Cleveland-Cliffs extends closure of Northshore Mining until April

SILVER BAY, MN – Cleveland-Cliffs, which operates four taconite mines and processing plants on Minnesota’s Iron Range, announced Friday it plans to keep its Northshore Mining facility closed until at least April, 2023.

Cliffs first idled Northshore on May 1, resulting in the layoff of about 410 of the 580 employees who work at the open pit mine outside the small town of Babbitt and the giant pellet plant along the shore of Lake Superior in Silver Bay.

The company is embroiled in a royalty dispute with Mesabi Trust, which owns the mineral rights where the iron ore is mined.

In a conference call with investors, Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said with the increased use of scrap at its steelmaking facilities, it doesn’t need the taconite pellets produced at Northshore at this time.

“We are extending the ongoing idle at our Northshore swing facility until at least April of next year,” Goncalves said.

“Rather than deplete this finite resource for the benefit of the Mesabi Trust … we’ll keep Northshore idle until we decide otherwise.”

Three years ago Cliffs spent more than $100 million to upgrade the Northshore facility in Silver Bay to produce DR-grade pellets, which are used to make a kind of iron ore feedstock that’s needed to supply electric arc furnaces, a newer kind of mill that now dominates the nation’s steel industry.

But Cliffs has since shifted its DR-pellet production to the Minorca Mine in nearby Virginia, Minn., which it acquired when it purchased another steel company, ArcelorMittal USA, in 2020.

“I feel like it’s a blow to my gut,” said Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich. “Belts are going to be tightening up all over the Range.”

Zupancich said this news affects more than just Babbitt and Silver Bay and the laid off workers. Everyone “knows someone who works at the mine or is affected by it,” she said.

The temporary closure was originally expected to last until at least September. Now Zupancich said there’s just a lot of uncertainty.

MPR News

Great Lakes steel production slips by 16,000 tons

Great Lakes steel production fell by 16,000 tons, while steel capacity utilization ticked up last week, 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 549,000 tons of metal in the week that ended Oct. 1, down up from 565,000 tons the previous week.

Steel mills remained below 80% capacity, a key threshold they operated at for most of last year, following the latest wave of industry consolidation, imposition of blanket tariffs of 25%, strong demand and generally favorable market conditions. Imports have been rising again after steel prices soared to record highs.

Overall, domestic steel mills made 1.7 million tons of steel last week, up 1% from 1.683 million tons the previous week and down 7.6% compared to 1.839 million tons the same time a year prior.

Nationally, steel production in 2022 totals 68.118 million tons, a 4.1% decrease from 71.047 million tons through the same period last year.

U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 79.6% through Oct. 1, down from 81% at the same point in 2021, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Steel capacity utilization, a key metric of the industry’s profitability, was 77.1% last week, down from 83.3% a year earlier but up from 76.4% a week prior.

Steel production in the southern region, which encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, totaled 746,000 tons last week, up from 715,000 tons the week before, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Volume in the rest of the Midwest ticked up to 196,000 tons, up from 194,000 tons the week prior.

NWI Times

Tug to assist saltie Solina to Milwaukee for repairs

 On Friday evening, the tug Meredith Ashton arrived alongside the saltwater cargo vessel Solina, which had been stopped off Manistee, MI, with engine problems since Thursday. She will be towed to the heavy lift dock in Milwaukee for repairs. Solina is operated by the Polish company Polsteam.

Book Seaway Queens salutes iconic ship design

MONTREAL, QC – The Lakers that ply the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway are the workhorse ships of the waterway, tirelessly supplying industry with the raw materials needed to build and sustain the North American heartland. Earlier versions of the vessels did so with a certain panache, uniquely constructed for inland shipping and borrowing from trends in industrial design and even art. The pinnacle of their aesthetic
was the mid-20th Century, an era when form and function weren’t mutually exclusive, as explored in a beautiful new coffee table book.

Seaway Queens, The Style & Grace of Legendary Lakers tells the story of the iconic freshwater fleet praised and respected for the essential role its played across the wider Great Lakes region, and beloved in the individual towns and communities on the lakes and rivers where the ships are fixtures. The book spans the earliest days of marine through to the modern era with 10 themed chapters discussing major changes and developments in areas such as technology, fleet renewal and the environment.

“It was a fun book to design, research and write, and we intentionally added elements to make it a bit different, including stories that have not already been told and graphic elements and features that aren’t necessarily typical in books on shipping,” said author Jim McRae. “A bonus was having renown naval architect Joseph Fischer pen the forward. The overall objective was to give readers something special, including our
companion app that makes the images on the pages come alive through video. It’s a fun and exciting technology and really enhances the experience.”

