City receives $2.187M grant for the Carbide Dock rehab project

SAULT STE. MARIE — The Carbide Dock project has received another grant that will help fund the long-running project.

The new grant will help bring shore power to the dock, to help incoming vessels reduce gas emissions while docked at the city.

“When boats and ships come in to dock, they generally need to keep their engines running,” said Jeff Johnston, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy public information officer. “This will allow them to plug in, turn off their engines, and burn less fuel.”

For around seven years, the Carbide Dock rehabilitation project has been in planning and consideration, as the city adjusts and adds to construction plans and searches for funding.

For years, the Carbide Dock, and international dock just downstream of the Soo Locks would host visiting freighters and cruise ships in the city, until it was closed down and condemned due to disrepair. Around seven years, ago the city began formulating a project to completely rehabilitate the dock and bring it back into use.

The project will replace approximately 1,100 linear feet of the existing condemned dock structure to create a working waterfront. There will also be several updates to the dock, including secure storage areas, improved stormwater management facilities, and a critical connection from the Easterday Avenue truck route to the riverfront.

In 2017, the city approved plans to repair the dock, and began looking for funding opportunities. In 2019, the city received a $20.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, this came in $14.5 million short of the complete goal, so the city has been searching for other funding options.

Since then, the city has applied for and accepted various different grants to complete the project, including a fuel transformation program grant from The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

EGLE announced on March 10 that they would be awarding the city a $2.18 million grant as part of the Fuel Transformation Program, which aims to lower gas emissions. EGLE hopes to bring the state to neutral carbon emissions by 2050.

The grant will cover two-thirds of the cost of installing shore power to the dock, allowing visiting freighters and cruise ships to dock there without idling their engines. By allowing ships to visit our docks without idling engines, it will massively reduce carbon emissions from the ships overall, as well as reducing emissions in the city.

“It’s cleaner, it’s healthier and it’s a lot fewer emissions than what we’re doing now,” said Johnston.

The shore power, which will be supplied by around 50% renewable energy, is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9,405 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and 650 metric tons of nitrogen oxides, over the project’s lifespan

“Standing on those docks when fumes are being released can be hard for anyone, the people on the ship and the city it’s docked at,” said Johnston.

The grant will cover two-thirds of the installation, and the rest of the money will be matched by the 2019 USDOT grant of $20.7 million.

NOTICE TO SHIPPING NO. 4 – 2023 NIAGARA REGION WELLAND CANAL

East Flight Locks Out of Service

Please be advised that the East Flight Locks will be out of service from the opening of the Welland Canal until March 31, 2023. This may cause some delays as one way traffic may be implemented.

Soo Locks to open March 25 for 2023 shipping season

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Project Office will open the Poe Lock, 12:01 a.m., March 25, marking the 2023 Great Lakes shipping season start.

The operating season is fixed by federal regulation and driven in part by the feasibility of vessels operating in typical Great Lakes ice conditions.

The Poe Lock closed January 16 to undergo critical repairs and maintenance during the 10 week-long winter shutdown. Maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock, including Gate 1 anchorage component repairs such as replacing concrete, Gate 1 lifting lugs and turning feet, underfloor drain system inspection, Gate 1 structural inspection for future replacement, Gate 3 inspection for structural repairs, gate jacking pedestal inspections, valve repairs, Gate 3 seal repairs and culvert intake grate repairs. The (miter) gates are the large gates at each end of the lock chamber. The gates open and close allowing ships to enter and leave the lock and prevent water from entering or exiting the lock while boats are lifted or lowered.

“Crews also performed a wide range of other maintenance tasks including fender timber replacements, electrical and mechanical systems inspections, and preventative maintenance on both the Poe and MacArthur Locks and floating plant maintenance,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nick Pettit said.

Contractors also performed work on the Poe Lock ship arrestor project. OCCI of Missouri, was awarded the contract in July 2021, for $17.5M after awarded options. This winter, they completed the new downstream arrestor equipment buildings, installed the new arrestor machinery and replaced the arrestor boom.

“This winter a portion of maintenance projects on Gate 1 required the Poe Lock to remain full while others required the lock to be dewatered,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nick Pettit said. “Sequencing Poe Lock maintenance/repairs allowed our team to maximize the non-navigation season.”

The MacArthur Lock, located south of the Poe, is scheduled to open April 24.

“We welcome visitors into the park for the 2023 Soo Locks season opening. The park and viewing platform 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.,” Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs said.

The park is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to open the Soo Locks Visitor Center May 1 for the summer season.

For those not able to come to the Soo Locks opening, there will be a Facebook Live stream of the first ship on our Facebook page starting at 11:55 p.m., March 24 at: https://www.facebook.com/USACEDetroitDistrict.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

St. Marys River expanding spring icebreaking operations

Thursday March 16, 2023, the Coast Guard expands icebreaking operations in the lower St Marys River in preparation for the 2023 Great Lakes commercial shipping season.

