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Miedwie season’s last saltie at Duluth    

   DULUTH, Minn. – It’s the time of year when shipping season comes to a close on The Great Lakes. And Tuesday night, the last ocean-going vessel of the 2025 season left the Twin Ports.
   The Maltese-flagged vessel Miedwie left the Duluth-Superior port after 8 p.m. with a farewell salute blown by her Great Lakes pilot, Capt. Eric Treece. She’s carrying durum wheat and headed to Algeria. This ship is the last in a group of six ocean vessels leaving Duluth with grain since Dec. 13.
   The Miedwie is part of the Polsteam fleet and is named for a lake in Poland.
   “This is the third consecutive December that the port of Duluth-Superior has welcomed nine oceangoing vessel arrivals, and that’s a really strong number. In fact, it was actually the most ocean-going vessel arrivals in a single month this season,“ said Jayson Hron of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
   All ocean-going vessels must exit the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence seaway system by Jan. 5th.

Northern News Now

Watch a Duluth Harbor Cam video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHTzVoNC6Zs

Cruise ship visits to Lake Superior lighthouse on hold due to First Nation’s land claim

   ROSSPORT, ON — A historic lighthouse on Lake Superior’s north shore has been removed from the itinerary for visiting cruise ships after the federal government suspended an agreement with a registered charity that’s worked for years to improve facilities on the site.
   The decision is tied to a land claim by Pays Plat First Nation that includes Battle Island, about nine kilometres south of Rossport, ON.
   “This thing boiled up…and they said we are suspending your licence,” said Andre Nicol, spokesperson for the Friends of Battle Island Lighthouse (FOBIL). “We can’t bring any cruise boats on at this point.”
   In 2025, Viking Octantis had Rossport on its itinerary. Some one-hundred and fifty guests and 10 crew were shuttled to nearby Battle Island. Mainly comprised of visitors from the United States from places such as California, Mississippi, Michigan, and Virginia, the group explored the island and learned about its history and rare plant life. Guests were also treated to storytelling by local Indigenous interpreters.
   A spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans confirms a decision was made at the end of July to suspend an agreement that allowed the group’s volunteers to work on the island, make improvements, and facilitate visits to it.
   In an email to Newswatch, DFO said the suspension was imposed “to allow for a review of activities taking place on the island.”
   Pays Plat Chief David Mushquash said his community is concerned about what’s been happening on the island, a spot that he described as sacred land for the First Nation.
   “The Friends of Battle Island are supposed to come and talk to us, and they don’t, and they’re doing things on the island…Certainly it’s a tourist attraction…They have these people out there. I’m not quite sure what their intentions are, but they don’t want to talk to us,” he said in a recent interview.

Superior North News

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Winter Ice. Tight Margins and a Ticking Clock: Can All Ships Clear the Seaway Before Jan. 5?

Relentless ice exposes winter limits
   With unyielding thick ice in the South Shore Canal/Côte-Sainte-Catherine corridor this past week, winter is once again exposing how narrow the operating margins are on the St. Lawrence Seaway. During the regular navigation season locks rely on Hands-Free Mooring (HFM) systems that use vacuum pads to secure vessels. In winter HFM often cannot be used due to ice accretion on the ship’s hull. This prevents a proper seal with the HFM units. Ships must therefore revert to traditional line handling. This in turn, often slows lock operations – before ice conditions are even factored in.

When ship size meets winter reality.
   The larger issue is vessel size versus lock dimensions. Seaway locks are 24.4m (80’) wide and 233.5m (766’) long. Many modern vessels are built extremely close to that maximum beam. Ships like Frontenac are 22.86m wide (75’) while vessels such as Baie Comeau are just under 24m wide (78’). In open water, that clearance is manageable. In winter ice conditions, it becomes a serious operational challenge.

How ice reduces usable lock space.
   As a ship enters a lock in icy conditions, it physically pushes ice into the chamber. That ice collects between the lock walls and the ship’s hull. This effectively narrows the usable width of the lock. When there isn’t enough clearance left for the vessel to enter the lock chamber due to ice buildup, the ship must back out and start the process over again. In that case, an ice lockage may be required.

What an “ice lockage” really means.
   An ice lockage is used specifically to clear ice. The lock is cycled to flush ice out of the chamber or to clear ice buildup on the opposite side before the vessel can attempt entry again. In the best-case scenario, a ship may require a single ice lockage per lock cycle and perhaps more depending on the severity of the ice. If ice continues to form or enter the locks the effective useable width can narrow to below 24.4m (80’), making passage even more difficult—or temporarily impossible.

