Federal Dart sets first saltie of season record

DULUTH — When the 656-foot Federal Dart passed under the Aerial Lift Bridge at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, it became the earliest oceangoing vessel to arrive in the port of Duluth-Superior.

It beat the previous first-saltie-of-the-season record set March 30, 2013, by two days, according to Jayson Hron, spokesperson for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

The Federal Dart, a Marshall island-flagged ship owned by Fednav, arrived with 23,000 short tons of Turkish cement and will unload it at the CRH / Ash Grove Cement Terminal on Rice’s Point in Duluth, Hron said.

According to VesselFinder.com, the ship left Turkey on March 3 and made a brief port call in Spain before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and completing the 2,342-mile voyage from the Atlantic Ocean to North America’s farthest-inland seaport.

The Great Lakes shipping season began last week when the St. Lawrence Seaway connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean opened Wednesday and the Soo Locks connecting Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes opened at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Ships that remain in the Great Lakes, or lakers, began moving Wednesday and the shipping season is now in full swing.

The Federal Dart’s early arrival was aided by a low-ice year. As of Tuesday, the Great Lakes have less than 5% ice cover, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The latest first saltie of a season to arrive was May 7, 2014, a year with significant ice coverage.

Visit Duluth is now looking through entries submitted in the 40th annual First Ship Contest to determine whose guess was closest to the Federal Dart’s actual arrival.

Duluth News Tribune

Shipbuilding, repair winter season closes for one Erie company

The tide continues to bring new ships to Erie’s port as Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair’s winter season has come to an end.

“We’re really fortunate we have one of the only shipbuilding facilities on the Great Lakes that can accommodate the fleet that goes through the Great Lakes, so it’s a tremendous asset for our community,” said James Grunke. president and CEO, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership (ERCGP).

It’s been all hands on deck as the winter ship repair season comes to a close.

“We’re a full-service shipyard. We do everything from electrical to piping, painting, and welding. We do joiner insulation — pretty much anything that a vessel would need.” said Rick Hammer, general manager, Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair.

Their facility includes a 1,000-foot dry dock to handle vessels of that size. The general manager said that their winter season was smooth and went according to plan.

“The mild weather certainly makes the job a little bit easier for these employees going out working in the weather every day. It’s definitely a little more bearable,” Hammer added.

While many may think summer is the busier season, winter is when the majority of ships come in for repairs and inspections.

“This year, we actually have two additional dry dockings to do, and we got quite a bit of new construction to complete this summer,” said Hammer.

“The people that they have working there are some of the most highly skilled craftsmen there are. The loyalty that they’ve been able to establish with their employees is a real testament to the company. It’s really, really hard work but the people there just seem to love it,” said Grunke.

Companies throughout the Great Lakes are expected to continue looking to our community to meet their needs over the summer season.

Your Erie

Young ‘boatnerd’ meets ‘Know you Ships’ author, befriends Edwin H. Gott captain

When the 1,004-foot-long Edwin H. Gott passed through the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 25, “Know Your Ships: Guide to Boats & Boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway” author Roger LeLievre was just one of the few hundred watching and waiting on U.S. Army Corps property.

But several fans were just as excited for Soo Locks Visitors Center to open at 9 a.m. later that same day, where LeLievre signed the 64th edition of “Know your Ships.”

First and foremost, “The Boatnerd King” celebrated the Gott as the most powerful ship on the Great Lakes. He said the freighter runs on two 8-cylinder MaK/Caterpillar 8m43C diesel engines that produce 19,500 horsepower. It travels up to 17 mph.

The American Century and John J. Boland followed close behind the leader ship early Saturday morning.

Following in the footsteps of LeLievre and bands of boatnerds was young fan Ethan Plaska, age 10. He was joined in the visitors center by his little sister and parents, Matt and Katherine.

“We came up to Tahquamenon Falls one year and thought, ‘Let’s go to the Soo Locks,’” said Plaska, unaware he would soon come face-to-face with his future passion. “The freighters were really cool and big.” The whole family soon jumped aboard and learned to share his Great Lakes engineering interests. “Then, around Christmas, we watched the M/V Sam Laud and Stewart J. Cort,” Plaska said. “The Gott blew its horn at us.”

Plaska’s mother emailed Great Lakes Fleet, and was able to get her son in contact with Edwin H. Gott Captain Tim Alfson. “He emails to ask questions, and the captain answers,” Mrs. Plaska said, smiling.

While she spoke, young Plaska’s face was buried in LeLievre’s latest “Know Your Ships” book.

According to the Know your Ships website, the 2023 edition provides “essential” statistics pertaining to the owner, year built, length, capacity, and any former names for hundreds of freighters, tugs, barges, coast guard cutters, cruise ships, and visiting saltwater vessels.

The book also contains information about cargoes carried, where they load and unload, along with the meaning behind all the distinctive bells and whistles, stack markings, and flags aboard.

Readers will find an all new section on Great Lakes marine museums, as well as spotlights on sailors and maritime adventures.

LeLievre was more than happy to sign Plaska’s treasured book and talk about freighters.

Next up to meet LeLievre was proud Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours employee Gabrielle Roberts, present Lake Superior State University (LSSU) nursing student.

She has fallen in love with the water, tour boats, and much larger shipping vessels.

“We have copies of Roger’s books aboard,” said Roberts, who uses them as guides to watch for freighters. “I open his books every day that I work.”