Ice throughout the lower St Marys River, including the southern half of the West Neebish Channel, is rapidly deteriorating. With increased sunlight, the forecast of above freezing temperatures and rain, Coast Guard icebreakers will advance north of Moon Island to connect the open water at the lower end of the Rock Cut to the tracks extending south towards Munuscong (Mud) Lake. This action creates space for ice to flow, reducing the risk of ice related delays to Neebish Island Ferry operations.

On 22 March, these icebreaking activities will encompass all navigable waters of the St Marys River, including the West Neebish Channel in its entirety. Recreational users of the ice should plan their activities carefully, use caution near the ice, and stay away from charted navigation areas.

If you have questions about local or regional icebreaking activities, you may contactthe Vessel Traffic Service at (906) 635-3299 or via email sootfc@uscg.mil

USCG

Coast Guard finds ice thinner this season, making ice-breaking operations swift

Residents in Midland and nearby areas are advised that later this week, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley will be breaking up ice for commercial vessels, including the CSL Frontenac, to leave Midland Harbour.

Ice users are reminded that no ice is safe ice, and ice-breaking operations can cause ice to shift, creating unstable conditions.

Residents are urged to use extreme caution near shorelines and inland on harbours.

The Canadian and United States Coast Guards work together to ensure scheduled vessel traffic can move safely through shipping channels and community harbours in the Great Lakes and connecting waterways.

Coast guard officials say this winter’s weather has been “on its side” this year, making for thinner ice than they are typically prepared to break.

“We can see a big difference this year. We haven’t been as busy as before,” said Canadian Coast Guard Ice-breaking program superintendent Isabelle Pelchat in an interview with CTV News in January when the ships began ice-breaking to allow vessels into the harbour.

The Coast Guard notes the date and assets used for ice-breaking are subject to change without notice, as they may begin earlier or later depending on operational requirements or weather conditions.

CTV News

Detroit Ship Masters’ present Ludington Award to 2 mariners

DETROIT, MI – Two Great Lakes mariners received the prestigious Captain Lewis Ludington Award this past weekend during the annual Blessing of the Fleet at Mariners Church in Detroit, MI.

Honorees were Mark Mather, captain of VanEnkevort Tug & Barge’s Clyde S. VanEnkevort/ Erie Trader, and Ken Gerasimos, General Manager of the Great Lakes Fleet, based in Duluth, MN.

Mather attended the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and, after graduation, worked aboard tugs operated by Canonie Transportation Co., soon becoming a relief captain. In 1998, he was hired by Inland Lakes Transportation Co. as deck officer on the J.A.W. Iglehart, E.M. Ford and S.T. Crapo. Mather has been with VTB since 2017. He is a member of the Traverse City Ship Masters’ Lodge No. 23.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Gerasimos worked his way up the hawsepipe and sailed as 3rd mate on all five of the Ford Motor Co. freighters. He was the last 3rd mate on the original Benson Ford prior to its decommissioning. He is a member of the Duluth Ship Masters’ Lodge No. 12.

The Lewis Ludington Award was established by the Ludington Family and Mariners’ Church in 1994. Over the years over 90 shipmasters have been recognized for their contributions to the maritime industry on the Great Lakes. The program is under the auspices of the rector and board of trustees of Mariners’ Church and the Ludington Family, with the nominations and election of the honorees by Detroit Lodge No. 7 of the International Ship Masters’ Association.

Escanaba to welcome cruise ships for the first time

An Upper Peninsula town will welcome cruise ships for the first time this year, showing off its unique culture and Lake Michigan coastline.

Escanaba, located on Little Bay de Noc in Delta County, has been added as an “exclusive” port of call of American Queen Voyages. The Ocean Navigator will call on the port 10 times from May to August while the Ocean Voyager will visit 14 times between May and October.

Read the full story here: https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/03/this-up-town-will-welcome-cruise-ships-for-the-first-time.html?utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR23GIs_eNVWvXdvgibq6VlPhMUd5OoMJ2Pfc2mSggvQSMEXe-qTNcojcMw

Steel production jumps by 14,000 tons in the Great Lakes Region

Steel production rose by 14,000 tons in the Great Lakes region last week, after rising by 13,000 tons a week earlier, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Locally, steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly along the south shore of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, made 547,000 tons of metal in the week that ended March 11, up from 533,000 tons the previous week.