The downside of SeawayMax ships in winter
   Modern SeawayMax vessels are affected the most. When lakers of yesteryear were closer to 22,86m (75’) or narrower, ice accumulation in the locks was far less of an issue. There was more wiggle room along the sides of the ship for ice chunks and slush to be pushed and flushed through during a lockage. With today’s maximum-beam vessels, that buffer space is all but eliminated. Even small accumulations can stop a transit.

Why delays spread so quickly as January 5 approaches.
   The result is unavoidable delays. Each ice lockage occupies a chamber and waiting ships must wait some more. Traffic can back up very quickly. With the Seaway scheduled to close January 5th, the calendar is now as much a factor as the ice itself. Whether all vessels—including longer runs between Montreal and ports like Hamilton—can complete their voyages before that date will depend on how quickly ice conditions improve or whether operating timelines are adjusted.

[Janey Anderson – Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R)]

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Fate of the Donny S. uncertain after years of questions

by Emily Small
December 15, 2025

   The 143-foot tug boat Donny S. sits aground in a few feet of water on the northeast side of Baileys Harbor. One cannot miss it, whether buying smoked fish from Baileys Harbor Fish Company, renting a waterfront cottage, hiking at Toft Point State Natural Area or watching a sunset from the Baileys Harbor Yacht Club.
   Depending on who you talk to, the forsaken tugboat is a hazard, an eyesore or a curiosity. No matter what folks think about it, there is no question the Donny S. is something of a local celebrity. Hundreds of social media posts have been made about the vessel on what William Stephan, the chief engineer of another tug, calls “boat nerd” sites.
   Attempts to move it have failed. Municipal, county, state and federal agencies have received complaints and inquiries about it. State representatives have gotten involved. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has convened four working group meetings and issued citations and fines to the boat’s owner, Jeremy Schultz.
   But the Donny S. remains mired on the lakebed, its status and fate uncertain.

The curious second life of the Donny S.
   Before it came to rest in Baileys Harbor, the tugboat had a long and industrious life. Built in 1950 and named the G.W. Coddrington, it eventually wound up as the Donny S. in Sturgeon Bay. Owned by Selvick, and then Sarter Marine, the tug broke up ice for the winter fleet at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and performed other commercial tugboat operations.
   The boat was decommissioned  in 2020 and sold to private owner, Jeremy Schultz, after it was unable to meet regulatory requirements laid out by Subchapter M. The rule, issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2016, established new protocols and standards for commercial tugboats and marine towing companies.
   Schultz moved the Donny S. to Baileys Harbor in 2021, with the intention of eventually taking it to Manitowoc to be scrapped, according to Mike Cole. Cole owns Ironworks Construction in Baileys Harbor. He also owns the dock the Donny S. was tied to when it arrived in Baileys Harbor.
   Sometime after August 2021, Schultz began preparing the tug to be moved to Manitowoc, Cole said. Preparation included “de-ballasting” the tug  – removing the water from ballast tanks that keep the heavy vessel from moving around in wind and damaging the dock. Schultz also got the boat moved farther away from the dock and  “pointed in the right direction,” Cole said. In order to do so, the Donny S. had to be untied, but at least one line was kept between the tug and the dock once it was situated where Schultz wanted it, he added.
   All of the ballast water had been pumped out of the vessel, a float plan was approved, and the tug was ready to go, Cole said. Then the Coast Guard received a complaint about possible contaminants on board, he said, and moving it was delayed.
   It was just enough time for weather conditions to go from ideal to difficult. Autumn storms pushed the Donny S. aground, according to Cole. It has not moved since.
   Not for lack of trying, according to William Stephan. Stephan is the chief engineer on the Cheyenne, a tugboat owned by Five Lakes Marine Towing in Sturgeon Bay. Schultz worked on the Cheyenne and had arranged to have it tow the Donny S. to Manitowoc, according to Stephan.
   The DNR issued its first citation to Schultz for obstruction of navigable waters in October 2022. On Dec. 22, the Cheyenne tried to move the Donny S. Stephan was on board.
   It was a zero-degree day, with a cold fog settled over Lake Michigan, he remembered. When the Cheyenne got to Baileys Harbor, the Donny S. was “high and dry,” he said, which was a surprise to him and the rest of the crew, as they thought it was ready to be moved. Instead, the 500 ton Donny S. was grounded firmly on the bottom of the lake and surrounded by ice chunks.
   The Cheyenne tried a few maneuvers anyway, Stephan said, but it could not get close enough. The water around the Donny S. was too shallow and the Cheyenne did not have enough line to reach it from deeper water.
   “It was a wasted trip,” Stephan said. The Cheyenne’s crew had volunteered their time in exchange for getting a cut of the salvage from the Donny S., he said.
    “(Schultz) still owes me a port light,” he quipped.