She left Soo Locks Visitors Center Saturday afternoon with her own signed copy and big smile.

Original Soo Locks Boat Tours Narrator Edward Reining was also on site, volunteering his time to educate visitors on the Soo Locks.

Hobby freighter artist and photographer Linda Terentiak sat near LeLievre and his entourage of boatnerds with pictures she had painted.

“I just started painting ships this year,” she said. “I love them.” Terentiak’s new hobby has introduced her several new friends. “I have met many people connected by ships,” she added. “It has been amazing.”

For nearly 30 years, LeLievre has taught people like Plaska, Roberts, and Terentiak all about the engineering marvels of the Great Lakes.

“My grandfather worked on the Kemp Coal Doc,” LeLievre explained. “It used to be where the SS Valley Camp is now, and we had a cottage on the river. So, I couldn’t just not. The boats were right there and I was fascinated with them.”

While still a young kid, LeLievre met his mentor, Tom Manse. Manse had written and photographed an entire series of “Know Your Ships” books.

“He saw that I was interested in this stuff, and took me under his wing,” LeVievre said. “He taught me how to take pictures in the dark room and file negatives. He hauled me around when he was delivering books around the lakes.”

Inspired by Manse’s teachings, LeLievre went off to study journalism at Central Michigan University. Following graduation, he worked for approximately 30 years with the Ann Arbor News.

“When he (Manse) died in 1994, he left the book to me,” LeLievre continued. “I picked up where he left off. I have been doing it ever since.” He has carried on his life-long friend’s mission. “What was a little sideline job actually turned into my retirement job,” LeLievre said.

U.S. Army Corps Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs was happy to welcome LeLievre back again this year to answer questions about the Edwin H. Gott, sign “Know your Ships” books, and talk about freighters.

Visit the Know Your Ships website to order a copy of LeLievre’s latest, “Know Your Ships: Guide to Boats & Boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway.”

Soo Leader

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/

Midnight madness at Soo Locks as hundreds watch first freighter

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Parking on Portage Avenue was hard to come by Friday night as people made their way into the Soo Locks Park to watch the first freighter officially open the 2023 shipping season in Sault Ste Marie.

A few hundred people packed the viewing platform at midnight to photograph, video, and talk about the 1004′ x 105′ Edwin H. Gott slowly working its way into the Poe Lock from the east end of the Soo Locks.

It had been tied up there since Thursday afternoon after arriving from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Nineteen-year-old Camden Olson made the trip from Spooner, Wisconsin, for the first time to watch the opening of the Soo Locks.

“I met some friends who loved freighters a few years ago, and over the course, over the years, I got more and more into it, and now I am here. This is my second time here to the Locks but the first time for opening night,” Olson said.

“The Locks are pretty important to the American economy. If we don’t have the Locks, we don’t have iron ore heading to the steel plants,” Olson added.

Olson, along with his boatnerd friends, were just a few of the dedicated boat lovers in the crowd.

“I think it is pretty amazing that this many people are this dedicated to come out here and see this boat come through late at night to open the shipping season,” said Olson.

Soo Today

Top Hat Ceremony opens 2023 shipping season

THUNDER BAY – The MV Harvest’s arrival marked the beginning of the 2023 shipping season for the Port of Thunder Bay on Sunday.

“It’s a sign of spring for us, and at this time of year, once the first ship comes in, this is the furthest inland port in Canada, so you know, we see the commerce starting up again,” said Tim Heney, CEO, Thunder Bay Port Authority.

“It’s a pretty exciting time for us and everyone’s optimistic. It’s a, you know, great day, beautiful weather, perfect”

The Harvest Spirit crossed Thunder Bay’s breakwall at 0500 hours, a day after passing through the Soo Locks and tied up at Superior Elevator and departed Sunday Night for Windsor with a 14,200-tonne load of canola.

Captain of the Harvest Spirit, Adam Hagen said that being the vessel that opens Thunder Bay shipping season was quite an honour.

“We know that the Thunder Bay is one of our main ports of call, this is my first time captaining in the first ship of the year and you know anything to promote the industry as I I feel that things are on the up with the with the shipping industry,” he said.

“With the price of fuel and a lot of the environmental implications that are coming lately, definitely shipping anything by water is many, many times more environmentally friendly and efficient than by rail and certainly by truck.”

The 2012-built Harvest Spirit is a bulker in the McKeil Marine fleet. McKeil is a marine service operator with over 50 vessels, a sailing and shore-based crew of about 350 and offices in Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Harvest Spirit is a regular site in the Port of Thunder Bay, having made 21 trips for grain during the 2022 season. The vessel was second-to-last out of port before its winter closure in mid January.

In a traditional Top Hat Ceremony on Sunday, Captain Hagen and Chief Engineer Gavin Pink received welcoming remarks and tokens of appreciation for opening the navigation season from the Port of Thunder Bay, the City of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.

“The top hat is an old tradition that they give to the first captain of the year that’s in it and as as you’ll see from in the inside here there’s a lot of old captains that have signed on here and some of them I recognize the gentleman that I’ve had the pleasure of working with and working for over the years,” said Captain Hagen.

“So, to be it’s a bit of a club I guess and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

TB News Watch

New developments ahead for Great Lakes ports as 2023 shipping season kicks off

Great Lakes ports are gearing up for the start of this year’s shipping season, which is bringing new developments at ports in Duluth-Superior and Milwaukee. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway opened to the first vessels of the season Wednesday, and the Soo locks at Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan open on Saturday.

