CLEVELAND, OH — A survey ship that visited the Great Lakes for the first time four years ago is back to map areas that haven’t been surveyed in decades. The NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson entered the St. Lawrence Seaway in April on its way to Cleveland, Ohio for a new mission to map parts of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.The survey will update nautical charts, improve navigation safety and collect lakebed data that can also help scientists identify habitats, model storm surge and better understand the underwater landscape.

The NOAA underwater survey ship Thomas Jefferson. [NOAA]

The Jefferson is a 208-foot hydrographic survey ship based in Norfolk, Virginia. It uses multibeam sonar to create detailed images of the lakebed. The work is often described as “mowing the lawn,” with survey vessels running back and forth in a grid pattern. The ship’s return follows its 2022 Great Lakes visit, during which it surveyed 450 square nautical miles of Lake Erie and 274 square nautical miles of Lake Ontario. That work identified 42 confirmed and new shipwrecks and 22 additional lakebed features.

Read more at this MLive link.

KINGSTON, ON – The International Ship Masters’ Association (ISMA) president, Captain Chris Edyvean, announced this week that the ISMA will be holding an organizational meeting on May 13 at 7 p.m. at the Riverhead Brewery, 23 Fortune Cres., to see if there is enough interest in Kingston for a new lodge.

“Kingston is a natural place for a new ISMA Lodge because the area has a multitude of licensed maritime personnel, major suppliers to the maritime industry, as well as countless companies, organizations, and personnel who depend on the maritime industry for their livelihood,” said Thomas Foster, ISMA Grand Lodge secretary and treasurer. “All this talent can only enhance the work being done by all the lodges through out the Great Lakes and the ISMA Grand Lodge”.

Kingston would be the fourth Canadian city to have a ISMA lodge, joining to Owen Sound, Niagara and Thunder Bay.

The ISMA is an association focused on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, with members who are “voluntary dues-paying licensed professional mariners and others associated” with a connection to the maritime community along the waterway. According to the organization’s website, it was “founded in 1886 as a benevolent organization, the ISMA has adapted needs along the way to provide educational opportunities and to allow Great Lakes masters a voice in the formation of safety and navigational rules and regulations.” There are 16 active ISMA Lodges around the Great Lakes, throughout the U.S. and Canada, with 650 members who both work and advocate for the waters and communities they’re based. The ISMA works to “help create a safer and more informed waterway system.”

“Some of the best opportunities for employment, career development, and job security can be found in the maritime industry,” Foster added.

As well, it supports sea cadets and other high school maritime programs and works with both the Canadian and U.S. governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) surrounding issues of navigational safety, safety on ships, and ice camera installations.

Find more information here:

DETROIT, MI – Water levels on Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior and St. Clair are forecast to remain above last year’s levels through the boating season after a spring marked by heavy snowmelt and unusually wet conditions across northern Michigan, according to the latest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers outlook.

The Corps said Lakes Michigan and Huron rose 10 inches from March to April, reaching 578.58 feet above sea level – 3 inches above the same time last year. Officials described April precipitation as “well above average,” with water supplies across the basin reaching record-high levels.

The elevated water levels follow the massive March blizzard that hit the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, where National Weather Service offices reported snowfall totals exceeding 4 feet in parts of the western U.P. The subsequent spring thaw, combined with repeated April rainstorms across northern Michigan, accelerated runoff into rivers and tributaries feeding Lakes Michigan and Huron.

From May through October, levels in Lake Huron and Michigan are forecast to remain 6 to 10 inches above 2025 levels, with the seasonal rise expected to continue into August before gradually declining in the fall. Even so, the lake system remains 37 inches below its record April high.

Lake Erie is projected to remain slightly below last year’s levels through most of the summer despite the wet spring. Erie rose 10 inches from March to April to 571.65 feet, though it remained 4 inches below April 2025 levels. The Corps again cited “well above average” April precipitation across the basin.

Forecasts show Lake Erie staying 2 to 3 inches below last year’s levels through June and about 1 to 2 inches lower during July and August before edging slightly above 2025 levels by early fall.