Steel mills remained well below 80% capacity, a key threshold for financial success for the steel sector. After years of record profitability, the industry has been dealing with falling prices, increased economic uncertainty and rising import levels after tariffs were rolled back in favor of quota systems with some trading partners. The United Steelworkers union and Cleveland-Cliffs pursued new trade protections for the first time in years after a collapse in the tin market that led to the idling of tin mills, including in Gary.

Overall, domestic steel mills made 1.677 million tons of steel last week, up 0.8% from 1.664 million tons the previous week and down 1.9% compared to 1.71 million tons the same time a year prior.

Nationally, steel production in 2023 totals 16.51 million tons, a 5.1% decrease from the 17.39 million tons manufactured through the same period last year.

U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 73.9% through Saturday, down from 79.7% at the same point in 2022, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Steel capacity utilization was 75% last week, down from 78.7% a year earlier and up from 74.4% the week prior.

Steel production in the southern region, which encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, totaled 704,000 tons last week, down from 717,000 tons the week before, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Volume in the rest of the Midwest rose to 210,000 tons, up from 206,000 tons the week prior.

NWI Times

Southeast Side Residents Suing to Keep Army Corps ‘Mountain of Dredge’ From Rising Up on Lake Michigan

Opponents of a toxic sludge landfill on Lake Michigan have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expand the dump, which has already operated for nearly three decades longer than initially intended.

The Environmental Law and Policy Center filed the suit Monday in U.S. District Court on behalf of the Alliance of the Southeast and Friends of the Parks.

At issue is a 45-acre site on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Calumet River, adjacent to Calumet Park. Since 1984, after the Army Corps dredges Chicago-area waterways for navigation purposes, the sediment is stored in what’s known as a Confined Disposal Facility.

Now the facility — initially only authorized by the Illinois legislature for a 10-year period — has reached capacity. The Corps had said it would turn the property over to the Chicago Park District when the dump maxed out, but instead, the Corps wants to extend the life of the facility by building a 25-foot-tall vertical expansion.

The lawsuit alleges the Corps does not have authority to build the new dumpsite and has violated federal environmental and dredge-management laws by failing to adequately consider the project’s environmental impacts and less harmful alternatives.

The Corps only explored options for new facilities within the 10th Ward, home to the current dump. Residents balked at having a second waste site built in their community, but that left the Corps’ expansion plan as the only viable alternative.

“We are tired of being the dumping ground for toxic materials in the city,” said Amalia NietoGomez, executive director of Alliance of the Southeast, in a statement. “Chicago’s Southeast Side is already overburdened, and we don’t need an expansion to add more toxic dredgings from the river right next to Calumet Park, where families gather, do sports, have picnics and play in the water.”

Neighbors are concerned about pollutants from the facility and possible impacts on people’s health and their drinking water, she said.

Contaminants in the dredged materials include mercury, PCBs, arsenic, barium, cadmium, manganese, chromium, copper, lead and more. Friends of the Parks has long been concerned with the potential for these chemicals to leach into Lake Michigan.

“Chicago’s lakefront is one of our city’s most precious gems,” said Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, in a statement. “The (facility) lingers on our lakefront as a remnant of previous eras’ zoning and environmental policies. It is a travesty to continue to designate prime lakefront park land, that is next to other parks and beaches, for a toxic dump.”

The Army Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to a status update on the Corps’ project website, “Vertical expansion of the CDF is underway and scheduled for completion in (fiscal year) 2025.”

No river dredging has occurred since 2020, and harbor dredging last took place in 2022, according to the Corps.

A spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said the Corps construction permit application “remains under review.”

WWTW

Manitowoc’s Cobia submarine is turning 80

MANITOWOC – On March 17, 1943, World War II submarine USS Cobia’s keel was laid by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut.

This was the beginning of her journey to service during World War II, ultimately serving six war patrols in the Pacific Theater from 1944 to 1945.

March 17 will mark the 80th anniversary of her keel-laying “birthday,” and on March 18, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum will hold a celebration of Cobia’s 80th “birthday.” The museum will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. that day, offering $8 discounted admission, which includes access to the submarine. The museum is at 75 Maritime Drive in downtown Manitowoc.

Help wanted: Lake Michigan Carferry seeking 2nd Mate, 3rd Mate, 3rd Assistant Engineer

Third Assistant Engineers supervise a watch with the assistance and direction from the Chief Engineer. Responsible for the safety of the personnel assigned to the watch and their task performance in the operation of the vessel. Assists with the operation and maintenance of all vessels operating equipment and systems. Maintains the engine room records as required by various agencies. Conducts periodic safety inspections of departmental tools and safety equipment as directed. Required to make descriptive entries of all work performed in the Engineer log. Be prepared to live and work aboard the vessel the duration of the sailing season, from mid-May to mid-Oct. (room and board provided). Employee will stand a 4-hour watch, twice daily, 7 days per week. Eligible for AMO medical, dental, vision and 401K after completing 60-day probationary period. APPLICANTS FOR LICENSED ENGINEER POSITIONS MUST BE QUALIFIED AND POSSESS THE 3RD ENGINEER OF STEAM VESSELS OF UNLIMITED ENDORSEMENT OF 4000 HP OR HIGHER. Qualifications/Certifications Required: Valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), Valid Merchant Mariners Credential issued by the U.S. Coast Guard with proper endorsements, including at least Third Assistant Engineer of steam vessels of unlimited horsepower, current US Coast Guard Medical Certificate and be legally eligible to be employed in the United States (proof of identity will be required upon employment).