For the first time in years, container shipping service returned to the nation’s furthest inland port in 2022. With the expansion of service, the Port of Duluth-Superior became the only U.S. port besides Cleveland, Ohio, capable of handling maritime container shipments on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.

Now, the port is partnering with Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, which is one of the largest shipping lines in the Netherlands. Spliethoff will provide monthly container shipping service to the port for the first time in decades, according to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Port officials say they’ll be capable of carrying raw materials, finished goods, and machinery. Goods will be shipped back and forth to Europe.

“That’s a big win from a supply-chain perspective for the region,” said Deb DeLuca, the port authority’s executive director.

Shipping customers have been seeking other options for container shipping in the face of inadequate rail service and congestion at coastal ports. DeLuca said a global shortage of containers due to supply chain constraints in recent years appears to be easing. The port authority is also planning an $8.5 million expansion of its warehouse space with the addition of 55,000 square feet to support materials moving through its terminal.

In Milwaukee, construction of the roughly $35 million DeLong Agricultural Maritime Export Facility is ongoing. Jackie Q. Carter, director of Port Milwaukee, said that will introduce new cargo in the form of dried distillers grains — a byproduct from beer and ethanol production that is used in livestock feed.

“We’re hoping in the next few weeks that construction will wrap up,” Carter said. “Of course, you got to go through and make sure everything is sound and ready to go, but we think we’ll probably see some activity as early as May.”

Carter said the final parts of rail construction and inspection are ongoing right now. She said they anticipate the facility will increase tonnage moving through the port by about 400,000 metric tons. The port handled about 2.3 million metric tons last year, which was down about 5 percent from its five-year average.

Read the full article here: https://www.wpr.org/new-developments-ahead-great-lakes-ports-2023-shipping-season-kicks

WPR

Joseph L. Block opens Duluth season

DULUTH, MN – The first ship to arrive at Duluth this 2023-24 season was the Joseph L Block, coming in light on Sunday heading to the CN dock to load iron ore. Last season they visited Duluth 16 times.

View a video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-1boWxNhJs

Paul Scinocca

Two lighthouses receive funds to focus on critical preservation initiatives

Two historic lighthouses will have long-term preservation efforts assisted with the help of $106,000 in Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) grants from the State Historic Preservation Office.

The lighthouses receiving grants are the Rock of Ages Lighthouse and the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, both located in the U.P. On average, every $1 invested in land conservation leads to $4 in economic benefits for families, small businesses, and local communities, according to a news release.

“The historic lighthouses lining our freshwater shoreline—the longest in the world—are part of the splendor of Pure Michigan,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I am proud that we are making an investment today to preserve these structures, reminding us of our past and encouraging us to move towards the light.”

Read the full article here: Soo Leader article

Meet the Shipbreakers of the Great Lakes

Have you ever wondered what happens to ships once they’ve reached the end of their lives?

For many in the Great Lakes, that place in Marine Recycling Corporation in Port Colborne, Ontario. Marine Recycling has recycled more than 100 vessels for their steel. Field producer Jeyan Jeganathan talks to the founder Wayne Elliott about how long it takes to recycle a ship, why shipbreaking is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and how his company competes with shipbreakers around the world.

Watch the video by clicking this link: https://www.tvo.org/video/meet-the-shipbreakers-of-the-great-lakes?fbclid=IwAR3uEbt2JWenhsJ9gyWecE1G3x6ZyQapUBVsjbdSZxHJeo9tkCdegQc4vkY

TVO

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/

Edwin H. Gott leads the way as the Soo Locks open for the season

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – At exactly 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the massive Poe Lock gates opened, allowing the 1,004-foot-long Edwin H. Gott to enter the chamber, thus becoming the first commercial passage of the 2023-24 season.

Ship fans were out in force, filling the two-deck observation platform and spilling out along the ground level fencing. Although there was no official tally, those attending agreed that the was the best-attended opener since the event started.

Captains Tim Alfston and Keene Weekley sounded a throaty three long and two short on the horns as the vessel moved into the chamber, delighting the onlookers, who responded with cheers and clapping.

The Gott, operated by the Great Lakes Fleet, Duluth, MN, is bound for Two Harbors, MN, to load ore. Behind her were American Integrity, John J. Boland, Joseph L. Block, Harvest Spirit, Stewart J. Cort, CSL St-Laurent,CSL Laurentien, and Great Republic, with more heading for the Soo, promising a busy weekend for boatwatchers.

Last year, the Gott’s fleetmate Edgar B. Speer was first vessel. The Soo Locks have been closed since mid-January for annual winter maintenance.

Lee A. Trugurtha, which loaded ore at Marquette, followed by American Mariner, will be the first downbounds.

Watch a video from earlier in the day as a local delegation visited the vessel to present the crew with plaques, first boat caps and Know Your Ships books. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51ICzhC5FQ

First ship through the Soo Locks for the shipping season will be the Edwin H. Gott

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – We got the Gott.

Those were the words of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which shared Thursday that the M/V Edwin H. Gott will be the first vessel to pass through the Soo Locks when the 2023 shipping season begins just after midnight on Saturday.

As part of the annual tradition at the landmark Upper Peninsula facility, freighter fans – often called Boatnerds – typically gather at Rotary Park near the locks to see which Great Lakes freighters will be the first to pass through.

