major fundraising effort to restore the historic United States Life Saving Station to its former glory.
Mimi Herrington, president of the PABL society, said her organization is putting the finishing touches on a Historic Structure Report, which details the building’s history and current condition. The report will also include a proposal for restoration. Once completed, the State Historic Preservation Office will review the report, and the lighthouse will make any necessary revisions before finalizing it.
That’s when the real work begins. Herrington said the society will then pursue grant opportunities from federal, state and private organizations. Since the Huron County Road Commission owns the building, it will need to give its blessing, as well. Herrington said the estimated cost of the planned restoration is around $1 million.
“Everybody’s going to be looking for money,” she said.
Read more here: https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/us-life-saving-station-point-aux-barques-18142127.php?fbclid=IwAR0YGBkAzoE3akl-rXYGQAQUeJE_yorzSA9XjdZF6pf08MmQIAIiUQrCDaM
Boatnerd News – June 9, 2023
Cuyahoga Towed to Ashtabula for Repairs
KINGSVILLE, ON – McKeil tugs Molly M1 and Ecosse started hooking up lines to the fire-damaged Cuyahoga for the tow to Ashtabula, OH, around 6 a.m. Thursday. ETA for Ashtabula is around 0600 Friday June 9.
An engine room fire broke out on the Cuyahoga near Kingsville on Lake Erie on May 30. She will be repaired and is expected to have her 5-year survey in preparation for a return to service
Lakes Limestone Trade Down in May
CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in May, a decrease of 25.5 percent compared to a year ago. May’s loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 24.5 percent.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.2 million tons, a decrease of 27.1 percent compared to 2022. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 685,331 tons, a decrease of 19.9 percent.
Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at nearly 4.9 million tons, a decrease of 16.5 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 3.9 million tons, a decrease of 16.2 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 1 million tons, a decrease of 17.7 percent.
See chart in the photo gallery.
South Haven Lighthouse Gets Fresh Coat of Paint Before Busy Tourism Season
SOUTH HAVEN, MI – The lighthouse located at the west end of South Beach received a fresh coat of paint Tuesday. Crews from the Historical Association of South Haven, or HASH, gathered their supplies and began work early Tuesday morning.
The interior and exterior of the lighthouse was fully remodeled in 2016 following a $300,000 restoration campaign.
A full 360-degree live camera captured the workers repainting the lighthouse. That camera can be seen here: https://southhavenlight.org/
Behind-the-scenes Tours Return to Museum Vessel Schoonmaker June 17
See image in photo gallery for details.
Boatnerd News – June 8, 2023
Iron Ore Trade Up 27.8 Percent in May
CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of iron ore from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 5.6 million tons in May, an increase of 27.8 percent compared to a year ago and 4.8 percent above the month’s 5-year average.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 14.1 million tons, an increase of 42.6 percent compared to the same point in 2022. Iron ore shipments were also 6 percent above their 5-year average for five months of the year.
Cruise Ship To Dock In Houghton Thursday
HOUGHTON, MI – Twice this summer, American Queen Voyages is bringing its Ocean Navigator cruise ship to Houghton. The first docking will take place this Thursday. It will enter the canal at about 8 am, and dock at 8:30 before leaving at 5pm.
Passengers on the Ocean Navigator will enjoy the Houghton waterfront on Thursday and can explore the city. They will also visit the Quincy Mine, the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum and the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw.
The ship was constructed in 2001 and then refurbished in 2019. It has 5 decks and can accommodate just over 200 guests. There are 84 crew members that man the ship on its journey on Lake Superior. The ship visits Houghton as part of a Chicago round trip.
Great Lakes Gifts for Father’s Day at National Museum
See image in the photo gallery.