Tug condition, knowns and unknowns
   Reports and observations vary regarding the condition of the Donny S. and what exactly is on board. There have not been any formal state or federal assessments made of the tugboat recently, and that is part of the reason nothing is being done about it, according to Mike Kahr.
   Kahr is a Baileys Harbor resident and civil engineer who owned Death’s Door Design and Development, a marine construction firm, for 35 years.
   “I believe it’s sitting on solid rock now with soft sediment around it,” he said, “and I believe if it starts moving in the storm, it’s going to pop a hole in it, and the oil in the bilge is just going to end up on the beach. I firmly, firmly believe that it’s not a question of if, but when.”
   Kahr became concerned about the tugboat when it first went aground in Baileys Harbor, he said. He has since contacted the Coast Guard, the DNR, the Town of Baileys Harbor and the Door County government, alleging it is an environmental hazard. Kahr is also part of a working group convened by the DNR in August 2025 to address the stranded vessel.
   In August, Kahr boarded the Donny S. and took photos, soundings and measurements that he claimed proved the boat is an environmental threat. There is upwards of 3 feet of “oily liquid” in the bilge and about 112 different fuel tanks present on board, he noted. The engines are still in the boat as well, though the transmission has been removed, he said.
   Kahr also took hull measurements with an ultrasound meter and the steel hull is pitted with rust and is ½ inch thick, he said.
   It was the Coast Guard’s understanding that all potential pollutants like fuel had been removed from the Donny S. prior to attempts to remove it from the harbor, according to a phone conversation with Lt. Nathan Herring on Dec. 5.
   Herring is the commander of the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit in Sturgeon Bay, the office responsible for inspecting commercial vessels, waterway safety and pollution response. He attended the first DNR working group meeting on Aug. 28 and heard about Kahr’s findings for the first time.
   “That was, I think, new news to everybody in the meeting,” Herring said.
   A current inspection and evaluation of the boat’s environmental condition and contents, by an authorized entity, is crucial for any progress toward removing the Donny S., according to Tressie Kamp, assistant director at the Center for Water Policy at UW-Milwaukee.
   The organization is an interdisciplinary research center housed in the School of Freshwater Sciences, and it works with scientists, academics and technical experts inside and outside the UW system to review policy related to state waterways.
   The center published a policy brief in September regarding abandoned vessels in Wisconsin waters.
   “Government actors need to go on the boat and understand what the conditions are years after the last Coast Guard inspection,” Kamp said. Anyone who wants to do something about the tug, whether government or private actors, cannot know what efforts will consist of, or how much it will cost, until that happens, she added.

Hazard, eyesore or curiosity?
   The Donny S. has been drawing interest, and ire, ever since it’s been grounded.
   Mike Kahr is not the only one worried about the potential environmental fallout of the tug. Baileys Harbor Fish Company owner Todd Stuth has also been concerned about the Donny S. since it arrived in Baileys Harbor. It’s easy to keep it in mind, he said, because the tug is right in front of his business.
   “We get questions (from customers) every day,” Stuth said.
   As a commercial fisherman, Stuth has years of experience in the boating world, and he speculated that there is lead paint on the hull of the Donny S. Red lead paint was widely used as hull coating in the 1950s, when the tug was built, he said, which means specific abatement processes need to be followed in order to cut the boat apart for salvage.
   Stuth is also certain that the Donny S. will leak at some point, spilling the contents of the bilge into Baileys Harbor waters, which would be a disaster for the watershed, he said. Toft Point State Natural Area and the Ridges Sanctuary are nearby.
   “I’m a little miffed that the state and county haven’t made a stronger push to have it removed,” he said. “We can put a man on the moon … but we can’t get a tugboat out of a harbor.”
   Cole with Ironworks Construction asserted there are no contaminants on board the vessel, and everything potentially harmful has been removed, during a phone conversation on Dec. 8. In order to move it from Sturgeon Bay to Baileys Harbor, a float plan and inspection needed to be approved by the Coast Guard, he said. That was done and all potential hazards were removed at the time, he added.
   Captain Lynn Brunsen does not think the Donny S. is an imminent environmental threat either, he said. He works for Shoreline Boat Tours, operating out of Baileys Harbor, and said tourists are always intrigued by the tugboat.
   “I get within one hundred feet of it every time we do a tour,” Brunsen said. “There’s no evidence of oil, no slick or sheen in the water, no smell.” He does agree that eventually a hole will rust or break through the hull and whatever is in the bilge could spill out, he said.
   Brunsen also does not consider the tug a navigational hazard, he said, as it is sitting in about two feet of water. Nothing much bigger than a kayak can get next to it, he added.
   He is concerned about the tug as a safety hazard however, and has observed people climbing aboard the vessel via knotted ropes hanging down the side,“like something you would see on a pirate ship,” Brunsen said.
   Earlier this summer, someone lit what appeared to be smoke bombs or fireworks on board as well, he added.
   Whether a hazard or not, Stuth said, the Donny S. needs to go.
   “The entire shoreline community in Baileys Harbor is pretty perturbed and wants it gone,” he said.