On Friday, dignitaries from the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau will greet the ship’s crew and present plaques and other commemorative gifts to the Gott’s captain.The publisher of the book Know Your Ships will also be there to present the crew with copies of the 2023 edition.

The 1,000-foot Gott is already moored near the Soo Locks facility in Sault Ste. Marie. It will be the first of hundreds of ships to pass through the Soo Locks this season. After she locks up, she will be followed by American Integrity, John J. Boland, Joseph L. Block, Harvest Spirit, Stewart J. Cort and, later, CSL St-Laurent and Great Republic.

Icebreakers from the U.S. and Canadian coast guards passed through the facility on Wednesday.

Launched in 1979 and now part of Canadian National Railway’s Great Lakes Fleet, Inc., the Gott is named for former U.S. Steel chairman and chief executive officer, Edwin H. Gott. Along with the Edgar B. Speer (which opened the season last year), the Gott is the largest of CN’s Great Lakes ships.

The vessel mostly transports dry bulk commodities such iron ore to port son the lower Great Lakes.

The park and viewing platform at the Soo Locks will open March 24 at 11 p.m. and close March 25 at 1 a.m. The Visitor Center will host an open house March 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For those not able to come to the Soo Locks opening, there will be a Facebook Live stream of the first ship, which can be found here.

MLive

St. Lawrence Seaway shippers eye EV materials, but grain and ore remain the staples

SAINT-LAMBERT, QC. – Shippers who ply the St. Lawrence Seaway view critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries as key to their future — but it could be a while before the floodgates open on Canada’s largely untapped reserves.

Until then, grain and iron ore remain the staples, comprising nearly half of the 36.3 million tonnes of cargo that traversed the seaway last year.

Terence Bowles, who heads the management authority overseeing the system of locks, canals and channels that stretches for more than 300 kilometres between Montreal and Lake Erie, said he expects a million more tonnes of Canadian grain will float down the St. Lawrence River from Thunder Bay and other Ontario ports in 2023.

“It’s in the silos ready to come … so we’re expecting quite a bump-up,” he said in an interview Wednesday after the opening ceremony for the seaway’s navigation year.

The war in Ukraine will likely extend the spike in demand for grain as well as potash, said Chamber of Marine Commerce CEO Bruce Burrows. Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of wheat, corn, sunflower oil and fertilizer products, but Ukrainian shipments were hampered by a months-long Russian blockade last year, since lifted for the time being.

Iron ore traffic will also pick up as car makers “get back on their feet” and construction activity remains sturdy, Burrows predicted, pointing to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in particular.

“The GTA is still the biggest, fastest growing part of the North American economy. It’s a great sucking sound of special projects, all of which have to be sourced with resource materials that we move by ship,” he said.

Behind him, the Algoma Central shipping company’s Captain Henry Jackman freighter issued a horn blast before disembarking along the St. Lawrence River, hauling iron ore en route to Hamilton’s ArcelorMittal Dofasco mill to be transformed into steel.

St. Catharines Standard

Cross-Lake Ontario hovercraft service won’t launch this summer

ST. CATHERINES, ON – Plans to launch a hovercraft service between St. Catharines and Toronto this summer have been postponed. Hoverlink Ontario Inc. said it has delayed the launch of the 30-minute rapid hovercraft service because time lines to complete the project are “running longer than anticipated.”

In a statement, the company said due to the complexities involved in the project, it is presently re-evaluating its time line for completion. “We want to assure the communities we intend to serve that we are continuing to move forward through the requirements necessary for operational success,” founder and chief executive officer Christopher Morgan said in the release.

In September, Hoverlink announced that after 10 years of work it was in the final approval stages to launch a rapid transit route between Port Weller in north St. Catharines and Ontario Place in Toronto. It proposed to build a terminal at the north end of the Welland Canals Parkway, along with off-site parking lots near the St. Catharines museum at Lock 3 and further south along the parkway.

The hovercraft year-round services will be aimed at tourists and commuters.

Hoverlink said in its recent statement its primary focus now is to complete “necessary protocols” for development of the sites to support “an excellent consumer experience” at the launch of the passenger service. The company did not say how long it expects the delay to be.

Welland Tribune

2023 “Know Your Ships” launches; book signing at Soo Locks Saturday

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – The new shipping season is at hand, and so is the release of the 2023 edition of Know Your Ships, the popular annual field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway, now in its 64th edition.

To mark the opening of the Soo Locks, Editor & Publisher Roger LeLievre will be at the Soo Locks Visitor Center Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to sign copies of the new edition. Buy them right from him, or from Das Gift Haus and Island Books and Crafts, bring them to the Visitor Center and he will sign them.

Standard and spiral bindings are available. The standard version features the eye-catching Viking Octantis on the cover, while the spiral shows off the veteran John G. Munson.

In the Spotlight section, you can read stories about the new Mark W. Barker (still has that new boat smell!), Michael Moran’s popular St. Joughnuts sweet treat deliveries at St. Joseph, MI, a look at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy serving a demand on the Great Lakes, and even about boats named after real-life rock stars!

This year’s 200-page book also includes information on U.S., Canadian and international-flag cargo vessels, tugs, excursion boats and barges in regular Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway service, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, plus type of engine, horsepower and more.