Seaway Queens key features:
• More than 130 museum and private collection photos
• Signature Art Deco-inspired design and layout
• Engaging storytelling, including interviews with sailors, industry executives and experts
• Custom app that transforms printed images to videos on readers’ smartphones
• So much more…

“There is a lot going on within the pages of the book, but the stars of the show are
definitely the ships,” said McRae.

While the ETA for Seaway Queens is the end of October, pre-order purchases are currently possible at seawayqueens.com Copies of the book will also be available at marine museums and bookstores across the
Great Lakes; a list will be posted online prior to launch.

Extremely low water levels on St. Lawrence have forced the IJC to take action

ROCHESTER, NY – The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board (ILOSLR) will be reducing outflow through the Moses-Saunders dam this weekend to give boaters on Lake St. Lawrence an opportunity to remove their boats from the water.

The lake has been hovering at record-low levels all summer, making boating difficult. It sits directly at the mouth of the Moses-Saunders dam, where outflow along St. Lawrence is regulated.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/extremely-low-water-levels-on-the-st-lawrence-have-forced-the-ijc-to-take-action/

Obituary: Capt. Arn Kristensen

Capt. Arn Kristensen passed away Oct. 1 at his Florida home. He was 95.

Arn grew up in northern Norway at the end of a peninsula where his extended family had a small farm and fished.  As soon as World War II ended, he began sailing, first on coastal steamers and then deep sea.  After a couple of years, he emigrated to Duluth where he had relatives and started sailing the lakes.

He worked his way up the hawsepipe, and when Erie Sand Steamship Co. bought the Alpena, he went along with the boat and it soon became his first command.  Over the years he sailed all of Erie Sand’s large vessels, retiring about 1990. During his sailing years he lived in Dearborn Heights, MI, Marblehead and Danbury Twp. OH.  In retirement it was St. James City and Bokeeelia, FL.

Arn is survived his wife Deloris, daughter Sonja of Danbury Twp., OH and son David of Bokeelia, FL. Arn was a member of the American Legion and Moose and a former member of the International Shipmasters Association and the Elks. Information on services is not yet available.

Ocean Group In. (Quebec) has acquired The Verreault shipyard.

The Méchins shipyard, founded in 1956 by Borromée Verreault and then managed by his daughter Denise Verreault for around thirty years, transferred into the hands of Groupe Océan, which specializes in dredging and shipbuilding.

The Quebec company, whose head office is in Quebec City, is adding a second ship repair and transformation site to its varied maritime service offering.

The company intends to consolidate the Méchins shipyard and ensures that it will continue to grow.

Over the years, due to health problems, Denise Verreault had delegated the management of her business to the President and Chief Operating Officer, Richard Beaupré. The latter believes that the transaction was the best way to envision the future and the sustainability of the company.

With this acquisition, Ocean Group adds to its expertise a large-scale dry dock that will allow it to develop projects within the framework of the Canadian government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

In addition to construction and dredging, Groupe Océan offers port towage, maritime transport and ship repair services.

The 100 or so workers from Les Méchins will join the 1,000 employees of Groupe Océans in facilities located in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and the Caribbean.

Groupe Océans is a private company that includes the Caisse de depot et placement du Québec and the Solidarity FundFTQamong its shareholders.

The amount of the transaction was not disclosed.

Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours rocks Sault docks during color tour

A few short months after Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours announced Scott LaBonte’s succession to general manager, its boats are rocking Sault Ste. Marie docks.

AM GOLD Duo of The American Band is what you may have heard if walking along the St. Marys River on Thursday evening. Frank Gillotte and Jim Belleau played country and easy rock for a boat full of sightseers, as Captain Larry Spencer set off on a two-hour color tour.

“This is just something really nice for people to do, so they can see the fall colors,” said Gillotte, excited to be part of the changes to come.

Miranda Sharp and Patrick Meister of Portland, MI came to the Sault looking to get away. “This is our second day here,” said Sharp. “We wanted to go on a Soo Locks tour, but thought this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is beautiful weather to go out on the water.” Others, like Ron and Theda Williams of Charlevoix just wanted to cut loose and have a “wild, crazy time.”

Present general manager Rich Brawley certainly enjoyed himself, laughing and socializing with passengers. “Younger people came up with this idea,” he said. “It’s something we may continue doing.” Wife Carol Brawley nodded in agreement, pleased to see the boat so full of people having a good time. “We want to start doing more interesting things to engage the community,” she said. “Our area is so gorgeous and so beautiful. We love to let people explore from the water. Several young people on our board of directors have been coming up with more ways to engage residents. We are excited about the future.”

LaBonte’s long-term goal is to get locals reacquainted with the water, land, and industry that sets Sault Ste. Marie apart.

“I think people can sometimes take our beautiful area for granted, and forget how much is really here,” said LaBonte.

Brawley, who just turned 76-years-old, was more than ready to hand LaBonte the wheel. “I just want a little more time in Florida and to hunt and travel,” Brawley said. “It’s been a wonderful career that I have thoroughly enjoyed.”