Accountability in limbo
   Whose responsibility is it to remove the Donny S.? The tug’s owner, Jeremy Schultz, is the obvious answer, according to municipal, county, state and federal agencies. The DNR has issued over a dozen citations for “unlawful obstruction of navigable waters” to Schultz from October 2022 to February 2024. Fines levied were upwards of $20,000.
   According to court records, Schultz’s fines were paid in June 2025. No fines or citations have been issued since. Notes obtained from the DNR’s working group meetings this fall stated that the owner does not have the means to remove the vessel.
   Schultz could not be reached for comment.
   “What people want to see happen is it is boarded and inspected by an official authority. We want to understand what’s on the boat and for someone to take responsibility for it,” Baileys Harbor town chairman David Eliot said in a phone call Dec. 3. (Disclosure: Knock editor-in-chief Andrew Phillips previously worked for a company owned in part by Eliot. Phillips was not involved in editing this story.)
   The town sent a letter to the DNR in March 2025, and will be sending another, Eliot said. According to the letter, the town has received “many inquiries and complaints” from the community and considers the tug an eyesore and a hazard.
   Baileys Harbor was informed by the DNR that the Donny S. is not under the town’s jurisdiction, according to Eliot.
   The Door County government has a similar position, Corporation Counsel Sean Donohue said. They would like to see the tug removed, but do not have jurisdiction or funds to do it themselves. Both town and county representatives have attended DNR working group meetings.
   The state authority is the DNR, and they have fined the owner and convened four stakeholder meetings since August to try to address the problem, but have taken no other action. The agency did not respond to inquiries in time for publication.
   From a federal standpoint, the Coast Guard’s involvement is only triggered if there is active pollution or a navigational hazard posed by the vessel, according to Lt. Herring. The Coast Guard does not deem either of those things a concern at this time, with the Donny S.
   “The first step in taking action would be if there’s an active pollutant coming from the vessel into a waterway,” Herring said. “We would be able to federalize that case, or that vessel, to where we can remove those contaminants from it. But as far as removing the vessel itself, there’s nothing that the Coast Guard would do at the onset.”
   Any costs incurred by Coast Guard removal or pollution cleanup would be forwarded to the owner of the tug, he added, and additional civil penalties and fines would be levied.
   One of the reasons cited by municipal, county and state authorities for abdicating responsibility for the tug is that the Donny S. is privately owned. There is no explicit definition of an abandoned vessel under Wisconsin law, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The state statute regarding abandoned property may suffice, but there is also no formal process for dealing with abandoned vessels, according to an administrative policy review in 2015 by NOAA’s Marine Debris Program.
   “The state is still wrestling with the Baileys Harbor case,” Kamp at the Center for Water Policy said, but the courts can make a determination as to whether the Donny S. is abandoned. Even if it is not abandoned, a government entity could seek an inspection warrant to board the vessel, she said.
   A lack of any clear mandate for government action further complicates the problem of removal, Kamp said. A number of government entities have authority to remove the tug, including municipal, county, state and federal agencies, she explained, but nothing that compels them to do so.
   The situation is “a perfect storm” for creating confusion and questions on the part of government entities, she added, as indicated by the town and county government believing the situation is outside of their jurisdiction.
An expensive problem
   Even if the jurisdictional and enforcement waters were not murky, removing the tug is no small undertaking, according to those who have already tried and members of the DNR working group. Notes from the group indicate initial estimates from salvage companies are upwards of $1 million.
   Those estimates are ridiculous, according to dock and Ironworks’ owner Cole, and he said he thinks he would be able to remove the tug for much less.
   “No one has asked me though,” he said.
   If the Donny S. does indeed contain lead paint, tanks with residual fuel, and contaminants in the bilge, that makes for a complicated removal, according to commercial fisherman Stuth. In order to scrap it properly in that case, it would need to be cut up on the water, requiring a crane, a barge and mitigation around the vessel to block anything leaching into the water, he speculated.