Order at this link: www.knowyourships.com

Edwin H. Gott likely first vessel at Soo

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – With Great Lakes Fleet’s 1,000-footer Edwin H. Gott due at DeTour at 7 a.m. Thursday, it seems likely she will be the first boat to pass through the Soo Locks at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, opening the Soo Locks for the new shipping season.

Early Wednesday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay locked through the Poe Lock to start breaking ice in Whitefish Bay. In the late afternoon, USCG Mackinaw locked up enroute to Duluth.

Last year, the Gott’s fleetmate Edgar B. Speer was first vessel. The Soo Locks have been closed since mid-January for annual winter maintenance.

CCGS Samuel Risley was on Lake Superior Wednesday night but her AIS had not been updated.

Captain Henry Jackman opens Seaway

 CLAYTON, NY – The St. Lawrence Seaway is open for the season. Icebreakers have been in the channel, clearing the way for ships to navigate from Montreal to Lake Ontario.

The first bulk carrier into the seaway was the Captain Henry Jackman, entering at Montreal and making its way to Lake Ontario. A few other bulk carriers soon followed and are in the channel Wednesday.

Between 2021 and 2022, yearly tonnage shipped through the seaway decreased by 5 percent but overall vessel traffic increased by 2.4 percent.

Federal Champlain was the first ocean-going ship in the Seaway.

WWNY

Niagara tips its hat as Welland Canal kicks off navigation season

 ST. CATHERINES, ON – James Ryan worked his way through the seafarer ranks to earn his role as captain. For eight years, he has commanded ships with Canada Steamship Lines (CSL), but this season, his preparation as captain of the CSL St-Laurent was a bit fancier than usual. In the form of a black beaver pelt top hat.

Alongside the ship’s chief engineer, Montreal’s Stoyan Vlaev, the pair took part in their first official top hat ceremony in St. Catharines Wednesday morning, as a crowd of a hundred or so visitors — in naval tradition — tipped their hats in a show of greeting and respect.

The annual tradition, in which a symbolic top hat is presented to the captain of the first upbound and downbound vessels, marks the beginning of the new Welland Canal shipping season. To celebrate, ceremonies were held at St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 and at Lock 8 Gateway Park in Port Colborne.

Ryan and Vlaev were appointed this season to the 36,364-tonne CSL St-Laurent, a bulk carrier built in 2014. The vessel’s first trip is to Superior, WI, to pick up a load of iron ore for Quebec City. “I’ve very excited about this season. It’s always nice to get started again,” said Ryan, hails from Newfoundland and Labrador, in an interview following the ceremony.

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. market development director Bruce Hodgson said its system has moved more than 970 million tonnes of cargoover the past 25 years.

He said the canal plays a celebrated role in Canada’s supply chain, helping North American farmers get their grains to market — it anticipates a “very good start this year” and a record crop for Ontario grain — and assisting manufacturers in getting raw materials necessary to power the economy.

“One vessel, like the CSL St-Laurent, carries the equivalent or more than 963 trucks or 300 rail cars. Marine can help ease the pressure on gridlocked highways and busy rail corridors with less impact on the environment,” said Hodgson.

Seaway operations vice-president D’Arcy Wilson thanked the public for their patience during winter months as the canal goes through its necessary maintenance period, ensuring all repairs and updates are complete ahead of the new season.

Investments made in the past year included repair of lock gates (predominantly Lock 6), installation of a new road deck at the Homer Bridge and dredging the bottom of Wharf 6 to prepare for commercial use.

The vessel did not arrive until late morning, after the ceremony concluded. There are initiatives set to bring new life to the canal through a $45-million project to reconstruct new wharfs, funded with $22.7 million from the federal government and $22.6 from the Seaway.

Welland Tribune

Icebreaking in Thunder Bay harbour begins Thursday 

Icebreaking in the Thunder Bay area will begin this week, with the Samuel Risley starting the “initial harbour breakout” on Thursday, the Canadian Coast Guard said.

“Breaking up the ice will allow for the safe and efficient movement of commercial vessels,” it said in a media release.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s CoastWatch program shows that as of Sunday, under eight per cent of the Great Lakes were under ice cover.

Meanwhile, an ice thickness map by the U.S. National Ice Center showed most of the ice in the Thunder Bay harbour was estimated to be 12 to 28 inches [about 30 to 71 cm) thick as of Sunday.

Isabelle Pelchat, the Canadian Coast Guard’s superintendent of icebreaking for the Great Lakes region, said the ice coverage this year has been below average.

“It’s not all frozen like we used to see,” Pelchat said in a recent interview with CBC News. “So it’s most likely the open up of Thunder Bay would be easier this year.”

However, the lack of ice on the Great Lakes doesn’t change much when it comes to icebreaking operations.

“We remain available 24/7,” she said. “We’re continuing the monitoring and surveillance of the ice at all times.

“Our two icebreakers are on standby and available, and the crews are ready. So it’s giving us more time to do some training and familiarization for the crew.”

Pelchat said icebreaking on the Great Lakes normally begins just before the opening of the Soo Locks, which officially marks the start of the Great Lakes shipping season. This year, the opening is set for this Friday.

CBC

2023 “Know Your Ships” launches; book signing at Soo Locks Saturday

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – The new shipping season is at hand, and so is the release of the 2023 edition of Know Your Ships, the popular annual field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway, now in its 64th edition.