After 42 years, not just anyone could take over. “We were delighted to find Scott,” Mrs. Brawley added. “He is everything we were looking for.”

On the same same day as the tour, news broke that LaBonte was appointed to the Michigan State Waterways Commission by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. LaBonte will represent people residing north of Townline 16 in the Upper Peninsula for a term that will run from Sept. 29, 2022 to Sept. 18, 2025. LaBonte will succeed Patrick Egan, whose term expired on Sept. 18.

Be sure to check the Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours website for scheduling and other information. Its physical address is 515 East Portage Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Its phone number is 906-632-2512.

Soo Leader

Great Lakes freighter built in Door County advances to next round of ‘Coolest Things’ contest

MADISON, WI – The 639-foot-long Great Lakes freighter built in Door County is still in the running for the 2022 “Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin” contest.

The M/V Mark W. Barker, built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, advanced to the Round of 8 in the annual Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce-sponsored contest by outpolling Aerozen Advanced Performance Coating System, an exterior coating made by Hentzen Coatings of Milwaukee that, among other uses, helps beautify and protect the exterior of the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels Super Hornet fighter aircraft.

The contest opened with 121 nominated products that were narrowed to a top 16 for the first round of what WMC calls “Manufacturing Madness,” which pits each product head-to-head against another in a bracket format. Online public voting determined the winners of each matchup, which were announced Oct. 5.

Read the full article here: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-co/2022/10/05/door-county-built-great-lakes-freighter-advances-wmc-coolest-things-contest/8190505001/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwAR19SUaLdqSKUMS7obip7bhaN7o16klDtTDE3xPxHCR48GI3qD537DNlF8Y

Green Bay Press Gazette

Canadian Coast Guard names light icebreaker – the CCGS Judy LaMarsh

PRESCOTT, ON – Ensuring that Canadian Coast Guard personnel have the equipment they need to keep Canada’s waterways navigable is a key priority for the Canadian Coast Guard. The Canadian Coast Guard recently purchased a light icebreaker that will supplement its operations in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, and Atlantic regions.

Today, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Gerretsen, officially announced that the Canadian Coast Guard’s newest light icebreaker has been named the CCGS Judy LaMarsh.

Parliamentary Secretary Gerretsen, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, was joined by Fernando Mojica, Senior Director of the Fleet, Central Region of the Canadian Coast Guard in the name unveiling ceremony at the Canadian Coast Guard Base in Prescott, Ontario.

The Honourable Judy LaMarsh was one of the first women to serve as a federal Cabinet Minister, as Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of Amateur Sport (1963-1965). She was instrumental in the development of innovative federal programs, including Medicare and the Canada Pension Plan. While serving as Canada’s Secretary of State (1965-1968), the Honourable Judy LaMarsh helped to establish the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. In recognition of her many years of service, the Honourable Judy LaMarsh was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1980.

Following a competitive process, the Canadian Coast Guard announced the purchase of a light icebreaker from Atlantic Towing Limited in November 2021. This vessel — now named the CCGS Judy LaMarsh — is currently undergoing design and conversion work at the Canadian Coast Guard’s Prescott Base. The vessel will be ready to serve Canadians as early as the 2022-2023 icebreaking season, allowing other vessels to undergo important maintenance and life extension work as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Upon joining the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet, the CCGS Judy LaMarsh will perform icebreaking duties as well as tend to the navigational buoys in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, and Atlantic regions. In addition, the vessel will be available for search and rescue and other emergency response operations when needed.

News Wire CA

‘Dowbound Discussions’ podcast will focus on seaway system and Great Lakes

A new podcast focusing on shipping along the St. Lawrence Seaway system launches Monday.

Also known as The Ship Watcher, Clayton, N.Y.-based Michael Folsom said the “Downbound Discussions” podcast features a unique and insightful perspective on the many aspects of the seaway system and lower Great Lakes, the region’s countless assets and events, as well as the people in and around the shipping industry.

“The idea is to bring ship enthusiasts another step closer to the mesmerizing vessels so often seen along the St. Lawrence, while also highlighting what the seaway has to offer — from beautiful landscapes to exciting community events and, most importantly, making connections with the people that play a role in it all so that it can be a little more real than just a name or photo on social media,” said Folsom in a release.

He said he wants to provide listeners with behind-the-scene looks they may not get otherwise.

Episode 1, set to be released on Oct., 3 will feature Port of Oswego executive director Bill Scriber and shipmate-turned-cookbook author Catherine Schmuck.

The port is on the eastern end of the American side of Lake Ontario. Folsom said Scriber, a military veteran, took the helm of the facility in December 2017.

“In addition, he has been integral in securing funding for new projects at the port, including grain storage, windmill off-loading and aluminum ingots for nearby Novelis,” the release said.

