The R/V Neil Armstrong departed its home port of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, October 28. It will travel from Cape Cod down the St. Lawrence Seaway, through the locks, and across the Great Lakes. The 238-foot vessel is expected to arrive in Duluth on November 9.

R/V Neil Armstrong is Great Lakes-bound.

As of Thursday morning, the Neil Armstrong was traveling up the Atlantic Coast around Nova Scotia.

The University of Minnesota Duluth is working with the research vessel to detect and observe neutrino interactions in Lake Superior. Neutrinos are the most abundant particles that have mass in the universe, and they pass through everything. They are very difficult to detect, so studying them requires special instruments.

A beam of neutrinos is already positioned by Fermilab that runs through Lake Vermilion and Lake Superior. The Neil Armstrong will deploy sensor frames on the lakebed of Lake Superior several miles offshore near Two Harbors. These frames are 30 feet tall and weigh 8,000 pounds each. When it’s dark at night, they will be able to detect neutrino particle beams underwater. They anticipate detecting several NuMI beam neutrinos per day during the experiments.

The neutrino detectors will be removed as lake conditions allow in the spring or early summer of 2027. You can read more about the project in depth from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Six years ago, the U.S. Navy announced plans to construct two ships in a new Ocean Class of research vessels and in 2010, awarded WHOI the no-cost lease to operate the first of the ships. Two years later, the Navy announced the first ship would be named Neil Armstrong and its sister ship, to be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, would be named Sally Ride. The 238-ft. Neil Armstrong is the newest ship in the U.S. academic fleet, and one of just seven in that fleet capable of accessing all but ice-covered areas of the global ocean.

The R/V Neil Armstrong is the most technologically advanced ship in the U.S. academic fleet. The ship contains two multi-beam echo sounders designed to operate at different depths, making Neil Armstrong and, when completed, Sally Ride, the only ships in the UNOLS fleet equipped to conduct high-resolution seafloor surveys almost anywhere the ship can sail.

The ship’s three acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) can scan the water column at different frequencies to reveal the invisible structure of water at varying depths and resolutions, and a multi-beam, multi-frequency echosounder, the EK-80, can not only detect the presence and abundance of marine life beneath the ship, but also offers the potential to differentiate among species of fish and other marine life hidden beneath the surface.

From an engineering standpoint, as well, the ship is state-of-the-art. In addition to clean-burning diesel-electric generators, variable-frequency DC propulsion means less wear-and-tear on critical components and higher efficiency. The new ship’s integrated controls provide access to virtually every critical system, from propulsion and navigation to electrical load to heating and air conditioning to ballast, on touch screens in the engine room and bridge. The navigation system can be monitored and diagnosed from shore.

KDHL

Read more here.

DETROIT, MI – During Nov. 7-10, 2026, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit, Mich. will host several events to commemorate all mariners who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes and the loss of the bulk freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew on Nov. 10, 1975.

Fitzgerald anchor is displayed at Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

On Saturday, November 7, the Livonia (Mich.) Amateur Radio Club will commemorate the Fitzgerald by sharing the ship’s story with amateur radio operators around the world. Museum visitors are welcome to watch any time between 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET.  The cost, which includes admission to the museum, is $5 per person or free for Detroit Historical Society members, educators or children 5 and under.

On the morning of Sunday, November 8, the museum will host its annual Lost Mariners Brunch from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. The event will feature a meal and historical presentation followed by a performance by Great Lakes balladeer Lee Murdock. The menu will reflect the culinary traditions of Great Lakes freighters, including the Fitzgerald, and will draw from the recipes found in Ships of the Great Lakes Cookbook by George Yaworski. The cost is $85 per person.

On the evening of Sunday, November 8, the museum, in partnership with the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, will host the annual Lost Mariners Remembrance Ceremony from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET outside on the shores of the Detroit River. Admission is free. During the Remembrance Ceremony, a memorial wreath will arrive by boat and then placed near an anchor from the Fitzgerald. That will be followed by a ringing of a ship’s bell to honor all those lost aboard the ill-fated freighter and on the waters of the Great Lakes. There will then be a procession of an Honor Flotilla of Canadian and United States government and commercial vessels. Following the ceremony, there will be warm beverages served inside, along with a performance of songs of remembrance and the sea by Lee Murdock.