To mark the opening of the Soo Locks, Editor & Publisher Roger LeLievre will be at the Soo Locks Visitor Center Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to sign copies of the new edition. Buy them right from him, or from Das Gift Haus and Island Books and Crafts, bring them to the Visitor Center and he will sign them.

Standard and spiral bindings are available. The standard version features the eye-catching Viking Octantis on the cover, while the spiral shows off the veteran John G. Munson.

In the Spotlight section, you can read stories about the new Mark W. Barker (still has that new boat smell!), Michael Moran’s popular St. Joughnuts sweet treat deliveries at St. Joseph, MI, a look at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy serving a demand on the Great Lakes, and even about boats named after real-life rock stars!

This year’s 200-page book also includes information on U.S., Canadian and international-flag cargo vessels, tugs, excursion boats and barges in regular Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway service, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, plus type of engine, horsepower and more.

Order at this link: www.knowyourships.com

Coast Guard vessels head to Lake Superior as Soo Locks opener nears

With the opening of the Soo Locks approaching, multiple Coast Guard vessels are headed to Lake Superior.

A Facebook post on Tuesday evening by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District stated, “U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw and Katmai Bay are expected to lock through first thing tomorrow (March 22) morning. Coast Guard vessels will be busy opening tracks and harbors on Lake Superior to get the 2023 Navigation Season off to a great start,”.

Canadian Coast Guard’s Samuel Risley was anchored north of the Soo Locks off of Bay Mills, MI on Tuesday evening.

First ship of 2023 season arrives at Port of Green Bay

In a sign of spring, the first ship of the 2023 season has arrived.

The Port of Green Bay says the Algocanada arrived just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. It was only a day after Coast Guard icebreakers opened the shipping channel.

The Algocanada delivered petroleum products for U.S. Venture. It was the same ship that closed the previous shipping season in January.

“We are fortunate to be off to a fairly early start this shipping season,” port director Dean Haen said in a news release. “With the 2023 shipping season officially underway, we are cautiously optimistic that we’ll have another strong year of cargo movement.”

Those interested in viewing ships can watch from locations such as the Fox River Trail, the Green Bay Metro Boat Launch or other areas along the lower Fox River. The port’s website and Facebook page have information on ship arrivals.

FOX 11 News

Spliethoff vessel banned amid crackdown on ‘Poor Performers’

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has handed down a 90-day ban to a Netherlands-flagged ship as part of a crackdown on “poor performers” in the maritime industry.

AMSA detained the general cargo ship Flevogracht, operated by the Spliethoff Group, after the ship’s rescue boat engine was found to be defective.

AMSA had previously issued Spliethoff with two warning letters outlining concerns over the seaworthiness of their ships. This latest incident is part of a pattern of unacceptable performance from the operator, that poses a risk to the integrity of the ship, the safety of the crew, and the marine environment, AMSA said.

The latest marks AMSA’s fifth detention of Spliethoff ships in the past two years. Three of the detentions were related to serious failures to effectively implement Safety of Navigation processes and all occurred in Queensland waters, around the Great Barrier Reef.

On February 16, the Master of the Florijngracht was fined $6,000 for breaching compulsory pilotage laws after the ship illegally entered the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park without a marine pilot.

AMSA Executive Director of Operations Michael Drake said AMSA takes its responsibility as Australia’s maritime regulator very seriously.

“The fact that Spliethoff ships continue to be detained is evidence of their ongoing and repeated lack of concern for safety and environmental protection,” Drake said. “The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s great natural wonders, and we have an obligation to ensure that any ships entering its waters do so safely and in full compliance of the law.”

The ban of the Flevogracht comes just weeks after AMSA issued a 90-day ban to the MSC Kymea II, operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), over maintenance and safety-related deficiencies. The ban followed the detention of nine MSC-operated ships in the past two years, including five so far in 2023.

“Ship operators should be on notice that AMSA will not hesitate to take action when we find unacceptable practices on board ships,” Drake said.

Both vessels have traded on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

gCaptain

Pere Marquette Rail Bridge catches fire amid start of demolition

PORT HURON, MI – The Pere Marquette Rail Bridge briefly caught fire Tuesday as workers were starting to demolish the nearly 100-year-old structure.

The Port Huron Fire Department was called at about 11 a.m. to the bridge, 212 Quay St. Fire Chief Corey Nicholson said the fire was likely caused by heat from torches or saws used during the demolition process, but the fire remains under investigation.

“We’re going to look at some mitigations as far as removing any combustible material that may be up there,” he said. “Hot work is anything from an open flame to a piece of equipment that would cause excessive heat from friction.”

Port Huron Yacht Club Commodore Tyson Connolly said the demolition crew and the yacht club are going to work through any setbacks caused by the fire. “It doesn’t appear like there is anything that will delay production,” he said.

However, Nicholson said a second look at the demolition plan may be needed to prevent firefighters from having to return. He forwarded further comment on the issue to city building officials.

In an email Tuesday, David Haynes, the city’s planning director, said, “Based on today’s event, work on the Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge will cease until a combustible materials removal plan and/or a fire protection plan is submitted in writing to the city of Port Huron.”

Nicholson said there were no injuries from the fire. Additionally, he said there is no hazard to the public.

The Pere Marquette Rail Bridge is located adjacent to the Port Huron Yacht Club. The bridge was completed in 1931 and provided rail access to business north of the Black River for decades. It was placed in its upright position and abandoned in 1975.