Schmuck is known for archiving her journeys aboard ships on Facebook — facebook.com/ShipToShoreChef — while serving as a relief cook. She has sold 4,000 copies of her cookbook “Ship to Shore Chef.”

Episode 2 of the podcast brings things closer to the Niagara region with a discussion on the Welland Canal collision involving McKeil Marine’s Florence Spirit and dship Carriers’ M/V Alanis July 11, 2020. Taking about the incident is an investigator from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and Roger LeLievre, editor of the ship-watching guide “Know Your Ships.”

Episode 3 will be dedicated to the former Wolfe Island ferry, which operated between Kingston and Wolfe Island, and Canadian Empress cruise ship captain Brian Johnson, who has written several real-life experience stories over the years published online and in print.

Folsom expects to release two podcasts a month.

Information on the podcast can be found on “Downbound Discussions” Facebook page — facebook.com/groups/345824224336499 and St. Lawrence Seaway Ship Watchers Facebook page — facebook.com/groups/49428348655.

It’s available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

Welland Tribune

One group has biggest role in Erie’s most valuable property. How the Erie Port Authority works

The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority promotes industrial, commercial and recreational opportunities on Erie’s bayfront, according to its website.

The authority, located at 1 Holland St., is also a landlord to both a shipbuilder and a shipping facility and is the entity that ensures public access to the bayfront.

“I don’t think people know how expansive it (the port authority) is, and how much we really do,” said Dave Zimmer, president of ErieBank and chairman of the Port Authority’s board.

“Whether it’s as a landlord or as an operating company, if you take a ride down State Street today compared to what it looked like three years ago, the amount of development we’ve had down there is substantial.”

While the port authority owns many properties on the bayfront, the majority of them are leased to individual tenants.

“We lease out the Bicentennial Tower to an individual entity, the Land Lighthouse to another,” Zimmer said. “Bay Harbor East and West as well as Perry’s Landing Marina, the port authority owns those properties, but we lease those out to businesses as well.”

Two of the most prominent leases include Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair and the Carmeuse Terminal. Donjon shipyard, 220 E. Bayfront Parkway in Erie, is only one of two dry docks on the Great Lakes capable of dry-docking 1,000-foot self-unloading vessels.

“They’re a little seasonal, but they’re doing work year-round,” Zimmer said. “Sometimes these boats are so big they’re here for over a year.”

The Carmeuse Terminal, 2 East Bay Drive, partners with other companies to bring in bulk material, lake vessels and heavy equipment for construction. In 2021, vessels delivered more than 780,000 tons of goods and materials — the equivalent of 39,000 20-ton truckloads — at the Carmeuse facility.

The port authority owns and maintains Lampe Campground and Lampe Marina, which Zimmer described as a year-round endeavor.

Go Erie

New seaway focused podcast set to launch October 3

CLAYTON, NY – Anchors Up! We’re underway… a new regionally based podcast focusing on shipping along the St. Lawrence Seaway will launch on Monday, October 3.

Downbound Discussions, a podcast hosted by Michael Folsom, also known as The Ship Watcher, will feature a unique and insightful perspective on the many aspects of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the region’s countless assets and events, as well as the people in and around the shipping industry.

Episode One of Downbound Discussion is set to be released on October 3 and will feature Port of Oswego’s Executive Director, Bill Scriber, and shipmate-turned-cookbook author, Catherine Schmuck.

Scriber, a military veteran, took the helm of the Port of Oswego in December 2017 and has helped to lead the Port to 3 Seaway Pacesetter Awards. In addition, he has been integral in securing funding for new projects at the Port, including grain storage, windmill offloading, and aluminum ingots for nearby Novelis.

Schmuck is perhaps best known for archiving her journeys aboard ships on Facebook while serving as a relief cook. In addition, she has a popular cookbook, Ship To Shore Chef, which she has toured upstate New York and Ontario promoting this year when not sailing. Her book signings have been known to consist of long lines and to date nearly 4,000 copies of the book have been sold.

“The idea is to bring ship enthusiasts another step closer to the mesmerizing vessels so often seen along the St. Lawrence, while also highlighting what the Seaway has to offer – from beautiful landscapes to exciting community events, and most importantly, making connections with the people that play a role in it all so that it can be a little more real than just a name or photo on social media,” said Folsom. “I want to be able to provide folks with that behind-the-scenes look that you might not get otherwise.”

Podcast episodes are expected to be released twice a month, though October will have at least 3.

Aside from the inaugural show, Episode Two will include an interview with an investigator from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada regarding the 2020 collision in the Welland Canal, plus Roger LeLievre, editor of the popular ship watching guide, Know Your Ships. Episode Three will be dedicated solely to former Wolfe Island ferry and Canadian Empress cruise ship captain, Brian Johnson, who has written several real-life experience stories over the years that have been published both online and in print.