On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, the museum will commemorate the 51st anniversary of the loss the Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew with a showing of a documentary entitled “We Finished Their Journey” beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The documentary follows along with the 17 teams of four relay swimmers each that took part in the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim in 2025. Event organizer Jim Dreyer and David Volk, who served as the ground operations director for the swim, will be on hand for a Q&A session. Admission is $25 per person or $20 for Detroit Historical Society members.

View the events listing page here.

HAMILTON, ON – McAsphalt Marine Transportation Ltd., Hamilton, ON, is divesting itself of the articulated tug and barge combination Everlast/Norman McLeod. The pair is listed for sale on the Scrunton Marine Inc. website. The pair is designed for the carriage, heating, storage and transfer of asphalt and other high-temperature black petroleum products. Norman McLeod was built in 2001 while Everlast dates from 1976.

Find out more here and view images.

Everlast/Norman McLeod are for sale. [Scruton Marine]

BARBEAU, MI – Residents and visitors will be unable to travel to or from Neebish Island for up to three days next week while the ferry undergoes drydock maintenance. The Neebish Island Ferry will be temporarily taken out of service and mobilized to M.C.M. Marine in Sault Ste. Marie to undergo necessary drydock repairs, weather permitting. The ferry is scheduled to depart for drydock early on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and will remain in drydock for approximately two days to complete the required maintenance work. It is anticipated that the Neebish Island Ferry will return to service sometime Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.

There will be no ferry service available to or from Neebish Island during this two to three-day period. The ferry service worked with Chippewa County Central Dispatch and the Sheriff’s Office to provide emergency transportation if the need arises.

The above time frame will be dependent upon weather conditions. If the weather is not conducive to travel, the dates will be changed to the next day. Residents and property owners are strongly encouraged to prepare ahead of time this week for the temporary shutdown.

The ferry sheared rudder shaft, and the loss of one of its two rudders in a recent incident while maneuvering in fog.

Soo Leader

Neebish Islander III. [Roger LeLievre]

FAIRPORT HARBOR, OH – Morton Salt has ceased operations at its mine in Fairport Harbor to assess the inflow of water and determine next steps. The mine, according to Morton’s, is used primarily for salt needed for roads in the winter. The salt is often shipped to customers via Great Lakes vessels. The decision was made following an Oct. 22 discovery of a significant inflow of water in the mine, leading to an immediate evacuation of all miners. The company said all employees were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported. Morton Salt said it notified the appropriate regulatory authorities of the intrusion, according to the release.

Frontenac loading at Morton Salt. [Bill Kloss]

The Fairport Harbor mine is a source for rock salt, according to the Morton Salt website. The salt from its underground mines is mainly used for road salt needed during the winter season. The Morton Salt Group is one of the largest salt companies in the world, with an annual production capacity of approximately 30 million tons.

Ideastream Public Media

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WHITEFISH POINT, MI. – A documentary film chronicling a 411-mile memorial swim to honor the 29 crew members who died aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald will be released Nov. 10 in theaters and via streaming. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and Big Fin Pictures announced the release of “We Finished Their Journey: the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim,” which documents a relay swim completed in 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

The swim began July 26, 2025, directly over the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck site in Lake Superior after the Canadian Ministry granted permits for a ceremony honoring the lost crew. Seventy swimmers completed 17 stages to symbolically finish the ship’s final journey, reaching Detroit to mark the final stop for the iron ore load the vessel never delivered.

The month-long swim relay presented challenges including storms, lightning, injuries, blood clots, boat problems and personality conflicts, according to the information released about the film.

“This film tells the story of a remarkable journey, completed by good people for all the right reasons,” said event director Jim “the Shark” Dreyer, who is known for his many long-distance and Great Lakes swims. “These athletes pushed their personal limits to write a new chapter in the legacy of the Edmund Fitzgerald that memorializes the 29-crew members who perished.”

Executive producer and director Corey Adkins described the production as complex, noting the film captures more than 20 different stories from dozens of participants.

Proceeds from the swim supported maintenance of the light tower at Whitefish Point, home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum where the Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell is displayed. Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, said the organization was honored to receive the fundraiser proceeds.

Read more here.

The Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell.