   Unclear authority over the tug, as well as its uncertain abandonment and hazard status means “no salvage company wants to touch it,” he added.
   Door County Corporation Counsel Donohue also indicated that even if it turns out various authorities have jurisdiction over the tug, or are found legally allowed to remove it, the funding to do so is simply not there.
   There are grants available for marine debris and abandoned or derelict vessel removal. The DNR provided information to Schultz about available grants and indicated he would need municipal or county government cooperation in applying for them, according to notes from the working group meetings. Neither town nor county officials have been contacted by Schultz regarding grant funding at this time.
   Removing stranded vessels should be covered by a statute requiring penalties of the vessel’s owner and compelling them to act, according to Kamp. If the owner is insolvent or there is no appetite for government enforcement, she said, there are other potential funding sources.
   Existing environmental funding streams, like grants, are used up very quickly in Wisconsin, she said. The Center’s policy brief advises giving the legislature authority to create a designated funding program for abandoned vessels, based on what some other states have done.
   However, the Center advises Wisconsin “emphasize ways to not put the taxpayers on the hook for addressing these things,” Kamp said. “Keep the responsible entities (the owners) on the hook.”
Abandoned vessels statewide
   The Donny S. is not the only recently grounded vessel in Wisconsin, but it is by far the largest. The Deep Thought, a Chris-Craft Roamer, became grounded near Bradford Beach in Milwaukee in 2024, after the owners ran out of fuel. The boat was beached for several months, becoming a popular local attraction. In May 2025, Milwaukee County ended up paying for its removal.
   In the summer of 2024 another boat, this time a motor yacht named the Sweet Destiny, beached in the St. Croix River, near Hudson, Wis. After months of complaints and fines, the boat was removed through volunteer efforts and donations. 
   The 33-foot and the 54-foot pleasure boats were newer and much smaller than the Donny S., with fewer potential environmental issues.
   These cases illustrate gaps in Wisconsin law when it comes to abandoned vessels. The DNR is the lead agency responsible for administering the patchwork of laws that address abandoned vessels, public nuisances and waterway obstruction, according to information from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program.
   Though the Center for Water Policy did not do a broad survey or count of abandoned vessels in the Great Lakes, Kamp said, “the fact we have these examples, and mechanisms to deal with them in other states indicates this is not a one-off problem.”
   Fourteen other states have state-level programs concerning abandoned vessels, including designated funds. Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill earlier this year that would clearly define abandonment of a vessel, and threaten owners of such vessels with up to nine months of jail time and a fine of $10,000 if they do not remove it within 30 days. 
   An anonymous letter sent to local media and the DNR called out State Sen. Andre Jacque and Rep. Joel Kitchens for their perceived lack of response to the Donny S. A hand-painted banner reading  “Jacque and Kitchens are fine with this” hung on the tugboat at one point this fall.
   According to local legislators themselves, they are aware of the issue and have had some involvement. Jacque sent a staffer to the first DNR working group meeting, and his office has researched options for removal and funding.
   Kitchens was invited to the first meeting in August, but did not attend, as it conflicted with a hearing for Northern Sky Theater’s tax status, he said.
   “We write laws but have no enforcement,” Kitchens said in a phone call on Dec. 3, “We have the least ability to do anything.”
   If there are contaminants on board, Kitchens said it is “certainly up to the DNR to take steps.” Ultimately, it is the owner’s responsibility though, he added.  
   Sen. Tammy Baldwin is also aware of the situation, according to Alanna Conley, Baldwin’s deputy communications director.
   “At this point, according to public statements from the Coast Guard and folks on the ground, this feels like an issue we would support funding for,” Conley said. “The Town of Baileys Harbor could apply for a debris removal grant. Baldwin’s office supports funding.”
   While legislators legislate, officials meet and discuss, shoreline property owners complain, tourists take photos, and everyone waits for someone else to act, the Donny S. remains mired in the lakebed and a gray area of accountability.
   (The DNR and Coast Guard did not respond to open record requests in time for publication. Knock will update this story if necessary when those records are received.)