Downbound Discussions will be available via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, and Amazon Music.

Information on the podcast can be found on Facebook via Downbound Discussions and/or St. Lawrence Seaway Ship Watchers group pages.

Obituary: Capt. Bruce D. Dunlap

Capt. Bruce D. Dunlap, 65 of Marysville, MI, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Lake Huron Medical Center in Port Huron, MI. He was most recently captain of the motor vessel American Century for over 10 years. He joined ASC in 1979.

Bruce worked for the Great Lakes ore boats for over 40 years, 20 years as a captain. He enjoyed sailing, boating, golfing, fishing, watching / feeding birds and watching the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Tigers.

He was born on Dec. 3, 1956 in Ashland, WI the son of Walter J. and Louise A. (Janigo) Dunlap. He is survived by his daughter, Kirsten McAuliffe of Ashland; mother, Louise Dunlap of Ashland; significant other, Karen O’Connor of Port Huron, MI; many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Walter “Jerry” Dunlap on Aug. 25, 2018.

A Memorial Service for Bruce will be held at 11 a.m., on Wed. Oct. 5, 222 at the Mountain Funeral Home in Ashland, WI, with Father Jerome D’Souza as officiant. A gathering of family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home and continue until the hour of service. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date in Port Huron, MI.

Obituary:  Ronald Raymond Ingram

Past International Shipmasters Association Grand President Ron Ingram passed away at the age of 93 on Sept. 13 after a brief illness.

Ron’s love of the water reigned supreme. He joined the Merchant Marine after exiting the Navy. While on a tugboat in Lake Erie, he also survived a sinking. He worked his way up in the wheelhouse and captained three separate ships for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the R/V Rachel Carson, the R/V Roger Simons and the R/V Lake Guardian.

During his 19 years as captain, he also proudly served as a member of the International Ship Masters’ Association Detroit Lodge #7. He was Detroit Lodge president in 1979 and was honored to be named Grand Lodge President in 1991, the 100th Anniversary of the ISMA. He retired from sailing in 1996. In 1994, his fellow lodge members honored him with the Lewis Ludington Award.

Ron spent his childhood in the greater Detroit area but learned the lessons of hard work by spending his summers on his family’s farm in upstate New York.

After graduating from University of Detroit High School in 1947, Ron enlisted in the U.S. Navy from 1948 through 1952. A member of Patrol Squadron VP731, Ron flew as a flight engineer on PBY and PBM seaplanes and proudly served his country during the Korean War. He survived two separate plane crashes, one in the Detroit River while stationed in Grosse Ile and one in Manila Bay in the Philippines. As a result of that crash, all his flight records were lost. Decades later, however, Ron’s service was recognized, and he finally received the Navy Air Medal that completed his ribbon rack. Receiving this medal was one of his proudest moments.

Ron embarked on many business ventures with his brothers over the years. This included him spending several years mining quartz in Canada, often bringing his oldest children along on his business trips that doubled as family vacations. This stone business paved the way to his interest in the water, as he tagged along on numerous tugboat and barge trips to bring the stone back to Detroit.

The family will welcome visitors at Harry J. Will Funeral Home, 37000 Six Mile Road, Livonia, MI on Thursday, September 15 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. A Rosary will be said at 4 p.m. A Mass of Catholic burial will be held on Friday, September 16 at 10:30 a.m at St. Colette Catholic Church. A graveside service will follow at Holy Sepluchre Cemetery in Southfield.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Smile Train at donate.smiletrain.org or The Charles A. Main Pediatric Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program, c/o The Beaumont Foundation, 26901 Beaumont Blvd., Southfield, MI 48033.

Blast from the past: Boblo Boat, Ste. Claire, could be ready for public in a year

Generations of Detroiters have a soft spot in their hearts for Boblo Island and the Boblo Boats. Many thought the Detroit icons were a thing of the past following the fire on the Ste. Claire in 2018. However, renovations are ongoing, and the public might be able to visit a Boblo Boat again soon.

Stephen Faraj’s family owns the Ste. Claire Boblo Boat, and he gave 7 Action News a sneak peek.

He walked around the boat pointing out original equipment like the steam engine, the smokestack, the steering wheel, the air compressor, and the dance area.

“Right here is where the infamous dance floor would have been. We’re pretty much standing on it. Right in front of the smokestack there is where the DJ booth would have been,” explained Faraj.

The main level’s floor needed to be remade following the fire. Each level is being reinforced with steel framing. Faraj estimates his family has put over a million dollars into the project already. He explained why the project is so important to his family.

“This is something that my family grew up riding and doing. This is our childhood memories, is going to Boblo’s,” Faraj explained. Plus, he knows he is not alone in that nostalgia. “People telling me about how they worked on the Boblo Boat, their school trip was on the Boblo Boat, they got married or engaged on the Boblo Boat, their first kiss is on the Boblo Boat.”