Licensed Deck Officer responsible to manage, oversee and direct the Deck Department for the daily operations of the vessel. Knowledge of the fire and lifeboat stations along with signals and procedures associated with an emergency in order to properly carry out a fire and lifeboat drill to US Coast Guard standards. On-scene commander in emergency situations and drills. Supervises the Deck Department assuring that work is accomplished in a safe and efficient manner. Supervises the general management of loading and off-loading passengers and cargo.. Maintenance of all cargo gear, deck gear, hold, decks, hatches and hull. Management of all emergency station bill assignments, posting of lists, and search parties. Manages the cleanliness of exterior, car deck and holds of the vessel. Be prepared to live and work aboard the vessel the duration of the sailing season, from mid-May to mid-Oct. Room and board provided. Employee will stand a 4-hour watch, twice a day, 7 days per week. Eligible for AMO medical, LMC dental, vision and 401K after completing 60-day probationary period. Applicants must possess unlimited tonnage endorsement. Qualifications/Certifications Required: Valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), Valid Merchant Mariners Credential issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, Current US Coast Guard Medical Certificate and be legally eligible to be employed in the United States (Proof of identity and eligibility will be required upon employment.

For particulars, contact Shari Vandervest at svandervest@ssbadger.com

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New coast guard icebreaker rests in Collingwood this week

CCGS Judy LaMarsh is in Collingwood’s harbour this week for a crew change and for icebreaking operations in Georgian Bay; it’s a new ship for the coast guard, and is currently being tested before conversion

The Canadian Coast Guard is testing out its new icebreaker and is using Collingwood as a base while the ship works in Georgian Bay.

Capt. Travis Borchuk and his crew of 18 are finishing a month-long stint aboard the new-to-Canada vessel, the CCGS Judy LaMarsh, and have been given the mission of evaluating and reporting on her performance on the icy waters of the Great Lakes.

“This vessel is going to be working a majority of its time … on the Great Lakes, so we needed confirmation of how it would work with our existing assets and how it would work in these conditions where it’s going to spend a good deal of its time,” said Borchuk. “This has been a very light ice year, so what we’ve been doing is actually intentionally going into areas that have ice that we can work and test the vessel to its capabilities without disturbing ice users as much as possible.”

Formerly named the Mangystau-2, the ship was built in 2010 in Romania and used as a charter vessel contracted out for other work. It was owned and operated by Caspian Offshore Construction in Kazakhstan, where it worked in the Caspian Sea. Since then, the Canadian Coast Guard has put in many hours to convert the ship to meet Canadian regulations, and perform regular maintenance.

Borchuk said the ship was made for icebreaking and towing barges. While the coast guard doesn’t need to tow barges, icebreaking is a special task requiring unique construction. It’s not usually something a ship can be retrofitted to do.

“Icebreaking is very, very rigorous on machinery, and actually a complex operation as far as navigating and operating the vessel is concerned,” said Borchuk. “Ice can be unpredictable and quite challenging. The conditions can vary even just 100 metres out from one another … so our bridge team and our engine room teams have all been really going through the vessel, all the unique and complex systems and finding all of the peculiarities of it and how to operate as effectively as possible.”

The crew had the CCGS Judy LaMarsh on an exercise in the North Channel earlier this month with the CCGS Samuel Risley simulating working with escorting a commercial vessel. After that, the ship was in Sault Ste. Marie working in the area on joint operations with the U.S. Coast Guard to help with spring icebreaking. The ship has been in Georgian Bay since Sunday night, and went to Midland on Monday for icebreaking.

“Icebreaking is a rather crucial service as it allows industry to continue and fuels the economy of not just Canada and the Great Lakes, but through our binational agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Borchuk, noting the coast guard will sometimes escort vessels to make sure they get safely through the water in the winter. “We also manage flooding in the rivers.”

It’s unique for a coast guard icebreaker to harbour in Collingwood because of limited clearance, but the CCGS Judy LaMarsh is a wider boat that has a more shallow draft than other icebreakers, allowing it to navigate in Collingwood’s harbour a little easier. The shallow draft, said Borchuk, was one of the appeals of this ship.