[Click on link to full story and loads of photos;   https://doorcountyknock.org/2025/12/fate-of-the-donny-s-uncertain-after-years-of-questions?fbclid=IwY2xjawO1J8ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEee28samXd6THSrEASe39dHFlnfLvDcffJggkTnnIZ2-S5uHL1yycRdf1urdc_aem_kCvZGR7GEbDHGkih1rn6rg

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Ice jams Seaway traffic near Sorel-Tracy

   There’s still a traffic mess of ships stopped due to ice, weather, pilots working overtime along the south canal, beyond Côté Ste. Catherine, Sorel-Tracy. Icebreakers are working to clear the ice with more vessels on their way to help the crews clear the way in front of the St. Catherine lock, where the ice is the thickest. Ships are delayed all along this corridor with end of season closing in.

[Janey Anderson – Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R)]

Storms again send lake vessels to seek shelter on northern Great Lakes

On Lake Superior:

American Integrity was anchored south of the Apostle Islands Saturday night. Joyce L. VanEnkevort was anchored in Thunder Bay. John J. Boland, Robert S. Pierson and American Spirit sought shelter in the lee of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Joseph L. Block, American Mariner and Hon. James L. Oberstar were at Marquette.

The St. Marys River

Algoma Guardian and Dirk S. VanEnkevort were on the hook Saturday night off Paradise.  Mesabi was in Goulais Bay. Narie and Great Republic stopped off Bay Mills. H. Lee White, Jessica B., John G. Munson, Saginaw, Lee A. Tregurtha and Kaye E. Barker were anchored above DeTour. Wilfred Sykes was upbound in the lower river in the evening headed for Marquette. She will probably anchor once she locks upbound.

Northern Lake Huron

Manitowoc, Calumet and Herbert C. Jackson were stopped north of St. Ignace.

Polsteam adds Polsteam Wigry to its Laker-class fleet

   The Polish Steamship Co. (Polsteam) of Szczecin, Poland, recently added a new vessel, Polsteam Wigry (IMO 1027184), to its growing Laker-class fleet of ships. This vessel is the ninth new ship added to the Laker class, with the first being the Polsteam Dabie (IMO 9971850), built in 2024.
   Polsteam Wigry is 199.99 meters in length or 656 feet and 23.00 meters in width or about 78 feet wide. She has four deck-mounted cranes for loading and unloading bulk cargoes.
   All of the nine Polsteam Laker-class ships were built in China at the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. shipyard located at Shanhaiguan, Quinhungdao. It is expected that Polsteam Wigry will begin trading sometime in 2026.
   Another new Laker-class ship, Polsteam Weltyn, IMO 9984845, built in 2025, also was added to the fleet recently.

Denny Dushane

City of Milwaukee car ferry museum ship launches fundraiser for drydocking

   Manistee, MI — As historic ships age, they require increasing levels of care to remain safe and stable. The S.S. City of Milwaukee, a 1931 steam-powered railroad car ferry, is no exception. In recent years, several Great Lakes museum ships have experienced serious hull failures, some are even now relying on constant pumping to remain afloat.
   While the City of Milwaukee has avoided this, and is in great shape, we are committed to ensuring that this remains the case.
   The Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee is pleased to announce that we are moving forward with a multi-year plan to tow the ship to dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for critical long-term preservation work. Once finished, the ship will return to her current home in Manistee.
   This project will mark the City of Milwaukee’s first time out of the water in approximately 45 years. While in dry dock, the underwater hull will be power-washed and sandblasted, all sea chests and underwater openings will be sealed, the propellers will be removed and stern tubes sealed, and the hull will receive two coats of a marine epoxy coating with an estimated service life of 25 years or more.

   Additional preservation work will be completed as funding allows.
   The S.S. City of Milwaukee is designated as a National Historic Landmark, the highest recognition afforded to historic sites in the U.S., and was named Steamship Historical Society of America’s Museum Ship of the Year in 2020. She is also the last unmodified traditional Great Lakes railroad car ferry in existence, one of the most complete surviving examples of this once-critical industry. Her preservation is not only of national historical importance, but also of significant local value. Today, the ship serves as a major cultural and economic asset for Manistee, attracting thousands of visitors for tours, overnight stays, special events, and the award-winning “Manistee’s Ghost Ship” haunted attraction. These visitors support local businesses, lodging, dining, and tourism, making the City of Milwaukee a cornerstone of Manistee.
   Our organization represents more than 40 years of dedication, volunteer effort, and community support. Significant progress has been made to preserve the ship; however, securing the long-term integrity of her hull is the next and most critical step. We can only do this with your support. High-level cost estimates for the project have already been obtained. The current budget is estimated at $1,000,000, covering preparation, towing, shipyard services, and contingency for cost overruns. Funds will be raised through private donations, grants, operational revenue, and public support.
   We are currently seeking individuals, families, businesses, and organizations interested in establishing Matching Donation Funds for the project. Matching commitments strengthen grant applications, motivate additional donations, and help secure required matching funds.
   We would not be where we are today without your support, and this next vital step will require that commitment once again. If you are interested in contributing or learning more, please visit our website, GoFundMe page, or contact us as planning and fundraising continue. Thank you for your consideration.