Aaron Schillinger, the director of the new film “Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale” said people have been reaching out from just about everywhere with their Boblo boat stories. “This guy from California told me that his girlfriend, he remembers being dumped on the Boblo Boat and riding the Ferris wheel, completely broken hearted,” related Schillinger.

He said people need to keep in mind that not only Detroiters went to the boat.

“Detroit was a big tourist destination. So you got to figure that people would come from all over the country and maybe the world, go to Detroit and then when they got here, one of the best things that everyone told them to do was go to Boblo. It was part of the whole experience of being a Detroiter,” said Schillinger.

He knows how cemented the boats are in the history of the city.

“They’re as Detroit as Faygo, Better Made Potato Chips,” said Schillinger.

So, when might the public get the chance to indulge their childhood nostalgia?

“We want to get people on-board as soon as possible. You know there is a chance people could be on board as early as next year. You know she might not be totally at that point, but she’ll still be the boat,” said Stephen Faraj.

WXYZ 

After nearly two dozen ships, Milwaukee cruise ship season nears the end

MILWAUKEE, WI – It’s near the end of the cruise ship season in Milwaukee.

This weekend, three cruise ships made their way into the city’s port, one being the Viking cruise ship. It marked one of the final ships of the 2022 season and the last Viking cruise of the season.

The Viking ship was docked at Port Milwaukee and ready to let passengers off to enjoy a slice of Wisconsin on Sunday.

“We have been planning for about four years for this season, so to see everything coming to a conclusion now is personally, very gratifying,” President of Great Lakes Shore Excursions Theresa Nemetz said.

Nemetz is in charge of getting guests from around the world to all the beautiful places in Milwaukee during their stay.

“We have had literally thousands of passengers, which means thousands of dollars in our communities every weekend with these cruse ships. It’s been an amazing opportunity to put Milwaukee on the map and be able to shine,” Nemetz said.

Over 300 passengers are able to board a bus and take in the sights of Milwaukee while learning the history of the Cream City.

Aboard the Viking ship were two couples who were friends from California. They said they’re using this trip to reconnect with each other while getting their first look at Milwaukee.

“The mansions are beautiful and this lighthouse is very charming,” passenger Wendy Boehm said.

The group said they may not have made it to Milwaukee if it wasn’t for their cruise ship trip.

“I never thought of coming to the Great Lakes or to Milwaukee, and I’m glad we did. This has been wonderful,” passenger Josette Claverie said.

Throughout the season, nearly two dozen cruises have made their way into Milwaukee, bringing in thousands. The final ship will come through the city in October.

While this season is soon coming to a close, the shore excursion group is already planning for the next season.

Spectrum News 1

S.T. Crapo towed out of Green Bay

GREEN BAY, WI – One of the oldest ships still floating on the Great Lakes is being hauled away to be scrapped.

The S.T. Crapo, built in 1927, has been docked at Lafarge on the west bank of the Fox River in Green Bay for 25 years where it was used as a cement storage barge. To make room for Lafarge’s storage expansion on land, the vessel was sold to a Canadian company, Marine Recycling Corp., to be scrapped in Port Colborne, Ontario – just west of Buffalo, on Lake Erie.

On Friday morning, crews tugged the S.T. Crapo out of port, changing the landscape of the area.

“All the metals recovered from the ship will be made into new metal, using industrial furnaces with energy savings of approximately 80%, as compared to making metal from virgin ores and, metal is infinitely recyclable. She may next appear as vehicle components!” according to Wayne Elliott, co-founder of MRC.

Fox11News

Nearly 100-year-old ship docked in Green Bay to be scrapped

GREEN BAY, WI – The days are numbered for one of the oldest ships still floating on the Great Lakes, which has called Green Bay home for 25 years.

The S.T. Crapo, built in 1927, has been docked at Lafarge on the west bank of the Fox River in Green Bay, where it has served as cement storage barge, according to boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/, which tracks Great Lakes shipping.

However, Lafarge is expanding its storage facilities on land, and the Crapo is expected to be tugged out of port Friday, according to Port Director Dean Haen.

The vessel was sold to a Canadian company, Marine Recycling Corp., to be scrapped in Port Colborne, Ontario – just west of Buffalo, on Lake Erie.

“All the metals recovered from the ship will be made into new metal, using industrial furnaces with energy savings of approximately 80%, as compared to making metal from virgin ores and, metal is infinitely recyclable. She may next appear as vehicle components!” according to Wayne Elliott, co-founder of MRC.

The ship weighs about 4,000 tons, according to Elliott.