The ship’s crane will be replaced during conversion work with a 12.5-tonne crane, allowing the crew to service navigational buoys. Borchuk said it will also have space to accommodate other government programs. For example, a science team can join the coast guard ship and use one of the multi-purpose spaces for a lab while the ship is working in the Great Lakes.

According to the federal government, the CCGS Judy LaMarsh will perform icebreaking duties in the winter and maintain nagivational buoys in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence, and Atlantic regions. It can be used for search and rescue and other emergency response operations when needed.

The government announced the ship’s renaming in October 2022, after Judy LaMarsh, an Order of Canada appointee and one of the first women to serve as a federal cabinet minister. LaMarsh was part of the team that developed medicare and the Canada Pension Plan. She also helped establish the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada.

The CCGS Judy LaMarsh will be in Collingwood for a couple of more days. Members of the public are welcome to look at the ship from Millennium Park, but the coast guard is not offering tours or allowing the public to board the ship at this time.

Collingwood Today

Iconic lighthouse could transfer to Muskegon city ownership as repair plans take shape

MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon city officials are considering taking ownership of the iconic Lake Michigan lighthouse that has been owned by a conservancy for the past 12 years.

The 91-year-old “south breakwater lighthouse” is in line for needed repairs, for which $800,000 in state funding has been pledged.

The city is in a better position to see those repairs through than the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, which at this point essentially consists of one man, Jeff Shook, who lives across the state in Fenton.

Read the full MLive story here: https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2023/03/iconic-lighthouse-could-transfer-to-muskegon-city-ownership-as-repair-plans-take-shape.html?utm_campaign=muskegonchronicle_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1wEBz5EDbKVN5OWFWwAVACeVU9esvPc8cHaYz5G7hNrdRCClL3JpVVQS0

President’s Budget supplies $159 million for Corps of Engineers Detroit District

DETROIT — The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) includes more than $7.4 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program, with just over $159 million set aside for Detroit District projects.

Of great regional significance is $3 million for the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, a project that includes the three Great Lakes Corps of Engineers Districts: Detroit, Buffalo and Chicago. The study will identify vulnerable coastal areas and recommend actions to bolster the coastal resources’ ability to withstand, recover from and adapt to future hydrologic uncertainty with respect to man-made and natural coastal environments. Recent high-water events across the Great Lakes brought about the study’s need.

The Budget requests funding for investigations to provide local communities, including disadvantaged communities, with technical and planning assistance to enable them to reduce their flood risk, with emphasis on non-structural approaches. Investigation funding for the Detroit District includes a navigation study, Menominee River Deepening; an aquatic ecosystem restoration study, Rodgers Lake Habitat Pokagon Band; and three flood risk management studies, Peavine Creek Stabilization, Pokagon Band – Potawatami Tribe; South East Michigan; and Tittabawassee River Chippewa River, Pine River and Tobacco River.

The Detroit District operates and maintains the Soo Locks along with 81 navigation projects on lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and portions of Lake Erie bordering Michigan. The President’s Budget includes $157.56 million for the district’s Operation and Maintenance Program, funding the maintenance of federal shipping channels and navigation structures within the Detroit District’s area of responsibility including the Soo Locks, Duluth-Superior Harbor, and Detroit, St. Clair, St. Marys and Saginaw rivers. These are critical projects within the Great Lakes Navigation System which provide a significant economic benefit to the Nation.

“We look forward to working with our partners to deliver reliable, innovative solutions that serve all our Great Lakes communities,” Lt. Col Brett Boyle, Detroit District Commander said.

Check out the full details here: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/3327153/presidents-budget-supplies-159-million-for-corps-of-engineers-detroit-district/

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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/

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Historic Duluth lighthouse has a new owner and will soon offer tours

A historic 43-foot-tall lighthouse at the entrance to the Duluth Ship Canal has a new owner.

Rethos, a St. Paul-based historic preservation nonprofit, was awarded the Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Light by the National Park Service last month.

In 2021, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it no longer needed the lighthouse that was built in 1910 at the end of the north breakwater of Duluth’s shipping canal.

It first offered the structure to government agencies, nonprofits or educational groups at no cost. So Rethos submitted an application.

“It seemed kind of crazy to me that we would take over a lighthouse, but it also seemed pretty spectacular to be able to take over a lighthouse, especially one in Duluth on Lake Superior where we could tell that really great story of Duluth,” Rethos executive director Heidi Swank said.

Swank received an email last month informing her that Rethos was the new owner of the lighthouse, she said. She received a hard copy of the letter signed by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland this week.

The group plans to install interpretative signs around the lighthouse and open it to tours starting next summer. Guides will provide education on the history of the structure and the greater Duluth harbor area and its maritime history.