Times-Herald

New administrator of Great Lakes/Seaway Development Corp. no stranger to NNY, shares vision

MASSENA, NEW YORK — The new administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. found himself on old stomping grounds Wednesday morning.

“This is one of my favorite places on Earth,” Adam M. Tindall-Schlicht said during a visit to Massena, where two of the St. Lawrence Seaway’s 15 (13 Canadian) locks, Snell and Eisenhower, are operated. “Being here professionally is one of the gifts of being an administrator.”

Mr. Tindall-Schlicht, appointed in November as the 11th administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.(GLS) by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., is atypical when it comes to the work experience of people previously appointed to that role. He has returned to GLS after working at the corporation from 2010 to 2018, focusing on marine transportation, international marketing and the Great Lakes Seaway System. In that role, he visited Massena frequently. At age 39, he is the youngest GLS administrator.

As administrator, Mr. Tindall-Schlicht oversees the federal corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montreal and Lake Erie. In timing with the opening of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System’s 65th year of operation on Wednesday, the Watertown Daily Times requested a Zoom interview with the new administrator. It was expected that he’d be talking from the GLS’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, but on Wednesday morning, Mr. Tindall-Schlicht spoke from Massena where he was meeting with Seaway workers.

Read the full article here: https://www.nny360.com/news/stlawrencecounty/new-administrator-of-great-lakes-seaway-development-corp-no-stranger-to-nny-shares-vision/article_2e031417-2b40-506c-b77f-51e1f404954b.html?fbclid=IwAR1Ii2qwEqgx0NGfmixL9AiMwKaDwGi0OrAd4G5M2NsL9zhMmZ-KG5L9OTc

NNY360

Seafarers from Ukraine now working on Great Lakes Ships

Algoma, CSL, Groupe Desgagnés, and Hamilton’s McKeil Marine are among the Canadian ship owners that have welcomed qualified Ukrainian seafarers and other marine personnel after Russia invaded their homeland in February 2022.

Ruslan Butenko is eager to see his new work schedule as a Captain in Training on Algoma Central Corporation’s domestic vessels. He’s already sailed aboard the Algoma Intrepid, learning for the first time to operate the self-unloading eco-ship.

“No matter what my assignments, I’m grateful to be in Canada working for a company that has been supportive of this new start in my career and life,” says Capt. Butenko, who sought refuge for his young family from the war in Ukraine.

Butenko was aboard a German vessel when the Russian invasion started. “I had to work by phone and Internet to help my wife and daughter, who was just four months old, to find their way to safety,” he says.

That journey involved his family escaping to neighbouring Moldova, traveling next to Bulgaria, followed by Cyprus, then Italy to complete the necessary identity biometrics for Canada, and his wife and daughter returning again to Cyprus to stay with her sister while he made his way here to begin his new job and find a place for them to live.

“It was so wonderful when I arrived at Pearson International Airport on December 6th and the Customs officer said, ‘Welcome to Canada. You and your family will be safe now,’” he recalls.

Read the full article here: https://bayobserver.ca/seafarers-from-ukraine-now-working-on-great-lakes-ships/

The Bay Observer

How important was the Iron Range to winning World War II?

DULUTH — Minnesota nearly depleted its immense supply of high-grade iron ore to help the Allies win World War II, providing much of the crucial raw material behind America’s tanks, warships, guns and ammunition.

Reader Jim Herzog wanted to know just how much the Mesabi Range mines contributed to the “arsenal of democracy.” He sought answers from Curious Minnesota.

The short answer is that Minnesota’s rich iron deposits were a vital component of America’s war effort. About 70% of the iron ore that America devoted to the war came from Minnesota, amounting to more than 333 million tons, according to Pam Brunfelt, a retired Vermilion Community College faculty member and historian.

“Without the Iron Range, we would not have won the war,” said the Britt, Minn., native, who is writing a book about the phenomenon. “It was just the most astonishing accomplishment.”

Steel production in America tripled from 1938 to 1943. In 1942 alone, America produced about 8,000 warships, 24,000 tanks, 48,000 military airplanes and 667,000 machine guns, according to Marvin G. Lamppa’s “Minnesota’s Iron Country.” Much of the raw material to make those armaments came from the Iron Range.

The country’s need for all that natural iron ore during the war almost depleted Minnesota’s deposits and led to the mining of taconite, the lower-grade mineral produced on the Range today to make steel.

Read the rest of the article here: https://m.startribune.com/minnesota-iron-range-mesabi-world-war-2-ore-steel-mining/600259684/?fbclid=PAAaaFVZKkiKymvHRCNJGdf0tmGUV0rJ9QacT6CQIp3nXrFvQgU_pJKoIVbPk

The Star Tribune

St. Lawrence River hit with one of lowest ice cover seasons on record

There’s barely any ice to break on the St. Lawrence Seaway this year.

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed that ice conditions across the Great Lakes during the 2022-2023 season were the third-lowest on record.

Although this is a widespread trend, it has had significant impacts on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

“It was mid-December and January when we had those really deep freeze moments, but they were pretty quick this year,” Busler explained. “It was a short window when we had good ice cover between the islands.”

Without the typical thick ice, many winter recreational opportunities were too dangerous. Such as ice fishing, pond skating and snowmobiling out on the River and Lake Ontario.

This resulted in event cancellations throughout the region, Tyler Forger, the General Manager of Clayton Marina explained.