According to BoatNerd’s history of the ship, the Crapo was named in honor of Sanford Tappan Crapo, a co-founder of the Huron Portland Cement Co. It was just the second purpose-built self-unloading bulk cement carrier. It was removed from active service in 1996, and was subsequently was docked in Green Bay. The Crapo made one last voyage in 2005, when it was towed to Alpena, Mich., to pick up a load of cement.

Fox 11 News

Canadian pilots needed

See gallery below

Wind tower project wraps up at the Port of Monroe

MONROE, MI – Yesterday, the Port of Monroe is celebrating the completion of a wind tower project that saw 90 wind tower sections move on an all-marine route to Oswego, New York.

The towers were manufactured by Monroe-based Ventower Industries, the only active wind turbine tower manufacturer in the United States located at a Port. The Port’s terminal operator, DRM Terminal Services, worked with Capital City Crane group crews to efficiently load the components at the Port’s riverfront dock. The towers were delivered to Oswego by the tug Meredith Ashton of Ashton Marine, where they are being staged with other components for a renewable energy project site in upstate New York.

The Port of Monroe was designated as part of the Marine Highway Route M-90 in 2016 by the U.S. Maritime Administration. This project is just one example of how the Port and its stakeholders are working to expand the use of America’s navigable waterways.

Port of Monroe 

Cruise industry rebounds in Great Lakes: ‘If you build it, they will come’

MUSKEGON, MI – Cruise the Great Lakes is having a record year, as passengers return by the thousands to Midwest cruise lines.

“I think that inability to travel made people even more desirous to go traveling through cruising,” said Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan. “There was this real pent-up demand.”

In their first full season since the pandemic began, the group found an all-time high of nearly 150,000 passengers visiting Great Lakes ports, up 25 percent from 2019.

“It is growing,” Lorenz said. “It’s getting more people to come here to spend some time and some significant amount of money here as well. And that helps us to grow and retain jobs in our region.”

Former Gov. Rick Snyder helped launch Cruise the Great Lakes in 2018. It’s an international partnership designed to bring more people to the lakes, boosting Michigan’s tourism.

“We felt if we could get them to come to the Great Lakes to get a sample of what they could enjoy, if they were to come here for a week or two, or even come here for school as an investment or to live here, we felt like we could really benefit from it,” Lorenz said. “All of us.”

They say it’s a boon for cities like Muskegon — a frequent stop on the trips — and its local businesses.

“This has been a great boost for Muskegon’s tourism,” said Cindy Larsen, president of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. “We’re being exposed to a group of people who may never have even heard of us. But they’re coming to our community for the first time and they love everything that they see and do here.” Lorenz agreed with Larsen.

“They love this port,” Lorenz said. “In fact, some of them say Muskegon is their favorite port because of the way Muskegon folks treat them. They know they’re welcome here. They will come here, they’ll check out the historic sights, maybe they’ll take a motorcoach to Holland, eventually some of them will go to Grand Rapids and a place like Meijer Gardens. They want to see different things that they can’t just see anywhere.”

New customs facilities in Duluth and Cleveland are making the process smoother for passengers, joining existing facilities in Detroit and Sault Ste. Marie. Lorenz said it helps reduce wait times, which sometimes ran for hours in the past.

The cruise season for Cruise the Great Lakes runs from early April to late October. Prices range depending on the duration and route of the trip, with nine ships operating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

Holland is hoping to bring cruise ships back to port in Lake Macatawa soon, with initial plans in the works by a local developer for 108 units of housing across four buildings, plus a 50-room hotel, marina with private and transient slips, a “boat-watching plaza,” a restaurant and ice cream shop and a docking area for cruise ships.

“If you build it, they will come,” Lorenz said.

Holland Sentinel

Optimistic Outlook for the Remainder of the Seaway Shipping Season

During the month of August, 3.46 million tons of cargo moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, bringing the year-to-date total to nearly 19.2 million tons shipped. While tonnage transported on the Seaway system is below the year-to-date total for 2021, total vessel transits remain stable for the same period. This shows that the Seaway is ready to respond to the opportunities between now and the end of the season, including Canadian grain shipments that could lead to a comeback this fall.

“This year, U.S grains, which includes corn, soybeans and seeds is up by 29% and all signs point to a strong Canadian crop, particularly in Ontario. This could offset the early season slow-down that we’ve experienced.” said Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

While Canadian grain is still down 26%, salt, petroleum products, petcoke and potash continue well ahead of 2021 levels. For the year, shipments of petroleum products are up 40% to more than 1.5 million tons, petcoke shipments have increased more than 31% to 1.15 million tons and potash shipments are up more than 267% at 756,000 tons. Year-to-year shipments of windmill equipment is also up.

The Port of Thunder Bay reports that potash exports hit a modern monthly record of more than 218,000 tons in August, bringing the total for the year (through August) to 852,653 tons.