From the lighthouse, “When you look back at the city, you see Duluth go right up the hill, and it’s just this amazing vantage point to be able to tell the story of land and water, and talk about that entire past of Duluth,” said Swank.

But first, she said, the structure will need some work, including a fresh coat of interior point.

She also warns that the lighthouse is small. “It really will fit like four people,” she said.

The Coast Guard still owns the light at the top. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the concrete pier it’s built on. Rethos owns the middle part — the actual lighthouse.

Through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the government periodically offers up lighthouses it no longer needs. If it doesn’t receive suitable applications from government or nonprofit agencies, it offers them for sale to the general public.

That’s what happened in 2019, when a California man purchased the nearby Superior Entry Lighthouse in Superior, Wis. for $159,000, at the end of Wisconsin Point.

Rethos’ new lighthouse is an iconic landmark in Duluth’s Canal Park business district. In its application, the nonprofit wrote it hopes to “turn the light structure into a focal point for the broader historic commercial district. The light tower is well positioned to be a tourist attraction.”

Rethos also plans to open an office in Duluth, which it wants to use to expand its Minnesota Main Streets downtown revitalization program in towns across northern Minnesota.

MPR News

Take a video tour of the Arthur M. Anderson

As the new season approaches, Know Your Ships editor got the chance to tour the 1952-built Arthur M. Anderson while she was in layup at Toledo. View it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-laEqIpCRk8

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A ferry line is a vital link to the mainland for a Lake Superior island. Now, its assets may be sold.

A ferry service that’s a lifeline for residents traveling to and from a Lake Superior island may sell its assets to new owners this year.

Michael Childers, president of the La Pointe Harbor Commission, said negotiations are underway to purchase the Madeline Island Ferry Line‘s assets from two families who own the private ferry service.

“Recently, those families have decided it’s time for them to sell,” Childers said. “When the town learned of that, the town board moved very quickly to establish our harbor commission to start to investigate the possibility of purchasing the assets of the ferry line.”

The Madeline Island Ferry Line has five boats that make nearly 6,000 crossings each year to bring people to Madeline Island from the mainland in Bayfield. The island is a popular tourist destination that draws thousands of visitors during the summer, boosting La Pointe’s year-round population of 430 residents. Childers couldn’t provide exact figures, but he said more than 100,000 people use the ferry line each year.

The commission is looking to buy the ferry line’s boats, equipment and real estate. Childers said they would then subcontract with the ferry line for ongoing maintenance and operations for a duration that has yet to be determined.

Wisconsin Public Radio reached out to the Nelson and Russell families who own the ferry line. Robin Trinko Russell referred all questions to the harbor commission and Arnie Nelson declined to comment.

The commission has submitted an application for $11 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE Grant Program to purchase the ferry line’s assets. Nearly two dozen businesses, nonprofit groups, local governments, agencies and elected leaders have written letters of support for the grant. La Pointe officials have received bipartisan support from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, state Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron, and state Rep. Chanz Green, R-Grandview.

“Securing future ferry service by creating a public utility accountable to the people will open the door to a reliable ferry schedule and passenger and freight pricing options not currently available to the community,” wrote Evers.

Tiffany said any loss of ferry service would jeopardize businesses and residents.

“In addition to tourists and residents, the ferry hauls critical services such as construction and utility repair trucks, EMS and propane tankers,” Tiffany wrote. “There currently is no other option to transport these products.”

The ferry is a vital link for visitors, workers and residents that contributed to the island’s overall estimated economy of $16.9 million in 2022, according to Michael Collins, president of the Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce. He said tax receipts from retail business generated more than $9.7 million last year, and private vacation rentals generated $2.98 million.

While the island makes up 2.7 percent of Ashland County’s population, it accounts for around 20 percent of the county’s property tax revenues at roughly $1.8 million. The town of La Pointe also provides 46 percent of the Bayfield School District’s property tax revenue, according to District Administrator Beth Paap.

“The island has a capacity to be that economic mechanism that funds a lot that goes out on the mainland, curiously enough,” Collins said. “And so, access to and from the island is fundamental to that economy.”

Collins and his family have been living on Madeline Island for five generations. While the ferry ride typically lasts about 20 to 25 minutes, Collins said he feels transported to a different world.

“It’s a time, necessarily, to slow down,” he said. “It gives time to do things that we don’t normally do in the course of the day, and that is to think, to talk with each other, to carry on what, I think, is sort of a marvelous part of island life.”

He said the ferry line is crucial for island residents, who rely on it to carry goods and services from the mainland. As winters grow warmer, Childers said the ferry is becoming an ever more critical piece for accessing the island when ice fails to form.

“The number of years when the ferry is running year-round, including this one, continues to expand,” he said.