Go here to donate:
www.carferry.com/drydock

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Life ring and piece from Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck sell at auction for $150,000

   Detroit, MI – A life ring and a piece of a lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald were sold at auction Friday for $150,000, a month after the 50th anniversary of the famous ship’s sinking in Lake Superior with 29 men aboard.
   The relics were discovered by a carpenter in 1975 along the shore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There were no survivors when the ore carrier perished in a tremendous storm and plunged 535 feet to the lake bottom.
   “I’m dumbfounded,” longtime owner Larry Orr, 77, said. “I never believed in a million years it would go for that much money. Shocked.”
   Orr was curious about the shipwreck and found the life ring and a wooden piece from a lifeboat while taking a break from his job, eight days after the “Fitz,” as it was known, went down.
   The sale was handled by DuMouchelles, a Detroit auction house and art gallery that sits a block away from Mariners’ Church, where a bell solemnly tolls on each anniversary of the sinking. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.
   Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the ship in 1976 with an iconic ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
   For decades, Orr, who lives in Yulee, Florida, had allowed a Michigan museum to display the artifacts. He said he decided to sell them because he needed money.
   “We did think it was going to take off, but, of course, this far exceeded my expectations,” auctioneer Robert DuMouchelles said. “You never know though.”
   The Great Lakes maritime relics sold to an undisclosed buyer included a wooden plank from Life Boat No. 1 that bears “No. 1” in black paint, and an orange life ring with white stenciled lettering reading “SS Edmund Fitzgerald,” along with four black reinforcing bands holding a nylon rope. The life ring is 29 inches wide and 3½ inches thick. The piece of wood measures 4 inches tall, 1 inch thick and 50½ inches long.
   The pair of items were initially valued from $15,000 to $20,000, according to the auction house catalog.
   DuMouchelles said he was not aware of the buyer’s plans for the items.

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Gales of December send vessels to anchor

   Gale and freezing spray warnings in effect for much of the Great Lakes Friday have sent many vessels to anchor. Others have chosen more sheltered courses or remained docked.
   Friday morning found the Potaganissing Bay anchorage north of DeTour, on the lower St. Marys River, offering safe harbor for American Spirit, John G. Munson, Indiana Harbor, Victory/Maumee, CSL St-Laurent, Edgar B. Speer, Robert S. Pierson, Lee A. Tregurtha, John J. Boland, and Dirk S. VanEnkevort. American Mariner, along with the tug Sharon M 1 and barge Huron Spirit were stopped near Lime Island. Others many join them as the night goes on.  
   Goulais Bay, above the Soo Locks, played host to Mesabi Miner, Hon. James L. Oberstar, Kaye E. Barker and Joseph L. Block Thursday into Friday.
   Stewart J. Cort was tucked in behind the lower end of the Keweenaw Peninsula. American Integrity was at the north end. Great Republic was anchored south of the Apostle Islands.
   Herbert C. Jackson, bound for Toledo, dropped the hook in southern Lake Huron, The wind is expected to drop water levels on the western end of Lake Erie. Polsteam Dabie, also Toledo-bound, chose to wait out the weather and water levels off Port Colborne.

Historic Replica Vessel To Be Moved

Quite a scene today near Port Byron, NY as the Lois McClure, a replica canal schooner, will be moved to the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park here. A tractor trailer will pull the boat, with escort, on a small portion of the NYS Thruway to the park once inspection is passed. The boat had been worked on for months to get it ready for public display. It’s a full-scale replica of the 1862 Erie Canal schooner which was used to educate folks on the background of the historic waterway. The vessel will be placed into old Lock 52 in Port Byron—first time a boat will be in that lock since 1917. It will be part of a land based exhibit here at this terrific Heritage Park.
   The Lois McClure was built in 2004 at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vermont. The vessel had been used as an educational boat for years throughout the northeast and was named after Vermont philanthropist and educational advocate Lois Jean Howe McClure who passed away last January at the age of 98. Her rich legacy lives on in a multitude of ways and this is one of them at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park in Port Byron, NY.

New Seaway visitor BBC Felix on first inland trip

   Montreal, Que. – A new Seaway visitor arrived at Montreal on Dec. 18 on its first voyage to the Great Lakes. The BBC Felix, built in 2025, IMO 1060497, is on its maiden voyage from China where the vessel was built for the BBC Chartering fleet.
   BBC Felix was expected to head for Duluth but may be diverted to Hamilton. They are coming from their most recent port stop in Port Everglades, FL.
   The vessel is registered in Portugal and flies that country’s flag.
   The BBC Felix may also be the last new visitor to enter the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system for the 2025 shipping season. The Seaway is expected to close on Jan. 5, 2026.

[Denny Dushane]

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U.S. shipyard launches first MMSC frigate HMS Saud for Saudi Arabia in Wisconsin.