“Surpassing the 30-year annual high for potash is certainly a landmark for the port,” said Port of Thunder Bay CEO Tim Heney. “As for grain shipments, we anticipate seeing the arrival of the Prairie grain crop during September, with crop production expected to exceed 2021 volume by at least 30%.”

Activity at Port Windsor is picking up with total tonnage growing 5.6% over the same time period last year. “Grain continues at a strong pace, while salt has fully recovered with production out of its new seam at the mine,” said Steve Salmons, Windsor Port Authority President and CEO. “Aggregates are also ahead of last year and shipments are expected to double by year end, with delivery of 1 million tons of crushed stone to Windsor for the construction of the new electric vehicle battery plant.”

With Ontario poised to produce its fourth largest soybean crop ever, soybean exports through the Port of Hamilton are soaring. “We are already 78% above last year’s performance and we’re forecasting 1 million tons of soybean exports by season’s close,” said Ian Hamilton, President and CEO of HOPA Ports. “We are also seeing a steady increase in imports of raw sugar for processing, up 68% this year, driven by the success of SucroCan, a sugar producer located at the port.”

August was also a busy month for Picton Terminals’ Amy Lynn D tug, which moved a rotor from Valleyfield to Cacouna, in addition to towing a 2600m pipe from Hamilton to Toronto for the Deep Lake Water Cooling expansion project. The tug continues to ship aggregates from Picton Terminals to Toronto for several projects involving the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

Hovercraft services plans to start Toronto to Niagara run next summer

Toronto to Niagara in 30 minutes?

In the latest attempt at a cross-lake transit link, a new hovercraft service plans to run rapid journeys between the two locations beginning next summer.

Two high-speed hovercraft will soon allow Niagara-bound travellers to skip the gridlock on the QEW and hover across Lake Ontario — from Ontario Place to Port Weller, St. Catharines — in barely more than the amount of time it takes to ride the Maid of the Mist.

Operated by Hoverlink Ontario Inc., a company formed for this purpose and funded by private Canadian investors, the two hovercraft hold up to 180 passengers each, and can travel in all weather conditions, across land, ice and water.

With a travel time of about half an hour, the new service aims to make Niagara’s tourist attractions more accessible for Torontonians and ease the pain for commuters, according to Hoverlink’s CEO Chris Morgan. “It’s a game changer,” said Morgan. “You could actually head to Niagara for the evening, grab a show, go to a winery and come back and not spend four to six hours in traffic.”

On the other end, the hovercraft will allow people living in the Niagara region to come into the city for a sports game or a concert, he said. The 130-km car journey from Toronto to Niagara Falls can take more than two hours in traffic. The train ride is also two hours.

Hoverlink is not the first company to try transportation across Lake Ontario, but previous cross-lake ventures have fizzled. A ferry that carried travellers between Toronto and Rochester, N.Y., was sunk after just two seasons in 2006 when the city of Rochester refused to fund it.

What makes this venture different, Morgan said, is the “craft capability.” The hovercraft are the first of their kind in North America, he said, adding that they are fast and environmentally friendly, with low emission engines and producing no disturbance to marine life. And according to Morgan, they are no louder than a standard dishwasher.

The craft have two propulsion systems that allow them to float above the surface, Morgan said: one that creates lift by pushing air down, and another that propels the vehicle forward.

With two vessels and up to 48 lake crossings per day, 365 days a year, the service plans to move more than 3 million passengers per year. According to Morgan, this equates to removing as many as 8,000 cars off the highway every day — or about 33 km of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The hovercraft project has been in the works for more than a decade and has required approvals from all three levels of government, Morgan said. The service is set to open in July or August of next summer, after the craft pass safety tests.

Toronto Star

50-metre tall Port Colborne marine tower tumbled for TV

A massive thud heard and felt across Port Colborne signalled the end for a 50-metre tall marine tower that stood for 82 years on the city’s waterfront at Ceres Global Ag.

As it hit the ground, the tower once used to unload vessels at the former Robin Hood Multifoods crumpled, sending sparks and dust flying as onlookers watched from the opposite side of the weir. It seemed like the tower would never fall as crews from Owen Sound-based Roy-Mar Demolition prepped the structure for hours.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/entertainment/television/2022/09/15/marine-tower-tumbles-down-at-port-colbornes-ceres-global-ag-for-tv-show-salvage-kings.html

Niagara Falls Review

Denis Sullivan ship leaving Milwaukee, sold to Boston-based fleet

MILWAUKEE, WI – The sailing vessel Denis Sullivan has been sold and will be leaving Milwaukee, a Discovery World representative confirmed Thursday, Sept. 15.

The ship will set sail again this fall and continue its mission of educating the public about the natural environment. According to a news release, the ship will join the World Ocean School fleet.

Discovery World said it hopes the Denis Sullivan will make return visits to Milwaukee and offer educational programming when it does.

Fox 6 Milwaukee