The ice road that connects island residents to Bayfield on the mainland has been open about 45 fewer days in the last 150 years.

The commission is currently consulting with legal counsel on contracts and maritime issues, and it’s working with appraisers to determine the value of the ferry line’s boats and real estate. Childers said they’ve also hired a firm to examine the ferry line’s financial operations.

In the meantime, he said officials are still negotiating a purchase price with owners. Childers said additional financing will likely be needed to complete the transaction even if they receive the federal grant. Town officials should learn whether the commission’s grant application has been approved by the end of June. Without it, Childers said they may examine general obligation bonds or revenue bonds to acquire the ferry line’s assets. He said they hope to finalize details in the next three months before placing the purchase before town residents for a vote.

– Wisconsin Public Radio (March 10, 2023)

One of the five boats owned by Madeline Island Ferry Line that are currently up for sale. Wisconsin Public Radio image, n.d.

AGLPA Meetings in Washington DC

This week, members of the American Great Lakes Ports Association met with key leaders and legislators including Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as part of Great Lakes Day held in Washington DC.

Great Lakes ports are critical to the nation’s economy and are dependent on federal sources to fund important infrastructure improvements. The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) is the primary source of federal investment in the nation’s port infrastructure, and can fund components such as dock reconstruction, rail improvements, road access, storage expansion, and modernization of cargo handling equipment. Since the program’s first round of funding in 2019, over $154 million in PIDP grants have been awarded to Great Lakes ports.

The American Great Lakes Ports Association represents the interests of commercial ports and port users on the United States side of the Great Lakes. AGLPA works to influence public policies with the goal of fostering maritime commerce and related employment in the Great Lakes region.

Sam Hankinson

Mackinac Island Ferry Chippewa Set for Electric Transformation

Funds from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Fuel Transformation program will support the conversion of the Chippewa from diesel to electric propulsion.

The conversion will be the first of its kind thanks to the $3.06 million award, and it will bring the ferry to zero-emissions.

Star Line, now known as the Mackinac Island Ferry Company, will replace two 1988 diesel engines with two brand new electric propulsion motors on the Chippewa, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 14,152 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and 887 metric tons of nitrogen oxides over the boat’s lifetime. The project will begin immediately as part of a two- to three-year overhaul that will redesign and modernize the vessel’s hull and appearance.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says, “converting a ferry in the Mackinac fleet to electric will build on our clean-energy leadership and help us achieve the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan to make our state carbon-neutral by 2050. The budget I put forward includes several investments in this space, and today’s ferry grant is another step forward as we build a brighter future for Michigan.”

The grant covers half the cost of the project, which includes installing 1.5 megawatts in shore power infrastructure at the Mackinaw City ferry dock, as electric power upgrades are also planned for the ports of St. Ignace and Mackinac Island.

“This project is a first critical step in the strategy to upgrade and modernize marine transportation in the Straits of Mackinac,” said Director Chris Byrnes of the Mackinac Economic Alliance. “Of course, Mackinac Island is famous for alternative modes of transportation, as cars are not allowed on the island. Everyone walks, rides bikes or horses and, of course, ferry boats, so the island is already a Michigan leader in alternative forms of transportation.”

“We actually have quite a few additional ferries and our plan would be to take that knowledge that we learn by converting to Chippewa and applying it to our other ferries as we go forward with eventually converting pretty much all of our ferries,” Jerry Fetty, CEO of Mackinac Island Ferry Company.

As the primary means of transportation to Mackinac Island, ferries serve about 500 year-round islanders and 750,000 visitors a year, with a summer peak of more than 16,500 a day. During peak months, ferries make up to 125 round trips daily. The 84-foot ferry Chippewa, built in 1962, is expected to carry 250-300 passengers after the electric conversion and MIFC’s concurrent redesign and modernization of the vessel.

The project is the first initiative from the Mackinac Island Transportation Master Plan, conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation as the key piece of a larger initiative to modernize the ferry fleet and freight ships serving the region. That effort includes transition from fossil fuels, supported by creating local shipbuilding and servicing jobs and a marine industry training hub. The long-term goal is to transition all 138 Upper Great Lakes ships in the 50- to 200-ton range to electric or hybrid-electric power.

In a related move in January, plans to build a new, more efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly Charlevoix-to-Beaver Island passenger ferry advanced with a $6.63 million federal grant added to a previous $14 million investment from the state.

9&10 News

Coast Guard news releases

The following announcements are all from the United States Coast Guard within the last few days:

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Captain of the Port Lake Michigan will open the Regulated Navigation Area encompassing southern Green Bay Tuesday, March 14 at 7 a.m. CST.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Monday March 13, 2023 the Coast Guard starts breaking ice in the lower St Marys River in preparation for the 2023 Great Lakes commercial
shipping season.