“Obviously we’ve missed all the ice fishing derbies, which are usually held right out in [our] bay. We missed events like that and some fundraisers,” he said. “So it has affected the community for sure.”

The low ice conditions also could have effects on native wildlife.

“Shorter winter and less ice cover could mean a shorter breeding and spawning season for fish and other wildlife,” Busler added. “Animals like the red fox and bobcat will use ice cover to travel amongst the islands.”

As of March 16, NOAA data confirmed that the total ice cover across the Great Lakes was 6.7%. On the same day in 2022, the total ice cover was 43.1%.

But as the winter season comes to a close, the low ice conditions may allow for an earlier season for water recreation.

Many marinas and public docks have already made preparations for early-season boaters.

“I think we’ll see an early spring. The sun’s out, people are itching to get ut of the house. That’s what we’re looking forward to at our marina,” Forger expressed. “So we’ll get phone calls from people that are trying to get to their island homes and we’ll see an earlier jump this year.”

WETM18

Top hat ceremonies to kick off Welland Canal opening

PORT COLBORNE, ON – A beaver fur top hat will be presented to the captain of the first downbound vessel on the Welland Canal when the 2023 shipping season kicks off in Port Colborne this week.

The city’s annual top hat ceremony takes place Wednesday in the pavilion at Lock 8 Gateway Park, 163 Mellanby Ave., with breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by the event at 8:30 a.m.

At the opposite end of the canal, a top hat ceremony will take place at St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, 1932 Welland Canals Pkwy., at 10 a.m.

Port Colborne’s ceremony started in the early 1970s under then-mayor John Buscarino and involves a ceremonial beaver felt fur hat being presented to the captain of the first downbound vessel — headed to Lake Ontario from Lake Erie. An anonymous person donated the turn-of-the-century Tress & Co beaver felt fur hat to Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum, which has loaned it out annually since 1999.

The captain of the first downbound ship is also presented with a hat to keep. In years past, it’s been presented to the same captain, same vessel, tug and barge combinations and even a U.S. coast guard icebreaker. It’s unknown which vessel will be the first downbound through the city, but at least four of six vessels that wintered in Port Colborne are above Bridge 19A, the Mellanby Avenue Bridge, and facing north.

The captain of the first upbound vessel — headed to Lake Erie from Lake Ontario — on the 43-kilometre, eight-lock Welland Canal will be presented with a top hat as well in St. Catharines.

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. will officially launch the 65th navigation season of the 3,700-kilometre-long St. Lawrence Seaway at St. Lambert Lock on Montreal’s South Shore.

It will host an on-site event with seaway president and chief executive officer Terrence Bowles, the American Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. deputy administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht, and Gregg Ruhl, president and chief executive officer of St. Catharines-based Algoma Central Corp.

The seaway invested $32 million in infrastructure work this winter, which included the deck on the Homer Bridge on Queenston Street, connecting St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake, being replaced, and the west abutment of the Clarence Street Bridge in Port Colborne being refurbished. Both bridges reopened Wednesday.

Originally scheduled to close on Jan. 7, the canal remained open until Jan. 9 this year. As part of a five-year pilot project, the seaway has extended its season into January for the past four years.

During the 2022 shipping season, the seaway authorities said more than 36 million tonnes of cargo moved through the lakes and canal system. That was down 5.03 per cent, 1.922 million tonnes, compared to 2021. Contributing 11 million tonnes to the total were dry bulk commodities, such as coke, salt and potash.

Potash shipments shot up 100 per cent last year as global issues — the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russia — affected fertilizer and grain supplies. Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizer, and Russia is one source of the mineral. Ukraine and Russia also account for more than 20 per cent of worldwide grain exports.

Welland Tribune

U.S. Steel restarts Blast Furnace #8 at Gary Works

U.S. Steel has restarted the No. 8 blast furnace at its flagship Gary Works steel mill.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of the Region’s largest employers, idled both the No. 3 blast furnace at Mon Valley Works in Pennsylvania and the No. 8 furnace in Gary last year after steel prices came down from historic highs in 2021 amid fears of a looming recession.

U.S. Steel has restarted both blast furnaces over the past couple of weeks as market conditions have improved.

The steelmaker said it restarted the blast furnace because of rising demand and improving prices.

Steelmakers have gone from facing headwinds to getting winds behind their sales thus far this year. The domestic steel industry has especially benefited as automakers have ramped production back up after being hamstrung by semiconductor chip and other supply chain shortages in recent years.

The No. 8 blast furnace at Gary Works can make up to 1.5 million tons of iron annually. It was originally idled for a planned maintenance project last year and was supposed to be restarted in August after three months of construction, but then market conditions deteriorated and U.S. Steel opted to leave it down until demand returned.

No one was laid off as a result of the idling. The temporarily displaced workers were moved to other parts of the sprawling steel mill that stretches for seven miles along the Lake Michigan lakeshore.

“We continue to monitor market conditions and bring furnaces back online when business conditions allow,” U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said. “There is no employment impact from bringing #8 back online, nor was there any employment impact in bringing it down.”

U.S. Steel also operates the Midwest Plant in Portage, which has many finishing lines that prepare the steel made at Gary Works for a variety of commercial uses.

NWI Times

Mark your calendars for Soo Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise

Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers’ Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 29-30. Find details on both events here: https://www.boatnerd.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-29-30-2023/