HALIFAX, NS – Visible flames in the dust management system about 135 feet above ground at the Halifax Grain Elevator greeted firefighters who arrived on scene to a fire reported at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 26. The Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service said 56 firefighters and 20 trucks were on scene at the Port of Halifax to support the fire suppression effort during the night. Crews worked to contain the fire and protect a ship docked at the facility “while navigating the challenges presented by the industrial infrastructure and elevated firefighting operations.”

The fire was brought under control at 10:40 p.m., according to officials. No injuries were reported.

The municipality said the fire was contained to the south conveyor system’s dust handling equipment and associated hopper infrastructure. Coordinated efforts between fire service crews and facility representatives prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding structures. Following firefighting operations, the scene was secured, and the origin and cause of the fire were under investigation.

A key grain handling site for Atlantic Canada, the facility is operated by Halifax Grain Elevator Ltd. under a lease from the Halifax Port Authority (HPA). It receives and ships specialty crops and grain (wheat, soybeans and barley) by truck, rail and vessel. The site includes storage capacity of 5.15 million bushels (140,215 tonnes), according to the HPA.

Scene at Halifax grain elevator fire.

World Grain

MUNISING, MI – The beacon that guided ships through dangerous waters for a century, called in volunteers from across the country to help restore its foundation this fall. The East Channel Lighthouse near Grand Island’s eastern passage is one of the few surviving historic schoolhouse-style lighthouses in the Great Lakes region. After weathering Lake Superior storms for 158 years it was in major need of some TLC.

In 2021, the Hiawatha National Forest staff recognized both the cultural and economic importance of the forest’s six lighthouses and applied for Great American Outdoors Act funding to restore and restabilize these historic icons. This September, volunteers from six states, including both Michigan peninsulas, joined the three-week restoration project in the U.P. The volunteers came with a range of experience. Among them was a mason, several carpenters, two historic architects, architectural historians, and a retired architect. “Others joined with a learning spirit,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a press release. Together, they camped on the mainland and traveled by boat each day to the lighthouse.

At the worksite, volunteers underwent the process of “painstakingly hammering and chiseling Portland cement from between each sandstone foundation blocks.”

The lighthouse’s wooden structure was built in 1868 with locally acquired sandstone and timber. In a nontraditional move, Portland cement was used as a binding agent instead of mortar. “This cement causes the sandstone to crack and spall when exposed to the stresses caused by annual freeze and thaw cycles. Between the cement and extreme environmental conditions, the foundation of the lighthouse had become degraded and unstable,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.

After chiseling out the old Portland cement, volunteers repointed the sandstone with a historically appropriate mortar. The new mortar recipe was chosen to match the color of the sandstone and allow the foundation of the building to remain weathertight through the seasons, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

“After three weeks of work, fueled by good music, great views, new friends and plenty of coffee, the foundation was finally completed. Between clean-up and handshakes, volunteers reflected on the hours spent staring at sandstone rocks and Lake Superior, and the dedication to a project that required them to stand all the way up and stretch,” the Forest Service wrote.

Phase two of the project is planned for next year and will focus on repairing the lighthouse roof, soffits and facia.

The Forest Service is working with the restoration nonprofit HistoriCorps to mobilize volunteers for these lighthouse projects. The nonprofit previously assisted numerous historic preservation projects on the Hiawatha, including the Point Iroquois Lighthouse stabilization project that concluded in 2023.

Find more details about this project and upcoming volunteer opportunities at historicorps.org.

East Channel Light.

Victory 1 at Cleveland in 2020. [Roger LeLievre]

The cruise season, which ran from April through October, brought more than 9,500 passengers to Northeast Ohio, according to the Port of Cleveland. Visitors were able to explore a range of attractions across the region, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, West Side Market and Ohio’s Amish Country.

Great Lakes cruising also brings an economic benefit to Northeast Ohio. Each passenger is estimated to spend about $100 to $130 during a visit, generating an estimated $1.2 million in economic impact this season.

“The continued growth of Great Lakes cruising is an exciting opportunity for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio,” said David Gutheil, chief operating officer of the Port of Cleveland. “Setting a new record for vessel calls for the second consecutive year speaks to the appeal of our region and the importance of maintaining the infrastructure and services needed to welcome visitors to our waterfront,”

The Port of Cleveland began welcoming cruise ships to its docks in 2017. Since then, investments in port infrastructure — including a dedicated U.S. Customs facility — have strengthened its ability to accommodate passenger vessels and support the growth of Great Lakes cruising, port officials said.

WKYC-TV