Initially the icebreaking activity will focus on the lower St Marys River, south of Munuscong (Mud) Lake and the Middle Neebish Channel north and east of Neebish Island. As the week progresses, the Coast Guard will extend this icebreaking activity into the southern half of the West Neebish Channel, working from Mud Lake Junction Light north to Moon Island. The Coast Guard will not disturb the ice south of West Neebish Channel Light 45, above the Ferry crossing, or the ice north of Moon Island, below the Ferry crossing.

In the coming weeks, as the March 25th scheduled opening of the Sault Locks approaches, icebreaking activities will encompass all navigable waters of the St Marys River. Recreational users of the ice should plan their activities carefully, use caution near the ice, and stay away from charted navigation areas. If you have questions about local or regional icebreaking activities, you may contact the Vessel Traffic Service at (906) 635-3232 or via email at SOOTFC@USCG.MIL.

World Ship Society report of casualties, demolitions

Vessels with a Great Lakes / Seaway connection reported as a casualty or sold for demolition. Taken from March 2023 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society.

Casualty: ONEGO TRAVELLER (92555725) – First Seaway transit 2019 (BABY LEEYN-18, JANA-17, CHANDRA KIRANA-02) – 6,301 / 2002 general cargo ship – Antigua & Barbuda flag – owned by Tudor Shipping, Antigua & Barbuda, took on water in ballast tank and sank in shallow water in the Northeastern Providence Channel off Great Abaco, the Bahamas on 29.12.2022. The 12-man crew got safely ashore with the tops of the superstructure and masts remaining above water. She was carrying fertilizer and steel products from Torino, Finland and New Orleans.

Sold for Demolition: HOLIDAY ISLAND (70041431; Canada) (launched as WILLIAM POPE) – 3,037 / 1971 passenger, ro-ro ship (vehicles) – 1st seaway passage 1971 – By Government of Canada (Transport Canada) (Northumberland Ferries Ltd), Canada to MacIsaac Construction Ltd. and arrived Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia 22.12.2022 – commenced demolition

31.12.2022 (built at Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, ON)

MANISTEE (5294307; Canada) (RICHARD REISS-05, RICHARD J. REISS-92, ADIRONDACK-43) – 10,516 / 1943 – bulk carrier self-discharging laker. By Grand River Navigation Co. Inc. to MRC Corp., and arrived Port Colborne, ON, 30.03.2022

Report compiled by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp

Know Your Ships survey

Know Your Ships is asking readers to take a short survey to help chart their future course. You can take the quick survey by clicking this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYyWupfE5-AE8Bjss9g2YWVnsZIjlnOFW9LujpoAvFW-KK3Q/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&fbclid=IwAR1sXSvH6h0iiVBuq4rQHYgX25uWzInthKQdqiRXIPuBTjfiDRY7eEeR9Jo

U.S. Coast Guard to deactivate Saginaw Bay regulated navigation area

DETROIT – The U.S. Coast Guard will deactivate the Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Thursday at 5 p.m.

The RNA will be deactivated due to a less than expected ice season and limited to no ice buildup in Saginaw Bay. Additionally, weather forecasts for the remainder of the 2023 ice season are not favorable for any significant ice formation or conducive to on-ice recreation

More information on the RNA process can be found in the Federal Register at
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/08/11/2017-16997/great-lakesregulated-navigation-areas-and-safety-zones.

USCG

Know Your Ships survey

Know Your Ships is asking readers to take a short survey to help chart their future course. You can take the quick survey by clicking this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYyWupfE5-AE8Bjss9g2YWVnsZIjlnOFW9LujpoAvFW-KK3Q/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&fbclid=IwAR1sXSvH6h0iiVBuq4rQHYgX25uWzInthKQdqiRXIPuBTjfiDRY7eEeR9Jo

Anglers, others asked to avoid ice-breaking areas

DULUTH –Anglers and others who use the ice on the Great Lakes for recreation are asked to use caution beginning Monday.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter SPAR plans to sail from its dock in Duluth in support of an oil recovery exercise.

According to a Coast Guard press release, a track through the ice will start at the Duluth Harbor Entrance. It will then proceed east, down the Superior Front Channel, to the Superior Entrance.

Coast Guard Cutter SPAR will monitor VHF Channel 16 throughout each ice-breaking evolution.

All snowmobile, all terrain vehicle operators, and other recreational users of the ice are asked to avoid associated shipping channels, plan their activity carefully and use caution near the ice.

Ice fishermen, especially, should use caution when placing their ice shacks in proximity to these shipping channels.

More information is available at Sault Vessel Traffic Service at 906- 635-3232 or at SOOTFC@USCG.MIL

The Mining Journal

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