Lake Superior is also expected to remain above last year’s levels through October. Superior rose 3 inches from March to April to 601.12 feet, placing it 4 inches above April 2025 levels. The Corps attributed the increase to above-average precipitation and water supplies.

National Weather Service data from Marquette showed snowfall well above average entering April, with rapid warming later in the month contributing to accelerated snowmelt across the Upper Peninsula watershed that feeds Lake Superior. The Corps expects Lake Superior to continue its seasonal rise into September, remaining near to slightly above long-term averages through the fall.

The Detroit News
Read the story here.

 MANITOWOC, WI – The S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry will make its return from Ludington, MI, to Manitowoc, WI, officially kicking off the 2026 sailing season, on Friday, May 15th. The public is invited to attend the maiden voyage celebratory event to welcome the ship back to its western port.

The festivities will take place at the Car Ferry dock located at 900 S. Lakeview Drive beginning at 11:30 a.m. There will be special guests and entertainment, including the Manitowoc Lincoln High School marching band, alpacas from LondonDairy Alpacas, the Red Hatters, and local elementary school students. Lunch is available for purchase from area food trucks, including China Wok Bubble Tea and El Tequila. Visit Manitowoc is also giving away branded water bottles, available while supplies last.

After the welcome festivities conclude, Visit Manitowoc Director of Tourism Courtney Hansen, Mayor Justin Nickels and members of the Common Council will board the S.S. Badger to make the first trip of the season to Ludington. The group will spend the weekend in Ludington, participating in additional maiden voyage celebrations and meetings with S.S. Badger leadership and city officials to reconnect and collaborate on the shared vision of providing a world-class travel experience for residents and visitors of both communities.

The S.S. Badger will continue to operate daily from May 15th through October 11th. Regular overnight crossings begin June 19th and end September 7th. In addition to the sailings between Ludington and Manitowoc, there are four Manitowoc shoreline cruise dates scheduled along our lakefront – in the afternoon on Saturday June 13th, July 18th, August 1st, and August 15th.

FInd out more information here.

UPDATE 5-9: Efforts to raise the sunken Great Lakes Towing Co. tug Hawaii at Erie were successful on Saturday. The 1911-built tug sank at her dock in December of 2025. The spokesperson at Great Lakes Towing suspects the boat sunk initially due to weather damage.

Hawaii raised at Erie. [Via Facebook]

Now that it’s May, we see the same bits of the 81-foot-long tug protruding from the water. But now there is a huge work barge, massive crane and another vessel all in the port to assist with the lift and salvage process.

What you can’t see below the surface is a diver surveying the condition of the tug and determining what underwater repairs need to be made to stop any leaks. That way when the vessel is lifted, and the lake water is pumped out, G-Tug Hawaii will be able to stay afloat on her own.

People are stopping to watch the operation, because you can’t miss that tall crane. But if they expected to see the tug lifted today – they were disappointed. There’s a lot of work and it may not be lifted until the end of the week.

According to online sources, G-Tug is the industry slang for tugs owned by Great Lakes Towing Co. based in Cleveland, Ohio. We reached out to them for more details on what will be next for this tug once it’s raised. We’re still waiting for answers.

What we do know, is that the tug Hawaii is no spring chicken. Built in 1911 she’s been at work on the Great Lakes for years. She used to be called the Indiana, but was renamed about 5 years ago. It’s unclear how much repair work it may take to get the tug back to work.

Erie News Now
Watch the news report here.

LAKEWOOD, OH – Long before the USS Cleveland appeared on the horizon Saturday morning, the Solstice Steps at Lakewood Park were packed. Veterans in Navy hats sat in lawn chairs, shoulder-to-shoulder with active-duty service members. Parents kept an eye on toddlers running around as other children waved American flags along the shoreline, scanning Lake Erie for a glimpse of the first-ever Navy warship commissioned in the Buckeye State.