17 DEC 2025
   On December 16, 2025, the Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin moved the HMS Saud (820), the first of the four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) frigates ordered by Saudi Arabia, from the construction hall to the ship lift, a new step toward final outfitting and trials. Also known as the Jalalat Al-Malik Saud (His Majesty King Saud), the newly launched ship is part of a four-ship class built as part of Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Project, with Lockheed Martin as prime contractor for combat systems and overall integration.
   The Wisconsin ceremony brought together the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Ghraibi, senior Saudi and U.S. officials, and representatives from the companies involved in the program. Saudi officials tied this event to a broader modernization effort that pairs the four ships with structured crew training, qualification programs, and preparations ashore to ensure the vessels can operate regularly once delivered. The Tuwaiq Project runs from the U.S. approval for an MMSC sale in October 2015 for an estimated overall value of $11.25 billion, while the formal agreement framework was established in May 2017, with the signing of a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA).
   This was followed by several major contract awards, including $481 million in March 2018, $450 million in July 2018 for detailed design and planning, and another $282 million in November 2018. On December 20, 2019, a contract modification valued at $1,955,776,266 was issued to cover the detailed design and construction of all four ships, with work spread across Marinette and numerous other U.S. locations and a planned completion date in June 2026. Steel cutting for the first ship took place in October 2019, followed by the keel laying of the HMS Saud in May 2021, which preceded the keel laying for the second ship, the HMS Fahd (pennant number 822), on October 13, 2022. At that stage, fabrication work for the third and fourth ships was already underway.
   In 2025, the MMSC-1 was taken out of the construction shed around October 27, 2025. Beyond the ships themselves, Saudi officials emphasize that the Tuwaiq Project also includes shore infrastructure and sustainment measures intended to ensure long-term availability. Planned upgrades at King Abdulaziz Naval Base in Jubail include modern maintenance and training facilities to support the ship’s readiness and reduce reliance on overseas support. In parallel, Saudi authorities link the MMSC program to Vision 2030 objectives through GAMI and GADD, highlighting industrial localization and sustainment capacity as integral parts of the Kingdom’s effort to introduce and sustain a new class of surface combatants.
   The Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) is based on the U.S. Navy’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship but differs significantly in role and configuration. Instead of relying on interchangeable mission modules, the Saudi version of the LCS is fitted with permanent combat systems and weapons, making it a fully equipped surface combatant. The ship measures around 118 meters in length, sometimes specified as 118.6 meters, with a beam of 17.6 meters, a draft of 4.3 meters, and a maximum displacement of about 3,600 tonnes. Propulsion follows a combined diesel and gas arrangement, allowing speeds of around 30 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles, equivalent to about 9,260 kilometers, enabling extended operations beyond Saudi Arabia’s coastal waters. The standard crew is cited as 101 personnel, broken out as 84 core crew plus 17 for the helicopter detachment, with space available for 29 additional embarked personnel when required.
   For this class of ship, helicopters and drones will be used to extend what the vessel could see, track, and engage. Therefore, the HMS King Saud includes a flight deck and hangar sized for an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, deployed for anti-submarine warfare through dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and torpedoes, for surface surveillance with radar and electro-optical sensors, and for utility missions such as transport, medical evacuation, and vertical replenishment. Because the MH-60R can search large sea areas much faster than the ship, it allows the combat system to detect and classify contacts at long range and cue the ship’s weapons or other assets if needed. Shipborne drones, typically vertical takeoff and landing systems, are also going to be used to monitor surface traffic, identify contacts of interest, and help commanders build a clearer picture of the surrounding environment without committing a helicopter for every task.
   The combat system of the HMS Saud is built around Lockheed Martin’s COMBATSS-21 combat management system, derived from the Aegis system and connected through Link 16 communications to coordinate sensors, track management, and weapon control. Sensors include the Hensoldt TRS-4D active electronically scanned array radar, two Saab CEROS 200 fire control directors, identification systems, electronic support measures such as the WBR-2000, and anti-submarine systems such as a variable depth sonar, with Captas VDS also referenced. Weapons listed for the class include Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles and a Mk 41 vertical launch system intended to support Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, with multiple descriptions referring to two 8-cell Mk 41 VLS per ship. A broader weapon fit cited includes an 11-round Mk 15 Mod 31 SeaRAM, a BAE Systems 57 mm gun, two Nexter Narwhal 20 mm remote weapon stations, and Mk 32 torpedo launchers, plus decoy and torpedo-defense systems such as ALEX SKWS and AN-SLQ-25. Moreover, an equipment line associated with the program cites 532 tactical RIM-162 ESSM rounds across installed, test and training, and spares.
[By: Jerome Brahy]

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Ice, cold slows Seaway traffic

   This is the coldest first half of December in Montreal since 2007, contributing to disruptions and slowdowns in ship traffic. As of Tuesday, 41 ocean-going vessels remain upstream of the locks.

[Jean-Denis Landry – Seaway News]