Navy veteran Dennis Massimiani, with his 6-year-old great niece, wanted to make sure he didn’t miss out on the unprecedented moment: “When would you ever see a Navy ship on Lake Erie? You don’t.”

The USS Cleveland emerged in the distance at about 10:30 a.m. Hundreds of people at Lakewood Park watched on as the vessel moved east along the shoreline, with many holding their smartphones and cameras up to capture the moment. “It’s not every day you get to see a Navy ship that comes by,” Brian Gleba told cleveland.com as he stood with his son, Bruce, who had never seen a ship before.

Saturday’s sail-by marked the opening event of commissioning week for the LCS 31, a Freedom-class littoral combat ship that will officially enter active service next Saturday, May 16, at North Coast Yard just north of Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.

USS Cleveland arrives at Port of Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor for Commission Week. [Cleveland.com]

At Lakewood Park, the morning felt equal parts patriotic celebration and neighborhood reunion. Dark clouds hovered far out over the water, but sunlight pierced through at just the right time, reflecting off the water as the ship traveled alongside a flotilla of private boats toward the Port of Cleveland.

In addition to those who brought their own banners, many attendees held U.S. flags given to them by the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation as part of a $31 fundraising campaign. “It’s just a regular flag, but how do you say just a regular flag?” Lakewood resident Dan Morgan said. “It’s an American flag.”

The USS Cleveland is designed for near-shore operations. Its many functions include surface warfare, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine missions. According to the US Navy, the ship can travel at speeds exceeding 40 knots.

The ship is nearly 400 feet long, though the distance made the ship appear deceptively small from shore, which several people noted as they peered through phone cameras and binoculars. But public tours scheduled throughout commissioning week will give folks a chance to step aboard and experience the vessel up close.

The USS Cleveland is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to carry the city’s name. Previous ships were a protected cruiser commissioned in 1903 (C-19), a World War II light cruiser (CL-55) commissioned in 1942 and an amphibious transport dock (LPD-7) commissioned in 1967.

A free, family-friendly Community Day runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at North Coast Yard, an area north of Huntington bank Field and the Steamship William G. Mather Museum, giving Northeast Ohio residents a chance to meet the ship’s crew and learn more about the vessel. The event is open to the public.

The vessel was built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, WI. After commissioning, she will make her way out of the Great Lakes to her homeport at Naval Station Mayport, in Jacksonville, FL.

cleveland.com

SARNIA, ON – Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sarnia Fire Rescue responded to the 100 block of Exmouth Street for a reported medical emergency. Upon arrival, crews learned the patient was a crew member aboard the incoming freighter G3 Marquis who required assistance once the vessel docked.

The first arriving apparatus requested Tower 2 to attend in the event crews needed to package and remove the patient from the ship’s deck. However, once the freighter docked, the patient was able to disembark with assistance from fellow crew members, to where Sarnia Fire and Lambton EMS personnel were standing by.

Following a brief assessment on scene, the patient was transported to Bluewater Health for further evaluation

The Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier Oakglen has arrived at Port Weller Drydock at Ontario Shipyards in St. Catharines, ON, for her scheduled 5-year inspection and maintenance period. These mandatory drydock inspections are an important part of a vessel’s operational life cycle, ensuring the ship continues to meet Transport Canada and classification society standards for safety, structural integrity and mechanical reliability. Typical work during a 5-year survey will include hull inspections, steel renewal, propulsion and rudder checks, machinery servicing, painting and more. She was assisted into the drydock by the tugs Jarrett M and Ecosse.

Janey Anderson – Ship Junkies

Oakglen heading into the drydock at Ontario Shipyards. [Amy Daggett]

PORT HURON, MI – U.S. Navy ship USS Cleveland (LCS-31), a Freedom-class littoral combat ship, was downbound at Port Huron on Friday. The new warship is transiting the Great Lakes from the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, WI, to Cleveland, OH, where she will be officially commissioned on May 16. After commissioning, she will make her way out of the Great Lakes to her homeport at Naval Station Mayport, in Jacksonville, FL.

USS Cleveland on the St. Clair River on Friday. [Lori Hannon]